Pop
The London ear
It’s easy to tag the city’s terrain by writer. But what, wonders Philip Clark, might a map of its music look like?
The beat goes on
It’s rare that I see a piece about music that makes me want to cheer from the rafters and shake…
Starr quality
Ringo’s no joke, says James Woodall. He was a genius and the Beatles were lucky to have him
Glastonbury knight
I had meant to write a dispassionate account of this year’s Glastonbury, really I had. But I’m afraid my plans…
Eyes wide shut
Asif Kapadia’s documentary about Amy Winehouse, whom Tony Bennett describes as ‘one of the truest jazz singers that ever lived’,…
Elysian fields
Glastonbury is a model for radical policy reform, says Steve Hilton
The pretenders
Like a lot of essentially cautious people, I like my music to take some risks, play with fire and damn…
Eurovision-speak
Like a reluctantly remembered nightmare, last week’s Eurovision Song Contest already seems very distant. But, in the manner of the…
Whose line is it anyway?
Songwriting credits are, as we know, not always to be trusted. Since the dawn of music publishing, there has always…
Yes men
My favourite comment about the Scottish referendum came from the eminent comedian and novelist David Baddiel. ‘What if Yes wins,…
The real thing
Every musical career has its own narrative, and most of them include at least one comeback. To come back, you…
Seasonal torture
Three months until spring. Four months until the start of the cricket season. And only nine months until the radio…
Trivial moaning
There is much to be said for Schadenfreude. (If it was edible, it would be a meal in a very…
First impressions
First impressions always count, and they are almost always wrong. This is particularly pertinent if you review albums for a…
J.J. Cale’s vision
‘I don’t really like most of the music you play,’ said the tall blonde woman with whom I share my…
