I’m passionate about music, and this is where I post about it.
Leonard Cohen in 2008 by Rama. This Christmas, music took a strange turn towards the democratic, at least in the UK. And it did so in a fairly unexpected way: not in iTunes or because consumers voted with their credit … [read more]
A review of Michelle Shocked’s Short Sharp Shocked (1988) Some of the most memorable music from the 1980s, for me at least, stems from this album (and that’s perhaps because none of it sounds like the 80s at all). Michelle … [read more]
A review of Seal’s Soul (2008) At the beginning of his classic track “Killer,” Seal says, “It’s the loneliness that’s the killer.” And maybe that’s just it: after you marry a supermodel and get her to duet with you on … [read more]
A review of Idan Raichel’s Project’s The Idan Raichel Project (2006) Am I dating myself (38) by talking about world music? Does anyone other than 35 plus year olds with a liberal bent still listen to world music? These days, … [read more]
A review of Sam Cooke’s One Night Stand! (1963) Sam Cooke is commonly thought of as one of the originators of soul music and also gets frequent mention as a role model for black entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. A … [read more]
I’ve been listening to Van Morrison for days now. He’s someone I had somehow ignored so far in my 25 years of listening and collecting music. In the 80s, when my listening habits were formed, Van was on a path … [read more]
A review of Depeche Mode’s Violator (1990) It’s hard to remember, from today’s perspective, just how powerful Depeche Mode’s Violator was when it came out in 1990. It neatly, elegantly bridged the gap between punk and mainstream pop while at … [read more]
A review of David Bowie’s Heathen (2002) Released in 2002, this is – for me – Bowie’s most satisfying record of the 2000s so far. It demonstrates what rock can sound like today – well-produced, full, dense, interesting, full of … [read more]