New Wave Outpost Forum

Yeah! I just ordered from Amazon, the first Trouser Press book for 10 bucks plus Oingo Boingo's last studio release CD for $1.98!

Good Day!

[quote]Originally posted by Max Murdoc
[br]Yeah! I just ordered from Amazon, the first Trouser Press book for 10 bucks plus Oingo Boingo's last studio release CD for $1.98!

Good Day!
[/quote]

Trouser Press was a great magazine ---still have a bunch of issues....a hyper cerebral indie 'Smash Hits'.

I came to Trouser Press way too late in the game. The first issue I bought just happened to be the final issue published (Joey Ramone on the cover with a birthday cake).

Since then I've been able to buy a few back issues over the years and in my opinions was probably the best American magazine of its kind.

[quote][i]Originally posted by Ollie Stench[/i]
<br>I came to Trouser Press way too late in the game. The first issue I bought just happened to be the final issue published (Joey Ramone on the cover with a birthday cake).

Since then I've been able to buy a few back issues over the years and in my opinions was probably the best American magazine of its kind.
[/quote]

Not probably.....was the best American magazine of its kind. It really shaped what my music collection turned out to be. I have all of the books except the first one which I am jonesing for since I ordered it.

Would you mind listing some of the books? I have one of their new wave oriented record guides from the late 1980's.

I subscribed to it for the last three years of its existence. It was a great magazine.

For the few of us that still haven't discovered the site:

http://www.trouserpress.com/

At least as tide-me-over until you can get print. [:)]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bigwavedave[/i]
<br>Would you mind listing some of the books? I have one of their new wave oriented record guides from the late 1980's.
[/quote]

They are all like the guide you have and there are repeats between guides but if you want to know about a group, chances are that you'll find them in here (although Flash and the Pan never made the books and that just baffles me). I have found that I agree with a lot of the reviews...maybe 75% to 80% of them and even though Oingo Boingo and Wall of Voodoo pretty much got trashed I still keep going back to read them.

This is from Ira (Robbins Editor) himself:
"While singer, chief songwriter and iconic frontman Danny Elfman grew to become king of the soundtracks, Oingo Boingo plied its rather pointless trade with little modification".

and.....
"Despite obvious talent, Only a Lad is a waste.

and Ira and Jon Young both wrote this about Wall of Voodoo:
"Los Angeles' Wall of Voodoo made junk music that can be extremely entertaining as long as you don't expect too much from it".

I can forgive them for those because a lot of the other reviews are right on the mark....it's like looking back at me and my friends sitting around listening and talking about the music.


1983 Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records
1989 The New Trouser Press Record Guide
1991 The Trouser Press Record Guide
1997 The Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock (Trouser Press Record Guide)

Thanks Max. I have the 1989 Guide. I agree with you; despite the occassional jab at bands that a bunch of us still like, the reviews are generally great. Fun reading!

We used to quote from the Trouser Press guide on our college radio show...I remember them calling a Sting album a "Vacuous Hole" of a record, spawning many running "vacuous hole" jokes.

I just bought a copy of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die."

Pretty fun read, but they should have employed a bigger panel of "experts" to choose the albums, as it was only two writers, an older American and a younger Brit whose British-centric view got a lot of passable stuff on the list, while leaving Americans of the time like X and the Replacements out of the book. Also, 3 FALL albums but NO XTC, Squeeze or Joe Jackson made the list...weird!