Various (Somma, Robert (Editor); Dylan, Bob; Grateful Dead; Mitchell, Joni; Steiner, Bob et al.)

Fusion No. 58 (June 25, 1971)

Boston, MA: Fusion, 1971. First Printing. Folded Sheets. The June 25, 1971 issue of the American music magazine, Fusion, edited by Robert Somma and published in Boston, MA from 1967-1964. Along with Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy!, Fusion is considered to be part of the wave of music magazines that “recognized and critiqued the increasing sophistication of pop music from the mid-1960s onward,” as author Gary Burns notes in his 2009 essay, “Beatles News: Product Line Extensions and the Rock Canon.” This issue, however, focuses on Bob Dylan (as its front cover intimates), and features a very intriguing article by one Bob Steiner titled, “Bob Dyan: a Few Years Older Than Israel (the State, That Is),” — and the latter half of that title [for those that don’t know] is a reference to Izzy Young (1928-2019) of the Folklore Center. Additionally, there are features on Joni Mitchell (b. 1943), the Grateful Dead, and numerous others. For a full list of contributors and contents, see the photographs attached to this listing. From the collection of Richard Cupidi (b. 1945), our esteemed mate in the UK who managed the fabled Unicorn Bookshop in Brighton, England with Bill Butler (1934-1977, the famed American-expatriate bookseller & publisher). From the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Unicorn proffered & published many outstanding productions by William S.Burroughs, J.G. Ballard et al., some of which have become the scarcest, all-but-unobtainable Beat-&-Beyond collectibles (see for example our item no.s 8217, 8366). After prevailing against censorious harassment efforts, Unicorn closed & Butler died in short order. Cupidi went on to found the Public House Bookshop in Brighton, which had a long & successful run but is also now closed, & he still resides there. We have been honored to obtain what Cupidi has termed "The Last Hurrah," all the remaining treasures of Unicorn & Public House, including this gem. Music magazine in folded, single sheets: the First-&-likely only Printing of this relic of the early Seventies. In Very Good-Near Fine condition with mild-to-moderate shelf-wear, significant age-toning, some light rubbing, bumping, and a modest apportionment of related, low-visibility exhibits of bump-creasing present at/along fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & leaves; otherwise, generally clean. Very Good-Near Fine. [Item #8822]

Price: $50.00