Posts Tagged Pop
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December 7, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 208 Pete Shelley
Late 2009. The Spines at that time were Les Knight on bass, Riki Gooch on drums and me. We had just recorded the Bloodmonster album and I was about 50 and drinking a lot at Bodega – a period of renaissance for the band. I’d always been a fan of the Buzzcocks in the early […]Archive
December 4, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 353
Pet Shop Boys, Please (1986) I’ve been on a big Pet Shop Boys kick of late – I’ve liked them since I first heard them, which was back when this album was released. Though I’ve never owned a copy of this until just recently. I’ve had most of the other albums and a couple of […]Archive
October 14, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 94: Orange Juice – “Rip It Up”
I hadn’t ever heard an Orange Juice album – but I know the songs; I was hipped to them only later though, the compilation Edwyn Collins & Orange Juice: A Casual Introduction 1981/2001 was the thing that set it all off for me. By then I’d heard some Edwyn Collins songs I liked a lot […]Archive
October 10, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 93: Haircut One Hundred – “Pelican West ”
So, the band Haircut One Hundred (or Haircut 100) totally passed me by. I really don’t know them at all. I know the name, I’ve seen it mentioned, the first two songs here felt instantly familiar – probably have heard them out and about, as part of compilations, in DJ sets, etc – but I […]Archive
September 17, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 89: X – “Wild Gift”
I absolutely expected to hear a few more duds doing this challenge. But shit it’s been good. A lot of great albums I knew about and therefore kinda knew I’d missed and a lot of things I genuinely didn’t know about or certainly didn’t know just how great they would be. I guess there’ll be […]Archive
September 10, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 86: Heaven 17 – “Penthouse and Pavement”
Another example of why this challenge has been good for me. I know of Heaven 17 of course – I even know Temptation very well and a few others. But I have never listened to a Heaven 17 album, at least not knowingly; at least not until I finally sat down with Penthouse and Pavement […]Archive
September 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Swing Out Sister: Almost Persuaded
Swing Out Sister Almost Persuaded Miso Here’s the tenth studio album by British pop duo Swing Out Sister – and their first in a decade. You remember them best from their breakout hit of 1986, er, “Breakout”. And since then it’s been a refinement of that approach really, they call the new music – and […]Archive
September 2, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour MCA Nashville She’s built her the career the right way – solid work. Turning up. Putting it down. Self-released albums and loads of shows. And then – in her “official” catalogue there are no duds; each album improving on the one previous. Her strong debut, Same Trailer Different Park is still […]Archive
June 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 67: Ian Dury – “New Boots and Panties!!”
We were in Australia a few years ago now – a decade or so – and the waitress comes over with the giant pepper-grinder and asks if anyone wants some cracked pepper on their meal. My father-in-law pipes right up, “Hit. Me. With. Your. Rhythm. Stick!” Shit, we laughed. I have no idea when I […]Archive
April 10, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 415
Eddy Grant, Gimme Hope Jo’Anna [Single] (1988) I remember this song – and a few others – so well from my childhood. It was (and is) all at once terrific and fucking annoying. I remember, sometime back, a very decent compilation turned up for me to review. And I remembered how much I had really […]Archive
February 13, 2018 by Simon Sweetman