Brand X
Janice Kelly‘s views on the X logo in the marketing of Maleolm X are too right-on for their own good. Fair enough. some people are making a fast buck by slapping it on everything that moves and many things that don‘t. but this surely has a positive aspect in bringing more attention to the man and his words than the film could achieve on its own.
Take me. for example: caught the hype. saw the movie. read the autobiography. Now I‘ve got a better ' understanding of what Malcolm was actually saying and what the American media has twisted over the decades. I've heard that in the States they’ve even made Malcolm X aerosols and potato crisps. Some people may say
I picked up a can of Sure. I'd think of semi-naked people perspiring in the jungle: ifI saw a can of X. I‘d be reminded of Malcolm X and the struggle of black Americans for equal rights. Would Malcolm really have been offended to know that his message had found such a direct way to enter our everyday lives?
Susan Young
Nithsdale Road
Glasgow.
Mulled whine
I've been mulling over a sense of injustice about your Reader‘s Poll. I was at the best gig winner — kd Iang — and while it was fun. the professionalism of presentation didn't quite conceal the weakness of a lot of the recent material.
Around the same time I saw the Saw Doctors at Barrowland. which was wonderful. and Joe Ely at King Tut‘s which was better still. Now both of these gigs had. by nature of the venues. far smaller audiences than kd lang got at the Playhouse. I would suggest you introduce a handicapping system — using the Venue. say. as the basis. and divide the vote for a Playhouse concert by ten. Barrowland by four. Queen's Hall by three and so forth. This way there‘s a chance that the poll will be won by some amazing night rather than something large and formal.
If you wanted to do this properly. you could also add a weighting for the
this is going too far. but I‘d argue that if
LETTERS
It’s mean, it’s lean, it’s raring to go. The List letters page is comin’ at ya with added Jose Cuervo Golden Tequila power: there’s a bottle waiting for the best letter next issue. Go for it!
likelihood of a response from the audience. The kd Iang concert seemed heavily weighted towards teachers and social workers for whom filling in forms. petitions and so forth. is second nature. The other audiences were more obsessed with elation and leaping about. Myself. I filled in the form then forgot to post it and it's taken me three months to get annoyed about the result. However I did get the form filled in so. say. two k d Iang votes would be worth one for Joe Ely. In turn four Joe Ely votes might be worth one for the Shamen.
Yours for electoral reform
David Cunningham
Teviotdale Place
Edinburgh.
Arts state?
Re. your recent State of the Arts two- part feature: are you seriously trying to tell us that talentless chancers like The Joyriders and liggy Barmy A rmy are ‘shaping the contemporary Scottish culture?‘ (W) sure are. lid.) And shame on you for including Gary Clark -— a man who‘s based a career on mimicking Donald liagen.
Most conspicuous by his absence was the very wonderful. trouser-wettingly charming. Nicholas Currie. aka Momus. This gentilhomme has done far more for pop music than the BMX Bandits ferchrissake. Please. don‘t send me the Tequila — I would much rather that you spent the money on hearing- aids for your soi-disant music critics. Justin Montpelier Comely Bank Road Edinburgh.
VATman
Another budget. another dunking for those of us at the chillier end of the country. Maybe something will be done to help those on low incomes cope with the VAT slapped onto domestic heating and lighting. but will this extend to students? I doubt it. Guess we'll just have to nip out to a jumble sale and add another old cardigan to the multiple
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layers we‘ve got to wear to keep those bills down. Don‘t you love not being in
- control?
Colin Taylor Havelock Street Glasgow
an ER
0/: the poverty. Colin. It 's getting so you can 'I even afford to stick your head in the oven tltese days.’ Forget tltose whisky t‘mu‘essimts. and step up to our Glasgoii' ojjiee ifyou will. where you '11
find a bottle ofvery warming Jose
(‘uen-o Golden Tequila waiting for you.
What experience?
I write to put a few points about the Kravitl. album review (The List 196). Now for those of us who know, Mr K is a very religious dude and personally I feel that the present single ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?‘ may be based on the life of a certain man who was born around 2000 years ago. Don‘t get me wrong. I‘m no religious fanatic. IjUst like to look a little tnore deeply at an artist‘s lyrics. ‘I was born long ago. I am the chosen. I‘m the one . . .‘
Yes Lenny is heavily influenced by Hendrix. Motown and all that ol‘ stuff but doesn‘t he make a viable altemative to the shit that‘s being force-fed down our musical palates of late. No offence. Mr McLean. for perhaps this is the way ahead. for many it already is. The guy isn‘t God but to me he's got the balls to stand up and do his thing and if fishing the waters of the past to sail into the future is a crime then the horizon looks pretty unpredictable. Who will be our saviour? Heaven help us all!!
Mark McCaffer
Raebog Crescent
Airdrie.
That 's what 's so good about the future. Mark: it has this annoying ltabit of being unpredictable. But we can predict that this is not a tequila winning letter.
Wild Thing
You can call it attacking a sitting target if you like. but this week I hate Lenny Kravitz. The reason? Well. take his latest release: ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’ No. so get lost. For those of you who think that this man is making exciting. original guitar music. the news is that he‘s not. What he is doing is a very blatant and very cheap impersonation of Jimi Hendrix. He should not be allowed to continue such exploitation of the dead. as this is the job of major record companies. I recommend to everyone who bought the single of this dartboard pinup that you now go out and buy any Hendrix LP. Spot the difference.
Besides. how good could any song be with a first line like ‘I was born. long ago"? Nil Points for lyrical content. Lenny. This is one area where I advise you to copy someone more talented than yourself.
‘But who cares?’ you might mutter into your so-called ‘intense‘ Pot Noodles. Well. I do. and I intend to write letters about it until I have found enough like-minded souls to start the ‘Cill Kravitf club.
Dillan Anderson
Sanda Street
Glasgow
Sick or what. the things the letters page editor has to put up with.’ Oh well, like- minded souls out there ean eontaet Dillan via the letters eolumn. Just this onee. eh Dillan.
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('lteap Thrills: At last! Our comprehensive guide to stayin‘ alive and having a good time on a shoestring.
Spring Books .S'peeiul: The best of The Write Stuff. with reviews. interviews and news of the latest releases.
Seienee l'estiva/z (ii/mos. gadgets. mad professors. lectures. talks. workshops and other treats from lidinburgh's annual techno-fest.
Plus: Violent crime thriller (not another one?) One I'kt/se More. Steve Martin‘s l.e(t/) (Il'l-itit/t (left). Derek .larman's
IIt'ittgettstein. Dorothy Paul. and probath \ery little mention of Bernard :\*lanning Barry Manilow.
30 The List 26 March—8 April I993
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