Email letters@uncut.co.uk. Or tweet us at twitter.com/uncutmagazine LONG MAY NEIL RUN Thanks, Uncut, for your Neil Young Top 40 [Take 285]! After all the understandable furore over the botched roll out of Archives II and the madly overpriced anniversary reissue of After The Gold Rush, your list was a welcome reminder of what matters most: Neil’s music. There were tons of songs you could have included in your list, but what I enjoyed most were the first-hand recollections of so many wonderful musicians who’ve played with Neil throughout the years. Considering how many of his collaborators have sadly passed away – from Danny Whitten, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin to David Briggs and on through Ben Keith, Rick Rosas, Dallas Taylor and more – it was heartening to read such vivid memories from so many other surviving musicians. Paul Sharpe, Liverpool …I thought that your Neil Young Top 40 was a pretty good representation of his best work over the past 50 or so years.... 50!? Pity there was no room for “Old Man”, “Love In Mind”, “New Mama”, “Pardon My Heart”, “Pushed It Over The Edge”, “Don't Be Denied”, “No More”… It’s a measure of the man that we’re able to arrive at so many choices for a Best Of list. Long may he run! Stephen Gregory, Manchester Thanks, Stephen. Yes, we could have gone much further than a Top 40, had we the space. I’m pleased we managed to include some lesserspotted gems in there, though, especially “Walk Like An Inca” and “Be The Rain”. [MB]
HIPGNOSIS
INTO THE TREES Your Reissue Of The Month in Take 283 was the excellent Trees – 50th Anniversary Edition. It was hard to resist the four-page review with Jim Wirth’s evocative review, the candid Q&A with David Costa and Bias Boshell (great alliterative name), and contemporaneous photos by Hipgnosis’s Storm Thorgersen and Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell. So I ordered my copy. The music is joyous. The chaos of the first album, The Garden Of Jane Delawney, where they’re playing all the right notes but not always in the right order is OTT in a seriously good way. The second LP, On The Shore, demonstrates that the band that stayed together could play together with even more rewarding 116 • UNCUT • MARCH 2021
Trees in 1970: joyous English folk
results. The two discs of demos, remixes, radio sessions and live reunion material are fabulous. too. Topping it all off were the fanboy notes from the erudite Stewart Lee – appropriately, remixing his 2007 notes to the earlier reissue of Trees’ sophomore LP. The only bum note is the lack of Hipgnosis album covers in the CD booklet, when they are both clearly present and correct in the vinyl box set in your feature. So music 10/10 and packaging 7/10. Thanks for the recommendation, Uncut. Bruce Marsh, Newbury Park Thanks for the kind words about Jim’s review! Trees are very popular round here, Bruce, so we were delighted to give them plenty of space in the Reviews section.
DOMESTIC STRIFE I know you’ll receive lots of comment on your choices for Albums Of The Year and no arguments about His Bobness at No 1 or the inclusion of Laura Marling, Jason Isbell, Waxahatchee, the Boss or Lucinda, but you guys have certainly missed out on one of 2020's best. I am referring to Domestic by Paul Armfield. I don’t believe you even reviewed it when it first came out, which was a sad omission on your part. It is full of beautifully crafted songs, superb lyrics and wonderful musicianship and is fully deserving of inclusion in any end of year lists. Don’t take my word for it,
ask Mark Radcliffe, who appears smitten by it, and grab an earful yourselves. Aside from all that, a big thanks to the ever perceptive Laura Barton for her review of Lucinda Williams’ livestream. John Rhodes, via email Consider us duly chastened, John…
HEEPS OF PRAISE Great magazine! Always look forward to it especially during these grim lockdown days. Complete mystery to me however, why has there never been an appraisal of the mighty Uriah Heep? Deeply unfashionable perhaps? The 50 Years In Rock boxset has just been released and not so much as a mention. It’s particularly poignant now with the recent passing of Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley, though the indefatigable Mick Box still pushes the band forward. Howard Burton, via email
ACCA DACCA ROCK Long-time reader here in LA. I always look forward to finding a new issue at my local book shop. I hate to quibble with a review but, as a loyal AC/DC fan, I must say I think PWR/UP is the best record they have made since Back In Black. Every song is good. Hooks, riffs, tight, economical solos by Angus, terrific vocals by Johnson and the rhythm machine of Rudd, Williams and (another) Young. I listened to it 10
times in a row after buying it and I’m still digging in! I particularly enjoyed your Cramps story few issues back and hope perhaps someday you will look at The Dictators, But the band that has never been given their due in your fine magazine remains The Stranglers. Thanks again for all your hard work and creativity. Paul McGuire, Canyon Country, California Hey, Paul. As an Australian, our reviewer Andrew Mueller has a deep emotional attachment to AC/ DC, so I think his review was pretty on the ball. Glad you enjoyed the Cramps piece!
BEST BEFORE DATE In Take 285, Michael Bonner begins by saying, “Welcome to the final edition of Uncut for 2020”, and it is indeed the week before Christmas. So why is the cover dated February 2021? Why don’t you align the issues with the correct month? And why does the press insist on doing the albums of the year before the year ends? There are always key albums released in December, at the last minute that need to be considered. Just because everyone else does it this way doesn’t mean it’s right or that you have to follow suit. I personally like to reflect on the year’s finest when the year is actually over. David J Bennett, via email
