This recreation of Dylan’s Free Trade Hall concert is supremely good
In May 1966, Bob Dylan toured the UK with The Band, minus drummer Levon Helm, and abrasively pulled the plug…
The case against re-recording albums
In 2012, Jeff Lynne released Mr Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra. Except it wasn’t. It was…
New Order’s oldies still sound like the future
The intimate acoustic show can denote many things for an established artist. One is that, in the infamous euphemism coined…
In praise of the Festival Song – the four-minute wonder that can sustain a career for decades
As the sun sets on another too-long summer festival season, let us take a moment to reflect on the Festival…
Invention and irreverence: Lankum, at The Queen’s Hall, reviewed
In a few days, Lankum will most likely win the 2023 Mercury Music Prize for their fourth album False Lankum…
Uneasy listening: Kathryn Joseph, at Summerhall, reviewed
I have always been fascinated by artists who bounce between tonal extremes when performing, particularly the ones who serve their…
The problem with pop-literary collaborations
‘We all secretly want to be rock stars,’ the 2022 Booker Prize-winning author Shehan Karunatilaka said recently. By ‘we’ he…
An album of not terribly happy ballads: Blur’s The Ballad of Darren reviewed
Bands that have hung around, or gone away and come back again, occupy an increasingly sizeable percentage of pop’s bandwidth.…
Still one of the great vocalists: Peter Gabriel, at OVO Hydro Glasgow, reviewed
Most artists begin an arena show with a bang: emerging from the floor, the gods, on a hoist, everything short…
Is Richard Thompson Britain’s Bob Dylan?
There are artists you go to see expecting to be challenged, surprised, even let down. And there are artists you…
Let’s hear it for the lesser-spotted nepo daddy
Rob Grant releases his debut album, Lost at Sea, this week. A 69-year-old millionaire and former ad man, furniture exec…
Dazzling – if you ignore the music: Beyoncé, at Murrayfield Stadium, reviewed
Scheduling open-air concerts in mid-May in northern Europe is a triumph of hope over experience. I last spent time with…
Heartfelt but bland: Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract) reviewed
Whether by accident or design, the mathematical theme of Ed Sheeran’s previous album titles (+, ×, ÷ and = respectively)…
Americana Coldplay: The National’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein reviewed
Once upon a time, rock bands wished for nothing more than to look as though they posed a clear and…
Why can’t I let go of my records?
I’m not a natural lender. I’m a reasonably soft touch when it comes to money, but regarding the important things…
Why supergroups nearly always suck
Recently in these pages, ruminating on the ghastly Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I wrote that music does not…
The most exciting live band in Britain right now: Young Fathers, at the O2 Academy, reviewed
There are several reasons why Young Fathers currently feel like the most exciting live band in Britain, but for now…
His nasal American-Yorkshire voice struggles to convince: Yungblud, at OVO Hydro, reviewed
Even before albums became bloated, thanks to the largesse offered by CDs and streaming, most contained filler: those so-so songs…
Down with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
There is footage on the internet of Robert Smith, lead singer in the Cure, being interviewed on the occasion of…
Two of Scotland’s most inventive solo musicians: Fergus McCreadie, Maeve Gilchrist + Mr McFall’s Quartet reviewed
Folk is the Schiphol of Scottish music. Eventually, every curious traveller passes through. From arena rockers to rappers, traditional music…
Beautiful bleakness crowned with slivers of hope: John Cale’s Mercy reviewed
There’s a case to be made for John Cale being the most daring ex-member of the Velvet Underground. Lou Reed…
Not everything Bowie did was genius – he was more interesting than that
I’m generally not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but one occurred to me recently as the younger members of…
Christmas songs that will reduce your gas bills
It’s unlikely that Irving Berlin was pondering the energy price cap when he composed the seasonal standard ‘I’ve Got My…
Like A-ha after an extensive rewilding process: Sigur Ros, at Usher Hall, reviewed
Plus: it’s quite clear that MUNA are going to be huge What is it with Icelanders and mushrooms? Just weeks…
