PHIL ALEXANDER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s a musical journey

Reading your Ray Davies cover story [MOJO 280], it was refreshing not to hear the same old stories of sibling rivalry and the feuding with Dave that has clearly lain at the heart of The Kinks since Day One. Equally, it was amusing to hear Ray declare that, “Dave should’ve been the frontman.” Who knows what would’ve happened if Dave had been. Hard to imagine. Still, it was also really good to get to the heart of what actually went down on that fabled American tour of 1965. It’s only a shame that the scars that were left ran so deep. Roger Mortensen, via e-mail

When I got there, I enjoyed it…

I had to write to thank you for you Something Else: A Tribute To The Kinks covers CD that accompanied your last issue. Something Else is one of my favourite albums of all time, but to hear those songs interpreted by so many great artists was a real treat. Wreckless Eric’s version of Death Of A Clown is magnificent, Modern Studies’ take of Harry Rag really captured the spirit of the song, and Ty Segall’s decision to cover the ‘uncoverable’ Waterloo Sunset was actually well judged. I could go on… But maybe I’ll just say thanks again, MOJO. I look forward to your version of Village Green Preservation Society next year! Michael Harrison, via e-mail

I wouldn’t want them in the film

Enjoyed your Ray Davies issue. Am I right in saying that the headlines from your letters page Theories, Rants Etc. were taken from the script to Absolute Beginners this time around? Can’t say that film has aged that well. But if I’m right about the headlines, do I win a prize for getting that right? Dan Simon, via e-mail

You are indeed right. But sadly there’s no prize…

Rock’n’roll stops the traffic

Always nice to hear from Ray Davies. But, Ray, may I go on record to assert that, whatever you may occasionally say to the contrary, Terry and Julie will always be and have always been for me Terry Stamp and Julie Christie? And, Julie, if you’re reading this, what a shame we never met. It would have been the love affair of the century. Paul Bandey, Actor, Paris, France, via e-mail

Where’s the glory in that?

I was intrigued by Ray Davies’s parenthetical pronouncements in your last issue concerning the current state of world politics. “What does Donald Trump really want?” he asked. I think we’re finding out right now. And that, I’m afraid, makes me disagree with Neil Young’s view in your same issue where he suggests that the leader of the free world may indeed be open to suggestion. I wish I felt otherwise. Stuart Jones, Liverpool, via e-mail

Talk about the resistance

I have to say that I really enjoyed your recent piece with Anohni [MOJO 280] and her attempt to put the world to rights. Of course, in black and white some of the sentiments expressed can seem a bit foolhardy, and I enjoyed her phone call to your journalist to apologise for ranting. But we live in an age where artists should rant more and music should actually mean something deeper than mere