81 posts
Classic Album
Mixing the feathery whimsy of the Cocteau Twins and the jangling melodicism of The Smiths, The Sundays were tipped for huge stardom with Reading, Writing And Arithmetic. Only problem was:…
Making Sade: Diamond Life
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,…