The Who at its best is the equal of any live band ever, so the new double CD Greatest Hits Live has plenty of potential. On the other hand, cherry-picking from concerts over a 42-year period (1965 to 2007) is unlikely to offer the coherence or adrenalin rush of a single concert – get the [...]
I’ve listened to this CD by James Mercer (ex The Shins) and Brian Burton (half of Gnarls Barkley) numerous times and can’t shake off the feeling that this could have been much better. That said, it’s good in lots of ways. The sounds are inventive, the melodies are strong, the talent is obvious. The sound [...]
DGM has released a magnificent CD/DVD box set reissue of King Crimson’s classic debut, The Court of the Crimson King. Maybe I will write more about this when I have listened to it properly, but in the meantime a few observations. This is completist heaven. There is always argument about whether reissues should feature the [...]
I reviewed this on Amazon and called it “Quirky, mystical and tuneful”. It’s the debut album from a promising London band, though this was recorded in Seattle. Animal Kingdom has been quietly building a fan base, playing support to the likes of Snow Patrol as well as their own club gigs. The band has already [...]
The Honeydrips is Mikael Carlsson, formerly in the Swedish band Dorotea. This is a beautiful album – the band’s sole release, as far as I know – combining Carlsson’s haunting, graceful vocals with electro-funk backing that echoes (more than echoes, in places) bands such as New Order and its predecessor Joy Division, though it is [...]