I can echo what Fellow Traveler is saying...it also was a long, long time ago, and a lot of folks found their early twenties embarrassing/cringeworthy (I know I did, and I'm not even a musician) and may not want to relive it for a stranger, even one enthusiastic about one's creative offerings through email exchanges....also, the written format may be overly tiring to deal with. Maybe an in-person or (horrors!) a Zoom may be a better means to try to preserve history....or maybe it's best to let be, assuming there's any more to add to this.
BTW, it seems that since this was written, as of 8 April 2022, the Cowboy Song/Walking Down The Street 7" is back up on YouTube, courtesy of "Zach", though there's skips at a few points...and it sounds like the B-side might ends more abruptly than it actually does on the vinyl (I don't presently own a copy to compare)...found it as it's linked to the Discogs entry.
i respect Colin for wanting his privacy respected. they sound like a great little band but I think a lot of us folks gen x or older don't want our lives all over the internet. That's my interpretation anyway. The media landscape has changed so much from the period described in this piece. The diversity of thought in the writing was amazing in weeklies and zines and rock mags like The Rocket to more corporate papers. And this was just in one area of the country. I lived in Vancouver BC in the mid to late 90's and I would go out on a Saturday and come with not only my record purchases that day but plastic bags bulging with free newspapers and littles from all over the northwest. I feel like people were less afraid to say what they really thought and although there was probably some sketchy stuff people just seemed to roll with it. I guess I am now commenting on your "where have all the rock mags gone" piece rather than this one about the Mac's. I really enjoy this substack. Thanks!
I can echo what Fellow Traveler is saying...it also was a long, long time ago, and a lot of folks found their early twenties embarrassing/cringeworthy (I know I did, and I'm not even a musician) and may not want to relive it for a stranger, even one enthusiastic about one's creative offerings through email exchanges....also, the written format may be overly tiring to deal with. Maybe an in-person or (horrors!) a Zoom may be a better means to try to preserve history....or maybe it's best to let be, assuming there's any more to add to this.
BTW, it seems that since this was written, as of 8 April 2022, the Cowboy Song/Walking Down The Street 7" is back up on YouTube, courtesy of "Zach", though there's skips at a few points...and it sounds like the B-side might ends more abruptly than it actually does on the vinyl (I don't presently own a copy to compare)...found it as it's linked to the Discogs entry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ro98g1yTUY
thanks for writing, happy one. def feeling fellow traveler's comments, too. thanks for letting me know about the macs' repost!
i respect Colin for wanting his privacy respected. they sound like a great little band but I think a lot of us folks gen x or older don't want our lives all over the internet. That's my interpretation anyway. The media landscape has changed so much from the period described in this piece. The diversity of thought in the writing was amazing in weeklies and zines and rock mags like The Rocket to more corporate papers. And this was just in one area of the country. I lived in Vancouver BC in the mid to late 90's and I would go out on a Saturday and come with not only my record purchases that day but plastic bags bulging with free newspapers and littles from all over the northwest. I feel like people were less afraid to say what they really thought and although there was probably some sketchy stuff people just seemed to roll with it. I guess I am now commenting on your "where have all the rock mags gone" piece rather than this one about the Mac's. I really enjoy this substack. Thanks!