Same here - I LOVED Melody Maker. The sad thing was - it started taking its tempo from NME in the 70's.

During the 60's - guys like Max Jones, the photos of Valery Wilmer, the witty Chris welch, graham Jones, the folk pages, the reviews of the scene - just made it an absolute delight.

Punk fucked everything. The enthusiastic defence of whatever sub literate, sub musical crap the record companies were slinging at us this week. the sheer corrupt nature of the music business became so transparent within a short time that nobody with an IQ above shite could bear to read it any more.

Saddest of all was the letters page -once full of wit and good hummour, became something like - how can your reviewer say the Dogshit Brothers aren't relevant and cutting edge, next you'll be telling us something as old and dated as the Crap Twins are the arbiters of fashion.

before long the music press was just picture books for the pre pubertal classes - the only ones they could sell the crap music to.

the demise of the art form that Britain had led the world in for a while was complete.