Wine Spectator (1-year auto-renewal)

Wine Spectator is the most prominent and widely available wine criticism magazine and as such it has been endlessly pilloried. Well, they deserve it one recent issue's cover story was "Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman, Hollywood Power Couple!" How ridiculous can you get? The pages are littered with articles devoted to wealthy Californians and their extensive cellars; one recently spent an entire article on a rich man who helps his rich friends by cataloguing their cellars on, gasp, a spreadsheet! Yeah, it's like that.

Wine Spectator has also been criticized for the way it uses hyperbole to the extent that no one believes them when they're right anymore. Oenophiles now wait for Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) to back them up before believing it. "Best Vintage since 1961" and "Vintage of the Century" and "Vintage of the Decade" are far too common copy, coming once a year or so.

The vintner profiles hold some interest, but don't fool yourself, you read this magazine for the scoring. Wine Spectator has the resources to taste more wines than any other English language publication (that I know of) and despite some strange results, are generally good at evaluating the bottles in question. As I've noted elsewhere, in spite of the hyperbolic headlines, the Spectator is stingier than Robert Parker for rating wines "Outstanding." The caveat is that a lot of wines get bunched up in the 84-86 point range, although I suppose that matches my experience.

By comparison to the Wine Advocate, I find Wine Spectator scores much more inconsistent. This makes sense because the Spectator has a larger staff and it's difficult to establish a common benchmark across all of the offices and tasting panels. In their favor, they do review a fair number of lower priced wines, more than their aforementioned colleague, and their reactions are more or less in the ballpark as to where I'd put them if I were doing the reviews. But know when using the Spectator to allow some give on either side, a confidence interval, if you will.

It might be terrible that a magazine wastes its first three quarters of every issue on mindless fodder for social climbers. It might be tasteless that they spend so much time promoting the notion that wine is an investment, instead of an immensely enjoyable consumable commodity. But those of us with big brains and modest credit ratings know that there is much to be salvaged from the back of each issue. We also know that Parker is the first point of reference.

There's certainly a lot to hate about Wine Spectator and, for that matter, Wine Advocate. Many winemakers decry the existence of both magazines, and usually lay the blame entirely at Robert Parker's doorstep for making the 100-point rating system an industry standard.

Wine Spectator's scores have gotten better with time, as have their articles. They've shied away from California "glitz" and have looked more into food. Also, the education classes that they list on their website are becoming increasingly more helpful.

Apparently they listened to much of the criticism and worked toward creating a more respected magazine. I think they've done well.

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The Wine Spectator is one of those magazines designed to reassure you that you're rich or that you soon could be, all in the context of a shared love for the fruit of the vine.

There's lots of deadly serious material in this glossy, pleasing publication. But if you're a lover of wine who is *not* rich the category includes this reviewer you need to learn to take it with a sense of humor. Just enjoy the game.

That game includes a travelogue of the world's wine regions as well as the possibility of gaining a decent education via month-by-month reading in viticulture and wine appreciation itself. This reader is in it for the long haul I hope to enjoy good wine at an affordable cost for the duration of this earthly slog and the Wine Spectator is my companion along the way.

My job takes me out for many dinners in various parts of the world that include wine-splendored places like France, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and of course Northern California. But with wineries now in 49 of the USA's fifty states, what's *not* a wine region these days?

On those business treks, I find myself out for dinner as often as not. It's personally satisfying to know just enough to order a Pinotage in Capetown, since only South Africa produces this varietal, or to opt for one of Argentina's persuasive Malbecs because they're just *that* good. We're not talking wine snobbery here, just satisfaction at the margins of life's all too margin-less journeys.

If this sounds like your game, the Wine Spectator may be a worthwhile investment. Even if not, consider splitting a subscription with a colleague. That's what I do. At half the price, I get a fine magazine and avoid burdening my bookshelves with one more heavy, beautiful, pleasant magazine. Life can deal you worse.

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The fact is that Wine Spectator is about the most inconsistant, beholden to special interest, pseudo-wine magazine ever! Their reviews are indeed gushing...I challange anyone to find a single negative comment. They say tastings are blind and comments are registered before the bottles are revealed so I would like to know how they consistantly come up with bottle-specific comments like, "this is a good Grange, but not quite up to the standards of previous vintages." ...Tasting is also done by panal highlighting another weakness: Usually, you can learn the palate and preferences of a particular reviewer, compare them to your own, and weight that person's ratings accordingly...here you have no idea which so-called 'experts' have reviewed a particular wine, so this tool is lost. Additionally, none of the WS reciewers, to my knowledge, posesses either a 'Master of Wines' or a 'Master Sommielier' certification. While extremely difficult to earn (Robert Parker has failed the MoW test twice), either should be a prerequisite for a professed expert (or at least one of them). For real wine enthusiasts, subscribe to decanter; for the more casual drinker, food&wine presents a much better value.

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I subscribed to WS for a couple years in the late 90s, and loved the magazine. It keeps a balance between reviews of wines both new (which is the main emphasis) and older vintages, and background stories on vintners and so on. The writers are almost all very good (and I'm a professional writer myself) -only one of them do I dislike and he doesn't review the wines. Both the wine connoisseur and the novice can profit from reading this publication. I only dropped the subscription because I moved and the collection, no issue of which I wished to discard, was occupying more and more space on my bookshelves.

Now I subscribe to the online edition so I can check ratings before I buy a wine. The WS, in addition to Parker and other reviewers, perform an essential service for critical consumers who can't otherwise judge whether a bottle is worth the price asked. And we need WS and Parker and all to tell us when the best reds are ready to drink -some really great ones are not mature for more than a decade. I drank the highly rated Chateau Canon 1982, for which I'd paid over $100, 17 years after harvest, and my group could tell it wasn't ready -still closed down. Sure enough, if I had read Spectator carefully, I'd have picked another bottle for that occasion because they said it wasn't yet mature.

Robert Parker has the reputation for being more influential for high-end wines, but Wine Spectator's scores are generally pretty close to his. And they review a broader spectrum, as noted by other commentators below. WS will often steer you to excellent buys for under $15, or even under $10. If you get only one of these per month, or steers you away from a very overpriced bottle, the subscription (about $50) pays for itself.

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Military Vehicles (1-year)

I have subscribed to this magazine for many years. The stories are great and the pictures are wonderful if you are looking for help in restoring a Military Vehicle or not.

Te stories are great. Being in and out of the military for decades make it fun to see vehicles that I used to work on as a mechanic from Vietnam to the wars in the early nineties. This book helped me pass the vehicle recognizing tests.

Now I enjoy thinking of what I could be doing if I had the room. I do have the room for the kits advertised.

You will find hours of fun perusing the articles on museum collections and come close to buying that rare part that only a coffee table can use. Cannot throw away the older volumes. Now with the kindle you can carry your favorite volumes with you where ever you go.

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Fast Bikes

I have just purchased my first issue of Fast Bikes at a local book store and think it is one of the best out there. Unfortunately, the magazine is WAY too expensive. It is too bad that American publishers can't come up with a magazine like this to sell here at home at a cheaper price. I rate this magazine a full 5 stars but will give only 2 stars for the high cost. Therefore I will only continue to purchase 1 or 2 Fast Bikes magazines a year and not order a yearly subscription. It is not Amazon.com's fault, it's just that it has to come from the UK.

I agree with the first reveiw that since it comes for the UK it is real costly to buy ($12.99) or subscribe ($200+) to. But if your at a Borders store look for this magazine you won't be disappointed. Unlike all the other sport bike magazines that seem to only tell you about next years bikes, this magazine has sections on: buying the 3 best used bikes at $3000 and the 3 best for $4000, also all the people that write in this mag at the back each have a section on what bike there riding and the lastest mods they've done to there bike and the price. This mag does have all the lastest bikes tested all the news on next years bikes superbike and streetfighter.

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Men's Journal (1-year)

Men's Journal is a decent magazine full of varied topics of interest to men. This magazine covers areas like sports, adventure travel, fashion and style, cars and trucks, career issues, etc. This publication directs all of its articles toward men, with an emphasis on what is most appealing to males throughout a typical week in their lives.

One thing about Men's Journal that is a little different from other men's magazines is that it doesn't flaunt women to sell its issues. In fact, there are practically no pictures of women at all in this publicationsomething that will be considered an asset to some, and a liability to others. This magazine refuses to play the female card and instead focuses its articles on topics that men like to read about.

Men's Journal is often obsessed with lists, and I think this is especially true in the last few years. Take a look at the cover of most issues and you will see a large, boldface advertisement for some sort of list. In one issue, it might be a ranking of the best cities for entry level jobs. In another issue, it might be a listing of the best places for young entrepreneurs. Whatever it might be, Men's Journal seems to have an infatuation with lists, probably because men like lists and it helps increase sales.

This magazine can be counted on to produce some fairly good reading, but I must warn that many of the articles are a little too simplistic, with little emphasis on intellectualism. Even the articles about politics and business are often riddled with obvious statements that most anyone would know. But overall, I still think Men's Journal is a good magazine. It is varied enough that most anyone will find something interesting to read and the price is very low.

This is a great magazine to highlight the fun places to go, things to do and things to own. It is not highbrow with big book excerpts, nor is is lowbrow with a bunch of buxom women all over the magazine.

This is a magazine for active, athletic and adventurous men. There are 1 or 2 interesting articles about travel or adventure in each issue along with a feature article on varying topics from contributing writers. There are always good features on health and fitness tips. Lastly, the magazine highlights sports gear, fashion and gadgets.

It is a fun, light (usually) magazine that I look forward to receiving each month.

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Don't get me wrong, occasionally there are issues I still read cover to cover, but it seems as though MJ has gone through a change lately. Gone is the focus of travel and fantastic adventure writing. Now the focus seems to be health, fitness and diet. I used to buy Men's Health magazine for those topics. If I wanted that focus I would continue to buy MH. There is no longer a consistent reason to read MJ on a regular basis anymore. Man, I miss the old MJ!

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If Men's Health a main competitor of the magazine here under review strikes you as pandering to the average guy's baser instincts, you'll want to check out Men's Journal.

The tag line to this magazine's name reads 'Adventure Life'. That's a pretty good shot at the content, since it takes your average young rich guy's (or no-longer-young-in-the-mirror rich guy's) desires to live a little on the wild side and decks them out in luxury opportunities to do just that.

The writing is surprisingly good. We're not talking the Atlantic Monthly here, but recent issues have easy-on-the-eyes features on the crisis in Darfur, the late Aussie croc-wrestler Steve Irwin, and the down-in-the-mouth financial situation of our National Parks system.

Like most magazines of the genre, the gloss, paper quality, and color make this an easy read in an airplane seat or an easy chair: Men's Journal is pleasant to the touch, good for some mild distraction, and leaves no bitter aftertaste.

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Men's Journal has gotta be one of the best deals in the whole wide world of magazines. For 10 bucks you get wonderful photography, health tips, product reviews of cool stuff you'll covet, smart writing and, of course, regular features by that greatest of American ink-spillers, Jim Harrison. Heck, if they just photo copied the Harrison pieces and sent them to me in a plain white envelope, ten bucks would still be a screaming deal. However, I still dig the fashion spreads, the book notes and the travel writing. There is a consistant sense of adventure, curiosity and life well lived in this magazine, which is why it should earn a spot on your coffee table. Did I mention it's only ten bucks?

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Mojo

Music, music, music. That's what "Mojo" is about, and ALL it's about. If you're looking for info on pop stars' latest paramours, or rants about the government, look elsewhere. This magazine is a sleek, polished, well-informed music magazine that focuses on the core of what people listen to.

"Mojo" covers all the bases with information about rock (present and classic), country, R&B, alternative, punk, and a speckling of other types. In-depth, professional articles -at least one big one, and a number of smaller ones, interviews and analysis alike. Not to mention, of course, the wealth of reviews and concert reports.

Unlike many music magazines, "Mojo" focuses both on the past and present. Present: Norah Jones, Outkast, Ryan Adams, Flaming Lips, Strokes and David Bowie. Past: Led Zeppelin, Elvis, Ramones, the Beatles (naturally!), Pink Floyd, Nirvana, and so forth. They also take a hard look at up-and-coming new bands and performers, without letting hype get in the way. They balance out respect for rock's illustrious past, while acknowledging the worth of new bands and music.

As an extra bonus, nearly every issue of "Mojo" comes with a CD firmly attached to it. For example, one was a collection of classic blues songs that have since been covered by everybody from Jimi Hendrix to Aerosmith to the White Stripes. It's the icing on a cake that is already sweet on its own.

"Mojo" is music-lover's Bible. One thing it isn't: it's not people who love trends and celebrity. It's a solid, ultra-informative collection of info about every kind of good music under the sun. A winner.

If you are a fan of a certain genre of music,be it mainstream pop, punk or hip-hop, there are at least a few magazines to cater to your taste. The rarity is a magazine that caters to the all-around pop music fanatic, and Mojo Magazine tops that obscure list.

This is a pricey publication, but well worth the money. Since discovering the magazine several years ago, I have been amazed at the diversity in the cover features alone: The Beatles, ABBA, Frank Zappa, Kate Bush, The White Stripes, Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Madonna... there is something for everybody's taste, and plenty for people with a wide range of musical taste.

Cover features inside, I am always amazed at the space they give to performers and/or bands that have a small cult following. I especially enjoyed the piece they did on The Incredible String Band several years back. As they usually do when covering a group's history, the Mojo writers do not shy away from the friction and low points involved in the band's career. No tabloid trash-talking or finger pointing, just good solid journalism; showing the strengths that makes an icon's popularity endure, and the bumps in the road that ended the ride.

The reviews of CDs are plenty, and I often find myself discovering something new to add to my collection. You'll find reviews of pop, punk, folk, blues, country, classic rock, you name it! I also find the reviewers to be a lot more open minded when reviewing albums, which is a welcome holiday from the plethora of snobbish music critics who go out of their way to trash good efforts.

Mojo, in my humble opinion, is top of the music mags. If you are an over all pop-culture fan like I am, and are always on the lookout for something new to add to your collection, then Mojo Magazine should be a key resource in your database!

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Hands down, Mojo is the most well-written, informed magazine concerning popular (not pop) music published today; covering rock & roll, rhythm & blues, country...I'm talking the vintage stuff. A fat wealth of information without the pandering BS and hype contained in nearly ALL comparable U.S. publications. Reviews are well-informed and referenced, interviews and articles are well-researched and do not insult the intelligence of either the reader or the subject. Ever wanna' know what went on in the studio with Alex Chilton and The Replacements? Did Johnny Cash really set a mountain on fire? Mojo usually does a couple of massive feature articles on popular and/or influential bands of the past,plus short interviews with personalities (ever wonder what Tony Blair listens to when he gets up in the morning?), a few hundred record and concert reviews, new releases, UK club dates. Makes Rolling Stone and SPIN look like the TeenBeat rags they truly are. Well worth the price. The only thing the US produces that comes close is MAGNET.

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Actually, it deserves 4.5 stars. This is a Brit magazine that offers great articles that cover classic bands' tales as much as keeping you tuned in to the latest waves of musicians, from Americana to Blues to Brit Pop. There's at least one excellent, long article per issue which will tell you more about bands you thought you knew about than any magazine published in USA (check old issues for Dylan's or Pink Floyd's, for instance).

If you are old enough to remember Rolling Stone when it concerned itself with musicians and other artists creating new boundaries for popular art, rather than catering the current, pathetic BritneySpear-NightmareMachine ... you would enjoy Mojo. Tip: you can get any single issue at B&N, Borders or Tower Records for the same amount, that way if you don't like it you won't have to mourn 100 bucks.

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If you are one whose definition of rock music is fairly elastic and whose taste in rock music is eclectic, then I recommend Mojo Magazine to you. I haven't read all magazines relating to music of course, but of those I have, Mojo does the best job covering the music scene today. Its approach is fresh and its appeal wide.

Unlike some of the other music mags around, it is one that the whole family can read and probably find something musically meaningful to each. Its writers, whose taste in music is broad, approach music without allowing personal prejudices to color their articles. They can find as much merit in a new Nick Cave CD as they do in a new Bert Bacharach effort, if the music is worthwhile and they do it without gushing. A recent issue highlighted Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, and Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols each of which certainly appeal to different audiences.

The thing I like best about Mojo is that each issue comes with a CD featuring various artists doing whatever type of music that is the focus of the month's lead article. The CD really adds value and has me anticipating the next one. I never thought I'd like the Sex Pistols, but when I heard the feature CD of songs that influenced them, I understood their music a lot better.

You might get a better deal on the magazine than is offered here if you go to the bookstore, find the magazine, and look for an insert bearing a special offer. That's what I did. Whatever way you decide to try the magazine is up to you, but I'd be surprised if you didn't find it informative, enjoyable, and money well spent.

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