bbc.co.uk
bbc.co.uk is the home for the BBC's UK online service.
267 articles
List of articles in the library
Retrospective by Bill Brewster, bbc.co.uk, 2001
• Father of Eurodisco • Discovered Donna Summer • Winner of two Academy Awards for Best Song (Top Gun: 'Take My Breath Away' and Flashdance: ...
Billy Butler, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, Curtis Mayfield: OKeh Records
Retrospective by Bill Brewster, bbc.co.uk, 2001
CHICAGO SOUL MUSIC, that weird conflation of gospel, rhythm and blues, latin rhythms and bass-heavy horn riffing, was somewhat overshadowed by its more well-known brothers ...
Retrospective by Bill Brewster, bbc.co.uk, 2001
MANY YEARS BEFORE anyone had ever heard of Hear'Say; and when Kylie and Jason were but a twinkle in Pete Waterman's rheumy eye, the Supremes ...
Afel Bocoum, Oumou Sangare, Tinariwen, Ali Farka Toure: Various Artists: Le Festival au Desert
Review by Charlie Gillett, bbc.co.uk, September 2003
The Best Live Album Ever? ...
Nazareth: The Nazareth Interview
Interview by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 2004
I'M AT THE Newcastle Arena. The band are 40 minutes late. I was told to be there at 7.30. This is how I like it. ...
Edgar Winter: Welcome to Winter's Wonderland
Interview by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 2004
It's been over 25 years since you last played the UK. What took you so long to come back? ...
Deep Purple, Peter Frampton, Thunder: Deep Purple/Peter Frampton/Thunder: Newcastle Arena
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 10 November 2004
DEEP PURPLE burst out of the British underground during the late '60s, shedding their early US psychedelic sound in favour of a heavy, more aggressive ...
Ash, The Darkness: Ash/The Darkness: Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 30 November 2004
The Darkness rolled into Newcastle as part of their UK tour. Running out of hairspray: Rahul Shrivastava ...
Deep Purple: Rapture Of The Deep
Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 2005
AFTER THE PLODDING Abandon, and the disposable Bananas, you'd be forgiven for not expecting too much from Purple's latest offering. ...
Robin Trower: The Customs House, South Shields
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 17 April 2005
THERE IS AN old tour poster from the mid-'70s that advertises Robin Trower's pending arrival at the Newcastle City Hall that winter. Bright orange letters ...
Juicy Lucy: The Archer, Jesmond, 16 May 2005
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, May 2005
HOW WOULD you describe the music of Juicy Lucy to the uninitiated? Progressive-jazzy-blues? Psychedelic-blues-rock? Or even "cheeky blues" perhaps, as some punters have ventured. ...
Hawkwind: The Dave Brock Interview
Interview by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, May 2005
Hawkwind guitarist Dave Brock put aside his latest space expedition to talk to Rahul Shrivastava about his life as a Psychedelic Warlord. ...
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 21 June 2005
WHAT CAN YOU say about the Crue that hasn't already been said? A singer with a love of fine wine and cosmetic surgery, a drummer ...
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, October 2005
"HE EVEN invented that," I said to a couple of my esteemed colleagues, as I made the sign of the devil's horns with my hand, ...
The Seeds: Sky Saxon & The Seeds: The Cluny, Newcastle
Live Review by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, October 2005
IF YOU'VE EVER seen the early Jack Nicholson film Psych Out (1968), you'll remember the acid trip scene in the graveyard, where a funeral procession ...
Interview by Rahul Shrivastava, bbc.co.uk, 21 October 2005
Taking time out of their busy schedule, Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night spoke to BBC Tyne during their UK tour. ...
Can: Monster Movie/Soundtracks/Tago Mago/Ege Bamyasi
Review by Mike Barnes, bbc.co.uk, Winter 2005
Can's forays into rock music were ego-free, expressionistic and pared down to the bone... ...
Jake Thackray: Jake In A Box/Live Performance
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2006
AFTER HIS LATE '60s and early '70s heyday, when he could be found on national telly and Royal Variety Shows with his hilarious vignettes of ...
Review by Mike Barnes, bbc.co.uk, 14 November 2006
Her lyrics may be childlike at times but there's nothing mimsy or fey about them. ...
The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2007
THE ALBUM THAT set the template for The Rolling Stones as we know them today, Beggars Banquet was an exercise in getting back to basics ...
Paul McCartney: Memory Almost Full
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 5 June 2007
STARTED BEFORE AND completed after the downbeat-yet-still-satisfying Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, Memory Almost Full is a perfect capture of Paul McCartney, the pop ...
Jools Holland: Best Of Friends
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 15 October 2007
JOOLS HOLLAND: surely won't be long before the fourth plinth on Trafalgar Square is occupied with his statue. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, November 2007
The Atco Sessions will hopefully do its bit to restore Lulu's credibility. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 4 January 2008
ALREADY MAKING waves since its US release last autumn, here's a very pleasant surprise to get 2008 underway. ...
Dexys Midnight Runners: Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 11 January 2008
Fierce, raging and passionate – one of the greatest debut albums of all time. ...
Review by John Doran, bbc.co.uk, 2009
GEMMA RAY SHOULD, BY RIGHTS, be a household name. It would be nice to think that it was only a mysterious bout of blood poisoning ...
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, 2009
HE NEVER MADE that much of an impact in the UK, but over in the States Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, aka Ginuwine, has, for the last ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2009
Like some obscure 70s rock LP discovered by chance in a charity shop. ...
Madness : One Step Beyond... (30th Anniversary Edition)
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2009
The vaudevillian nuttiness of their debut set hasn't diminished over the decades. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2009
The very essence of Marvin Gaye as the sensualist ...
Paloma Faith: Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2009
Perhaps she's playing up, but one can't fault the performance. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2009
You realise why Prince was routinely labelled a genius in the late '80s. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2009
RELEASED IN 1981, The Dude was the right album at the right time. ...
Sly & the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2009
Dark, troubled and brilliant funk from kaleidoscopic soul-rock legends ...
Burial, Flying Lotus: Various Artists: Five Years of Hyperdub
Review by David Stubbs, bbc.co.uk, 2009
Dance music with a recurrent sense of subdued anxiety ...
Indigo Girls: Poseidon and the Bitter Bug
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, March 2009
A double-disc set of sophisticated studio recordings and acoustic fare. ...
Brad Paisley: American Saturday Night
Review by Andrew Mueller, bbc.co.uk, 26 June 2009
A spirited challenge to the prejudices of both sides of country's enduring schism. ...
Arctic Monkeys: Humbug (Domino)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, August 2009
PUT ASIDE ALL thoughts of imminent backlash immediately, as Humbug is Arctic Monkeys' most enjoyably complete album to date. ...
Whitney Houston: I Look To You
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, August 2009
It's good to have her back in the spotlight for the right reasons. ...
Review by Barney Hoskyns, bbc.co.uk, September 2009
A ghastly collection that might as well have been written by a computer ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, September 2009
While no seismic shift in direction, Popular Songs does find Yo La Tengo on peak form. ...
Euros Childs: Son of Euro Child
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 7 September 2009
Childs' fifth album finds the ex-Gorky's man falling short of his best. ...
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 14 September 2009
They still bristle with a pop energy born out of total conviction. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 14 September 2009
Q-Tip's previously-shelved, finally-released second album proves an undiscovered gem. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, October 2009
BEFORE WE EVEN begin, consider your own expectations for this, the first solo album from a member of Girls Aloud. Its lead single 'Fight For ...
Mariah Carey: Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, October 2009
MARIAH CAREY'S enduring success – the lead single from this twelfth studio album, the Eminem-baiting 'Obsessed', was the singer's fortieth hit on the Billboard Hot ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, October 2009
THERE'S MUCH to like about diminutive Columbian singer Shakira (Isabel Mebarak Ripoll), best known to this day for 2001's breakthrough Whenever, Wherever and her global ...
Review by Everett True, bbc.co.uk, October 2009
This is as good as can be expected – and fortunately, that is pretty good. ...
Review by David Stubbs, bbc.co.uk, 5 October 2009
They sound reinvigorated, differently coloured, and full of fresh intentions. ...
Miriam Makeba : Mama Afrika 1932-2008
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 5 October 2009
Majestic recordings by a genuine world music pioneer. ...
Shafiq Husayn: Shafiq En'a Freeka
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 5 October 2009
One-third of futurist hip hop cartel Sa-Ra Creative Partners goes solo, brilliantly. ...
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 5 October 2009
A chance to grasp the full essence of the man behind the legend. ...
Built to Spill: There Is No Enemy
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 6 October 2009
Belated but welcome UK release for BtS's late-period return to form. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 13 October 2009
Seattle grunge pioneers' first full-length, back on purple plastic. ...
Beyoncé: I Am… Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas (Columbia)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
A greatest hits-style setlist performed with accomplished pizzazz ...
Britney Spears: The Singles Collection (Jive)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
IT MIGHT SEEM rather odd that this new collection features fewer tracks than 2004's greatest hits collection, My Prerogative. But though trimmer, this set represents ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
ONE BEGINS listening to this second album from the 2006 X Factor winner hoping its title isn't prophetic – nobody needs an echo of Lewis's ...
N-Dubz: Against All Odds (All Around The World)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
An honest, authentic audio document of contemporary teenage Britain. ...
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
She's transformed into a revenge-hunting, firebrand diva — and it suits her. ...
Robbie Williams: Reality Killed The Video Star
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2009
THE EGO HAS LANDED, again, but he's a lot more endearing this time around. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2 November 2009
A fans-only collection, but at least time’s firmly on her side ...
Smokey Robinson: Time Flies When You're Having Fun
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 2 November 2009
Smokey delivers exactly what you expect, but can still surprise. ...
Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Snoop Dogg: Malice N Wonderland (Priority Records)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, December 2009
A fine X to mark this spot in Snoop's always interesting career. ...
Public Image Ltd: PiL: Metal Box/Plastic Box
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 3 December 2009
Landmark post-punk album remastered for its 30th anniversary. Plus, 1999 4-CD box set re-issued. ...
Caro Emerald: Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 2010
It's not rocket science – good songs sung well makes a great album. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2010
AFFECTING, EMPOWERING FARE from a young rapper sparking with ambition. ...
Review by Mike Barnes, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Even on this, their finest album, Galaxie 500's music is secretive and subtle. ...
Grimes: Halfaxa (Arbutus Records)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2010
ON A CURSORY listen it seems Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, creates the kind of ethereal gloom-scapes that have served Zola Jesus well thus far. But ...
Iggy Pop & James Williamson: Kill City
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Iggy's most underrated album helped him get back to real life. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2010
BEFORE STRICTLY COME DANCING and celebrity status, Mica Paris was one of the UK's greatest soul divas. Whisper a Prayer was her third album and ...
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Two great albums, which surpassed expectations against the odds. ...
Review by David Stubbs, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Welcome reissues showcasing a group to whom there was always more than met the ear. ...
Review by Barney Hoskyns, bbc.co.uk, 2010
ROBERT PLANT entered the new millennium with an album that looked defiantly backward – not to Led Zeppelin, mind you, but to a round-up of ...
Robert Plant: Mighty ReArranger
Review by Barney Hoskyns, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Some of the most energised and eclectic music Plant has ever made. ...
Review by Barney Hoskyns, bbc.co.uk, 2010
RECORDED AFTER A three-year hiatus — and the winding-up of Plant's creative partnership with Midlands guitarist Robbie Blunt — Now & Zen signalled a new ...
Robert Plant: Pictures at Eleven
Review by Barney Hoskyns, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Stands up well as a statement of solo independence and intent. ...
The Staple Singers: Be Altitude – Respect Yourself
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 2010
One of the Stax label's greatest triumphs. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 2010
Canadian trio take a trip to the Deep South. ...
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 2010
30th anniversary edition of the group's great debut album. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, January 2010
"DAVID BOWIE'S greatest hits live!" reads the sticker on the attractive packaging of this newly released (but recorded back in 2003) two-CD set. ...
Justin Bieber: My World (Mercury)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, January 2010
Uncomfortable lyrics aside, there's not much to make the adult listener squirm. ...
Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, February 2010
An extraordinary and stylish history lesson of an album ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, February 2010
ANYONE WHO caught the Pet Shop Boys touring their superb Yes album – BBC Music's number one Pop & Chart album of 2009 – last ...
Kathryn Williams: The Quickening
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 22 February 2010
A soft soul with hard edges, who shows us how quietness can resound so loudly. ...
Ellie Goulding: Lights (Polydor)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, March 2010
THAT ELLIE Goulding topped the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll and won the Critics' award at the Brits counts for precisely nothing as of now. ...
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 9 March 2010
A sweet'n'sour and head-spinningly trippy set from Messrs Mercer and Burton. ...
Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Review by Laura Barton, bbc.co.uk, 9 March 2010
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS since Frightened Rabbit released their last record, The Midnight Organ Fight, a startling, brittle and quite brilliant break-up record that bared ...
Ramsey Lewis: Songs From the Heart – Ramsey Plays Ramsey
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 15 March 2010
A credible jazz album for those who never knew they liked the genre ...
Erykah Badu: New Amerykah, Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 30 March 2010
ERYKAH BADU HERSELF has explained that if Return of the Ankh and its predecessor, 2008's sublime New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War), were two ...
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 13 April 2010
After a debut of sing-along hits, the duo takes refuge in druggy experimentalism. ...
Max Romeo: The Best Of Max Romeo
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 26 April 2010
A fascinating album which revisits Romeo classics and presents them in new ways ...
The Fisherman's Friends: Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 26 April 2010
Their magic can't be bottled into something as fizzy as this album. ...
Karen Elson: The Ghost Who Walks (XL Recordings)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, May 2010
Appealing solo debut from Jack White's model wife and friends. ...
Micah P. Hinson: Micah P. Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, May 2010
A powerfully ominous reshaping of old-school Americana. ...
Damian Marley, Nas: Nas and Damian Marley: Distant Relatives (Def Jam)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, May 2010
WHEN NAS CONFIRMED this collaboration with Damian Marley, he mentioned how hip hop and reggae are intertwined. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 4 May 2010
Former Faith No More frontman interprets Italian pop hits from the '50s and '60s. ...
Review by Andrew Mueller, bbc.co.uk, 10 May 2010
Shows how a lasting reputation can be founded upon one lucky strike. ...
Review by Laura Barton, bbc.co.uk, 11 May 2010
The group's third album brings a little more muscle to their punch. ...
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, June 2010
DRAKE IS THE Vampire Weekend of rap – he ticks all the wrong boxes, especially for a milieu that privileges poverty and strife. ...
Eminem: Recovery (Aftermath Entertainment)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, June 2010
On his seventh album Eminem is more genuinely impassioned than he's sounded in years. ...
Robert Wyatt: His Greatest Misses
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, June 2010
A reminder of the palpable greatness of this Great British Eccentric ...
Steve Winwood: Revolutions – The Very Best of Steve Winwood
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 7 June 2010
Career retrospective for enduring R&B legend, available as no-filler disc or four-CD set. ...
Seth Lakeman: Hearts and Minds
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 14 June 2010
Lakeman's new rock edge ensures he hardly sounds like a folk artist at all. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, July 2010
Winning melodies, vivid choruses, memorable hooks and lyrics to make your heart hiccup. ...
Professor Green: Alive Till I'm Dead
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, July 2010
As fizzy, dramatic and inventive as pop should be without losing his initial grime edge. Stephen Manderson's stage alias echoes the big-band era of jazz giants ...
Eliza Carthy, Norma Waterson: Eliza Carthy & Norma Waterson: Gift
Review by Laura Barton, bbc.co.uk, 13 July 2010
Mother and daughter's first album as a folk duo is a beguiling listen. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, August 2010
IF 2007'S NEON BIBLE was supposed to be Arcade Fire's difficult second album, it didn't show. Top marks from a cavalcade of critical tomes saw the Montreal ...
James Chance & the Contortions: James Chance: Twist Your Soul – The Definitive Collection
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, August 2010
Two-disc retrospective of scabrous No Wave figure’s searing jazz-punk contortions. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, August 2010
GUARANTEED WORLDWIDE coverage because of his day job as Radiohead's drummer and signed to Bella Union, a UK indie label currently at the top of ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, August 2010
Post-shoegazing classic reissued with bonus disc of demos. ...
James Chance & the Contortions: James Chance: Twist Your Soul – The Definitive Collection
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2 August 2010
Two-disc retrospective of scabrous No Wave figure's searing jazz-punk contortions. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 6 August 2010
A DOUBLE CD celebrating the retirement, after 25 years, of what was once dismissed as a little more than a prototype Norwegian boy band seems ...
Review by Everett True, bbc.co.uk, 23 August 2010
Louisiana singer taps into Gram Parsons and Neil Young on a smooth debut LP. ...
James Blake: Klavierwerke (R&S Records)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, September 2010
Rising UK producer's latest EP points the way towards an anticipated debut album. ...
John Legend, The Roots: John Legend and the Roots: Wake Up!
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 21 September 2010
A masterclass in how to respectfully update and enhance classic music. ...
The Jesus & Mary Chain: Upside Down – The Best Of The Jesus & Mary Chain
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 27 September 2010
TO DECLARE, as this CD's artwork does, that East Kilbride's Jesus & Mary Chain are "arguably the last great British rock'n'roll band" is almost as ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, October 2010
NEIL YOUNG NOW belongs to that rare stratum of artists whose work is no longer judged purely on its merits but on the basis of ...
Review by Laura Barton, bbc.co.uk, 11 October 2010
Melds pedal steel and electronica into something really rather gorgeous. ...
Roni Size and Reprazent: Roni Size: New Forms
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 25 October 2010
Size's celebrated Mercury winner suits home listening as well as the dancefloor. ...
Cee Lo Green: CeeLo Green: The Lady Killer
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2010
WHEN YOU'VE a voice as powerful as Atlanta-born Thomas Callaway's, it's not going to stay unheard for too long. ...
Giant Sand: Blurry Blue Mountain
Review by Andrew Mueller, bbc.co.uk, November 2010
A worthy addition to a catalogue already embarrassed with riches ...
Jay Z: Jay-Z: The Hits Collection — Volume One (Def Jam)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2010
ONE OF JAY-Z'S biggest UK hits, 'Empire State of Mind', possesses a title that can be taken different ways. It alludes to the rapper's hometown, ...
Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas II You
Review by Dan Gennoe, bbc.co.uk, November 2010
IT'S NOT particularly clever but it is expectedly big, and sure to make a fan's Christmas. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2010
Album four from Pharrell and company features its share of dancefloor fillers. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 6 December 2010
AVAILABLE AS EITHER a download (plus video content) or as a limited-edition vinyl box set, collecting 10 seven-inch singles and featuring art from Factory co-founder ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, Summer 2010
Roll Over Beethoven: blurring the boundaries between indie and classical. ...
Connie Smith: Long Line of Heartaches
Review by Andrew Mueller, bbc.co.uk, 2011
If Long Line of Heartaches tends toward the generic in its approach to country - and it does — Connie Smith has more excuse than ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2011
Laconic, guitar-heavy masterpiece from Dinosaur Jr.'s second-wind. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2011
Stray tracks from slacker-savant singer-songwriter ...
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Let Love In
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, 2011
LET LOVE IN, the eighth album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, is in many ways the group's wholly realised work. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2011
IF EVER A record knew its worth, it was Aja, the sixth album by Steely Dan. Released in late 1977 when half the world seemed ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2011
THE SATURDAYS EXIST because nobody has bettered them yet. ...
Bruno Mars: Doo Wops and Hooligans (Elektra Musician)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, January 2011
Mars' solo debut is geared for maximum appeal ...
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 31 January 2011
Acoustic songs from the late singer's catalogue carrying great emotional weight. ...
Danny Schmidt: Man of Many Moons
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, February 2011
Schmidt gambles everything on lyrical intensity and simple presentation, and succeeds. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, February 2011
IT'S ALL WELL and good having a multi-octave voice, but without control it's an accident waiting to happen. Jessie J – born Jessica Cornish in ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, February 2011
A fans-pleasing eighth album from Britain's most consistently brilliant band. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 1 February 2011
A curious collection of techno covers from the Detroit garage-rockers. ...
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 21 February 2011
Tabor's a colossus, and this is one of her finest hours. ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 21 February 2011
They successfully hit many of rock's sweet spots on this debut LP. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, March 2011
Prepare to be smitten all over again, as the NYC outfit release a brilliant fourth album. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, March 2011
A startling debut from a young Canadian RnB artist with huge potential. ...
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 8 March 2011
Chicago rapper's delayed third album features several inspired moments. ...
New York Dolls: Dancing Backward in High Heels
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 14 March 2011
Reanimated glam-punk pioneers get dafter as they get older. ...
New York Dolls: Dancing Backward In High Heels
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 14 March 2011
Reanimated glam-punk pioneers get dafter as they get older. ...
Roddy Woomble: The Impossible Song & Other Songs
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 21 March 2011
Idlewild singer's cosy, contented second solo effort. ...
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 25 March 2011
Vintage touches and modern twists combine on an irrepressible soul record. ...
The Beastie Boys: Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, May 2011
The Beasties' seventh LP is catnip for fans of their classic early-'90s output. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, May 2011
WILD BEASTS' RISE from cult concerns loved by a critical clique, through Mercury Prize-nominated sorts with a sharp and saucy twist on typical indie tropes, ...
Booker T. Jones: The Road From Memphis
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 9 May 2011
It might lack surprises, but this is solid, high-quality Booker T. fare. ...
Review by Colin Irwin, bbc.co.uk, 9 May 2011
A collection marked by the many shifting contours of his remarkable career. ...
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 9 May 2011
The uniquely British band is rightly celebrated on this fine collection. ...
Review by Mike Barnes, bbc.co.uk, 24 May 2011
A hard-to-resist fourth LP from the Texan odd-rockers. ...
Kaiser Chiefs: The Future Is Medieval
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, June 2011
LEEDS' KAISER Chiefs aren't a band immediately associated with innovation – their perky indie-pop has livened up many a festival with a series of "nah-nah-nah-nah-nah"-style ...
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, June 2011
He's kept grime moving forwards with some truly audacious sounds. ...
J. D. Souther: J.D. Souther: Natural History
Review by Andrew Mueller, bbc.co.uk, 13 June 2011
Old songs, newly recorded, many of which are fine indeed. ...
Cashier No. 9: Cashier No.9: To The Death Of Fun
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 20 June 2011
RIGHT FROM the off, it's clear that Cashier No 9 are not another of those bands who seek to revel in self-pity and navel gazing. ...
Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Liverpool
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, 20 June 2011
The second album from Liverpool's second most famous sons. ...
Alicia Keys: Songs in A Minor – Collector's Edition
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 28 June 2011
Expanded 10th anniversary edition of a modern soul classic ...
Brian Eno/Rick Holland: Drums Between The Bells
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, July 2011
IT'S HARD TO know what's more surprising: the fact a man approaching his mid-60s continues to release groundbreaking music in such quantities that this is ...
The Horrors: Skying (XL Recordings)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, July 2011
THE HORRORS know all about deceptive appearances. Their mid-00s emergence saw the music press in a lather, hype peaking with inevitable derision creeping forth from ...
Lil Wayne: Tha Carter IV (Cash Money Records)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, August 2011
Studio LP number nine from the multi-million seller could be his UK breakthrough proper ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, August 2011
EARLIER THIS YEAR, Canadian singer The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfay) became a net sensation when his House of Balloons mixtape attracted the support of rapper ...
Various Artists: The Story of Trojan Records
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, August 2011
An incredibly diverse five-CD set celebrating the legendary British label ...
Fountains of Wayne: Sky Full of Holes
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 1 August 2011
Wry New York power-popsters can pen a tune, but can't quite win your heart. ...
Fountains of Wayne: Sky Full of Holes
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 1 August 2011
Wry New York power-popsters can pen a tune, but can't quite win your heart. ...
Blink 182: Neighborhoods (Interscope)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, September 2011
An unexpectedly great sixth LP from former fun-time punks turned introspective souls. ...
Chris Rea: Santo Spirito Blues
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, September 2011
As blues homage this can't be faulted, but Rea doesn't allow his great voice to shine. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, September 2011
OVER FOUR DECADES since the six shows - recorded over three nights in October 1968 and documented in this four CD set – that helped ...
Art of Noise: The Art Of Noise: Who's Afraid Of The Art Of Noise
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, September 2011
Innovative, sample-pioneering debut on CD at last. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, September 2011
It remains, 17 years on, a great place to get lost for a while. ...
Example: Playing in the Shadows
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 5 September 2011
A third album which should establish Example as a chart-topper for the long haul. ...
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 7 October 2011
A study of what might have been, and what was, which packs plenty of walloping choruses. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 31 October 2011
An infectious introduction to some rightly rising pop-rap talents. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
POP MUSICIANS have many aspirations, but one that is often hardest to fulfil is to be taken seriously. ...
Can: Tago Mago – 40th Anniversary Edition
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
The blueprint for much of the leftfield music of the past 40 years. ...
Drake: Take Care (Cash Money Records)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
Drake is here for the long run — and he's already outrunning most. ...
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
The sublime and the ridiculous: this is classic Kate. ...
Rihanna: Talk That Talk (Mercury)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
Drearily sexual lyricism over showy but shallow production dominates RiRi's sixth LP. ...
The Unthanks: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, November 2011
ON THE SURFACE, there is little connection between cherished Brit icon Robert Wyatt and cherished icon-in-the-making Antony Hegarty beyond the fact The Unthanks covered a ...
Mary J. Blige: My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act I)
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 21 November 2011
Blige's most enjoyable, exciting and consistent album in years ...
Gorillaz: The Singles Collection 2001-2011
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, December 2011
THINK OF BLUR'S Damon Albarn and one thinks of Britpop, which is rather unfair, given that he's spent the last fifteen years working on projects ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, Fall 2011
WITH THE CRITICAL mass now in her favour, a commercial breakthrough seems inevitable for St. Vincent, known otherwise as Annie Clark, poster girl for indie ...
Bat for Lashes: The Haunted Man
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Ivor Novello Award winner takes things a little too seriously. ...
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Their dark echoes are still to be heard resonating through music's further reaches. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Williams shapes up for the '80s with this timeless album. ...
D-Train: You're the One for Me
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Groundbreaking, gospel-influenced debut from 1982 ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 2012
IT'S HARD TO IMPROVE on Bronze Rat's description of their own Gemma Ray as a "torch-singing, guitar-taming, pop-noir maverick". The Essex girl born Gemma Smith ...
Lauryn Hill: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Hill’s multi-award-winning debut became part of the mainstream on its own terms. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2012
The strange and beguiling debut from one of UK soul's most fascinating artists. ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2012
An accomplished album rising far above its '80s production values. ...
Patrick Watson: Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 2012
SOMETHING OF a star in his Canadian homeland after winning the 2007 Polaris Prize – the country's equivalent of the Mercury Prize – for his ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 2012
Saturnian jazz godhead leaves Earth’s orbit. ...
William DeVaughn: Figures Can't Calculate
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2012
The second, and best, of DeVaughn's three albums. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, January 2012
Classy Americana from Canadian chanteuse produced by Bon Iver. ...
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, January 2012
Nine numbers from the pair's back catalogue are reworked, with mixed results. ...
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, 23 January 2012
A batty, compelling, smart and unusual fourth LP from the Iranian artist. ...
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, 23 January 2012
A batty, compelling, smart and unusual fourth LP from the Iranian artist. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 30 January 2012
BEGONE, INDIE-IS-DEAD doom-mongers! As east London-based, Edinburgh-formed four-piece Django Django prove on this thrilling debut long-play platter, there's life in the old dogged-by-disdain genre yet. ...
Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 20 February 2012
Music from a bleakly beautiful twilight zone entirely of its own design. ...
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 19 March 2012
An emotional, experimental ride, Weller’s 11th solo LP is brilliant stuff. ...
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All: The OF Tape Vol. 2
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, 20 March 2012
'Post-fame' follow-up to notorious rap crew's 2008 online-only debut. ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, April 2012
EX-FLEET FOXES sticksman gets superbly freaky on a special solo voyage. ...
The Flaming Lips: The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, April 2012
First album of original material since 2009's Embryonic for Oklahoma's finest. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, April 2012
TWELVE YEARS after their last studio album, Karl Wallinger has finally decided he's ready to resurrect World Party, the vehicle for his songwriting that birthed ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 10 April 2012
This Alabama outfit might be the feel-good hit of the summer festival circuit. ...
Bob Marley & the Wailers: Marley (Original Soundtrack)
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 16 April 2012
A collection strong enough to stand apart from its parent documentary. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, May 2012
THEY CREEP up on you, Guillemots, as the best music so often does. There's no boasting, there are few brash novelties – unless you count ...
Richard Hawley: Standing at the Sky's Edge
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, May 2012
"… AND THIS ONE'S for all the men in the house." Yes, after a decade of seducing career couples with the Roy Orbison stylings of ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, May 2012
IF THE RELEASE of Sigur Rós' last studio album, Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust, led people to fear that the band's days crafting ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 7 May 2012
A well-researched soundtrack piece full of memorable melodies ...
Fela Kuti: Live in Detroit 1986
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 14 May 2012
Rediscovered concert recording from the king of afrobeat. ...
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 21 May 2012
There’s much to adore from the bluesy folk duo on this second set. ...
Review by Johnny Sharp, bbc.co.uk, 28 May 2012
Rotten returns with a curious mixture of rage and nostalgia. ...
Robert Wyatt: The End of an Ear
Review by David Stubbs, bbc.co.uk, 28 May 2012
Wyatt's sometimes overlooked solo debut shows off his multi-instrumentalist chops. ...
Bobby Womack: The Bravest Man In The Universe
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, June 2012
THEY'RE CALLING IT a masterpiece. That's the way when these beloved legends come in from the cold: so welcome is their return that weaknesses are ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, June 2012
Can do: quintessential krautrock rescued from the archives. ...
Review by John Doran, bbc.co.uk, June 2012
OF ALL THE BANDS to emerge out of London and New York's post punk/punk funk revival of a decade ago, only Liars and LCD Soundsystem ...
Dexys: One Day I'm Going to Soar
Review by Chris Roberts, bbc.co.uk, 4 June 2012
Dexys are back with wisdom and wings. Some of us never doubted. ...
Go-Kart Mozart: On the Hot Dog Streets
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 25 June 2012
There is only one Lawrence, this is his gospel, and roll on the next chapter. ...
Go-Kart Mozart: On the Hot Dog Streets
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 25 June 2012
There is only one Lawrence, this is his gospel, and roll on the next chapter. ...
Rick Ross: God Forgives, I Don't (Def Jam)
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, July 2012
KNOWN TO MANY UK listeners as a gravel-voiced guest on innumerable rap hits, Rick Ross has enjoyed considerable stateside success for several years. His 2006 ...
Joss Stone: The Soul Sessions Vol 2
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 13 July 2012
Stone returns to her covers comfort zone, with excellent results. Joss Stone was only 16 years old when she debuted with The Soul Sessions in 2003. ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, August 2012
The stunning return of a prodigal son you never knew existed ...
Chilly Gonzales: Piano Solos II
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, August 2012
THOUGH HE'S BEST known for his mischievous, multiple redefinitions of hip hop – including his last release which, he claimed, was the world's first orchestral ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, 20 August 2012
A second helping of Cyrk, accentuating the dreamier haunts of part one. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, September 2012
WITH OPENING track 'Sleeping Ute''s initially perplexing time signature and the subsequent psychedelic noises that tear from the speaker to speaker, it's clear success hasn't ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, September 2012
Canadian turntablist goes to meet the devil down by the crossroads. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, September 2012
WHILE A MUSICIAN'S ability to overcome the temporary loss of a thumb certainly doesn't match the achievements of the Paralympians last summer, there's something similarly ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, September 2012
Refined progression, this is the sound of a band both expanding and consolidating. ...
Scouting for Girls: The Light Between Us
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 3 September 2012
No edge, no side, just pop music in excelsis – and that's more than enough. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 10 September 2012
Likely to be amongst 2013's hyped newcomers, get a taste of Peace today. ...
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, 24 September 2012
Danish trio bravely, and masterfully, embraces darker themes and moods for album four. ...
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 24 September 2012
For a moment, INXS were peerless. This is that moment. ...
Bettye LaVette: Betty LaVette: Thankful N' Thoughtful
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 1 October 2012
Possibly the best set of songs she's ever recorded. ...
Review by Ian Winwood, bbc.co.uk, 1 October 2012
Intergalactic rockers return with a typically outlandish sixth album. ...
Peter Gabriel: So – 25th Anniversary Edition
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 22 October 2012
An innovative album that slipped comfortably inside the '80s mainstream. ...
Cody ChesnuTT: Landing On A Hundred
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, November 2012
IF YOU'RE OF the opinion that soul music in the 21st Century lacks the authenticity of its golden late 1960s/early 1970s period, then Cody ChesnuTT's ...
Darren Hayman & The Long Parliament: The Violence
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, November 2012
A concept album about the 17th century witch trials of Essex? Yes please. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, November 2012
WHEN HANS-PETER Lindstrøm released Six Cups Of Rebel earlier this year, fans of the Norwegian producer might have wondered what they were putting in the ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, November 2012
"YOU DON'T KNOW, what's in store." The opening line on this major-label compilation from Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, isn't entirely accurate. Trilogy does feature ...
Tracey Thorn: Tinsel and Lights
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, November 2012
DECEMBER'S NORMALLY dominated by chart artists seeking to grab a slice of Christmas pie, whether it be Dean Martin, Cliff Richard or the latest X ...
Various Artists: Reggae Golden Jubilee –50th Anniversary – Origins of Jamaican Music
Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 5 November 2012
A connoisseur-satisfying collection, yet completely accessible for novices. ...
Review by Luke Turner, bbc.co.uk, 12 November 2012
A superb comeback, 16 years after their last studio LP, from the big-riffed Seattle band. ...
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 19 November 2012
IN APRIL 1975, ABBA were worried that the heady days were over. 'Waterloo', their song about one girl's surrender in the battle of love, had ...
The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops – Collector's Edition
Review by Chris Roberts, bbc.co.uk, 19 November 2012
Both everymen and angels, the Blue Nile didn't sound or function like any normal band. ...
The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops (Collector's Edition)
Review by Chris Roberts, bbc.co.uk, 21 November 2012
1984'S A WALK Across the Rooftops remains unique in its fusion of chilly technology and a pitch of confessional, romantic soul that "alternative" types would ...
John Cale: Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, Fall 2012
IT'S UNFAIR THAT, almost half a century since their formation, John Cale remains best known for his role as co-founder of the Velvet Underground. ...
Review by Martin Aston, bbc.co.uk, Fall 2012
Superbly psychedelic second set with a very British-sounding soul. ...
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 2013
Dundee alt-rock trio offers more than just a mirthsome moniker. ...
Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2013
So high you can't still get over it. ...
Glenn Lewis: World Outside My Window
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2013
RECORDED WITH PRODUCTION TEAM of Dre and Vidal (A Touch of Jazz alumni Andre Lewis and Vidal Davis), World Outside My Window was Glenn Lewis' ...
Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2013
A superior selection of dub-infused disco from one of soul's most underrated talents. ...
NOFX: 30th Anniversary Box Set
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 2013
Satirical Californian punks display cockroach-like endurance. ...
Review by Paul Lester, bbc.co.uk, January 2013
Debut album proper from the hyped New York rapper doesn't quite deliver ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, January 2013
Edinburgh-based rap trio impresses with this potential-rich collection. ...
Review by Jude Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 14 January 2013
If magic in music exists, it is here, and never-ending. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, February 2013
Radiohead frontman remains instantly recognisable despite electronic disguise. ...
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 4 February 2013
Former Gallows singer unleashes his inner arena-rock beast. ...
Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 11 February 2013
The Oxford outfit finally evolves a sound to suit its mainstream status. ...
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 19 February 2013
Young Danish punks create a beautiful noise for the worldwide disaffected. ...
Depeche Mode: Palma Violets: 180
Review by John Aizlewood, bbc.co.uk, 23 February 2013
South London quartet's debut suggests they've the potential to be unstoppable. ...
Review by Laura Barton, bbc.co.uk, March 2013
A sense of love and lightness lingers after this eighth album has run its course. ...
Fela Kuti: The Best of the Black President 2
Review by Stevie Chick, bbc.co.uk, March 2013
Cherry-picked cuts from the catalogue of He Who Carries Death In His Pouch. ...
Review by Wyndham Wallace, bbc.co.uk, 4 March 2013
Prized session guitarist teases with six tracks of graceful simplicity. ...
Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 1 April 2013
Grunge originators show zero signs of mellowing. ...
Kanye West: Inside the mind of Kanye West: Searching for... Kanye (BBC Three)
Preview by Patrick Clarke, bbc.co.uk, 14 December 2018
The rapper has hit the headlines almost as much for his mental health as his music this year, but what's really going on? ...
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