Seriously, his feature on Rush was fabulous. It came from the heart, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that grew misty eyed reading it. The unconditional love Rob showed for them that led him to fashion a pig in their name said so much about the way music affects us in our teenage years. A classic piece of writing.

how about the dido cover!

Having read the Steve Albini article you linked to I would ask him how his members sleep at night!

When I read that I didn't really know much about the Arctic Monkeys (I'm not sure the album was even out?) and recall thinking that AC was going through a midlife crisis such was his stude-like crush. Now though I can see what the fuss is all about and I'd love to read that again.

Thank you in advance.

I keep my back copies of the magazine in a rack and frequently take one down at random and re-read some parts. Test of quality - it easily supports another look. And your reference to your wrinkled retainer led me effortlessly to Billy Connolly.

...to read the Rush feature as well, as I never saw that one. Also, I remember Stuart Maconie did a piece on Yes around 2004 or so, right? Would quite like to see that one again.

....how vital it is to constantly revisit: Unshod and Slomo both constantly republish "vintage" articles, which I usually skip over. It would be interesting to show again reviews of LPs from new and up and coming acts, later huge. Interesting to see how the original reviews for Murmur and Fables of the Reconstruction stack up against the recent rose tints given them now.

Who is more successful:

a) the guy who plays local pubs within walking distance for beer money...

or

b) the guy with the 10 album deal and an advance to repay?

seeing as The Word has limited space to review albums and DVDs, how's about a section on the site where contributors to the site can review things that haven't been featured in the magazine? You could choose a few each month to upload to the site that you think are worthy of attention.

The interview with Danny Kelly was great.Like to see that again. Good idea about readers' reviews Fraser.

I'm sure many readers keep the back issues and sometimes want to find old interviews/reviews/whatever. An online index would be pretty handy, telling you what issue you'd find such and such a review in. I realise it would be a bit of a bugger to set up but once up and running it would be simple to update.

1. Years ago it was said that tours were loss-making exercises done purely to sell the album. Now, they are the financial be-all and end-all. I know there's no money in album sales now but is it simply that ticket prices have been hiked to make them so lucrative? And if demand for live performance falls away, bands will have to become semi-professional to survive won't they?

2. Myth-busters. Is it true that Lee Mavers would earn £250k pa simply from 'There She Goes' royalties? What would The Smiths or The Stone Roses or Led Zep get for one night at Glastonbury? Who has the worst reputation for rider-fastidiousness?

Remember that your chief goal in putting back-content on the site is to draw potential new subscribers (and occasional purchasers). One of the best types of content for this purpose is the "fun" item. Something that people will call out to each other across the office. And the regular Word feature that best fits this criterion is your "Best/Worst" 2-pager. Stick some of those on the site, signpost them prominently on your homepage, and watch the page-hits flood in.

I'd love to see the Heppo review of a prog compilation done in the style of a school master delivering a lesson. One of the best reviews I've ever read. Funny, and made me buy it.

There was a free mini magazine with Issue 2. I can't even remember the content now but I got a lot out of it at the time. I've held on to all the magazines and the cds but I lost that magazine years go. I'd love it if you could lob that up on the site.. Or reprint it and stick it on the next cover!

As we've said, everything comes back to the Bonzos!

are usually the ones that don't involve interviews with musicians. The editorial content is always far more interesting, such as the recent articles about the state of radio, the audio levels on CDs, etc. But that's just my opinion, possibly not yours.
If you want the funniest Word muso interview, it has to be Rob's one with Francis Rossi & Rick Parfitt, (on Butlins... "you could always get a shag - if you found the right bloke...") to be found in the 2006 issue with Tom Waits on the cover, which I found under the bed and re-read last week. Oddly enough it contained a now poignant interview with Anthony Manghella, named sell-out rock stars in adverts, a 'was Pete Best the fifth Beatle'-type paragraph and a few other recently topical items as well.

Ross Noble's Word to the Wise I thought was memorable. Ironic really seeing as I'd forgotten all about it until I read this thread. I'd like to see it again if only for his comments on Lesley Garrett.

How about an archive of select old reviews on the site. The 'big' reviews (as opposed to 'in brief' ones) are often pretty strong and a bit different from the usual music mag style - I am thinking recent Morrisey for example.

Those ones with quotes showing different viewpoints I like a lot too.

...

.... I started reading it in the dentist waiting room (first exposure to Word) but when I went back in after my treatment to nick it, someone had beaten me to it and it was gone ;-)

I thought of it again listening to the Supergrass podcast with the mention of the festive 50 and the likelyhood that there will never be another broadcaster who has been so influential. It would be rather fitting I would suggest.

fab interview- cooly done. As for the rest, who has the time to re-read? I'm amazed.

I too, would like to see the Tom Waits interview again and Andrew Collin's recent British Sea Power feature; may bring in some young indie kids to the site!
I also think that a few of the Best/Worst Lists, would be a good feature for the site. As mentioned, a live/album review section for contributers. Other ideas could include "5 albums" of the month nominated by 4 Word staff and a different site contributer every month. A few archive live reviews from past issues too perhaps. Thumbnails of old Word covers, could perhaps link to archive stories/ reviews from that issue etc.

get rid of Word of Mouth. Who cares what they like?

from the Tom Waits cover issue... partially because my copy got pinched before I had a chance to finish it.

Also: you have occasional guide to buying books by topic; true crime, holiday reading etc. And of course, a complete Best/Worst. With scope for posts from us readers.

Main pitch: I do like the times that you post a complete interview transcript, giving us the full version of what didn't make it into the regular magazine (recently being Elvis Costello and Alan Moore). Perhaps a Deluxe Edition part of the site?

Which told us all to watch it, even though we didn't have the time. I want to use it to indoctrinate the uninitiated.

Please.

In the March Issue which I think you should put up.

For the life of me I can't remember what it was...........

Love to read the Peel editorial from Mark Ellen again.

Love any interviews with specifics about the creative process and songwriting. Your recent Nick Lowe interviews where he talked about listening to a radio in a room next year, and in the same issue, the Leonard Cohen piece were terrific.

But I lost the earlier article, a cover article, I believe, summing up his career and pointing us towards highlights. I would really love to see that one again. Thanks a lot.

Do the writers get paid again once you post stuff online or is it a one off fee? Seriously.

I was passing a general comment on Mr Quantick (I like his work). And I find it irksome in people, who are strongly opinionated, that they invoke the full force of the law when they don't agree with an opinion. Am bored with prima donnas.

I have all the back issues but they're in the UK and I'm in Australia. Inconvenient.

Back in the early days you ran a brilliant a to z of genres, which was both entertaining, and informative. I'd love to see it again. Likewise, I recall an article about catchprases and their origins whic was very good.