CATEGORIES

'I Was Pretty Bad At Being A Pop Star'

Riding high on the back of Bon Iver’s endorsement and his finest album in years, the piano master discusses the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, cryogenics and appearing in “some of the worst videos ever made”

The Go-Betweens - G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 2 – 1985–1989 Domino

Australian indie ambassadors’ golden age showcased in opulent style.

It's Too Late To Stop Now

Has VAN MORRISON mellowed at last? After yet another remarkable period in his ongoing creative renaissance, the Celtic soul warrior is on good form as he talks R&B, transcendence and mythical bootlegs with Graeme Thomson. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing for quite a while,” he reveals

Robert Plant - Digging Deep

ESPARANZA 7/10 Percy on 45! A boxset of 7”s traces Plant’s post-Zep progress. By Michael Bonner

Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance

The poet’s intimate musical postscript.

'I'll Tell You The Full Story…'

During the past 12 months, a series of lavish boxsets have tracked DAVID BOWIE’s early development throughout 1968 and 1969. As this comprehensive archeological survey concludes with Conversation Piece, long-serving producer TONY VISCONTI relives the highs and lows of Bowie’s breakthrough. There are ham sandwiches, Marc Bolan impressions, the peerless “Space Oddity”, and tearful studio interludes… but, most importantly, we learn how the music made during this brief but pivotal period critically influenced one superstar in the making: David Bowie himself…

'I Was Very Into Solitude' - An Audience With Bill Callahan

At the end of his most successful year to date, the one-time Smog loner talks children’s choirs, Scorsese films, tabloid nudity and why he’d rather be a horse than a bird

'A Bit Of Civic Pride'

2019 has been a landmark for THE SPECIALS. A No 1 album, a massive world tour and the declaration of The Specials Day in Los Angeles. For their singer, TERRY HALL, the year has also meant a more personal milestone: collecting his bus pass. Here, Hall – along with bandmates HORACE PANTER and LYNVAL GOLDING – reflects on the triumphs of the past 12 months. But as John Lewis discovers, just don’t ask Hall what he’s planning to call his autobiography…

Spice Up Your Blues With Dorian

Jon Bishop wants to spice up your blues with the wonderful world of the Dorian mode. If you feel your playing is stuck in a Pentatonic rut then this feature could provide the refreshing change you’re after.

Sixty Seconds With...

A minute’s all it takes to find out what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo for the airport we grabbed a quick chat with legendary Dixie Dregs, Flying Colors and Deep Purple guitarist, Steve Morse.

Session Shenanigans

The studio guitarist’s guide to happiness and personal fulfilment, as related by session ace Mitch Dalton. This month: Everybody dance!

Rocco Zifarelli Video Masterclass Pt2

In the second instalment of this six-part video feature, Rocco Zifarelli demonstrates some smooth Dorian lead work over a fast paced, fusion blues backing track, Harlem 72. Jon Bishop is your guide.

Robin Trower

This month Phil Short introduces us to the effects-laden psychedelic tones of a legendary blues-rock guitarist, the great Robin Trower.

Psychedelic: Love

This month Simon Barnard introduces a fascinating band that melded trippy ballads with proto-punk and garage rock: Arthur Lee’s ‘Love’.

John Etheridge Interview & Masterclass

Soft Machine’s John Etheridge talks David Mead through the band’s inner workings and reveals what it’s like to be the six-string driving force for one of the most legendary of British jazz-fusion outfits.

Instrumental Inquisition!

Guitar instrumentals have supplied some of music’s most evocative moments. We asked some top guitarists for their take on this iconic movement. Today Dutch prog band Focus’s brilliant guitarist and now solo artist, the great Jan Akkerman.

In The Woodshed

Become Lord Of The Riffs with the Minor Pentatonic says Charlie Griffiths. Five notes to rule them all and five riffs to find them!

Food For Thought

Justin Sandercoe of justinguitar.com lends GT his insight as one of the world’s most successful guitar teachers. This month: Confidence and reality.

The First... Dani Winter-Bates

AHEAD OF THEIR BIGGEST EVER HEADLINE SHOWS, DANI TALKS US THROUGH SOME OF THE FIRSTS THAT HELPED BURY TOMORROW BECOME THE BAND THEY ARE TODAY.

Behind The Bastards

FIST FIGHTS, RUNAWAY SUCCESS AND A STORY THAT’S BEEN UNFOLDING IN PLAIN SIGHT FOR ALMOST A DECADE... THIS IS HOW PALAYE ROYALE MADE THEIR DARING NEW ALBUM ‘THE BASTARDS’, EXCLUSIVELY AND IN THEIR OWN WORDS.

Lost In Stereo

TEN YEARS AGO, ALL TIME LOW RELEASED AN ALBUM THAT WOULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER. WITH A SPECIAL RE-RECORDED VERSION OF THE RECORD AND ANNIVERSARY SHOWS ON THE HORIZON, WE LOOK BACK ON HOW ‘NOTHING PERSONAL’ TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM.

Level Up

TAKING FANS BY SURPRISE WITH A BOLDER, DISTURBING SECOND ALBUM, ‘IN DARKNESS’, VARIALS ARE LAYING DOWN A GAUNTLET TO METALCORE BANDS EVERYWHERE. FRONTMAN TRAVIS TABRON WALKS US THROUGH THE LATEST, CRITICAL CHAPTER IN THEIR STORY.

The Story Behind... ‘Starstrukk'

A CROSSOVER ANTHEM THAT TOOK THE WORLD BY SURPRISE, ‘STARSTRUKK’ REFLECTED ITS CREATORS’ LIGHT-HEARTED APPROACH TO LIFE. HERE, THEY TELL ITS STORY.

The Build - Martin Mahogany Dreadnought Kit - Part 2

In part two of his quest to build a classic Martin acoustic, editor Jamie has a bracing experience – and gets thoroughly trussed up

The Gary Moore Collection

As a new auction brings a host of Gary Moore’s gear within reach of collectors on a more modest budget, we join Graham Lilley – Gary’s long-time friend and tech – for a trip down memory lane and a closer look at some of the kit going under the hammer

Mission Impossible

A half-century after the album’s original release, Dweezil Zappa’s forthcoming tour aims to recreate his late father’s mind-boggling Hot Rats in forensic detail. He told us about the ultimate labour of love, recreating stolen instruments and walking in a dead man’s shoes…

Royal Rumble

Gibson’s head of Product Development, Mat Koehler, and Fender historian Terry Foster explain how the two industry titans battled it out over the electric bass in the early days – and changed the course of popular music in the process…

Own Your Tone

Great tone is about sound, isn’t it? Or is it about how your gear responds to your touch? Actually, it’s both. In this month’s cover feature, we explain how to unlock the full potential of your gear by tailoring it like a Savile Row suit to your style of playing

J Mascis

WITH HIS ACOUSTIC SOLO ALBUM, ‘ELASTIC DAYS’, IN THE BAG, WE CATCH UP WITH THE DINOSAUR JR FRONTMAN ONBOARD BRISTOL’S THEKLA TO TALK GOLDEN ERA GIBSONS, VINTAGE MARTINS AND FUZZED OUT FENDERS…

Control & Sequence

The lines between MIDI controllers, hardware sequencers and expressive instruments are increasingly blurring. Let’s look at some creative ways to get handson with gear in and out of the box