25 April, 2014

Finally read the 2014 issue of Classic Rock

There are two reasons I procrastinated on reading this article:

1. I was worried I wouldn't learn anything new, and therefore get really bored with it
2. I was worried the author (Jon Hotten) wouldn't do Queen II justice and give it the praise it deserves

The article wasn't terrible, but it wasn't the best thing I'd ever read, either. I was hoping for in-depth breakdowns of the album as best as Brian and Roger could remember, but the author strayed a bit more than I would have liked (why he mentioned Queen getting a lot of shit in Australia back then is a mystery to me). But that's strictly my opinion. Also, there were grammatical and factual errors, but that might have been a copy-editing issue. For instance, there's a note about Brian playing the national anthem on the roof of Buckingham Palace, and then a little later, "Even the queen knows who Queen is!" Like, no shit, right? I would hope that Queen would have been brought to Her Majesty's attention well before June 2002. Also, Axl Rose was never taken on as Queen's vocalist...

What I liked a lot about the article were the extensive quotes from Brian and Roger. The author didn't include microscopic tidbits to make it sound like he was too into his writing and just adding those bits because his boss probably told him to, John's retirement was just briefly mentioned, and Freddie's death didn't suddenly become the focus of the whole article. And, of course, room was made to talk about how influential and important Queen II actually is to fans and other famous musicians, because it seems to ALWAYS get over-shadowed by A Night At The Opera - resulting in me resenting that album a bit.

The magazine also promised never before seen photos! But they've been circulating online for years because Mick Rock took them, so that would likely only hold true for the utmost casual, not-terribly-commited fan.

04 April, 2014

Classic Rock April 2014 issue

Maybe in mid-March I came across something on my Facebook feed about Classic Rock magazine featuring an article on the making of Queen II. It immediately became my mission to get my own copy because Queen II is my favorite album ever. I decided that I'd go look for it on Monday, since I would be venturing out for an appointment anyway. Out Of Town News was the obvious first place to look since it sells magazines from all over, and that's where I got my copies of Mojo and Guitar Player in December 2010 and February 2012 respectively.

No luck there. So when I got to The Landmark Center in Boston, I decided to stop on the second floor to look through their news stand. It turned out to be a misnomer. They sold candy and gum, but not magazines or newspapers... I'm still actually really baffled by that. My mission was then amended to Personal Challenge status, and - still having time before my appointment - I ducked into the bathroom to Google where else I might possibly find Classic Rock. Google told me to consult Barnes & Noble, and there was a location at the Prudential Center.

I called them to make sure it was available, and I was told to check in again on Friday when they'd be getting new magazines in stock. Then I was told to call again in a few more days, etc. until someone finally told me that they wouldn't actually get it until April. Assuming I first spoke to someone who's worked there long enough, it would have been nice to know that sooner. But! In any case, my apologies to that Barnes & Noble location for constantly calling, and a sincere thank-you to them for not showing any signs of frustration over me!

Anyway, I finally managed to get a copy today! I'm kind of bummed that Slash is on the cover, as I had my eye on the cool-looking one. Maybe that version is UK-specific? Because the USA can't have nice things?

I plan on reading the article later - provided my attention span will actually let me!