Taste

Rip It Up, Issue 21, 1 April 1979, Page 14

Taste

HW 9 Postal sRnX 50091*^2^®^

In the March Rip It Up George Kay ponced about describing Give ’Em Enough Rope as having “a fatter, almost conventional heavy metal drive’’. Why can’t he get to the point and say they’re punks who have sold out to rock’n'roll regular, it’s lost its grunt and Strummer sounds like a gumby. He worms his way around "All the Young Punks” when it’s obvious that it describes the Clash as well as any other 3rd generation punk outfit. It's bloody hypocrisy! Whatever happened to "Garageland”. The Clash may not have devalued to the level of Park Lane but watch out for them, the worst is yet to come. Kelly Tauranga Taste voucher winner

To those who complain in Rip It Up. I am sick of reading the usual shit in the letters column. The complaints and criticisms are getting boring. Does it achieve anything? Disco, punk, unsatisfactory radio and Rip It Up writers won’t vanish under your abuse. I suppose you get a cheap thrill about seeing your moaning in print. And what will I get out of my complaining? Stuff all, but I would like to see in the next issue a letter of praise about anything pertaining to today's music! R. Burkett Avondale I am writing about a review that appeared recently in that illustrious English chronicle, NME. To my horror I read that the Suburban Reptiles were Australian and that "in no way are they about to do a bleedin’ Bee Gees on anybody”. Another constructive comment was that “they should either be put down or go back to where they came from!” All in all, the review was entirely derogatory about one of the best new wave bands NZ has been able to produce. I am sick of NZ bands being termed Australian. When will our Elvis Costello, Graham Parker or Johnny Rotten make a place for NZ among the new wave acts? My vote for NZ band most likely to succeed in 1979 goes to Sheerlux. C.V. Pakuranga Dear Horris Horrible - If only you knew how destroying punk rock can be. It is antieverything and it has nothing to offer but anarchy.