Rocktrospectiva: The Brilliant Live Album "Live Baby Live" Turns 35

Officially released on 4 November 1991, "Live Baby Live" was the first live album from the Australian band INXS. It featured live recordings from their "Summer XS Tour," captured in various cities: Paris, New York, Chicago, London, Dublin, Glasgow, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Madrid, Melbourne, Sydney, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. 

 

The album peaked the top 10 in both Australia and the United Kingdom, and sold over a million copies in the United States. Two singles were released from the compilation, "Shining Star," & "The Stairs" were released from the album; the first peaked the top 40 in the UK, though it failed to crack the top 100 in the US. 

 

The band was at their highest point at the time. A year earlier, they had released "X"—a fantastic record that echoed the style and sound of their massive hit album "Kick." While the singles from "X"—with the notable exceptions of "Suicide Blonde" and "Disappear"—were not quite as successful, the band still commanded an incredible global presence. 

 

Furthermore, their charismatic frontman and the face of the group, Michael Hutchence, was in a high-profile relationship with the beautiful Kylie Minogue, which helped the band reach new audiences. A pivotal moment of the tour occurred on July 13, 1991, when they performed at Wembley Stadium; the show drew 74,000 fans. This landmark event was recorded and filmed, ultimately giving rise to the live album, which reached the top 30 in Australia and the UK, though it saw more modest success in the United States.  

 

The album was produced by Mark Opitz and the band itself, though it became a subject of controversy; many did not consider it a true live album—in fact, its status as a "live" recording was questioned, as it sounded more like a collection of studio versions, it lacked energy and vibrancy—it was, in a sense, a lifeless record. Nevertheless, fans enjoyed it, perhaps due to the fond memories held by those who attended the band's world tour.  

 

A video of the performance, directed by David Mallet, was released concurrently—though it featured a different tracklist, including four additional songs. The video captured the concert in London—a performance many of us saw broadcast on various music channels and programs. 

 

It notably showcased Hutchence, who appeared both fierce and romantic—arguably at the peak of his powers—and it is perhaps this video (later released on DVD) that remains the most enduring element of this live project.

 

Live Baby Live Track List:

 

1. New Sensation

2. Guns In The Sky

3. Mystify

4. By My Side

5. Shining Star

6. Need You Tonight

7. Mediate

8. One x One

9. Burn For You

10. The One Thing

11. This Time

12. The Stairs

13. Suicide Blonde

14. Hear That Sound

15. Never Tear Us Apart

16. What You Need 

Wembley Stadium Video Track List:

1. Guns In The Sky

2. New Sensation

3. I Send A Message

4. The Stairs

5. Know The Difference

6. Dissapear

7. By My Side

8. Hear That Sound

9. Original Sin

10. The Loved One

11. Wildlife

12. Mystify

13. Bitter Tears

14. Suicide Blonde

15. What You Need

16. Mediate

17. Never Tear Us Apart

18. Who Pays The Price

19. Devil Inside

Rocktrospectiva: Pet Shop Boys' Acclaimed Compilation "Discorgraphy: The Complete Singles Collection" Turns 35

 

 

Released on November 4, 1991, "Discography: The Complete Singles Collection" was the first major compilation from the English duo Pet Shop Boys. It contained a total of 18 tracks, including two new singles—"DJ Culture" and "Was It Worth It?"—which were recorded exclusively for the album.

 

Another interesting feature of the record was the cover/mash-up of U2’s "Where the Streets Have No Name" and Frankie Valli’s "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You." The tracks were presented in chronological order and in their 7-inch single versions. Notably, "Was It Worth It?" was omitted here, replaced by "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" This decision was likely dictated by the storage capacity of the formats available at the time. It is worth noting that the duo’s releases have always been thoughtfully constructed and artfully presented. 

 

Although their genre has consistently hovered between dance-pop and synth-pop—occasionally incorporating standalone tracks not found on any studio album—these selections serve to showcase the duo’s range, originality, and sophistication, as well as the songwriting prowess of Tennant and Lowe. 

 

Consequently, these 18 tracks comprise one of the most consistent and innovative musical works of that era. Thirty years have passed since this flawless release, yet remarkably little has changed; the tracks have aged exceptionally well, and the music remains as impressive as ever. 

 

The compilation covered the duo's Imperial Phase period from 1984 to 1991—with the inclusion of tracks like "One More Chance" and "Paninaro"—the collection features their most iconic and memorable hits from that early era. It is particularly striking that few bands, especially within these genres, manage to remain so enduring and relevant—a testament, perhaps, to the fact that Lowe and Tennant have consistently produced music that is accessible, captivating, intelligent, melodic, and highly infectious. For those not yet familiar with their style and sound, this compilation serves as an excellent entry point to dive deep into their body of work.  

 

While subsequent compilations were released to update their catalog—all while maintaining their signature style—this particular collection was, at the time, a standout release that left a lasting, positive impression on audiences.

 

Discography: The Complete Singles Collection Track List: 

 

1. West End Girls

2. Love's Come Quickly

3. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)

4. Suburbia

5. It's A Sin

6. Wha Have I Done To Deserve This?

7. Rent

8. Always On My Mind

9. Heart 

10. Domino Dancing

11. Left To My Own Devicees

12. It's Alright

13. So Hard

14. Being Boring

15. Where The Streets Have No Name (Can't Take My Eyes Off You)

16. Jealousy

17. DJ Culture

18. Was It Worth It?

 

News: The Cure Confirm 2027 Concert Plans And New Songs

The British alternative rock icons are preparing more live performances following their 2026 European shows, with unreleased material expected to play a major role.The Cure are planning more concerts in 2027, with frontman Robert Smith revealing that the British alternative rock band expects to introduce a substantial amount of new music during its next live performances. The announcement follows a busy 2026 touring schedule and renewed studio activity after the release of Songs of a Lost World, the group's first new album in 16 years.

The statement was shared during a recorded message for BBC Radio 6 Music, after The Cure were shortlisted for the station's 2026 Artist of the Year recognition. Smith said: "I'm looking forward to more Cure concerts in 2027," explaining that he could not yet reveal the locations or dates but expected the performances to feature numerous new songs.

The statement provides confirmation that The Cure intend to continue performing in 2027. No cities, venues, ticket-sale dates or North American concerts have been officially specified. The announcement comes after The Cure's extensive 2026 European and UK concert schedule, which included appearances at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, the Isle of Wight Festival, Manchester's Wythenshawe Park and Rock en Seine in Paris. 

The prospect of new songs is particularly significant following the band's return to recording with Songs of a Lost World, released November 1, 2024. The album ended a 16-year gap since 4:13 Dream (2008) and introduced recordings including “Alone,” “A Fragile Thing” and “All I Ever Am.”

The band's studio activity has continued beyond that release. Smith previously disclosed that The Cure recorded thirteen songs at Rockfield Studios in Wales during March 2025, forming part of the material intended for a subsequent album. In later interviews, Smith indicated that enough material had been developed for two additional records. He described one project as darker and closely related to Songs of a Lost World, while another explores a more upbeat, pop-oriented musical direction.

Neither project has received a confirmed release date or final public track listing. Smith's latest comments nevertheless suggest that some of the unreleased songs could become part of The Cure's 2027 concert repertoire before their wider commercial release.

Rocktrospectiva: The Synth Pop Masterpiece "Bizarre Love Triangle" Turns 40

Released on 3 November 1986, "Bizarre Love Triangle" was a song by English rock band New Order, released as a single from their fourth studio album, Brotherhood (1986). The song reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Dance/Disco Club Play chart and No. 5 on the Australian Kent Music Report in March 1987. It failed to enter the top 40 of both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100; however, a new mix included on The Best of New Order was released in 1994 and charted at No. 98 on the Hot 100. 

"Bizarre Love Triangle" explored themes of love, desire, and the complexity of relationships. The lyrics reflected the confusion and emotional conflict that can arise in a romantic relationship, especially when multiple feelings are involved. The repetition of certain phrases in the lyrics emphasized the narrator’s internal struggle between love and uncertainty. Overall, it can be interpreted as a reflection on the difficulties and contradictions of modern love.

The 12-inch version, remixed by Shep Pettibone, also appears on the compilation Substance and a second remix by Stephen Hague features on their Best Of album. The original album version appears on the 2005 compilation Singles, the 7-inch version appears on the 2016 reissue of this compilation. New Order's live versions since 1998 are based on the Shep Pettibone remix.

The single mix has more electronics than the album version, with the Fairlight CMI music workstation used to provide sounds such as the orchestral hits, and to sequence the song. All instruments except vocals and Peter Hook's melodic bass were sequenced (the song also prominently features synthesised bass and synth choir parts).

The song has been critically acclaimed since its release. In a 30th anniversary retrospective citing the song as one of the greatest of all time, Billboard described it as a "synth-pop masterpiece" and "an incandescent jewel of mid-'80s computer love." NME praised the song as New Order's "finest pop moment".

The music video, which was released in November 1986, was directed by American artists Robert Longo and Gretchen Bender. It mainly shows a man and a woman in business suits flying through the air as though propelled by trampolines; this is based directly on Longo's "Men in the Cities" series of lithographs. The video has a black and white cut-scene where Jodi Long and E. Max Frye are arguing about reincarnation, in which Long emphatically declares "I don't believe in reincarnation because I refuse to come back as a bug or as a rabbit!" Frye responds, "You know, you're a real 'up' person," before the song resumes.

Bizarre Love Triangle Track List: 

 

7-inch FAC 163 (UK)

 

1. Bizarre Love Trinagle (Shep Pettibone Remix UK 7-inch edit)

2. Bizarre Dub Triangle 

 

7-inch: Quest 7-28421 (US) and 7-inch FAC-26 (Canada)

 

1. Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone Remix US 7-inch edit)

2. Every Little Counts

 

7-inch: FAC-163153 (Australia)

 

1. Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone Remix US 7-inch edit)

2. State Of The Nation

 

12-inch: FAC 163 (UK)

 

1. Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone extended remix)

2. Bizarre Dub Triangle

 

12-inch: Quest 0-20546 (US)

 

1. Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone extended remix)

2. I Don't Care (Actually Bizarre Dub Triangle)

3. State Of The Nation

4. Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone Remix UK 7-inch edit)

 

CD: Quest 9 20546-2 (US) released in 1994

 

1. Bizarre Love Triangle (album version)

2. Bizarre Love Triangle (extended dance mix)

3. I Don't Care (actually Bizarre Dub Triangle)

4. State Of The Nation

5. Bizarre Love Triangle (single remix) 

New Music: You Remind Me That I'm Dying (And That It's Good To Be Alive)

          

The Big Moon have shared the single "You Remind Me That I’m Dying (and that it's good to be alive)," taken from their fourth album Forever. It is a title that sits at the center of a record about what’s left once you’ve ticked off the big milestones and come to understand how fragile life is. Back in 2024 Jackson was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma, a benign but destructive cyst inside the eardrum that has to be removed with surgery. "I permanently lost most of the hearing on one side, which was pretty much existential, because writing songs is my job and my identity," she says. She kept writing anyway but struggled. "I couldn’t hear properly, everything sounded out of tune and I was just struggling to find a point at all, just writing these miserable songs I couldn’t really hear." The way out was to change her outlook completely and write towards “a happy ending that didn’t exist yet.” As Jackson puts it: “I just decided to write songs for this imaginary time, one or two years in the future, when I would be all healed and happy again. I didn’t know if I would ever get to that point but, by projecting and almost tricking myself into it, it actually became a really nice way of writing.” The video has been edited by James Hankins

New Music: Much Love

           

The British indie band Editors have shared their new single "Much Love" alongside a music video. The song features on their new album "Surface, Echo & Sound" out yesterday,  Following on from 2022’s EBM, a collaboration with electronic producer Benjamin John Power, aka Blanck Mass, on Surface, Echo & Sound, Editors have found themselves somewhere new entirely.The band wanted to do something brand new and never afraid to musically explore different shades and colours, and this track is a vivid proof of that. The video was shot by the band’s guitarist Justin Lockey in the studio in Bogota, Colombia

Rocktrospectiva: Fastway's "Trick Or Treat Soundtrack" Turns 40

 

Released on 31 October 1986, a week after the released of the film "Trick Or Treat" it was the 4th., studio album by the Heavy Metal band Fastway and the soundtrack to the heavy metal horror film. The album spawned the single "After Midnight".

 

It was the final Fastway album to feature Dave King on vocals, and is considered to this date, one of the most influential and compelling heavy metal albums ever released to date. 

 

Trick Or Treat Soundtrack Track List: 

 

1. Trick Or Treat

2. After Midnight

3. Don't Stop The Fight

4. Stand Uo

5. Tear Down The Walls

6. Get Tough

7. Hold On To The Night

8. Heft (Originally released on the album Fastway)

9. If You Could See (Originallu released on the album All Fired Up)

New Music: Young And Dumb

           

Everything But The Girl have announced their eleventh studio album, "Blue Reservoir" and shares the album's first single, "Young and Dumb", is out now alongside an accompanying music video directed by Edward Bishop 

News: Everything But The Girl Announces New Album

Everything But The Girl, have announced their eleventh studio album, "Blue Reservoir". And is set for release on 19th February 2027 via Buzzin’ Fly/Virgin Music Group, the album's first single, "Young and Dumb", is out now alongside an accompanying music video directed by Edward Bishop.

The record follows 2023's "Fuse" and takes a more stripped-back, guitar-led approach, inspired by Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt’s return to live performance in 2025, including their sold-out residency at London’s MOTH Club.

"There was an intensity and simplicity to the MOTH shows that took us back to how we started out," shared Thorn. “Direct, rooted in guitar and voice, a few extra colours. We hadn’t been in that world for a long time and it just felt fresh and real.”

The experience also inspired Watt to buy a Spanish nylon-string guitar in January 2026, which became central to the album's writing process. Written in the following months, the 10-track release draws on Latin influences and British folk-blues, with lyrics exploring themes of memory and time.

‘Blue Reservoir’ was recorded largely live at London’s RAK Studios over 10 days in July 2026, with long-time collaborators Rex Horan on double bass and Evan Jenkins on drums, alongside Brazilian percussionist Fabio de Oliveira. The duo’s son, Blake Watt, also guests on two tracks.

The new album will be available on black and translucent blue vinyl, CD and Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos mixes, with the first 1,000 orders through the official store receiving a signed card. 

In Memoriam: Legendary Actor "Patrick Stewart" Dies Aged 86

 

 

The Yorkshire-born Shakespearean actor who became a global star as Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier died at his home in Los Angeles, his family said.

Patrick Stewart, the British actor who spent decades in classical theatre before becoming one of the best-known faces in science fiction as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at the age of 86, his family said on Thursday 

He died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles after "a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia", his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said. The statement said he had been surrounded by family and friends, music, prayer, tears and laughter, and spoke of an enduring reminder of his invincible grace. 

Stewart was born in 1940 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He spoke publicly about growing up with a father who was violent towards his mother, and later supported the domestic-violence charity Refuge. He trained as an actor and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s, where he spent much of the next two decades on stage.

His career took a huge changed in 1987 when Robert Justman, a producer of Star Trek: The Next Generation, saw him reading Shakespeare at a lecture at UCLA and brought him in to audition, against the doubts of the franchise's creator, Gene Roddenberry. Stewart won the part of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, expecting the series to last a single season. It ran for seven seasons and was followed by four films. Picard, a captain who preferred diplomacy to force, made Stewart a star well beyond the theatre; he returned to the role in the series Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023.

Then from 2000 he also played Charles Xavier, the telepathic founder of the X-Men, in Bryan Singer’s X-Men and its sequels, up to James Mangold’s Logan in 2017. Stewart said he admired both Picard and Xavier for their morality, kindness and compassion, 

Stewart never left the theatre. He played Macbeth, toured his one-man version of A Christmas Carol, and appeared with his close friend Ian McKellen in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in London and on Broadway. He was knighted in 2010 and published his memoir, Making It So, in 2023. 

He is survived by his wife, the singer Sunny Ozell, and his two children, Daniel and Sophie.