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Review: Like owning a little piece of history with a bonus memoir, The Clash's Combat Rock was - is - the band's best selling album of all time and highest charting in both the US and UK. This was also the last time Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon would record together before the lineup changed, and the track list contains at least two of the outfit's most recognised songs - namely 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' and 'Rock the Casbah'.

The original version of the LP was less expansive than this special edition released to mark 40 years since the long-player went on sale. The addition of The People's Hall offers fans a chance to relish in no less than 12 extra tracks, including collaborations with the legendary Ranking Roger - 'Rock the Casbah' and 'Red Angel Dragnet' - the iconic late-frontman of The Beat more than ideally suited to the crew's sound.

Review: Album number five from legendary British post-punk and New Wavers The Clash was first unveiled on 14th May 1982. 40 years on it finds itself the centre of attention once more, re-released both in this original version and an extended edition with bonus record The People's Hall. Sticking to this outing, fans will likely already know that the record as it was first intended remains the band's most successful of all time, outselling all that came before or after and charting higher than any other in the US and UK alike.

Respectively hitting number seven and number two in the charts of the day, and spending 23 weeks in the top 40 albums in Britain and a mammoth 61 weeks in the LP league tables Stateside, today it's a double-platinum testament to just how potent the combination of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon was. The last record to feature that iteration of the outfit, tracks like 'Rock the Casbah' and 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' remain utterly timeless.

Review: Whilst it's now impossible to view Leonard Cohen's final album outside the context of his passing, the fact of the matter is that this lugubrious sage had been ruminating on the nature of endings and goodbyes for much of his near half-century of artistry, and it's hard to think of a figure who's been quite so eloquent and wise in this endeavour. 'You Want It Darker' seem may a fitting way to bow out, but moreso it bears testimony to the fact that Cohen's questing spirit remained undimmed right until the last, and his travails in the exploration of faith, romance and the human condition were never to lose their finesse and bite.

Review: In many ways the critical reception to Dave Gahan's debut solo outing is still surprising. Mainly because a good number of critics seemed surprised at the depth and assurance of the record, which kind of seems to deny the fact this is the voice of Depeche Mode, arguably one of the finest bands to ever come out of the UK and certainly a group that understand what it means to layer musical textures and meld multiple themes.

'Stay' might be the best case in point. It's patient, it's elegant, there's a real air of sorrow but also you can't help feeling loved while listening to it. Balladry in the truest sense, the fact that track is sandwiched between the soft half-house music of 'I Need You' and the epic, theatrical anthem 'Black & Blue Again' is a case in point. A real journey.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Let's face it, White Blood Cells is the moment when The White Stripes really broke the mould. It's a continuation of Jack and Meg's garage rock aesthetic as fine-tuned over two previous albums, and wholeheartedly a straight up rock 'n' roll album. But the elements are so perfectly primed it's impossible not to rank this as one of the greatest long form outings of this century, so far. And we're not alone - Rolling Stone even reckons it's among the best LPs of all time. Pity the fool who disagrees.

From the racing 'Fell in Love With A Girl', to the beguiling mystery of 'The Union Forever', 'I Think I Smell A Rat''s meld of mariachi riffs and mosh stomp and the emotional piano closer 'This Protector', to the innocent acoustic joy of 'We're Going To Be Friends', this is a masterclass of songwriting and arrangement, tracks that evolve, perplex, surprise, and - most importantly - entertain.

Review: The Boss wouldn't know how to quit even if he fancied trying - maybe it's the leftover work ethic of the humble upbringing that has been a consistent theme throughout his work since we first heard Greetings From Wild Asbury Park, N.J.. 20 studio albums or so later, and we have a fittingly titled new addition to the LP discography, Only the Strong Survive, a rare example of Bruce Springsteen performing and recording work by other artists.

Apparently spurred on in part by memories of his experience working on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, his 2006 ode to Pete Seeger, and the mixed bag of largely negative and unnerving emotions we all went through in lockdown, the Great American songwriter set about not writing but singing and playing a load of covers in a series of studio takes. The result is a gem - tracks by Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Frankie Valli, The Commodores, Four Tops and Ben E. King prove, if there was ever any doubt, that Springsteen can turn to anything and make it his own.

Review: All the headiness when it comes to the music of Stranger Things' fourth season went to Kate Bush. Her classic 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' was dropped at pivotal moments and reconnected with a whole new generation of fans. It climbed the charts again, broke new records and set a Guinness world Record for being back at the top of the charts so long after its first release all while making our Kate, who wrote, produced and sung the tune, millions in the process. But there were loads of other great tunes in it too, from The Cramps to Dead or Alive, Musical Youth to Talking Heads - and they're all collected here.

Review: There can be few nostalgia trips as potent as that of Stranger Things. The hit Netflix series knows exactly what buttons to press for kids of the 80s to get all misty-eyed, and their music curation is a big part of that process. With no expense spared on the licensing front, this collection draws for a dizzying array of big hitters, including firm classics from KISS, Talking Heads, Kate Bush, The Cramps, Musical Youth and so very many more. If you love the show, or if you simply love great music from the 80s, there's a lot for you to savour on this soundtrack for the fourth season of the show.

Review: A new Bruce Springsteen album is always exciting. The Boss' hardworking and hard-done-by fables, touching on the politics and socio-economics tearing America apart, still resonate. If anything, they have become more relevant in an age when class struggles have created deep cultural divides, meaning any reminder of the real enemy is a welcome release.

Save for 2014's collection of covers and alternative versions, High Hopes, Letter To You is Springsteen's first full length since 2012, and will delight die harders - this is what they've been waiting for. Opening with 'One Minute You're Here', gruff rock 'n' roll set among the railroad tracks of Nowheresville, post-industrial decline, sets the tone. This is the artist on full power, an orator of broken dreams and heartfelt promises, a guy who will always be there for us because it feels like he's one of us. The king is back, long live the king.

Review: It's been twenty five years since the last Roger Waters solo album, and given the fractious nature of global affairs of late, it's hardly surprising that the lugubrious 74-year-old rock colossus has had no trouble finding things to get angry about of late. Dishing out songs on drone warfare, terrorism and American nationalism, 'Is This The Life We Really Want?' - which is stylistically very much in the mould of his post-'Dark Side' oeuvre - may be no barrel of laughs, but it's oddly reassuring that his righteous rage remains undiminished, not to mention aided and abetted by the skills of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich in its intensity and relit ire.

Review: Six years is ages for a band to go without releasing an album or doing very much. But for AC/DC, whose work rate has always been ridiculously high, it's a very, very long time. Between then and now, the band lost their lead singer, Brian Johnson, to hearing difficulties in the middle of their last tour, and saw drummer Paul Rudd arrested in New Zealand for 'attempting to procure a murder'. Talk about impetus to finally call time.

But then these are the guys responsible for one of history's greatest heavy rock triumphs, 1980s's Back In Black, released just months after formative frontman Bon Scott tragically passed. So it's no surprise Power Up, another post-traumatic release albeit an act of reunification with now (relatively) healthy Johnson and innocent Rudd returning, is among their best in the 40 years since. A comeback record that sounds exactly like AC/DC should - ballsy, bluesy, boozy riffs.

Review: The mercurial and magical Jeff Buckley departed this realm leaving a severe shortage of actual material, thus this collection of early demos - recorded in 1993 in advance of his debut album proper 'Grace' - marks a cherished opportunity to experience his soulful intensity and otherworldly powers as an interpreter of song. The majority of 'You And I' consists of covers, traversing all the way from Sly & The Family Stone to The Smiths, yet all imbued with his uniquely raw, intuitive and captivating approach. The world will never see the like of Jeff Buckley again, which makes 'You And I' a document worth savouring.

Review: Six years is ages for a band to go without releasing an album or doing very much. But for AC/DC, whose work rate has always been ridiculously high, it's a very, very long time. Between then and now, the band lost their lead singer, Brian Johnson, to hearing difficulties in the middle of their last tour, and saw drummer Paul Rudd arrested in New Zealand for 'attempting to procure a murder'. Talk about impetus to finally call time.

But then these are the guys responsible for one of history's greatest heavy rock triumphs, 1980s's Back In Black, released just months after formative frontman Bon Scott tragically passed. So it's no surprise Power Up, another post-traumatic release albeit an act of reunification with now (relatively) healthy Johnson and innocent Rudd returning, is among their best in the 40 years since. A comeback record that sounds exactly like AC/DC should - ballsy, bluesy, boozy riffs.

Review: Six years is ages for a band to go without releasing an album or doing very much. But for AC/DC, whose work rate has always been ridiculously high, it's a very, very long time. Between then and now, the band lost their lead singer, Brian Johnson, to hearing difficulties in the middle of their last tour, and saw drummer Paul Rudd arrested in New Zealand for 'attempting to procure a murder'. Talk about impetus to finally call time.

But then these are the guys responsible for one of history's greatest heavy rock triumphs, 1980s's Back In Black, released just months after formative frontman Bon Scott tragically passed. So it's no surprise Power Up, another post-traumatic release albeit an act of reunification with now (relatively) healthy Johnson and innocent Rudd returning, is among their best in the 40 years since. A comeback record that sounds exactly like AC/DC should - ballsy, bluesy, boozy riffs.

Review: Quiet revolution seems to be the driving force of this sophomore set from lauded trio London Grammar. Lyricist and vocalist Hannah Reid has expanded her subject matter a little, though angst and love lost are still her major concern. Her delivery, too, is a little gentler, something presumably party inspired by the band's warmer and dreamier musical outlook. There are a few heartfelt sing-alongs, of course, but for the most part Truth is a Beautiful Thing is a more considered and voluptuous excursion.

Review: The latest chapter in the highly acclaimed Bob Dylan Bootleg Series takes a fresh look at the 1997 album 'Time Out of Mind', the rock and folk legend's 13th LP, celebrating the grammy award winning album and its enduring impact 25 years after its original release. This quadruple LP box set edition includes a new 2022 remix of the eleven original recordings on 'Time Out of Mind' by Michael H. Brauer. Also included are 12 previously unreleased outtakes and alternate versions of songs written for 'Time Out of Mind', including demos and unreleased versions of iconic tracks as "Love Sick", "Not Dark Yet" and "Make You Feel My Love", a track that has withstood the test of time to be covered more recently by Adele. A huge offering to Bob Dylan fans that would make a great gift to that super fan you know...

Review: RECOMMENDED
Let's face the truth, Judas Priest were and are either great or shite depending on which side of the heavy metal fence you fall. Those who actually appreciate the barroom-takes-on-stadia vibe will no doubt unanimously vote for tracks like 'Fever', with its dirty undertow and intimidatingly unapologetic march. Others might be too blinded by the riffs of 'Eat Me Alive'. Whichever Side of the fence you fall, at the end of the day, just like Tia Carrere, they wail.

50 Years of Heavy Metal Music really does emphasise that point. There's a pride and lack of repentance that comes with the formative-era heavy metal bands you don't see so much in the majority of other rock groups. One that simply says "this will bang", swills from a beer bottle, then resides itself to sweaty, heads down rhythms. This album may or may not define that for you, but that's besides the point. It's Judas Priest.