Who do the British seemingly hate Q Magazine?

That's not actually true though is it?

Its a fair point.

Doesn't this tell you that while cutting edge creativeness does get remembered, it is still the really great tunes that are really remembered?

* Q will be:

Definitive

The inside story

Informative

Useful

Funny… but never whacky

Credible

All encompassing

Accessible

… And it will know what it’s talking about

* The 9 Do’s of Q writing/editorial:

1/ Do be smart, but never cleverer than the reader

2/ Do avoid stock phrases. Q will use language that is its own, not the latest in phrases/words/sayings. We stand apart.

3/ Do be the readers’ guide without patronising them.

4/ Do be irreverent, but do so with authority and affection.

5/ Do fear the pun.

6/ Do take our own view entirely separate from both hype and accepted wisdom.

7/ Do be passionate.

8/ Do be prepared to stick our necks out.

9/ Do deliver the complete picture.

* The 9 Don’ts of Q writing/editorial:

1/ Don’t dumb down for the reader.

2/ Don’t be lazy: ie. Using clichés, praising one artist at the expense of damning another.

3/ Don’t use flowery language.

4/ Don’t assume knowledge.

5/ Don’t be a smart arse.

6/ Don’t force the humour (ie. if a caption is best served with a simple piece of information, use it).

7/ Don’t assume knowledge.

8/ Don’t just ask the obvious question.

9/ Don’t ever write: ‘The best album since…’

the complete picture.

10. Do assume that all readers have the average mental capacity of a three-year-old Down's sufferer.

11. Do give at least four stars to new releases by major artists for fear they won't give the magazine an exclusive interview.

12. Scratch certain PR agencies' backs and they'll scratch yours. Particularly applicable to those contributors who are contracted to write exclusively about artists handled by one specific PR agency.

13. Do not use language. Emoticons and star ratings are all our thrusting Thatcherkid readership has time to require.

14. Emap shareholders pay your wages.

15. Do be compliant.

16. David Cameron will be the next Prime Minister.

17. Do remember that music has been shit since "Friday I'm In Love" by the Cure.

18. Do not under any circumstances cite track seventeen of the second Bubonique album.

19. We are in charge.

20. Any Trouble are the great hope for 2007.

1/ Don’t dumb down for the reader.

AAAAAAHHHHH what's a smart-ass to do????

also - who the flippin 'eck is Johnny Borrell?

The git out of Razorlight, prone to pronouncing his own genius at every given opportunity.

Yo, I don't fit into any of those categories and I read Q.

Although I am vaguely thinking of giving it up in light of the fact that they're going to dump their free CDs and their movie, DVD and game reviews. Of course, if the dumping of the above reviews means longer write-ups per CD, then I might stay.

Another thing is - why the heck do they kiss ass to Johnny Borrell all the ****ing time? His band's 'music' isn't even that good. I bought the first CD, and it was mostly crap, with only one half-decent song. I don't want to even touch CD#2 with a 10-foot pole, thank you very much. And yet they're claiming JB to be the greatest genius of the C21, or something like that. WHYYY?!

http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.about.currentissue

wonder which one my outer sticks newsagent will have stocked.

odds on for the britney spears cover ? doubtful.

while the choice of folks is obvious on the whole (no hip hop??), the dido one is rather baffling.

should mojo be getting concerned over this new direction i wonder, a direct assualt on the £50 man, or whatever tag they give the poor bugger these days.

though i do like the revised focus back onto music - i may just give it one last go (the dreadful naked courtney love issue was the previous last straw for me)

Loaded mag did this, years ago. Tons of alternate covers, all were spectacularly good.

After that, they'd jumped the shark. But what a shark!

apparently the dido one was a last minute change. it was going to be pj harvey - except she answered the question "what does q mean to you now?" with "er, not much, i don't really consider it a music magazine any more" and was immediately pulled.

The London Review of Books doesn't just review books, though - it also carries long, stand-alone articles about politics, current affairs etc. I like the idea of the London Review of Music, I must say.

I've often thought about this. The LRB did review a Herbert CD though!

"presumably an LRM would be done for love not profit. therefore I'M OUT"

I'm not sure I would seek assistance from the ex-bassist of Rhythm System, however.

But, luckily, that is not the case. As evident on Q covers and elsewhere.

Btw. Q does write about hip-hop. All major hip-hop releases are reviewed and the biggest names are also featured in articles. Plus there are usually a couple of hip-hop albums in their year-end list, which is a fitting number considering hip-hop is just one out of hundreds of music genres.

But, luckily, that is not the case.

It has also managed to start its own magazines, writing exclusively about hip-hop, and I guess hip-hop-fans are more likely to read those.

Besides, even though hip-hop may seem dominant in the singles list doesn't mean it is dominant within the entire population. Among kids, maybe (although not as dominant as it was a few years ago), but not among most people out of all ages.

I gave it a flick through at a petrol station. Umm, fine but that's the relaunch version?

It does cover all kinds of popular music. Including hip-hop/R&B/techno/metal, just not to the same extent that more specialized genre magazines too.