NME cuttings

[Knievel]

The wonderful day job has me going through a coupla boxes of old NMEs - saw a coupla NMA reviews - wouldja believe the NME LIKED NMA at first -
Hopefully you can view the cuttings here:

http://imgur.com/a/z1CcB

Scroll down.

[Berko_kev]

That first review of Raw Melody Men pretty well sums up the totaly useless, self important , up their own arses, twats that the NME jounalists  were/are. The whole review doesnt once mention the music on the record and just slags off the band and the fans. The so called insight of the tw@t that wrote it states as a fact that the band have not progressed since day one and that us the fans are unaware and unwilling to acknowledge other music, is so far far off the mark some 23 years later when the band is stilll going strong,  evolving and diversifying its output and with a growing fanbase now into two generations made up from the most diverse and intersting bunch of people I have ever met.  What a complete w@nker Tery Staunton is. I' d love to here what he has to say about the band now. I might just ask him via his facebook page.

[Knievel]

I gotta say Berko that I thought they were all very bad - even the glowing Vengeance was lame - but then that is music jounalism huh?  I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the Raw Melody review - woooow boy; what a bad writer.
Yeah - sorry if the reviews are gonna upset anyone - it's incredible that you can be a writer of the calibre of Justin Sullivan and have some NME journalist say your not very good -
Anyway - I should have put a warning on the thread to keep pinch of salt nearby for each reading.

[Dipple]

I can't believe what I have just read there. How can somebody who writes for a music magazine be allowed to do that. It is like deformation of character or slander. I would like to know how many other bands have a body of work over 30+ years like NMA.

[Master Ray]

Read the RMM review... must... stay... calm.... 

This is obviously the work of someone throwing out whatever bullshit he can to get his weekly wages.  Utter bullshit, nothing to do with actual music.  I remember a 1/10 review for Skunk Anansie's last album in that same 'music magazine' that said absolutely nothing about the music, just the fact that the band were in their 40's and therefore should retire... shame, 'Black Traffic' was a fantastic album...

Aw shit, we're getting upset about a music review from over 20 years ago?  C'mon, guys, we're better than that...

[MARKXE]

Music reviews are always a subject of heavy debate. One mans good review is another mans utter disbelief and shock.
At the end of the day its one persons opinion, If I were reviewing One Direction I would be a very unpopular chap with there millions of fans no doubt baying for my blood.
What I always think about is where is the music reviewer now 20 to 30 years down the line.
Unlike the band they slated all that time ago they are just a distant memory. I wonder how many would eat humble pie now.

[Knievel]

nah - sorry but to me those reviews were too obvious to be anything but funny - to talk about how ugly they are in a live review well - no - Justin is and always was a very handsome man - such a strong and characteristic face - He's alarmingly handsome to this day and that glare when you're in the pit and turn and see his glare on you and you're 'hey - you looking at me? jah - cheers mister'  - don't want to sound like a wierd sychophant here but the man has got a rare presence so to call him ugly as part of a live review is very funny - in my opinion.  He's a Hells Angel Prince that didn't suck to the follys of the Angels. 
Me I thought NME always hated NMA so it was a  suprise to see that they liked that first LP - I can't help but think that NMA were asked favours and interviews that they turned down and that this got them a bad mark at NME - they didn't play the game because sure if you look at that RMM review you'll see the reviewer wants to kill them but can't do it by mentioning the music - only by mentioning how a live album is redundant from this what is a live band! ha ha - that's great huh?  do the clog eating sleeping bag wearing not want a souvenier of the tour they've hitched the country to be a part of...
I found it as funny as if a six year old had written that they didn't like CS Lewis...ok - your six. Don't worry honey - CS Lewis is beyond you right now.

[Guillaume]

Cynical and derisive comments from the "Raw melody men" reviewer!
He should be writing about the content of the lyrics, the virtues of the musicianship and in fact he is just mocking the band's look and the fans...

BUT i also remember fine reviews about the band in the UK, back in the 80's and early 90's...or am i wrong?

For example I own a very positive article about NMA and "Impurity" in the UK Magazine "Sounds" from September the 29TH, 1990:

"According to Andy Peart, "Impurity" is their most varied LP yet, it's the band's fifth consistently good/great album"

Cathi Unsworth review of "Impurity" in the same issue:

"Impurity is probably their most intense album yet (...)
"It all sounds dour and pessimistic. It isn't. It takes a creature of intense passion, and indeed, optimism, to write songs as affecting and turbulent as these."

 


Is there a special thread on this board dedicated to the reviews (UK, German, French, US and others countries) the band received from the early days until now?
The band received maybe some negative press at the time BUT also many fine even PRAISE reviews for albums like "Thunder and consolation", "The ghost of Cain", "Vengeance", "The love of hopeless causes", etc

[jc]

Very interesting to see how the Band fitted in with the Establishment, and even interesting to see how the Establishment perceived itself and its influence. Also interesting to see how the fans were perceived back then. Have things changed that much really.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers


jc

[Shush]

Don't worry about it. This is old news. Ill informed opinion. Who cares what this chap thought back then.  I really do not mind if the band I love is disliked by others. If I did care, then as Marxe suggests, I would do my level best to convert myself to a JLS fan, or similar.

Opinions are exactly that. We can all make our own. There is no right or wrong result.

Be proud you made up your own mind and found something very special to be part of 

[MARKXE]

 

[Rusco]

Regarding bad writing, I also remember reading a certain gig article from Metal Hammer or Kerrang in start of 90's which was not written in a good taste. I'm not sure was it a gig in States, but the writer wasn't aware about the band & its history. He just stated out that "preferably no one wants to listen anymore music of 80's as it was 90's and it's not new metal stuff". Ha! What a ridiculous view... If we'd count now how many of the famous 90's bands are still around or not, we can say fairly that New Model Army have created something which have lasted much longer and is capable to change and renewing themselves.

[Red]

Read the RMM review... must... stay... calm.... 

This is obviously the work of someone throwing out whatever bullshit he can to get his weekly wages.  Utter bullshit, nothing to do with actual music.  I remember a 1/10 review for Skunk Anansie's last album in that same 'music magazine' that said absolutely nothing about the music, just the fact that the band were in their 40's and therefore should retire... shame, 'Black Traffic' was a fantastic album...

Aw shit, we're getting upset about a music review from over 20 years ago?  C'mon, guys, we're better than that...

Shouldn't that say we're 'Better Than Them'   

[szmurf]

I actually got a good laugh at that live review.  Very cruel, but funny.

[Amandistan]

When was this written? Over 20 years ago

So why get so upset about an ancient review? Yes, it had nothing at all to do with the music and was ignorant but that was years ago.

it's  a bit funny that a professional music writer does not mention music one time. but mentions physical appearance.  it's as if they were fashion journalists.