It’s a sad and beautiful world

I was pleased to see that one of the most popular bands of the era, Creedence as we called them, finally got an article in MOJO 308. It all read well until it mentioned Woodstock. As I was there, I can assure you “a lot of folks” were most assuredly not asleep when they came on. They more likely were trying to figure out the Grateful Dead’s preceding performance which, even for them, was uneven, to be kind – though I liked Pigpen’s performance of In The Midnight Hour. They were openly booed, probably the only group at Woodstock to have that honour.

Sadly unmentioned in this part of the article was the fact that Creedence were the only directly political group that night. John Fogerty gave a particularly moving soliloquy about the spectre of George Wallace being a candidate for President, and dedicated to him the next song they played: Bad Moon Rising. It got real applause.

Norman Gaines, Harsdale, New York

All right, all right, Mr All-Mighty-Hot-Shit

MOJO is usually good on detail, so it was disappointing to read Danny Eccleston ask Madonna about the ‘Book Of Revelations’ [MOJO 309] when, as set out by Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit in Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo off Achtung Bono, featured in MOJO 308: “If you’re going to quote from the Book Of Revelation/Don’t keep calling it the Book Of Revelations/There’s no ‘s’, it’s the Book Of Revelation/As revealed to St John The Divine.” I’m sure Madonna is a HMHB fan, but she failed to correct Danny so she’s in it, too.

Gavin Parkinson, via e-mail

If looks could kill, I am dead now

Something seems off in this month’s Time Machine [MOJO 308]: the Loreley Festival is not in Hamburg, but in Bornich. Actually you have mixed up two different events. The hilarious Nazi incident took place at Hamburg’s CCH, June 19, 1978, and was filmed for famous TV show Rockpalast. The Loreley gig took place on June 17 – or rather it didn’t. Slick was too drunk to perform and stayed at the hotel, giving promoter Werner Kuhls the job of telling the festival crowd the headliner was too unwell to perform. The result? A full-blown riot that completely destroyed the stage. Apparently Kuhls was smart enough to stop the police from intervening, and after the people had torn the place apart, everybody went home peacefully – which

would never have happened had the police interfered. Call it German efficiency. Call it a lack of imagination. Kuhls was later honoured by the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, home of the Loreley Festival. The distance between Bornich and Hamburg is 569km.

Oliver, Berlin

We could make some money together

Lovely piece by Tom Doyle on P.P. Arnold in MOJO 309, but it strangely omits reference to her 2007 duet album with Dr. Robert, Five In The Afternoon. So maybe it’s not 51 years since she last recorded an album?

Dave Faulkner, via e-mail

I gotta have fun, y’know, baby?

So Trout Mask Replica is 50 years old [MOJO 309]; shame on me! I did not see that coming. Trout Mask was like music from another planet. As a sci-fi and HP Lovecraft fan, I bought into it completely. Nowadays, working in my studio (I’m an abstract artist), what you will hear is most likely Beefheart, but more likely Doc At The Radar Station or Gary Lucas & Nona Hendryx’s World Of Captain Beefheart.

I have tried to turn some of Captain Beefheart’s songs into art work, but so far only Flavor Bud Living, Sun Zoom Spark and Ink Mathematics have made it to finished canvases. One of the songs mentioned in the article, Steal Softly Thru Snow, has completely eluded me in paint. Ink Mathematics actually started out as Steal Softly. Flavor Bud Living came about after I read that Beefheart ordered Gary Lucas to play it according to his “exploding note theory” and I thought, Yes, I can relate to that. Anyway, MOJO 309 is the best issue for a while from my point of view. Don’t forget December next year is 10 years since Don’s death: I expect big things.

Patrick Hillard, Kings Lynn

An hour’s work for a whole lotta scratch

That’s a nice one: Barry Wom tells the true story how he became a member of The Rutles [MOJO 308]. Why didn’t Ian Harrison reveal Barry’s true identity? The man’s real name is Admiral John Halsey, the last surviving member of Patto, who also played on sessions for Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Lou Reed and Viv Stanshall. Maybe you should cooperate with him to write the definitive Halsey/Patto feature?

Tony Lauber, Luzern, Switzerland

I am a good egg

The change y’all have made to the MOJO subscribers covers is absolutely breathtaking! The depth, the life, the out and out vibrance of them is stunning. By only leaving ‘MOJO’ on the cover, full proper attention can be paid to the beautiful art that graces your cover. Wow. Never go back.

Jim Rauh, Santa Clara, California

I scream. You scream.

We all scream. For ice cream

Thanks for the piece on the glorious Mavis Staples [MOJO 308]. My father and I caught one of the last dates of her recent American tour in Albuquerque. Unlike a similarly-aged B.B. King some 15 years earlier, whose show felt like two licks and 90 minutes of chatter, Mavis was all killer no filler, giving it her all until she had none left to give. You could hear every bit of grit and every march taken in Staples’ voice, and every one yet to come.

Stephen Conn, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Maybe there’s still hope for you yet

Thanks for dedicating several pages and the CD [MOJO 308] King Crimson. I’ve been a Crimhead ever since In The Court Of The Crimson King was released in 1969, when I was 13. I’d like to correct one mistake. It’s true Ian McDonald plays alto sax on the full-length studio recording of Starless, but he is not on the edited version on the CD: that’s Mel Collins on soprano sax. Keep up the good work!

Mats Andersson Espling, Lund, Sweden

…Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll… and theology. As Ben Thompson suggests, Fripp’s spiritual journey and the music of King Crimson and his solo work are inseparable. This is not surprising since, from The Beatles to Mahavishnu Orchestra, and many points between, we see that music comes from within the musician. MOJO frequently goes beyond the setlist, what the artist wore and what equipment they used – long may that continue. Perhaps MOJO’s love of lists could result in a feature on ‘Rock’s 50 most inspirational tracks’ and the stories behind them.

John Duff, Harrogate

I felt I must write to bemoan the lack of any mention of Adrian Belew in yer turgid article about the Crims in issue 308. Belew is the real saviour of that band, who had the vision and songwriting, singing and guitar-whanging abilities to resurrect them from prog ossification. Po-faced Mr Fripp’s doom-laden post-prog slog can never equal the Belew-led Crim incarnation. All hail the mighty twang bar king!

Carl Ewens, via e-mail

You plannin’ on doin’ a little squirrel huntin’?

Just wanted to say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed MOJO 308, particularly the Self Portrait piece on David St Hubbins – I mean Bobby Gillespie. Top notch.

Iain McMahon, Perth