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Neil Taylor

Neil Taylor

Neil Taylor worked for NME from approximately 1983 to 1987 and is most closely associated with the Indie rock of that period. His early work on such bands as the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Wedding Present, Primal Scream, Bogshed, Big Flame, We've Got A Fuzzbox... and others helped cement the fledgling indie scene in 1984 and 1985, culminating in the release of the NME cassette tape C86.

In the early 1990s, he went to work in publishing, eventually becoming the Publishing Director of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, part of the Orion Publishing Group, before leaving to set up a literary agency, neiltaylorassociates.During his publishing career he has commissioned and/or edited a number of eminent British literary authors, including Lawrence Norfolk, Jake Arnott, Matt Thorne, David Mitchell, Peter Ackroyd, Justin Hill, Toby Litt, and Tibor Fischer.

Neil is the author of Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade (Orion, 2009) and C86 & All That, a book about indie rock after post-punk.

16 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Bodines,The, Primal Scream: The Bodines/Primal Scream: Young, Loud & Snotty

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 3 August 1985

Times up! NEIL TAYLOR puts his typewriter where his gripes are and pleads on behalf of new, young punk-rock style groups (like PRIMAL SCREAM and ...

The Durutti Column: Riverside Studios, London

Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 15 September 1984

SIXTY FOOT up in the Riverside gantry, amongst the clutter of microphones, lights, and soundmen, we witness the return of The Durutti Column. A grand ...

Felt: Poem Of The River (Creation)

Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 4 July 1987

THE MOST FASCINATING aspect of the band Felt is Lawrence's insatiable urge to constantly free-fall the perimeters of his creative ability. ...

Girlschool: Nightmare At Maple Cross (GWR)

Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 25 October 1986

WHEN THE metal messiah Lemmy recently stated on the radio that Heavy Metal was all about tunes, and that vocals, lyrics, and accessories were unimportant, ...

Icicle Works: The Drips Who Turned To Rock

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 9 August 1986

Four years ago, ICICLE WORKS' hit single 'Love Is A Beautiful Colour' branded them as wimps. But now they're back, harder and happier, with the ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: Jesus And Mary Chain! A Riot

Report by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 16 March 1985

Neil Taylor witnesses yet more violence at a Jesus And Mary Chain concert. ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: Three Johns, Islington, London

Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 3 November 1984

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SEING... ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain: Vile Evil From East Kilbride!

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 8 December 1984

NEIL TAYLOR suffers a collision with THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, a smash'n'grab gang from Scotland who're terrifying audiences and dopey record biz types everywhere. ...

The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Motorcycle Boy: The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Motorcycle Boy: Rock City, Nottingham

Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 19 September 1987

KICKSTART ME, JESUS ...

The Nightingales: Nightingales: We Spit In Your Gravy

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 5 April 1986

So say the reanimated NIGHTINGALES, who've found a new lease of life — on the fiddle. NEIL TAYLOR hears about country life and the strings ...

The Pastels: Suck On The Pastels

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 25 January 1986

Five singles old and The Pastels aren't as funny as Lloyd Cole. Nonplussed NEIL TAYLOR wonders why. ...

Pepsi & Shirlie: When Did You Last See George Michael's Trousers?

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 24 October 1987

You've heard the phrase 'All mouth and no trousers' — but does it refer to George Michael and his vanishing keks? To Top Shoppers PEPSI ...

SPK Riot at ICA

Report by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 13 October 1984

ARMED WITH arc-welders, paint sprays, sculpture gear, drills and various other odd-bod instruments, metallic industrialists SPK were due to take the ICA stage last Thursday ...

Bruce Springsteen: Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel Of Love (CBS)

Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 10 October 1987

Tunnel Vision ...

Strawberry Switchblade: ICA, London

Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 15 October 1983

THE ECLECTIC confines of the ICA's well-organised Pop-Goes-The-Easel Week once again played host to developing talent. In amongst the unlikely mixture of intellectual behemoths and ...

We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It: Big Fuzz From The Jungle

Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 1 March 1986

We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're
 Gonna Use It. What more can you
 say? Neil Taylor gets a word or two 
in edgeways. ...

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