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Review: Something of a deity to many, Paul Weller has undergone more than his fair share of metamorphoses in a storied forty year career, but the quality control of his output post-2007's '22 Dreams' has surprised even some of most ardent devotees, and 'A Kind Revolution' is ample evidence that even as he approaches 60 his creative energy and questing spirit are undimmed. He's still searching for new modes of expression that belie his reputation as a soul-style traditionalist, and in a fractious and hostile era, the messages of hope are as much a balm as his increasingly mellifluous voice.

Review: T. Rex was the primary force in glam rock, thanks of course to the creative direction of guitarist and vocalist Marc Bolan T. Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on their wailing ballads. This double 7" marks the 50th anniversary of their legendary performance in Lincolnshire's Gliderdome where 4 brand new songs were debuted, including 'Thunderwing' of course. Including 3 acoustic renditions of classic songs, this live album represented a huge milestone for the 70s British glam-rock era - with longtime fans of the genre hearing the influences others took from the sonics that the group were pushing. Fans will know that their Number 1 hit 'Telegram Sam' was also performed that night though mysteriously no such recording exists - this version is as good as they come.

Review: This latest Record Store Day 2020 treat is a colourful 10" picture disc with two The Rolling Stones live recordings that have never been commercially available before. On side one is 'Rock & A Hard Place' as played live in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's a big licking affair with jangling guitars and driving drums making for an energetic cut. Flip it over and you'll head to Tokyo, where 'Almost Hear You Sigh' was recorded. It's a more downbeat and tender tune that works as a nice yin to the opener's yang.

Review: With the lead track a jangly, brass-infused, upbeat celebration of hope and the increasingly-unbelievable idea that we can stop impending doom in its tracks and safeguard the planet, its flora, fauna, and people, complete with pro-diversity music video, you could be forgiven for thinking former-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr had woken up and forgotten what year it was.

In reality, although somewhat out of place amid 2021's pandemics, immigration rows, environmental catastrophe, and general cynicism, the track is exactly what the doctor ordered. If medical professionals prescribed music. It's positive, it's determined, and most importantly it's not self aware but instead unabashedly optimistic. With this in mind, our best advice is to jump on board - not least as there's a further three tracks on offer, all of which are equally potent.

Review: Recorded at home in Ringo Starr's Roccobella West studio, the former Beatles drummer has drafted a number of long-term partners in crime for his latest release. Those names include Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, Fave Coz, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, and Bruce Sugar, among others. But, ingredients aside, what's the end result actually like?

Well, for one thing, it feels like a record made with camaraderie. The appropriately-titled 'Everyone & Everything' has a definite Fab Four vibe to its outro, requesting that all in earshot get involved in a chorus designed to get everyone and everything singing along. 'Let's Be Friends' takes that atmosphere to the after party, "Ya, ya, ya, ya" vocal hook making the whole thing sound slightly madcap. Meanwhile, closer 'Free Your Soul' invites us into smoother and sexier surrounds via sax and tropical beats.

Review: The Quireboys are up there with the very best of the gypsy rock and roll scene. Their A Bit Of What You Fancy album is now a hard to believe 30 years old and to mark the occasion it gets a limited edition reissue that has been totally re-recorded. The hard working band bring plenty of new life to the music, fresh perspective and oodles of energy. It comes on special blue vinyl and comes after a sell out tour of 35 dates around the UK in 2019 and reaffirms the band as at the top of their game.

Review: "This 10" single reissue comes in celebration of the upcoming 30th anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne's 'No More Tears'. A new mashup sure to inspire only the best moshpitting and hair-flicking skills from every true hard rock head, this new track hears a the original Ozzy song mashed up with Motorhread's version. Never before released, it sounds like an alternate Dante eagerly cruising through the many layers of hell, as new drum reversings, stereo effects and soundscapes are peppered into this masterful musical jigsaw. The B-side also contains the two original, unremixed versions.

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Review: Brace yourself as the holiday season is upon us, and that means reaching for those platters which stir up the strongest of sentimental feelings as the nights draw in. Greg Lake's 'I Believe In Father Christmas' is a bittersweet look at the festive tradition - like so many surprise seasonal hits it's got an underlying heavy-heartedness which somehow strikes a chord with the masses. This edition of the all-time classic comes on a none-more on-brand red 10" disc, backed up by 'Humbug' and 'Closer To Believing' as well as an instrumental version of the lead tune, so if you're feeling bold an know the words, you can cheer family and friends with your own rousing rendition.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


If you're stuck for a Valentine's day gift for the vinyl lover in your life, you might want to take a look at this limited, heart-shaped pressing of Donnie and Joe Emerson's cult 1979 cut "Baby", which has successfully been covered in recent years by Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, and more surprisingly Ariel Pink and Damn Funk. Here it resides on the A-side, where the lovelorn brothers cut a heavy-hearted path through lo-fi blue-eyed soul pastures. B-side "Tonight" is a previously unreleased gem recorded during the same period. It, too, is emotion-rich and lo-fi in construction, with the pair adding their sublime vocals to a backing track rich in steel guitar solos, chunky bass and flanged guitar chords.

Review: If you're stuck for a Valentine's day gift for the vinyl lover in your life, you might want to take a look at this limited, heart-shaped pressing of Donnie and Joe Emerson's cult 1979 cut "Baby", which has successfully been covered in recent years by Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland, and more surprisingly Ariel Pink and Damn Funk. Here it resides on the A-side, where the lovelorn brothers cut a heavy-hearted path through lo-fi blue-eyed soul pastures. B-side "Tonight" is a previously unreleased gem recorded during the same period. It, too, is emotion-rich and lo-fi in construction, with the pair adding their sublime vocals to a backing track rich in steel guitar solos, chunky bass and flanged guitar chords.

Review: Despite the break-up of Can, nothing was going to stop Holger Czukay pursuing his strange and restless muse, and his work in the '80s is marked out by featuring just as much vibrant experimentation and playful spirit as anything he'd created thus far. Taking a plethora of influences on board from rock, jazz, dub. European folk music and elsewhere, and blending them with tape loops, samples and absurdist collages, he created two albums chock full of the kind of magpie spirit that ensured his place in the avant-garde hall of fame. Particularly striking is the fact that thirty-odd years on, these records stubbornly refuse to date, beamed in from a mindset still streets ahead of the competition.

Review: Seven Psalms finds Australia's most imperious musical misfit Nick Cave leaving his Bad Seeds at home and teaming up with frequent collaborator Warren Ellis for a limited 10". The spoken word pieces on this record are the result of a daily song writing practice over a week during lockdown - Cave himself describes them as "small, sacred songs," set to appropriately subtle musical accompaniment. Recorded during the sessions for Cave and Ellis' 2021 album Carnage, it's a rich work in its own right that offers a different perspective on Cave's considerable gifts as a soothsayer.