Rocktrospectiva: The Conceptual And Mystical "K" Turns 30

 

Released on 16 September 1996, "K" was a concept album by the English band Kula Shaker. Its central theme was rooted in Hindu mysticism, infused with a strong dose of 1960s and 70s influences. Thanks to sales of 130,000 copies in its first week, it became the fastest-selling debut album in the UK since Elastica's the previous year, reaching the number one spot; however, across the Atlantic, the album stalled at number 200 on the Billboard charts. The album spawned the singles "Grateful When You're Dead", "Tattva", "Hey Dude" & "Govinda."

It was undoubtedly one of the most unusual albums to achieve such success—many have viewed the band as a "one-hit wonder" (or rather, a "one-album wonder"), as they never managed to replicate that success later on, despite having a sound completely distinct from the trends of the time. 

Emerging during the final glory days of Britpop, "K" broke the mold; the band sounded nothing like Blur, Suede, Oasis, Pulp, or Elastica—to name a few of the genre's biggest acts. Instead, Hindu mysticism and 60s and 70s psychedelia blended with rock and roll to define the band's sound, a concept that producer John Leckie understood and amplified.  

The group—comprising Crispian Mills, Alonza Bevan, Paul Winterheart, and Jay Darlington—joined forces to deliver a series of tracks steeped in mysticism and distortion. They released their first single, the quirky "Grateful When You're Dead"—a tribute to the Grateful Dead, whom the band cited as a major influence (a rarity for a British band at the height of Britpop). Next came the incredible "Tattva," a nod to The Beatles; it was this single that introduced the band for US audiences in late 1996. At the time, MTV had just launched its new channel, MTV2, and the track's music video and saw heavy rotation during those early days. 

The album's opener, "Hey Dude," confirmed the band's potential with its powerful, distortion- and wah-wah-laden guitar strumming, while the mystical "Govinda" served to slow the pace. But the album was more than just that; it held other great moments, too: the solid and powerful "Temple Of Everlasting Light," the psychedelic, 70s-infused aura of "Smart Dogs," the desolate "Magic Theatre," the epic sound of "Into The Deep," the vibrant "303," and the 70s-style "Hollow Man." They even ventured into a ballad with "Start All Over." 

In every sense of the word, the album was a sonic gem, unfortunately for the band, things wouldn't be the same with subsequent releases; while they produced good singles, they never quite matched the potential they achieved with this record. That is why many view this album as their definitive statement rather than just the spark that ignited a highly promising career. Furthermore, their sound arrived a bit too late; had they emerged in the 70s, we would likely be talking about them today as one of that decade's greatest bands. 

K Track List: 

 

1. Hey Dude 

2. Knight On The Town 

3. Temple Of Everlasting Light 

4. Govinda 

5. Smart Dogs 

6. Magic Theatre 

7. Into The Deep 

8. Sleeping Jiva 

9. Tattva 

10. Grateful When You're Dead/Jerry Was There 

11. 303 

12. Start All Over 

13. Hollow Man Parts 1 & 2

In Memoriam: The Legendary French Singer "Catherine Ringer" Has Died Aged 68

Catherine Ringer has died at 68 after a battle with cancer. A defining figure in French rock and half of the iconic duo Les Rita Mitsouko alongside Fred Chichin, the singer leaves behind more than four decades of music, from Marcia Baïla to C’est comme ça, and a prolific solo career. 

French chanson is in mourning this Tuesday, September 15, 2026: Catherine Ringer has died at the age of 68 after a cancer battle, her children announced to AFP. A singer, songwriter, musician and actress, the artist born in Suresnes in 1957 will remain inseparable from the Rita Mitsouko, the band she founded with Fred Chichin in the early 1980s. Together, they left a lasting imprint on French songs and rock with their quirky world and hits such as Marcia Baïla, C’est comme ça, Andy and Les Histoires d’A.

Born on October 18, 1957, in Suresnes, in the Hauts-de-Seine region, Catherine Ringer grew up in an artistic milieu. Long before she became one of the most recognizable voices in French music, she explored several disciplines and gravitated toward theatre, dance, and music.

The turning point in her career arrives in 1979, when she meets guitarist Fred Chichin at a performance. From their artistic and personal chemistry will emerge the Rita Mitsouko, a name now inseparable from the French rock scene of the 1980s.

After their first single, Don't Forget The Nite, in 1981, the duo released their debut album, Rita Mitsouko, in 1984. The real breakout came a few months later with Marcia Baïla. Released as a single in 1985, Marcia Baïla pays tribute to Argentine dancer and choreographer Marcia Moretto, who died of cancer. With its blend of rock, pop and Latin-influenced rhythms, the track immediately established the duo’s distinctive universe.

The group’s success is substantial, helping to firmly embed the Rita Mitsouko in the French music landscape. Their meticulously crafted video also contributes to shaping the band’s colorful, offbeat aesthetic. But Catherine Ringer and Fred Chichin aren’t stopping at this first hit.

In 1986, The No Comprendo was released, produced by Tony Visconti, famed for his work with David Bowie. The album features several tracks that will stand the test of time: Andy, Les Histoires d'A and above all C'est comme ça.

With a instantly recognizable voice, expressive facial expressions, distinctive gestures and often extravagant outfits, Catherine Ringer has become one of the most idiosyncratic figures on the French music scene.

The albums come in quick succession and confirm the duo’s ability to navigate rock, pop, funk, and electronic music. Marc et Robert, released in 1988, notably features a collaboration with the American group Sparks on Singing in the Shower. It also includes Le Petit Train, a song with a deliberately catchy melody that nonetheless tackles deportation.

In 1993, Système D gave birth to Y'a d'la haine. They would go on to release Cool Frénésie in 2000, La Femme Trombone in 2002, and then Variéty, the duo’s final studio album. Catherine Ringer also pursues other collaborations. She notably duets with Marc Lavoine on Qu'est-ce que t'es belle, another memorable track in her discography.

Rita Mitsouko's story was jolted by a major upheaval in November 2007, with the death of Fred Chichin from cancer. Catherine Ringer nevertheless continues on her artistic path. She builds a solo career and releases in 2011 her first solo album, Ring n' Roll. This new chapter notably earns her the title of Female Artist of the Year at the 2012 Victoires de la Musique.

She subsequently publishes Chroniques et Fantaisies in 2017 and, in the meantime, keeps the Rita Mitsouko repertoire alive on stage.

Her career has spanned more than four decades, and Catherine Ringer has never lost what makes her unique: a theatrical voice that can move from tenderness to a scream, a visibly physical stage presence, and a musical universe that refuses to be confined to a single genre.

With the death of Catherine Ringer at 68 after battling cancer, one of the most distinctive figures in French music has passed away. From the early days of the Parisian alternative scene to the enormous success of the Rita Mitsouko, and then to her solo career, Catherine Ringer helped bring a decidedly different aesthetic into French popular culture.

Decades after their release, Marcia Baïla, C'est comme ça, Andy, Les Histoires d'A, Le Petit Train or Y'a d'la haine continue to keep this heritage alive.

Rocktrospectiva: The Warm Melodic Ecclectic "True Stories" Turns 40

 

Released on 15 September 1986, "True Stories" was the 7th., studio album by the US rock band Talking Heads. It came out around the same time the band's lead singer, David Byrne, was releasing the film of the same name. Although all the album's tracks appear in the movie, the record has never been considered a soundtrack in the strict sense of the word, as the songs in the film were performed by the cast rather than the band. The album spawned the singles "Wild Wild Life", "Love For Sale", "Puzzlin' Evidence", "Hey Now" & "Radio Head."

One thing was for sure at the time, the band seemed distant in both the album and the film; signs of an impending breakup were already visible. Nevertheless, they managed to produce something that left fans satisfied. The album was entirely written and directed by Byrne, though its origins could be traced back to the time he created "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts." At that point, the group wondered what would happen, fearing everything was at risk; suddenly, the other members began writing their own music, and the "Tom Tom Club" emerged. That period was healthy for the band, even though it would eventually come to an end. The band had fun working on the album and were enjoying the success of their separate projects. 

However, as Frantz would later note, the album was Byrne's brainchild; he had begun to develop a superstar persona following the success of "Stop Making Sense" and his "Time" magazine cover, which had inflated his ego. Despite this, the album turned out to be an intriguing, varied work that stayed true to the band's style; contrary to rumors, the recording process was actually peaceful and fun. 

The album opens with one of the group's most direct songs, "Love For Sale"—a track rich in varied sounds that playfully addresses consumerism (a theme also reflected in its music video). Things get a bit weirder—though still understandable—with "Puzzlin' Evidence," where the lyrics express skepticism toward modern culture in general. Next comes the tropical-flavored "Hey Now," showcasing Byrne's penchant for writing songs with a childlike quality. 

Another shift occurs with "Papa Legba," a funk-infused track referencing voodoo; while it sounded more cheerful in the film, Byrne’s album version carries a more sinister tone. The album produced a major hit in "Wild Wild Life." Although the song had mainstream appeal, it featured characteristically biting lyrics that—from a childlike perspective—questioned the nature of daily life in the United States and how humans manage to function amidst such profound societal changes. Despite this, the track received heavy rotation on MTV. The mood shifts again with the quirky "Radio Head," offering a festive sound before the album settles into the more static "Dream Operator." Then comes the powerful ballad "City Of Dreams," adding a harmonious touch to the record while reflecting Byrne's ongoing interest in global interconnectedness and the way history shapes culture.

Thanks to the success of "Wild Wild Life," the album sold well in the United States. It also influenced the band's working methods, paving the way for a much more collaborative approach on their next release. Critical reception was mixed, though many found merit in the album's warm, melodic pop sound, which incorporated elements of polyrhythm and a certain aggressive edge. 

True Stories Track List: 

 

1. Love For Sale 

2. Puzzlin' Evidence 

3. Hey Now 

4. Papa Legba 

5. Wild Wild Life 

6. Radio Head 

7. Dream Operator 

8. People Like Us 

9. City Of Dreams 

10. Wild Wild Life Extended

Rocktrospectiva: The Adventurous And Successful "Bilingual" Turns 30

Released on 2 Septembre 1996 "Bilingual" was the sixth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart, lower than their previous five studio albums which had all reached the top three. It yielded four successful singles, with three of them—"Before", "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" and "A Red Letter Day"—reaching the UK top 10; the fourth one, the English/Spanish-language composition "Single-Bilingual", peaked within the top 20.

Bilingual continues the heavily instrumented arrangements and backing vocals Pet Shop Boys began adding to their music with the album Very (1993). As the title suggests, a number of the songs on Bilingual have international influences. On their 1994 Discovery Tour in South America, the duo were influenced by the beats and rhythms associated with Latin American music. Initially, the whole album was intended to have a Latin American sound, but the concept was not fully realised.

Three songs have bilingual lyrics, mixing English with Spanish on "Discoteca" and "Single-Bilingual" and with Portuguese on "Se a vida é", which was based on a song by the Brazilian group Olodum."It Always Comes as a Surprise" opens with a sample of Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto and features percussion sounds from a berimbau and cuícas. A sample of Spanish gypsy music was used on "To Step Aside", and a Russian choir sang on "A Red Letter Day". Neil Tennant described four of the songs—"Metamorphosis", "Electricity", "Before", and "Saturday Night Forever"—as a "New York dance album" within the album.

In August 1994, Pet Shop Boys started writing songs for the album, including "Discoteca", at Unique Studios, where they had originally recorded "West End Girls". While in New York, they heard live samba drums at the Sound Factory Bar, which inspired their Discovery Tour later that year. For the album, they worked with the Scottish women's drumming ensemble SheBoom, who specialised in samba rhythms, as well as samba percussionist Robin Jones.

Recording began in April 1995 and continued on and off into the following year. The duo worked at Sarm West and Bunk Junk & Genius in London, and they also set up their own studio in a rented house outside Henley-on-Thames and used nearby Sarm Hook End as well. In June 1995, they went to New York to record the single "Before" at Axis and Bass Hit studios with Danny Tenaglia, who later came to the UK to produce the track "Saturday Night Forever". Pet Shop Boys worked with producer Chris Porter on five tracks: "Se a vida é", "It Always Comes as a Surprise", "Up Against It", "The Survivors", and "To Step Aside". One track, "Metamorphosis", was produced by Paul Roberts and Andy Williams of K-Klass. In March 1996, Tennant traveled to Moscow to record the Russian choir on "A Red Letter Day" at the State House of Broadcasting and Sound Recording.

Prior to the album's release, Pet Shop Boys collaborated with David Bowie on the song "Hallo Spaceboy", which reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1996. In April, Bilingual was preceded by the top 10 single "Before", followed by another hit single, "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)", in August. The album was released on 2 September 1996 by Parlophone in the UK and on 10 September by Atlantic Records in the US.

In late 1995, Pet Shop Boys ended their contract with the American branch of EMI and signed with Atlantic Records. A renewed marketing campaign was launched to promote the band in the United States via both radio airplay and club play. Bilingual was positioned as one of Atlantic's top releases for the fourth quarter of 1996, with an aggressive pricing strategy. 

The CD cover (pictured) had a screen printed frosted finish of dirty varnish, with the album title in clear plastic revealing a yellow booklet and the band name through the lettering. The LP was yellow with white lettering. The concept, designed by Mark Farrow, was meant to convey luxury packaging; however, a Parlophone executive later described it as giving the message "I'm not for you" instead of "Buy me". Rather than doing a photoshoot of the duo, informal pictures were used for the booklet and inner sleeve. The photos were in duplicate, playing on the "bi" theme. The special edition cover had a double image of the duo taken by Andy Earl. Lyrics were included in the packaging for the first time.

Bilingual debuted at number four on the UK albums chart and spent nine weeks in the top 100 in 1996. The album was certified gold upon release by the British Phonographic Industry. Worldwide, Bilingual had sold 1.5 million copies by February 1997, with the top markets for the album being Italy, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and Asia. In the US, where Bilingual peaked at 39 on the Billboard 200, the album sold 149,000 copies by 2006.

In 2001, Pet Shop Boys reissued their first six studio albums; Bilingual was re-released as Bilingual: Further Listening 1995–1997. It was digitally remastered and included a second disc of B-sides and previously unreleased material from around the time of the album's original release. A remastered single-disc edition followed on 9 February 2009, under the title of Bilingual: Remastered, containing only the 12 tracks of the original. In 2018, a newly remastered edition of Bilingual: Further Listening 1995–1997 was released, with the same contents as the 2001 edition.

Critics were mixed and positive on their reviews, some cited Bilingual as further proof that even if the Pet Shop Boys aren't gracing the top of the charts as frequently as they did during the late '80s, they are crafting albums that are more adventurous and successful than they did when they were one of the top singles acts in pop music", a near-perfect album for converting discophobes to the pleasures of dance music", a fresher and far more commercially accessible album than the act has offered in years".

 

Bilingual Track List: 

 

1. Discoteca

2. Single

3. Metamorphosis

4. Electricity

5. Se A Vida É (That's The Way Life Is)

6. It Always Comes As A Surprise

7. A Red Letter Day

8. Up Against It

9. The Survivors

10. Before

11. To Step Aside

12. Sturday Night Forever 

Rocktrospectiva: The Underrated "Tin Machine II" Turns 35

Released on 2 September 1991 "Tin Machine II" was the second and final studio album by the Anglo-American rock band Tin Machine. The band, composed of David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels on guitar and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, recorded it in Sydney, Australia, in late 1989 at the conclusion of the Tin Machine Tour. After Bowie completed his solo Sound+Vision Tour in late 1990, recording resumed in Los Angeles, California, until March 1991. The production was handled by Tin Machine and Tim Palmer, who produced their debut studio album (1989), with additional production by Hugh Padgham on "One Shot". While the album musically retains a hard rock sound, the songs are more melodic compared to its predecessor, with lyrics focusing on love. The album spawned three singles "You Belong In Rock 'n Roll", "Baby Universal" & "One Shot".

The cover artwork features four Greek Kouroi and was controversial in the US due to the statues' genitalia. Tin Machine II received mostly mixed reviews from music critics, with many highlighting individual tracks but considering the project as a whole mediocre. Some recognised it as an improvement over Tin Machine. The album peaked at number 23 in the UK and number 126 in the US. 

Tin Machine was formed in 1988 by David Bowie, who was at an artistic low point and looking to revitalise his career. The completed lineup included American guitarist Reeves Gabrels and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively; Kevin Armstrong acted as an additional guitarist. The band recorded their eponymous debut album in late 1988 with the producer Tim Palmer. Despite a clash in personalities between the Sales brothers and Gabrels, the sessions were extremely productive, with over 35 songs recorded in six weeks. The album's tracks were recorded raw and live with few overdubs to capture the energy of Tin Machine, resulting in a hard rock sound with lyrics discussing world issues and love.

The band were responded to with mixed reviews from critics. When promoting Tin Machine, Bowie made it clear to interviewers that the band were a democratic unit, their first album was released in May 1989, Tin Machine was met with mixed reviews and sold well at first but declined quickly. Some reviewers later noted that Tin Machine were exploring styles of grunge and alternative rock before those styles became popular.

Recording for Tin Machine II began in September 1989 in Sydney, Australia, where the band spent three weeks recording new material. They maintained the lineup of Tin Machine, with Armstrong as an additional guitarist. Tin Machine played an impromptu show at a small Sydney venue on 4 November 1989 before taking a rest in January 1990 as Bowie conducted his solo Sound+Vision Tour. The tour concluded in September 1990, after which Bowie announced his split with EMI. According to Pegg, EMI were continuously expecting another success equivalent of Let's Dance (1983) and became fed up with Bowie's uncommercial work as part of Tin Machine to the point where they refused to market another Tin Machine record, leading Bowie to depart. At the time, EMI were undertaking a reissue campaign with the American label Rykodisc of Bowie's back catalogue, which remained unaffected by the split.

In March 1991, Tin Machine signed with Victory Music, a newly formed record label created by the JVC corporation, with worldwide distribution by London Records and PolyGram. The same month, the band reconvened at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, California, to record three new tracks. The label requested a radio-friendly hit so Hugh Padgham, Bowie's co-producer for Tonight (1984), was hired to oversee work on the song "One Shot". Padgham told the biographer David Buckley that he was not a fan of Tin Machine's prior work, stating it "sounded like a mad bunch of people". Upon working with them, he praised Gabrels' guitar contributions but called the Sales brothers "basically mad". Tim Palmer, who produced their debut album, was brought back to produce and mix Tin Machine II.

Some tracks originated from the sessions for Tin Machine. Bowie and Gabrels had begun working on "Shopping for Girls" in August 1988 before the sessions began, while "If There Is Something", a Roxy Music cover, was the second song the band recorded after "Heaven's in Here". Bowie stated: "We were so exhausted that we didn't have it in us to write another song, so we used an old song to show how we as a band would approach someone else's material." The song was then shelved and placed on Tin Machine II, with Bowie saying "we pulled it out to see how it sounded. We really got off on it." 

About the music and lyrics, Reeves Gabrels considered the music of Tin Machine II to be "as aggressive as [its predecessor]", but found the songs more melodic. He told Rolling Stone in 1991: "Last time, we were screaming at the world. This time, I think, they're all love songs in a strange kind of way." The author James E. Perone agreed, calling the tracks more accessible than the debut, featuring more conventional hard rock sounds and less "incessant gloom". Nevertheless, Dave Thompson felt the band continued their "loud and rambunctious" sound, while the lyrics were "forthright and confrontational". 

Bill Wyman from Entertainment Weekly noted the presence of blues, hard rock, art rock and schmaltz, some compares "You Belong In Rock n' Roll" to his work with the Spiders from Mars and the music of "Amlapura" to the folk rock on Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity, although notes that the lyrics, which describe "images of dead children", are a lot darker than the material of that era.

Gabrels used greater experimentation on guitar for Tin Machine II, including the use of a vibrator on some tracks. He later stated that at the time, he was deeply into Nine Inch Nails' album Pretty Hate Machine (1989) and was looking for an industrial edge to his own guitar work for the album. Ultimately (after recording track after track of guitar noise), he found a "shard of guitar noise" that he liked and used it on "Shopping for Girls", a song about child prostitution in Thailand. Buckley notes that as a way to show the band to be a "democratic unit", Hunt Sales took lead vocals on two tracks, "Stateside" and "Sorry", the latter of which he wrote by himself. "Goodbye Mr. Ed" is lyrically a farewell to the title character of the television series Mister Ed, who was a talking horse. Perone compares the song's musical style to the 1970s work of the Jam and the 1960s work of the Who.

The cover artwork was created by Edward Bell, who previously created the artwork for Bowie's 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). It depicts four Kouroi—Greek statues dating to the sixth century BC—that represent individuals who lack identity, which Pegg believes encapsulates the "ethos" of Tin Machine. The British cover showed the statues' genitalia, but for the American release of Tin Machine II, the genitalia were airbrushed out. Bowie commented, "Only in America ... [...] Even Canada has the original cover!" He teased the idea of allowing US album-buyers to send away to Victory Music for the genitalia that were struck from their version of the cover, but the label balked. He said: "then [the fans] could paste them back on. But the label freaked out at the idea. Sending genitals through the mail is a serious offense."

Tin Machine supported the album with the seven-month It's My Life Tour, which started in October 1991 and concluded in February 1992. They recorded one show for fans on 1 September 1991 at the Los Angeles airport which was taped for broadcast in the US as part of the ABC In Concert series, aired on 6 September.

The album was met with mixed reviews from music critics on release, some praising individual tracks such as "If There Was Something", "You Belong in Rock 'n' Roll" and "Shopping for Girls", but that was it, but in a more favourable review, called the majority of the tracks in the album as "passable bordering on dull", definitely their second album was a truer collaboration for the band due to the more varied songwriting. In the years to come, late 1990s, some critics have suggested that the album was "unjustly" harshly reviewed at the time of its release. This was echoed by Tony Horkins of International Musician magazine, who initially hypothesised that "maybe, like the rest of Bowie's career, it'll all make a lot more sense in a few years time".

 

Tin Machine II Track List: 

 

1. Baby Universal

2. One Shot

3. You Belong In Rock n' Roll

4. If There Is Something

5. Amlapura

6. Betty Wrong

7. You Can't Talk

8. Stateside

9. Shopping For Girls

10. A Big Hurt

11. Sorry

12. Goodbye Mr. Ed

13. Hammerhead (instrumental hidden track) 

New Music: My Whole World

           

Kings of Leon have announced their 10th studio album, O My Beloved, due November 6 through Love Tap Records and Virgin Music. The band has also shared their first new single, "My Whole World," along with an accompanying music video, the track is like a return to their southern roots, a warm ballad to all those we love and lost, video Director Kasey McGrath, shot the band playing altogheter inside a living room alongside footage images of the band members with their relatives back in the day before the stardom. 

Rocktrospectiva: The Wonderful And Abrassive Beauty "Coming Up" Turns 30

Released on 2 September 1996 "Coming Up" was the third album by English alternative rock band Suede. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist (and Simon Gilbert's cousin) Neil Codling. The album was a commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles "Trash", "Beautiful Ones", "Filmstar", "Lazy" & "Saturday Night" the album received a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.

After the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler and the lack of commercial success with Dog Man Star and its singles, Suede were being somewhat dismissed by the British music press with Oasis, Blur and Pulp taking the limelight. Determined to bring Suede back into the mainstream, frontman Brett Anderson decided that the sound of the new album would be the complete opposite of Dog Man Star. "I think the next album will be quite simple, actually. I'd really like to write a straightforward pop album. Just ten hits." The guitarist to replace Butler was the 17-year-old Richard Oakes, who beat 500 other applicants for the role. Instead of applying for the job like everyone else, Oakes was auditioned on the strength of an impromptu demo tape he sent to the Suede fan club. Despite Oakes' smooth integration into his new role and the band's rejuvenated spirit, Anderson was tired of touring and was keen to get back in the studio with his new songwriting partner. He recalled: "it was becoming really not much fun touring an album that wasn't made by the band." At the time Suede were fatigued with being on tour, which was reflected in the B-side, "Have You Ever Been This Low".

After some hesitation over who was going to produce the album, the band decided to continue with long-time producer Ed Buller due to their strong working relationship over the years. Other candidates the band considered were Flood and Brian Eno, however they could not fit the band into their schedules. Buller had in fact welcomed a parting of the ways due to the fractious relationship between the band members during the recording of the last album. However, in friendly discussions with Anderson, Buller found that his ideas about a possible new Suede direction tallied almost exactly with the band's own: to write less complex, more immediate songs; to use heavier drum sounds, play fewer guitar solos and only employ string sections on a couple of songs such as "She" and "The Chemistry Between Us." 

The album was recorded between December 1995 and June 1996 at various locations. To prepare for its recording, the band had immersed themselves in T. Rex's 1972 album The Slider and its successor, Tanx; as Buller stated that his aspiration was to make "The Slider for the Nineties." T. Rex became the blueprint of the recording process, as the band spent a month at The Town House just working on drums. 

Buller explained how the recording process worked: "Basically, what we did, is that every track started with acoustic guitar, bongos, tambourine and Brett [Anderson], so it all started life pretty much the same way that Marc Bolan recorded all of his stuff originally." Bass player Mat Osman recalls how Buller was keen on making the album simple. "He was really keen on using all those devices: the big repeated end, the handclaps, the straightforward chorus, make it big and obvious." In an interview on the eve of the album's release, Anderson stated: "I wanted it to be a complete turnover from the last album, which was very dark and dank ... I wanted it to be communicative and understandable." Two songs which made it onto Coming Up had already been written in the early days of Suede. "Lazy" and "By the Sea" were two of Anderson's own compositions. "By the Sea" was actually written when Suede were recording their first album, which is why the song's opening line is similar to "So Young". Unlike the tense and chaotic recording of Dog Man Star, which according to Anderson was mostly written "by post", in a shift-like format, the new material was far more celebratory in both its development and execution.

As opposed to the previous album which followed a stringent pattern of Butler composing music for Anderson's lyrics, Coming Up was a more collaborative project. Anderson stated: "Coming Up was more of a meritocracy – if something was good enough, it didn't matter what the source was." Songs such as "By the Sea" and "She" required the use of keyboards. Faced with the problem as to how to play them live, Suede recruited Simon Gilbert's cousin Neil Codling, who made his debut at a fan-club gig in January 1996. Buller has stated that the reason why the album has a much better sound than the previous albums is that he had minimal involvement in the mixing process, mixing only two songs. 

Buller credits much of the album's success to Dave Bascombe, who mixed the majority of the songs. According to Buller, having an outside observer mix the record with "fresh ears" enhances the overall production quality. Bascombe's input on "Trash" was crucial, as it was his idea to speed up the vocals. One of Suede's popular B-sides "Young Men" was left off the album, as Buller felt it was "too dark" and not as "poppy [and] in your face" as other songs on the record. 

The musical sound of Coming Up is more accessible than previous album Dog Man Star. Its singles were much more successful than those of their second LP, while the lyrical content concerns the band's disaffection at the mid-90s hedonistic, celebrity-obsessed culture; "Beautiful Ones" and "She" are caricatures of British yuppies, celebrities and heroin-chic models. "Beautiful Ones" was originally titled "Dead Leg" after Osman threatened to give Oakes a dead leg if he was unable to write a top ten single. According to Anderson, "The Chemistry Between Us" is about "the emptiness of it all", when it comes to taking drugs with strangers who have no common ground other than being high on drugs. The main refrain of the song is "Class A, Class B, is that the only chemistry between us

Reviews were generally positive and seemed to respect Suede's new poppy and direct sound and considered the new album as if Dog Man Star was Diamond Dogs, then this was Suede's Ziggy Stardust – extravagant, steeped in glam and unashamedly poppy, others called the album as a wondrous pop album, simultaneously immediate and full of scope, a lovely, charming mix of absolute beauty and the thrillingly awkward."

 

Coming Up Track List:  

 

1. Trash

2. Filmstar

3. Lazy

4. By The Sea

5. She

6. Beautiful Ones

7. Starcrazy

8. Picnic By The Motorway

9. The Chemistry Between Us

10. Saturday Night 

News: Kings Of Leon Announces New Album "O My Beloved" And Shares New Single

Kings of Leon have announced their 10th studio album, O My Beloved, due November 6 through Love Tap Records and Virgin Music. The band has also shared the record's first single, "My Whole World," along with an accompanying music video.

The 13-track album marks Kings of Leon's first fully self-produced LP. According to the band, its stripped-back sound draws inspiration from the raw music they made after first arriving in Nashville, while the lyrics look back on family, childhood and the experiences that shaped their lives.

 We have already surpassed anything we ever imagined we could do, and we've built something that is so special, singer Caleb Followill said in a statement that arrived with the announcement. "I thought, wouldn’t it be beautiful to make an album that is looking back on all of the things that we've done and appreciating how we got here."

"In the songs, theres our families, stories from our childhood, things that maybe didnt seem that significant at the time, but the way they find their way into these songs kind of lets me realize how impactful they really were in my life."

O My Beloved Track List:

 

1. Intro

2. My Whole World

3. Cold Blue Down

4. The Hand

5. Rose

6. Make It Count

7. KOYSAR

8. Feel The Love

9. Blue Jeans And Diamonds

10. Warm Company

11. Forever Endeavor

12. Pretty Thing

13. Get You Down 

News/The Collection: Iron Maiden "50th. Anniversary Studio Album Collection Part One 1980-1992"

Iron Maiden will release a 10LP coloured vinyl box set in December as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations.

50th Anniversary Studio Album Collection Part One: 1980-1992 features the band’s first nine studio albums in the following coloured vinyl configurations:

• Iron Maiden – 1980 (Gold Vinyl)
• Killers – 1981 (Red Vinyl)
• The Number of the Beast – 1982 (Silver Vinyl)
• Piece of Mind – 1983 (Yellow Vinyl)
• Powerslave – 1984 (Gold Vinyl)
• Somewhere in Time – 1986 (Oxblood Vinyl)
• Seventh Son of a Seventh Son – 1988 (White Vinyl)
• No Prayer for the Dying – 1990 (Olive Vinyl)
• Fear of the Dark (2 LP) – 1992 (Blue + Yellow Vinyl)

50th Anniversary Studio Album Collection Part One: 1980-1992 will be released on 11 December 2026.

New Music: Beginner Boys

            

Legendary Scottish band Simple Minds premiered their new single "Beginner Boys" a week ago, now their sharing the official video directed by Laurie TB with formidable effects and visuals, the track is taken from their forthcoming album Sacrosanct. Kerr says that the brooding lead single "Beginner Boys" is about watching his grandsons grow up, "how strength, tenderness, courage, and gentleness might still belong together, even when the wider culture around them can send mixed signals. It's less a statement than a question I hope they'll spend their lives answering for themselves.