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Right, we've had our say. Now it's time for you

From page 33 of Classic Rock Magazine July 1999

Cover of July 1999 issue.

to have yours. Send your views on any rockrelated subject to Communiqué, Classic Rock, Dennis Publishing, 19 Bolsover Street, London W1 P 7HJ, or e - mail them to us at: production.oneshotsfadennis.co.uk.

A Neo-Prog Note

Thanks for the Porcupine Tree piece and the review in your excellent magazine. Your support is much appreciated. However, my interview was obviously quite, er... controversial and while I stand by everything I said, I was concerned by one thing: When I was dissing the neo-prog movement, I remember I made a point of not referring to any bands specifically.You appear to have paraphrased me by mentioning four bands by name. I know very little about Pallas, IQ and Twelfth Night, so I can't really comment on this but I certainly would not have included MariIlion, being in my opinion one of the only truly progressive (in the true sense) bands of the last 20 years. I was actually thinking more about some of the bands I've come across in the '90s (one of them has a name beginning with A).A small point, but worth making.

Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree PS. Robert Fripp not even in the Top Thirty best guitar players of all time?! Surely some mistake... In Steven's defence, during the article's subbing stages it was felt that it was necessary to insert some band names in order to make it plain what a 'neo-prog' band actually was. So Wilson was not slagging anyone directly. However, his comments certainly rattled a few cages...

Low Ill

What an arrogant cretin Steven Wilson is. His comments about'80s progressive rock are stupid and, downright ignorant. IQ are more popular now than ever before and deservedly so.They are producing the best music of an 18-year career and setting standards that other bands aim for. If Wilson has now decided to start writing real songs instead of shamelessly ripping off Pink Floyd, I certainly don't see any evidence of it on 'This Is No Rehearsal:from that issue's cover CD. In terms of songwriting and performance, IQ's track'The Universal Scam' knocks spots off it.

While I'm at it, the assertion that IQ are "not innovators" is equally ridiculous. How many other bands are still releasing albums which consistently surpass their previous work?

What is Steven Wilson so frightened of? That he'll never be anywhere near as good as IQ? Making outspoken, controversial comments to draw attention to yourself is the oldest trick in the book. And, like Steven's music, we've heard it all before. Andy Kaye, Oldham

The Way It Really Is

Well done Philip Wilding for his retrospective recognition of the 'Hughes/Thrall' album in issue four, but not to Valerie Potter for her socalled review of Glenn Hughes' latest masterpiece, 'The Way It Is: With Glenn, you either get it, or you don't. Fans of The Voice of Rock will love this album for its mixture of rock,funk and soul. In saying that Glenn should stick to "straightahead rock stuffValerie misses the point. Furthermore, she failed to point out that Stevie Salas, one of the world's greatest guitarists, co-wrote and played on a couple of numbers.

James Litchfield, Derby

Bruce's Generation Game

What an incredible read the Iron Maiden story in issue four of Classic Rock was. Having been a fan since'Number of The Beast' went massive, I do feel that the band have lost creative ground in recent years. The balance of input seems to have swung too far in Steve Harris' favour, and the music has suffered as a result. Bruce's last two solo outings, 'Accident Of Birth' and 'Chemical Wedding', were exactly the kind of albums Maiden should could have been making. Let's hope his and Adrian Smith's return to the fold will provide the impetus the band sorely need to return to their previous heights. D. Pardoe, Glasgow PS. How about a feature on the Allman Brothers Band?

Good idea. Stay tuned, y'all.

Rory Ignoryl

I was amazed that there was no mention of Rory Gallagher in your Top Thirty Guitarists Ever (issue four).What kind of 30-plus readers are Classic Rock attracting?

An unforgivable and completely bewildering oversight by your voters.

Roy Watson-Davis, Sidcup

Star Gazer

At times you seem a little overgenerous with your album star ratings. For instance, a seven star rating and an all-star line-up prompted me to snatch up the Clive Nolan/Oliver Wakeman album, 'Jabberwocky:To my disgust, it was a poor excuse for a prog rock album, more like 'War Of The Worlds' meets 'The Wall :Even the distinctive voice of Bob Catley couldn't hold my attention through its 12 tracks.

On the same buying binge I bought Judas Priest's "98 Live Meltdown:You gave it eight stars wrong! More like full marks, it's brilliant. However, I agreed with your eight star assessment of Bob Catley's 'The Tower: In fact, it's even better than Magnum's 'On A Storyteller's Night: As you suggested, I also put my money where my mouth was and ordered Judie Tzuke's new 'Secret Agent' album. I rang the number you provided, and to my astonishment the lady herself answered the phone, took my order and even signed the sleeve for me. Sorry, you were wrong again, the album deserves all ten stars. I would even put Judie in the same class as such international superstars as Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and the brilliant Sheryl Crow.This lady's talent needs to be recog