Made it
I'm not sure how long it's been since I was allowed to write a cover story. But thanks to Word, I am a journalist again! What a tremendous day I spent in Manchester with Elbow a couple of weeks ago, and how cheering to see Guy Garvey's face on the front of a magazine in a world of chiselled youngsters.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 1:53 PM
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28 Comments:
Really been enjoying the magazine this month. I loved your Boosh article as well as the Elbow one.
Word seems to be kee on 'differently beautiful' faces on its covers lately though. As a subscriber I get the full unadulterated photo and although I'm glad not to be assaulted by air brushed babes or teenaged indie kids when I open the envelope, I enjoyed the clean shaven John Lennon last week, after Lemmy, Thom Yorke and assorted other untidy looking blokes!
I enjoyed your piece on The Boosh in the same issue too. I sincerely hope they don't go the same way as Vic & Bob (Reeves has spent the last decade as an unfunny, celebrity pain in the arse) but I do get the comparisons.
I think I can claim to have been there at the beginning - in terms of the TV show - but I'm too old to worry about them growing beyond their cult status. What does worry me though is that, apart from the crimping episode, series 3 was a real let down. Too much crudity; too much going over old ground and old characters; not enough invention.
Hear Hear! As a regular subscriber, I got my copy through yesterday and was thrilled to see a) this wonderful picture on the cover and b) your name tagged to it.
I'm supposed to be spending my weekend reading a very large and very scary psychology textbook for my class on Tuesday (I'm an extremely mature student), and I'm trying VERY hard not to peek at my beloved Word mag - but it's sooo tempting... Get thee behind me Satan!
Susan
Congratulations, Andrew... I'll be buying myself a copy of that. Just bought Elbow's "Cast of Thousands" yesterday after enjoying "Seldom Seen Kid" so much. All the best, Kev
I made it onto the back cover (inside). That, makes it the greatest ever issue, no?
Can't wait to see Elbow live again next week. They were stunning in the 'summer' at Delamere Forest, Cheshire.
Congratulations.
I must confess to never having heard Elbow before, well not knowingly anyway. I've just done a little digging around and find that they're compared to my all time fave, Peter Gabriel and early Genesis, so I'm right onto iTunes to pick up a couple of their LPs. Any recommendations Andrew?
Thanks
Doug
...and you were super on with that Michael Ball this morning, too. I think he's a top host and a jolly chap.
Is that who you were out drinking with all that weekend? I wouldn't have thought their livers could stand it!
Good stuff, sir. I've seen Elbow more times than I can recall, the best being an intimate charity gig at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music. Good times. And they all seem like thoroughly decent chaps to boot.
I'll have a read, make no mistake.
David in Liverpool: apologies, I just accidentally rejected your comment instead of publishing it. Luckily, I can cut and paste it:
Doug Grant - try the most recent album, The Seldom Seen Kid. If you just want a couple of tracks try One Day Like This, The Bones of You or The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver.
My subscription copy of Word hasn't arrived yet... Here's hoping it's on the doormat when I get home tomorrow evening.
David, Liverpool
PS Congrats Andrew!
Doug, I would second David's suggestion. Seldom Seen Kid is their best album, so frankly, if it doesn't grab you, neither will the others. As it happens, I've since rediscovered the second album, Cast Of Thousands, which was sadly overlooked at the time, I think, and the band themselves agreed when I met them that it was their "weakest". But weakness is relative. And a couple of the tracks on that are among their very best: Grace Under Pressure, Switching Off for a start.
Oh, and congrats on the caption competition props, Valentine Suicide. Now people can guess your real name.
One Day Like This is probably the best song of this year.
Let's not forget Ribcage on Cast of Thousands. I first heard that driving late at night and had to pull over to get my breath back. Elbow are one hell of a band and their set at Glastonbury, The Mercury and everything else that has happened to them recently (Being featured on the Burn After Reading trailer!) warms my heart.
Oooooh, shall have to scurry off and buy that.
As for Elbow recommendations, I can barely be trusted because I tend to quite sternly suggest "All. Of. It."
Asleep In The Back and The Seldom Seen Kid are my favourites though, especially 'Scattered Black & Whites' from the former and 'Weather To Fly' more recently.
Apart from John Lennon last issue, The Word is very fond of bearded cover stars. What does that say about the readership? (I don't have a beard).
My favourite Elbow track is Powder Blue. Beautiful.
Zoe
I suspect some research was done once by a magazine publisher that stated that beards stop people buying your magazine. And Word, being Word, seek to buck the system! More power to their elbow.
Ha ha.
Fell asleep on the sofa yesterday and my kids laid Word gently on my fizzog. Cue mass hysterics and "Could'nt you have made it George Clooney" comment from the missus
I am ashamed to say I only just discovered Elbow about 2 weeks ago, but have had the Seldom Seen Kid on repeat on my iPod since then. Without fail I play "One Day Like This" on my walk to the train station EVERY SINGLE DAY - if anyone can fail to feel more cheerful after that track they need some hard drugs.
You're 2 weeks ahead of me, henweb! Having said that, I bought Seldom Seen Kid last night and am LOVING it! I can see me picking up the rest of the back catalogue over the next little while.
I feel I should perhaps apologise to everyone for hi-jacking this thread into being some sort of 'tell me what records I should buy' kind of thing.
Pleased to say that I picked up the magazine at lunch-time and have subscribed to the Word podcast, which claims that one of its regular contributors is Andrew. Bet there's no effing and jeffing or Stalin refernces there! :-)
Cheers
Doug
While we're listing the less weak tracks from 'Cast Of Thousands', let's not forget 'Fugitive Motel'!
(and what about the David Sedaris piece - did you actually write ALL of this month's WORD Andrew?)
Yes to Fugitive Motel. And coming up on the inside, Buttons & Zips. What a sweet song that is.
I interviewed David Sedaris on the Monday, transcribed it and wrote it up by the Wednesday. I started the Mighty Boosh feature straight after that, and interviewed Noel Fielding on the Saturday; finished the Mighty Boosh feature on the train up to Manchester to do Elbow on the following Monday. It was quite a week, I can tell you.
I read the Elbow article on the train this morning and it was my favourite Word article for longer than I can remember, so thank you, Andrew.
However, I wouldn't call Buttons and Zips a sweet song - I think it's bordering on filthy! (not as much as I've Got Your Number though)
Surely having an article published in the Mail makes you a journalist Andrew?
Sorry, just realised I've published an anonymous comment [above]. But since it's harmless, I ask only that you reveal yourself.
Going to a city and interviewing some people and then writing it up - that's journalism. I just write book reviews for the Mail. That's reviewing.
Fair point. But still, you are 'working for the Daily Mail'.
Don't you think it's a bit hypocritical to have a go at 'Johnny Rotten's butter-based betrayal of everything we fought for' when you yourself are providing copy for Satan's own tabloid?
I will continue this ideological debate with you if you stop posting anonymously. It's a valid debate to have, but it does state very clearly on the comments form that I don't accept anonymous posts. I'm only publishing this one to point that out. You don't have to register, just put a name at the end of the comment. If you're going to challenge me, at least have the decency to put a name at the end. (As a point of order, the Johnny Rotten line was a joke, as you'd know if you listened to the podcast.)
Finished reading the mag last night - what a great read. It's the first magazine in a long time that I've read from cover to cover and I enjoyed the vast majority of it. So much so that I've placed a subscription with my local newsagent.
I listened to last weeks Word podcast too, which was quite informative and entertaining. Without wanting to raise my head above the parapet on the subject of podcast sound quality, I'm happy to discover that the the Word one is far worse than our beloved C&H - it sounds as though it's recorded in the echoey toilets at 'Word Towers'. :-)
Thanks
Doug
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