...Soviet scientists last month reported that "heavy metal listeners are affected by the psycho-physiological mechanisms of addiction". According to The Guardian (so it must be true), their laboratory tests on moshin' Russkies showed "a worsening of memory, loss of attention, a fall in reading speeds, and an increase in aggressiveness and stubborness". Leaving aside any chicken/egg theorising, the scientists claim to have found that HM "diminishes the activities of the right half of the brain, which leads to a decline in creative abilities and productive thinking". Does this all go to show, Smoke asks, that heavy rock is all a damn Yankee imperialist plot?

...it seems that John Entwistle is currently available for session work at standard rates. Add to this a story we've heard about the man selling some basses, and a Who tour for the Autumn seems a distinct possibility...

CBS are so proud of new signings Deacon Blue that they'll let you have a copy of their new cassette on approval (from selected record stores) for three days. If you don't like it, or have access to tape-to-tape facilities, take it back and they'll return your money...

is it true that Akai are owned by Mitsubishi?...

fabled luthiers the Manson brothers now produce a completely vegan (no beastie products at all) guitar — no ivory, bone, or animal glues. It qualifies as vegan rather than merely vegetarian because they've managed to exclude from the manufacturing process both milk and eggs. So what do they have for breakfast, then? Further to this, the distinctly wooden Tokai reviewed this month arrived with a 'Save Trees: Re-use Paper' sticker on the cardboard box...

Andy Taylor and Rod Stewart are recording together, with former Van Halen producer Ted Templeman trying to keep them both sober...

as Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter said in last month's Sound Engineer, the advent of the DAT portastudio will mean master quality home demos. This will probably be a good thing...

while researching for his That Petrol Emotion piece (typically, after he'd already done the interview), Lewin discovered an article in A.N.Other mag, in which Reamann O'Gormann enthused about a Perry Wood, saying what a great guitar band they were, major influence, blah blah. After much head-scratching, Smoke worked out that 'author' Tim Glynne Jones had been having problems with Reamann's Irish brogue. Try saying Perry Wood in a Derry accent. Try saying Pere Ubu in an English accent...

which nice drummer with which great heavy band who once graced the front of this magazine still hasn't told his mum that he smokes? Awkward, considering she lives next door...

mud and urine fans will be pleased to hear that the Reading Festival celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year, with a line-up that includes Status Quo, The Mission, Spear Of Destiny, The Fall, Magnum, Bad News, Lee Aaron, Alice Cooper, The Stranglers, FM, and Zodiac Mindwarp. It takes place on 28th, 29th and 30th, in case you wondered...

Simple Minds' "In The City Of Light" is the fastest selling live LP ever, say Virgin...

Rory Gallagher rang up (honest) to say how much he liked Adrian Legg's article on capos in the May ish. "But you missed out a really important one," he said. "It's called the Buddy Holly Texas capo — it's got a cork 'bar', and if you look at any old picture of Buddy Holly you might well see it. I got mine in America — Muddy Waters used it, Albert Collins uses it. I'm not knocking the article at all, I thought it was really good. I just thought you ought to know about this one too." Well, thanks, Rory, any time, anytime...

watch out for the new Stepp DGX. Is it called 'X' because it actually exists, as opposed to the semi-mythical DG1?

...Joni Mitchell removed the 'George Benson' plate off her Ibanez GB semi-acoustic...

it seems that our Japanese guitars calendar two months back caused some consternation in the Orient. Since there was no caption to explain they were old models, there was a brief flurry of panic in Hamamatsu at the prospect of a new Yamaha appearing in Europe without Japan HQ knowing...

it is rumoured that some weeks back a certain well-known old guitars shop turned down an offer of 20,000 dollars for a Gretsch White Penguin...

Spinal Tap lives: the famed 'henge' sequence from the classic 'rockumentary' was recently re-enacted on stage by the roadies for top pop 'combo' Status Quo. As the 18in high replica of Britain's most famous megalithic monument was lowered to the stage, long-haired guitar player Francis Rossi (38) might have said, "It's been together almost as long as we have."

...Hecklers, pt.37: Richard Thompson had been dealing amiably with a persistent drunk at London's Bloomsbury Theatre last month, when the heckler suddenly demanded 'Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' — not part of RT's normal repertoire. He tried a few chords anyway: "It's a good song," he reasoned, "but I'm not totally sure how it goes..." "It's in A minor," retorted the intoxicated one. "Ah, that explains it," came back Mr T, glancing down at his steel-strung Martin, "I don't have that one on here." Instant silence from heckler...

as an adjunct to last month's news story, we hear another story about Mike Rutherford and the Steinberger body. The tall chap was playing his old tiny stick-like at home one day, when his kid came in and said something like, "Dad, you look really stupid with that thing on." Mr Rutherford's thought processes then led him to the conclusion that a larger body on the Steinberger would cure the perceived problem...

Neil Young was supa-mega-brilliant at Wembley last month — all the faves, manic guitar playing, some stunning solos, great harmonies, and even humour. "They all sound the same, anyway," he said, deciding not to play another acoustic number, and returning to his Bigsby-equipped Les Paul. Lewin is now looking for a Bigsby for his Gold Top...

WIN

Fancy winning a salmon pink 1963 Strat? Or maybe a red 1956 Gretsch Chet Atkins? Or would a late 1960s Rickenbacker 330, as above, suit you? Or even a 1970 Les Paul Custom? Well, put your tongue away — the chance is coming.

In conjunction with EMI, BBC Records are releasing four compilations, titled "The Rock'n'Roll Years 1956-71". Inside each record are 20 songs by Famous People — from Cliff, through The Beatles, to Cream and Hendrix. And on the cover of the LPs are these guitars, all chosen to represent a specific period. We spoke to Mario Moscardi and Barry McCann who were responsible for the design of the sleeves.

"We wanted to get away from the usual Golden Classics bikini girl image, and the main link between the albums was guitars and amps," Mario told me. So with a budget of £4,000, he and Barry went to dealers Vintage & Rare to buy four suitable instruments and hire some amps.

"I'd wanted an Esquire like Cliff Gallup used with Gene Vincent for the first album," Barry (an SG man, himself) said. "But we took the Gretsch for its Eddie Cochran associations. The only thing that's not right is the cigarette on the 1956 LP — it's an 1980s cigarette, and it should be a Capstan Full Strength."

And the guitars, now they've finished with them? A competition, no less; Barry hadn't finalised the details, but it will involve the records, and a major record chain. So get down to HMVirginPrice if you fancy a free guitar.