Dynamic Range

Monday, July 31, 2023

A virtual flip through the pages of a July 1973 issue of CIRCUS magazine. Although CREEM magazine was my primary go-to for music news and reviews in those days (long before the internet, kids) CIRCUS found its way into my lap fairly often. This one would most certainly have caught my eye with the David Bowie feature.

Any photos of the pages below can be enlarged simply be clicking or tapping on them. Depending on the size of the screen you have in front of you right now, this may or may not make some of the 'fine print' readable.

Bowie on the cover of CIRCUS - July 1973

Roxy Music ad inside front cover

Table of Contents

Remember that any photo here can be enlarged by clicking or tapping on it.

The start of a feature on Paul McCartney & Wings

High technology in 1973

Record club ad... with 8-track tapes!

Nicky Hopkins new album ad

Review of Aladdin Sane (among others)

50 years on, he's still at it!

Between the 1st and 2nd Stealers Wheel albums

T Rex, circa Tanx

The way we got our music news, long before the internet existed...
(Remember that any image here can be enlarged by clicking or tapping on it.)

This issue came with a poster/calendar featuring a photo of Robert Plant. Not being ones to waste space, the CIRCUS publishers printed their movie reviews, horoscopes, poetry, and health news on the four back panels.

Interesting rating system for new releases

The CIRCUS Top 20

(click or tap to enlarge)

I really should have subscribed

It was typical, back then, to put the main feature article toward the end of the magazine, the idea being that it would encourage people to read the rest of the magazine and not just that article. Here's the David Bowie album in full. Remember that you can enlarge these images by clicking or tapping on them.

The Uriah Heep article got put at the very back of the magazine, behind the Bowie article.

Uriah Heep was pretty big in '73. Bigger than Aladdin Sane-era Bowie?

Finally, an ad for the latest Paul McCartney album on the back cover.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Scenes from Scene Magazine - April 1977

Happy 75th birthday, Joe Walsh! Born in Wichita, Kansas on November 20, 1947, Walsh has been on my musical radar since he helped form the James Gang in the late 60s. He's equal parts smart, funny, talented, and genuine to his fans, and my life has been better for having his music in it. I often joke (is it really a joke?) that I don't trust people who don't like Joe Walsh.

Walsh became one of "Cleveland's adopted sons" (a phrase later coined by WMMS disc jockey Kid Leo) shortly after he attended Kent State University and then joined the Cleveland-based James Gang in 1969. By the mid-70s, he had recorded three albums with that band, formed a new band called Barnstorm that released just one album, then embarked on a solo career. In 1976, Walsh was asked to replace Bernie Leadon in The Eagles, making his debut with that band on "Hotel California". Through it all, he remained a local hero to many Clevelanders (myself included).

Scene Magazine - April 14-20, 1977

In the spring of 1977, local entertainment weekly Scene Magazine interviewed Walsh. The subject was mainly his involvement with The Eagles but several questions focused on his solo career and his upcoming solo album at the time, the one eventually titled, 'But Seriously, Folks...' (Apparently, one of his other ideas for a title was, 'The Best Things In Life Are Fleas'.) As is the case with any photo I post on my blog, you should be able to click on this to enlarge it.

The interview with Joe Walsh

I have adjusted many of the photos here to boost the contrast and turn them into black and white. I opted not to do that to the cover photo (and a couple others below) because they also involved blue ink. The entire issue had yellowed the way the above cover shot appears.

As with any other time I post something from an old Scene Magazine, I would be remiss if I didn't also post some of the other reviews, ads, venue announcements, etc. at the time. Again, you should be able to click on any image below to enlarge it.