Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2023 i Classic Pop

Nick Rhodes has always struck me as the kind of person who marches very much to the beat of his own drum. “The idea of how Thank You was received in 1995 only makes me want to do more covers, not less,” he tells Classic Pop in our exclusive interview this issue with Duran Duran about new studio LP, Danse Macabre. You’ve got to admire his confidence. Many bands would have headed for the hills never to be seen again following the critical drubbing that was handed out to Thank You back in the mid-90s, but Duran are undoubtedly made of stronger stuff. With a very loose Halloween theme, their latest album – which was recorded in a scarcely believable blink-and-you’ll-miss-it four days – features covers, reworked songs from Duran’s…

Legendary producer Trevor Horn has teamed up with a host of A-list artists for a new solo album that reworks classic hits across a 30-year timeframe from 1982 to 2012. Among the big names featured on the 11-track Echoes – Ancient & Modern are Seal, Iggy Pop, Marc Almond, Rick Astley and Tori Amos plus husband-and-wife team Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp. Released on 1 December via Deutsche Grammophon, a first single – Grace Jones’ Slave To The Rhythm as reimagined by Lady Blackbird – is available now. Speaking to former Art Of Noise collaborator Paul Morley, Horn discussed how he chose the tracks to rework – and the artists to help him transform those originals. “Finding the right singers was as important as finding the songs, probably more so,”…

James Blunt’s social media zingers might be in a little shorter supply next Spring as the singer-songwriter will be tied up with an extensive UK arena tour. The 12-date series of live shows – which includes two nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall – will promote his new album Who We Used To Be, released on 27 October via Atlantic Records. Blunt gave a sneak peak of the forthcoming live show with a performance at Radio 2 In The Park at Leicester’s Victoria Park on 16 September. Beginning on 30 March 2024 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, Blunt and his band will visit cities including Brighton, Newcastle, Cardiff and Bournemouth in addition to the Albert Hall dates (9-10 April). For tickets and details, visit jamesblunt.com…

CHILDREN THE MISSION The long, long, long fade-in of the mighty opening track Beyond The Pale, with titular children playing in the background, sets the tone for a joyous, hypnotic second album from The Mission, cementing their place at the smoother, darker end of goth rock. Produced by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the whole recording is impressively polished and professional without conceding any gothic principles whatsoever, thus allowing the musicianship of the band to reach its full potential. Wayne Hussey’s vocal variations on an array of strong songs are admirable – brooding on Heaven On Earth, building dramatically on Kingdom Come and pleasingly coherent on Aerosmith cover Dream On. The main hit, Tower Of Strength, fits all the gothic criteria while also being a fine pop song, Heat…

He was the ex-boxer who became the affable face of early 90s pop soul with easy-on-the-ear hits like Outstanding, Thinking About Your Love and Best Of You. But there’s a lot more to Kenny Thomas than meets the eye. He tells Classic Pop how after getting burnt by the music biz in the mid-90s, he switched careers to become a trained acupuncturist, ended up fronting Living In A Box and how his own daughter’s illness has taught him to live in the moment. You broke through in the early 90s, the peak of the rave era: music not generally known for its soulful qualities. Did it feel as if you were swimming against a musical tide? I have to correct you on that. Yes, the dance scene exploded around 1989,…

MUTE “I was in a state of shock, actually, when Mute said they wanted to release this album,” admits Vince Clarke about his solo debut proper arriving a remarkable 43 years into his collaborative career. Thankfully, Songs Of Silence – acollection of instrumentals, each based around a single note – isn’t the unlistenable vanity project that his own less-than-glowing endorsement would suggest. Clarke is no stranger to the wordless, of course. A famously silent partner throughout his years with Yazoo and Erasure, the 63-year-old has also let the synths do all the talking on albums with Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware and former Depeche Mode bandmate Martin Gore, not to mention sneaking out an album of library music under the name Deeptronica. But, recorded entirely on his beloved Eurorack at his…

PIAS The ex-drummers of The Cure and Siouxsie And The Banshees, Lol Tolhurst and Budgie’s roles as sometime keyboard players with their former bands proves essential in bringing their joint debut album to life. More of a dance record than any kind of extended drum solo haven, Los Angeles’ percussion naturally has some of the eccentricities of their old day jobs: Uh-Oh is firmly from The Love Cats’ beatnik world, while Everything And Nothing has the malevolent glint of Juju about it. The trio’s other member, Jacknife Lee is best known as a producer for artists like Snow Patrol and Taylor Swift, but he began as the guitarist for fiery post-punks Compulsion, so he fits in artistically, as well as a production mediator between Tolhurst’s studied playing and Budgie’s more…

679 ★★★ Mike Skinner’s second LP since reviving The Streets’ name in 2017 is far less collaborative than 2020’s None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive. While that return eased his wise geezer vocals among Greentea Peng, Ms Banks, Donae’o and a host of newcomers, Skinner is the undoubted mainman here, with associates Rob Harvey and Kevin Mark Trail the only other voices, besides Hackney rapper Teef getting flirty on Funny Dream. The soundtrack to his first film as director, Skinner’s paean to clubland isn’t quite the dance assault you’d expect. Indeed, the album shines when at its quirkiest, with the title track built on the music-hall of later The Specials and Something To Hide bouncing along on Trail’s easy-going charm over a vintage dancehall bassline. Even…

BMG ★★ With the unfinished business of the Abba reunion wrapped up, Agnetha has acquired the taste for retracing her own footsteps. But quite why her most recent solo album has been re-recorded (sorry, ‘reimagined’) on the occasion of its 10th anniversary is unclear. The original A was a fine addition to the Abba icon’s sparse solo discography, a classy collection of songs that nodded respectfully towards her past whilst pulling off the difficult trick of sounding both modern and timeless. But someone has decided that that’s not enough. That someone has doubtless also had the bright idea of turning When You Really Loved Someone into an R&B jam, complete with tinny drums and chipmunk backing vocals. The once low-key but charming Back On Your Radio is now a bouncy…

BMG In 1982, Simple Minds were on the cusp of global success. The singles from New Gold Dream: Promised You A Miracle, Glittering Prize and Someone Somewhere (In Summertime), were as polished as they were epic. At the same time, something of the post-punk experimentation of earlier years remained. It’s a fascinating period in the Minds’ odyssey, revisited here for Sky Arts’ Greatest Albums Live series. A fine recording, with enough variations on the original to stop this being the Minds acting as their own tribute act. JW…

SPIRIT OF UNICORN ★★★ While the Roger Dean-illustrated, Wakeman/Yes-evoking cover of DBA’s fifth LP suggests a wallow in 70s prog waters (keyboardist Geoff Downes has been in Yes and Asia), Celestial Songs feels more Simple Minds than ELP. Some tracks, such as the glistening yacht rock of Keep On Moving, would fit onto a recent Take That album, while others, including Beyond The Stars, sound like they’ll one day become someone’s Britain’s Got Talent audition. With most around the four-minute mark, Lana Del Rey/Marc Almond songwriter Chris Braide ensures this is more pop than prog. SO…

VIA BANDCAMP ★★★★ Formed back in 2019 as a studio-based duo inspired by a shared love of 80s synth-driven post-punk, London-based Magnetic Skies deliver their long-awaited debut album as a fourpiece – and it’s well worth the wait. Glacial, analogue electronic textures abound, often melded with juggernaut choruses. That’s best evidenced via the soaring You Shine On, while the Cure-like gravitas of Suffocate, the shimmering Outside, and bass-driven Fading Lights are further highlights. Propulsive and melodic, their songcraft impresses throughout. Steve Harnell…

WARNER One of the all-time great singles compilations, Substance 1987 shouldn’t work: it features the 12” versions of New Order’s previous 11 singles, rather than the casual fan-friendly radio edits. It ends on an early example of a new single specially recorded for a hits album. Most of those are phoned in: New Order, however, dashed off True Faith, still the greatest example of the genre. Two of the hits, Temptation and Confusion, were re-recorded for the compilation. Normally an absolute non-starter of an idea, the new versions really are better than the ones they supplant, so that 36 years later it can jar when the reedier originals come on. The original edition’s second CD added the relevant B-sides. The pre-Blue Monday singles featured some interesting early experiments. Yet, bar…

SFE ★★★★ On joining Warner from Parlophone, Marc Almond’s new label boss Rob Dickins wanted “the definitive Marc Almond” album. Almond was produced for the first time by Trevor Horn – as well as reunited with Dave Ball, via two songs produced by The Grid. Together with his long-time arranger Billy McGee and Nigel Hine, Almond co-produced three songs, too. If you’re struggling to keep up, so was Almond: the singer now views Tenement Symphony as “Two different mini-albums” that don’t hang together. While the eclecticism can thrill, you can see Marc’s point: rather than definitive, songs like Vaudeville And Burlesque feel like they’re trying too hard to be A Moment. Neon-lit romance Meet Me In My Dream was a bright mid-paced groove with The Grid while, produced by Horn,…

CHERRY RED ★★★★ It’s perfectly fitting that Howard Jones’ 4CD 40-year boxset begins with the sparkling soul-pop strut Things Can Only Get Better. Since crashing the charts in August 1983 with peerless synth-pop singalong New Song, the Bucks-raised artist has kept his creative compass pointed firmly towards the future. Also available in 2CD or 2LP editions, Celebrate It Together has the usual combination of hits, rare tracks, video mixes and alternate takes. What distinguishes the 4CD is how it’s arranged thematically into four distinct approaches: Popular Hits, Electro, Chill, and Curiosities. This division gives a much better overview of Jones’ catalogue and range, with the Electro disc’s propulsive, robotic Who You Really Want To Be and the Chill set’s introspective City Song plus piano-driven Someone You Need standing tall. Although…

BMG ★★★★ Only a crazed fool would now dismiss the era when Stock Aitken & Waterman basically ran pop, after Pete Waterman surmised that he could be onto a winner by offering a tasting menu of disco, Hi-NRG and Northern Soul via the medium of the boys and girls next door. SAW first appeared in 1984 and basically revolutionised everything for the next six years. Thankfully, packages such as this are digging deeper to tell an alternative trajectory of the modern Motown. Across 3CDs or 4LPs, these 24 tracks offer readily available more-bop-than-pop reswizzles, plus rare and previously unreleased gems such as Princess’ Say I’m Your Number One (Tony King’s 5 Years On 12” Mix), Kylie Minogue’s What Kind of Fool (12” Master Mix) and Rick Astley’s She Wants To…

DISCO DISCHARGE/DEMON ★★★★★ Box of Sin is, effectively, a decade of DANCE: an exploratory shape-throw through 80s British clubland that’s heavy on gay anthems and harnesssporting Hi-NRG hoofers, in what was the advancement and evolution of club culture. It’s also lavishly packaged in paying tribute to the Disco Discharge label, with imagery from the gay nightlife of the era evoking misty water-coloured memories, and sore limbs, for anyone who was there. There’s pumping strobers like Evelyn Thomas’ High Energy, the oomphy monster of Man 2 Man’s Male Stripper as well as the demonic charge of Dead Or Alive’s Murder Mix of You Spin Me Round and Miquel Brown’s X-rated So Many Men So Little Time. There are pop-facing reboots, too, such as the Shep Pettibone uplift of Kim Wilde’s You…

UMC/MERCURY For Dire Straits, live albums were always about more than just the chance to hear slightly muddier versions of their studio catalogue. Seminal double LP Alchemy, for example, captures Mark Knopfler and co at the height of their stately ‘Floyd period’, extending breezy early cuts such as Sultans Of Swing and the reggaeflavoured Once Upon A Time In The West into sprawling, Love Over Gold-style epics. Now, that record is even longer, an extended, remastered version of 1983’s Hammersmith Odeon show being one of the highlights of this career-spanning 12LP/8CD treasury. Valedictory live set On The Night, recorded in 1992, also gets the expanded treatment, while a BBC live concert from 1978 captures the early energy of their blue-collar roots rock. Most fans, though, will head straight to Live…

DEMON ★★★★ John Luongo was one of the most influential remixers of the 70s and 80s. Starting out during disco, he worked on tracks by artists as diverse as Billy Idol, Blancmange, Rick Springfield, Cabaret Voltaire and Shakin’ Stevens. Accordingly, the latest in the Arthur Baker Presents series is nothing if not eclectic. Never unfocused, Luongo consistently hones in on what’s best about the songs he’s reworking and makes you listen anew even to a track as overly familiar as Tina Turner’s The Best. JW…

CHERRY RED ★★★★ A riot of groove and attitude, Welsh guitar popsters were such a staple on The Chart Show that it’s strange to note only their Hit The Ground made the Top 40. Andrea Lewis was defiance and insouciance incarnate across three LPs. Crawdaddy’s confident grooves are the pick, but Erotica (unluckily released two weeks after Madonna’s album) showed they went out on top for spiky riffs. 2018 single New Year is missing, but this otherwise comprehensive 5CD set has lively 2017 comeback EP Evergreen, highlighting how welcome it is to have the Buds flowering again. JE…

NINE EIGHT BOOKS ★★★★ Ian Broudie’s five decades in music includes production credits for Echo & The Bunnymen, The Fall, The Coral and The Zutons, a 35-year stint as The Lightning Seeds and one of the UK’s most recognisable anthems in Three Lions, so it’s remarkable that the overwhelming takeaway from his autobiography is that of such humility. Broudie recounts his upbringing on Merseyside and turning his passion for music into a career. Even so, he’s reluctant to take credit – putting his success down to a serendipitous series of events and chance encounters. Transporting us from the punk scene of 70s Liverpool, where he witnessed iconoclastic artists at the city’s mecca, Eric’s, to Hamburg’s Reeperbahn in the footsteps of the Fab Four, he tells an enthralling tale, with the…

CORONET ★★★★ Life is a mystery, to quote one of the Queen Of Pop’s hits, but in Madonna: A Rebel Life, Mary Gabriel does a sterling job in demystifying the shapeshifting, boundary-breaking singer. Following her shocking health scare recently, the seemingly indestructible icon is currently marking her 40th year in music with the Celebration Tour. Given that this is the first time we’ve seen the notoriously forward-thinking maverick willingly acknowledge her legacy, the timing could not be better for this enthralling new overview. If putting the life and career of the most successful and influential female artist in history under the microscope proved daunting for Gabriel, she doesn’t show it. By examining the superstar’s cultural roots and the environment that spawned her – New York’s Downtown art scene of the…

TIFFANY BECOMES YOUNGEST FEMALE CHART-TOPPER IN THE UNITED STATES 7 NOVEMBER 1987 When Tiffany made it to No.1 in the US on 7 November 1987 with I Think We’re Alone Now, she became the youngest artist to have an American chart-topper since Michael Jackson in 1972. Just 15 at the time of its recording, the song was a cover of a Tommy James And The Shondells smash from 1967. Written by Ritchie Cordell (who also penned the ‘68 hit track Mony Mony), it had also been covered by Lucky Number singer Lene Lovich in 1978, but failed to chart. Tiffany’s version, however, outperformed even the original, spending a fortnight at No.1 on the Billboard chart as well as three weeks at the summit in the UK. Not everyone was impressed…

Pet Shop Boys have announced a reissue of their much sought-after Relentless mini-album. First released as a bonus disc with 1993’s Very LP, Relentless was also available at the time as a rare standalone vinyl – limited to 500 copies – with the six tracks spread across three 12” singles. Unissued since then, it swiftly became a coveted Pet Shop Boys artefact among fans. To mark its 30th anniversary, Relentless will now be released on 20 October in a variety of formats including a limited yellow vinyl with new artwork, available exclusively via the duo’s webstore, as well as on CD and digital. Pet Shop Boys explain: “This album was an experiment for us 30 years ago with its six new extended dance tracks. We’re very proud of it and…

MISSING YOU JOHN WAITE Despite huge successes in the United States with two different bands at either end of the 80s, it was during John Waite’s solo career that British record-buyers briefly noticed him. Missing You was a power ballad of denial that the Lancashire-born Waite wrote while going through a divorce and recorded at the last minute for his second solo album, No Brakes. Over a lilting guitar track and whispered backing vocals, it managed to be both emotional and a bit of a singalong. Waite delivers the verses calmly and serenely, as if in mediation, authenticating a few lyrical clichés – amessage in the wire, frozen heart, telegraph to your soul – before stamping his foot within an excellent, anguished chorus. Waite lifted the first line (“Every time…

Pop fans have a whole host of live shows to add to their gig-going diaries for 2024 as a raft of new tours are announced. Kenny Thomas – also interviewed in this issue on page 18 – heads out on his biggest theatre tour in more than 20 years. The blue-eyed soul star and Thinking About Your Love hitmaker said: “Live gigs are one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a musician and it’s where my fans come together for a night of soul music and serious partying. So to announce the HIM 2024 tour is really exciting for me and the band. It’s also an opportunity for us to play songs from my third album HIM, which was never commercially released.” Thomas’ nine-date UK jaunt sees him visit…

The fact that the B-side has almost become a genre in itself is ironic because, if it wasn’t for the two-sided nature of vinyl records, they would never have existed – or needed to exist – in the first place. Imagine if wax cylinders had endured. They were one-sided, so no need for a flipside. At the beginning of the 80s, as pop music went into hyperdrive, so did sales of the 7” single. 99p was all it took not only to hear your favourite song from the radio but to own it, forever. And, if you were lucky, it came wrapped in some of the most groundbreaking artwork and graphic design imaginable. But let’s not overlook the fact that it also came with another side, and another song. One…

In the 1970s, Scotland’s economy and morale were hugely hit by deindustrialisation, resulting in the closure of several coal mines, factories and shipyards. But against a bleak fiscal backdrop of proliferating strike action and rising unemployment, the country’s music industry thrived, with the internationally-successful Bay City Rollers the chief flyers of the Saltire. Music certainly provided a welcome outlet for Scotland’s disaffected youth and a number of talented artists emerged during the punk rock boom of 1976, all encouraged by the fleeting subculture’s DIY ethos. And, as our countdown reveals, a plethora of acts left a lasting impression in the ensuing decade. 20 WET WET WET SWEET LITTLE MYSTERY (1987) Following their transition from punks to blue-eyed soul boys, Wet Wet Wet signed a major label deal in 1985, though…

BUTTERFLY/BIG MACHINE ★★★★ Woe betide anyone who underestimates Dolly Parton or calls her bluff. Upon her 2022 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, the country icon declared to Billboard: “I’ve always wanted to do a great rock album, and I’m going to do that.” The gesture wasn’t totally out of left field – after all, she’s covered Neil Young and The Beatles before – and her career is full of detours into disco and pop. But many still wondered whether Dolly could pull off such an audacious sonic curveball. Well, wonder no more. On Rockstar, which features mostly covers and a smattering of originals, Parton’s dedication to the rock theme is mighty impressive. So, too, is the star power she’s recruited, including Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr…

MASS APPEAL ★★★★ Now 27 years since DJ Shadow released Endtroducing... it’s a fair guess that, if you’ve only got one of his albums in your collection, it’s that rich, symphonic fantasia. Since then, Shadow has seemingly been reluctant to produce a spiritual follow-up, instead putting out a succession of fairly traditional hip-hop albums, often working with different vocalists. Action Adventure, then, is the closest he’s come to the Endtroducing... formula since 2002’s The Private Press. Of the 14 tracks here, only one (the Danceteria-evoking You Played Me) comes with vocals. The origins for this album come from previously unplayed records from his 60,000+ vinyl collection and material culled from 200 cassettes recorded off the radio in the 80s that Shadow bought off eBay. Though he’s said Action Adventure is…

BFD/THE ORCHARD ★★★★ Guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay have collaborated for more than 50 years. Although best known for their work with Roxy Music, they have also teamed up in The Explorers and released scattered projects as a duo, including 2019’s Roxymphony, a collection of orchestral Roxy Music songs recorded live the previous year. Given the pair’s backgrounds, these projects have tended to lean into a familiar groove, rooted in jazz-pop and art-prog. And although both genres are represented throughout their new instrumental collection – moments on closing track Seth even hew rather close to the seminal sophisto-pop of Avalon – the duo considerably expand their sonic boundaries, with dazzling results. Accompanied at times by instruments including violin, flute, tuba and flugelhorn, as well as a drummer and…

VERVE ★★★★ As long-time music aristocracy Brian Eno appears to have little in common with the Hackney of steely Duchane (Ashley Walters) and heavy-lidded Sully (Kano), his score to London’s answer to The Wire added a decisive, disquieting atmosphere. At times it’s ambient, but not as we know it: Overground is pretty, but Beauty And Danger is quietly menacing and little of this, least of all the main theme, is soothing. There are, nonetheless, echoes of Eno’s earlier work, such as Cutting Room I recalling aspects of Another Green World. WW…

DELL’ORSO Sometimes, the best records are the ones you didn’t know you needed. The debut from Co-Pilot, aka Manchester songwriter Alan Roberts (Jim Noir) and Leonore Wheatley of International Teachers Of Pop, is a case in point. Driven primarily by woozy, retro-sounding synths, Rotate has an off-kilter DIY feel and conveys a sense of friends having fun. But serious fun, because highlights such as the pop-inflected Move To It, the spiralling Can You See or the wistful Cornerhouse are, on closer inspection, artfully arranged and imaginative sound collages. One of the best LPs of 2023. JW…

COOKING VINYL ★★★★ For casual listeners, you would guess Billy Bragg is forever that bloke who, armed with a guitar, socialism and a clutch of kitchen sink dramas in song form, gatecrashed the 80s. Which he certainly did, as this careerspanning 14CD collection shows. (2CD, 3LP and 1LP versions are also available.) Here, on the early discs, is The Bard Of Barking writ large, a man righteously angry but capable of writing songs of great tenderness. For evidence, listen to 1983’s A New England, Between The Wars two years later, or the devastating study of stoicism and domestic violence, Levi Stubbs’ Tears from 1986. Billy’s 90s were less successful. In particular, the dreary Bragg-bynumbers William Bloke in 1996 was a nadir. Rebirth lay ahead. Working with Wilco on 1998’s Mermaid…

ROUGH TRADE ★★ / ★★★★ Bookending Green Gartside’s career following the re-release of Scritti Politti’s other albums, his Mercury-nominated 2006 comeback White Bread Black Beer and 2005’s US-only Early compilation make a return to vinyl. Consisting of 1978 debut single Skank Bloc Bologna plus the EPs 2nd Peel Session and 4 ‘A-Sides’, Early is welcome for collectors but should be approached with caution for casuals. Even Gartside had to start somewhere. In his case, it was run-of-the-mill post-punk. The debut single and Peel Session are both overly earnest and needlessly frantic, burying Gartside’s vocals in voguish choppy guitars. The band were starting to hit the form they’d gel on 1982 debut album Songs To Remember by Confidence and P.A.s, on 4 ‘A-Sides’, a more relaxed funk shuffle letting Gartside start…

UMC/ISLAND ★★★★ Maxinquaye remains a landmark album that Tricky has yet to match in the 28 years since it was first released. Steeped in sex, drugs, dub and blues, it’s the product of a unique mind and talent, which has been rightly reissued many times since 1995. So what does this ‘super deluxe’ edition have over the others? Well, it’s been remastered and in this case the audio upgrade is worth it, as it brings out all sorts of nuances and colours that this reviewer had no idea were there previously. Spread over three LPs or two CDs, there’s plenty of interesting material here, including six ‘reincarnated’ versions from 2022 – they’re radical new reinterpretations that, in some cases, bear little relation to the original versions. Aftermath is sweeter, more…

COOLTEMPO/CHRYSALIS ★★★★ There’ll always be a place for artists like Kenny Thomas, a likable chap with a pure voice who made undemanding soulful pop that sounded great on FM radio. This collects all his 90s hits, plus material from an unreleased third album and assorted remixes. Detractors might dismiss this as bland, MOR fare. Indeed, there’s nothing that you could remotely describe as edgy: all the corners have been smoothly rounded. But tracks like Best Of You and Outstanding slip down as easily and enjoyably as a strawberry daiquiri during happy hour. BS…

UMC/ISLAND Ranging from the sublime (the full-throttle punk of Salvation) to the ridiculous (the tone-deaf I Just Shot John Lennon), The Cranberries’ inconsistent 1996 album now gets the deluxe treatment. Fans will be interested in three Parisian demos recorded with first-choice producer Tim Palmer before the band decided that arena rock maestro Bruce Fairbairn could better replicate their live sound. However, the 13 tracks recorded on their troubled Free To Decide Tour prove the Irish quartet were still more exciting on stage than in the studio. JO…

CHERRY RED Lene Lovich’s baroque cabaret pop might not be for everyone, but her enduring cult fanbase will delight in rummaging through this 4CD treasury, which collects everything ‘The First Lady Of Stiff’ released for the label in her 1978-83 New Wave pomp. Of the 81 tracks, 20 are making their CD debut, adding B-sides, demos and 12” mixes and a US-only mini-LP, New Toy, to freshly mastered versions of favourites like Lucky Number and Say When. The sleevenotes include extensive thoughts from an artist with a refreshingly singular take on the world. PK…

Former Style Council vocalist Dee C. Lee has unveiled her double A-side comeback single, which sees the singer renewing links with the Acid Jazz label. Don’t Forget About Love is Lee’s first new music since 1998. The AA-side’s Be There In The Morning was originally co-written and recorded by Australian soul singer Renée Geyer and suggested to Lee by Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller. Lee’s relationship with Acid Jazz goes back to her days in The Style Council and the 2019 documentary on the group, Long Hot Summers, saw Dee renew her friendship with label founder Piller and ink a new record deal in 2021. Best known for performing with Wham! and The Style Council, Lee struck out on her own for 1985 solo single See The Day, which made No.3…

Who were your musical heroes growing up? Prince. All the way, every day. In the 80s, that was it for me. My sister liked David Bowie and my brother liked Queen and I was informed by their choices, but Prince was my thing. He was my whole identity. What was the first single that you ever bought? The 12” of Let’s Go Crazy. The first single I ever bought that wasn’t Prince was Let’s Go All The Way by Sly Fox. It was a rip-off of I Am The Walrus, wasn’t it? What’s your all-time favourite album? I would probably say Parade, ’cause it would take me back. But at the time, I had Around The World In A Day and Purple Rain on either side of a 90-minute tape,…

"We only started this band because nobody else wanted to play with us.” Andy McCluskey’s reminder of how the essentially insular world of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark began serves notice that, even by the standards of synth duos, McCluskey and Paul Humphreys are an unusual pair. Of course, in Britain at least, OMD invented the synth duo template the moment they began playing their first shows at Eric’s in Liverpool in 1978, initially as a side-project from prog six-piece The Id. The pair have much in common, aesthetically as much as musically: they’re interviewed separately, but both choose to greet Classic Pop from their respective home studios. Not just because it makes for a good Zoom backdrop, but because they both enjoy showing the workings of fabulous new album…

At the dawn of the 70s, Eddy Grant, it seemed, had it all. There he was, a guy in his early twenties with a wife, a couple of sprogs, and a victorious career as lead guitarist and songwriter of The Equals, most famous for their chart-conquering hit, Baby, Come Back. He was almost the poster boy for clean living, proving that you didn’t have to be a drug-chasing libertine to be a pop star in the 60s. If there was an anti-Keith Richards at the time, it was Eddy Grant. Heart attacks aren’t supposed to be on the agenda for teetotal, vegetarian, sports-loving twentysomethings, but on New Year’s Eve 1971 that’s exactly what happened to the man born Edmond Montague Grant when he found himself in intensive care, having suffered…

BMG Life seems to have been troubled for Madness in the seven years since previous album Can’t Touch Us Now, with even their new press biography admitting recent times “saw the band at their most polarised and fragmented.” It appears Madness needed to get back to basics to reignite their songwriting spark, recording together as a six-piece, rather than going in separately in their siloed writing partnerships. Doing so – on an industrial estate in Cricklewood – proved so fruitful that they’ve dispensed with outside producers for the first time since 1988’s The Madness. Where that album largely sounded like knock-off Langer & Winstanley, Madness’ 13th LP has plenty of fresh ideas while remembering to bring the big choruses along. It’s probably their most-up for it all-out pop album since…

POLYDOR ★★★★ Much has been made that Hackney Diamonds is the Stones’ first album of new music since A Bigger Bang 18 years ago. The bigger question is: When was the last good Stones album? Steel Wheels in 1989? Thankfully, this really is the Stones’ best album since Steel Wheels: probably since 1978’s Some Girls. Mick Jagger has convincingly claimed that he only wanted to make a new LP if it was good enough. Thankfully, Hackney Diamonds is way more than the “Will this do?” shrug that’s hung over so many later Stones albums. Only the mid-paced AOR of Driving Me Too Hard sounds like it was phoned in, and even that’s perfectly pleasant, with some nice sighed backing vocals. Mostly, this is Jagger and Keith Richards finally remembering that…

BMG ★★★★ An inveterate singles lover, Johnny Marr says in the sleevenotes of his first solo compilation how important it is to write songs that “sound good in the daytime” like the Blondie and Motown seven-inches that he grew up on. That’s both a decent description of pop itself, and a summary of the material picked from his first solo decade. Even the two new songs, Somewhere and The Answer, fizz with energy: the former an arena-ready anthem with a terrific use of the phrase “Get-go”, the latter proving Marr is still a scuzzball at heart. You can trace the progression of Marr’s songwriting and vocals if you want, but the seemingly random running order means it’s best just to glory at how his solo work was on-point from the…

YOY ★★★★ “They don’t call,” VV Brown preaches as her fifth album gets underway with Break Of The Night’s thunderous drums, “Only when they need me.” It’s the kind of loaded line – we all know who “they” are – that, like the album title itself, characterises this racially charged, fiercely proud examination of Black British culture, one Brown dedicates to “the underdogs” on Marginalised. First and foremost, however, it’s a celebration – “This melanin is magical”, she affirms on Swallowing My Pride – and consequently calls upon multiple styles, some inherited from those who came before. There’s heavy dub on Just Be’s appreciation for the Windrush generation, the title itself a wink towards The SOS Band: cheerful reggae underpinning Let Us Remember By’s bitter, poetic references to genocide: and…

ACID JAZZ ★★★★ Anyone who recalls David Byrne and Tim DeLaughter’s classic turns on previous X-Press 2 singles may worry that their first LP since 2006 drops guest vocals completely. Don’t fret: Thee is Rocky and Diesel gloriously going back to basics with a succession of house bangers. From Zeven’s sinewy bounce to the route-one whistles ‘n’ klaxons heartstopper You Know (Everybody), the pace is as unrelenting as the hooks. Whatever caused them to pause for so long, they’re undeniably back. One listen to Phasing You Out and shape throwing is guaranteed. JE…

POLYDOR One of the main soundtrack artists of Netflix’s coming-of-age drama, Heartstopper, Londonbased South African singer Baby Queen mainly fulfils her promise on this full debut. Rather than work with a sprawling team, BQ (Bella Latham) creates with producer King Ed, lending her music an intimacy and relatability that many current singer-songwriters rarely achieve. The anarchic edge of early singles Buzzkill (on the deluxe edition) has been smoothed off, yet there’s still a pleasing bite to ensure Baby Queen’s reign has a distinctive flavour. JE…

HEAVENLY ★★★ After producing Noel Gallagher and Primal Scream, plus making numerous soundtracks, Holmes finally releases his first solo album since 2008. He’s lost none of the wide-eyed wonder and headrush pop, with You Will Know Me By The Smell Of Onions a dizzying drama. Too reliant on vocalist Raven Violet at times, her smoky drawl overly familiar from Holmes’ recent music, the pair combine for several escapist anthems, while the title track’s spoken melodrama is compelling. Not quite Let’s Get Killed levels of wonder, but it’s still great to have Holmes back. JE…

BMG ★★★★ That Bryan Ferry’s 1994 album is newly expanded into a 3CD/2LP set shouldn’t be a big deal. However, marking 50 years since solo debut These Foolish Things, Mamouna is the first ever expanded edition, of either Roxy Music or Ferry’s solo work. It’s also been done to finally release Horoscope, the album Bryan abandoned halfway in the seven-year gap between Bête Noire and Mamouna. Famously, Ferry had writers’ block, ditching Horoscope to instead make covers album Taxi as a stopgap. Considering Ferry’s reputation as Britain’s most fastidious pop icon, letting us hear Horoscope, even 30 years later, is rather remarkable. But you can see why Ferry is finally showing his workings: while Mamouna has more intricate, atmospheric versions than the four songs it shares with Horoscope, it’s also…

UMC It could have been so different. If Kirsty MacColl hadn’t left Stiff Records to record Desperate Character, her lauded 1981 debut LP, only to be dropped before her second album... If, after leaving Polydor, Stiff hadn’t gone bankrupt, leaving her in legal limbo... If others working with her, or covering her songs, hadn’t overshadowed her own recordings... If her diversity were seen as strength, not weakness, and her playfulness viewed as appealing instead of a novelty... And then, most poignantly, if she had not been run down while peacefully swimming in 2000. All these scenarios play out listening to this new 8CD boxset filled with classic singles, admirable album tracks, demos, sessions and live recordings. Obviously, a Best Of might serve newcomers more efficiently to encounter evergreens such as…

UMC The NOW team would have been justified in putting their feet up to smoke celebratory cigars after delivering their 40th birthday compilations to the nation. Instead, here’s the launch of another 80s series proving they are nowhere near exhausting the decade for goodness just yet. In focusing on Hi-NRG and pop, the first Eighties Dancefloor is an ecstatic celebration. It’s got the big hitters – Relax, Venus, Don’t Leave Me This Way – but is more impressive for sneaking in long-lost bangers like Barbara Pennington’s All American Boy and Sheryl Lee Ralph’s In The Evening without interrupting the flow. NOW know what they’re doing, so here is the legendary Male Stripper in its proper context: sandwiched between Divine and Bronski Beat. In keeping to the single versions, there’s no…

CHERRY POP ★★★★ How did a group thrown together for Eurovision – in the days before it was even cool – end up with a run of some of the finest pop singles of the 80s? The answer was decent chemistry, good timing and, in Andy Hill, a prodigiously talented lead songwriter and/or producer, seemingly capable of churning out deceptively sophisticated pop bangers like The Land Of Make Believe, My Camera Never Lies and Talking In Your Sleep in his… well, sleep. As such, even the flops in this boxset – like You And Your Heart So Blue and the Shelley Prestonera Heart Of Stone, both co-writes with Pete Sinfield – feel like classics that got away (though the latter went on to be a hit for Cher). As well…

ROBINSONGS ★★★★ Level 42’s twilight phase is inevitably overlooked compared with their 80s heyday, a far more prolific period in which they established themselves as Britain’s premier jazz-funk fusion outfit. The Isle Of Wighters recorded just two albums in the following decade, before an initial split in 1994. But this comprehensive 7CD collection proves there was still life left in the old slap-bass. 1991’s Guaranteed arrived amid the turmoil of a move from Polydor to RCA, not to mention Mark King’s marital problems and the death of guitarist Alan Murphy. But it was pretty much business as usual musically, with the summery title track and follow-up singles Overtime and My Father’s Shoes all worthy of a place on their previous Level Best compilation. 1994’s Forever Now, however, showed they could…

CHRYSALIS ★★★ For alternative bands championed by John Peel and the inky music press, the pop landscape of the 80s could be tough to navigate. Meanwhile, as Altered Images proved with Happy Birthday in 1981, the post-punk era brought opportunities to force your way into the charts, such success also brought a pressure of expectation. This certainly seemed to affect Altered Images. Second LP Pinky Blue lacked energy and focus. Growing up in public was proving difficult and, with third album Bite, the band faced a decision: in the most simplistic terms, whether to be a rock or pop band. As evidenced by its sleeve, showing a Clare Grogan who’d seemingly been to a stylist, Altered Images chose the latter option. Over two different recording sessions, with producers Mike Chapman…

CHERRY POP For a moment in 1997, when Kylie was in her indie phase, younger sister Dannii looked poised to become the dominant Minogue. Co-produced by future hit factory Xenomania, third LP Girl was a confident venture into everything from drum & bass and deep house to trance and techno. This 4CD reissue heads further into the clubs, with 10 remixes each of careerbest singles Disremembrance and All I Wanna Do plus reworkings of Everything I Wanted and Heaven Can Wait. But it’s the original material where Dannii’s dance diva credentials shine. JO…

PANEGYRIC After 1983’s Mummer, XTC’s seventh album, now with three bonus tracks, was considered overproduced in 1984. But, compared to what the decade held in store – and perhaps thanks to Steven Wilson’s new surround sound mixes – it now feels accessibly innovative, sometimes not unlike Tears For Fears. If it’s too busy, that’s due to an excess of ideas, from opener Wake Up’s post-punk-meets-post-rock to manic closer, Train Running Low On Soul Coal. Shake You Donkey Up’s wonky rhythms were even beaten out on trays, though LinnDrums are more prominent. WW…

UMC/PROPER Del Amitri may have prospered in the CD age, but their consciously retro West Coast sound feels right at home on 180g vinyl for this new reissue. The follow-up to their breakthrough Waking Hours album, 1992’s Change Everything wrapped rootsy, radio-friendly rock and roll around the razorblade of Justin Currie’s barbed lyrics. Lead single Always The Last To Know – asummery earworm with a sting in the tale – set the tone here, while Surface Of The Moon, a lovelorn lament set against the backdrop of a changing Glasgow, remains a career high. PK…

RADIUS BOOK GROUP Widely celebrated as one of the greatest hitmakers of his time, it’s little surprise that Desmond Child’s memoir is as emotionally charged and overblown as we’d expect – in the best possible way. Renowned for writing hits for a roster that includes Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Ricky Martin, Kiss, Robbie Williams and Alice Cooper, Child’s five decades in music have produced some of the most recognisable songs of all time. In Livin’ On A Prayer, he takes us behind the scenes of their creation, resulting in one of the most candid and entertaining tell-alls in recent memory. While celebrity autobiographies have largely become sanitised accounts of late, cherry-picking stories that only show the subject and their peers in the best light, Child has no qualms about exposing the…

MONORAY As Elton John concluded his touring life this summer amid a blaze of glory, it was bittersweet that the canon of classics he has accrued over the past 50+ years would be retired from public performance. As audiences sang along one last time, Bernie Taupin – the man who penned the lyrics to those timeless hits – was putting the finishing touches to his autobiography. Though the story of the Elton/Bernie partnership is now well-known having been recounted in John’s autobiography, Me, and on celluloid via Rocketman, it’s interesting to hear Taupin’s perspective and the early part of Scattershot is by far the most engaging. The formation of their friendship and professional partnership demands attention and lulls the reader to root for them to succeed. Of course they do…