A highly unflattering Rolling Stone article about Queen‘s South American tour in 1981 — excerpt here — prompted the following scathing letter; originally written in a fit of rage by the band’s drummer, Roger Taylor, on an airline sickness bag. Unfortunately I’m unable to locate a picture of said sick-bag, so this image of the letter as reprinted in Rolling Stone the next month will have to do.

Enjoy.

Transcript follows. Image courtesy of Queen Collector. Many thanks to Elle Schneider for the tip.

Transcript

Queen on ‘Rolling Stone’ Stunned, shocked, amazed and asleep upon perusal of your “in-depth” story of Queen in South America (“Queen Holds Court in South America,” RS 345). I am a member of said group and extremely fucking proud of its music (not all) and its achievements. I don’t even write to my mother, since the written word seems worth less in this day of the telephone and publications such as yours and the National Enquirer. Your peculiar 1970-time-warp attitude, coupled with an innate, congenital miscomprehension of rock & roll, continues to fascinate and annoy. Thank you, oh thank you, for the pseudopolitical slant and personal dishonesty that you continue to peddle in your outdated, opinionated, down-home rag. Thanks also for the finely tuned musical assessment of my group from our sound check! Grow up. You invented the bitterness. I pity you. You suck. You are boring and you try to infect us. Awaiting your charming review of my current album in about eight months! ROGER TAYLOR

London, England This letter was written on an airline motion-sickness bag.—Ed.