Launched by Gus Palas in August 1985, The Metro would publish 80+ issues over almost seven years before it was bought by local FM station Radio Lightning. An upgrade in equipment and staff occurred under station manager Ned Horton’s aegis, and with a name change to Bone Music Magazine, the rock ‘n’ roll lineage ran almost four more years with regional editions and even a short-lived TV show.
Over the years, my stash of copies of The Metro has been lost, tossed, or lent to people who never returned them. Robert Logue of Royal Court of China/The Shakers graciously allowed me to photocopy articles from the issues he had of the zine back in 2006 for my The Other Side of Nashville book.
More recently, however, in the wake of publishing Andy Anderson’s Help! There’s A Fire book with material from his Nashville Intelligence Report zine, local musician and photographer and longtime friend Tony Frost agreed to lend me copies of The Metro he had stashed away. I’ve scanned the covers of these issues along with what I felt were some of the best articles from the zine to create this half-assed, obviously incomplete archive.
The Metro Magazine Archives is unauthorized and likely uncalled for, and Gus Palas had nothing to do with the creation of this archive or the Anarchy website. These issues provide an invaluable glimpse back in time to a rough-hewn and homebrewed music zine that helped stage the scene for a still-growing Music City rock scene. Links within the descriptions below are to PDF copies of the respective articles/pages and can be downloaded by “right clicking” the link and saving it to your device.
As you can see, there are a lot of issues of The Metro missing from this archive, so if you have copies of any of the old issues that you’d like to sell or lend to the project for scanning, email the Reverend at thatdevilmusic.com[at]gmail.com and we’ll work something out!
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Vol. 1, No. 1
August 16, 1985
16 pages, 8”x10” standard magazine format
Cover: Bon Jovi, In Pursuit
Contents:
‘Bon Jovi: 7800º and Rising’ (band article)
‘In Pursuit of Excellence’ (band interview)
‘Stalnecker’ (band article)
‘White Animals: Animalized’ (band article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: X, The Three O’ Clock, Liz Story, Enigma Variations)
Staff:
Gus V Palas III, editor & publisher
Mike Nichols, senior editor
Jonathan H. Rich, associate editor
James F. Nirmaier, account executive
Keith A. Gordon, contributing editor
Bill Lloyd, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Andrew Roblin, contributing editor
Harvey Magee, contributing editor
Bill Wilson, staff photographer
C.J. Hicks, staff photographer
Duke Beam, staff artist
Other Contributors:
Darcy Drayer (XO), logo design
William H. Nussie, U.S. Artworks
Deaderick Hale, Custom Typesetting
Matt Coyle, Franklin Web Printing
Comments:
When Gus Palas approached me in the early summer of 1985 to help create his dream of a music magazine for Nashville, the “Music City,” neither of us knew what a long, strange trip it would be. Content was easy to come by – I wrote three of the first issue’s four articles, all of the record reviews, and likely contributed to ‘The Metro Express’ music news column. Gus, Mike Nichols, and Jonathan Rich were listed as editors, but I don’t remember any of ‘em doing much ‘editing’ – both Mike and Jonathan had jobs and mostly just popped in to hang out with Gus, although Jon wrote the Bon Jovi story and would contribute record reviews in future issues.
We took a lot of shit from certain quarters of the local music scene for slapping Bon Jovi on the cover, most of the criticisms aimed retrospectively with the benefits of 20/20 hindsight. Truth is, in August 1985, Bon Jovi was still a fairly obscure band of New Jersey rockers who had just released their second album. Jon Rich was a fan, and the band was playing in Nashville a few days after the debut issue hit the streets, which is probably why they landed the cover spot (sharing it with local rockers In Pursuit).
In retrospect, putting nerf-metal pretty boy Jon Bon Jovi on the cover of the first issue was a stroke of genius by Gus (I’ll admit, he had a few over the course of our seven-year love/hate relationship). Interest in Bon Jovi would be high that week, the perfect time to introduce the zine, and the issue was picked up by readers in droves. We partially pacified the alternative rock crowd with a Screamin’ Sirens cover story for issue #2 and then pissed away any good will we may have created by putting Mutley Crew [sic] on the cover of the third issue.
In defense of GVPIII (something I’ve done more than one over the course of my 50+ year music critic/journalist career), he never proposed that The Metro would be a strictly local music rag. He always imagined (in our conversations) that it would be a commercial music zines with local coverage and, in my estimation, this is something we did quite admirably, if somewhat sporadically, on a shoestring budget over almost seven years.
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Vol. 1, No. 3
September 13, 1985
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Mötley Crüe, Tears For Fears
Contents:
Rock The Animals (concert preview w/Billy Chinnock)
Fight For Their Rights (Motley Crue cover story)
Success Without Excess (Tears For Fears story)
‘The Full Grown Man Theory’ (Webb Wilder interview)
‘Main Squeeze’ (Squeeze concert preview)
‘In Orbit’ (Georgia Satellites interview w/Dan Baird)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: April Wine, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, The Untouchables, The Cucumbers, Gary Myrick, The Meatman)
Staff:
Gus V Palas III, editor & publisher
Mike Nichols, senior editor
Jonathan H. Rich, associate editor
James F. Nirmaier, assistant editor
Keith A. Gordon, features editor
Bill Lloyd, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Andrew Roblin, contributing editor
Brian Mansfield, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Harvey Magee, contributing editor
Bill Wilson, staff photographer
C.J. Hicks, staff photographer
Duke Beam, staff artist
Other Contributors:
Darcy Drayer (XO), logo design
William H. Nussie, U.S. Artworks
Deaderick Hale, Custom Typesetting
Matt Coyle, Franklin Web Printing
Comments:
By issue #3, the stress of publishing a bi-weekly music rag were becoming apparent. With nothing resembling a legitimate staff, issues were laid out, glued down, and edited on the fly in a cocaine daze, working in a small, dark basement office with an entrance in an alley off of Belmont Boulevard. The crew is pretty much the same as the first two issues, except that now I’m the “features editor” and James Nirmaier has become an “assistant editor” tho’, to be honest, I don’t remember ever meeting him or seeing evidence of his editor’s blue pen…
Looking over the third issue with the benefits of hindsight, I’m fairly pleased with it. We changed the format to a quarter-fold tabloid, which added editorial space even at a reduced page count. I definitely contributed to ‘The Metro Express’ column, likely writing the Scream’ Sirens, Threk Michaels, and Wrong Band items. I wrote the ‘Rock The Animals’ concert preview, focusing on show headliner Billy Chinnock. It was a great show, also featuring Afrikan Dreamland, Bill Lloyd & the December Boys, Raging Fire, Hard Knox, Walk The West, Paper Dolls, and others.
Marshmallow metal fan Jon Rich wrote the Mötley Crüe cover story as well as reviews of new albums from April Wine and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. I did the first post-reunion interview with Dan Baird of the Georgia Satellites, who we’d revisit a couple years later after they signed a major label deal and scored a monster FM radio hit. My high school buddy Bill Spicer came aboard and wrote the Webb Wilder interview, and Jon and I pretty much split the reviews column this issue.
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Vol. 1, No. 9
December 6, 1985
8 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: John Jackson & the Rhythm Rockers
Contents:
‘Nashville Anti-Apartheid Concert In The Works’ (article)
‘Nashville! The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame’ (article)
‘John Jackson & the Rhythm Rockers: Keeping Busy’ (band interview)
‘Neapolitan Mixing More Than Flavors’ (band interview)
‘Variations On A Theme: 37 Targetz’ (band article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: Aerosmith, W.A.S.P., Trash, Twang and Thunder: Big Guitars From Texas)
Staff:
Gus V Palas III, editor & publisher
Jonathan H. Rich, associate editor
Keith A. Gordon, features editor
Joe Sprott, Keith Fuller, Scott Whitaker, account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrow, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Allison Frank, contributing editor
Lee Levinson, contributing editor
Mike Hyland, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Brian Mansfied, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
C.J. Hicks, staff photographer
Bill Wilson, staff photographer
Amy Holland, staff photographer
James Williams, staff photographer
Other Contributors:
Rocky Frady, distribution
Darcy Drayer (XO), logo design
Lani Miller, Type Etc.
Matt Coyle, Franklin Web Printing
Comments:
Dang, that’s a hell of a lot of “contributing editors” for an eight-page zine. We were definitely sliding backwards with this meager page count, but there was some good stuff inside like Bill Spicer’s cover story on popular Nashville rocker John Jackson and Alison Frank’s piece on Chattanooga band 37 Targetz. The story on the Anti-Apartheid concert is uncredited but may have been written by Gus with help from Aashid Himmons of Afrikan Dreamland, who was the driving force behind the benefit show. Mike Hyland’s story on the efforts of Bernie Walters’ International Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association to get the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame built in Nashville was just the first time we’d support Bernie and his tilting at windmills. For whatever reasons, I didn’t write a word for this issue…I might have been in jail at the time…
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Vol. 1, No. 10
December 20, 1985
16 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Bernie Walters of the International Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association
Contents:
‘Nashville Music Association Announces Music Showcase’ (article)
‘Progress Report: Nashville’s Anti-Apartheid Concert’ (article)
‘Countdown To Ecstasy? or Will Bernie Walters Bring the Rock and Roll Museum To Nashville?’ (interview)
‘Lust’ (band story)
‘Bowery Boys Invade Nashville’ (Manikenz band story)
‘Larry Byrom: From Steppenwolf to Eternity’ (interview)
‘Interview with Motley Crue’s Vince Neil’ (interview)
‘Burning Hearts’ (band article)
‘Otis Day’ (interview)
‘Interview with Kiss’ Paul Stanley’ (interview)
‘The L.A. Connection’ (article)
‘Black-N-Blue’ (article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
‘45 Sides’ (singles reviews: Ted Lindsay & the Democrats, Jimmy Angel, Private Lives, Smokeless Zone’)
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: Dokken, Lou Miami)
Book Reviews (Dave Marsh’s Trapped, Pete Townshend’s Horse’s Neck, Bob Dylan’s Lyrics 1962-1985, Robert Hilburn’s Springsteen, Stephen Davis’s Hammer of the Gods)
Staff:
Gus V Palas III, editor & publisher
Jonathan H. Rich, associate editor
Keith A. Gordon, features editor
Joe Sprott, Keith Fuller, Scott Whitaker, account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrowd, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Allison Frank, contributing editor
Lee Levinson, contributing editor
Mike Hyland, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Brian Mansfied, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Deb Cookston, contributing editor (uncredited)
David Hall, contributing editor (uncredited)
C.J. Hicks, staff photographer
Bill Wilson, staff photographer
Amy Holland, staff photographer
James Williams, staff photographer
Other Contributors:
Rocky Frady, distribution
Darcy Drayer (XO), logo design
Lani Miller, Type Etc.
Matt Coyle, Franklin Web Printing
Comments:
Now this is more like it! Twice as many pages as the previous issue, albeit with more of Jon Rich’s shitty hair metal fanboy content than I was happy with. Another issue without a word of mine, my pals Bill Spicer and Allison Frank more than made up for my absence with their contributions, and Ken Boyt’s interview with R&B singer Otis Day (of Animal House fame) was a pleasant surprise to read again after all these years. The cover story was on local entrepreneur Bernie Walter’s futile efforts to locate the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in the ‘Music City’ which, reconsidering it after all these years, he provided a strong argument at the time. Ending 1985 on a high note, and with ten issues under our belts, The Metro was looking good for 1986.
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Vol. 2, No. 11
January 17, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Duane Eddy
Contents:
‘Update: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’ (article)
‘From The Countryside’ (column)
‘R.I.P. Tommy Thomas’ (tribute)
‘Still Chirpin’ After All These Years’ (The Crickets article)
‘Think On Your Feet/Freedom of Expression’ (FOA interview)
‘The Hooters’ (interview)
‘Pickin’ For The Killer’ (Kenny Lovelace interview)
‘Alternative ‘Twang’ Arrives In Nashville (Duane Eddy interview)
‘Mickey Basil’ (interview)
‘Sun City’ (album review)
‘New York’ (band article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Jonathan H. Rich: associate editor
Keith A. Gordon: features editor
Joe Sprott, Keith Fuller, & Scott Whitaker: account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Allison Frank, contributing editor
Lee Levinson, contributing editor
Mike Hyland, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Brian Mansfied, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Craig Lee, contributing editor (uncredited)
Chuck Neese, contributing editor (uncredited)
Judy Raphael, contributing editor (uncredited)
Michael Snow, contributing editor (uncredited)
C.J. Hicks, staff photographer
Bill Wilson, staff photographer
Amy Holland, staff photographer
James Williams, staff photographer
Other Contributors:
Rocky Frady, distribution
Darcy Drayer (XO), logo design
Lani Miller, Type Etc.
Matt Coyle, Franklin Web Printing
Comments: Third issue in a row without a word from the Reverend, although I still helped with editing and layout. Don’t know who’s minding the masthead at this point as I was largely absent from the day-to-day, but it appears that Gus (or somebody) has run the same masthead for three issues in a row despite a lot of these folks not being involved at all at this point, and with uncredited contributors. Another slide backwards to 12 pages this time (quarter-fold tabs, printed on a web printing press, were in four-page increments, thus you have three issues comprised of 8, 12, and 16 pages each), probably due to finances.
I’m of mixed feelings about the issue’s content – did we really need 1/3 page on the state of country music (Chuck Neese’s ‘From The Countryside’) in what was ostensibly a rock zine? And the tribute to Tommy Thomas, owner of the Palomino country music club in Hollywood, 2,000-plus miles away from Nashville? Michael Snow’s piece on the Crickets (as in “Buddy Holly and…”) is fab, and Allison Frank’s interview with the guys in Freedom of Expression showcased a talented group of guys. Bill Spicer’s interview with Jerry Lee Lewis guitarist Kenny Lovelace is well-timed and Ellen McQueary’s interview with Duane Eddy covers one of the O.G.’s of rock ‘n’ roll.
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Vol. 2, No. 12
February 7, 1986
16 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: B.B. King
Contents:
‘South African Freedom Education, Inc./Freedom Jam Update’ (article)
‘Focus/Nashville The Extravaganza’ (article)
‘From The Countryside: How Old Is the Grand Ole Opry?’ (column)
‘Michael Hedges’ (interview)
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: Top Five Albums of ‘85’ (article)
‘Lunch With Paul Davis’ (interview)
‘Rick Nelson - A Remembrance’ (tribute)
‘Loverboy Lovin’ Every Minute of It’ (article)
‘This Is Not A Jazz Band’ (Rococo interview)
‘Buster Brown’ (article)
‘The Fur Trade’ (interview)
Movie Review: Youngblood
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: Government Cheese, The Movement, Lust, Eddie Key Group, Will Rambeaux & the Delta Hurricanes, Burning Hearts, Force M.D.’s, Raging Fire, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Crime, James Brown, White Animals, Shadow 15)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Jonathan H. Rich: associate editor
Debbie Borrows: assistant to the publisher
Joe Sprott, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Argyle Bell, contributing editor
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Lee Levinson, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Brian Mansfied, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Allison Frank, contributor editor (uncredited)
Heather Lose, graphic artist
Amy Holland, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Comments:
Another issue from which I’m totally AWOL. I was writing for Rock magazine in L.A. at this time, but I’m not sure why I wouldn’t have contributed to the past couple of issues unless I was pissed off at Gus or something. Although a fatter issue with some good content, I’m of mixed feelings about it. Jon Rich’s hair metal fascination may have hit its peak with his “Buster Brown” feature, and Chuck Neese’s “From The Countryside” wore out its welcome quickly with me. The issue showcases blues legend B.B. King on the front cover, but only includes a paragraph about him on page 14 as part of a ‘Metro Express’ news item.
However, I did enjoy the incorporation of what would have otherwise been Nashville Intelligence Report content from the defunct music zine, and their “Top Five Albums of ‘85” offers lists from a number of musicians, music biz folk, radio deejays, and writers like Jason and Warner from the Scorchers, Tim Krekel, Tom Littlefield of the Questionnaires, Robert Oerman of The Tennessean, WRVU’s Adam Dread, GVPIII, and NIR’s own Andy Anderson. The record review section included a bunch of local releases, and Argyle Bell’s tribute to Rickey Nelson was fab.
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Vol. 2, No. 13
February 21, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: In Color
Contents:
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: An Asexual Experience’ (article)
‘From The Countryside’ (column)
‘In Color’ (band interview)
‘The Royal Court of China’ (band article)
‘Pedaljets’ (band article)
‘The Graphic’ (band article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Jonathan H. Rich: associate editor
Debbie Borrows: assistant to the publisher
Joe Sprott, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Argyle Bell, contributing editor
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Lee Levinson, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Brian Mansfied, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Howard Fox, contributing editor (uncredited)
Heather Lose, graphic artist
Amy Holland, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Comments: A sloppy issue by any standards, from the lack of issue number/date on the front cover to random news items better suited for the ‘Metro Express’ column strewn throughout the pages. No album reviews? On the plus side, there’s solid local and regional indie content including the In Color cover feature and a Royal Court of China story as well as articles on regional rockers the Pedaljets and the Graphic.
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Vol. 2, No. 14
March 7, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Roger McGuinn of the Byrds
Contents:
‘Letters To the Editor’ (column)
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: Notes From the Underground’ (column)
‘Nashville Indy Label Report’ (article)
‘Alex Chilton’s Deep Soul’ (article)
‘From The Countryside’ (column)
‘W.A.S.P. Running Wild In the Streets of Nashville” (article)
‘Radix is Steppin’ Out’ (article)
‘So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star: The Story of the Byrds’ (article)
‘Metro Fashion’ (article)
‘Johnny Thunders’ Que Sera Sera’ (article/review?)
‘Autumn’ (band article)
‘TNA…Not What the Name Implies’ (interview)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Debbie Borrows: assistant to the publisher
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Deb Cookston, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Ed Cherniga, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Amy Marie Holland, contributing editor
Greg Humphreys, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Deb Cookston, contributing editor (uncredited)
Bobby Byrd, contributing editor (uncredited)
Heather Lose, graphic artist
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Amy Marie Holland, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Comments: Argyle Bell was one of those “guys around town” that brought a touch of weirdness and individuality to the Music City. A talented musician and writer, Argyle was everybody’s friend, and he found The Metro to be a welcoming outlet for his various musical obsessions. Bell’s article on the Byrds is top-notch music history for a generation once-removed, and includes Bell’s cool pen-and-ink portrait of the band’s Roger McGuinn on the cover. On the other hand, the “Metro Fashion” features smells too much like a pay-off in exchange for a fat full-page ad and exactly what the hell was R&B crooner Bobby Byrd’s story about himself (some sort of ‘sponsored article’?).
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Vol. 2, No. 15 (cover mistakenly says ‘No. 14’)
March 21, 1986
24 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: John Lee Hooker & Ronnie Montrose
Contents:
‘Letters To the Editor’ (column)
‘Nashville Intelligence Report’ (column)
‘From The Countryside’ (column)
‘Aerosmith: Back In the Saddle’ (band article)
‘Pat McLaughlin’ (interview)
‘Ronnie Montrose – Rock Guitarist, Yes, But There’s Much More!’ (interview)
‘Bowling Green Comes Alive! Use It Or Lose It!’ (article)
‘John Lee Hooker: A rambling Account’ (article)
‘Ted Nugent’ (article)
‘Joe King Carrasco’s Newvo-Wavo’ (article)
‘Arriving Without A Subway’ (article)
‘Fool For Love’ (movie review)
‘John Stewart’ (interview)
‘The Elvis Brothers’ (band article)
‘Blues Co-Op Brings Blues To Music City’ (article)
‘Elliston Square Puts Nashville On the Cucumber Diet’ (Cucumbers band article)
‘Raging Fire’ (band article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Debbie Borrows: assistant to the publisher
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Deb Cookston, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Ed Cherniga, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Amy Marie Holland, contributing editor
Greg Humphreys, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Lise Williams, contributing editor
Kenny Earl, contributing editor (uncredited)
Pamela Matthews, contributing editor (uncredited)
Robert Eva, contributing editor (uncredited)
John L. Bradley, contributing editor (uncredited)
Deb Cookston, contributing editor (uncredited)
Heather Lose, graphic artist
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Amy Marie Holland, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Comments: At 24 pages, this is the largest issue of The Metro yet, but this ping-ponging between page counts displays a publishing inconsistency that affects advertiser interest and confuses readers. Gus would have been better off budgeting for 16 page issues every two weeks rather than try to shoehorn everything into one issue and have nothing left for the next. Argyle Bell and Joe Sprott took the “From The Countryside” from Chuck Neese and, while ultimately disposable, it was nevertheless an improvement. Most of the “contributing editors” listed on the masthead haven’t written squat for several issues (myself included) but at least there’s local content with articles on Pat McGlaughlin, Blues Co-Op (featuring a pre-Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes), and Raging Fire.
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Vol. 2, No. 16
April 4, 1986
20 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Rosanne Cash & Stryper
Contents:
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: Reptile Rock At Nashville’s Music Row Showcase Club’ (column)
‘From The Countryside’ (column)
‘David Grisman’ (article)
‘Roseanne Cash’ (interview)
‘Zanies/Pepsi To Present Laff-Off’ (article)
‘Band In Boston: Reflections on Peter Rowan, David Grisman and Life In Harvard Square’ (article)
‘Jr. Walker’ (article)
‘Something For Everyone’ (The Bangles & Hoodoo Gurus article)
‘The Friendly Palominos’ (Golden Palominos article)
‘Patty Murray: Nashville’s Rock and Roll Mama’ (interview)
‘From the Other Side’ (Stryper band article)
‘John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – A Biography’ (article)
33 1/3 R.P.M. (record reviews: Restless Variations, Alive At JC’s)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Debbie Borrows: assistant to the publisher
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Deb Cookston, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Kenneth Boyt, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Ed Cherniga, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Greg Humphreys, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Arlena Hayden, contributing editor (uncredited)
Deb Cookston, contributing editor (uncredited)
Chip Staley, contributing editor (uncredited)
Heather Lose, graphic artist
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Comments: The Rev returns after, what…six or eight issues…with reviews of a pair of various artists compilations, one of ‘em local (Alive At JC’s). At 20 pages this issue seems about right, from Chip Staley’s profile of popular WKDF-FM deejay Patty Murray and the uncredited Rosanne Cash cover interview to Argyle Bell’s thoughts on Earth Opera and the Harvard Square scene. I could have done without Stryper, but you can’t have everything you want. I was on great terms with Enigma Records at this time, so I got an advance copy of the Stryper album on cassette that I sold to one of my PDQ Pizza employees for $20 because, as a rabid fan of the band’s whitebread Christian “metal,” he couldn’t wait for it to arrive in the stores…
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Vol. 2, No. 17
May 30, 1986
16 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Summer Lights ‘86
Contents:
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Letters To the Editor’ (column)
‘Musicians Oppose S.670’ (opinion)
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: Bill Lloyd – The Guy With Four L’s’ (column)
‘From the Countryside: Joanna Jacobs’ (column)
‘Summer Lights News & Performance Schedule’ (article)
‘From the Other Side: ZZ Top’ (interview)
‘A Solo Piano Celebration’ (article not listed in contents)
Record Reviews: The White Animals, The Classic Ruins, Jackson Browne
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Robin Lee: assistant to the publisher
Heather Lose: graphic artist and art director
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Deb Cookston, Scott Whitaker, Whit Hubner, Bruce Byar & Virginia Smith: account executives
Andy Anderson, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Mark Cian Ciolo, contributing editor
Viktor Guano, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Wallace Marquette, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Laura Mitrovich, contributing editor
Mike Poole, contributing editor
A. Rothacre, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Mike Rothacker, contributing editor (uncredited)
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Chip Smith, photographer
Comments: Even if Gus only dropped four pages, there’s a gap of almost six-weeks between issues here, with this lightweight “Summer Lights” special issue coming at the end of May, and it’s a bit light on content aside from the Bill Lloyd and ZZ Top features. The ‘Summer Lights’ festival coverage is fine and the cover might have prompted non-regular readers to pick up the issue, but the issue’s layout and editorial direction is rudderless and sloppy, with one untitled, unlisted article nearly lost in the back of the zine. On the plus side, Andy Anderson finally made the masthead after contributing on and off throughout the year, and I published a Jackson Browne LP review.
Here’s a little secret about the magazine’s masthead, which had little or no relation to reality: if you hung around Gus, or were a friend, you could get listed on the masthead. Little care was taken to update it from month to month, and the same old names (like mine) appear regularly whether they’ve contributed anything to the issue or not…
+++++
Vol. 2, No. 18
June 13, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Walk The West
Contents:
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Bug!’ (Bug Music article)
‘Nashville Intelligence Report: Summer Solstice’ (column)
‘Jet Black Factory’ (band article)
‘From the Other Side: Van Halen, Ronnie James Dio, Ded Engine’ (column)
‘Jazzin’ At The Met: Cleo Laine’ (column)
‘Errol Garner’ (album review)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Robin Lee: assistant to the publisher
Heather Lose: graphic artist and art director
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Andy Anderson, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Mark Cianciolo, contributing editor
Viktor Guano, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Arlena Hayden, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Wallace Marquette, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Laura Mitrovich, contributing editor
Mike Poole, contributing editor
A. Rothacre, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
“Lucy and Ethel,” contributing editors (uncredited)
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Chip Smith, photographer
Comments: Back on track, or at least back on schedule with a timely issue meant to promote Nashville FM radio powerhouse WKDF’s “One For the Sun” concert with a cover shot of local heroes Walk The West, a featured performer along with headliners the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Man, this was a fallow period for the zine, with little content that mattered to potential readers. Walk The West would have made for a great cover story, and they weren’t all that hard to find (just stroll into The Gold Rush and you’d bump into somebody that knew ‘em…); instead, they got a perfunctory mention in the KDF column.
There were a lot of ads in this issue (14 by my count, including the full-page Sound Shop back cover ad), so where was the money going? Not to the writers or staff, that’s for sure. There’s nary a hint of editing going on, and what readers were we trying to reach (in 1986) with articles on Cleo Laine and Errol Gardner? At least there was a little Jet Black Factory article. With apologies to Heather Lose, the layout is messy and disjointed, and what’s with the different fonts and sizes used on the ‘From the Other Side’ column (which is uncredited at that!)? I was almost totally disconnected from the zine at this time and evidently so was Gus…
+++++
Vol. 2, No. 19
July 4th, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: John Lennon/Julian Lennon
Contents:
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Exclusive Dave Hall Interview with Julian Lennon’ (interview)
‘Kool Ray and the Polaroids’ (band article)
‘Miller Rock Network’ (article)
‘Maria Muldaur’ (article)
‘Jazz On Local Radio, Part One’ (article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Robin Lee, Shelly Lose: assistant to the publisher
Heather Lose: graphic artist
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Andy Anderson, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Mark Cianciolo, contributing editor
Viktor Guano, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Arlena Hayden, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Heather Lose, contributing editor
Wallace Marquette, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Laura Mitrovich, contributing editor
Mike Poole, contributing editor
A. Rothacre, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Dave Hall, contributing editor (uncredited)
Chip Smith, contributing editor (uncredited)
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Chip Smith, photographer
Comments: Stuck in a rut, The Metro is light in the loafers with another (late) 12-page issue heavy on advertising (15 ads) and sparse with content. The cover story interview with Julian Lennon (that’s him in a tiny corner photo beneath his more famous dad John – you may have heard of him?) was transcribed from WKDF deejay Dave Hall’s radio broadcast. Of the other six written pieces (the ‘Metro Express’ column included), only one is credited (Wallace Marquette’s jazz article), and with 19 “contributing editors” on the masthead, you’d think that one or two (myself included) could have come up with something interesting to publish. Instead, it seemed that all of us were in some sort of witness protection program…
+++++
Vol. 2, No. 20
July 18th, 1986
16 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Joe Savage, Gram Parsons
Contents:
‘KDF Corner: Charlie’s Volunteer Jam XII’ (column)
‘Farm Aid: Austin, TX’ (article/photos)
‘Gram Parsons: Part One’ (article/interview)
‘Triple XXX’ (band article)
‘Jazzin’ At The Met: A Unique Experience’ (column on the Café Unique club)
‘Jazz On Local Radio, Part One’ (article)
‘Rockin With Dokken’ (band article)
‘Notes From the Underground’ (column)
‘Bela Fleck and Banjo Jazz’ (article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Argyle Bell: associate director
Robin Lee, Shelly Lose: assistant to the publisher
Heather Lose: graphic artist
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Andy Anderson, contributing editor
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Dawn Carter, contributing editor
Regina Gee, contributing editor
Mark Cianciolo, contributing editor
Viktor Guano, contributing editor
Keith Gordon, contributing editor
Dick Grayson, contributing editor
Arlena Hayden, contributing editor
Claudette Jones, contributing editor
Heather Lose, contributing editor
Wallace Marquette, contributing editor
Ellen McQuery, contributing editor
Laura Mitrovich, contributing editor
Mike Poole, contributing editor
A. Rothacre, contributing editor
Bill Spicer, contributing editor
Joe Sprott, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Sabrina Jay, contributing editor (uncredited)
Chip Smith, contributing editor (uncredited)
Alana Shapiro, photographer
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Chip Smith, photographer
Comments: I always felt that Joe Savage was a shit musical artist but a helluva onstage performer. He was entertaining as hell with his stage gimmicks – if you were sufficiently-lubricated – but there was little to think about beneath the surface. That said, Savage was a popular local personality, so it made all the sense in the world to feature him on the cover, and Heather Lose did a good job with the interview. But even with an additional four pages to play with, this issue is still a mess.
The ‘Metro Express’ news column featured exactly five items, the ‘Farm Aid’ story was just two paragraphs (but did include several cool James Williams photos, tho’ none of local boys Jason & the Scorchers), the layout was still confused, and the use of clashing typefaces made for a jarring reading experience. On the plus side, Argyle Bell returned to the zine with a two-part feature on country-rock legend Gram Parsons via an interview with his former bandmate Ian Dunlap – and this was published years before the late Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers alumni became the ‘Godfather of Americana’ music. Shout out to Tony Frost, whose cool local band Triple X got three paragraphs…which is three more than any other local band in this issue.
+++++
Vol. 2, No. 23
September 8th, 1986
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: “Bubba Skynyrd, Free Bird Radio”/Miller High Life beer?
Contents:
‘Radio Freebird’ (article)
‘R.E.M. To Play Opry’ (article)
‘Bowling Green Scene’ (article)
‘The Bears’ (band article)
‘Elton John: Bigger Than Life? Or Is the Joke On Us?’ (article)
‘Take the A Train’ (band article)
‘Let’s Talk About the Smiths’ (band article)
‘Notes On Nashville Jazz’ (column)
‘Hanoi Rocks Thru Rolls’ (band article)
‘Elliston Street Fair’ (article)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: editor & publisher
Robin Lee, Shelly Lose: assistant to the publisher
Heather Lose: graphic artist
Joe Sprott: marketing director
Debbie Burrows, contributing editor
Meg Freeman, contributing editor
Kath Hansen, contributing editor
Heather Lose, contributing editor
Wallace Marquette, contributing editor
Jeff Sweeny, contributing editor
Pam & Sheila White, contributing editors
Arlena Hayden, photographer
James Williams, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Terri Smith, photographer
Bill Thorup, photographer
Comments: Hey, how about that? The masthead was finally updated! Another featherweight issue, but at least this one has a couple of unexpected surprises in the form of articles on the Smiths and Hanoi Rocks. Neither band achieved any sort of commercial breakthrough in the U.S. during the ‘80s; although the Smiths’ four albums during the decade all peaked at #1 or #2 on the U.K. charts upon release, none of ‘em came close to charting ‘Top 40’ stateside. Finnish glam-rockers Hanoi Rocks were even more obscure outside of their homeland (where they regularly charted ‘Top 10’), with pockets of fans in Japan, the U.K., and the states. The article really talks about the band’s destruction after the death of drummer Razzle, with resurrection not coming until 2002 (resulting in three fab studio albums). Still, Hanoi Rocks’ influence on bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, L.A. Guns, and Guns ‘n’ Roses is undeniable…
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 26
January 12, 1987
20 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Nashville Music Extravaganza 1987
Contents:
‘The Extravaganza & The Dispossessed’ (article)
‘Autumn’ (band article)
‘Nashville Ouverte’ (interview with French writer Jose Ruiz)
‘Lust’ (band article)
‘Manic Metro’ (article)
‘Flat Duo Jets’ (band article)
‘Fur Trade’ (band article)
‘Afrikan Dreamland’ (band article)
‘The Nerve: Dennis Locorriere’s Big Idea’ (article)
‘Smokin Dave…(art)’ (band article)
‘A Bunch of Tommyrot’ (band article)
‘Vicki Carrico’ (article)
‘Burning Hearts’ (band article)
‘Little Saints’ (band article)
‘Royal Court of China’ (band article)
‘Triple X’ (band article)
‘Jimmy Hall & the Prisoner of Love’ (band article)
‘Local Hero: Jeff Johnson’ (column)
Vinyl: Jason & the Scorchers, Love Tractor, Corey Hart (reviews)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
Keith A. Gordon, contributor
A. Spondee, contributor
Debbie Menconi, contributor
Zenith & Aurora, contributors
Meg Giuffrida, contributor
Bill Spicer, contributor
Comments: Looking back at the issues I have available to me at this writing, it seems that I was almost completely AWOL from The Metro during much of 1986. I may have been flogging my own music zine at the time (Anthem), but my records show that I still published a couple dozen album reviews in The Metro, so I’m likely just missing those issues. I’ve always called 1987 the “Vandy takeover” of The Metro with a new logo and slightly updated design. I gotta admit that editor Kath Hansen brought back a tighter-edited, more abundant run of the zine with more local content. I’m back on the masthead for this issue, although I’m not sure why as I don’t seem to have written a word in the magazine. So it goes…
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 27
January 26th, 1987
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Webb Wilder
Contents:
‘Express Yourself’ (letters column)
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Richard Butler: Psychedelic Furs’ (interview)
‘Webb Wilder: Uneasy Listening’ (interview)
‘Jet Black Factory’ (Days Like This LP review)
‘White Animals’ (The White Animals Live! LP review)
‘Poland: Rock In A Hard Place’ (article)
‘Talking with Jeff Calder of the Swimming Pool Q’s’ (interview)
‘It’s A Family Thing’ (article)
‘Local Hero: Bill Lloyd’ (column)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
David Frielinghaus, Kurt Richter: account executives
Keith A. Gordon, contributor
David F. Wood, contributor
Bill Thorup, photographer
Paul Felton, photographer
A. Camera, photographer
Comments: A drop back to 12 pages but still some solid material with local (Webb Wilder, Bill Lloyd), regional (Swimming Pool Q’s), and international (my Psychedelic Furs interview) content. Why do I call this the “Vandy takeover” era? While Gus was off playing with the Simmons brothers in their band the Stand, Kath Hansen and Tom Wood largely took over the zine’s editorial content…sometimes for the better, sometimes not…
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 28
February 9th, 1987
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: In Pursuit
Contents:
‘The Rainmakers To Storm Nashville’ (article)
‘Gigs: The Pretenders’ (concert review)
‘In Pursuit: Only For You’ (band interview)
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Straight Talk With George Carlin’ (interview)
‘Local Hero: Aashid Himons (column)
Vinyl: Slavdik, Billy Bragg (reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
Keith A. Gordon, contributor
Pete Wilson, contributor
Dennis Freeman, contributor
Bill Thorup, photographer
Meg Giuffrida, photographer
Comments: A few good things in this issue, like Tom Wood’s interview with comedy legend George Carlin and Kath Hansen’s interview with local rockers In Pursuit. But 12 pages offers just too little editorial real estate for any substantial music zine…16pp would be better, and 20pp may have been the sweet spot. But the finances of The Metro were always an enigma and, during this period when I wasn’t communicating much with Gus or Kath, they were even more of a mystery from my perspective.
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 30
March 9th, 1987
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Hüsker Dü
Contents:
‘Gigs: In Pursuit, The Boilers, Stealin Horses, Camper Van Beehoven, The Kreed’ (column)
‘Günga Dü’ (Hüsker Dü interview)
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘In Search of A Glass Onion: Living Between Anarchy and Suburbia’ (article)
‘Who’s News: Riff Rath’ (column)
‘Local Hero: Stan Lassiter’ (column)
‘Vinyl: Hüsker Dü, The Stranglers, Robert Cray’ (album reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
Pete Wilson, contributor
Larissa Kellich, contributor
Tim Selby, contributor
Nancy McGuire, contributor
Regina Gee, contributor
Mark DeVane, contributor
“Cookie Crumb,” contributor
Comments: Tom Wood was one of the reasons why I look down on this era of The Metro with no little disdain. A hipster rock snob in collegiate garb, he turned up his nose in disgust at the slightest whiff of what he deemed “commerciality” as with his Stealin Horses show review in this issue. He got the band’s origin story altogether fucking wrong – Kiya Heartwood and Kopana Terry were in a Lexington KY band named Radio Café in the early ‘80s, and split to form Stealin Horses with guitarist Kellie Richie, which is the version of the band that Wood saw perform at The Cannery. It wasn’t a case of “ditching the guys” to appeal to a larger audience, it was an attempt by Heartwood to follow her own creative muse with her own band.
When Stealin Horses was signed by Arista Records for their 1988 debut album, Heartwood and Terry were saddled with two (male) members of the British band Roman Holiday to provide “commercial appeal” although the record was largely recorded with West Coast studio guys like Pete Anderson and Waddy Wachtel. Although it was a forward-thinking album with great folk-rock songs, Arista didn’t know what to do with it and dropped the band. Heartwood and her longtime pal Terry ditched the Brits, moved out to Oklahoma, picked up a couple of male musical counterparts, and recorded the excellent Mesas and Mandolins album in 1991. After a brief, non-starter of a solo career as a country singer in Nashville, Heartwood found a modicum of indie success throughout the ‘90s as one-half of the folk-rock duo Wishing Chair, which was much closer to her vision of Stealin Horses.
Oh yeah, there’s no masthead for this issue, so I cobbled one together above from the available evidence…
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 31
March 23rd, 1987
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: The dB’s
Contents:
‘The Grinning Plowman On the Killing Floor’ (band article)
‘Interview with Peter Holsapple of the dB’s’ (interview)
‘Otis Blackwell: All Shook Up In Music City!’ (interview)
‘The Nocturnal Russ Freeman’ (interview)
‘Guilt, Guilt, Guilt, Guilt, Guilt’ (band interview)
‘Luck London’ (band interview)
‘Who’s News: Private Lives’ (column)
‘Local Hero: Jimmy Hall’ (column)
‘Vinyl: Los Lobos, Chris Isaak, Mofungo, The Big Dish, The Kreed, Sex Clark Five’ (album reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
Keith A. Gordon, contributor
Larissa Kellich, contributor
Tim Selby, contributor
Todd Sneed, contributor (uncredited)
Lester Prynne, contributor (uncredited)
Mark DeVane, contributor (uncredited)
Bill Lloyd, contributor (uncredited)
Bill Thorup, photographer
Comments: Another fair-to-middlin’ issue, my lone contribution being a Los Lobos album review. Bill Lloyd’s interview with the great R&B singer/songwriter Otis Blackwell (“Don’t Be Cruel,” “The Fever,” “Great Balls of Fire”) showed that Bill was as good at writing about music as he is as a writer of music. Local bands Guilt and the Grinning Plowman got some well-deserved ink, and although the interview with Peter Holsapple of the dB’s was lacking in substance, the band was one of the best college rock outfits of the ‘80s. I’m not sure who jazz guitarist Russ Freeman is, but I’m sure that his mother loves him…
+++++
Vol. 3, No. 33
April 20th, 1987
12 pages, quarter-fold tabloid
Cover: Bill Lloyd
Contents:
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Who’s News: Bobby Hoyt’ (column)
‘Local Hero: Gwil Owen’ (column)
‘Clearance 6’6”’ (article)
‘Bill Lloyd: Two Careers Are Better Than One’ (interview)
‘The Ramones’ (concert review)
‘Vinyl: Psychedelic Furs, The Judds, The Beatles’ (album reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Mike Nichols: business manager
Kathleen Hansen: editor
Tom Wood: associate editor
John Condon: account executive
Larissa Kellich, contributor
Mark DeVane, contributor
Todd Sneed, contributor
Tim Selby, contributor
Lara Fitzgerald, contributor
Bill Thorup, photographer
Comments: Not much to say, really…The Metro crawls on as a shabby example of mediocrity at a wimpy 12 pages and with sparse content. Could they not find anybody to write for the rag or did they not want to? I dunno, but I’m nowhere to be found in these pages as, by this time, I was contributing reviews to Tasty World zine in Atlanta, fielding angry early morning phone calls from the notoriously prickly Gerard Cosloy of Homestead Records, and trying to stay out of prison (long story…).
+++++
Vol. 6, No. 73
August 1990
56 pages, tabloid
Cover: The Metro Fifth Anniversary Issue (artwork by Tim “Mercury” Shawl)
Contents:
‘KDF Corner’ (column)
‘Metrospective: No Grey Areas’ (opinion)
‘A Top Ten That Matters’ (column)
‘Liver For Dinner, Again?! Taxes, Lips & Budgets’ (column)
‘Full Metal Racket: A Love & Hate Affair With The Metro’ (column)
‘Total Underground’ (column)
‘BMI 50th Anniversary’ (article)
‘Metro Business: The New AF of M’ (column)
‘Shackles & Censors & Porn Rock Stings’ (article)
‘Jello Biafra: The High Priest of Harmful Matter Speaks Out’ (interview)
‘John Kay & Steppenwolf’ (interview)
‘Voodoo: Five Years Down the Road with the Screamin’ Sirens’ (interview)
‘The Beat Poets’ (interview)
‘Children of the New Generation: Warrior Soul’s Battle Eternal’ (interview)
‘D.O.A. Talk – Action = 0’ (interview)
‘Metro Music Reviews: Jill Sobule, Lava Hay, The Shakers, Van Morrison, Hothouse Flowers, Tim Buckley, Lita Ford, Lonnie Mack, Energy Orchard, Bruce Cockburn, The Jack Rubies, Agony Column, Marianne Faithful, John Hiatt, Wendy MaHarry, F.U.C.T., The Slappin’ Mammys, The Way Moves, The Screamin Sirens, The Grinning Plowman, John Wesley Harding, Warrior Soul, Psychick TV, Game Theory, Prong, John Gorka, Babes In Toyland, Hearts and Minds’ (record reviews)
‘Record Reviews by Andy Anderson: Antone’s Bringing You the Best In Blues, Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Dead Milkmen, Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom, Tad, Soundgarden’ (record reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: publisher
Lisa L. Hays: associate publisher
Keith A. Gordon, music editor
Clyde Crawley, senior contributor
Kath Hansen, senior contributor
Aashid Himons, senior contributor
Andy Anderson, senior contributor
Michael McCall, senior contributor
Gail Gajewski, senior contributor
Donnie Kendal, contributor (uncredited)
Nathan ?, contributor (uncredited)
Chris Hubbard, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Mike Mayfield, photographer
Randall Giles, photographer
Comments: Jumping from the shallow 1986/87 issues to 1990 and this fifth anniversary issue is quite the shock. For one thing, we had long ago moved away from the quarter-fold tabloid to a full tab, which was a positive step towards respectability. This issue is a whopping 56 pages in size and behind Tim Shawl’s cool ‘anniversary’ cover is a bunch of great content. Who would have thought that The Metro would make it to five years? Not me, for one… There are a lot of congratulatory ads to help pump-up the page count, but there is also a lot of great stuff (and not just because I wrote six articles for this issue).
Somewhere along the line we picked up good writers like Michael McCall and Clyde Crawley (that’s some Stan Lee-level alliteration there!), held onto Kath Hansen, and got local legend Aashid Himons to write an opinion column. Local musician Donnie Kendall would later spin off his ‘Total Underground’ column into his own House O’ Pain zine and, with his wife April, would promote the weekly ‘Migraine Matinee’ shows in town, an invaluable showcase for up and coming underground bands. There’s no way I wrote 28 album reviews for this issue, is there? Luckily, my old pal Andy Anderson tagged in and provided seven more reviews, this issue containing more music criticism in its pages than any of the 72 previous issues.
+++++
Vol. 7, No. 79
February 1991
28 pages, tabloid
Cover: Chagall Guevara
Contents:
‘Liver For Dinner, Reflections On War…’ (column)
‘Full Metal Racket: A Circle In Hell For Phil’ (column)
‘NEA Extravaganza’ (photo feature)
‘Chagall Guevara’ (interview)
‘Soundtrack of Pain’ (Agony Column interview)
‘Anastasia Screamed’ (interview)
‘Under The Big Top’ (interview)
‘Metro Hot Picks: Sisters of Mercy, Chagall Guevara, Condition, The Wishniaks, Neil Young & Crazy Horse’ (record reviews)
‘Metro Reviews: Carcass, The Marvels of Insect Life, Yo La Tengo, Andy Prieboy, Beggars & Thieves, Napalm Death, Ice Cube, Warlock, Thin Lizzy, Flesh For Lulu, Sound Bites From the Counter Culture, The Pogues, Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, Spirit of the West, Seamus Egan, Liz Story’ (record reviews)
‘The Metro Express’ (music news)
Club and Concert Calendar
Staff:
Gus V Palas III: CEO
Lisa L. Hays: publisher
Keith A. Gordon, music editor
Andy Anderson, senior writer
Clyde Crawley, senior writer
Kath Hansen, senior writer
Michael McCall, senior writer
Gail Gajewski, senior writer
Chris Hubbard, photographer
Ross Smith, photographer
Mike Mayfield, photographer
Randall Giles, photographer
Jaime Williams, photographer
Comments: Not as large as the fifth anniversary issue six month’s previous, but still a health 28 pages with a very cool full-color cover photo of local rockers Chagall Guevara to go along with my band interview. I was all-in with The Metro at this point, contributing three feature articles and something like 16 album reviews.
