As a music listener and a consumer, I'm fascinated with music culture. Throughout my life I have purchased teen magazines like "16" to "KRLA Beat," to "Rolling Stone," and then, of course, the weekly British music newspapers like "Melody Maker" and New Music Express (NME). As I got older, I became devoted to "MOJO" and "Uncut," which covers pop music from the past in an extensive manner. I'm also a fan of "UGLY THINGS," which covers 1960s garage rock in a moment-by-moment detail. I thought that was enough for my music-reading experience until I found myself with an issue of "FLASHBACK" Spring, 2013.
"FLASHBACK"s focus is on psychedelic rock/pop music culture of the 1960s and 1970s. What makes the magazine unique is the intense focus on that subject matter, but also the number of pages it focuses on the artists on hand as well as the culture surrounding that band/artist. The issue of "FLASHBACK" I have is 208 pages, where 39, some fully illustrated with photos, or original reprints of that era, pages on the band Mighty Baby, who also is on the front cover of the magazine. Now, if you are like me, who in the hell is Mighty Baby, and why do they warrant 39 pages (with no ads mind you)? A band so obscure, that getting the original vinyl can cost anywhere from $246 to $674 for their debut album "Mighty Baby." And according to Discogs, there are only five listings for sales for this album. So, it's a rarity. "Flashback" is willing to put Mighty Baby on its cover than Syd Barrett, who has a significant article as well within and with 13 pages.
What attracts me to this particular issue is its obsession with their subject matter. Syd Barrett is the only artist that is represented in this issue that I know of, and all the other pages are devoted to artists that I may have heard of in passing or none at all. Speaking which, the Barrett article is excellent. It's an interview with the late Malcolm Jones, who was part of the Harvest label and produced half of the "Madcap Laughs," Syd's first solo album. His insight into the making of the album gives me additional pleasure in hearing it again. Then again, maybe I should track down Mighty Baby as well?
The beauty of FLASHBACK is their intense method of covering their music and bands/artists in a full reporting style. Nothing is half-done, and they are not weary of putting many pages together talking about Mighty Baby and others. As a casual reader of this issue, I couldn't put it down. I found Mighty Baby's history fascinating as well as on the other obscure bands such as San Francisco's The Common People, who within its 23 pages covers their career as well as being a bizarre rip-off of Moby Grape. There is also a tremendous 23-page article on rock biographies/memoirs that is equally fascinating. And an article (10-pages) on an obscure weekly music newspaper "Top Pops" which eventually became "Music Now."
Before I even got half-way through this issue, that I went online and ordered every back issue that is still in print. I feel such obsession needs to be supported by another obsessive fellow (yours truly).
For more info on FLASHBACK and other issues:
http://www.flashbackmag.com
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