And the Word Was Made Flash
Just stumbled across the first issue of Word magazine, a new Q clone edited by an ex-editor of said tome (Mark Ellen) and a host of other old stalwarts of the UK music and entertainment press. It's great, not because of the pretty standard Q-style content ? interviews with Nick Cave, Mel C, Neil Tennant and John Peel, features on the Here And Now Eighties revival tour, a stack of album and film reviews at the back, etc., etc. ? but because of sheer quality of its writing. Ellen's Cave interview is one of the finest I've read with the man for years, especially so since I know most of his past history and back catalogue inside out already, so most features on Cave are boring retreads of old ground. Similarly, the interviews with Peel and Tennant have the luxury of being long without being longwinded, and I even found myself thoroughly enjoying Andrew Collins' piece on being a scriptwriter for EastEnders even though I rate the enjoyment level of watching soap operas about one level below nailing my own genitals to the nearest available horizontal surface.
From this first issue, Word seems to be concentrating on living up to its title? publishing well-thought-out journalism without worrying about being the first to cover something or the fattest magazine in the music market. It'll be interesting to see if it can take on the likes of Q and Mojo and thrive. Here's hoping.
And on a nostalgic footnote, there was a time a few years ago when I worked for Future Publishing that I almost managed to convince some top brass to launch a monthly books magazine ? which would've been called The Word. In a way I'm glad it never happened, but I still can't understand why there isn't the equivalent of Empire and Q magazine for books. Anyone who wishes me to edit such a creation for a lavish fee should write to the usual address?
