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David Quantick

David Quantick

David Quantick started out freelancing for City Limits, then went to the NME and later to Q and The Word. Along the way he also wrote or writes for Smash Hits, Spin, Blender, some Fleet Street papers, and of course The Oldie. He co-wrote Eddie Izzard's Dress To Kill with Eddie, and is responsible for some small rock books, including Revolution: The Making Of The Beatles' White Album. He writes comedy on TV and radio, and appeared at Edinburgh and all over in Lloyd Cole Knew My Father with Andrew Collins and Stuart Maconie. David won an Emmy as part of the team who wrote Veep. He has written books on Beck and the Beatles, while his Quite Difficult Quiz Book appears in the fall of 2021.

149 articles

List of articles in the library

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Level 42: Standing In The Light (Polydor)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 3 September 1983

BRITFUNK... THERE'S a lot of it about. From the half-Bakered whine of 'AEIOU' to the anonymous disaster that is David Grant, these isles are responsible ...

The Shangri-Las: Leaders of the Teen Beat

Retrospective by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 17 September 1983

Remember (walkin' in the sand) with the Shangri-Las ...

The Pogues: Pogue Mahone: Bull And Gate, Kentish Town, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 24 September 1983

AT THE delightful Bull And Gate public house in Kentish Town, Pogue Mahone played their usual blisteringly wonderful set. Containing some of the most evil-looking ...

Wham!: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 November 1983

HEY, SUCKER — welcome to the George Michael Show... ...

The Style Council: Cardiff, St. David’s Hall

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 1984

FIRST OFF, SOME striking things. The man who used to specialise in doing soul songs really badly is now fond of doing funk standards reasonably ...

Billy Idol: Rebel Yell (Chrysalis)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 28 January 1984

WHOOPS! ...

Van Morrison: Live At The Grand Opera House Belfast (Mercury)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 10 March 1984

AS SOMEONE not over-exposed to Van Morrison's music, this is an extremely useful record. It acts both as a good compilation album (all the songs ...

Frank Chickens: Enter The Ninja

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 31 March 1984

"HAVE YOU read Winnie The Pooh?", asks Kazuko Hohki. I admit I have. "And Mary Poppins? And The Borrowers?." Kazuko, one half of Frank Chickens, ...

Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five: Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five: Venue, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 21 April 1984

IT'S DODGY! ...

Lloyd Cole: What's All The Commotion About?

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 12 May 1984

LLOYD, I asked, are you in love? ...

The Fall, Neil Innes, Jonathan Richman: Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, the Fall, Neil Innes: Elephant Fayre, Port Eliot, Cornwall

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 11 August 1984

JUMBO NUTBURGERS! ...

The Pogues: For A Few Ciders More

Interview by David Quantick, Sean O'Hagan, New Musical Express, 11 August 1984

A TABLE littered with the debris of an early evening's drinking, three Pogues attempt to justify their existence. ...

The Men They Couldn’t Hang: The Men They Couldn't Hang: George Robey, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 25 August 1984

'JUST LIKE Eddie', 'Whiskey In The Jar', 'A Boy Named Sue', 'Rawhide', 'The Green Fields Of France'... is it, dear reader, one of your witty ...

Wreckless Eric: Reconnez Eric

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 1 September 1984

IT WAS 1977. Remember? All those big guitar noises? And the number of indie labels could be counted on the ears of Vincent Van Gogh? ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: The Living Room, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 8 September 1984

ATTIRED IN the standard tatty black outfits and tatty black haircuts of today's young folk, The Jesus And Mary Chain play their tatty white music ...

10,000 Maniacs: Marquee, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 6 October 1984

LOONIES FROZE MY BIRD-BATH!!! ...

Depeche Mode: Modeahead? Uh-Uh… But How Do You Rate The Review, Lads?

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 6 October 1984

Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward (Mute) ...

Screaming Blue Messiahs: The Screaming Blue Messiahs: Second Coming?

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 20 October 1984

Well not really. But while DAVID QUANTICK screams about the BLUE MESSIAHS, they relate a re-discovery of Captain Beefheart, Hank Williams and... America. ...

The Higsons: Who Hig?

Profile and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 27 October 1984

People don't believe them when they claim to have been around four years. Can DAVID QUANTICK quantify the Curse of the HIGSONS to reveal the ...

U2: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 10 November 1984

THE MOST boring band in the world. There can now be no question of U2 avoiding such a title. There may be groups equally as ...

David Johansen: Sweet Revenge (10 Records)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 23 February 1985

BUSTER POINDEXTER WHERE ARE YOU? ...

Gene Loves Jezebel, The Ramones: The Ramones/Gene Love Jezebel/Restless: Lyceum, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 2 March 1985

HALF OF WESTERN CIVILISATION is here tonight; there are men in the toilet talking about Black Sabbath, there are Gary Holton and Rat Scabies and ...

Elvis Costello, Lash Lariat & the Long Riders, The Pogues: The Pogues, Elvis Costello, The Swamps, Lash Lariat & the Long Riders : Clarendon Hotel, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 30 March 1985

SAINT PATRICK'S NIGHT the occasion and The Pogues the attraction; in a very large room, the world congregates. Crowds a mile wide inside the lavatories ...

Bryan Adams: Canada Bry On The Rocks!: Bryan Adams: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 May 1985

IT IS WITH some horror that one realises that Bryan Adams had chosen to call his current LP Reckless. Implied tributes to Go-Discs' second most ...

Fabulous Thunderbirds: The Fabulous Thunderbirds: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 11 May 1985

I SUPPOSE it’s a good time for these sons of America to renew their acquaintance with these shores ("Hi, shores!"), since every other denizen of ...

The Waterboys: Big Sound Authority

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 October 1985

Mike Scott is definitely Trying To Tell Us Something, and he doesn't believe in whispering. With THE WATERBOYS' third album out, DAVID QUANTICK tries to ...

Sigue Sigue Sputnik: Reading

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 15 March 1986

AHA! IT's the most reviled band in the world!Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Reading were not a marriage made in Heaven. When one is the subject ...

Siouxsie & The Banshees: Siouxsie and The Banshees: How Many LPs Is It Now? "Fifteen, Love."

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 19 April 1986

Have SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES successfully lobbed another one over the net or are they finally out of deuce? DAVID QUANTICK engages in a love ...

Erasure: Rubber Band Men

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 14 June 1986

"AAAAAAAABBOTT!" – Lou Costello ...

David Bowie: Labyrinth

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 28 June 1986

MOST OF us are familiar with David Bowie from his role as Vendice Partners in the sparkling musical comedy Absolute Beginners, but how many I ...

Heaven 17: Endless

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 July 1986

EIGHTY-FIVE minutes of cassette, 68 of compact disc and no record – Heaven 17 continue the aspirations of the ironic yuppie with their Greatest Hits ...

Wham!: The Final

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 12 July 1986

RONNIE BARKER: "What's it all about, then? Life, I mean. What's it all about, eh?" Ronnie Corbett: "Something to do, I s'pose." ...

Queen: Inside The Royal Family

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 9 August 1986

David Quantick travels to Hungary as a representative of notorious bastard rock rag NME, and Queen pick up the tab! Not that they consent to ...

Ozzy Osbourne: A Very Excessive Man

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 30 August 1986

The Road of Excess, said William Blake, leads to the Palace of Wisdom, but in OZZY OSBOURNE'S case it led to Castle Donington and endless ...

a-ha: Scoundrel Days

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 25 October 1986

HERE THEY are again. Norway's finest and the group who cleaned up after the chart fragmentation of Culture Club, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran, a-ha ...

Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Liverpool

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 25 October 1986

WHAT DO you do when you've made a completely excessive double album which made history as highly moderate filler? How do you feel when everyone ...

Camper Van Beethoven: Camper Van Beethoven (Rough Trade)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 29 November 1986

CAMPER VAN Beethoven occupy the leftovers of Americana. Others have claimed the broader fields of country music and rock and punk, and the great subjects ...

Elvis Costello: Royalty Theatre, London

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 29 November 1986

HALFWAY THROUGH 'Watching The Detectives', there is a small fight. When it has been amicably concluded, the thin man in the Buddy Holly specs, striped ...

Randy Newman: Lonely At The Top (WEA)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 30 May 1987

"Let's drop the big one..." ...

Stock Aitken Waterman: Money, Love And Fun

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 18 July 1987

Million-selling marketing men STOCK, AITKEN and WATERMAN wouldn't know a political point if one hit them on the head, but, boy, can they get a ...

The Damned, Doctor and the Medics, Gaye Bykers on Acid, Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, The Pink Fairies, Pop Will Eat Itself: Hawkwind, Gaye Bikers on Acid et al: Acid Daze, Finsbury Park

Live Review by Barbara Ellen, David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 September 1987

SPORTS DAY IN HELL ...

The Housemartins: The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death (Go! Discs)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 26 September 1987

A NATION waits, breath caught in the throat with tension; the world's most commercial political pop group has released a second album, and who can ...

Rick Astley: The Jimmy Tarbuck Syndrome

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 19 December 1987

Is 'When I Fall In Love' the vinyl voice of God? Or does it herald the golden age of the bathtub crooner? The apple of ...

Madness: You Only Live Twice

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 March 1988

Madness are dead! Long live THE MADNESS. Without Woody and Bedders and Barson's ghost, the Mad Four – Suggs, Carl, Chris and Lee – charge ...

New Order: Tell Me, How Does It Feel? New Order and the 'Blue Monday' syndrome: the NME Factory remix

Report by Len Brown, David Quantick, New Musical Express, 14 May 1988

The best-selling 12" of all time! Two million copies worldwide! Five years on from its original release (four spent in the Top 200), NEW ORDER'S ...

The Style Council: The Singular Adventures Of The Style Council: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Polydor)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 11 March 1989

THE COVER OF The Style Council's most blatantly angry single, 'Walls Come Tumbling Down', bears not a picture of rioting or the Prime Minister on ...

The The: Mind Bomb (Epic/Some Bizzare LP/Cassette/CD)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 20 May 1989

BRAIN STRAIN ...

Neneh Cherry: Raw Like Sushi (Circa)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 10 June 1989

CHERRY-OH BABY ...

Transvision Vamp: Velveteen (MCA LP/Cassette/CD)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 24 June 1989

THE VELVET BLUNDERGROUND ...

The Blue Nile: Hats (Linn)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 7 October 1989

WHAT A romantic tale is The Blue Nile’s. I mean, you’re probably sick to the privy parts of hearing how they made an LP for ...

Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 14 October 1989

GLORIA ESTEFAN is a goddess. While popular music searches for something to pep up its ailing corpse and, typically, picks on rock music — I ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: Automatic (Blanco y Negro)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 14 October 1989

"Don't let your life be the butt of the joke/Get your lips round a pure black Pepsi Coke" – 'Here Comes Alice' ...

Kate Bush: Let Them Eat Kate: The Sensual World

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 21 October 1989

FOUR YEARS TO produce one LP works out at ten minutes per year of The Sensual World, with an extra three minutes 48 for cassette ...

Grace Jones: Ladies And Gentlemen, Disgrace Jones

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 9 December 1989

GRACE JONES is a living, laughing legend. She's wrestled with James Bond, battered Russell Harty, and now she's back once again to sit on the ...

New Kids On The Block: Hangin' Tough (Epic)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 20 January 1990

TWO SINGLES in the Top Ten! The nation drivelling at their feet! And they don't even play on their own records! ...

Sinead O'Connor: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (Ensign LP/Cassette/CD)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 10 March 1990

THE FIRST ONE had O'Connor screaming in a storm of icy blue. This one has a sleeve that looks like a Phil Collins album, all ...

Black Box: Dreamland (RCA/DeConstruction LP/ Cassette/CD)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 5 May 1990

WHILE LOLEATTA Thingy languishes in some cell reserved for Great Pop Moaners, El Boxo as every Spanish child calls them have been off penning great ...

The B-52s: Greening Insanely

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 16 June 1990

All roads lead to 'Roam'! They used to be totally crackers but now they prattle on about saving the planet and looking after the old ...

George Michael: Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 (Epic)

Review by David Quantick, Vox, October 1990

"I WAS EVERY little hungry schoolgirl's pride and joy and I guess that was enough for me" burbles George on 'Freedom '90', a tune about ...

The Dogs D'Amour: Straight??!!

Review by David Quantick, Vox, October 1990

I REMEMBER THIS LOT when they were impeccably authentic New York Dolls copyists, with Arthur Kane barnets and Johnny Thunders riffs and excess onstage falling-over. ...

Paul Simon: Rhythm Of The Saints

Review by David Quantick, Vox, November 1990

FOUR YEARS AFTER GRACELAND and Paul Simon returns with another album of Third World inspired pop music, this time songs recorded with Brazilian musicians. Rhythm ...

EMF: Clearwell Caves, Gloucestershire

Live Review by David Quantick, Smash Hits, 28 November 1990

THE FOREST OF DEAN in rural Gloucestershire is not the sort of place you would call "the home of very noisy rock 'n' roll"; this ...

Dinosaur Jr.: Enter the Wagon

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 12 January 1991

After a fallow few years, slug rock sensations DINOSAUR JR are back with a worthy successor to 1988's Freak Scene in The Wagon and a ...

David Lee Roth: A Little Ain't Enough (Warner Brothers/All formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 19 January 1991

DAVID LEE Roth is a flash git. When not playing golf or making videos in which he smiles too much, the man with the stupid ...

Gang Starr: Gangin' Tough

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 16 February 1991

Utterly splendid eclectic rap duo GANG STARR have sympathy for Saddam and Farrakhan, dis Vanilla Ice and think Mötley Crüe are dope, but were too ...

Gloria Estefan: Into The Light (Epic/All formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 16 February 1991

THE TRUE Empress of Pop is among us once more. The other pop stars are fine, but in comparison resemble cartoon characters. Neither Prince (boggly ...

Kim Appleby: Can I Play With Gladness

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 23 February 1991

Don't worry! KIM APPLEBY'S return to the charts has been one of the most satisfying sights of recent months, after the tragic end of Mel ...

Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give Who Up?

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Vox, March 1991

Tear down your glossy posters. For the days of teen idolism are over — according to the improved, longer-lasting Rick Astley. A new album and ...

Morrissey: Kill Uncle (HMV/All formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 2 March 1991

BETTER RELATE THAN NEVER ...

Pet Shop Boys: Opera House, Blackpool

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 8 June 1991

"WELL, MY mother would agree with you," says Neil Tennant after. "She doesn't like the first half either." ...

New Model Army: Clogged Up In Geneva

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Vox, July 1991

Are New Model Army really stupid bastards? How often do they change their underwear? What do people say in hairdressers? Is everyone in Switzerland cuckoo? ...

The La's: Some Mavers Do Have ’Em: The La’s in America

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 3 August 1991

The La's are sat outside a cafe in New York's Chelsea district with their manager Rob, [photographer] Tim Jarvis and me.They are relaxing before tonight's ...

EMF: The Unbelievable Truth

Interview by David Quantick, Spin, September 1991

The real story behind EMF — what the name really stands for, what's up with sampling, and more. DAVID QUANTICK takes a dip into the ...

EMF: Sombrero Guys Have All the Luck

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 7 September 1991

Call the copse! America's favourite "alternative" group EMF are Number One and on one, naughty rock 'n' roll Bash Street Kids taking full advantage of, ...

Robert Wyatt: Dondestan (Rough Trade/All formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 14 September 1991

IT'S BEEN six years since Robert Wyatt last made a record, the wayward and twisty Old Rotten Hat. Before that, Wyatt spent a decade making ...

Kylie Minogue: A Wallaby Adored

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 28 September 1991

Be very afraid, indie saddos, for the Queen God-Empress of the Known Universe, KYLIE MINOGUE, will now transform into a Perv Rock Temptress before your ...

Erasure: Gdansk for the Memories

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Vox, November 1991

East-West relations continue to thaw, and what better cultural emissaries to Poland than Erasure's sparky popsters Andy Bell and Vince Clarke? On a recent jaunt ...

Pet Shop Boys: Heaven, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 2 November 1991

"WE'VE PLAYED 17 times," beams Neil Tennant, "and this is the first time the computers have gone down." While programmers rush round looking under lids, ...

Belinda Carlisle: Christmas Crackers

Interview by David Quantick, Vox, January 1992

It may be Christmas but it's the season of no fun for Belinda Carlisle. VOX found her heavy with child, enslaved by her hormones and ...

The Sugarcubes: Sugarcubes: Shout To Lunch

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 January 1992

"It is too cold in this country," sighs Einar Orn. "Cold and damp." He sips at his warming Guinness. Bjork Gudmundsdottir giggles to herself over ...

The Pogues, Joe Strummer: The Pogues and Joe Strummer: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 January 1992

THE EVENING starts, bizarrely enough. In a pub which is not only playing the whole of The Best of The Pogues but whose bar is ...

Shonen Knife: Shonen is a Punk Locker!

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 11 January 1992

LAST YEAR in America a tribute album devoted to SHONEN KNIFE came out, with all the usual suspects like Sonic Youth on it. ...

Manic Street Preachers: It Takes An Advance Of Millions To Hold Us, Bach

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 15 February 1992

Glammed up gobshites from the arse-end of nowhere, the MANIC STREET PREACHERS have, in a few short months, achieved their hearts' desires — a Top ...

Billy Bragg: Malcolm Essex

Report and Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 7 March 1992

OH DEAR. I am going to marry Billy Bragg. It's like this; Billy and I are in a tacky sort of '50s retro gift shop ...

Groupies: Stars In Their Thighs

Report and Interview by Steven Wells, David Quantick, New Musical Express, 28 March 1992

NME'S LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT GO HUMP IN THE NIGHT ...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Red Hot Chili Peppers: Ich Bin Ein Chiliburger

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Vox, April 1992

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' latest album BloodSugarSexMagik is powerful enough to blow anyone's socks off — so perhaps that's why David Quantick found them ...

XTC: Times They Are A Changin'

Interview by David Quantick, Vox, June 1992

Most XTC-ellent! After a three-year Bill and Ted-styled sojourn in history, pop's eccentric gurus have returned with a new LP, Nonsuch. Singer Andy Partridge waxes ...

Kiss: The Tongue Remains The Same

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 6 June 1992

Wise up puckers! Are Neanderthal Moz-bashers KISS born-again rawk monsters or lip-smackin' duds? Ironic or moronic? Sexy or sexist? DAVID QUANTICK trades, ahem, licks with ...

Wilson Phillips: Shadows and Light (EMI/Far too many formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 20 June 1992

FROM SUNNY California comes the new Wilson Phillips LP, eager to taste our salt tears. Tears, that is, of boredom, for there is no entity ...

Unmen: Love Under Water And Other Motion Picture Music (Some Bizzare/All formats)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 July 1992

I KNOW bugger all about Unmen save that they're called Giles Perring and Nick Cash. About Giles Perring I know nothing, but I know Nick ...

Right Said Fred, Saint Etienne: St. Etienne: Saint Misbehavin'

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 31 October 1992

POP QUIZ! Which band have covered a Neil Young song, a Fall song, and a Right Said Fred song? St Etienne — who else but, ...

Pop Rules!

Comment by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 6 February 1993

So we all know the Brits Awards are a farce. So damn well nearly all of our favourites have been overlooked in favour of a ...

Primal Scream, ZZ Top: ZZ Top: Can't Get Out Of Beard

Interview by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 19 March 1994

They were poor, humble boogie-woogie Texan boys. And then ZZ TOP discovered beards!, buffalo!, babes! and car seat covers! so they could take over the ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: The Jesus And Mary Chain: Stoned and Dethroned (Blanco y Negro)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 13 August 1994

WHEN YOU ARE the Jesus and Mary Chain and your life is willingly bounded by certain influences – let's rise once more from our orthopaedic ...

Supergrass: I Should Coco

Review by David Quantick, MOJO, July 1995

I Should Coco begins with one bloke muttering "know wot I mean?", another shouting "ONE TWO FREE FAW!" and an almighty shower of drumming. It ...

Blur: Floral Hall, Winter Gardens, Eastbourne

Live Review by David Quantick, MOJO, November 1995

"Blimey," says Damon Albarn as he takes the stage. How apt, Blur, as even tiny children in their prams know, are the current monarchs of ...

Pulp: Jacques Brel Art Disco I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life

Interview by David Quantick, Q, November 1995

"I'VE BEEN in the studio all the time. I mean, look at me, I'm nearly transparent! I feel bad, really – they're saying it's the ...

Eternal: Power Of A Woman (EMI/CD/Cassette)

Review by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 4 November 1995

YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACKLISTED ...

Def Leppard: Slang

Review by David Quantick, Q, June 1996

FOR DEF Leppard, it really ought to be That Time Of The Career. ...

Everything But The Girl: We Want To Be Togethurr…

Interview by David Quantick, Q, July 1996

LUXEMBOURG IS not, it may be safely said, the most exciting country in the world. Even the national anthem is reduced to banging on about ...

Mark Morrison: Have You Paid For That, Sir?

Interview by David Quantick, Q, August 1996

I have actually – for I am Number 1 swingster Mark Morrison, former lodger at Her Majesty's pleasure, Leicester's most wanted and fully qualified (and, ...

Mike Oldfield, Orbital: Pleased To Meet You: Mike Oldfield & Orbital

Interview by David Quantick, Q, October 1996

Without "funny" Mike Oldfield ambient music as we know it might never have existed. Without ex-baldies Orbital the Royal Albert Hall might never have hosted ...

The Beautiful South: Paul Heaton: "I'm gonna vote Major!"

Interview by David Quantick, Q, December 1996

…fibs Paul Heaton, leader of The Beautiful South, who're following up the third most successful album of all time with what they would like to ...

The Monkees: People Said They Monkeyed Around

Interview by David Quantick, Q, April 1997

...only they didn't. At all. For being The Monkees was no fun. They couldn't play on their records; their film was crap, but, unlike the ...

En Vogue: Girl Power!

Interview by David Quantick, Q, July 1997

They are the quite spicy girls. A long time ago, they were manufactured by a pair of svengalis. Since then, they've had lorryloads of hits, ...

Mary J. Blige: Amager Bio, Copenhagen ****

Live Review by David Quantick, Q, January 1998

Once grumpy and so hopeless live she'd get booed offstage. Now... Nice Girl ...

Mary J. Blige: Nice Girl

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Q, January 1998

Once grumpy and so hopeless live she'd get booed off stage. Now… ...

Catatonia: Bubbling Under

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Q, March 1998

They're about to break through, they're ever so Welsh and their singer is losing her voice on the first date of the tour... ...

Garbage: What Do You Think Of It So Far?

Interview by David Quantick, Q, June 1998

Garbage! They've sold millions of albums, but they wonder if that's a good thing when Steve Marker's gone stir crazy, Shirley Manson is shackled and ...

Shania Twain

Profile and Interview by David Quantick, Q, July 1998

Fruity country singer related to Def Leppard and Bryan Adams by marriage. ...

Robbie Williams: I've Been Expecting You (Chrysalis 4978372)

Review by David Quantick, Q, December 1998

Boy Power: He was in Take That but he doesn't like to talk about it. Not much he doesn't. ...

Beth Orton: Mild Thing: Beth Orton: Central Reservation (Heavenly) **

Review by David Quantick, Q, April 1999

The Janis Joplin of the Heavenly Social Club finally delivers sequel to Trailer Park. ...

Gay Dad: ICA, London

Live Review by David Quantick, Q, August 1999

Roll over Mike Flowers, tell Chesney Hawkes the news: they're serious. ...

David Bowie: "Now Where Did I Put Those Tunes?"

Interview by David Quantick, Q, October 1999

He took Sly Stone's drugs. He thought Bing looked like a little orange on a stool. He named his son Duncan and is madly in ...

Gary Barlow: Listen Without Prejudice — Gary Barlow: Twelve Months & Eleven Days (RCA CD74321702182)

Review by David Quantick, Q, November 1999

He's made another record. Back for good, then? ...

Later vs CD:UK Soundclash!

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Q, May 2000

Pop on telly: sounds foolproof doesn't it? So why — from Gas Tank to the gopping Jo Whiley Show — is it invariably cocked up? ...

Garbage: Cash For Questions With Shirley Manson

Interview by David Quantick, Q, June 2000

Chair throwing, coprophagy, sniffing Courtney Love... and that's just you lot – arf! Garbage's fiery songstress would much rather relax with Ravel and some GM ...

Super Furry Animals: Brighton Concorde 2

Report and Interview by David Quantick, Q, June 2000

IN BRIGHTON, the only sound at night is the scream of seagulls circling the bay and the not dissimilar scream of students circling the bar ...

Fatboy Slim: He's Having A Ball!

Profile and Interview by David Quantick, Q, December 2000

No more doing cocaine off the London to Brighton line, but life is still sweet for the compulsive DJ, celebrity spouse and "geeky, nerdy, baldy ...

Linkin Park: Boys from The Backstreet

Interview by David Quantick, Q, Summer 2001

Are Linkin Park the pre-fabricated face of nu-metal? Drug convictions, obsessive fans and a festival slot alongside Slipknot would suggest otherwise. "We really don't give ...

Almost Unknown: How Lloyd Cole Knew My Father, the British counterpart to Almost Famous, came into being

Report by David Quantick, Rock's Backpages, 9 March 2002

THERE ARE many differences between Britain and America – they like Hootie and the Blowfish, for example, and we like Chas and Dave; their milk ...

David Bowie: Mr Universe: David Bowie: Heathen (ISO/Columbia) ****

Review by David Quantick, Q, June 2002

Rock's original spaceboy flexes his muscles. ...

Grandaddy: Hobo Sapiens

Report and Interview by David Quantick, The Word, July 2003

Born in a place anyone would be desperate to leave, Grandaddy decided to stay, and earn their wit and wisdom the hard way. Now their ...

Dido: Soup with Dido

Interview by David Quantick, The Word, September 2003

DIDO LIVES in Islington, along with half the Labour Party, the entire cast of EastEnders and the late Arthur Mullard, who used to sit outside ...

Cocteau Twins: Lullabies To Violaine Volumes 1 and 2

Review by David Quantick, The Word, May 2006

THE COCTEAU TWINS, in their 15-year career, were extremely fond of the EP format, so it makes sense for 4AD to bring all these together ...

Editors: An End Has A Start

Review by David Quantick, The Word, July 2007

Aloof yet commercial, glacial but rich... Editors are an awful lot more than the Joy Division that never went disco. ...

Midlake: Milkmaid Grand Army

Review by David Quantick, The Word, February 2008

The indie Fleetwood Mac reveal a rough bark on their reissued debut EP. ...

Morrissey: Greatest Hits

Review by David Quantick, The Word, March 2008

There's a lot of Morrissey's newer, louder, less subtle music on his latest greatest hits. David Quantick finds his patience is at an end. ...

Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, September 2008

Brian's back! Again! A Californian song-cycle — Van Dyke Parks contributes words. ...

New Order Reissues

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, 24 September 2008

THERE'S A FILM by mardy avant-garde writer BS Johnson called You're Human Like The Rest Of Us, whose title expresses how many of us came ...

Lindsey Buckingham: Gift Of Screws

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, October 2008

Mac man's punchy pop-rock manifesto ...

The Streets: Everything Is Borrowed **

Review by David Quantick, Q, October 2008

The last one honked. This is possibly even worse. ...

Paul Weller: Paul Weller At The BBC

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, December 2008

4-CD set proves he's more changing man than Plodfather. ...

Pete Doherty: Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, April 2009

The Libertine has landed, with a proper solo debut, says David Quantick. ...

Madness: The Liberty Of Norton Folgate

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, June 2009

AS THE SPECIALS reunion — reunion, my copious arse — gets more publicity, one can only hope that this far more interesting 2-Tone-related event will ...

Billy Childish: Archive From 1959 – The Billy Childish Story

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, August 2009

IT USED TO BE 1979. It's now 2009. Billy Childish — author, poet, painter, musician, influence on everyone from Tracey Emin to The White Stripes ...

Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band: Between My Head And The Sky

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, October 2009

Violent, but tender, Sean Lennon's mum is back! ...

Buddy Holly: Not Fade Away – The Complete Studio Recordings And More

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, March 2010

IN A 50-YEAR recording career, Buddy Holly, who died last Christmas at the age of 74, influenced everyone from the Beatles to Bob Dylan, and ...

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Tender Prey, The Good Son, Henry's Dream

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, May 2010

The dark masters caught in transition, and all the better for being reissued, says David Quantick. ...

Iggy Pop, The Stooges: Iggy and the Stooges: Raw Power

Review and Interview by David Quantick, Jaan Uhelszki, Uncut, June 2010

Fine 3-CD reissue with live bootleg and much more ...

The Cure: Disintegration (Deluxe Edition)

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, July 2010

Smith & co's America-conquering eighth album. Its brilliance is in its confidence, says David Quantick. ...

Grinderman: "Low on acting ability and charisma, but high on facial hair and exhibitionism"

Interview by David Quantick, Uncut, September 2010

And now, it's Cave's other deranged blues band! Uncut gatecrashes a chaotic video shoot to meet..Grinderman! ...

Manic Street Preachers: Postcards From A Young Man

Review and Interview by David Quantick, Uncut, October 2010

Their 10th album is a glam belter, full of fire and thunder, gospel choirs and orchestras. But still not pompous, says David Quantick ...

The Jam: Sound Affects Deluxe Edition (Universal)

Review by David Quantick, Uncut, December 2010

1980: THE JAM are at their creative and commercial peak, after the career-saving All Mod Cons album and the brilliant 'Eton Rifles' and 'Going Underground' ...

John Grant

Profile and Interview by David Quantick, Uncut, January 2011

John Grant overcame religious bigotry, homophobia, drug addiction and depression to make one of the greatest albums of 2010. But why does one of his ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: A Dog's Life

Review by David Quantick, The Word, March 2011

The ever-rising legacy of the Bonzo Dog Band — every shade of music and humour faithfully packaged in one 3CD box. ...

Pop Has Eaten Itself for the Very Last Time: Simon Cowell

Comment by David Quantick, Daily Telegraph, 3 June 2011

People will look back on Simon Cowell and his hideous creations and wonder how we fell for it, writes David Quantick. ...

David Bowie, Peter Frampton, The Herd, Humble Pie: Peter Frampton: Fables Of The Resurrection

Interview by David Quantick, The Word, January 2012

He had the biggest-selling album of all time and then "completely tanked" for 28 years. Peter Frampton, this is your rebooted life! ...

Reeves Gabrels, Bill Nelson: Reeves Gabrels and Bill Nelson: Fantastic Guitars

Review by David Quantick, loudersound.com, 22 July 2014

Cult axemen combine to explosive effect ...

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