In The Basement

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Name of Mag: In The Basement

Frequency: Every Three Months (4 Issues Per Year)

Price: Ł4.00

Subscription Details: Basement Publishing, 193 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN22ZA

When my wife spotted yet another Soul magazine on my bedside table her immediate reaction was, "Four pounds, that's expensive!" I suppose when compared to her 'Women's Magazines' which have a national circulation she is probably right. Given however that this is a specialist magazine with limited sales potentential I think it is fairly priced. One thing is for sure, you certainly get your money's worth as it took me over two weeks to wade through its sixty-four tightly packed pages.

In truth this is really a fanzine as opposed to a magazine, but anybody who wasn't aware of this fact could easily be fooled into thinking otherwise. I say this for two reasons, firstly it is very professionally produced and secondly because of the high standard of writing throughout. The three issues which are currently in my possession all have very atmospheric front covers. Apparently the inclusion of colour is a recent innovation, but the effect is well worth any increase in production costs.

Issue 22 begins with an editorial, before moving on to two pages of news. These are followed by 'soulbites', a series of short comments about projects which various artists are currently involved in. There is also an obituaries section which is thankfully much shorter than that of issue 21. The number of artists who passed away during the last quarter made depressing reading. Pages five and six of the magazine has a letters section which is followed by two and a half pages of 'gig' reports. These are followed by in-depth interviews with Candi Staton, Gene Chandler,Thelma Jones, Timothy Wilson and Nella Dodds. Vinyl buffs are catered for by an in-depth look at Dobie Gray's album, 'From Where I Stand' and three pages of album and single tracks. Contributor Jim Wray highlights his favourite tracks which he compiles onto cassette which are put on offer to anybody willing to send him a blank tape along with postage costs. There are then eighteen pages of CD reviews categorised as either 'new recordings' or 'archive material'. The last couple of pages are devoted to book publications and adverts/comments for other soul fanzines.

Overall I was very impressed with the publication, which clearly sticks to a tried and tested formula; News, soulbites, obituaries, letters, gig reports, artist profiles, vinyl, Jim Wray's Cassettes, CD's, books. As I have already stated the quality of writing was good throughout and the whole publication is professionally put together. The magazine was also an education to me as I had no idea that so many of my old time hero's were still around, let alone performing. There were new (not archive) recordings from Gladys Knight, Little Milton and Freda Payne. So how long have these guys been in the business? If I have any complaint at all it is that I found eighteen pages of CD reviews back to back rather turgid. Maybe if they altered the formula and mixed it up a bit it might instil a little more variety. Despite this minor quibble I still found plenty that I was tempted to spend my money on. On a personal note I found issue 22 far more readable than issue 21, but for the life of me I cannot work out why. Maybe it contained more artist profiles or maybe because the obituaries were shorter. Whatever the reason this is still a magazine worth investing in. They are certainly doing a fabulous job in tracking down heroes of mine that most of the rest of the world seems to have forgotten.