Books: The Sartorialist Milano

Fashion’s original social media master Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist, hits the streets of one of Europe’s most stylish cities for this tailor-made collection of Milano’s visually charismatic people. Schuman, who now calls Milano his home, combines portraiture with dazzling cityscapes and revealing reportage.

Back in 2005, Scott Schuman transformed fashion photography forever when he founded the blog The Sartorialist. The idea was simple: to open a dialogue between fashion and daily life, by shooting locals in public spaces. But in the lineage of Bill Cunningham and August Sander, that unpretentious, radical emphasis on "real people"—off the runway, out of the studio—elevated people-watching to an art and street style to high fashion, long before Instagram. In Milano, Schuman found a muse dressed for the task. 

Milano chronicles nearly twenty years of his devotion to the inimitable Milanese and their bustling, stylish city, first as a visitor, then as a local. Featuring a foreword by the late Giorgio Armani and an extensive interview unpacking Schuman's unique approach to capturing fashion in the wild, the photos are so cinematically composed, it's a wonder they were shot on the move. Schuman seems to pause Milano, not only those shoppers, skaters, and smokers who might have the time but those without it: Miuccia Prada, Emiliano Salci, Luciano Barbera, the Sozzani sisters, all caught here in the same streets and caffés. What emerges is a street-view history of modern Milanese fashion, by an American with the open mind to see the elegance overlooked by locals born to it and missed in stiffer fashion shoots—the beauty in the authentic, unpredictable styles combined only by those under no pressure to conform.  

 

Young and old, they pose while Milano flies by on bikes, Vespas, and trams, amid a dazzle of marble, frescos, sculptures, spires, columns, ornate palazzi and brutalist facades, local markets, florists, vertical gardens, iconic hangouts like Bar Basso and Marchesi 1824, espressos, handbags, high heels, and suits in every color imaginable. From the canals of Naviglio Grande to the cobblestones of Via Brera to the glass ceiling of “the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II” and Milano Centrale, the city’s blend of architectural styles is seen as a radiant reflection of its people.

 “Milano does not lend itself to superficial, fleeting acquaintances,” Armani notes in his foreword; part travelogue, part style bible, here is an exclusive chance to tune into the city’s rhythms, energy, and soul as intimately as Schuman has, to discover what makes it one-of-a-kind. For admirers of fashion, photography, and la dolce vita, this is the authentic street-style of the fashion capital of the world that won’t be found on Instagram, captured by the pioneer who made it cool and meaningful. In Schuman’s words, these aren’t just clothes, they’re clothes that tell you “who the people are”.

 

Scott Schuman: The Sartorialist Milano

Edition: English

Hardcover, 24 x 32.7 cm, 1.64 kg,  

Pages: 248 

Rocktrospectiva: The Magnificent "Sound Affects" Turns 45

Released on 28 November 1980 "Sound Affects" was the 5th., studio album by English rock band the Jam. It was the only Jam album to be co-produced by the band themselves, and contains the only album track co-written by the entire band, "Music for the Last Couple". The cover art is a pastiche of the artwork used on various Sound Effects records produced by the BBC during the 1970s.The album spawned two singles "Start!" & "That's Entertainment". 

Jam frontman Paul Weller has opined that Sound Affects is the Jam's best album. Unhappy with the slicker approach of Setting Sons, the Jam decided to go back to basics, using the direct, economic playing of All Mod Cons and "Going Underground," the simply brilliant single which preceded Sound Affects by a few months. Thematically, though, Paul Weller explored a more indirect path, leaving behind (for the most part) the story-song narratives in favor of more abstract dealings in spirituality and perception.

Musically, Weller drew upon Revolver-era Beatles as a primary source the bassline on "Start," which comes directly from "Taxman," being the most obvious occurrence, incorporating the occasional odd sound and echoed vocal, which implied psychedelia without succumbing to its excesses. From beginning to end, the songs are pure, clever, infectious pop -- probably their catchiest -- with "That's Entertainment" and the should-have-been-a-single "Man in the Corner Shop" standing out. "Pretty Green" includes a funk bass-line and rhythm with melodic guitar breaks and psychedelic sound effects.

Sound Affects was the Jam's magnus opera. From beginning to end, it was their most consistent and inventive album, filled as it is with compelling, mesmerizing songs. Here the Jam developped into a legitimate post-punk outfit, taking cues from contemporaries such as Wire, Joy Division and Gang of Four. The guitar and rhythm section sound were more jagged and menacing, while the production was near perfect, filled with surprising subtleties. Mixed with this fresh sounding development of their sound is the Jam's already familiar love for 60's music. 

Songs like "That's Entertainment" and "Monday" paint brilliantly vivid pictures of everyday working class life through a psychedelic lens. "Man in the Corner Shop" delivered biting social commentary to a gorgeous jangle-guitar tune. On the more post-punk side of things, there is "Music for the Last Couple" and "Scrape Away," where brilliantly unconventional production, jagged guitar licks and existential lyrics collide to awesome effect. The lyrics were up to the standard one would expect from Weller, which is to say they are completely brilliant. The ability of Weller as a young man to dissect the true nature of the world was always astounding, arguably on this album more than ever before. There is the usually scathing social commentary combined with a thoroughly existential, philosophical tone. Sound Affects is one of the greatest albums of all time, and arguably the best album The Jam ever made.

Sound Affects Track List: 

 

1. Pretty Green

2. Monday

3. But I'm Different Now

4. Set The House Ablaze

5. Start!

6. That's Entertainment

7. Dream Time 

8. Man In The Corner Shop

9. Music For The Last Couple

10. Boy About Town

11. Scrape Away

Rocktrospectiva: Queen's Breathtaking And Finest Album "A Night At The Opera" Turns 50

Released on 28 November 1975 "A Night At The Opera" was the 4th., studio album by the British rock band Queen. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, it was reportedly the most expensive album ever recorded at the time of its release, the album spawned two singles "Bohemian Rhapsody" & "You're My Best Friend". 

Named after the Marx Brothers' film of the same name, A Night at the Opera was recorded at various studios across a four-month period in 1975. Due to management issues, Queen had received almost none of the money they earned for their previous albums. Subsequently, they ended their contract with Trident Studios and did not use their studios for the album (the sole exception being "God Save the Queen", which had been recorded the previous year). They employed a complex production that extensively used multitrack recording, and the songs incorporated a wide range of styles, such as ballads, music hall, sea shanties, dixieland, hard rock and progressive rock influences. Aside from their usual equipment, Queen also utilised a diverse range of instruments such as a double bass, harp, ukulele and more.

It also produced the band's most successful single in the UK, "Bohemian Rhapsody", which became their first number-one song in the country. Despite being twice as long as the average length of singles during the 1970s, the song became immensely popular worldwide.

Queen's previous album, Sheer Heart Attack, had obtained commercial success and brought the band mainstream attention, with the single "Killer Queen" reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. Despite this success, the band was broke at the time, largely due to a contract they had signed which meant that they would produce albums for a production company, who would then sell the album to a record label. This meant that Queen saw almost none of the money they earned, as Trident Studios paid them £60 weekly. Guitarist Brian May was living in a bedsit in Earls Court, West London while frontman Freddie Mercury lived in a flat in Kensington that suffered from rising damp. The matter eventually reached a turning point when bassist John Deacon, who had recently married, was denied a cash advance of £4,000 by manager Norman Sheffield to put a deposit on a house. This increasing frustration led to Mercury writing the song "Death on Two Legs", which would serve as the opening track to A Night at the Opera.

In December 1974, the band hired Jim Beach as their lawyer and began negotiating their way out of Trident. While Beach studied the group's contracts, the group continued touring. They began their first tour of Japan in April 1975, where thousands of fans met them at Haneda Airport and they played two sold out shows at the Nippon Budokan, Tokyo. After a nine-month dispute, Queen were finally free of Trident and signed directly with EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in North America. They regained control of their back catalogue, while their former publishing company, Feldman, was taken over by EMI. Because Trident had invested over £200,000 in promoting Queen, the group were required to pay half that to buy out their contracts, and they had to give Trident 1% royalties from their next six albums. Additionally, a tour of America scheduled for September 1975 had to be cancelled as it had been organised by Jack Nelson, who was associated with Trident, despite the already booked venues and sold tickets. This tour was necessary for regaining funds, and its cancellation was a major setback.

Queen worked with producer Roy Thomas Baker, who had also split from Trident, and engineer Mike Stone. It was the last time they would work with Baker until 1978's Jazz. Gary Langan, then 19 years old and who had been a tape operator on two of Sheer Heart Attack's songs, was promoted to an assistant engineer on the album. It was reportedly the most expensive album ever made at the time, with the estimated cost being £40,000.

The album was recorded at seven different studios over a period of four months. Queen spent a month during the summer of 1975 rehearsing in a barn at what would become Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey. The group then had a three-week writing and rehearsing session in a rented house near Kington, Herefordshire before recording began. From August to September 1975, the group worked at Rockfield in Monmouthshire. For the remainder of recording sessions, which lasted until November, the group recorded at Lansdowne, Sarm Studios, Roundhouse, Scorpio Sound and Olympic Sound Studios. As their deal with Trident had ended, Trident Studios was not used during recording. The only song on the album recorded at Trident was "God Save the Queen", which had been recorded on 27 October the previous year, shortly before the band embarked on their Sheer Heart Attack Tour.

The group required multi-tracking for their complex vocal harmonies which typically consisted of May singing lower registers, Mercury singing middle registers and Taylor performing the higher parts (Deacon did not sing). Unlike their first three albums, which had used 16-track tape, A Night at the Opera was recorded using 24-track tape. Their vocal harmonies are particularly notable on the song "Bohemian Rhapsody", which features an elaborate opera sequence dominated by multitracked vocals. Similarly, "The Prophet's Song" has an a capella middle section that utilises delay on Mercury's vocals. For their self-titled "guitar orchestrations", May overdubbed his homemade Red Special guitar through an amplifier built by Deacon, known as the Deacy Amp, later released commercially as the "Brian May" amplifier by Vox. Guitar layering is one of May's distinctive techniques as a rock guitarist. He has said that the technique was developed whilst looking for a violin sound.

Aside from their usual equipment, the group used various instruments on the album. Mercury used a grand piano for most of the songs, contributing a jangle piano on "Seaside Rendezvous", while Taylor used a timpani and gong on "Bohemian Rhapsody". Deacon played double bass on "'39" and Wurlitzer Electric Piano on "You're My Best Friend". In the album liner notes, May was credited to "orchestral backdrops" – a reference to the fact that he played a number of instruments not typically found in Queen songs. He played an acoustic guitar on "Love of My Life" and "'39", as well a harp on "Love of My Life", and a toy koto on "The Prophet's Song". The song "Good Company" also features May recreating a Dixieland jazz band, which was done on his Red Special.

The album has been affiliated with progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, hard rock and avant-pop. It contains a diverse range of influences including folk, skiffle, British camp and music hall, jazz and opera. Each member wrote at least one song: Mercury wrote five of the songs, May wrote four, and Taylor and Deacon wrote one song each. The closing track was an instrumental cover of "God Save the Queen", the British national anthem, for which May was credited as the arranger.

For their first two albums, much of Queen's songwriting combined contemporary progressive rock and heavy metal, which led to a "Led Zeppelin meets Yes" description of the band. Starting with Sheer Heart Attack, Queen began drawing inspiration from their everyday lives, and embraced more mainstream musical styles, a trend which A Night at the Opera would continue. Lyrical themes ranged from science fiction and fantasy to heartbreak and romance, often with a tongue in cheek sense of humour.

The album opened with "Death On Two Legs" considered to be Mercury's  hate letter to Queen's first manager, Norman Sheffield, who for some years was reputed to have mistreated the band and abused his role as their manager from 1972 to 1975. "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" was another song by Mercury, the lead vocal was sung in the studio and reproduced through headphones in a tin bucket elsewhere in the studio. "I'm In Love With My Car", was written and sung by Taylor. The song was initially taken as a joke by May, who thought that Taylor was not serious when he heard a demo recording. The revving sounds at the conclusion of the song were recorded by Taylor's then current car, an Alfa Romeo. "You're My Best Friend" was the second song and first Queen single to be written by John Deacon. He composed it while he was learning to play piano, and played the Wurlitzer electric piano (which Mercury disliked) on the recording and overdubbed the bass guitar afterwards. The song was written for his wife, Veronica. "39"  was May's attempt to do a 'lover's pirate shanty.' It relates the tale of a group of space explorers who embark on what is, from their perspective, a year-long voyage. Upon their return, however, they realise that a hundred years have passed, because of the time dilation effect in Einstein's theory of relativity, and the loved ones they left behind are now all dead or aged. "Sweet Lady" was a fast rocker written by May. and then "Seaside Rendezvous" written by Mercury, has a mock-instrumental bridge section which begins at around 0:51 into the song. The section is performed entirely by Mercury and Taylor using their voices alone. 

The second part started with "The Prophet's Song"  it was composed by May. He explained that he wrote the song after a dream he had had about The Great Flood and his fears about the human race and its general lack of empathy. He spent several days assembling the song, and it includes a vocal canon sung by Mercury. The vocal, and later instrumental canon was produced by early tape delay devices. "Love Of My Life" was one of Queen's most covered songs it was such a concert favourite that Mercury frequently stopped singing and allowed the audience to take over. "Good Company" was written and sung by May, who sang all vocals and played ukulele. The recording features a recreation of a Dixieland-style jazz band using May's Red Special guitar and Deacy Amp. Then the masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody" was written by Mercury with the first guitar solo composed by May. All piano, bass and drum parts, as well as the vocal arrangements, were thought up by Mercury on a daily basis and written down "in blocks" (using note names instead of sheets) on a phonebook. The operatic section was originally intended to be only a short interlude of "Galileos" that connected the ballad and hard rock portions of the song. The interlude is full of "obscure classical characters: Scaramouche, a clown from the Commedia dell'arte; astronomer Galileo; Figaro, the principal character in Beaumarchais' The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro; and Beelzebub, identified in the Christian New Testament as Satan, Prince of Demons, but in Arabic as "Lord of the Flies". Also in Arabic the word Bismillah', which is a noun from a phrase in the Qur'an; "Bismi-llahi r-rahmani r-rahiim", meaning "In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful". "God Save The Queen" the British national anthem, on 27 October 1974 at Trident Studios before their Sheer Heart Attack tour. He played a guide piano which was edited out later and added several layers of guitars. After the song was completed it was played as a coda at virtually every Queen concert.

The album received very positive reviews in the UK music magazines, although some of them had to review the album without preview copies because the band were mixing the album until the last moment. Considered as a consolidation of the previous album's success in skilfully engineering this balance between artistry and effectology. Their best work to date" and wrote that the band had "used studio gadgetry to the fullest effect, but they've also used it to the best advantage. In the US the album defined the band as an elite act in the genre and set themselves apart by incorporating unlikely effects: acoustic piano, harp, a capella vocals, no synthesisers.

 

A Night At The Opera Track List:  

 

1. Death On Two Legs

2, Lazing On ASunday Afternoon

3. I'm In Love With My Car

4. You're My Best Friend

5. 39

6. Sweet Lady

7. Seaside Rendezvous

8. The Prophet's Song

9. Love Of My Life

10. Good Company

11. Bohemian Rhapsody

12. God Save The Queen (instrumental)

Rocktrospectiva: The Influential And Formidable "Since I Left You" Turns 25

Released on 27 November 2000, "Since I Left You" was the debut studio album by Australian electronic music group The Avalanches. It was produced by group members Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmann (under the pseudonym Bobbydazzler), and samples extensively from various genres. The album was recorded and produced at two separate, near-identical studios by Chater and Seltmann, exchanging audio mixes of records they sampled.

After the album's positive reception in Australia, the duo considered an international release – its date was held back until 2001 in the United Kingdom and North America and appeared in slightly altered forms. The delay and changes occurred so that the group could obtain permission to use the samples or use replacements. Four singles were released from the album "Electricity", "Frontier Psychiatrist", "Since I Left You", and "Radio".

The Avalanches began work on the album in 1999 under the working title Pablo's Cruise, primarily working with a Yamaha Promix 01 and Akai S2000 samplers. Group members Darren Seltmann and Robbie Chater spent hours sampling music from vinyl records to create the songs on the album: Chater has estimated that there are over 3,500 samples that were used overall although some estimate the number to be much lower, roughly 900. After sampling and arranging, the pair would swap their tapes, listen to each other's ideas, and expand on whatever they had heard. Despite working separately, both Chater and Seltmann had nearly identical studio set-ups.

Initially, Seltmann and Chater were not planning for an international release. They were not concerned with copyright restrictions and so did not keep a list of which tracks were being sampled. According to Chater they "were really unorganised and were just sampling on the fly as tracks progressed ... We had no idea the record would get such a wide-scale release so we saw no need to keep track of what we were using – we were definitely guilty of harbouring a 'No-one's going to listen to it anyway' sort of attitude." 

The sources span many different styles of music, sampling artists such as Françoise Hardy, Blowfly, Sérgio Mendes, Raekwon, Wayne and Shuster, and Madonna. Later, Seltmann and Chater had a few problems when trying to clear all the samples. One sample that had to be removed was from Rodgers and Hammerstein in the intro that featured harps and girls singing. After checking clearances, the album is slightly different to its original form in that it had a whole new introduction, which apparently was really recognisable, so we had to take that off straight away". The Avalanches worked with sample-clearance expert Pat Shannahan to clear the thousands of samples in the record. The group played their songs to flatmates to get input on which tracks were worth including on the album. "Electricity" was the first song the group felt that worked; it was a last-minute addition to the album as The Avalanches felt the song "still sounds good". In February 2000, Seltmann (as Dazzler) and Chater (as Bobby C) finished production on the album under the pseudonym Bobbydazzler, and its official title was revealed as Since I Left You in March 2000.

Since I Left You was originally developed to be a concept album. Chater described its initial theme as a love story, "an international search for love from country to country. The idea of a guy following a girl around the world and always being one port behind. And that was just because we had all these records from all over the world, and we'd like to use all that stuff." The concept album idea was abandoned when the group felt they should not make their themes too obvious. The album's sound was in response to dance music at that time, that Chater felt was "about big drums, big production: think of a record like the Chemical Brothers "Block Rockin' Beats", with those amazing drums, and how huge those records sounded". The Avalanches felt their early music could not compare to that sound and desired a recording with less bass that was influenced by 1960s music such as the Beach Boys and Phil Spector.

When Since I Left You was being recorded, The Avalanches had trouble choosing songs to be released as singles, finding them not sounding as good outside the context of the album. On 13 September 1999, they issued "Electricity" as a four-track 12" vinyl single in Australia (on Modular Recordings) and as a two-track 7" vinyl single in the United Kingdom (on Rex Records). Chater felt that Modular was very patient with the group releasing the record. On 21 August 2000, "Frontier Psychiatrist" was released as the second single from the album by Modular in Australia in both a four-track and two-track version.

The initial release date for Since I Left You was going to be 11 September; however, it was delayed due to issues with sample clearance. On 27 November, the album was issued in Australia with plans to have a worldwide release in early 2001. The later release date outside Australia was due to additional sample clearances needed for international markets. To celebrate the album's release in Melbourne, the group had a boat cruise party through Port Phillip Bay. On 5 February 2001, they released the album's title track as the third single in Australia, and followed on 23 July with "Radio".

Seltmann and Chater did not initially think that Since I Left You would receive much attention. However, the album garnered widespread critical acclaim from the music industry. It became one of the best reviewed albums of 2000, hailed it as a joyous, kaleidoscopic masterpiece of sun-kissed disco-pop. 

 

Since I Left You Track List: 

 

1. Since I Left You

2. Stay Another Season

3. Radio

4. Two Hearts in 3/4 Time

5. Avalanche Rock

6. Flight To You

7. Close To You

8. Diners Only

9. A Different Feeling

10. Electricity

11. Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life

12. Pablo's Cruise

13. Frontier Psychiatrist

14. Etoh

15. Summer Crane

16. Little Journey

17. Live At Dominoes

18. Extra Kings

Rocktrospectiva: The Underrated And Misunderstood "Easy Pieces" Turns 40

Released on 22 November 1985 "Easy Pieces" was the second studio album by the British rock and pop band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. The album spawned three singles "Brand New Friend", "Lost Weekend" and "Cut Me Down". The title of the album derives from the American road drama film Five Easy Pieces (1970), which Cole described as "one of my very favourite films", saying, "I want to write at least five songs out of that film".

After the released of the acclaimed and succesfully "Rattlesnakes" the previous year, "Easy Pieces" became the band's fastest-selling album, selling more in its first two weeks than Rattlesnakes had managed in a whole year. It was also their highest charting album in the UK, peaking at number 5 propelled by the three singles which managed to reach the UK top 40 singles. However, despite Easy Pieces' commercial success, the reception from critics was lukewarm and the band themselves were unhappy with the end result.

Cole himself would later say, "It strikes me that there's something really fresh on the first album which has been dragged onto the second album, and the freshness is not there and something to replace the freshness is not there either".

Following promotion for Rattlesnakes, the band went back into the studio with Paul Hardiman again to record the follow-up. However, the relaxed atmosphere that had surrounded the recording of the first record was not replicated – Polydor had left the group alone while recording Rattlesnakes but now the band were well known and commercially successful, they took a more active interest and soon dismissed Hardiman, after the initial recording sessions did not immediately prove fruitful. Experienced producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, were drafted in to replace him. Unlike Hardiman, who had taken a hands-off approach, Langer and Winstanley made more suggestions during the recording process, which the Commotions didn't always agree with. Langer asked Cole to control the vibrato in his voice, which Cole had no idea how to do as it was his natural way of singing, and as a result he became self-conscious about his singing. 

Cole felt that they had been pushed into making a second record too quickly: "We didn't give ourselves time to step back and think. The record company was telling us 'this is your moment and you must take it now' – which is crap. People would have waited for us. We were insecure so we made the record too soon and the record company fired Paul Hardiman."

The band intended Easy Pieces to be more accessible than Rattlesnakes, with Cole saying, "We wanted the sound to be warmer, more luscious". He described the lead single "Brand New Friend" as being "about a character who's in a fairly pitiful position of being aware that he's not as happy as he once was, but not being sure what to do about it. He's also aware that he's verging on self-pity, which is also quite ridiculous. So it's quite funny too. He's aware it's a little cry for help." Cole would later disown some of his writing on the album, stating in 1990, "There are two terrible songs on Easy Pieces, one called "Grace" and another called "Minor Character" which is literally the worst lyric ever written. 

Unlike the widespread praise for Rattlesnakes, the reception for Easy Pieces was noticeably cooler by saying the songs sound second-hand , Cole's lyrics sound as though they were written to fit the metre rather than to say anything. Others observed that the solid production swells to leave no white space, and individually many of the tracks are opalescent, only Spint was far more enthusiastic saying: the promise reflected on their impressive debut album Rattlesnakes has been kept and the band wrote clean, crisp, guitar-oriented pop songs with addictive hook lines.

Easy Pieces Track List: 

 

1. Rich  

2. Why I Love Country Music

3. Pretty Gone

4. Grace

5. Cut Me Down

6. Brand New Friend

7. Lost Weekend 

8. James 

9. Minor Character 

10. Perfect Blue

11. Her Last Fling 

12. Big World 

13. Nevers End  

Rocktrospectiva: The Big And Massive "Hi Infidelity" Turns 45

Released on 21 November 1980 "Hi Infidelity" was the ninth studio album by US rock band REO Speedwagon. The album became a big hit in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200. It went on to become the biggest-selling album of 1981, spawning four singles "Take It On The Run", "Keep On Loving You", "In Your Letter", "Don't Let Him Go". 

The album title is a play on the term "in high fidelity," which used to appear on album covers. The album art is an illustration of this pun where an act of sexual infidelity is apparently occurring while the man is putting an LP record to play on the hi-fi stereo. While the band had previously released some successful recordings, none of them came close to what happened for them with Hi Infidelity.

It spawned several hit singles, including the first of two Number #1 hits they would have in their career. The album itself also made it to #1 on the charts. It would end up becoming the biggest-selling rock album of 1981.

Six songs from the album charted on the Billboard charts, including "Keep On Loving You" which was the band's first Number 1 hit, and "Take It on the Run", on the other hand "Tough Guys" was one of two songs from the album that charted on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart despite not being released as singles. 

The album opened with "Don't Let Him Go", a great rocking song for them to start the album with. Singer Kevin Cronin sounds fantastic, as do the rest of the band members. I especially love the playing of keyboardist Neal Doughty and guitarist Gary Richrath on this track, "Keep On Loving You" was the first single that eventually became the band's first No. 1 song and it become one of the most popular ballads of the 1980s. "Follow My Heart" many believe this song was a kinda of a filler but in the end it was another great rock and roll song criminally underrated, "In Your Letter" the 4th., single that made it onto the top 20, a song that was inspired by how keyboardist Neal Doughty found out that his wife was leaving him. He and the band had just finished a tour. Doughty returned to his home and found a “goodbye” letter from his wife in their kitchen, informing him that she had left him for another man. The man in question was actually a person who supplied the band members with illegal drugs. Now here it comes the masterpiece "Take It On The Run" was the second single released from the album and it was almost as successful as “Keep On Loving You,” reaching No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The second part began with "Tough Guys" the song started with a short, fun clip of a classic scene from one of The Little Rascals short films, to turned into a great, rocking song with wesome music and vocals. "Out Of Season" this was another funny song to listening to, "Shakin' It Loose" another great cool rock song from the beginning and all the way to the end, Neil Doughty went into a great brief piano solo which sounds amazing…and then Gary Richrath rips into one of his best guitar solos ever. "Someone Tonight" on here the bassist Bruce Hall took the lead vocals, and finally "I Wish You Were There" a sort of a third ballad on the album, maybe not even as close as their biggest ballads, but indeed Cronin voice here was brilliant and sang with a lot of passion in his voice and it was ap erfect song to end this magnificent album and of the biggest of the 1980s.

 

Hi Infidelity Track List: 

 

1. Don't Let Him Go

2. Keep On Loving You

3. Follow My Heart

4. In Your Letter

5. Take It On The Run

6. Tough Guys

7. Out Of Season

8. Shakin' It Loose

9. Someone Tonight

10. I Wish You Were There

In Memoriam: The Legendary Gary "Mani" Mounfield Has Died Aged 63

Gary "Mani" Mounfield, bassist for The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, has died aged 63. The news was announced by his brother Greg on Facebook, in a statement that said: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother Gary Mani Mounfield. RIP RKID."

He later added in the comments: “Reunited with his beautiful wife Imelda.”

A cause of death has yet to be disclosed.

Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown also confirmed the news, writing a brief tribute on X that said: “REST IN PEACE MANI X.”

Raised in Crumpsall, Manchester, Mounfield joined The Stone Roses in 1987, having previously been a member of rival band The Waterfront, and performed with the band until their split in 1996.He then teamed up with Primal Scream and was a full-time member of the band, finding a kindred spirit in guitarist Robert "Throb" Young, with whom he made a memorable appearance on the Scottish TV show Trout ‘n’ About in 2004. 

Talking about Primal Scream that band was "most of a democracy", whereas with the Stone Roses we were more looking over our shoulder seeing if Ian and John Squire were pleased. Because they were writing the songs and being touted as the Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards kind of thing. For me now there's a lot more freedom. 

He rejoined The Stone Roses with core members Brown, John Squire and Alan  "Reni" Wren for their reunion shows between 2011 to 2017. Ed Power for The Independent noted how it was the recruitment of Mounfield that seemed to  "change" something for the band. Brown, Squire and drummer Reni were dreamers, he wrote.

Mani was a rocker. Now the tweeness that characterised early singles such as "Sally Cinnamon" evolved into something slicker, sleeker, groovier. Aside from music, Mounfield was a keen angler, having first started fishing as a boy around the canals of his native Manchester. 

Mounfield’s death comes almost two years to the day since his wife Imelda Mounfield died from cancer, on 18 November 2023. He and Imelda raised money for a cancer charity by organising auctions of memorabilia donated by friends including members of Oasis and David Beckham.

They shared twin sons, Gene Clarke and George Christopher, born in 2012.

Mounfield had also just announced that he would be embarking on a national in-conversation tour from September 2026, for talks in which he would reflect on his 40-year career in music.

Rocktrospectiva: The Cure Remixes Album "Mixed Up" Turns 35

Released on 20 November 1990 "Mixed Up" was a remix album by the English rock band the Cure. The songs included here were remixes of some of their hits, reflecting the popularity of remixing of existing songs and dance culture of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The album spawned three singles "Never Enough", "Close To Me (remix)", "A Forest (tree remix)".

Most of the songs were extended mixes. Several had been previously released on 12" singles, but some were completely remade, with Smith recutting vocals due to the original tapes not being available. The record closes with the extended version of a new single, "Never Enough". The remix of "Pictures of You" was originally released under the title "(Strange Mix)".  Robert Smith described the remix album as something "fun after the doom and gloom of Disintegration".

The Cure also released some other new mixes as the B-sides of the singles from Mixed Up: the first single, "Never Enough", featured a remix of "Let's Go to Bed", titled "Let's Go to Bed" (Milk Mix) on the 12", cassette and CD versions, as well as a new song, "Harold and Joe", while the second single, "Close to Me" (Remix) contained "Just Like Heaven" (Dizzy Mix) on all formats and "Primary" (Red Mix) on the 12", CD and cassette versions as B-sides; the third single, "A Forest" (Tree Mix), contained the original version of the song and "In Between Days" (Shiver Mix) only on 5-inch CD as B-sides

Critics were mixed at the time, several said and saw the band was trying to stay relevant and their attempt to join in the trendy dance style known as house music, and thought some of the songs were poor choices, saying they  really don't need the rhythmic charge they get from added drum tracks. Other said the remixes were quite radical and didn't add something relevant to the songs cause were pure oddities and rare tracks to satisfy fans, but on the hand the tunes were too specialized for casual listeners, so the album regarded as a pause that confused the band career well-known for the creativity.  

 

Mixed Up Track List:  

 

1. Lullaby

2. Close To Me

3. Fascination Street

4. The Walk

5. Lovesong

6. A Forest

7. Pictures Of You

8. Hot Hot Hot!!!

9. The Caterpillar

10. In Between Days

11. Never Enough

Rocktrospectiva: The Underrated Masterpiece "Rock A Little" Turns 40

Released on 18 November 1985 "Rock A Little" was the third solo studio album by US singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks. It was released in late 1985 while Fleetwood Mac were still on a lengthy hiatus following their album Mirage (1982), Rock a Little hit the top 20 in its second week and peaked at No. 12 on the US Billboard 200, although sales did not match Nicks' earlier albums, Bella Donna (1981) and The Wild Heart (1983). The album spawned four singles "Talk To Me", "I Can't Wait" which were the two most succesful of the album,then "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" and "Imperial Hotel" for Australia only. 

The recording process for the album originally began in 1984. The initial sessions took place at a converted church studio in Dallas owned by Gordon Perry. By the end of those sessions, which lasted one month, Nicks emerged with around six tracks that she believed could be developed further.  Two of those songs were "Running Through the Garden" and "Mirror Mirror". However, Nicks scrapped these recordings and parted ways with long-time producer and romantic interest Jimmy Iovine, and in late 1984 began work on what is now we recognized as the Rock a Little project. Nicks later called the initial sessions with Iovine a "bad planning move" and that she put Iovine "in a very weird position" as she gave him little direction on how to approach her songs. Keith Olsen, Rick Nowels and Nicks herself took over production duties after Iovine's departure.

The album is reputed to have cost $1 million to record, also it was later revealed that Martin Page and Bernie Taupin had specially written the track "These Dreams" for inclusion on the album, but Nicks turned it down. The track was then recorded by the band Heart and became their first number 1 hit in 1986. Tom Petty and David A. Stewart also wrote "Don't Come Around Here No More" for the album, but after hearing Petty perform the vocals for her, she declined it as well, feeling she couldn't do the song justice. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would record and release the song on their 1985 album Southern Accents. Nicks' subsequent relationship with Eagles member Joe Walsh produced the ballad "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You". Nicks had recorded various other tracks prior to the album's release like the rock ballad "One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" was relegated to the B-side of the "Talk to Me" 

Stevie Nicks took a slicker, more high-tech approach on her third solo album. From the catchy "I Can't Wait" to the intense "No Spoken Word" to the dark "The Nightmare," everything on the rock was as honest as it is memorable, but unfortunately, combined with Nicks' growing addiction to cocaine at the time which hampered her tour performances, the album did not achieve sales or chart positions expected of Nicks at that time. Even thought it remains as a fan favourite. 

 

Rock A Little Track List:  

 

1. I Can't Wait

2. Rock A Little (Go Ahead Lily)

3. Sister Honey

4. I Sing For The Things

5. Imperial Hotel 

6. Some Become Strangers

7. Talk To Me

8. The Nightmare

9. If I Were You

10. No Spoken Word

11. Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You? 

Rocktrospectiva: The Incredible Timeless "So Red The Rose" Turns 40

Released on 18 November 1985 "So Red The Rose" was the only studio album by the Duran Duran-spinoff group Arcadia. It included the singles "Election Day", "The Promise", "Goodbye Is Forever" and "The Flame". The album peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200 in January 1986 and at number 30 on the UK Albums Chart in December 1985. There were many musical guests on the album, including David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Herbie Hancock, Grace Jones, and Sting who provided backing vocals on "The Promise".

The album's artwork featured painted ink drawings by fashion illustrator Tony Viramontes of fashion model Violeta Sanchez as well as an innovative "light space" photograph of the band by Dean Chamberlain, who also directed the video for the song "Missing".

The story began when Duran Duran took a break in the mid-80s, the band split cleanly into two camps – bassist John Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor joined The Power Station with Robert Palmer, while singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, and drummer Roger Taylor wisely avoided any Robert Palmers and formed their own band, Arcadia. 

Arcadia had a better appeal than The Power Station, after all it was Simon Le Bon's charismatic and emotionally resonant vocals, and the synthesizer wizardry of Nick Rhodes and then Andy Taylor who provided the guitar parts. Arcadia kept the heart and soul of what made Duran Duran one of the greatest pop bands of its time, and indeed certain critics called the album the best Duran never made.

So Red the Rose had a slick production, there were all kinds of cool synthesizer sounds representing the climax of the synth pop in the 80's if you carefully listen. The music is incredibly textured and with incredible better effects than Duran Duran albums before, the album indeed had a natural, organic sound, despite being so based in the digital as opposed to the analog sound at the time, and the mix was another remarkable thing. 

The music was formidable "Missing" was a beautiful song built on a sound collage, with its rich variety of sounds popping in and out, even thought the entire album was filled with fun, unexpected sounds and a intense variety, that provided the listener a truly astral experience. The opener "Election Day" was the jewel ofthe crown, Le Bon gaves us a typically passionate vocal that more than makes up for whatever nonsense the lyrics are going on about and then Grace Jones cool interlude, but the theme never missed a beat, it had a catchy melody and truly one of the most intense singles ever released at the time, indee "Missing" and "Election Day" were the two best songs on the album, another highlight was "El Diablo"  isn’t far behind. A snatch of whirling Gypsy violin leads into sumptuous slice of pan pipe heaven, until Le Bon pulled another irresistibly passionate and catchy chorus on the song definitely the track was another mini-masterpiece.

Then you had the slinky guitar riff, engaging melody, and falsetto jump in the chorus that powered "Goodbye is Forever", the alluring pop of "Keep Me in the Dark", and the supremely catchy "The Flame", all of which boasted the sterling production and interesting soundscapes found on the rest of the album.  "The Promise" boasted some typically exceptional guitar playing by guest David Gilmour, and had backing vocals by Sting if you’re the kind of person who’s impressed by that, and another catchy falsetto drenched chorus: "Heaven hide your eyes/Heaven's eyes will never dry".  

Phenomenal production courtesy of Alex Sadkin, his production work on the album was great and what a way to remember him caused he died tragically in a car crash a couple of short years later at the age of 38. 

 

So Red The Rose Track List:

 

1. Election Day

2. Keep Me In The Dark

3. Goodbye Is Forever

4. The Flame

5. Missing

6. Rose Arcana

7. The Promise

8. El Diablo

9. Lady Ice