Rolling Stone Magazine Snub: "Premiere" Rock Magazine Opts for Tired Zeppelin Piece Over Syd Barrett Tribute

I recently sent a letter to Rolling Stone magazine, the "premiere" rock n' roll publication that I have been getting for almost a decade, because they neglected to properly honor the founder of Pink Floyd. More than that though, it was WHO they opted to grace the cover instead of the late great Syd Barrett. Instead of memorializing one of rock music's most innovative and important voices, the man who created one of earth's most notorious bands, they decided to run a six page apology to Led Zeppelin, an outfit which has consistently trumped Pink Floyd for media exposure for a long time.

First, let me tell you about this idiotic Led Zeppelin piece. For some reason- well I know the reason, they want to sell more magazines- Rolling Stone ran this rehashing of the Zeppelin story in the middle of August because, I guess, it was a slow couple of weeks in the world of popular music. If you're a real music fan, and I suppose that most people who subscribe to this magazine are, than you probably know much of the so-called Led Zeppelin saga. You may have even read the famous Led Zeppelin biography, Stephen Davis' "Hammer of the Gods." This is one of the most famous rock books ever written and when I started to read Rolling Stone's recent cover story, the stench of familiarity hung in the air, thickly-like.

Rolling Stone and Led Zeppelin had quite the fragmented relationship in the 60's and the 70's. While the band took off, commercially speaking, they never garnered the critical success that (would have) meant so much to them. The leading negative voice throughout the height of their career was Rolling Stone magazine. It is a well-known anomaly that the publication has never given Zeppelin "their due," so the fact they RS ran what amounts to an apology is not very surprising at all.

What is an unforgivable, however, is the timing of this "apology." Rolling Stone, who devoted a cover issue to the death of their hero, counterculture journalist Hunter S. Thompson, have usually done right by fallen legends. They're normally not the kind of publication who "sells out" to sell more magazines. Until now that is.

Barrett gave Rolling Stone the last interview he ever did in 1971.

Credit: google images

Copyright: google images