President Mubarak will fall soon, in three or four days,' said Mohamed Sadik, a Cairo engineer.From his lips to God's ears.
Do you know the story of Crawdaddy!? Forty-five years ago, the first US magazine of rock criticism was born. Conceived by a visionary young journalist named Paul Williams from his freshmen dorm room at Swarthmore College, Crawdaddy! Magazine (so named for the club where the Rolling Stones played their first show) set in motion a movement of music writing that has continued to resonate and gain momentum over the past four and a half decades since Williams first put his pen to the page and cranked out a magazine. In those early issues, Williams made a name for himself for frank, intelligent, and earnest commentary on the subject of music—reviewing Simon and Garfunkels’ Sounds of Silence (for which he received a phone call from Paul Simon at his dorm room congratulating him for his insights), waxing on the musical identity of San Francisco, taking on folk-rock as it emerged in a dichotomous climate, and going on to become one of the preeminent Dylan experts of the age. Read what Williams himself had to say about that first issue…
At a time when the field of music criticism was still unheralded and far from taking the shape as it exists today in our saturated new media environment, Williams helped build the foundation of the medium, driving an ideology that self-discovery can and does exist through the practice of reflecting on art. Paul Williams is considered the godfather of rock journalism for setting a standard that we in that wake strive to uphold, for being among the first to acknowledge the worth of his subject in a cultural context and setting it free for the masses to embrace.
He didn’t do it alone. Crawdaddy! was home to rock writing luminaries such as Richard Meltzer, Sandy Pearlman, and Jon Landau, who helped music journalism become a global enterprise, as Rolling Stone, Creem, Mojo, Pitchfork, and the like eventually came to existence in the shadow that our forebears cast. Williams stepped away from Crawdaddy! in 1968 and the magazine stopped publishing for a few years until it was relaunched (without an exclamation mark) in 1970 under the direction of other highly respected editors and contributors, among them Peter Knoebler, Greg Mitchell, Jon Pareles, Ed Ward, William Burroughs, and Abbie Hoffman. Williams eventually took the magazine back in 1993 and published 28 more issues until the financial burden became too debilitating. In 2007, Crawdaddy! was relaunched to live once more online, where we aim daily to honor those ideals as defined by Williams 45 years ago.
In celebration of the institution that Paul Williams set in motion from his dorm room typewriter, we invite you to remember your own experiences within the pages of Crawdaddy! from its origins through today, to peruse those first 19 issues that we have available for you in their entirety here on the site, to read through some of the collected remembrances of past and present Crawdaddy! contributors, and honor the life and work of Paul Williams. Without him and what he started, we would certainly be missing something wonderful.
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It’s hard to believe it today, but only 40-some years ago Manhattan was a cultural capital. For about nine years the place churned out some of North America’s greatest bands and artists at a staggering clip. This period of intense creativity was also marked by crime, violence, and chaos–the NYPD was understaffed, the subways unsafe, and most of the LES was still a junky wasteland. That being said, artists could actually afford the rent back in those days. Shit, Patti Smith says she ate on 50 cents a day. No single year better exemplifies this tumultuous and productive period than 1977–the year of Suicide and citywide blackouts. It’s hard to find a better primer on this period than NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell, which is why we’re linking you to the whole G-D movie right here:
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1982, Sturgis, South Dakota — Hells Angels at Sturgis — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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June 17th, 1977, Cleveland, Ohio — Plumber Sam Green drives his customized Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a tree lined street in Cleveland. Green added hundreds of lights, horns, and chrome balls, as well as a television, canopy, CB radio, and tape deck. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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April 17th, 1974, Daytona Beach — They’ve got all kinds of names for members of the younger generation. At Daytona Beach, at least, it might be termed the relaxed generation. Some youngsters from Ohio rest on their motorcycles after arriving in the area recently. Daytona Beach is one of the few resorts in Florida where vehicles can be used on the beach. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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March 9th, 1968 — Cyclists are Sought in Murder Case. Cleveland, Ohio: Their bikes are their most prized possessions, say the Animals. Shown working on their motorcycles are (from left): V.C.; Gabby; and Tom (only nicknames given). In foreground is an unusual three-wheeler. Local authorities are looking for the motorcycle riders who killed two men in a cafe on February 28th. Three suspects in the case are former members of the Animals. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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Dec 3rd, 1966, Las Vegas — Hordes of teenagers cruise the Las Vegas Strip on motorcycles and in cars at night. Traffic along the strip is bumper-to-bumper every weekend as youngsters arrive to observe and be observed. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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1966 — Members of the Roaming Saints motorcycle gang loiter across the street from a building where police are breaking up a crowd. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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Dec 18th, 1958, Los Angeles, CA — A motorcyclist prepares to turn while driving along a street which is engulfed in a thick haze combined by fog and smog. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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March 14th, 1955, Montreuil, France — Leap to Victory. In the Anglo-French hill climbing tests in Montreuil, on the outskirts of Paris, Belgian rider Victor Lelou, left, leaped into the lead with this jump to put Frenchman Hazianis into second place. A rainless week coupled with frost made the “track” hard and fast for the motorcyclists. The machines were inclined to leave the ground but there were no real spills and the leaping juggernauts gave the large crowd a full measure of thrills. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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Oct 7th, 1953, Stockholm, Sweden — Norwegian motorcycle racer Basse Hveem leads the International Moto-Race. He won the race, capturing the St. Eriks Trophy. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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Date unknown — Men on motorcycle — Image by © Wolff & Tritschler/Corbis
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May 15th, 1951, Montlhery, France — Poggi’s Lambretta reaches speeds in excess of 200 km/h on the Montlhery racetrack. — Image by © Universal/TempSport/Corbis
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May 15th, 1951, Montlhery, France — Poggi’s Lambretta reaches speeds in excess of 200 km/h on the Montlhery racetrack. — Image by © Universal/TempSport/Corbis
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ca. 1950 — A newlywed couple takes off on a motorcycle after their wedding. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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ca. 1949, UK — Sixteen-year-old Maureen Swift riding with ‘Tornado’ Smith around ‘The Wall of Death’ attraction in the Southend Kursaal to promote BSA motorcycles. – Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1943, UK — Major J.B. Joly and a wing of Canadian dispatch riders. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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1941, Vale, Oregon — Men gathered around a motorcycle with stunt bars at an Independence Day celebration. — Image by © Corbis
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ca. 1938, UK — A man drives television presenter Jasmine Bligh during a trick cycling demonstration where the motorcycle and sidecar tip over to one side. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1938, England — Motor engineer Mr. H. Jenneret and a passenger try out his new motorcycle and ‘oscillant’ sidecar where the driver and sidecar wheel bend at the same time. This invention stops the sidecar from turning over. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1936, London, England — A motorcyclist keeps his balance as his motorcycle and sidecar ride on two wheels during the motorcycle display at Crystal Palace. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca.1935 — A couple on a Triumph motorbike camping tour break for a picnic. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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Nov 19th, 1932, Banstead, Surrey, England — A lost motorcylist seeks directions from an Automobile Association (A.A.) road scout, posted to the Brighton road at Banstead, during a bout of dense fog. A.A. issued signal flares glow in a bucket on the curb. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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London, England — Photo shows exciting moment during the motorcycle race for the Coventry Cup on the road track at the Crystal Palace; G. H. Hole’s passenger leaning out at a perilous angle while the machine takes a curve in the course. — Image by © Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
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March 1932, UK — A woman perches on a Royal Enfield, “Cycar”, motorcycle while she asks directions from a Royal Automobile Club rider. The “Cycar” is fully enclosed which prevents oil and grease from soiling its rider. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1930, Paris, France — Something New! Motor Cycle Ball Games Are Now Being Held In Paris And This Sport Has Become Quite A Favourite. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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Near Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK — J.H. Simpson won the members’ Grand Prix motorcycle race for cycles less than 350 cc — Image by © Underwood & Underwood/CORBIS
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London, England — Photo shows L. Green shows his heels after taking a bad spill during the Handicap Race at King’s Oak Speedway, High Beech. — Image by © Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
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Stockholm, Sweden — Portrait of Erik Westerberg, who did 104 miles per hour on a Harley Davidson and won the race on Edsviken Bay near Stockholm. Motorcycle racing on ice is a popular Swedish sport. — Image by © Underwood & Underwood/Corbis
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Weybridge, Surrey, England — British motor cyclist Eric C. Fernihough on his specially designed, streamlined Brough Superior motor cycle, at Brooklands racetrack where he will demonstrate the bike’s speed at the first meeting of the new season. Fernihough lost the world motorcycle speed record to Germany and aims to regain the title. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1925, Weybridge, Surrey, England — Victor Horsman keeps a speedy pace during a motorcycle race at Brooklands in Weybridge, England. Several records were broken during this 1925 meet. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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1925, Scotland — Ms. E. Foley participates in the international six day reliability trials at Brooklands. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1925, England — The fashion conscious Debenham sisters ride their motorcycles wearing fun winter coats. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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June 24th, 1922, Grunewald, Germany — German Motorcycle Stars in Great Race. The start of the races. Over 500 motorcyclists were entered. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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April 21st, 1920 — Herbert McBride, who recently broke the world’s motorcycle record for amateurs. His time was 105:24 miles per hour, which beats the old professional record. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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1916, New England — The Harley Davidson Company saw the importance of a strong dealer network. A load of new bikes had just arrived at the “New England Branch” of Harley-Davidson in 1916. — Image by © Bettmann/Corbis
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Oct 22nd, 1914 — Early Motorcycle Racer Ray “Kansas Cyclone” Weishaar — Image by © Corbis
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March 28th, 1914, Surrey, England — A motorcyclist holds a Rudge motorcycle during a meeting of the British Motorcycle Racing Club at Brooklands. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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ca. 1912, Berkshire, England — Three men sit on their motorcycles in a street in Maidenhead. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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20 Mar 1911, Weybridge, Surrey, England — British motorcyclist Oscar Godfrey poses with his Indian motorcycle during the B.M.C.R.C. trials at Brooklands. — Image by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis
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Date unknown, Minneapolis, Minnesota — In front of Guy Webb’s Minneapolis motorcycle shop, two men ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle equipped with a side car. — Image by © Minnesota Historical Society/Corbis
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Related TSY posts:
ICONIC AMERICAN IMAGES BY DANNY LYON | THE BIKERIDERS AND BEYOND
PHOTOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM GEDNEY | AN AMERICAN ARCHIVE– BIKERS
ARLEN NESS’ SECRET WEAPON DURING THE ’70s CHOPPER BOOM | JEFF McCANN
THE WALL OF DEATH DAREDEVILS | LIONS & RIDERS & FAIRS — OH MY!
BIKES, BIKINIS, BEER & BEACH | VINTAGE DAYTONA BEACH BIKE WEEK
BIKES, BIKINIS, BEER & BEACH PT. II VINTAGE DAYTONA BEACH BIKE WEEK
BIKES, BIKINIS, BEER & BEACH PT. III VINTAGE DAYTONA BEACH BIKE WEEK
WHEN THERE’S NOTHING ELSE TO LOSE, AND NOTHING LEFT BUT THE WIND…
TSY FRIDAY FADE | THE LATE NIGHT 1970′s BADASS BIKER ROUNDUP
TSY SATURDAY SLOPPY SECONDS | THE 1970′s BADASS BIKER ROUNDUP, PT. II
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