When debate rages about the greatest music songwriting teams of all time, a slew of familiar names are inevitably offered. McCartney & Lennon; Jagger & Richards; Rodgers & Hammerstein; Bacharach & David; Leiber & Stoller; John & Taupin; Ashford & Simpson; Ulvaeus & Andersson; the Gibb brothers; Holland, Dozier, Holland. Unless the conversation includes really […]
Eleven posts in and it’s about time I go slightly off-piste with a song choice. This time, it’s a track which ignited a lifelong love of a particular genre for me – Country (and all variations on the theme). Getting on my soapbox a little, as with pure pop music, I’ve never understood the criticism
Steve earle – copperhead road Read More »
Michael Jackson is going to figure heavily in this blog. Perhaps the biggest recording artist of the decade, his is one of the first names most people think of when mentioning 80’s music. He was a pop juggernaut; a behemoth; someone who always appeared to be more than just a musician. He was a cultural
michael jackson – wanna be startin’ somethin’ Read More »
I have to begin this post by saying a huge ‘screw you’ to Bret Easton Ellis (who clearly will be one of the 3 people who reads these posts…). The author of American Psycho took a real swipe at Huey Lewis and the News by making the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, who was used to symbolise
huey lewis and the news – hip to be square Read More »
Yet another band who will feature heavily within this blog over time, I’m a huge U2 fan. They have an astonishing rate of consistency when it comes to releasing huge singles and albums, and it’s no surprise that they’ve sold more than 150 million albums across their 45-year career. Perhaps my first selection of theirs
U2 – angel of harlem Read More »
I’m excited about this one. Really bloody excited! Deacon Blue are one of those bands who I quite liked back in the day but have grown to love over recent years. Sure, I understood that Dignity was an absolute classic, though I was quite late to the party in terms of fully appreciating the rest
Deacon Blue – Dignity Read More »
The second of three Christmas songs to feature in the blog this December, we’re moving onto a favourite for so many: the classic Driving Home for Christmas, by the wonderful Chris Rea. The artist A fellow north-eastern lad (he was born in Middlesbrough in 1951), Chris was heavily influenced by classic blues music and bought
chris rea – driving home for christmas Read More »
It’s December, so naturally, as a big kid who adores this time of year, I’m breaking out the Christmas classics! For once, I’ll concede to another decade though – the 1970s definitely had the best Christmas tunes (Slade, Wizzard, Elton, Greg Lake, and Mike Oldfield help secure that crown), though the 80s is very close
Shakin’ stevens – merry christmas everyone Read More »
Some songs couldn’t possibly have come from any other decade than the 80s. We all know the type – huge, anthemic, singalong classics. The type of song you scream along to until it feels like your lungs are on the verge of bursting. This song is undoubtedly one of those. The artist As scarcely believable
simple minds – alive And kicking Read More »
I hate the term ‘guilty pleasure’. I hate it with a passion. Why is it deemed to be the norm to use that phrase when describing something we ultimately like? Why can’t we just admit to loving something without having to resort to wheeling out that tired old cliché, which basically means ‘yes, I love
Dead Or Alive – you spin me round (like a record) Read More »
