November 2010
4 posts
Bruce Springsteen - The Promise
When Bruce Springsteen released Born To Run in 1975 he was a scruffy perfectionist, a cockeyed optimist intent on trading wings for wheels, taking his girl in his arms and running for freedom without ever looking back, channelling Phil Spector’s wall of sound approach in big songs about escape and the search for connection.
But three years later - a worryingly long time for an artist...
Spotlight: Orange Juice - Coals To Newcastle
When discussing the post-punk musical landscape of the early ’80s, it’s impossible to overlook Orange Juice. Fronted by Edwyn Collins and his somehow confident and self-deprecating creeping croon, this group of Glasgow misfits laid the groundwork for an entire DIY movement. Orange Juice began their six-year history self-releasing 7” records on their own Postcard label before...
Neil Diamond - Dreams
Neil Diamond, a bona fide American treasure and longtime contributor to the songwriter archetype, experienced a resurgence last decade with the Rick Rubin produced one-two punch of 12 Songs and Home Before Dark. The latter earned him his first number-one record in the UK, nearly five decades into his career. Both albums took the same approach Rubin had tried to such great success with Johnny...
Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown
In 2010, Kings Of Leon bare no resemblance to the scruffy, bell-bottomed, mustachioed preacher’s sons who released the seminal Youth And Young Manhood only seven years ago. Gone are the days of drunkenly recording songs in one take and slurring the words to baffle the critics. Their Pentacostal backwoods backstory - once a primary part of their draw - is now swept under the rug. Come...
