nme?!

[itsallyellow]

Is it me or is NME gone completely down the pan?

Not long ago it was a trustworthy place where you could rely upon the opinions of its writers and buy a new album or single before listening to it safe in the knowledge it was going to be 'good'. Now its seems to be the musical Heat. Stuffed full of pointless and witless writing championing such untalented cliches as the Arctic Monkeys,Pete Doherty and any other dull daftly named groups with a penchant for sour noise and empty girls with lobsided hair.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Ah, the sound of someone growing old and realising the NME is really, really badly written! And, yes, I've gone through that process myself a few years back.

I'm willing to bet that in a few years time you'll read someone saying exactly the same as you but changing the names to the modern groups that are then being championed - I know that when I was reading it there were people who decried it for no longer being as good as it used to be and slagging off the bands I liked.

I suspect part of it is simply that if you listen to music for long enough, you start to notice the cycles. I can't listen to a lot of the modern bands without recalling their 1980s antecedents, invariably superior to my ears - you become more sophisticated as you get older and you demand more and more from your bands.

Plus ca change...

[itsallyellow]

I sense you maybe right though im only 22. Maybe I'm too conservative. Dont get me wrong bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Killers are great and newer groups like Maximo Park and We Are Scientists are unique and clever. But I dont think my music tastes are going to be as open as they once were.

[surfer mike]

I bet once you hit 30..you'll start tapping your feet to a phil collins song..unconsciously of course..and the next stop after that is cliff richard and death..

[itsallyellow]

If thats true I might poke my ears through when I'm 29.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Franz Ferdinand are a classic example of a band who sound like a pale immitation of an 80s band to me!

[nedflanders]

I agree with Waldo! I would like to point out that I am over 30, I like the arctic monkeys album and rate them higher than Maximo Park (who in my opinion sound like a poor mans Inspiral Carpets) Dont beleive surfer mike! But its all down to opinions, I do agree that pete doherty hasnt really produced the goods with babyshambles (not keen on the new album), maybe a sign that carl barat was the true driving force of the libertines (or the coke is taking its toll).

[WaldoMcFroog]

Steady on Ned... ;-)

[brachiopod]

Waldo, couldn't put it better myself !

(Sadly I still have a load of NME's / Melody Maker's and Sounds from around 1980 to 1987 tucked away in my cellar that have moved around with me for almost 20 years. They will be going in the bin next time I move....)

[itsallyellow]

I did have hundreds of NME's knocking around but due to aging, I think thats what we're putting my dislike of NME down to, I have got rid of most of them the ones I have kept my damn good litter tray liners, a perfect fit. Nothing beats the clawed, cat **** soakedface of Pete Doherty peering through the gravel at me. Its amost ironic.

[andy hughes]

NME has always evolved, and continues to do so.

One result of this evolution is that it sheds its 'old' readers, and attempt to appeal to new ones.

The face of popular music has altered out of all recogintiojn over the last few years, and the rate of evolution of tastes and trends continues to accelerate at an increasingly rapid rate.

Music fans tend to cling to the era when music was most important to them - usually their teens and early twenties. That's why I have an abiding affection for the 1970's it was 'my' time, but I am still more than willing to give any new music a tilt - and i am lucky enough to talk to, and watch bands for payment, so I keep up.

The enduring appeal of pop is the dichotomy of the amount of passion and opinion it inspires (as this thread demonstrates) compared with the transience and brevity of its appeal. T'was ever thus - NME's writers are opinionated and passionate about bands and artists that move them, and champion and defend them accordingly - accepting a healthy dose of ire and scorn from their detractors.

Trust me - knowing that someone is annoyed enough with your printed opinion that they will take the trouble to contact your media with their thoughts is a heady experience - and one a writer never gets tired of!

Did I tell you I think Chico is a valuable talent who will go a long way?

[brachiopod]

We used to have an ex-Melody-Maker-hack-turned-sometime-Guardian/Observer-contributer that used to contribute to these very pages.

[itsallyellow]

Like cheese and pineapple sticks go a long way at a party...

Cheers Andy. I understand that the NME has to follow the latest fashions hence 'NEW' ME ....So I'm forever going to be clinging to 2000-2003. Don't get me wrong if I could describe the feeling of hearing 'the Modern Age' and the Music"Walls Get Smaller" I would. I'll look forward now to 2020-2023 with baited breathe and I'll keep the old ones for my young-uns who will tell me I should get over Julian Casablancas leaving and Ryan Adams 39th release and listen to some new stuff. In the mean time I guess I should just accept it and post my subscription to Uncut...

[nedflanders]

Ah "the walls get smaller" What a tune! Did prefer the first album though.

[andy hughes]

Brachiopod - not wishing to be vain, but do you mean me? I am an ex Melody Maker freelance - but i haven't written for the Guardian.

[itsallyellow]

And here was me thinking he was a leading member of the Orb... :)

[Steve_Luts]

I've just read Stuart Maconie's book/biog 'Cider With Roadies', which amongst other things describes his days with NME, where he rose to the heady heights of Assistant Editor. I enjoyed the book and couldn't help chuckling at the world of the rock journalist. Its worth a read, largely because it describes how much of a doss they have putting the mag together, which is taken (possibly too) seriously by many people. I'm 33 now, and whilst I still buy the NME occasionally, I've matured into a Q reader, with all its serious music journo tones. However, I still vividly remember getting wound up about whatever movement the NME were then waxing lyrical about - little did I know most were made up in the pub for a bit of a laugh!

Shame Melody Maker isn't around still - I used to think that trounced the NME.

Ref Pete Doherty - I agree, he does have a very punchable face! Shame I like the Libs albums - I try to ignore that to$$er is anything to do with them!