Michael Patrick Brady

Though it’s been rumored in certain circles over the past few weeks, today Todd Burns confirmed that Stylus Magazine would be ceasing publication at the end of this month. Burns provides readers with a touching and helpful “Bluffer’s Guide to Stylus,” which looks back over the publication’s five year history and points readers to some greatest hits.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Burns felt compelled to reference my 2003 feature “Cover Commentary: Second Looks at First Impressions” as his favorite piece from that year. I sincerely appreciate the kind words and wish Todd and the rest of the staff the best of luck.

Now that the retrospective mood has been set, I thought I’d take the opportunity to display some of the original source material I used for the “Cover Commentary” feature: scans of the LP comment stickers from which I pulled the choice quotes, in the spirit of the recent release of 1776: The Illustrated Edition. I’m also including a few special ones that did not get featured in the article as a bonus.

The Comment Stickers

If you haven’t read the aforementioned article, Cover Commentary: Second Looks at First Impressions, the premise is simple. What follows are scans of property stickers from WZBC’s record library, a catalog of music that spans over 30 years. These stickers allowed DJs to comment on and discuss the records, suggesting tracks to play, tracks to avoid, though they often devolved into free-for-all arguments. They allowed the DJs, who all had different time slots on different days, to interact, and the result is really fun. I focused on the 80s, knowing I could get some gems from some of the decade’s bigger college rock releases. These are the original impressions music fans (or snobs) had about these albums back when they were released, before time and mythmaking had a chance to muddy the historical record, so to speak. Enjoy!

[If you find the stickers hard to read, some limited transcription is available in the original article]
The Smiths – The Smiths
Husker Du – Zen Arcade
R.E.M. – Can’t Get There From Here 12″
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man single
The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Lou Reed - New Sensations
Afghan Whigs – Up In It
Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime

Bonus Comment Stickers!

Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth – Bad Moon Rising
And last but not least, the epic, gargantuan multi-sticker front-and-back of record discussion of Skinny Puppy’s Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse: Front, Back 1, Back 2.