Category Archives: Rock
THE LA’S-THE LA’S.
THE LA’S-THE LA’S. Usually, after signing their first record deal, bands are desperate to record their debut album and see if for sale in record shops. For them, it’s a sign that they “made it,” that they’ve “arrived.” Sometimes, this works against a band, as the initial recordings are hurried, and their debut album isn’t …
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS.
PREFAB SPROUT-FROM LANGLEY PARK TO MEMPHIS. In the past, I’ve been lucky enough to see many bands and artists in concert. Some of these concerts have been brilliant, others woeful. The band that this article is about, fall into the first category. When I saw them live, they were amazing, putting on a performance full …
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE.
DR JOHN-ANUTHA ZONE. The artist I’m going to write about today is one of the greatest live acts I have ever been privileged to witness. Twice I have been lucky enough to witness him live in concert, each time he was brilliant, producing a masterful performance. One of the concerts I was at, was when …
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS.
BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS-EXODUS. Although I love all types of music, one type of music I have always loved is reggae music. Ever since I was young I have reggae. Mostly it’s dub reggae I like, but I like all types of reggae. One artist who has always been a favorite of mine, is …
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST.
THE BLUE NILE-PEACE AT LAST. The group this article is about, have only released four albums since forming in 1981. They have a reputation for working slowly, and the album this article is about was released seven years after their previous album. This album saw the group change their style. Previously it was based upon …
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE.
NEW ORDER-TECHNIQUE. The story of the making of the album this article is about, is one of excess, hedonism, eleven crashed hire cars and four memorable months spent in Ibiza. Regardless of the carnage that took place when this album was being recorded, it was all worth while, because when the album was finished, it …
CHRIS REA-WATER SIGN.
CHRIS REA-WATER SIGN. The album that this article is about was almost never released. So little interest did the record company have in the artist, that they never gave him any money to record the album professionally. Instead, he recorded that album himself, with little in the way of overdubbing. To save money, he used …
TEENAGE FANCLUB-SONGS FROM NORTHERN BRITAIN.
TEENAGE FANCLUB-SONGS FROM NORTHERN BRITAIN. The band I am going to write about in this article have an unusual feature. There are three songwriters in the band, and each songwriter sings their own song. This band is a democracy, and each songwriter is given the same amount of playing time for their songs. These songwriters …
RICHARD HAWLEY-COLE’S CORNER.
RICHARD HAWLEY-COLE’S CORNER. In life there are two types of people, those who follow others blindly, and others who go their own way, and do their own thing. The same can also be said with the music industry. One of those people who fall into the latter category, is Richard Hawley, who this article is …
LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS-RATTLESNAKES.
LLOYD COLE AND THE COMMOTIONS-RATTLESNAKES. There are two reasons I have decided to write this article. Firstly, it takes me back to a time long ago, when I was much younger, I was a student, a time I thoroughly enjoyed in life, and this was one of the albums that was part of the soundtrack …
PRIMAL SCEAM-ECHO DEK.
PRIMAL SCREAM-ECHO DEK. Recently I was talking to a friend about our favorite albums, and we were going through some of the albums we liked. Having spoken about some of the more obvious choices, we went on to chat about the more obscure albums we each liked. It was then that I mentioned the album …
BLOOMSDAY-FORTUNY.
BLOOMSDAY-FORTUNY. The group I am going to write about in this article, were a short lived project, between members of two of Scotland’s finest bands. Bloomsday were formed by Chris Thomson of The Bathers and two former members of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Stephen Irvine and Neil Clark. The story of how Bloomsday is …
SHUGGIE OTIS-INSPIRATION INFORMATION.
SHUGGIE OTIS-INSPIRATION INFORMATION. Today I am going to write about an artist and album that many people will not have heard of. To me that is a tragedy, because this artist is one of the most talented musicians you will here, and the album is a minor classic. The artist is Shuggie Otis, and the …
NEW ORDER-POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES.
NEW ORDER-POWER, CORRUPTION AND LIES. In this article I will write about one of the most influential bands of the last thirty years. This band was formed after a tragedy, and went on to change their sound several times. They were innovators, not followers, always ahead of the trend, pushing musical boundaries, and embraced the …
VAN MORRISON-BACK ON TOP.
VAN MORRISON-BACK ON TOP. Recently, I have been listening to a wide variety of music, with a view to writing articles for this blog. It was when I was sitting looking through a huge pile of albums, that I re-discovered the album I am going to write about. This album is Van Morrison’s album Back …
HAPPY MONDAYS-PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES.
HAPPY MONDAYS-PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES. In a previous article, I wrote an article Primal Scream’s classic album Screamadelica, which was one of the greatest albums of 1990’s. Screamadelica was a snapshot of a new movement of music which was a fusion of rock music and dance music. A year prior to the release of …
JENNIFER WARNES-FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
JENNIFER WARNES-FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT. A few days ago, I put my Ipod on shuffle, and as sometimes happens, after a few tracks, it played a fantastic track. That track was Famous Blue Raincoat, the title track from Jennifer Warnes’ 1987 album Famous Blue Raincoat. I had not listened to this album for a few months, …
JOHN MARTYN-THE APPRENTICE.
JOHN MARTYN-THE APPRENTICE. In this article, I am going to write about an artist who has long been a favorite of mine. This artist recorded twenty studio albums in their lifetime between 1967 and their death in 2009. They were an artist whose music crossed the musical genres, and encompassed folk, blues, jazz and rock. …
KRAFTWERK-AUTOBAHN.
KRAFTWERK-AUTOBAHN. In this article, I will write about a group that many people may have heard about, yet will have never have heard any of their music. That band is Krafwerk and the album is Autobahn. Kraftwerk and their music are often misunderstood. Often this is because people have not taken the time to find …
LOVE AND MONEY-STRANGE KIND OF LOVE.
LOVE AND MONEY-STRANGE KIND OF LOVE. The band that I am going to write about, Love and Money, are one of Scotland’s finest bands of the past thirty years. In an eight year recording career from 1986-1994, Love and Money recorded just four albums, All You Need Is Love in Money in 1986, Strange Kind …
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