Select

So Select magazine has been redesigned yet again, and as with every earlier attempt has pratically gone back to the old format within a few months. This possibly says something about not changing a winning formula, but hey, the new graphics are quite nice. The cut-out dotted lines around reviews seem a bit superfluous (Select has allways had a Blue Peter element to its journalism), but the new layout is rather clean and easy to peruse whilst riding a bus. The music covered is unchanged, although there is no specialist "dance" section and everything is mixed in. As usual, Select goes for the Yoof readers with features on popular bands like Travis, DJs ...  Read the complete review

Select magazine has always been, for me, somewhat of a standby magazine; you know, one of those mags that you may as well buy as youve got the cash and need something to read. The layout has always been nice and easy to ind something that appeals to you and the reviews are reassuringly and consistentl well written. Select seems to use journalists that really know about current and, more importantly, past music culture... It also covers other media such as TV, films, books and clothes etc. rolling many magazines in to one (saving your wallet!). My only gripe is that Select sometimes tries to have a go at things that, really, it isnt any good ...  Read the complete review

I have only bought Select magazine since its revamp, so I can't say if it has improved. I buy it because it covers the music I like - mainly indie/pop/rock with a bit of dance. The magazine is basically 3 parts - the Select 50, where there are 50 seemingly random clippings, such as quotes from musicians, reviews of TV shows/products, little tiny interviews/reviews and some quite funny articles. Some of these are good, some are dull, and some just leave you wanting to read a longer piece. The second part is very long interviews with a few bands, which are good if you like the bands but are otherwise dull. Thirdly, there are reviews of live gigs, albums, singles, ...  Read the complete review

Like Melody Maker and NME, Select seems to have undergone something of a facelift. The most positive change of this new look version is that it acknowledges the massive expansion of technology: it includes MP3 only tracks on its recommended list and multimedia items on the free cover CD (always a bonus for all you skinflints and students out there!). However, the magazine contains huge interviews with bands like Elastica. This is obviously great if you're a big fan but wouldn't it be better to provide slightly shorter pieces in order to cover more different bands? Also, there is a huge feature on the up and coming Muse. The cover declares: 'In a ...  Read the complete review

When it first came out in the 1980s, Select was a refreshing alternative to the more staid Q, and I bought it every month. As other magazines such as Mojo and Uncut started come out I stopped buying Select, mainly because it concentrated more and more on dance music, and less on the types of music I usually go for (indie, soul, sixties stuff). I occasionally buy issues of Select with free CD's (although the music doesn't exactly blow me away - give me Uncut's CD's any time) so I have seen the changes over the years. Select is now more obviously 'designer', the whole thing looks like one big colourful advertisement. In places it even ...  Read the complete review