81 posts
Classic Album
With Diamond Life, Sade made one of the most assured debut long-players of 1984… While 1984 will be forever synonymous with Frankie’s militant futurism, George Michael’s chart dominance and Band…
Making Depeche Mode – Songs Of Faith And Devotion
Following up the enormous success of Violator almost broke Depeche Mode. But despite Dave Gahan’s heroin addiction and inter-band fighting, with Songs Of Faith And Devotion they eventually created a…
Making David Bowie: Station To Station
Homesickness, coke and a passion for European electronic music fuelled the emergence of a new Bowie alter-ego, as the Thin White Duke took centre stage for Bowie’s most experimental work…
Making David Bowie: “Heroes”
Following Low, David Bowie: “Heroes” was the singer’s triumphant love letter to Berlin… Though Low’s later instrumentals referenced various facets of Bowie’s newly adopted home of Berlin, as a whole,…
Making The Blue Nile: A Walk Across The Rooftops
They only made four albums in 20 years, so The Blue Nile’s every record is precious. but the Scottish trio’s debut, A Walk Across The Rooftops, offered an as yet…
Making The La’s
A timeless classic that inspired a thousand imitators but left its creator claiming it sounds like “a snake with a broken back”, The La’s is a much-mythologised debut album. We…
Making Madonna – Like A Virgin
The Like A Virgin album turned Madonna from a New York club queen to the most famous female artist in the world… As New York’s achingly hip art set gathered…
Making The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
Still adored nearly 30 years on, The Stone Roses rescued indie rock from shambling student bands and fired Manchester into a bright new musical future. Michael Leonard charts the making…
Making ABBA: The Album
What ABBA: The Album lacked in an imaginative title, it made up for with great songwriting, ambitious musicianship and record-breaking sales By the time of this, their fifth studio album,…
Making ABBA: Waterloo
Its title track stands as a pop masterpiece, and the ratio of killer to filler has improved, but ABBA: Waterloo is still as preposterous as it is pleasing… By Wyndham…