By Scott Walker’s standards, this is a fairly conventional track. There’s a hint of the 1940s about it, but otherwise, it’s catchy and more or…
Pop
27/02/2021: “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M
Mellow Magic. Red wine. Cosy Autumn evenings. The best Soft Rock ever to be ushered gently into the world. “Everybody Hurts” is crushingly melancholic, dealing…
21/02/2021: “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince
Nobody does it like Prince did. His signature sound, his trademark singing, his timeless compositions. Purple Rain is a true product of the 80s, with its synths…
08/02/2021: “Ain’t She Sweet” by The Beatles
It’s hardly surprising that The Beatles’ very first professionally recorded song wasn’t a sophisticated and original masterpiece such as ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ or ‘Yesterday’. They…
04/02/2021: “Handsome” by The Vaccines
Not every song needs to be a 7 minute long magnum opus. A short burst of power and vibrancy is ideal sometimes! The Vaccines certainly…
02/02/2021: “Age Of The Train” by International Teachers Of Pop
This is very much art school Synthpop. It’s classy, fairly tame, and tries hard to be groundbreaking. I don’t know how much it succeeds on…
01/02/2021: “Do The Strand” by Roxy Music
What an opening. The tension builds from the start, as the ominous piano vamp strains into the launch. From that point, you’re treated to some…
17/01/2021: “Capullito De Aleli” by Pepe Jaramillo
“Capullito De Aleli” was written in 1930 by Rafael Hernandez for Los Jardineros. It’s been covered many times since then, not least by Nat King…
15/01/2021: “Love Has Found Its Way” by Dennis Brown
Even Bob Marley regarded Dennis Brown as his favourite Reggae singer. And what a career… Dennis Brown, mirroring the development of Reggae music as a…
02/01/2021: “Self Control” by Laura Branigan
Originally, this was a potent slice of Italo-Disco, released by Raf in 1984. Laura Branigan had a previous working relationship with Giancarlo Bigazzi, who helped…