HOORAY FOR AIMEE
It was cool to see an article about Aimee Mann in your magazine [“Success on Her Own Terms,” July 2001]. As an independent musician, I really respect her decision to drop her label and go it alone. Record companies have been screwing musicians forever, and with the consolidation of the major labels, it's only getting worse. I read somewhere that something like 98 percent of the bands that do get major label deals get dropped after their first record. So many artists put so much effort into getting signed, yet even if they succeed in getting a deal, they're likely to end up back where they started before too long. I think the best route is DIY, do it yourself. You may not get rich, but you have control over your career and your life.
Jane Shellenback
via the Internet
IN THE GROOVE
I was happy that you did an article on Galactic [“Bring On the Funk,” August 2001]. They are one of my favorite bands, and as a drummer, I especially like listening to Stanton Moore, who can lay down some unbelievably funky grooves. I hope Galactic gets more national recognition; they certainly deserve it.
Ed Porter
Washington, D.C.
DON'T MESS WITH THE BOSS
I am a 35-year-old who just happened to come across your August [2001] issue for the first time. Although I was excited to read the magazine, I did not get past page 12. I was so disgusted, I could not go on. Mark Smith's review of Bruce Springsteen's Live in New York City CD was appalling. Obviously Smith has never been a fan. How can he say Bruce was “not in top form”? How many performers these days put on a three-hour-plus show? Not only does the live version sound exactly like the recorded one, but Bruce looks great and is physically fit too. Maybe Smith should watch the HBO special or attend a concert and then try to say it was an “uninspired performance.” Springsteen sells out every town he goes to! This CD is excellent. Even my children (ages 5, 10, and 12) love it! My five-year-old is obsessed with it — and even she could have written a better review.
Carmela Grandinelli
Bloomingdale, IL
Carmela — Although I admit that I'm not a huge fan of Springsteen's, I do appreciate some of his work; his starkly beautiful album Nebraska ranks with some of the best albums released in the 1980s. Regardless, the tepid filler that is Live in New York City fails to inspire anything but narcolepsy. As for the Boss looking “great” and “physically fit,” I fail to see how that enters into the equation. Some of the best music has been made by overweight slobs. But that's just my opinion; stick to your guns!
— Mark Smith
CROWING OVER THE CROWES
Thank you, Jeff Perlah, for doing a great job on the cover story of the Black Crowes [“Kings of the Jungle,” August 2001]. It is a thorough article and doesn't ask the same questions that appear in all the other articles I've read. The current pictures are a nice touch too. I liked the gear breakdown and the guitar tech section also. Good work!
Ravi
via the Internet
OPINIONS OF GOLD
I read “The Quest for the Golden Tone” [August 2001] with great interest. I've long struggled with getting my acoustic to sound good live, and I agree with many of the points the author makes. However, I think he really overestimates the value of magnetic pickups. A magnetic pickup is the signature sound of an electric guitar, and when you put one on an acoustic, it makes it sound like an acoustic-electric, not an amplified acoustic. I think that a good piezo-and-microphone combination system is far superior because it sounds so much more authentic.
Zack Wendelson
via the Internet
Thanks for the great article on live acoustic guitar techniques in the August issue. Pat Kirtley delivered a practical, informative, and well-written article. Writers like him will keep my subscription renewals coming.
Brian McPherson
Orlando, FL
