Record Collector Magazine - August 2023

In this issue

547 August In this issue: Goth Special! Everything you need to know about The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus et al; in conversation with Martin Fry of ABC; Kevin Rowland on the new Dexys album; Swans’ Michael Gira on Noise and Silence; we meet NWOBHM favourites Raven; Candi Staton’s wild ride of a career and album-by-album with cosmic jazz funker Lonnie Liston Smith; record cost report; reviews of new albums and reissues by Suede, Tom Waits, Talking Heads, Blur, PJ Havey, and QOTSA; and much more

The Collector

This month: musician/ producer Chasms

5 mins

CANDID CANDI

The Southern soul, disco and gospel queen tells Ian Shirley about her acclaimed Fame recordings and how real-life pain helped her deliver those heartrending vocals

10+ mins

33% minutes with...Glen Matlock

In stark contrast with the misinformation and backstabbing aimed at Glen Matlock on his departure from the Sex Pistols in 1977, their reunion in 1996 saw the bassist reinstated and his significance in the band’s history re-evaluated. After spending the late 70s and 80s in a succession of shortlived bands, and a stint with Iggy Pop, Matlock channeled the momentum from the Pistols’ 90s revival into an ongoing solo career. On his sixth album, Consequences Coming, his Pistols-era knack for a sharp tune is paired with politically charged lyrics. “It’s a word to the wise,” he tells Record Collector.

5 mins

"We wanted to sound like Sinatra with a fairlight"

As the UK synthpop scene gathered momentum at the turn of the 80s, a bunch of ambitious modernists from South Yorkshire were thinking bigger. ABC, in a very different yet not entirely unrelated post-punk way to The Human League, Soft Cell, Haircut One Hundred et al, would create a vision of shiny, post-modern pop that endures on their finest recorded hour: The Lexicon Of Love. Leader Martin Fry remembers how, for a short, surreal period, it all went so gloriously right. Alphabet superstar:

10+ mins

HIGH FLYING BIRD

As the forbidding figure behind New York post-punk noise provocateurs Swans, Michael Gira spent the bulk of the 80s as the sworn enemy of conventional melody, until new creative partners and an unsatisfactory spell with a major label saw new influences come into play. More recently he has ventured back down that original avant-garde road armed with a bigger, more ambitious sound. “I write because I have to,” he tells

10+ mins

RENAISSANCE MAN

Keyboard supremo Lonnie Liston Smith is one of jazz’s pre-eminent sidemen, playing with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis. But it was as a leader that he came into his own, trailblazing a style that blended improvisation with soul and funk grooves. Spreading messages of peace and tranquility through positivist lyrics, albums such as Expansions, Visions Of A New World, Reflections Of A Golden Dream, and Renaissance proved crossover hits. Diversions into boogie followed before his renown among the rap generation led to his involvement in Guru’s groundbreaking project, Jazzmatazz. Tempted back into the studio by producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the keyboardist’s first new album in 25 years rekindles the magic of his 70s recordings. He talks Paul Bowler through some of the key albums of his remarkable career.

10 mins

THUNDER BIRD

While the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal spawned plenty of globe-straddling rock superstars, some of its less high-profile names still made their mark, even if more in influence than record sales. Tyneside terrors Raven were one such pack of unsung heroes, but their reputation has been rightly rehabilitated since their reformation at the turn of the millennium, and as a new album is released they sound revitalised as they come off a triumphant anniversary tour. Murder of crows: Rich Davenport

10+ mins

Divine Intervention

Having conceded that “addiction took years off me” and spent much of the late 20th century in a personal and artistic limbo, Kevin Rowland is now making up for lost time with a revitalised Dexys. As they prepare to release their new album, The Feminine Divine, this soon-to-be-septuagenarian is keen to express an older, wiser worldview and put the finishing touches to a back catalogue he can be proud of. “We haven’t done that much, really,” he tells Rob Hughes.

10+ mins

SO NOIR SO GOOD

With The Cure’s US dates being hailed as the tour of the summer, Siouxsie cutting an imperiously witchy figure at festivals, everyone from Bauhaus to The Mission still active, various releases including a box set, a slew of books, and newspaper articles, Goth seems destined to outlive all other subcultures. The polymorphously perverse post-punk movement that began in a club in London has since seeped into all corners of modern life, from Batman movies to Billie Eilish – even Eurovision 2023 seemed inundated with goth sonics/imagery. Jeremy Allen casts a kohl eye over its origin story and speaks to goth prime movers.

10+ mins

Wild At Heart

How the 'best new band in Britain' earned their title...

5 mins

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Record Collector Magazine Description:

Record Collector Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated to all aspects of record collecting, from the latest releases to rare and vintage vinyl. It is published by Metropolis Group The magazine covers a wide range of topics, including:

* New releases: Record Collector Magazine reviews new albums from all genres, including rock, pop, jazz, blues, and classical music.
* Reissues: The magazine also reviews reissues of classic albums, as well as box sets and compilations.
* Rare and vintage vinyl: Record Collector Magazine features articles on rare and vintage vinyl, including profiles of record labels, artists, and producers.
* Collecting tips: The magazine provides tips on how to start collecting records, how to care for your collection, and how to find the best deals.
* Record collector interviews: Record Collector Magazine interviews record collectors from all walks of life, from celebrities to everyday people.

Record Collector Magazine is known for its high-quality journalism, its informative and engaging articles, and its commitment to providing its readers with the latest news and information about the record collecting world.