Category: Rock Music
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Recalled And Censored: The Story of The MC5’s Kick Out The Jams
The Grande Ballroom in Detroit. The home of the MC5. In front of a rabid sell-out crowd lead singer Rob Tyner is bringing the show to a close when from the wings a man leaps onstage and shoots Tyner at close range. Blood everywhere. Pandemonium. Tyner collapses and is dragged offstage. Both the singer and,…
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The Story of The Kinks’ “Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround”
The Kinks’ “Lola versus Powermen and The Moneygoround, Part One” was their eighth and least-snappily-titled album, released fifty years ago, in 1970. It is best known for the hit single “Lola”, a now much-loved song Ray Davies famously had to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to re-record after the BBC refused to play it. This…
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The Story of Tom Petty and His Greatest Album
Just how did a boy from hillbilly country meet Elvis, Brian Wilson and George Harrison before even releasing a record? The story of Tom Petty is one that defies all the odds… It’s 1978. Bruce Springsteen, seeing a kindred spirit, has called the latest guy to be called the future of rock n roll, Tom…
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The Moment Adam Clayton’s Wedding Tackle Became The Cover Star of U2’s Achtung Baby
In which we discover why a naked picture of Adam Clayton nearly became the cover art of U2’s Achtung Baby…
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The Origins of Elton John: From The Archives of Jackie Magazine
In which we discover how Bernie Taupin’s mum brought Reg and Bernie together by cleaning her front room, how the cost of storing vinyl in Chelsea is ruinously expensive, why Elton has only the second-worst real life name of any pop star, and why you shouldn’t kick a piano stool at work.
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Pink Floyd’s Pulse Reissued: How Not To Break The Bank
You have to feel a little sorry for Pink Floyd fans. Not too much, obviously. They are more likely than you are to have a final salary pension, a second home, a car that starts on a cold day, a membership to a gym they never visit and all the other trappings of the baby…
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Sliding Doors: The Origin of Roxy Music
Brian Eno was waiting for the tube at Maida Vale. A train stopped, leaving Brian equidistant between two carriages. He didn’t know it, but his destiny awaited. Enter one carriage, and he would become a pop star, an innovator of ambient recording, and eventually collaborate on some of David Bowie’s most remarkable albums, using a…
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Why Neil Young Once Tried to Drive To Belgium, and How He Nearly Killed Dylan…
The final article (of three) on Neil Young’s Ditch Trilogy… Tonight’s The Night was due to be released in January 1974, but Neil Young continued to work on mixing the rough recordings, and by May 1974 he was playing a solo show at The Bottom Line in New York with a set of new songs,…
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Neil Young and The Ditch Trilogy: Time Fades Away and Tonight’s the Night
This is the Second of three parts of a trilogy of articles about the Ditch Trilogy that I originally wrote for the liner notes to my Neil Young DIY Box Set… Worst follow up albums? There are quite a few acts that have followed up a huge, successful, life changing hit album with an an…
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Neil Young and his Original Special One: Danny Whitten
(In anticipation of Neil Young’s show at The O2 Arena on Saturday, I thought I would share a slightly altered version of the liner notes I wrote for the Neil Young DIY Box Set earlier in the year, which has previously only been read by the buyer of that box set. Here’s the first of…
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Wilko Johnson Cheerfully Discusses Death, Depression, Cancer….and Canvey Island
Wilko Johnson was at Rough Trade East last night in conversation with author Zoë Howe to discuss his new book “Don’t You Leave Me Here”. The former Dr Feelgood guitarist has written about his extraordinary life: chart topping success, the argument that led to the break up of the band, his time with Ian Dury…
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The Neil Young Deluxe Vinyl Box Set Project Part 5: More Records
The Project: Is it possible to make a “Deluxe” Vinyl Box Set of Neil Young albums from the original vinyl rather than spending lots of money on re-issues? I am trying to find out… The Story So Far: I have Zuma and Time Fades Away, but need two more albums to replicate the official…
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The Neil Young Deluxe Vinyl Box Set Project: Part 4
IV: The “Deluxe” Extras The Project: Is it possible to make a “Deluxe” Vinyl Box Set of Neil Young albums from the original vinyl rather than spending lots of money on re-issues? The Story So Far: We have the box, but no records. Confused? Click these links for Part one, part two, and part…
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The Neil Young Deluxe Vinyl Box Set Project: Putting The “Box” Into “Box Set”
The Project: To bring luxury to the masses. The plan is to make a Luxury Neil Young Box Set: DIY Edition from second hand albums and bits of string and sell it to the public. The Story So Far: A visit to local record shops has been entirely fruitless. Click here for part one…
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The Neil Young Deluxe Vinyl Box Set Project: Part 2: the records
The Project: Is it possible to make your own Deluxe Vinyl Box Set of Neil Young Records? The first part of this short series is here… The most important part of any box set, aside from the fake gimmicky memorabilia padding it out, is the music. It was therefore important to find really good…
Every record tells a story 