The Correct Use of Soap

For the first time all year, the two magazines I have delivered on subscription arrived on the very same day yesterday. What a treat! I have relished the regular weighty thud on the doormat both periodicals have made all year (although I’m not usually here to hear it) and I have appreciated coming home on a humdrum Day of Wodin or Thor to discover some decent reading material awaiting to raise my spirits. I speak of Word Magazine and Mojo. It is now time to renew (well, they are presents so the renewing is not officially down to me) and I have decided to knock the Mojo on the head and continue with Word. Mojo has many strengths and the quality of its writing is peerless but I feel, at times, there is a tendency to look back rather than forward in its features. I can only cope with so many lengthy articles on The Who, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin et al. They are worthy artists but I prefer to warmly shake the hand of the zeitgeist rather than bow reverentially at nostalgie. Word’s combination of good journalism, wit, doughty editorial wisdom and the ability to keep its finger on the pulse of new trends and hip and challenging sounds makes me welcome its arrival each month a good deal more than its rival for my affection. It also covers film, television, radio and technology well. It is knowing and intelligent and adds to my life and my lifestyle. Without pre-empting what I’m getting for Christmas, I expect Uncut to replace Mojo in the new year. In a way Uncut is much like Word and covers a gamut of arts issues with sharp and incisive penmanship and I’ve got a lot out of the issues I’ve read this year. I know that the droll S is a Mojo man and the genial D favours Uncut. I hope my decision isn’t taken personally by either of these dear fellows. I would hate for there to be a scene.