Photo by Dominic Episcopo feed back
In lieu of running "within earshot" this month, we've decided
to print some of the letters from our admirers and dissenters.
If you'd like to send us your thoughts, address correspondence
to: earSHOT Feedback, 206 S. 13th St., Mezzanine Level, Philadelphia, PA
19107, or e-mail us at earshot@citypaper.net. (Maybe your mother used to tell you, "If you don't have anything
nice to say, don't open yer trap." We say go for it. Spew!) Bad, Very Bad I couldn't help but wonder as I perused this poorly disguised
excuse for your critics to "vent" why Beck's name never once came up ("Worst Music Ever," November '97 earSHOT). His face should've been on the bass drum head on the cover
with all those other misfits. I dare say that in years to come, this snot-nosed, talentless idiot will
be remembered as he should be - immortalized by the title of his
first single, "Loser." The people chosen to write these diatribes in this particular
issue constitute the frontline of the journalistic mob rushing
to Beck's coronation as the "next messiah of pop music." Didn't
we just go though all this shit a few years ago? And what happened
to that other guy? Oh, yeah, he's dead now. That's right... what was his name again? Tom Hampton You've reached a new low with the bad music issue of earSHOT. Hey, I'm no fan of Kenny G. either, but I'm not so wrapped up
in myself that I think tearing him down is somehow going to build
me up. Stop the madness! The relentlessly negative tone of City Paper publications has to stop. Your I'm-too-cool-to-like-anything
serves only your own ego. (And the same for that amorosi asshole
and his annoying, affected little a's.) I can't stand to see you guys relentlessly kicking the crap out
of musicians - especially our local musicians. They're already
at the bottom. What sick thrill do you get from taking cheap shots
at them? There are cool musicians in Philadelphia. There are cool clubs.
Personally, I like Adam Brodsky, Psych-A-Billy, Wheetstone Bridge
and the Electric Farm. Maybe you should check them out. You don't have to piss and moan that there is no local scene.
You are the local music press. If you'd focus on what you like,
you could help create a scene. Stop cursing the darkness and light a goddamn candle! Bradley Keough Branded A Fool I read your review about the series Branded ("Dishonorable Discharge," June '97 earSHOT ). First, I am a fan of Chuck Connors. Second, I am a Western
fan. Third, I am a historian and teacher. I want to say that the
writer is either not a Western fan or not a Chuck Connors fan.
That is fair but someone should view the series before judgement.
The series was a well-written half-hour Western, a format which
was no longer used after this series. To write character depth
in a half-hour format takes lots of time and effort. Chuck Connors
brought warmth to this character like he did earlier in the acclaimed
Rifleman series. Look at the show before you make judgement and you'll
know it was great after all. Jack J. Little The Slit Parade Concerning your feature on sunglasses with slits ("What Are The Slits In These Sunglasses For?" July '97 earSHOT): Sometime in the mid to late 1960s or early 1970s, [a local]
tabloid ran consumer critique columns; the goods they reviewed
could be trendy or practical, useful or useless. At this time,
in the early days of the first Mother Earth Day, a lot of environmentally
friendly goods were widely available, beyond the confines of Brookstone.
Slitted glasses were a hot thing, especially since outdoor activities
such as skiing and hiking were just taking off. The explanation
was this, substantiated by evidence I was familiar with prior,
and have seen since: The slitted sunglasses are a technology borrowed
from ancient Eskimo and Arctic exploration. Glass was neither
practical nor available - but wood, bone and stiffened leather
were. Your article presented convincing evidence that slitted "glasses" worked as
well or better than silica lenses. Unfortunately, I don't remember
the pros and cons in detail discussed in the article. Check it
out with a national historian. Larry Toomey Bluebonding I've been a valued customer of Bluebond Guitars for many years
("Survival Guide," September earSHOT). Not only did they personally shop for my Silvertone electric
guitar and sell it to me at a ridiculously low price, they do
quick, reliable and guaranteed repair work on my instruments.
Over the years I have been to many music stores in Philadelphia
and nowhere else have I felt more welcome, comfortable and important.
I hope that when your readers read earSHOT's review of the store they are not swayed by the opinion of the
author and decide for themselves. Nancy Falkow
December
via e-mail
Souderton
via e-mail
Upper Darby
Bella Vista