A review of UNCUT magazine.

UNCUT magazine’s tagline, ‘music and movies with something to say’ sums up this charming magazine nicely. Having been cited as the most authoritative music and movie magazine around, it offers it’s regular readers facts, figures and in-depth interviews with some of pop, rock and cinema’s biggest names including the Rolling Stones and The Kings of Leon. New film and album releases are discussed and reviewed, and competitions are run to win tickets to some of the industry’s most coveted events. The magazine is aimed at males between the ages of 24-45, which is supported by the range of adverts appealing specifically to this market; from male grooming products, to the latest cool gadgets and fast cars. UNCUT also features a ticket forum for it’s readers to buy/exchange tickets for the hottest gigs in town. The only drawback is the magazine is priced at a whopping £4.30, so it’s far from cheap. Worse still, readers outside of the UK miss out on the free CD which comes free with every issue.

Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

I think that although helpful to some degree, blackness and whiteness are not defining concepts in popular music. Music can’t be racially owned - there’s too much cultural cross-over. As Swiss points out, “‘black’ music has always drawn ‘white’ audiences, and often drawn from ‘white’ musical traditions.” Hatch and Millard also suggest that pop music has always been heavily dependent on the interaction between white and black traditions. Elvis broke racial and cultural boundaries bringing about the new era of ‘rock n roll’ - he was heavily influenced by gospel and soul music. We also need to consider who defines music; the artist or the audience? Rap music, traditionally considered to be ‘black’ music has given rise to incredibly popular and credible white artists such as Eminem and the Beastie Boys. Shanks comments ‘for some whites, black music becomes a means to interrogate their own racial identity.” Race is just one way of analysing music, but economic and social environment and class should not be overlooked.   

Does the emergence of the digital download signal the end for the music industry?

Since the advent of the compact cassette player in the 1970’s, the music industry has been fearful of technological advancement and has resisted change. Condry has commented that the US and Japan - two of the world’s largest recording industries are currently in trouble, partly due to the rise in digital downloads. The logic is supposedly ‘unassailable’ - if music is free, no one will pay for it. If no one pays, artists and producers will stop creating music. Arguably, rather than signalling the end, it’s making artists challenge the economics of the industry. Radiohead’s ‘pay what you want’ experiment with the release of ‘In Rainbows’ demonstrated that most fans were willing to pay the normal retail price for the album. Prince caused uproar by giving his last album away free with a copy of the Daily Mail. Perhaps the primary role of the industry is shifting - the live music scene is booming - ticket and merchandise sales are constantly rising. Maybe this is where their primary responsibility will sit with the artists going forward?

Can popular music achieve genuine political change?

Street argues that ‘music has symbolic force, it displays the power of language to create visions, articulate ideas and form bonds.’ Popular music has been used throughout history as a rallying force i.e. Bolsheviks used Communist music to galvanise support. More recently, Labour piggy-backed on the motivational lyrics of D-Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ in their bid for office. Lyrics have the potential to influence thought and opinion.

Popular music’s potential to pose a political threat is also important to consider, when it becomes the expression of it’s wider political and social context. I.e. Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’, condemning American racism was initially denounced in 1937 by Time Magazine as ‘a piece of propaganda’ for the advancement of black people. In 1999 the same magazine awarded ‘Strange Fruit’ the song of the century - testament to the progression of modern thoughts and values.

Popular music is good at raising awareness of areas which need political change and galvanising support, but in terms being the catalyst for direct political change - it’s not as successful.