Many Happy Returns. Like the use of the colour silver on the cover. Makes a refreshing change.

Where the hell did they go?

*gulp*

Here's to the next five years, folks. Happy Birthday.

Nick Cave, Alan Moore *and* Iain Banks, all in the same issue? Truly my cup runneth over! (It is, too. I'd better fetch a cloth...).

Nick Cave on the fifth b'day issue. Nice symmetry there. And he's still totally relavant as well. And the same could be said in another 5 I'd wager.

Christ...I was 13 years old when you first arrived in the newsagents.

of the warmest kind to the only magazine in the UK that continues to walk the walk.

BUT...

(If the March issue hasn't hit the streets yet, ignore the following.)

Please please please do something about your distributors. My sunny home town of Chelmsford is hardly bollock-all-nowhere in Kansas, yet can I find a copy of The Word anywhere? Can I buffalo.

Seriously, it's nigh on impossible to find. I know you're always asking us to let you know if we have difficulty getting our monthly fix, so here I am, letting you know. It's not the first time either; scarcitus Wordus is a regular occurrence. And yes, I know I should subscribe, but I haven't got round to it yet!

... thanks Mr. Postman!

Currently listening to the CD, and only Ticklah & Toumani Diabate have grabbed my attention so far. Distinctly unimpressed with the Shelby Lynne track - Sorry Graeme Thomson, I did find it 'antiseptic and contrived'.

Great to see an interview with the good Dr. Mark Kermode (shame no mention of his skiffle band The Dodge Brothers...)

Here's to another 5 years, guys & galls!

Got mine today...pleased to see Caitlin Moran’s Cocaine article get the recognition it deserves.

That was certainly a stand-out point in the history of the magazine.

but if only I could get the mag away from my wife to have a proper peep. She's already unloaded Hello and taken to reading my hand me downs of The Word, but this month however she's tucked into the new issue before me!! How do I change my delivery address?

Thanks for printing my look a likes letter, can't believe I missed the Ian 'Stu' Stewart double on last months cover.

Anyway Let's raise a glass and shake a leg to many more years and keep those winners coming

Like Dave C, I am chuffed that someone (Andrew?) liked one of my rants enough to publish it. I also agree with your response; dance did produce the most interesting stuff in the nineties.

A few more back-slaps:

Nice to see Alan Moore getting some kudos. If his great lost Marvel/Miracleman story ever escapes from its binds in a long running legal battle, I'd love to see it reprinted. It really is his best work, and I wonder if it's just a coincidence that Lost and Heroes echo a lot of its set pieces and narrative tricks.

Also, it is really great to see a magazine that bucks a trend, seen across all written media, towards more graphics and less text. Maybe the rear guard action against a post literate society is futile, but when I buy a magazine I do indeed want; "something to read."

I had been wondering if I should purchase the new Duffy CD, I like the new single but am wary of the hype. However now that Jude Rogers has declared that she is not that keen on it I know that I will like it. Anything Jude likes I dislike and vice versa. I still love her though and long to hear her dulcet tones again as mentioned on the latest pod cast.

Five years, Jiminy Cricket. Unfortunately down here in Oz we are only up to July 2004 and Chelmsford thinks it's got a problem with distribution! Subscribe, why not? 84 blimmin quid that's why not. I know it's cheaper in the long run but that's equivalent to five slabs of VB. We love you, we love the Word podcast, we even rip it off for our Community Radio programme (the topics not the audio)!

Keep on truckin

Malcy

Am enjoying issue so far. As usual many treats in there that I want to savour and make last like a gastronomic feast, not to be devoured too quickly. Lots to read and generally I find, as is usually the case, worth reading even if about someone you have no interest in.

A couple of negative points though:

The Godfather - somebody may well have said 'you talkin' to me?' but if they did it wasn't particularly noteworthy. Taxi Driver is the film that's famous for the delivery of that line of course. Only one of the most famous lines in movie history!

Also the 'Serfs Up', supposedly funny bit - it's pretty lame isn't it? Perhaps you'll acknowledge that when the 10th anniversary comes round in the what wasn't so good section.

Now that's an episode of "The Wire" I reeeally want to see.

"Yo, String, 'zat a euphonium or a sousaphone, man?"

"'Zit look like, dog? 'Sa mofo tuba, you feel me?"

Etc.

I got my copy of the Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes this week and, yes, it is an amazing piece of presentation. Real vinyl discs - 10" mind. I never thought I would buy any of that again. Great pics and a (sort of) story line to follow.

However, the music is the thing isn't it? Whilst the Delomonts - an all-instrumental set - is a delight, the two Bluenotes discs do seem to have rather a lot of the 'bossa-nova' type tracks that typified the latter days of Chris's pre-illness career. It certainly doesn't carry the bite of the Blue Guitars package which is still enthralling me - only 35 tracks to go!

So, full marks and a Gold Star for price (great value at £30), packaging and presentation but fewer marks for the content. Mark you, Blue Guitars has sold c.150,000 copies, so what do I know?

Gavin

PS Great issue - as ever - and a Happy Birthday to (The*) Word

* Delete if appropriate

Good to see Stuart Maconies's piece about the Yes reunion concert getting a mention as a highlight of the past 5 (stone me) years. I actually applauded when I finished it, & that doesn't happen too often. Why not include the 'highlight' articles mentioned in Acrobat format on next month's CD or on the site somewhere?

And for what it's worth, I quite liked the 'flap'

May I pass on begrudgingly congratulations to David Quantick for his review of Morrissey’s latest greatest hits collection.
As a loyal and long-term follower of Morrissey, one’s judgement on his output often becomes clouded and confused. The loyalty, as a consequence, tends to place one’s opinion on the favour of the Moz.
However, for the last few years I’ve been concerned that his output isn’t quite up to scratch. I really enjoyed ‘You Are The Quarry’, but was whole-heartedly disappointed with ‘Ringleaders’ (which was praised in Word, by Andrew Collins, if memory serves me right?).
However great the man is, the greatest hits collection is a real uneven mish-mash of the good, bad and the ugly. It would have been easy for the Moz-friendly Word to pass our Manc friend with flying colours, so the ‘must do better’ assessment by Prof. Quantick was correct and definitely not in need of a second marker.

Stef Galley

But Tony Hancock was AB Negative, not just plain old B Negative in "The Blood Donor".

Now, now Sven - if you're going to pull the hard-working Word staff up on a few minor points re-The Godfather, you need to get your own house in order first.....Scorsese not Scorcese please.

And well done Word for fessing up on the sub-editing mishaps (like what you did there by the way, especially as I only noticed it on the third reading) - although shame on you for missing out the finest so far - the ex-rock star (can't recall who it was) who became an elephant conversationist - a job I've been searching for in the Guardian ever since....

Worst: I actually prefer the vintage dollybirds to those funny Japanese line drawings or whatever they are.
Best: And my favourite ever article in The Word didn’t make the cut: Papa Wasn’t A Rolling Stone by Caitlin Moran.

Why does Paul Du Noyer only get the spare room? He should have the master bedroom with en-suite and fresh linen sheets every day. Good point about climate change zealotry being a faith-substitute. It has all the hallmarks of a particularly fierce religion: an element of self-flagellation and absolute refusal to countenance any discussion, never mind criticism. “The science is proven. There is no doubt”. How often do you hear that? Sheryl Crow was trotting that line out in an interview on Radio 2 last night. Tell you what, it must have been a bloody gruelling swim across the Atlantic for her.

Seems Mr Quantick's review has ruffled a few feathers down at Moz HQ -
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/

A minor point but for the 2nd month running I've ripped the CD cover and/or magazine cover while removing the glue from it. It's the one area that Mojo beats you in - their adhesive always comes off easily!

... or live in the south east- but is forty on saturday.
After 5 years you should consider a few more reviews maybe.