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Record Collector

Record Collector

Launched in 1980, Record Collector is a monthly magazine published in the UK, which provided detailed retrospective features, full discographies and in depth interviews of important rock music artists.

329 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Butthole Surfers: The Butthole Surfers

Guide by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, February 1989

Mark Paytress Unravels the Career of the Cult American Band ...

Melanie

Retrospective and Interview by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, August 1989

MANY OF THE ACTS at Woodstock were already well established names, but if anyone can claim to have been broken by the festival, it must ...

Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett: Syd Barrett

Retrospective by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, 1993

IN COMMON with Brian Wilson, Captain Beefheart and Phil Spector, Syd Barrett is a musician whose work is often overshadowed by the myths that surround ...

John Mayall, Peter Green: Peter Green's Blues

Retrospective by Harry Shapiro, Record Collector, July 1993

THERE ARE many guitarists who produce a sharp intake of breath from their peers and fans, in admiration of their complex technique, speed or innovation. ...

Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green: Peter Green: The End Of The Game

Retrospective by Harry Shapiro, Record Collector, August 1993

PETER GREEN'S decision in June 1967 to quit his role as lead guitarist with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers brought one era of British blues to an ...

Kirsty MacColl

Profile and Interview by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, March 1994

KIRSTY MACCOLL first came to prominence as a solo artist during the early 80s, scoring Top 20 hits with 'There's a Guy Works Down The ...

Fairport Convention: Dave Pegg: An Interview

Profile and Interview by Alan Clayson, Record Collector, 1997

Alan Clayson reels in the years of the multi-faceted mainstay of Fairport Convention. ...

David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust: The Album That Killed The Sixties

Retrospective by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, June 1998

Bowie's Ziggy Stardust redefined the meaning of rock artistry. ...

Del Amitri: The Del Amitri Story

Retrospective and Interview by Ian Fortnam, Record Collector, October 1998

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN something of a thankless task, being a member of Del Amitri. Put bluntly, in spite of launching their prestigious career from the ...

The Creatures, Siouxsie & The Banshees: The Creatures

Interview by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, August 1999

SIOUXSIE AND THE Banshees have carried the can for all manner of goth-related crimes, from walking-corpse fashions to minor chord musical misanthropy. It's a wonder ...

The Who: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Chris Charlesworth, Record Collector, December 1999

THE END of the millennium brought a welcome rush of unexpected activity from The Who, most of it inspired by the group's charitable leanings. ...

Duane Eddy, Lee Hazlewood, Nancy Sinatra: The Very Special World of Lee Hazlewood

Interview by Kieron Tyler, Record Collector, February 2000

He sings, produces, writes and arranges, and had no. 1 hits with Nancy Sinatra. Kieron Tyler meets the legendary genre-straddling icon. ...

Chelsea

Retrospective and Interview by Kieron Tyler, Record Collector, March 2000

KIERON TYLER UNCOVERS THE STORY OF A PUNK BAND AT THE HEART OF THE KING'S ROAD EXPLOSION ...

Sonny Bono: Inner Views

Review by Kieron Tyler, Record Collector, March 2000

IN AUTUMN 1999, Rhino launched Rhino Handmade, a new label dedicated to issuing CDs via the internet (www. rhinohandmade,com). All Rhino Handmade CDs are limited, ...

Buzzcocks, Howard Devoto: Howard Devoto talks about Punk's Year Zero

Retrospective and Interview by Kieron Tyler, Record Collector, May 2000

"I'M TIRED OF noise and short of breath. I'm sick of having to address people out of breath and under my breath." That was how ...

The Sex Pistols: Sex Pistols: The Filth, The Fury, The Fun!

Report and Interview by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, May 2000

Director Julien Temple discusses the new Pistols film with Mark Paytress. ...

Smog

Profile and Interview by David Hemingway, Record Collector, July 2000

DESPITE WIELDING an acoustic guitar and piano, Bill Callahan of unrivalled miserabilists Smog happens to be one of America's most relevant music makers. With last ...

Sonic Youth: NYC Ghosts & Flowers (Geffen)/Screaming Fields Of Sonic Love (Blast First)

Review by Mark Paytress, Record Collector, August 2000

HAVEN'T WE heard enough Sonic Youth records? On the evidence of the band's latest, NYC Ghosts & Flowers, I'd fly in the face of other ...

Alan McGee: The Creation of Poptones

Report and Interview by David Hemingway, Record Collector, October 2000

Twelve months ago, as head of Creation Records, Alan McGee was working with the biggest band in the world. Now the star of his new ...

Horslips: Short Takes: Horslips

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, November 2000

They've come a long way from Tipperary, and now the original Celt rockers have finally regained control of their back catalogue. Lyricist Eamon Carr talks ...

Rick Astley: Lock, Stock and Waterman

Retrospective by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, December 2000

WARNING: this article contains extremely positive comments about "disposable" pop. ...

David Gray: David Gray Live

Review by Colin Harper, Record Collector, February 2001

DAVID GRAY BEGAN playing live around Ireland's small but discerning music pub circuit in 1993, shortly after the release of his debut album A Century ...

The Electric Eels, The Mirrors, The Styrenes: Electric City

Retrospective and Interview by Kieron Tyler, Record Collector, March 2001

The Cleveland punk scene exposed — starring the Electric Eels, the Styrenes and the Mirrors. ...

Ashley Hutchings

Report and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, August 2001

WITH EXPANDED REISSUES of classic albums by himself and his various bands – including Fairport Convention's Leige & Leif and his own Compleat Dancing Master ...

Elvis Presley: Elvis in Hollywood

Retrospective by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, August 2001

"I've had intellectuals tell me that I've got to progress as an actor, explore new horizons, take on new challenges, all that routine. I'd like ...

Jukebox Heroes: An Interview With Producer Paul Pierrot

Report and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, 2002

ON THE ONE HAND they welcomed all sorts of pop pioneers and future legends into the nation's living rooms… and then, on the other, they ...

Dexys Midnight Runners: Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood: Dexys Midnight Runners and Don’t Stand Me Down

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, 2002

In 1985 an album was released that sold little and contributed to the demise of one of the most venerated groups of the 80s. With ...

The Who: How The Who’s My Generation LP Finally Came Out On CD in the UK

Retrospective by Chris Charlesworth, Record Collector, 2002

STRANGE THOUGH it might seem, it took an ad on eBay offering the master tapes for sale to anyone with half a million dollars to ...

Julie Felix

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, 2002

"HOW CAN WE explain the phenomenon of Julie Felix?" mused Karl Dallas, Melody Maker's titan of folk, in a December 1965 concert review. "Clearly anyone ...

Quincy Jones: Q – The Musical Biography Of Quincy Jones (Rhino)

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, January 2002

QUINCY JONES HAS enjoyed a truly remarkable career, moving between the fields of jazz, blues, soundtracks, pop, soul, funk and rap. This celebratory collection encompasses ...

Piano Magic: Believe In Magic

Profile and Interview by David Hemingway, Record Collector, May 2002

A new Piano Magic retrospective from lo-fi experimentalists Piano Magic traces the grey area between Kraftwerk and the Durutti Column. David Hemingway tunes in. ...

David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And the Spiders From Mars: 30th Anniversary Edition

Review and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, July 2002

"I'm really just a Photostat machine. I pour out what has already been fed in. I merely reflect what is going on around me" – ...

John Peel: Peelin' In The Years

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, January 2003

Radio 1's venerated platter spinner John Peel has just released his first dance mix CD. Daryl Easlea polishes up the wheels of steel ...

AC/DC: High Voltage and other reissues

Review by Toby Manning, Record Collector, May 2003

"LET ME PUT my love into you babe", "given the dog a bone", "a full house", "sinking the pink", "she liked it done medium rare". ...

David Gilmour, Pink Floyd: David Gilmour: The Record Collector Interview

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, May 2003

ROCK HISTORIANS have a problem with David Gilmour because he is, well, so very balanced. Displaying little of the madness or angst of Pink Floyd's ...

Duran Duran: The Singles 81-85

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, May 2003

DURAN DURAN were, of course, the original band who wanted to combine the Sex Pistols with Chic. Taking their name from a character in the ...

Edwin Starr: Starr Quality

Obituary by Mike Atherton, Record Collector, June 2003

FEW SOUL FANS would expect one of their heroes to adopt the UK as his spiritual and literal home. Even fewer would expect such a ...

Davey Graham: Davy Graham: The Guitar Player

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, July 2003

LESS COMMERCIALLY successful than the Fairports, the Carthys and the Watersons of the British folk scene, Davy Graham remains something of a cult figure for ...

Johnny Clarke, Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Derrick Morgan, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Max Romeo: Working Like Trojans

Report and Interview by Mike Atherton, Record Collector, July 2003

Mike Atherton delves into the revitalised world of the renowned reggae label Trojan. ...

Barry White 1944-2003

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, August 2003

FEW ARTISTS CAPTURED the aspirational glamour of the 70s better than Barry White. ...

The Pastels: The Last Great Wilderness

Review by David Hemingway, Record Collector, September 2003

LIKE THE FAMOUS Indian carpet-makers who deliberately incorporate flaws into their work so as not to offend their deities by attempting to emulate their perfection, ...

David Sylvian: Brilliant Trees/Alchemy/Gone To Earth/Secret Of The Beehive (Virgin)

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, October 2003

IN 1989, VIRGIN released Weatherbox, one of the most coveted box sets ever. It underlined the first phase of David Sylvian's solo career; indeed, it ...

Dexys Midnight Runners: Dexy's Midnight Runners: Let's Make This Precious – The Very Best Of

Review and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, October 2003

KEVIN ROWLAND'S vision remains one of the most unique and soul-bearing of any pop star, ever. Building on the templates of the extended raps of ...

Kraftwerk: Tour de Force

Retrospective by David Hemingway, Record Collector, October 2003

Kraftwerk regularly appear in lists of the most influential artists of all time. David Hemingway takes the digital pulse to find out exactly why. ...

The Beatles: Let It Be...Naked

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, November 2003

IN THE permanently recycled world of Fabs folklore, Let It Be is always viewed as a missed opportunity. Planned to be a back-to-basics album and ...

Talking Heads: Once In A Lifetime

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, December 2003

TWENTY YEARS ago this month, the popular image of Talking Heads was crystallised. Filming at the Pantages Theatre, L.A., for what was to become Stop ...

Sparks: What A Difference The Days Made: Sparks Look Back

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, Summer 2003

FOR OVER 30 YEARS, Sparks have always been a glorious musical anachronism. To think that their genesis is on the American West Coast at the ...

Duffy Power: People Power: The Remarkable Retrieval of the Duffy Power BBC Sessions

Retrospective by Colin Harper, Record Collector, 2004

Author's Note: the longed-for compilation of Duffy's Parlophone singles mentioned at the end of this piece did indeed (shortly after) come to pass, in the ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry: The RC INTERVIEW: Lee "Scratch" Perry

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, 2004

LET NO ONE tell you otherwise. An hour with reggae maverick Lee "Scratch" Perry is a wondrous thing. His "madness", however stage-managed, is there, almost ...

Wizz Jones

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, 2004

"HARD TIMES IN NEWQUAY, If You've Got Long Hair" was the endearingly absurd refrain performed by that Zelig of British acoustic music, Raymond "Wizz" Jones, ...

Aim, Rae & Christian: Grand Central: Label of Love

Profile by David Hemingway, Record Collector, February 2004

THE UK'S PREMIER soul label, Grand Central, has released music by a hip-hop artiste who cites the Smiths as his greatest influence, a future-funk musician ...

Jethro Tull: Bursting Out/Stormwatch/A (EMI)

Review by Colin Harper, Record Collector, March 2004

Yet more remasters from 1978-80 ...

Various Artists: A Mighty Wind

Review by Ken Hunt, Record Collector, March 2004

THE QUANTITY OF hot air expended in the wake of A Mighty Wind, Christopher Guest's spoof of the US folk scare and its fall-out, has ...

Howard Tate: Fate?

Profile and Interview by Gavin Martin, Record Collector, June 2004

HOWARD TATE is sitting opposite me sipping black coffee in the bar of a West End Hotel and I can hardly believe it. Until recently ...

Julian Cope, XTC: The Old Boy Network

Report by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, June 2004

GETTING DITCHED by a major label is not always the end of the line for the big stars of yesteryear, as Terry Staunton reports ...

Jackie Lomax: Is This What You Want?

Review and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, July 2004

LIVERPOOL singer-songwriter Lomax never enjoyed the widespread acclaim of his Apple contemporaries (Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, and, eventually, James Taylor), but the wealth of big names ...

Badfinger: Magic Christian Music/No Dice/Straight Up

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2004

TAKING THEIR NAME from the working title for 'With A Little Help From My Friends', it's ironic that Badfinger's famous pals could also be a ...

Carly Simon: Reflections – Carly Simon's Greatest Hits

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2004

THIS IS THE fifth Carly compilation in less than ten years (and, yes, one was imaginatively entitled Nobody Does It Better), during which time she ...

Cat Stevens: Majikat: Earth Tour 1976

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2004

FELINE FOLKIE caught live in his prime ...

Gram Parsons: Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels (Rhino)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2004

WITH A BODY OF WORK scattered over a wide selection of labels, Parsons fans had until now been faced with a musical Easter egg hunt ...

Elvis Costello: Almost Blue/Goodbye Cruel World/Kojak Variety

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2004

AS THE AMBITIOUS Costello reissue programme heads towards completion, the contents of the bonus discs take on a greater significance, bolstering releases that may struggle ...

George Thorogood & the Destroyers: Raiders of the Lost Axe

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2004

Bluesman George Thorogood is celebrating 30 years of 12-bar brilliance with a new Best Of… and a global tour. He talks to Terry Staunton. ...

U2: Another Time: The inside story of U2's very first record

Retrospective and Interview by Chas de Whalley, Record Collector, 1 September 2004

I FIRST MET U2's manager Paul McGuiness sometime in February 1979. He was on a trip to London doing the rounds of the record companies ...

Elvis Costello: Complicated Shadows: The Life And Music Of Elvis Costello by Graeme Thomson

Book Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2004

Only the man himself could have done better ...

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2004

AFTER THE TEPID reception for last year's Nocturama, Cave and the Bad Seeds could have been forgiven for taking time out to lick their wounds. ...

The Clash: London Calling 25th Anniversary

Retrospective by Ben Myers, Record Collector, October 2004

BY EARLY 1979, to the outside world The Clash were coasting. In their three short years of existence they had signed to Sony for a ...

Dwight Yoakam, Randy Travis: Dwight Yoakam: The Very Best Of; Randy Travis: The Very Best Of

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2004

ROUTE 88 WAS an ambitious cross-label campaign to establish several country stars in the UK, with Yoakam and Travis seen by many as the twin ...

Jim Croce: The Way We Used To Be (Sanctuary)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2004

KILLED IN A PLANE crash in 1973, just weeks after his first US Number One single, Jim Croce was a master of tender beauty and ...

Millie Jackson: An Interview

Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, November 2004

Lois Wilson meets the queen of X-rated soul ...

The Kinks, Ray Davies: Ray Davies: Return To Waterloo/Come Dancing With The Kinks

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2004

Double bill of Ray Davies' '80s video output ...

Warren Zevon: Various Artists: Enjoy Every Sandwich - The Songs Of Warren Zevon

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2004

LONG BEFORE his death last year from inoperable lung cancer, Warren Zevon knew his time was almost up. Undeterred, he carried on making records bulging ...

Anne McCue: Roll

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

ALREADY FAMILIAR to fans of Lucinda Williams after a lengthy stint as an opening act, Australian-born McCue has effortlessly mastered the bluesy drawl of her ...

Elton John: Peachtree Road

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

IT HAS BECOME an irritatingly common marketing ploy for any new release by a music veteran to be declared a "return to form". If we ...

Gwen McCrae: I'm Not Worried

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

ALTHOUGH OFTEN in the shadow of former hubby George, Gwen McCrae is still a much revered name in deep soul circles almost 30 years after ...

Ian Dury: New Boots And Panties/The Bus Driver's Prayer And Other Stories

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

Welcome double disc reissues for a solid gold masterpiece and a forgotten nugget ...

John Mellencamp: Words & Music

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

HEARTLAND ROCKERS have been ten-a-penny over the last 20 or 30 years. For every eloquent and poetic Springsteen there is a subs' bench straining under ...

Lloyd Cole & the Commotions: Rattlesnakes (Deluxe Edition)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

DISMISSED IN some quarters as a chubby Elvis lookalike with a library card, Lloyd Cole was nonetheless an integral part of any student dorm soundtrack. ...

Gene Vincent: Primitive Texas Rockabilly & Honky Tonk: Gene Vincent Cut Our Songs

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

Not quite the Crossroads Robert Johnson had in mind… ...

The Ramones: Ramones: We're Outta Here!

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

RAMONES GIGS were always exciting rather than accomplished affairs, and if this disc featured only their shambolic 1996 Los Angeles swansong there would be little ...

Sandie Shaw: Nothing Comes Easy (EMI)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

AS STAGE GIMMICKS go, not wearing shoes is a pretty lame one, but it's what the tabloids of the '60s would inevitably focus on when ...

The Staple Singers: A Family Affair 1955 - 1984

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2004

The greatest gospel group of all time? Lordy, yes! ...

Brenda Fassie: Greatest Hits

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, 2005

A potted history of one of Africa's biggest pop stars ...

Don't Give Up The Day Job

Guide by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2005

THEY LIGHT UP the screen with their dramatic talent, but for many fine thespians that's just not enough. Some of them have a few songs ...

The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: Live Licks

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2005

THEIR SEVENTH concert record, if you’re counting ...

808 State: Interview with Graham Massey

Interview by David Hemingway, Record Collector, February 2005

THE APHEX TWIN'S Rephlex imprint is to release a duo of 'acid house' remixes of New Order tracks on 13 September. 'Blue Monday (So Hot ...

Al Kooper: Al’s Big Deal/Unclaimed Freight

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, February 2005

Unsung hero's anthology of solo work and collaborations ...

Bon Jovi: 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, February 2005

Ooh, they can be, you know ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Neil Innes: Neil Innes: Taking Off/The Innes Book Of Records

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2005

A TV SHOW like The Innes Book Of Records would struggle for a terrestrial timeslot these days, but back in the late '70s former Bonzo ...

Noel Harrison: Life Is A Dream

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2005

THE TERRIBLY BRITISH tonsils of Noel Harrison found a receptive audience in the laid-back California of the '60s, already in the throes of a love ...

Ray Charles: O-Genio: Live In Brazil 1963

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2005

AFTER LAST YEAR'S duets album became the best-selling release of his career, coupled with the Oscar buzz surrounding the new biopic, it was inevitable that ...

The Velvelettes: Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Retrospective and Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, March 2005

Lois Wilson salutes the Velvelettes, a great but neglected Motown act who are finally getting their due. ...

Fairport Convention: Chronicles

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2005

FAIRPORT'S ANNUAL reunion festival at Cropredy in Oxfordshire celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, long since established as one of the primo dates on the ...

Free: Chronicles

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2005

CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING the almost impossible task of filling Freddie Mercury's shoes in a new-look Queen, it's hard to imagine Paul Rodgers landing any further from ...

Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, June 2005

FILM DIRECTOR Paul Thomas Anderson used Aimee Mann's music as the starting point and inspiration for his Oscar-nominated Magnolia, about the intertwining, desperate lives of ...

The 101'ers: The 101ers: The Key to Joe's Art

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, June 2005

Punk pioneers the 101ers gave us Joe Strummer's earliest recordings. The band's drummer Richard Dudanski reminisces with Terry Staunton. ...

The Beatles: The Longest Cocktail Party: An Insider's Diary Of The Beatles

Book Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, July 2005

The madness and mayhem of the Apple empire ...

Thievery Corporation: Gentlemen Robbers: Thievery Corporation

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, July 2005

FOUNDED IN 1995, Washington-based dance duo Thievery Corporation is in that select band of acts, that even though they remain elusive to the great majority, ...

Walter Gibbons: Salsoul Records: The Best Disco Label In The World... Ever

Retrospective and Interview by Bill Brewster, Record Collector, July 2005

We present a 30th birthday tribute to Salsoul, the label that changed club culture forever. Bill Brewster talks to the movers and shakers and celebrates ...

Bob Dylan: Sam Shepard: The Rolling Thunder Logbook

Book Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, July 2005

30th anniversary reprint for a bizarre chronicle of the infamous Dylan tour. ...

Walter Gibbons

Retrospective by Bill Brewster, Record Collector, July 2005

WALTER GIBBONS loved drums. As a young DJ, the beat-heavy records he played defined his sound and as a remixer he had the knack of ...

The Boo Radleys: Boo Radleys: Find The Way Out

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2005

THE ONLY CREATION act other than Oasis to have a Number One album, the Boos were arguably the label's most eclectic signing. This 35-track anthology ...

Graham Parker & The Rumour: "It's R&B from the future – you just haven't caught up with me yet"

Retrospective and Interview by Hugh Fielder, Record Collector, August 2005

AS GRAHAM PARKER & the Rumour trooped off stage after what turned out to be their last show together at the German Rock TV show ...

The Beach Boys: Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2005

Surf's up, mm-mm, mm-mm ...

Cowboy Junkies: Early 21st Century Blues

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2005

Conchie dispatches from the folk frontline ...

From The Velvets To The Voidoids: Clinton Heylin's The Birth Of American Punk Rock

Book Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2005

Updated reprint of a highly regarded new wave dossier ...

Luther Vandross

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, September 2005

THERE WAS SOMETHING special about Luther Vandross (who died 1st July). Free of the brashness of the other male soul performers of the 80s; here ...

Big Star: In Space

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

WITNESSES TO BIG STAR'S comeback shows in 1993 would often find themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with sundry teary-eyed power poppers whose own bands owed a huge debt ...

BMX Bandits: Serious Drugs: The Creation Anthology (Castle)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

SHOULD THE RENOWNED journalist and music archivist Pete Frame ever attempt one of his celebrated Rock Family Trees for the BMX Bandits, he may need ...

Elvis Presley: He Touched Me – The Gospel Music Of Elvis Presley

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

THE ONLY Grammys Presley won in his lifetime were for gospel records, and for a long spell in the '60s his songs of praise were ...

Jackie Lomax: Home Is In My Head/Three (Rhino/Warners)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

FEELING UNDERVALUED and forgotten in the shadow of the Fab Four, two Apple signings jumped ship at the start of the '70s to join Warner ...

Echo & The Bunnymen: Ocean Refrain: Echo and the Bunnymen

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

To mark the release of the first Echo & the Bunnymen album in four years, Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant recall the triumphs and pitfalls ...

Supergrass: Road To Rouen

Review and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

ANOTHER HIGH quality crop. ...

The Turtles: Happy Together: The Very Best Of (Shout Factory)

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2005

SPURRED INTO ACTION by Beatlemania and making their chart debut with a Bob Dylan cover, there initially wasn't a huge world of difference between The ...

Elvis Costello: The Right Spectacle

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2005

Anthology of 27 videos for hits, near misses and ones that got way. ...

The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2005

EIGHT YEARS ON from Bridges To Babylon, the longest ever gap between studio releases, one question begs to be asked: Does anybody really need a ...

Marvin Gaye: Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye

Book Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY of the Trouble Man ...

Dolly Parton: The Essential Dolly Parton

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

DON'T BE FOOLED by the high hair, long nails or curvy torso. Dolly Parton may appear, on the surface, to be a prairie poppet moulded ...

Jimmy Cliff: The Harder They Come: The Definitive Collection

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

The man who paved the way for Marley ...

Kiki Dee: Dee Liberation

Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, December 2005

Kiki Dee on working with Motown, Elton John and Boots The Chemist. ...

Neil Young: Prairie Wind

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

THE MOST POIGNANT moment on a masterly record full of insight and articulacy comes in the chorus of its opening song, 'The Painter'. It's just ...

Stevie Wonder: A Time To Love

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

Long overdue reminder of what the great man does best ...

The Gun Club: Mother Juno

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

THE PASSING OF Jeffrey Lee Pierce in 1996 after a brain haemorrhage robbed the music world of a true original. A wildman psychobilly blues howler ...

Kate Bush: The Kate Bush Collection: An Album By Album Guide

Guide by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

THE KICK INSIDE (1978, EMI EMC3223) Much was made at the time of the album's release of the fact that Bush was only 19, but let's ...

The Police: Synchronicity Concert

Film/DVD/TV Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2005

SUPERSTAR TRIO on swansong global jaunt. ...

Kim Weston: Go Weston

Retrospective and Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, January 2006

Lois Wilson celebrates the career of Motown diva Kim Weston ...

Al Stewart: A Reticent Recording Artist

Profile and Interview by Larry Jaffee, Record Collector, February 2006

AL STEWART’S four-decade career recently was capsulated by a 5-CD boxed set Just Yesterday from EMI. His first four UK albums on CBS never were ...

Ray Davies: Supper Club, NYC

Live Review by Larry Jaffee, Record Collector, February 2006

RAY DAVIES, the leader of the Kinks, is back in circulation after an extended layoff, due to getting shot in New Orleans while trying to ...

Linda Lewis: Turning Bitter Into Sweet

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2006

Disco diva, Northern Soul icon, hippie singer-songwriter, reluctant stage show brat. Linda Lewis has been all of these and more. Terry Staunton hears tales of ...

Paul Weller

Retrospective by Chas de Whalley, Record Collector, April 2006

As Paul Weller polishes his award for his Outstanding Contribution to British Music at this year's Brits, Chas de Whalley looks back at the days ...

The Waterboys: The Man In The Ironic Mask

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2006

Back with what's being heralded as their best album for two decades, the Waterboys have a busy year ahead. Mike Scott cracks a smile for ...

The Beatles, Paul McCartney: Geoff Emerick

Profile and Interview by Richie Unterberger, Record Collector, June 2006

BESIDES GEORGE Martin, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, Geoff Emerick worked on more Beatles sessions than any other individual. ...

20 Salsoul Classics

Discography by Bill Brewster, Record Collector, July 2006

RAFAEL CAMERON – 'BOOGIE'S GONNA GET YA' (INSTRUMENTAL) (SALSOUL 12-INCH/SG-362) £15 ...

The Dells: Stay In My Corner

Retrospective and Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, July 2006

From doo wop to R&B, from deep soul to Northern Soul, they are the most enduring story in vocal group history. Lois Wilson celebrates 50-plus ...

The Final Countdown: Top of the Pops

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2006

With the BBC pulling the plug on Top Of The Pops after 42 years, the stars share their memories. ...

The Police: Kings of Pain: The Police

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2006

More than 20 years after The Police split, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have broken lengthy silences about their time in the band.* ...

10cc: Perfect 10

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2006

10cc made smart pop for smart people, and surprised many (including themselves) when they crossed over to the mainstream. Terry Staunton spoke to Graham Gouldman ...

Stewart Copeland, The Police, Andy Summers: Kings of Pain: Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2006

More than 20 years after the Police split, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland have broken lengthy silences about their time in the band. Terry Staunton ...

The Artwoods: Art Wood: An interview

Interview by Alan Clayson, Record Collector, 2007

Alan Clayson summarises the late R&B vocalist's career and conducts the final interview with him. ...

David Bowie: Blue-and-green-eyed soul

Essay by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, January 2007

Young Americans is David Bowie's most underrated album, but its bold cross-cultural concept deserves reappraisal, says Daryl Easlea  ...

David Bowie: Loving the Alien

Interview by Steve Pafford, Record Collector, January 2007

As David Bowie turns 60 on 8 January, Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys talks about his lifelong obsession with the man who fell to ...

Wanda Jackson: Hard-Headed Woman

Profile and Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, February 2007

WANDA JACKSON was the original Riot Grrrl. In the late '50s, she shook, rattled and roared next to Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and boyfriend ...

The Associates, Billy Mackenzie: The Associates: Wild and lonely

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, April 2007

In January 1997, Billy Mackenzie, the most astonishing singer of his generation, was found dead. 10 years on, no one quite knows why the mercurial ...

Prefab Sprout: Absolutely Prefabulous: Steve McQueen Reissued

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, May 2007

PREFAB SPROUT'S shimmering masterpiece, Steve McQueen, began life in 1984 with the working title of June Parade. Led by writer, vocalist and guitarist Paddy McAloon, ...

Mike Scott, The Waterboys: Mike Scott: The Man In The Ironic Mask

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2007

Back with what's being heralded as their best album for two decades, the Waterboys have a busy year ahead. Mike Scott cracks a smile for ...

The Fall: Becks Induction Hour

Retrospective and Interview by John Doran, Record Collector, May 2007

After a career that has included 26 studio albums, 50 compilation albums, 50 singles and 40 line-up changes, you might think it was hard to ...

Muse: Supermassive: The Making Of Muse

Retrospective and Interview by Ben Myers, Record Collector, July 2007

This month's gigs at the new Wembley Stadium confirm Muse's status as Britain's biggest rock band. Ben Myers traces their rise from Devon schooldays to ...

Al Green: The Everlasting Great Soul Man

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2007

On the eve of his current UK tour, and with a new album due later this year, Al Green continues to spread the message of ...

Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowe: Nick Lowe: Nick of Time

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2007

With a long-overdue album in the shops, Nick Lowe explains his lengthy absence, touches on late fatherhood, bigs up his new songs, and attempts to ...

Elvis Costello: True Stories

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2007

Thirty years after the release of My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello is set to revisit his classic debut. Terry Staunton looks back at the ...

Ike Turner

Retrospective and Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, September 2007

FUNNY HOW things change. A little over a decade ago, Ike Turner was rock'n'roll's terminal pariah. Damned by 1993's What's Love Got To Do With ...

Judy Dyble, Fairport Convention: Judy Dyble

Retrospective and Interview by Richie Unterberger, Record Collector, September 2007

IMAGINE BEING the original woman singer in the most esteemed British folk-rock group of all – only to be replaced, after just one album, by ...

John Fahey: The Legend Of John Fahey & Blind Joe Death

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, October 2007

John Fahey was the maverick genius of the acoustic guitar, but that's only part of it. As another classic reissue appears, Kris Needs tries to ...

Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers, Dr. Feelgood, Kokomo: Pub Rock: We'll Drink To That!

Retrospective and Interview by Chas de Whalley, Record Collector, 19 October 2007

"Watch Out! First Time Ever! Non-Stop Real Music Coming Your Way At 1000 Smiles An Hour!" ...

Siouxsie & The Banshees: 20 Minutes To 20 Years: The Banshees' Tale

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, November 2007

As editor of legendary fanzine Zigzag, Kris Needs had a front row seat for the explosive rise of Siouxsie & the Banshees. ...

Billy Bragg: Patriot Games

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2008

As BILLY BRAGG blows out 50 candles on his birthday cake, TERRY STAUNTON sharpens his pencil for a musical history lesson ...

The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli: Talk Like a Man: Frankie Valli

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, April 2008

A FAILED AUDITION for a gig as a lounge singer at a low-rent bowling alley in Union, New Jersey, might be the sort of experience ...

The Beatles, James Taylor: James Taylor: Taylor Made

Profile and Interview by Paul Zollo, Record Collector, May 2008

TO GET TO his home, you drive down a winding country road in the heart of rural Massachusetts, under arches of ancient oaks and elms, ...

Whiskeytown: Strangers Almanac Deluxe edition

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, 8 May 2008

A FREQUENT ACCUSATION levelled at both Prince and Van Morrison is that they're too prolific, the sheer volume of their output leading to dips in ...

Bobby "Blue" Bland, Simply Red: Mick Hucknall: From Red To Blue

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, July 2008

As the multi-million-selling figurehead of Simply Red, Mick Hucknall found himself in a creative cul-de-sac. On his debut solo album, a tribute to his idol ...

The Fugs: Fug Life

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, July 2008

EARLY 1965: The Charlatans were about to galvanise California's acid rock revolution at the Red Dog Saloon, Jimi Hendrix was still playing R&B standards on ...

The Supremes: A Love Supreme

Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, July 2008

Mary Wilson Recalls The Highs And Lows Of The Most Successful Girl Group Of All Time. Interview By Lois "No Relation" Wilson ...

Underworld: Celebrating the Underbelly: Underworld

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, September 2008

UNDERWORLD HAVE been at the forefront of electronic music for the past 15 years. The partnership at the group's core, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, ...

Randy Newman: Harps For Harps' Sake

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, September 2008

The new record is in the shops, but RANDY NEWMAN admits he has no excuses for his "ridiculous" output of three albums in 20 years. ...

Todd Rundgren: Todd Almighty

Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, September 2008

As he turns 60 and prepares a new album and UK tour, Todd Rundgren surveys his brilliant 40-year career as a producer, solo artist and ...

Darlene Love: All You Need Is Love

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2008

'Tis the season to be jolly, and to dig out a yuletide classic by DARLENE LOVE. Phil Spector's secret weapon gets festive with TERRY STAUNTON ...

Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood: Mick Fleetwood in Blue Hawaii

Interview by Kris Needs, Record Collector, December 2008

On the eve of a UK tour, Fleetwood Mac's "spiritual father"' Mick Fleetwood talks to Kris Needs about his new blues band and rediscovering his ...

Ronnie Wood: Now Look

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2008

SANDWICHED BETWEEN the end of his days with the Faces and the beginning of his tenure in the Stones camp, Wood's second solo album was ...

Solomon Burke: Still on Fire

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, December 2008

Soul survivor Solomon Burke has endured bigger setbacks than most, but continues to make records as lauded as his perceived '60s heyday. ...

Can, Cluster, Faust, Harmonia, Kraftwerk, Neu!: Krautrock

Retrospective and Interview by John Doran, Record Collector, January 2009

In the early 1970s a revolution in sound occurred that was as influential in its own way as the birth of rock'n'roll or reggae. John ...

Captain Beefheart: Low Yo-Yo Stuff

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, February 2009

"It's always irritated me that people labelled him weird. It was a kind of super-reality."– John Peel ...

Captain Beefheart: Trout Mask Nightmare

Retrospective and Interview by Kris Needs, Record Collector, February 2009

The shocking story behind the making of Beefheart's greatest album ...

Clover: The Sound City Sessions – 1975

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, February 2009

Inspirational pioneers deserving of credit they never got ...

ABC, Heaven 17, The Human League: The Steel City Tour: Human League, ABC and Heaven 17 at the Hammersmith Apollo

Live Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, February 2009

THE STEEL CITY TOUR is a thrilling glimpse of the once- future through the lens of the past. What these groups attempted in Sheffield at ...

Johnny Thunders: Sticks & Stones – The Lost Album

Review by Kris Needs, Record Collector, March 2009

Johnny was a great songwriter… here's the proof. ...

Tommy Hunt: Only Human

Book Review by Mike Atherton, Record Collector, March 2009

WE ALL KNOW Tommy Hunt the former member of star doowop group the Flamingos, the '60s 'Human' hitmaker, the '70s UK 'Loving On The Losing ...

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

Retrospective and Interview by Kris Needs, Record Collector, April 2009

With all 14 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds albums being remastered and reissued, Kris Needs chronicles one of music's most compelling catalogues, with help ...

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: From Her To Eternity/The Firstborn Is Dead/Kicking Against The Pricks/Your Funeral... My Trial

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2009

AS ONE CONTRIBUTOR to the episodic documentary that features across the DVDs of these four reissues observes, Nick Cave was well on his way to ...

The Housemartins: London 0 Hull 4

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, 24 May 2009

LIKE THE all-conquering Madness during the first half of the '80s, the Housemartins pulled off the admirable trick of shoehorning well-considered social comment into the ...

Michael Jackson: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough: Bruce Swedien Remembers the Times with Michael Jackson

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, September 2009

HERE'S IRONY for you: there were several things timed for the release of Michael Jackson's London shows that were to provide testimony to the man's ...

Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Richard and Linda Thompson: Richard and Linda Thompson: Keeping Up with the Thompsons

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2009

Once flippantly but affectionately called "the Sonny & Cher of the folk world", Richard & Linda Thompson are worshipped as living legends, a jewel in ...

Country Joe & The Fish, Crosby Stills and Nash, Jimi Hendrix, The Who: Woodstock: Back To The Garden

Retrospective and Interview by Kris Needs, Record Collector, October 2009

40 years on, Woodstock's epochal celebration of music, peace and unleashed hedonism is being marked with an unprecedented deluge of audio and visual releases. KRIS ...

Richard Hawley: Truelove's Gutter

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, November 2009

A THIRD consecutive album named after a lost corner of his beloved Sheffield hometown might suggest it's business as usual for Hawley, but the lush ...

David Sylvian: Manafon

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, December 2009

DESCRIBED BY Sylvian as "a completely modern kind of chamber music; intimate, dynamic, emotive, democratic, economical", Manafon picks up where 2003's Blemish concluded. Working with ...

Pilot: High Flyers

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, December 2009

'70s hit-makers Pilot were the missing link between pop and prog. Paul Lester meets the (oh-oh-oh... it's) magic band. ...

Dr. Feelgood: Dr Feelgood: Oil Youyouyouou Be Seeing

Film/DVD/TV Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, 10 January 2010

A New Film, Oil City Confidential, Tells The Dr Feelgood Story. Daryl Easlea Relives His Youth ...

Jason & The Scorchers: Halcyon Times

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2010

MIDWAY THROUGH 'Moonshine Guy', the opening track on The Scorchers' first album of all-new material in 14 years, the music stops abruptly to allow a ...

Stephen Stills

Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, March 2010

Stephen Stills looks back on a rollercoaster career that has seen him survive superstardom, booze, drugs and cancer to enjoy his current renaissance. ...

The Barbarians, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Jan & Dean, Billy J. Kramer, Jack Nitzsche, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Rolling Stones: The T.A.M.I. Show: Rock's Greatest Concert Movie Ever?

Retrospective and Interview by Richie Unterberger, Record Collector, May 2010

Richie Unterberger celebrates a legendary who's who of rock and soul royalty caught live in their prime, and now finally available on DVD. ...

Joan Jett: I Love Rock And Roll

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2010

Joan Jett talks to Terry Staunton on the making of the Runaways movie, and life after the band split. ...

Kim Fowley, The Runaways: The Runaways: Teenage Rampage!

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, August 2010

WITH THE RUNAWAYS the subject of a Hollywood movie, Kris Needs charts the turbulent story behind the trailblazing female rock'n'roll band. ...

Kris Kristofferson looks back on his early years

Retrospective and Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, September 2010

THERE WERE two crucial moments in Kris Kristofferson's early career. The first came on the night of 8 April 1970, in a converted old church ...

Gong: The Gong Remains The Same

Retrospective and Interview by Jack Barron, Record Collector, October 2010

Jack Barron celebrates the 40-year celestial trip of "Europe's Grateful Dead". ...

Jimi Hendrix: Brother From Another Planet

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, October 2010

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1970: It's all over the evening news that Jimi Hendrix has died at the age of 27. "JIMI HENDRIX DEATH RIDDLE" bellow ...

The Beta Band, Steve Mason: An Interview with Steve Mason

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, November 2010

DE: Tell us about your latest projects. ...

The Bangles: Eternal Flame

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, December 2010

Paul Lester celebrates the enduring pop power of the Bangles. ...

Van Dyke Parks: Parks Life: An Interview with Van Dyke Parks

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, May 2011

The next few months will see the release of a series of vinyl singles by celebrated writer, arranger and producer VAN DYKE PARKS, plus the ...

Gil Scott-Heron: Poet, Writer, Singer, Rapper, Pianist, Visionary

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, July 2011

(born April 1, 1949 in Chicago; Died New York City 27th May 2011) ...

Chic: Raymond Jones, 1958-2011

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, August 2011

ALTHOUGH A NAME that doesn't readily trip off the tongue, most of RC's readers have danced at some point or another to the understated beauty ...

Lee Dorsey, Allen Toussaint: Lee Dorsey: The Star in Greasy Overalls

Retrospective by Gavin Martin, Record Collector, October 2011

IT'S 1980; six years before Lee Dorsey's unexpected death, but his recording career is already over. What will prove to be his last album, Night ...

The Beatles, Neil Christian & the Crusaders, Alex Harvey and His Soul Band, The Searchers, Tony Sheridan, Spencer Davis Group: Lebensraum Twist

Retrospective and Interview by Alan Clayson, Record Collector, Fall 2011

Alan Clayson investigates British artists of the 1960s whose early output included records issued only in Germany. ...

Whitney Houston

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, April 2012

WHITNEY HOUSTON, singer, actor, diva extraordinaire, died Los Angeles 12 February, aged 48. ...

Donna Summer, 1948-2012

Obituary by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, June 2012

WHEN DONNA SUMMER relocated from the US to Germany to star in the Munich production of Hair, she unwittingly set a course that would result ...

The dB's: Falling Off The Sky

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, 13 August 2012

HAILING FROM North Carolina (via New York), the dB's were seen by many as the US college rockers most likely to break through to the ...

Tav Falco's Panther Burns: Tav Falco: Talking with a Panther

Retrospective and Interview by Kris Needs, Record Collector, 6 October 2012

FEW FIGURES to emerge from post-punk's anarchic musical battle-boudoir have charted such an intensely idiosyncratic or enigmatic path as Tav Falco, a.k.a. Panther Burns. Roaring ...

Fairport Convention: Fairport's Cropredy Convention

Live Review by Mike Atherton, Record Collector, November 2012

IN MIDDLE ENGLAND, an Oxfordshire field came back to life to celebrate the 45th anniversary of folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention, whose acoustic set launched this ...

Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie "Prince" Billy, The Everly Brothers: Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie "Prince" Billy: What The Brothers Sang

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2013

FOLLOWING THEIR bleakly festive 'Christmas Eve Can Kill You' single, Will Oldham and Dawn McCarthy return for an album-length exploration of the Everly Brothers’ songbook. ...

Yo La Tengo: Fade (Matador)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2013

It takes four to Tengo. ...

Autechre: Exai

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2013

FOLLOWING 2011's mammoth stock-taking collection EPs 1991-2002, this new double-disc offering from electro pioneers Autechre emphasises that this most perpetually forward-thinking of groups is in ...

Palma Violets: 180 (Rough Trade)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2013

THE LATEST BAND hailed as the Great White Hopes of bland, student-friendly indie-rock, Palma Violets have, remarkably, managed to make a record so uninspiring and ...

Stephen Stills: Carry On

Review by Mick Houghton, Record Collector, April 2013

CAN SOMEBODY be just too talented? If so, Stephen Stills is a perfect case study, and this new four-disc set offers up a myriad examples ...

Mick Harvey: Four

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, 22 April 2013

HARVEY'S LAST album, 2011's Sketches From The Book Of The Dead, was a series of ruminations on people and places lost, and there's a similar ...

Laura Marling: Once I Was An Eagle

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2013

WHEN LAURA Marling announced that her follow-up to 2011's A Creature I Don't Know would be a mostly solo acoustic affair, one may have been ...

The National: Trouble Will Find Me

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2013

THE SIXTH ALBUM from Brooklyn's The National sees them continue an impressive run of form which has left them seemingly on the verge of mainstream ...

Be Bop Deluxe: Be Bop Deluxe At The BBC 1974-1978

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2013

IN ADDITION TO releasing five studio albums in as many years, Bill Nelson's modernist/ futurist art-rock ensemble found space in their diaries to regularly visit ...

Julia Holter: Loud City Song

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

Massive step forward for mesmerising talent ...

Julia Holter: Loud City Song

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

Massive step forward for mesmerising talent. ...

Manic Street Preachers: Rewind The Film

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

Cassette-culture vultures pick at their own carcass ...

The Beach Boys: Made In California

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

THE BEACH BOYS' 50th anniversary year was never likely to be an event-free lap of honour. Upon reforming, they managed to produce an intermittently great ...

The Clash: Sound System

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

WITH A WHIFF of revisionism about it, Sound System collects the Clash's output up tothe departure of guitarist Mick Jones,ignoring 1985's Cut The Crap but ...

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires Of The City

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2013

THE MODERN, thinking indie rock fan's band of choice, Vampire Weekend return from extended leave with their third album. While MVOTC doesn't represent a seismic ...

Eric Clapton: How God Saved Himself

Retrospective by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2014

God playing reggae, rather than 'Sunshine Of Your Love'? You're kidding me! Yes, Eric Clapton's return to vinyl in 1974 really was that radical, shocking ...

Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Frankie Says Pop Revolution

Retrospective and Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, January 2014

It's easy to forget how big an explosion Frankie Goes To Hollywood caused in the '80s. Rob Hughes peers through the cracked windows of the ...

Warpaint: Warpaint

Review and Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2014

FEW BANDS OF recent times have made attracting both an obsessive fanbase and critical acclaim seem as effortless as Los Angeles’ Warpaint. The languorous, psychedelic ...

Mark Lanegan, Screaming Trees: Mark Lanegan: Shadow Play

Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, February 2014

Over a series of solo albums, work with Screaming Trees and Queens Of The Stone Age, among others, Mark Lanegan has proved his worth as ...

Genesis, Mike + the Mechanics: Mike Rutherford: The Trick Of The Tale

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, February 2014

Genesis and Mike + The Mechanics' founder Mike Rutherford has written an autobiography with a difference. Daryl Easlea met him to discuss The Living Years. ...

Fleetwood Mac: Then play on

Retrospective and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2014

British blues band Fleetwood Mac rose to fame on the strength of Peter Green's playing and writing. Their success as an Anglo-American AOR act is ...

Marissa Nadler: July (Bella Union)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2014

AN INITIALLY unlikely partnership that, if you think about, makes perfect sense, July sees folk-gothic singer songwriter Marissa Nadler team up with producer Randall Dunn, ...

Ry Cooder: Cooder Been A Contender

Interview by Rob Hughes, Record Collector, April 2014

He had the option of becoming a major star and grabbing his couple of years of glory. Instead he took the long, slow, dusty road. ...

Slint: Spiderland

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2014

UPON THE MARCH 1991 release of their second album, Spiderland, Louisville's Slint were officially no more. The four-day session that produced one of the most ...

Quintessence: The Spirit Is Willing

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, May 2014

SOME BANDS struggle for years for attention, but not Quintessence. Within weeks of forming, in April 1969, they were a word-of-mouth sensation. Chris Blackwell and ...

Echo & The Bunnymen, Ian McCulloch: Echo & The Bunnymen

Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, June 2014

Post-punk marvels Echo & The Bunnymen are back — and Ian McCulloch is older, wiser, and far less inclined to boost his own legend. Yeah, ...

Owen Pallett: In Conflict

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2014

Pallett cleanser for a string-driven thing. ...

Sharon Van Etten: Are We There (Jagjaguwar)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2014

It's fair to say she's arrived. ...

Swans: To Be Kind

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2014

FOLLOWING AN album as monumental as 2012's triple-disc behemoth The Seer would be a tall order for just about any band. ...

Crosby Stills Nash & Young: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: CSNY 1974

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, September 2014

CSNY'S 1974 reunion has long been synonymous with the start of an age of the worst kind of rock'n'roll excess; 30 shows, masterminded by Bill ...

James Yorkston : The Cellardyke Recording & Wassailing Society (Domino)

Review and Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, September 2014

IT’S A RARE joy when an artist with unfailingly high standards over a decade-long career reaches a new level of excellence – and, with his ...

Vashti Bunyan: Heartleap (Fat Cat)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2014

AFTER A 35-year gap between her beloved debut album and its follow-up, Lookaftering, Vashti Bunyan's third – and supposedly final – long-player, Heartleap, might have ...

Richard Dawson: Nothing Important

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2014

WITH A TRACKLISTING running to just four songs, Richard Dawson's latest album might at first seem like an underwhelming prospect. As it happens, nothing could ...

Marianne Faithfull: Give My Love To London (Dramatico)

Review by Kris Needs, Record Collector, Fall 2014

Fifty-and-counting with late-period career peak. ...

Cyril Davies

Retrospective by Kris Needs, Record Collector, January 2015

"It is interesting to look back to the birth of the British blues scene when one man pioneered a sound that was to give incentive ...

Joni Mitchell: Love Has Many Faces – A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced (Rhino)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2015

AFTER THE SUCCESS of her 2007 war-themed ballet The Fiddle And The Drum, Joni Mitchell set herself the task of distilling her myriad writing on ...

Nic Jones: The Enigma Of Nic Jones

Film/DVD/TV Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2015

ORIGINALLY AIRED on BBC Four last September, The Enigma Of… uses the return to live music of one of British folk's most beloved figures as ...

The Go-Betweens: G Stands For Go-Betweens – Volume 1, 1978-1984 (Domino)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2015

DOMINO TAKE a fittingly comprehensive approach to anthologising this rarefied band. The first in a planned three-volume set, it collects the group's first trio of ...

Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear (Bella Union)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2015

IN TERMS OF audacious ways to announce a new album, the way Josh Tillman heralded the arrival of his second as Father John Misty takes ...

Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back/Fear Of A Black Planet (Deluxe Editions)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2015

BOTH THE music industry and the media have a way of attaching such an air of historical significance to certain records that it's easy to ...

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat: Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat: The Most Important Place In The World

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2015

2011'S UNSUNG marvel Everything's Getting Older saw former Arab Strap chanteur Aidan Moffat and composer Bill Wells cataloguing the grimy process of aging with black ...

Björk: Vulnicura (One Little Indian)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2015

WHILE THE initial conversation surrounding Björk’s latest full-length concerned the internet leaks that led to its premature online release, it quickly became apparent that the ...

Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2015

EVER THE restless soul, Sufjan Stevens has, since the hysteric electro of his last album proper, 2010's The Age Of Adz, released an album with ...

Brian Wilson: No Pier Pressure (Capitol)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2015

THE NEWS THAT Brian Wilson was working with Frank Ocean, She & Him and Lana Del Rey on his latest album was met with derision ...

Richard King: Original Rockers (Faber & Faber)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2015

IT IS DIFFICULT to imagine a book more guaranteed to stir the nether regions of RC readers than Richard King's expansive memoir of his time ...

The Isley Brothers: The RCA-Victor And T-Neck Album Masters (1959-1983)

Review and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, September 2015

MORPHING FROM their roots in gospel and doo-wop through funk, rock and then, finally, into slow-jam R&B, the Isley Brothers remain one of the most ...

Low: Ones And Sixes (Sub Pop)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2015

OVER THE COURSE of 11 albums, Duluth, Minnesota, outfit Low have been responsible for work of a remarkable consistency, almost as if their discography has ...

Paul McCartney: Tug Of War/Pipes Of Peace

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2015

WITH THE 1980 release of McCartney II, Paul McCartney was in his rudest creative health for some time. Though the following two years would see ...

The Libertines: Anthems For Doomed Youth

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2015

IT’S ASTONISHING to discover that the long-running soap opera, The Libertines, has been mildly piquing the interests of the nation for just two years less ...

Amy Winehouse: Asif Kapadia: Amy (Island/Universal DVD)

Film/DVD/TV Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2015

WHILE GIFTED, tragic figures are the very bread and butter of the music documentarian, has there ever been a film in which the downward spiral ...

Joanna Newsom: Divers (Drag City)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2015

WHILE THE five years since the stunning triple album Have One On Me have seen Joanna Newsom expanding her horizons with acting roles and guest ...

Mogwai: Central Belters (Rock Action)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2015

DURING THEIR RISE to prominence, very few onlookers would have predicted that post-rock upstarts Mogwai would have the staying power to be receiving the 20th. ...

Rick Danko: Stage Fright – Live Collection (Floating World)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2015

ON THE SURFACE, the years following the initial disintegration of The Band and the release of his only solo album yielded diminishing returns for Rick ...

Sleater-Kinney: Carrie Brownstein: Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl: A Memoir (Virago)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2016

ARTISTICALLY, 2015 has been quite a year for Carrie Brownstein — the band that brought her to public attention, Sleater-Kinney, returned with No Cities To ...

Animal Collective: Painting With (Domino)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2016

IF THERE'S a common thread that links Animal Collective's songwriting it's their instinctive use of repetition – from the mantra-like becalming kind, to the sort ...

Eleanor Friedberger: New View (Rough Trade)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2016

EMERGING FROM a band as idiosyncratic and cultishly-adored as the Fiery Furnaces to go her own way must have been a little daunting for Eleanor ...

Leonard Cohen: "You can add up the parts, but you can't find the sum"

Special Feature by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2016

So said Leonard Cohen himself in 1992's Anthem. But RC's Jamie Atkins still tries to do the math in this tribute ...

David Bowie: Bowie at the Beeb

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2016

THIS ISN'T the review I expected to write, obviously. It wasn't supposed to be difficult listening, a beautifully packaged four-disc vinyl reissue of Bowie's early ...

The Replacements: Bob Mehr: Trouble Boys – The True Story Of The Replacements (Da Capo)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2016

IN RECENT YEARS there's been a shift in the way the Replacements are regarded. While for those in the know, they've always been adored, there ...

Kendrick Lamar: untitled unmastered (Interscope/Top Dawg)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2016

LAST YEAR, under enormous pressure, rapper Kendrick Lamar released one of the most culturally and socially resonant albums in memory, To Pimp A Butterfly. ...

Marissa Nadler: Strangers (Bella Union)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2016

ON 2014's July cult folkie Marissa Nadler made the rather unexpected move of working with Randall Dunn, a producer best known previously for his work ...

Grateful Dead, The National: Various Artists: Day Of The Dead (4AD)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2016

2009'S DARK WAS The Night benefit album for the HIV/AIDS charity Red Hot Organization was something of an anomaly among such compilations; whereas most collections ...

XTC: Andy Partridge: Mid-Morning Matters

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2016

"Empires and whole XTC albums have been built on Tunnock's wafers. Their packaging! It's like the glam version of traditional." XTC's main songwriter and musical ...

case/lang/veirs: case/lang/veirs (Anti-)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2016

WHILE A collaboration was first mooted several years ago, it was only when k.d. lang and Neko Case contributed to Laura Veirs' underrated 2013 album ...

Paul Simon: Stranger To Stranger

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2016

2011's So Beautiful Or So What was an unheralded marvel from Paul Simon. It was a poised, wise set of songs that hinged upon Simon's ...

Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2016

WHILE THE 2011 release of The King Of Limbs caused the kind of cyber kerfuffle that tends to greet the slightest of stirrings from the ...

Will Oldham: Will's World

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2016

Over the past two-and-a-half decades Kentucky, Lousiville's Will Oldham, or the artist most commonly known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, has amassed one of the strongest ...

Okkervil River: Away

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2016

WHILE OKKERVIL RIVER has always been a ship steered by principal songwriter Will Sheff, their eighth album proper sees Sheff effectively going it alone for ...

The Beatles: Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Apple/EMI)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2016

THE BEATLES AT The Hollywood Bowl was always the last to be picked in a quick Beatles LPs jumpers-for-goalposts knockabout – the only snotty-nosed, clod-humper ...

Wilco: Schmilco

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, October 2016

IF MOST BANDS were to announce that their 10th album, 21 years into their career, will be a largely acoustic affair, it would cause all ...

Oasis: Be Here Now (Deluxe Edtion) (Big Brother)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, November 2016

FACE IT, IF YOU had gone from playing the toilet circuit to two nights at Knebworth in a couple of years, there's every chance your ...

Marc Bolan, David Bowie: Simon Reynolds: Shock & Awe – Glam Rock And Its Legacy (Faber)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, November 2016

AFTER DEFINING studies of post-punk (Rip It Up & Start Again) and nostalgia (Retromania), Simon Reynolds turns his gaze to glam in all its glory. ...

Belle And Sebastian: Belle & Sebastian: The Jeepster Singles Collection

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2016

ON DELVING into this generous box set, you'll find reproductions of Belle & Sebastian's first three mail-outs to fans. ...

Lambchop: FLOTUS (City Slang)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2016

WHILE THEY MAY have been conveniently lumped in with alt. country, Kurt Wagner's Lambchop have always had a lot more to offer than that suggests. ...

The Band, Robbie Robertson: Robbie Robertson: Testimony (Heineman)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2016

ONE OF THE delightful aspects of The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's doc of The Band's goodbye hootenanny, are the scene-setting vignettes from the group that ...

Super Furry Animals: For Now and Ever

Retrospective and Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, December 2016

Super Furry Animals emerged from the Welsh DIY scene in the mid-'90s before signing to Creation for their debut album Fuzzy Logic, beginning a run ...

Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders: Merl Saunders/Jerry Garcia: Keystone Companions – The Complete 1973 Fantasy Recordings

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2017

KEYBOARDIST MERL Saunders' decision to sit in at a regular jam in San Francisco's Matrix club one night in December 1970 would prove a stroke ...

Solange: A Seat At The Table

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2017

WITH 2012's EP True – the wonderful lead single 'Losing You' in particular – Solange Knowles minted a melancholy kind of lilting soul; as in ...

Willie Hutch: Soul Portrait/Season For Love (Be With)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2017

IN THE FEW years they've been around, Be With have ensured so many great LPs are back on the racks that they're practically providing a ...

Bert Jansch: Living In The Shadows (Earth)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2017

IT'S DIFFICULT to imagine a musician of Bert Jansch's standing and talent ever being taken for granted. But back in 1990, save for the attention ...

Bert Jansch: Living In The Shadows (Earth)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2017

IT'S DIFFICULT TO imagine a musician of Bert Jansch's standing and talent ever being taken for granted. But back in 1990, save for the attention ...

Jens Lekman: Life Will See You Now (Heavenly)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2017

OVER THE course of five albums, Sweden's Jens Lekman has established himself as a worthy successor to the likes of Jonathan Richman, Edwyn Collins and ...

The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir (Nonesuch)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2017

EVIDENTLY, STEPHEN Merritt is the sort of man who believes in grand musical gestures, and they work – the most extravagant thus far (69 Love ...

George Harrison: The Vinyl Collection (UMC)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2017

AH GEORGE, the thinking Beatles fan's favourite. The best haircut. The most endearingly grumpy interviewee. The one you'd bet has a wicked sense of humour ...

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: One More Time With Feeling (Bad Seed)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2017

IN THE BEST possible sense, there has always been an air of the caricature about Nick Cave: the public persona. His career has felt like ...

Pink Floyd: The Final Cut – A Requiem For The Post War Dream/ A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, March 2017

THOUGH THEY represent the opposing extremes of Pink Floyd's often tortured psyche, there, in fact, are many similarities between 1983's The Final Cut and 1987's A Momentary Lapse ...

Run The Jewels: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2017

SOME OBSERVATIONS after having experienced Run The Jewels live for the first time: ...

Thundercat: Drunk (Brainfeeder)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, April 2017

WHILE BASSIST Thundercat has been responsible for the nimble low-end of albums by the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu and Flying Lotus, and has ...

Wilson Pickett: The 600 Dollar Man

Interview by Dan Nooger, Record Collector, April 2017

Wilson Pickett often cut a controversial figure; he was tough, brash and volatile. But he was also one of the great soul singers, and could ...

Prince: Ben Greenman: Dig If You Will The Picture (Faber & Faber)

Book Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2017

IT'S NO SURPRISE that Prince's death has inspired reams of writing attempting to either unravel the man, his creativity and unique appeal or – less ...

Bert Berns, Lorraine Ellison, Garnet Mimms, Jerry Ragovoy, Howard Tate: Roll with the Punches: An Interview with Jerry Ragovoy

Interview by Dan Nooger, Record Collector, May 2017

The late Jerry Ragovoy wrote and arranged some of the greatest records of the last century. This unpublished interview by Dan Nooger found him recalling ...

Cody ChesnuTT: My Love Divine Degree (One Little Indian)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2017

THE SUCCESS of 2002's The Headphone Masterpiece effectively wrote soul singer Cody ChesnuTT a blank cheque in terms of creative freedom. For a record to ...

Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (Interscope)

Review by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, June 2017

Kung Fu Kenny strikes again ...

Roger Waters: Is This The Life We Really Want?

Review by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, 21 June 2017

UNTIL RECENTLY, it seemed that Roger Waters would be content to play out his career taking his incredible Pink Floydian spectacles around the world's enormodomes. But ...

Mike Westbrook: The First 50 Years

Retrospective and Interview by Colin Harper, Record Collector, October 2017

TAKE A TRIP around eBay and Discogs and you will conclude that Mike Westbrook is a man who makes rare records. Periodically, something from the ...

Baxter Dury: Prince Charming

Profile and Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, November 2017

After being given an impromptu tour of his manor in search of a decent cup of coffee, RC's Jamie Atkins talked to Baxter Dury about ...

Bobby "Blue" Bland: Talking Blues: Bobby Bland in 1973

Interview by Dan Nooger, Record Collector, December 2017

Bobby Bland was one of the most beloved blues (and soul) singers of the '60s and '70s, an influence on rock vocalists from Rod Stewart ...

The Beatles, Miles Davis, Robert Johnson, Grace Jones, Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, Curtis Mayfield, Malcolm McLaren, Frank Ocean, Richard Russell, Gil Scott-Heron, Scritti Politti, Shut Up And Dance, The Specials, Kanye West, Bobby Womack: Richard Russell: Rich Pickings

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, March 2018

As Richard Russell's collaborative album, Everything Is Recorded, is released, RC's Jamie Atkins meets him to talk about the recording and the music that led ...

Ry Cooder: The Prodigal Son

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, April 2018

FOR AN ALBUM on which he takes stock of a 21st century US riddled with crises and uncertainty, Cooder astutely plunders the grammar of the ...

Stephen Malkmus: Gold Soundz

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, May 2018

As leader of the Jicks and ex-frontman of Pavement, Stephen Malkmus' work has proved enormously influential. But what's on regular rotation on his turntable? Jamie ...

The Beach Boys, Gaz Coombes, The Cure, Brian Eno, Serge Gainsbourg, Harmonia, Inspiral Carpets, Iggy Pop, Elliott Smith, Patti Smith, Spacemen 3, Scott Walker: Gaz Coombes: The World's Strongest Fan

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2018

Ever been curious about what's pumping on Gaz Coombes' stereo? RC's Jamie Atkins was, so he headed to Oxfordshire to find out. ...

The Beach Boys: Wake The World: The Beach Boys 1967-'73

Retrospective by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, July 2018

THERE ARE FEW things music fans like more than a good "what if". And the Beach Boys' career gifts enthusiasts plenty of fantasy scenarios: what ...

Elvis Presley: D.J. Fontana, 1931-2018

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, August 2018

DOMINIC JOSEPH "D.J." Fontana died in Nashville on 13th June. He was aged 87 and was suffering from complications of a broken hip. From 1954 ...

Stan Lewis, 1927-2018

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, October 2018

STAN LEWIS, (aka "Stan the Record Man"), died in Ruston, Louisiana, on July 14th, aged 91. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1927, he worked at his ...

Uncle Tupelo, Wilco: Jeff Tweedy: At Least That's What He Said

Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, February 2019

The recent publication of his autobiography and the release of his first solo album, Warm, have seen Wilco man Jeff Tweedy reflect on a remarkable ...

Clydie King, 1943-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, March 2019

CLYDIE KING, who became one of the leading session and go-to back up singers during the 1970s, died  on 7th January, aged 75. ...

Dick Dale, 1937-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, May 2019

THE PIONEER OF "surf rock" guitar, Dick Dale died on March 16th aged 81. Born Richard Anthony Monsour on 4th May, 1937, in Boston, Dale developed a ...

Roy Orbison, Roscoe Shelton, Joe Simon: Fred Foster, 1931-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, May 2019

FRED FOSTER, the founder of Monument and Sound Stage 7 Records, died on 20th February in Nashville, aged 87. Born in North Carolina in 1931 ...

Lou Johnson, 1941-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, June 2019

NORTHERN SOUL favourite Lou Johnson died on 1stt May, aged 78. Born in 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, Lou sang in gospel groups including the Zionettes ...

Quicksilver Messenger Service: Gary Duncan 1946-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, September 2019

GARY DUNCAN, guitarist and vocalist of the San Francisco rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service, died on June 29 at the age of 72 after suffering from a ...

Pere Ubu: An interview with David Thomas

Interview by David Stubbs, Record Collector, October 2019

"I'VE DIED TWICE in the last two years," says David Thomas, co-founder and lead singer of Pere Ubu, in the living room of his Brighton ...

Rickie Lee Jones: Adult Kicks

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, October 2019

AS HER TOUR BUS heads across Texas on the way to the Kessler Theatre in Dallas, a song that's been running around inside Rickie Lee ...

Donnie Fritts, 1942-2019; Jimmy Johnson, 1943-2019; Larry "The Mole" Taylor, 1942-2019

Obituary by Tony Burke, Record Collector, November 2019

SINGER, SONGWRITER and piano player Donnie Fritts – a key member of the session musicians who shaped the sound of soul music recorded in Muscle ...

Leonard Cohen: His Muses Were Many Women

Essay by Larry Jaffee, Record Collector, 3 December 2019

THE NEW DOCUMENTARY Leonard & Marianne: Words of Love, directed by Nick Broomfield, ostensibly is about the romance on the Greek island of Hydra in ...

Bill Fay: Countless Branches

Review and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2020

HAD JEFF TWEEDY not chosen to cover 'Be Not So Fearful' in the 2002 Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, the song's ...

Little Richard, Billy Vera: Billy Vera: Rip It Up – The Specialty Records Story

Book Review by Tony Burke, Record Collector, January 2020

ONE OF THE most important independent post-war record labels, Specialty is up there with Chess, Modern/RPM, King, and Atlantic. ...

Cerrone: The DNA Of Dance

Retrospective and Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, January 2020

With his new album imminent, Record Collector takes the opportunity to get supernatural with Cerrone. Daryl Easlea stares into the crystal ball. ...

Lucinda Williams: Good Souls Better Angels

Review and Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, June 2020

IT MAY BE because she's not long come off the road from a lengthy live trek marking the 20th anniversary of her most celebrated album, ...

Steve Lukather, Toto: Steve Lukather: 33/3rd

Interview by Daryl Easlea, Record Collector, 25 March 2021

STEVE LUKATHER has played on countless records owned and streamed worldwide. For most musicians, just being a founder member and only constant of Toto would ...

Gordon Lightfoot: Gord's Gold

Interview by Max Bell, Record Collector, April 2021

  THE VOICE ON the other end of the line is hesitant. The hearing is none too good. Talking on the phone is a challenge. "Can ...

Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Roy Milton, Billy Vera: Specialty Records: An Interview with Billy Vera

Interview by Tony Burke, Record Collector, September 2021

As the Specialty label celebrates 75 years, Tony Burke talks to Billy Vera – singer, songwriter, and the author of Rip it Up: The Specialty ...

The Waterboys: The Magnificent Seven

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, January 2022

STILL FIRING ON all cylinders after recording and promoting the acclaimed Fisherman's Blues, the Waterboys' leader Mike Scott was in no mood to rest on ...

Let there be rock, and roll: An interview with Jim Dawson

Interview by Tony Burke, Record Collector, December 2022

There's perennial debate about what was the first rock 'n' roll record. Tony Burke asked music historian Jim Dawson for his new book's conclusion. ...

Elvis Presley, Ike Turner: Peter Guralnick: Here Comes The Sun

Interview by Tony Burke, Record Collector, February 2023

Peter Guralnick, co-author of the history of Sun Records, tells Tony Burke about the book. ...

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