Creem Magazine and Montelimar

The VCR and the DVD - there wasn't none of that crap back in 1970
We didn't know about a World Wide Web
Was a whole different game being played back when I was a kid
Wanna get down in a cool way?
Picture yourself on a beautiful day
Big Bell Bottoms and groovy, long hair
Just a-walking in style with a portable CD player - No!
You would listen to the music on the AM Radio

AM Radio, by Everclear

Let's get nostalgic for a moment, shall we?
Back in the day, there was the eclectic pop sound of AM Radio. FM was still a baby, really. Rock and Roll was, wow, remember this, rebellious and irreverent.

In those pre-historic days, pre-round-the-clock marketing days when there was no internet, no MTV, just word of mouth, a couple of late night tv shows (Midnight Special, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert), and a handful of mags like Rolling Stone, Hit Parader, Circus,and my fave, Creem.
Creem Magazine was one of the few resources for music fans to get info on what was happening in the world of rock and roll. In fact, Creem called itself "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine". Like me, it was a product of Michigan, a fact I say proudly.

A few rock journalists made their names writing for Creem: Dave Marsh, Cameron Crowe, and another not-so-famous critic named Lester Bangs.

Later immortalized in REM's "It's The End of the World As We Know It," and in the film "Almost Famous," Bangs was more than just a critic for Creem. His reviews were not so much a criticism of music as they were statements on life, politics, society and philosophy. One could learn much from those pages. What criticism was offered by Bangs and others might sometimes have been considered something more like abuse.

I happened upon a lengthy audio interview with Bangs, and if you're so inclined, you can find out what this guy was all about by clicking the links below.

Part 1

Part 2


While I always hoped for something a little more informative and sincere, Creem's irreverence was kinda cool. And the photos were unbelievable, offering a glimpse into the world of rockers like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan and T.Rex, Kiss, Mott the Hoople, the Who, Aerosmith, the Ramones, Cheap Trick, the Clash, and so many others. The list of faces adorning the magazine in the early days was naturally heavy with Michigan artists. The MC 5, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, and Grand Funk Railroad can all stand up and be counted.

Though the magazine is no longer in publication, a beautiful book compiling stories and photos was published last year. Included are all the old features: Stars Cars (pimped rides of the rich and famous), Creem Dreem ( rock babes posing in full color), and Creem's Profiles (an artist pretended to be advertising for a mythical Creem beer).




This magazine made me wish I could be a rock journalist. I wrote them a couple letters, and one was printed in 1985.

These days, it's tough to get really good info on the music scene, but MOJO does it well, and XM radio is helpful. But Creem was the real thing. Boy Howdy!