Neil Taylor
Neil Taylor worked for NME from approximately 1983 to 1987 and is most closely associated with the Indie rock of that period. His early work on such bands as the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Wedding Present, Primal Scream, Bogshed, Big Flame, We've Got A Fuzzbox... and others helped cement the fledgling indie scene in 1984 and 1985, culminating in the release of the NME cassette tape C86.
In the early 1990s, he went to work in publishing, eventually becoming the Publishing Director of Weidenfeld & Nicolson, part of the Orion Publishing Group, before leaving to set up a literary agency, neiltaylorassociates.During his publishing career he has commissioned and/or edited a number of eminent British literary authors, including Lawrence Norfolk, Jake Arnott, Matt Thorne, David Mitchell, Peter Ackroyd, Justin Hill, Toby Litt, and Tibor Fischer.
Neil is the author of Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade (Orion, 2009) and C86 & All That, a book about indie rock after post-punk.
16 articles
List of articles in the library
Strawberry Switchblade: ICA, London
Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 15 October 1983
THE ECLECTIC confines of the ICA's well-organised Pop-Goes-The-Easel Week once again played host to developing talent. In amongst the unlikely mixture of intellectual behemoths and ...
The Durutti Column: Riverside Studios, London
Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 15 September 1984
SIXTY FOOT up in the Riverside gantry, amongst the clutter of microphones, lights, and soundmen, we witness the return of The Durutti Column. A grand ...
Report by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 13 October 1984
ARMED WITH arc-welders, paint sprays, sculpture gear, drills and various other odd-bod instruments, metallic industrialists SPK were due to take the ICA stage last Thursday ...
The Jesus & Mary Chain: Three Johns, Islington, London
Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 3 November 1984
HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SEING... ...
The Jesus & Mary Chain: Vile Evil From East Kilbride!
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 8 December 1984
NEIL TAYLOR suffers a collision with THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, a smash'n'grab gang from Scotland who're terrifying audiences and dopey record biz types everywhere. ...
The Jesus & Mary Chain: Jesus And Mary Chain! A Riot
Report by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 16 March 1985
Neil Taylor witnesses yet more violence at a Jesus And Mary Chain concert. ...
Bodines,The, Primal Scream: The Bodines/Primal Scream: Young, Loud & Snotty
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 3 August 1985
Times up! NEIL TAYLOR puts his typewriter where his gripes are and pleads on behalf of new, young punk-rock style groups (like PRIMAL SCREAM and ...
The Pastels: Suck On The Pastels
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 25 January 1986
Five singles old and The Pastels aren't as funny as Lloyd Cole. Nonplussed NEIL TAYLOR wonders why. ...
We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It: Big Fuzz From The Jungle
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 1 March 1986
We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It. What more can you say? Neil Taylor gets a word or two in edgeways. ...
The Nightingales: Nightingales: We Spit In Your Gravy
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 5 April 1986
So say the reanimated NIGHTINGALES, who've found a new lease of life — on the fiddle. NEIL TAYLOR hears about country life and the strings ...
Icicle Works: The Drips Who Turned To Rock
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 9 August 1986
Four years ago, ICICLE WORKS' hit single 'Love Is A Beautiful Colour' branded them as wimps. But now they're back, harder and happier, with the ...
Girlschool: Nightmare At Maple Cross (GWR)
Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 25 October 1986
WHEN THE metal messiah Lemmy recently stated on the radio that Heavy Metal was all about tunes, and that vocals, lyrics, and accessories were unimportant, ...
Felt: Poem Of The River (Creation)
Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 4 July 1987
THE MOST FASCINATING aspect of the band Felt is Lawrence's insatiable urge to constantly free-fall the perimeters of his creative ability. ...
Live Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 19 September 1987
KICKSTART ME, JESUS ...
Bruce Springsteen: Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel Of Love (CBS)
Review by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 10 October 1987
Tunnel Vision ...
Pepsi & Shirlie: When Did You Last See George Michael's Trousers?
Interview by Neil Taylor, New Musical Express, 24 October 1987
You've heard the phrase 'All mouth and no trousers' — but does it refer to George Michael and his vanishing keks? To Top Shoppers PEPSI ...
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