shoring up you core readership - reassuring them after last month's cover that all's well again?

When I opened my copy my first thought was 'it's one of those people that I'm supposed to know about and like but if I'm really honest with myself I couldn't actually name a single tune'.

I still like it that Word will put people on the cover that I'm not familiar with. I get the feeling that no-one else would, and I'm glad that Word will do that.

having said that, have Word ever interviewed a Gallagher brother? I think I'd enjoy that.

Not as of first thing this morning anyway! I tunes is normally set up with the free CD track names before the mag hits the mat.

I could always type them out, but that would be like writing all the song titles on the cardboard inset of a C90 cassette. Now when was thelast time you did that?
(I'm guessing about 8 years or so for me?

Martin

it's a great interview with a character who's got a real story to tell. A man in a wheelchair can still be a threat, by the sound of that moment in the pub. I left the issue face up today. Last month's was always found face down. Unsettled me.
Do covers really make a hugely significant difference in shelf pick-up, as long as the subject is within the radar of the target audience? They do seem to get talked about on here regularly. Best run some females soon to keep it balanced. Norma Waterson or similar.

.....but very clever I think!

I wonder if John Martyn has ever been a cover star before?

Not that there's anything wrong with Springsteen/Dylan/Plant/Neil et al, but all music mags chasing this demographic have these stars on their covers.

I think any real music fan between the ages of 45-55 seeing John Martyn on the cover would be immediately interested...I know I would. My guess is that this materstroke will generate new buyers and eventually lead to even more like minded folks discussing anything and everything on this blog.

In the next few months, I pedict cover stars like Ry Cooder or Loudon Wainwright III.

More power to ya!

for next month, please.

The very reason I subscribe to Word is to have the likes of John Martyn on the cover. Thom Yorke I can live without (and Bloody Waters, if truth be told) but at least you're resisting having the same old Beatle/Zeppelin/Dylan/ cover feature that so many other mags tend to do issue after issue.
Oh, and major respect for The Felice Brothers track on the CD. Nicodemus must be rather chuffed!

At last a cover and feature on John Martyn one of Britain's foremost singer-songwriters – from baby faced cherub to bearded beelzebub in one stupendous career.

I like John Martyn, and got into his work via a 'chill-out' kinda way. I bought Solid Air and some Island compilation a couple of years ago and found myself digging them, and will no doubt enjoy the feature as the man has something of a tale to tell. I don't mind who is on the cover, as long as it enables the good ship Word to carry on enlightening and delighting me. I set aside a few hours and a bit of smoke to enjoy it, and always come away smiling.

Hopefully the other half will see this and finally treat me to a bloody subscription. It was the only thing I asked of them last Christmas and got everything but! But hey, you have to love someone who buys you your first Scalextric (at 38).

...putting John Martyn on the cover too? One of those many artists I grew up hearing via my dad and got into myself. Played his last album 'On The Cobbles' a lot of late, but my favourites are probably 'One World' and the bleak 'Grace And Danger'. Everything he did in the 70s is brilliant though in my book.

The only magazines I buy on a regular basis are Classic Rock (which has taken a marked deterioration in recent times, I must say- I only buy it for the reviews!) and Record Collector but I think you've earned another customer with this one.

I like Mojo's mature approach to music but don't buy it much, don't like Uncut (too much 'worthy but dull' alt country for my personal taste), loathe Q and NME.

i just bought Mojo cos of the Pistols cover.
I didn't buy the Roger Waters Word issue - can't stand the Floyd - yet if it had been Mark E Smith on the front (he was interviewed in said ish) I would have shelled out for it. I know this makes no sense - but it's the way it is. I did read the bits I wanted to in Tesco's cafe.
As for John Martyn - only heard him for the first time last week. Will probably buy it as I'm slightly curious, even though I don't really 'get' him yet.

was first class and made me yearn for him to do an autobiography. Credit to Rob Fitzpatrick for a sterling interview.
I subscribe to Word and Mojo and occasionally buy Uncut and Record Collector if they are profiling artists i am interested in. Word is of a consistently high standard. Mojo used to be then it dropped a little however in fairness every time i think of cancelling the subscription it comes up with a very strong issue.
If i could only choose one though it would be word regardless of the cover artist.

Interesting to see people do browse these mags, let alone find them in Tesco cafes.
Jeremy Clarkson on Danny Baker last year told a story about how some TV personality's lightweight Christmas filler book was being discussed at a party.
"...was looking at your book in Waterstones this week"
"oh brilliant"
"...not really - I finished it".

I recently found a pile of music mags from 6-8 years ago and guess who was on the covers of the first few I looked at? Weller, Radiohead, Zeppelin. So there is a fairly limited pool of 'bankers' available and few surprises left (apart from comparing Weller's hairdo). The marketing skill must be to come up with an angle on those artists or to take a deep breath and move slightly sideways from the beaten track.
Judging by the congratulations on here for this month's cover, that's a risk worth taking sometimes. It's a great and brave (although it shouldn't have to be) cover. I hope the receipts back it up.
(By the way, I'm looking for a car for my son, anything tasty on the pitch?)

nice that it's not predictable, and someone with a tale to tell.

Go on. I dare you.

I'm not being sarcastic, either.

I buy the Word every month no question , no matter who´s on the cover. I will occasionally buy Uncut, Mojo , depending on who´s on the cover.
But, when was the last time you had a gal on the cover, I m not talking FHM here, you know, someone like Debbie Harry, Emmylou Harris,Lucinda Williams.T´would be a lot easier on the eye then Thom Yorke and this month´s picture of Grizzly Adams

... I glanced at the cover as it hit the mat and thought "Is that Chris Moyles?"

I like that the Word cover star is rarely predictable. It is just part of what sets Word apart from its rivals.

Both Mojo and Uncut long ago settled for re-hashing the same old tired tales for their cover story in what seems like 6 month cycles with the odd wildcard thrown in.

Hard to believe that Mojo can get away with ANOTHER punk cover this month under some illusion that there is a single morsel of the Sex Pistols tale that has not been relentlessly prodded and probed until dead.

Uncut have now gone down the Q route of filling 10-15 pages every couple of months with a list eg. Bowie's 50 Best songs - also known as 50 Bowie songs in random order with easy quotes from a mixed bag of musicians.

Word is the only magazine that still appears to value writing and being relevant and interesting for its readers. It sometimes feels like the first and last decision made each month in the offices of Mojo & Uncut is who is on the cover and how many copies will the cover sell - content between the covers is then incidental (perhaps moderately unfair on Mojo).

In a society that continues to dumb down Bless you Word Magazine. And John Martyn. And whoever turns up on the cover next month (unless its John Lydon!!).

Surely someone at Word Tower knows that WA - as in Aberdeen, WA - means Washington. You know, where Seattle is? Home of grunge, plaid shirts, Nirvana and, yes, Kurt Cobain's elementary school. Most maps of North America place Washington state just below the Canadian border. Oh well, whatever, never mind.