Best Of

A selection of our top stories, for your reading pleasure…

The Monkees during a television special in 1969

THE IMMORTAL MONKEES!

Crispin KottMarch 18, 2019

Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith carry on, despite the loss of Davy Jones and, most recently, Peter Tork. Their current tour is a tribute to lost friends, a celebration of their “Good Times!” in the present day, and a reminder that the Rock &am...

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THE BIRTH OF GONZO AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

Alan BisbortMarch 5, 2019

Hunter S. Thompson became a known quantity with the publication of Hell’s Angels (1967), but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Ralph Steadman for the first time that true gonzo journalism was born. A new Last Gasp publication, Who Killed Hunter S. Th...

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JEREMY REED: RUINED BY POETRY

Gillian McCainMarch 4, 2019

British writer and provocateur extraordinaire talks about some wild sidetrips his literary career has taken, how he has managed to write his numerous books by hand and his love of groundbreaking literature by Anne Sexton, J.G. Ballard, William S. Bur...

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PETER STAMPFEL: THE LAST HOLY MODAL ROUNDER TELLS ALL

Benito VilaFebruary 27, 2019

At 80, the tireless and talented fiddle, banjo and guitar player, Ur-punk provocateur, former Rounder, Fug, devotee of Harry Smith, Spike Jones, Pete Seeger, Little Richard and the Beats, is recording songs for every year of the 20th century, playing...

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BEATLES, STONES, SINATRA & BEYOND: TERRY O’NEILL TALKS ABOUT HIS COOL ICONIC IMAGES

Burt KearnsFebruary 19, 2019

Legendary British photographer Terry O'Neill started out shooting the Beatles and the Stones as struggling young bands in the early 60s, and went on to create iconic portraits of Frank Sinatra, Elvis, David Bowie, Brigitte Bardot, The Who, Eric Clapt...

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Joan Jett and Lita Ford of The Runaways, at The Whisky Aug. 1977

JENNY LENS: AN L.A. PUNK PIONEER

Sharon M. HannonFebruary 12, 2019

When Jenny Lens took her camera into the heart and soul of the Los Angeles punk scene, she felt like she was riding on a comet. During that time, her photographs appeared everywhere, among which were iconic shots of The Ramones, the Clash, Blondie, t...

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CHRIS STEIN: HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC POINT OF VIEW

Eric DavidsonFebruary 7, 2019

With his camera eye, Blondie’s guitarist offers a fresh angle on the city where he grew up and the punk scene he documented, in his new book. In a candid conversation with Eric Davidson, he recalls the times when NYC was disheveled but fun, when Lest...

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LOU REED: FREEING THE ROCK & ROLL ANIMAL

Steve KatzJanuary 23, 2019

When Steve Katz, late of Blood Sweat & Tears and the Blues Project, signed on to produce some Lou Reed albums, he discovered that there were two Lou Reeds. The first one was an animal, captured beautifully live, and the second one was a zombie, s...

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MICHAEL CHAIKEN: MAKING BOB DYLAN’S ARCHIVE COME ALIVE

James MarshallJanuary 15, 2019

The Dylan Archive curator’s road to Tulsa was paved with good obsessions, such as free jazz, Godard, the Maysles, D.A. Pennebaker, Norman Mailer and working with Glenn Horowitz. James Marshall hounds out the roadmap in a wide-ranging interview with C...

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CHRIS BELL: A FALLING STAR IN A FLEETING COSMOS

Bruce EatonJanuary 10, 2019

After sketching out the creative blueprint for Memphis-based Big Star, the band that launched a thousand other “power pop” bands, Chris Bell left it in Alex Chilton’s hands after one album. He spent the rest of his short life trying to reclaim that m...

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THE ROAD FROM THE CATACOMBS TO ASTRAL WEEKS: VAN MORRISON’S LOST 1968 TAPE UNEARTHED

Richie UnterbergerJanuary 3, 2019

A recently discovered tape, briefly released by Morrison on iTunes, may be a rock & roll Rosetta stone, serving as the link between Van the sorta-pop star and Van the Man superstar. Richie Unterberger talks to some of those who helped shape that ...

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IT’S ALIVE! THE RAMONES!

Ed StasiumJanuary 2, 2019

Legendary producer Ed Stasium recorded The Ramones It's Alive 41 years ago at the Rainbow Theatre in London – a recording that many regard as one of the best live albums ever. This is his story. All photos by Danny Fields - from December 31, 1977 ...

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Sue Brisk. Untitled I, San Francisco, CA, 1976/77. Courtesy of Sue Brisk.

PUNK LUST AT THE MUSEUM: RAW PROVOCATION

Eric DavidsonDecember 20, 2018

A provocative and entertaining new exhibit at the Museum of Sex in NYC undresses the ‘raw provocation’ that defined the punk era (1971-1985) and planted the seeds for present-day gender deconstruction The Museum of Sex is kind of like the tipsy sing...

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DESIGNING AND LIVING WITH LOU REED: AN INTERVIEW WITH SYLVIA REED

Eric DavidsonDecember 4, 2018

Sylvia Reed - Lou Reed's wife, art designer, manager, and reading partner - offers insights into the most productive period of Lou’s career Sylvia (Morales) Reed was Lou Reed’s wife, but she was also his integral creative half during arguably Lou’s ...

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Greg Reid on SUNSHINE SUPERMAN: THE TRANSFORMATION OF DONOVAN LEITCHThe donovan article was brilliant. You nailed it 110%. Thank you.
Joe Shmo on JOHN PEEL: HIS LIFE AND MUSICAL LEGACYTo be fair , John was an opportunist and in the right place at the right time from his employment in Texas to his tenure at the Beeb. He appealed to white boys who lived in the suburbs and the wide open spaces , many of whom didn't have access
Marina Lutz on HOW I LOST MY VIRGINITY TO STIV BATORSThanks Alicia! Maybe 2020 they will pay me to write something else. Meanwhile you can watch my film at https://themarinaexperiment.com/ - I'm making a new doc this year.

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KINKY 101: LIFE ADVICE FROM DOMINATRIXES

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Best Of

THE IMMORTAL MONKEES!

THE BIRTH OF GONZO AT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

JEREMY REED: RUINED BY POETRY

PETER STAMPFEL: THE LAST HOLY MODAL ROUNDER TELLS ALL

BEATLES, STONES, SINATRA & BEYOND: TERRY O’NEILL TALKS ABOUT HIS COOL ICONIC IMAGES

JENNY LENS: AN L.A. PUNK PIONEER

CHRIS STEIN: HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC POINT OF VIEW

LOU REED: FREEING THE ROCK & ROLL ANIMAL

MICHAEL CHAIKEN: MAKING BOB DYLAN’S ARCHIVE COME ALIVE

CHRIS BELL: A FALLING STAR IN A FLEETING COSMOS

THE ROAD FROM THE CATACOMBS TO ASTRAL WEEKS: VAN MORRISON’S LOST 1968 TAPE UNEARTHED

IT’S ALIVE! THE RAMONES!

PUNK LUST AT THE MUSEUM: RAW PROVOCATION

DESIGNING AND LIVING WITH LOU REED: AN INTERVIEW WITH SYLVIA REED

KINKY 101: LIFE ADVICE FROM DOMINATRIXES

JOHN PEEL: HIS LIFE AND MUSICAL LEGACY

TELSTAR: THE SONG, AND THE FUTURE THAT NEVER WAS