2017: THE YEAR IN MUSIC!!!
(Including the legendary No Static Top 50!)

Well, here we are again. Another 12 months has passed us by and it was another quite startling year for music of all shapes, sizes and colours. To be honest, even though I thoroughly enjoy this listening to everything lark, it was quite a task to keep up with all the incredible music released and to keep an ear to the ground for the albums that were stupendous enough to make the hallowed No Static At All Top 50. It wasn't easy, folks. Records that earlier in the year I felt were shoo-ins for the final run down, have - at year's end - not even made it to the finish line. Conversely, there are albums that are nestling high up in the chart that upon release didn't quite do it for me but which have burrowed deep into my ear canals ever since. That is, of course, the beauty and wonder of music in all its guises and I wouldn't have it any other way. (Apart from Ed Sheeran of course, but you knew that already....)
 So, now that 2017 has been consigned to history, where do we stand?
The Americana/Alt-Country side of things was very strong as usual with tremendous releases from Jason Isbell and his 400 Unit, Alynnda Segarra and her Hurray For The Riff-Raff project, Ian Felice, Duke Garwood, John Murry, Hiss Golden Messenger and David Rawlings. There was also some lovely jangle filled country rock from GospelBeach and The Clientele as well as some down-home choogle-infused Southern rock from Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach. Sufjan Stevens returned with an interesting collaboration with The National's Bryce Dessner on the Planetarium project, and Iron & Wine - aka the magnificently bearded Sam Beam - released his finest album in years with the haunting 'Beast Epic'. Special mention here though to the albums in this particular genre that just missed out on my final list:

Ryan Adam's 'Prisoner' which continued his recent purple patch in some style; 'Pure Comedy' from the divisive Father John Misty; the heart-breaking 'A Crow Looked At Me' by Mount Eerie; beguiling alt-folk from Big Thief with 'Capacity'; Mac DeMarco's excellent 'This Old Dog' and yet another superb release from the stalwart Steve Earle with 'So You Wanna Be An Outlaw'.

Moving on to the heavier side of things and the biggest surprise of the year for me was the return to the frontline for early 90's funk-rock heroes Living Colour, who released the thunderous 'Shame' and toured the UK at the end of the year in some style. There were also hefty comebacks from Ice-T and his Body Count compadres, parent-scaring panto rocker Marylin Manson, chrome-domed Smashing Pumpkins nabob - and walking ego - Billy Corgan and shouty, sweary post-punkers At The Drive-In. Royal Blood followed up their globe-straddling debut album with more of the same on 'How Did We Get So Dark' and there was yet more spliff-heavy anthems from former Black Crowes fulcrum Chris Robinson and his similarly refreshed Brotherhood. There were sterling debut releases from Bristolian punkers Idles, Londoners Snapped Ankles and the new project from former Reef axe-man Kenwyn House who teamed up with vocalist Leah Rasmussen to form Goldray and who came across like Led Zeppelin fronted by Kate Bush. No bad thing. And Nashville post-grungers Bully followed up their ace debut album with an even better second collection. The best rock-related release to not make my Top 50 though was the latest EP from Trent Reznor and his current Nine Inch Nails iteration.

After spending most of the last decade focusing on movie soundtracks - and winning an Oscar in the process for his work on The Social Network - Reznor enjoyed a bit of a banner year under the NIN moniker. As well as nabbing a pivotal appearance in the Twin Peaks return - check out the mind-boggling Episode 8 for proof - the 'Add Violence' EP was released in the Autumn and promptly reminded me of Reznor's brilliance. 5 solid tracks of beat-laden industrial rock, with the cranium-rattling 'Less Than' standing out. It's marvellous to have him back.

Meanwhile, over on the dancefloor, there were extraordinary electronica and beats-infused releases from all corners of the globe. A fair few have made my final list, but titfers aloft for Moby and his second album with his Void Pacific Choir; the return of Caribou head honcho Dan Snaith under his Daphni guise; former Mo Wax lynchpin James Lavelle's latest UNKLE project; the third and best album from one half of Fuck Buttons - Andrew John Power - who trades as Blanck Mass; Swedish studio whizz Sir Was and London's very own The XX, who returned after a five year break with a third album - 'I See You' -  that moved away from their gossamer-thin indie stylings of before to embrace full-blown dance wonderment - including a magical Hall & Oates sample on the fabulous single On Hold.

A quick mention here also to some excellent sounds from right in the heart of South East London as bedroom trance specialists Benomaly and Future Nostalgic continued their journey of musical discovery with some really rather splendid tunes. The UK grime scene had a huge year - after Skepta's Mercury Prize win of 2016 - with Stormzy bagging a number one album and returning heroes Dizzee Rascal and Wiley also achieving huge success. The more laid-back classic urban sound of Sampha won this year's Mercury, whilst previous winner Benjamin Clementine confounded everyone - including your faithful scribe - with his alarming sophomore effort 'I Tell A Fly'. Bizarre is the word. Hip-Hop was well represented also with superb albums from Run The Jewels, Eminem, Shabazz Palaces and the monumental 'DAMN' from Kendrick Lamar who almost, but not quite, surpassed his masterpiece from three years ago, 'To Pimp A Butterfly'. Lamar also turned up on the third full-length opus from the extraordinary talent that is Stephen Bruner - otherwise known as Thundercat. His album 'Drunk', released in the spring, was a sprawling 23-track odyssey through jazz, funk, prog, soul and gospel and was home to the finest collaboration of the year as The Cat found himself in the company of easy-listening legends Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins on the glorious Show You The Way. Sublime.

Elsewhere across the musical spectrum, there was a groovesome glut of African blues with Tinariwen, Tamikrest, Songhoy Blues, Orchestra Baobab and Amadou & Mariam all producing sterling efforts. London's Dohl Foundation and the French-Cuban twin sisters known as Ibeyi also returned with excellent new records. Their was rousing North-East English folk music from Richard Dawson; astoundingly lively prog-funk from Progger; discordant synth-laden freakiness from Mount Kimbie; esoteric Canadian indie from the returning Broken Social Scene; pleasingly ramshackle indie from Jen Cloher; wildly exciting jazz-tinged folktronica from James Holden & The Animal Spirits and the annual state-of-the-nation address from our very own Sleaford Mods, who released the brilliant 'English Tapas' - so named after a pub meal consisting of  "half a scotch egg, a cup of chips and a bit of pickle" - and cemented their status as one of the UK's most interesting bands. There was also thoroughly enjoyable releases from No Static At All faves The Flaming Lips, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Strand Of Oaks, Liars, The Black Angels, Grizzly Bear, The Shins and Baltimore's gnarly folk-rockers Arbouretum. I was also spoilt for choice somewhat as Australian psych-rock nutters King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard released four - yes, four - albums of varying quality with the second batch of tunes - entitled 'Murder Of The Universe' - being the pick of the bunch whilst Ripley Johnson took time out from his day job with Wooden Shjips to regale the faithful with two albums of electronic drone rock and space-age soundscapes under his Moon Duo umbrella. Thrilling stuff all.
The big boys were in fine fettle too as the new strata of heritage acts continued to up their game to keep pace with all the whippersnappers at their heels. Morrissey and Paul Weller both produced solid albums, The Charlatans latest was sturdy but unsurprising, The Killers and Kasabian continued their arena-straddling trajectories, and Alt-J and Gorillaz pushed the boundaries with some splendid work. Slipping out unnoticed toward the end of the year were albums by my two favourite Neil's: Mr Finn and Mr Young. Both the former's 'Out Of Silence' and the latter's 'The Visitor' were excellent reminders of their songwriting prowess and are thoroughly recommended.  U2 returned with the long-awaited - in some circles - sequel to the wince-inducing farrago that was 2014's 'Songs Of Innocence'. December's 'Songs Of Experience' was a better album - although that wasn't a difficult task to master - but my general feeling was that they were trying too hard. Once Bono and the boys realise that their days of being the biggest band in the world are long gone, then perhaps they might relax and write another classic. Their jaunt around the globe in the summer performing 1987's still magnificent 'The Joshua Tree' album in full, only solidifies that argument for me. The most interesting development in the mainstream musical arena though was 'The Battle Of The Gallaghers'. The warring Oasis brothers found themselves eyeing up a chart scrummage at the end of November when Liam's 'As You Were' and Noel's 'Who Built The Moon' hit the shelves. Both hit the top spot but to these ears, Liam won the fight as his collection of sparky rockers and - but of course - Beatles influenced ballads worked better than his big bro's more challenging and experimental songs. It's possible I may change my mind on that one though....

One of the most pleasing aspects of 2017's musical bounty though was the huge preponderance of female singer/songwriters and the superb records that these interesting and intelligent women wrote and released. In a year which has seen a monstrous explosion of stories filtering through into the public domain from the film and music industries about hideous men doing horrific things, it seems only right that so many talented women have seen their work push past the usual meat and potatoes bloke rock and grab high placings in the end of year listings. A lot of these richly talented women make my final 50, but the following sadly missed out: Julie Byrne, Margo Price and Joan Shelley all released spectral acoustic based modern country records whilst Laura Marling, Aimee Mann and Karen Elson all added some soulful, jazzy textures to their usual folk-based stylings. There was some rollicking and spiky indie from all-girl groups The Big Moon and Girl Ray and huge returns to form from Goldfrapp, Bjork and Feist. Ex-Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto came closest to

breaking my final list though with the remarkably funky 'Fake Sugar', which featured one of the singles of the year in lead track Fire. Tremendous.

Once again though, and very sadly, 2017 saw many musical heroes depart this world for that great gig in the sky. So, with a heavy heart, it's a final RIP from No Static At All to the following:

Chris Cornell
Chester Bennington
Tom Petty
Walter Becker
Chuck Berry
Greg Allman
Malcolm Young
Johnny Hallyday
David Cassidy
Chuck Moseley
Charles Bradley
Grant Hart
Holger Czukay
Glen Campbell
Kevin Garcia
Al Jarreau
David Axelrod
Jaki Leibezeit
Gordon Downie
Fats Domino

To the very best of the year then, and first it's time for the best reissues and compilations of 2017. A massive market these days, as record companies try everything in their power to regain some control from the streaming sites by re-releasing classic albums with as many bells and whistles added on as possible. I'm not complaining, mind. I love this stuff.

25: Super Furry Animals: Radiator 20
24: Eagles: Hotel California 40th Anniversary Deluxe
23: Various Artists: Running The Voodoo Down - Explorations In Psychrockfunksouljazz 1967-80
22: Gene Clark: The Lost Studio Sessions
21: Underworld: Beaucoup Fish Deluxe
20: Stone Temple Pilots: Core 25
19: Can: Singles
18: Verve: Urban Hymns 20th Anniversary Deluxe
17: Curve: Doppleganger/Cuckoo Deluxe
16: Lal & Mike Waterson: Bright Phoebus
15: Acetone: 1992-2001
14: Various Artists: Space, Energy And Light - Experimental, Electronic & Acoustic Soundscapes 61-88
13: Elliott Smith: Either/Or Expanded Edition
12: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Lovely Creatures - The Best Of 3CD/DVD Edition
11: Bark Psychosis: Hex
10: Husker Du: Savage Young Du
9:  Prince: Purple Rain 3CD Deluxe
8:  The Beatles: Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Super Deluxe Edition
7:  Lift To Experience: The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
6:  David Bowie: A New Career In A New Town
5:  Radiohead: OKNOTOK
4:  The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead Deluxe
3:  Neil Young: Hitchhiker
2:  Buffalo Tom: Let Me Come Over 25th Anniversary Edition
1:  R.E.M. : Automatic For The People 25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

And so to the No Static At All Top 50 Albums Of The Year. As I said at the top of this piece, it's been a quite astounding year for new albums and this was a very difficult list to put together, but after weeks of deliberation, here it is. If you've bought or at least heard some of these albums, then you'll understand why I rate them so highly. If you haven't then you need to rectify that oversight immediately....

BUBBLING UNDER:
Widowspeak: 'Expect The Best'
Beck: 'Colours'
Future Islands: 'The Far Field'
Real Estate: 'In Mind'
Robert Cray & Hi-Rhythm: 'RC&HR'
Roger Waters: 'Is This The Life We Really Want?'
Mogwai: 'Every Country's Sun'
The Feelies: 'In Between'
The Jesus And Mary Chain: 'Damage And Joy'
Foo Fighters: 'Concrete And Gold'

50: TORI AMOS: 'NATIVE INVADER'
Epic return to form from the flame-haired queen of kook. Full of cloud-busting balladry and spiritually aware storytelling, this was her best album in 20 years with opening track Reindeer King a spine-tingling career peak.
Key Track: Reindeer King

49: PETER PERRETT: 'HOW THE WEST WAS WON'
Remarkable return from death's door from legendary The Only Ones front-man and life-long heroin addict. Backed by his two sons on guitars and bass, this was a real family affair, with Perrett's hilarious and nostalgia-tinged songs constantly declaring his love for his long-suffering wife.
Key Track: Living In My Head

48: OH SEES: 'ORC'
19th exploration into the psychedelic underworld from John Dwyer and company, who suggested that this blazing foray into the garage-rock outer realm would be the last Oh Sees record. A storming way to bow out.
Key Track: Nite Expo

47: ELBOW: 'LITTLE FICTIONS'
More emotionally uplifting paeans to life, love, the universe and everything from the Mancunian masters. Focusing on Guy Garvey's recent marriage and fatherhood, this collection was bursting with electronica-tinged grooves and string-laden anthems.
Key Track: Magnificent She Says

46: PROPHETS OF RAGE: 'PROPHETS OF RAGE'
Incendiary debut album from the Rage Against The Machine/Public Enemy/Cypress Hill super-group who unleashed a blazing barrage of anti-Trump invective backed by coruscating rock and hefty, in your face hip-hop.
Key Track: Hands Up

45: ST. VINCENT: 'MASSEDUCTION'

Fifth album from New Yorker Annie Clark, and a real shift from the commercially successful art-rock of before. Charting the breakdown of a recent relationship, this was bleak and nihilistic in places but with enough fizzy synth-pop to lighten the mood.
Key Track: New York

44: ROBERT PLANT: 'CARRY FIRE'
Not far off his 70th birthday, Lord Percy Of Zep-Land moved even further away from his original remit, with another excellent collection of folk-tinged spirituals and trancey North African grooves.
Key Track: Carry Fire

43: PORTICO QUARTET: 'ART IN THE AGE OF AUTOMATION'
Glorious set from the London modern jazz maestros, this time fusing their classic prog-infused jazz textures with swooning strings and dulcet piano motifs. The perfect soundtrack to a dystopian science fiction epic.
Key Track: Rushing

42: AFGHAN WHIGS: 'IN SPADES'
Splendid new set of soulful, grungey rockers from Greg Dulli and company, who have hit a rich vein of form since their reactivation 5 years ago. Easily comparable to their 1993 masterpiece 'Gentlemen', this had me punching the air in delight on first listen.
Key Track: Demon In Profile

41: THURSTON MOORE: 'ROCK N ROLL CONSCIOUSNESS'
Rail-thin former Sonic Youth nabob Moore turned his hand this year to open-ended hypnotic ragas and droney, psych-tinged ramalam with startling effect - the 12 minute long Exalted in particular was a thing of feedback-drenched wonder.
Key Track: Exalted

40: MASTODON: 'EMPEROR OF SAND'

Extraordinarily accomplished eighth studio album from the Atlanta metal behemoths that continued their experiments into the outer reaches of hard rock in stratospheric style. A monumental slab of frenzied riffing and thunderous tunes, this concept album based on the death from cancer of guitarist Bill Kelliher's mother was both brutal and beguiling all at once.
Key Track: Steambreather

39: THE WATERBOYS: 'OUT OF ALL THIS BLUE'
Legendary songwriter and instigator of 'The Big Music', Mike Scott, returned to the fray with this sprawling double album of unabashed love letters to his new wife. After a whirlwind romance and unexpected fatherhood, Scott throws everything - including the kitchen sink - into this project and delivers a soulful, rocky, bluesy, jazzy stew of happy-go-lucky numbers that ends up being one of the most purely enjoyable works he's ever put his hands to.
Key Track: The Connemara Fox

38: MARK KOZELEK/JIM WHITE/BEN BOYE: 'MK/JW/BB'
One of four astonishing projects that the ever prolific Kozelek involved himself with this year, this experimental double album saw him team up with Dirty Three drummer White and jack-of-all-trades keyboard wizard Boye. The results were very special indeed, pairing Kozelek's stream of consciousness songwriting with Zappa-esque free-form noodling and way out there left-of-centre time signatures.
Key Track: Blood Test

37: THE HORRORS: 'V'
As the title suggests, this was the fifth album from the former pantomime goths from Southend-On-Sea. Reverting back to the successful formula of their classic third opus 'Skying', this saw the increasingly song-savvy quintet broaden their synth-pop horizons even more, incorporating driving rhythms and club-friendly beats into the mix. Extra marks for the quite staggering Something To Remember Me By, which was one of the songs of the year.
Key Track: Something To Remember Me By

36: DESPERATE JOURNALIST: 'GROW UP'
Sophomore set from the London-based post-punk band that unashamedly borrows from their influences - Joy Division and The Smiths mainly - but in such an endearing manner that you can't help but smile and nod along to the tunes. And what tunes they are. Brimming with vim and brio, with lead vocalist Jo Bevan's lyrics emphatically raising the bar.
Key Track: Lacking In Your Love

35: THE MAGPIE SALUTE: 'THE MAGPIE SALUTE'
Whilst his brother Chris was toning things down and going all Grateful Dead with his latest CRB opus, the other half of Southern rock's answer to Oasis - The Black Crowes - was turning things up to 11 with this rollicking set of classic covers. Rich Robinson was on stellar form here, ably backed by erstwhile Crowes axe-meister Marc Ford, as well as an 8-piece band. Recorded live in front of a suitably excited audience, this grandstanding set of tremendously thrilling jams was an absolute treat.
Key Track: War Drums

34: THE DREAM SYNDICATE: 'HOW DID I FIND MYSELF HERE?'

In a year of some wonderfully surprising comebacks, this was one of the sweetest. In the early 80's, the smart money wasn't on R.E.M. or The Replacements to break out of the US indie scene, but on Steve Wynn and his Dream Syndicate hombres. 1982's debut album 'The Days Of Wine And Roses' is still just as compelling now as it was then. It never quite happened for the band, but that just makes this return - 30 years after their last album - all the more wondrous. Draped in Byrdsian jangle and Velvets style atmosphere, this was just fabulous stuff.
Key Track: Glide

33: SPIRAL STAIRS: 'DORIS & THE DAGGERS'
Absolutely glorious second solo effort from former Pavement guitarist Spiral Stairs - Scott Kannenberg to his folks. Fusing the discordant, arty indie textures that made his name in the early 90s with a lush, janglesome backbone, these wonderful songs were crying out to be blared from car stereos the world over. As it was, my front room in South East London was the best it got...
Key Track: Angel Eyes

32: LITTLE CUB: 'STILL LIFE'
Stemming from just round the corner from No Static Towers in Forest Hill, this whey-faced trio's debut album was a sparky, vibe-infused confection that harked back to Bloc Party at their peak as well as the wry, homespun kitchen-sink songwriting of classic English bands like Squeeze and Madness and, most especially, Pet Shop Boys. Smart, funny and engaging, this lot are ones to watch.
Key Track: Closing Time

31: BNQT: 'VOLUME 1'
Terrific collaboration between Eric Pulido from Midlake, Jason Lytle from Grandaddy, Ben Bridwell from Band Of Horses, Fran Healey from Travis and Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand. Splicing together all of those disparate talents could have seen this album ending up as an unwieldy dog's breakfast, but the results were superb. Chugging indie, woozy Americana and foot-stomping rock were all present and correct, with each individual vocalist singing two songs apiece. Volume 2 soon please, chaps!
Key Track: Restart

30: FINK: 'RESURGAM'

Cornish born but currently Berlin-based Fin Greenall has been releasing records under the Fink moniker for 15 years now. A multi-talented singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and DJ, somehow his stupendous albums have flown under the radar and missed the boat time and time again. A travesty, obviously. His commercial time may have been and gone - a track used on The Walking Dead soundtrack may have been it for him - but his songs just keep getting better and better. This collection is no different. A more relaxed and sombre affair than usual, 'Resurgam' was still bursting with luxuriant bass-heavy beats and cerebellum-caressing vibes.
Key Track: Cracks Appear

29: DEPECHE MODE: 'SPIRIT'
The Basildon synth-rock heroes delivered their freshest and most vital album in some time with a hefty slab of doom-laden electronica that married the more blues-influenced sound of 2014's 'Delta Machine' with the high watermark commercial sheen of 1990's 'Violator'. Dave Gahan was in superb voice throughout as Martin Gore's lyrics focused mainly on the political apathy of the masses and the general 'we're all going to hell in a handcart' feeling permeating the globe at the moment. Visceral stuff.
Key Track: So Much Love

28: GRANDADDY: 'LAST PLACE'
The return to the musical coal-face of Jason Lytle and his Grandaddy cohorts was always going to be something rather special, and this first album in 11 years didn't disappoint. A cracked, woozy and gloriously ramshackle batch of modern-day country folk, this was just lovely. Tragedy was to follow though when, whilst touring the album in the spring, fellow founder member Kevin Garcia passed away suddenly. The album he and Lytle have left behind is a beautiful tribute to him.
Key Track: The Boat Is In The Barn

27: THE WEATHER STATION: 'THE WEATHER STATION'
Former child actor Tamara Lindeman swapped the screen for the guitar over a decade ago and has been making easy-on-the-ear folk music ever since. This fourth album though shifted her style into a stellar new phase, coming across like Joni Mitchell fronting Buffalo Springfield. Folk-rock in excelsis then, and dripping with deft and thought-provoking lyrics. One to watch.
Key Track: Thirty

26: MICHAEL HEAD & THE RED ELASTIC BAND: 'ADIOS SENOR PUSSYCAT'

Now, this was a real treat. Head has been knocking on the door of fame and fortune for close on 40 years now, with his previous bands - The Pale Fountains, The Strands and especially Shack - producing utterly wonderful jangle-drenched records heavily in thrall to The Byrds, Love and Nick Drake. However, due to all kinds of problems, disasters and personal issues - most pertinently, heroin - success has eluded him. An absolute travesty, as the Liverpudlian is one of this sceptred isle's greatest ever songwriters. This new album - his first in 12 years - was another case in point. Shot through with chiming jangle, lush orchestration and swooning strings, this was joyous fare.
Key Track: Josephine 

25: THE MOONLANDINGZ: 'INTERPLANETARY CLASS CLASSICS'
A supergroup of sorts, made up of members from The Fat White Family and Eccentronic Research Council - ask your hipster mate - this one-off opus was a flailing, thrashing monster of a record full to bursting with glam-rock, electronica, scuzzy indie and barnstorming tunes about death, the dole, scatalogical activities and castration. Grubby, yes, but bloody hilarious too.
Key Track: Black Hanz

24: ARCADE FIRE: 'EVERYTHING NOW'
The Canadian art-rock collective returned after a four-year hiatus with an album that, if not quite scaling the heights of 'Funeral' and 'The Suburbs' - but hey, what does? - still managed to show most of their fellow arena-sized compatriots how to do it. Embracing their inner pop fan - the title track was a blatant homage to Abba - this was their bouncy, breezy dance record. Not all of it worked - the distressing cod-reggae of Chemistry was a howler - but at times this was as much fun as they've ever had.
Key Track: Put Your Money On Me

23: GHOSTPOET: 'DARK DAYS + CANAPES'
Fourth album of dark, dank and doomy electro-rap from Londoner Obaro Ejimiwe. Inspired as much by early 90's trip-hop heroes Portishead and Massive Attack - indeed, the latter's Daddy G appears here - this collection of grimy, downbeat tales of city life also touched on 80's goth and Talk Talk style prog. And the tunes were as catchy as man-flu. Hugely impressive.
Key Track: Freak Show

22: SPOON: 'HOT THOUGHTS'
Britt Daniel and his ever-evolving company of sidemen returned to the fray in the spring with yet another fabulous bunch of songs - their ninth - which consolidated their place at the top table of funky, jerky and groovesome indie rock. How this lot aren't bigger than they are is one of life's little mysteries. Produced by Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev helmsman Dave Fridmann, this was confident songwriting and concise, focused musicianship. And the title track just ROCKS.
Key Track: Hot Thoughts

21: SLOWDIVE: 'SLOWDIVE'

As much as the whole 'shoegazing' genre of the early 90's was derided by the time of Slowdive's original split in 1995, the recent reformations of bands like Ride, Lush, Swervedriver and even My Bloody Valentine, and the resurgence of the ethereal, feedback-drenched sound of those bands in current combos Beach House, Cheatahs and Nothing has brought the whole scene full circle. Slowdive's comeback started three years ago with some live dates and festival appearances, and this fourth album cemented their return with all the effects-laden dreaminess you would expect, but with a more streamlined songwriting aesthetic that raised it above their previous work. Gorgeous through and through.
Key Track: Star Roving

20: NADIA REID: 'PRESERVATION'
Absolutely stunning second album from the New Zealand songsmith, pushing forward from her delicate folk textures of before into a more expansive, hook-laden collection that brings to mind peak-period Fleetwood Mac with Suzanne Vega on vocals. A record borne from heartbreak - standout track Richard is difficult listening, especially if you ARE Richard - but with enough pop smarts and lyrical nous to raise it above the usual navel-gazing. Very, very special indeed.
Key Track: Right On Time

19: CIGARETTES AFTER SEX: 'CIGARETTES AFTER SEX'
If you can get past the truly quite awful band name, this debut album by Texas born but Brooklyn based Greg Gonzales and his black-clad sidemen delivered in spades. A dreamy and drifting delight, these songs embraced the listener and were sweet balm for fans of Mazzy Star and The Cure. Sensual, soothing and sublime, it was like taking a bath in hot chocolate.
Key Track: K

18: KURT VILE & COURTNEY BARNETT: 'LOTTA SEA LICE'

Free-wheeling collaboration between America's finest slacker troubadour and Australia's most genial indie chick. Borne from constantly bumping into each other at festivals, this laid-back hook-up featured a raft of co-written new tunes - the breezy, chiming jangle of Over Everything being particularly delightful - as well as some excellent covers. A joy from first to last.
Key Track: Over Everything

17: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: 'VILLAINS'
After a few years away, Josh Homme and company returned with an absolute belter. Drafting in uber-producer Mark Ronson may have seemed like a curve-ball at first, but the results were ace. Fusing the classic Queens rock edge with booty-shaking funk grooves and Bowie-esque pomp, this was crammed with glammy stomp and swagger and a perfect companion piece to last years Iggy Pop hook-up.
Key Track: The Evil Has Landed

16: JANE WEAVER: 'MODERN KOSMOLOGY'
Plying her trade for nigh-on two decades, it was only with 2014's 'The Silver Globe' that Liverpool's Weaver broke through to the wider consciousness. A heady stew of psych-folk and Krautrock grooves, that album paved the way for this more expansive successor. Once again blending the pastoral English folk sound with driving Euro-synth pop, this was hypnotic stuff.
Key Track: Did You See Butterflies?

15: MARK LANEGAN BAND: 'GARGOYLE'

The Grizzled Grunge Godfather continued his recent purple patch with another doomy collection of gravel-voiced proto-blues spirituals that married the plaid-clad sound of his early 90's heyday with pulsing electronica and 80's style gothic melodrama. It was no stretch to imagine tracks like Nocturne and Beehive filling the dancefloors of student discos back in the day - complete with dry ice and spilt pints of snakebite and black...
Key Track: Beehive 

14: FEVER RAY: 'PLUNGE'
Astonishing second solo set from one half of mysterious Swedish techno-boffins The Knife - Karin Dreijer Andersson - who's first album under the Fever Ray moniker was my favourite album of 2009. This time round, Andersson moves away from the dark, brooding electronica of that first record to embrace her pop-loving party side. She's also madly in love, as some of the lyrics reflect - in graphic detail. Bouncy, buzzy but with a sharp, don't-fuck-with-me edge, this was one of the most excitingly original releases of the year.
Key Track: To The Moon And Back

13: SUN KIL MOON: 'COMMON AS LIGHT AND LOVE ARE RED VALLEYS OF BLOOD'
Mark Kozelek's first release of the year - back in January - was this remarkable double album that comes in at a mighty 130 minutes. If you're new to the Kozelek ouvre, this is probably not the best place to start. More rambling and disorientating than before, and embracing synthesisers in a way he's never done, this was undoubtedly a tough listen. Fifteen-minute long songs, throwaway lyrics, grouchy old man digs at young people, politicians and pretty much everybody else - on paper, this may have been an album too far. Even for a mega-fan like me. But repeated listens opened up the songs to reveal the pearls within. Butch Lullaby and I Love You Forever And Beyond Eternity are life-enriching tributes to loved ones past and present and are up there with his best, while Philadelphia Cop is just hilarious. He really is The World's Greatest Living Songwriter.
Key Track: Philadelphia Cop

12: ENDLESS BOOGIE: 'VIBE KILLER'

Fantastically groovesome fourth slab of gnarly, blues-infused psychedelic riffage from Paul 'Top Dollar' Major's cabal of rock and roll soldiers of fortune. Aided and abetted by the stellar six-string talents of right-hand hombre Jesper Eklow, this album continued their experiments in sound by pairing their default setting of lengthy, loose-limbed jams - the magnificicently bonzo High Drag, Hard Doin' - with some more relaxed fare such as the spoken-word Kerouac-on-acid of Back In 74. About as much fun as you can have with your clothes on.
Key Track: High Drag, Hard Doin'

11: PHOEBE BRIDGERS: 'STRANGER IN THE ALPS'
Wonderfully accomplished opening gambit from 23-yr old Californian native Bridgers. Pretty much the perfect debut album, insofar that it straddles that difficult chasm between sixth-form poetry style songwriting and the more mature soul-searching style of her influences with deftness and aplomb. Honest and heart-breaking, and shot through with real emotional heft, it reminds me of Suzanne Vega's debut. No higher praise. Musically solid - aside from the expected acoustic folkiness, there are rockier moments and ethereal dream-pop - and remarkably astute lyrically, this was the biggest surprise of the year. Extra kudos too for covering a Mark Kozelek song.
Key Track: Scott Street

10: FOUR TET: 'NEW ENERGY'

In a superb year for electronica in all its many forms, the latest beats-drenched missive from Londoner Keiran Hebden was an absolute blinder. Harking back to his pre-folktronica days as a red-eyed club DJ, this ninth Four Tet album - not including the myriad of live sets and mix-tapes - piled together a whole smorgasbord of styles and genres to create an intoxicating brew of festival-friendly anthems and late-night last-bus-home chicken rhythms, as well as the classic Four Tet chill-out brain balm and Eastern-influenced fugues that made his name a decade ago. Special mention to the track SW9 9SL - the postcode for Brixton Academy, fact fans. Glorious stuff.
Key Track: Two Thousand And Seventeen

9: THE NATIONAL: 'SLEEP WELL BEAST'

Finally breaking through commercially after years of knocking on the door, this first UK Number 1 album for the Cincinnati quintet saw lead vocalist Matt Berninger, along with twin twins The Dessners and The Devendorfs, create an intense but elegant record that raised their already pretty high bar even higher. Dripping with atmosphere and understated power, Berninger charted the travails of married life with brutal honesty - made even more intriguing as the lyrics were co-written by his wife, Carin. Embracing synth-led soundscapes on the title track, as well as Pixies-style discordia on Turtleneck, this could well be their masterpiece. (NB: Check out this masterful performance of the stupendous The System Only Dreams In Perfect Darkness. Halfway through the coruscating guitar solo, there's a look passed between Berninger and Aaron Dessner that says "Yeah, we know this sounds phenomenal - we wrote the bloody thing!" Outstanding.
Key Track: Guilty Party

8: FLEET FOXES: 'CRACK-UP'

It's been close to a decade since that first dizzying rush of the Fleet Foxes debut album, and a full 6 since the more tightly-wound 'Helplessness Blues'. Since then, lead Fox Robin Pecknold has taken a course at Columbia University and the band have also parted ways with their drummer J Tillman - who has since re-invented himself as Father John Misty. More pertinently though, the sweeping acoustic folk sound combined with soaring three-part harmonies has been flogged to death by far lesser bands since that still exceptional first Foxes record. Would Pecknold and company still be relevant? The answer, in the form of this utterly ravishing third opus, is a resounding yes. All the classic FF traits are there of course - they're hardly going to embrace dubstep - but there's room also for a more progressive rock bent among the crystal-clear guitar fills and, oh yes, those spectral harmony vocals. There's an element of pretentiousness for sure - radio play for the track I Am All That I Need/Arroyo Seco/Thumbprint Scar was minimal I would imagine - but when such scope and barrier-breaking is backed up by songs as breathtaking as these, who cares?
Key Track: Third Of May/Odaigahara

7: RIDE: 'WEATHER DIARIES'

The reformation of Oxford's early 90's indie kings Ride a few years back was one of life's great pleasures for yours truly. They were one of my fave bands back in the day - their debut album 'Nowhere' and masterful follow-up 'Going Blank Again' remain timeless artefacts of the whole shoegaze scene. After originally splitting in 94 following a couple of lacklustre albums and the inevitable personal differences, lead singer Mark Gardener embarked on a fitful solo career whilst bassist Steve Queralt and drummer Loz Colbert faded from view. Only co-singer and principal songwriter Andy Bell kept himself in the limelight by firstly forming Britpop also-rans Hurricane #1 and then braving the choppy waters of the Oasis war-machine as bassist before their acrimonious split. He then continued to back Liam Gallagher up in the ill-fated Beady Eye. (As a side note, Bell wrote some fantastic songs during this period: Step Into My World for Hurricane and Keep The Dream Alive for Oasis being just two). But, two decades is a long old time in popular music, so hatchets have been buried and grudges shaken off. The comeback gigs in 2015 were an absolute triumph - special mention here for the 'Nowhere' gig at Brixton Academy which was JOYOUS - and now we have this brand new album. And what a record it is. Adroitly combining the classic wall of guitars sound of their heyday with a more modern, electronic take on the indie ethos, the quartet have upgraded their modus operandi  in tremendous fashion. Opening track Lannoy Point is a distant cousin to the evergreen Leave Them All Behind, whilst the title track and Home Is A Feeling could easily have nestled in snugly within Nowhere's tracklisting. But it's the Smiths-ian rush of Charm Assault and the jangle-filled glory of Cali that show the way forward for this very special of English combos.
Key Track: Cali

  6: PUMAROSA: 'THE WITCH'

Last year, during my look back at 2016's finest musical moments, I raved about a track called Honey by London-based newbies Pumarosa which I garlanded with praise, calling it the best non-album track I'd heard that year. Splendidly, they've backed up that early promise with this quite startling debut offering, which has remained in my Top Ten since it's release in the spring. Some going, considering the huge records released since. Led by multi-talented singer/songwriter Isabel Munoz-Newsome - she also designs all the band's artwork as well as being in charge of stage direction at their gigs - the band have put together a suite of songs that connect immediately, splicing together jagged indie rock with sinewy, bass-led dance grooves so adeptly you would think they've been doing this for years. Honey still thrills - especially it's "Oh you stupid son of a bitch!" refrain - while Lion's Den and My Gruesome Loving Friend are fantastic examples of catchy, chorus-heavy indie-pop at it's best. But it's the hypnotic throb of Priestess that steals the show, coming across like a pow-wow between the slinky baggy of Happy Mondays and the cerebral art-funk of Foals. Lyrically, Munoz-Newsome focuses on strong female archetypes and the anger that the majority of women feel in the modern world, but in a way that doesn't hector or bash you over the head. This is strong, literate stuff and all the more compelling for it. 
Key Track: Priestess 

  5: BICEP: 'BICEP'

A quite remarkable year for electronica was capped by this stupendous debut from Belfast-born but London-based Matt McBriar and Andy Ferguson who stepped away from DJ-ing duties to record this batch of pulsing love-letters to the history of dance music. Featuring all the food groups of classic electronic music - house, techno, jungle, Italian disco and electro-pop - as well as some progressive psychedelic textures, this was as good as it got in 2017 when it came to going out and throwing some shapes. Magnificently produced by the duo and featuring vocals from Silkie Carlo, Amy Spencer and Rosie Lowe, this was sharp, focused and succinct - right down to the one-word song titles. The kind of dance record you didn't think people made anymore, if this was played in full at every club in the land on a Saturday night, dance music would rule the world. 
Key Track: Spring 

4: SUN KIL MOON/JESU: '30 SECONDS TO THE DECLINE OF PLANET EARTH'

Mark Kozelek hits the chart again - do you sense a pattern here? - with far and away the best project he was involved in during 2017. And even though his first collaboration with Jesu - aka British experimental musician Justin Broadrick - made Number 3 in last year's No Static Top 50, this is a better album in almost every way. Once again focusing his lyrical worldview on recent day-to-day activities in his life and projecting his words in a stream-of-consciousness style that older Red House Painters fans have found frustrating - Kozelek himself has stated that he "just doesn't have the interest" in singing like he used to - the songs here are long and rambling but never uninteresting. Musically too, Broadrick is on fire here - incorporating industrial ticks and beats with synth-led textures to perfectly compliment Kozelek's guitar playing. As for the songs, where to start? Bombs in particular is an absolute masterpiece and one of the finest he's ever written. A 13-minute long diary entry that touches on world terrorism, lack of ticket sales in Europe, train journeys to Brighton, the 27 club, Polish delicacies, hotel room masturbation, the difficulty of avoiding bikes in Holland and a sarcastic interaction with a cop during a stroll in Arizona. Hilariously, the studio engineer cuts in toward the end with a comment on how long the song is. If not for that, it may have trundled on magnificently for another 13 minutes. It's superb but just the tip of the iceberg on this extraordinary entry into Kozelek's bulging canon of brilliance. The Greatest Conversation Ever In The History Of The Universe - phenomenal title alert - describes a visit by Kozelek and his girlfriend to Laurie Anderson's New York apartment not long after her husband Lou Reed's death. He talks about a photograph he spots of Reed with Muhammad Ali and imagines what they may have talked about. It's warm, human and emotional in equal measure. On the flip side, He's Bad is an excoriating dissection of the cult of Michael Jackson, admitting - like we all do - that although he respects Jackson's music, he's glad the man is dead. As the chorus suggests: "He's bad, and he's dead and I'm glad - and to me, it ain't that fucking sad". Outrageously wonderful. To these ears though, it's the astonishingly beautiful Twenty Something that knocks this album out of the park. A stunning ballad about a leather-clad, authority-baiting dude called Johnny Saint-Lethal who Kozelek meets at one of his gigs, it drifts into an acoustic-led reverie about the perils of encroaching old age and the nostalgic remembrance of youth and how most of us don't appreciate it at the time. The recording at the climax of an audience being directed by Kozelek to sing their best wishes to Mr. Saint-Lethal is just spine-tingling. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the man is a marvel.
Key Track: Twenty Something

3: THE WAR ON DRUGS: 'A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING'

An incredibly close-run thing when it came to this year's Top 3 with barely a hair's breadth separating the troika of outstanding acts at the apex of 2017's finest. Stalling in third place is the fourth album from Philadelphia native Adam Granduciel and his War On Drugs project. Granduciel's third opus - the stunning 'Lost In A Dream' - was by some considerable distance my favourite  album of 2014, and it just shows the strength of this year's list that this even better album didn't repeat the trick. Signing to a major label in the wake of 'Dream's' stratospheric success hasn't blunted Granduciel's widescreen Americana and lush, atmospheric drivetime rock. In fact, it's only made it more appealing and rewarding. Once again layering Krautrock-style motorik rhythms alongside sprawling guitar workouts and dreamy synths, this album was possibly the most pristeen-sounding in 2017. Apparently, the pressure of following up such a landmark record almost drove Granduciel to breakdown territory - indeed, the track Pain is as autobiographical as it gets - but the meticulous hours that went into it's gestation are more than worth it. Up All Night and Holding On are masterful journeys into the rock and roll heartland, and there are nods to Springsteen, Tom Petty and Creedence throughout. There's even a shameless homage to, of all people, Dire Straits on Nothing To Find. Thinking Of A Place and the monumental Strangest Thing expand Granduciel's remit even further, embracing power ballad territory in seriously impressive fashion. And if you're not punching the air in delight during Pain's skyscraping guitar solo or during the utter splendour of the key-change halfway through In Chains, then you're missing a soul quite frankly. 
Key Track: Strangest Thing 

2: ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER: 'FRENCH PRESS EP'
   ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER: 'TALK TIGHT EP'

Ok, bit of a cheat with this one. Not strictly an album, but two EP's featuring thirteen tracks which, by anyone's standards, is a pretty hefty haul of tunes. However, if you've read any of this here blog over the last twelve months, you'll know that I'm so enamoured with this band that it was just impossible to leave them out of this list. So, with apologies to the more pedantic factions out there, here they are - and at Number 2 to boot! I've waxed lyrical about this lot more than once this year, but they really are tremendously special. Five chums from Melbourne, Australia who've been plying their trade for a number of years before finally releasing some music. And what music it is. A bright, breezy and playful mash-up of all that is good and holy when it comes to chugging jangle, there are nods to The Smiths, Orange Juice, The Lemonheads, The Feelies and the more uptempo 'Loaded' era Velvet Underground, as well as fellow Antipodean luminaries The Go-Betweens and The Clean. However, there's a real freshness and vigour about them that manages to meld all those influences together and make a sound all their own. Featuring three principal singer/songwriters - akin to my other jangle heroes Teenage Fanclub - every song has a wondrous call-and-response feel as each vocalist - Fran Keaney, Tom Russo and Joe White - share mic duties. Ably supported by Tom's brother Joe on bass and drummer Marcel Tussie, the band lock themselves into a shuffling groove on a regular basis and never look back. Across these two collections, there is nary a duff note and the songs are spectacularly strong. Clean Slate, Wide Eyes, Julie's Place and Sick Bug are terrifically exciting indie, full to the brim with catchy choruses and life-enriching guitar fills. Heard You're Moving is utterly glorious, as is French Press itself. But, 9 months on, it's still Fountain Of Good Fortune that - if it wasn't for what's contained within my Number One choice - would be my song of the year. A sublime mix of acoustic-led lovliness that builds and builds to a "Woo-hoo" laden coda that still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. If they're able to keep this strike-rate up - 100% at the moment - then this lot really could become my favourite band in the world. Yes, that good.
Key Track: Fountain Of Good Fortune

1: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: 'AMERICAN DREAM'

And so to the top spot, and it's an album that - upon hearing of it's imminent release - I really hoped would be good, but I wasn't expecting this. When LCD head honcho James Murphy split the band 5 years ago after touring 2009's 'This Is Happening' into the ground, the word from the man himself was that that was it. No more music under the LCD name, no more gigs, no more anything. The documentary/concert film 'Just Play The Hits' - which covered the final LCD gig at Madison Square Garden and the emotional fallout that followed - was, in parts, harrowing viewing. Especially the scenes of Murphy padding around his New York apartment and breaking down in tears whilst he hugged his dog. It seemed he was a broken man after a decade of continued success and acclaim at the top table of dance music, and the right and proper thing to do was to just give it all up and try something different. However, in the interim, Murphy seems to have tired of being hidden away, like a forgotten relic of the Noughties, without an outlet for the songs building up inside of him. The solution, then? Reactivate the band - with all the original members - shout down the naysayers who screamed "Sell-Out!" and "No fair!" and release a fourth album that - as good as the previous three were - knocks them all into a cocked hat. This record is magisterial from first note to last. Ten songs that run the gamut from feedback-drenched indie-rock on Emotional Haircut, via the pulsing, driving beats-frenzy of Call The Police, to the elegiac, dreamlike memento mori of the closing Black Screen. In between, there are the usual nods to the arty 70's rock of his hometown in I Used To and Change Yr Mind as well as anthemic balladry in Oh Baby and the title track. Head and shoulders above everything though is the quite staggering How Do You Sleep? A brutal, vicious and downright nasty open letter to a former friend/acquaintance/lover, the track starts with a plethora of tribal drums that halfway through melds into a synth riff so astonishingly vital that it's impossible not to jump up out of your chair and start waving your hands in the air like you just don't care. Once the beat kicks in toward the third act, all bets are off. All the while, Murphy recalls the breakdown of this relationship with an honesty and clarity that makes a mockery of the criticisms levelled at him an the past as a snarky, unemotional know-it-all. In fact, this album is totally drenched in emotion, from the focus in his lyrics of his own mortality to the recent deaths of friends, loved ones and collaborators. David Bowie, especially, is all over this album in spirit. It was, apparently, Bowie who urged Murphy to have another crack at the coalface and if true, then the late, great Dame deserves untold thanks. Black Screen itself is a beautiful musical tribute to him, and - along with the "Call the cops, call the preachers - for the Leonard's and the Lou's" line in Call The Police - this is also a heartfelt musical love letter from Murphy to those who have meant the most to him. As he said in a recent interview: "We're hitting a very difficult age for the people that invented the music that is most important to me. And unfortunately, they're not being replaced". Very true, but with this astoundingly funky, punky, rock-infused dance party, Murphy has put himself right up there with those very same heroes he hoped to emulate. Job done, sir. Job done.
Key Track: How Do You Sleep?

   
That's your lot, then. A veritable treasure trove of tremendous tunes and a monumental mountain of magnificent music. Here's to 2018 and the wonders that await!

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: ANGEL OLSEN 'SPECIAL'


Within the next few days, I will be posting my list of the Top 50 Albums Of 2017, which means that last years winner - the magnificent Angel Olsen - will be giving up her crown and passing on the title to a new champion. Her new record - the follow-up to the incomparable 'My Woman' - will be with us at some point in 2018, but here's a little taster: a 'new' track - recorded during the MW sessions - that's just seen the light of day on Olsen's recently released rarities compilation, 'Phases'. It is, as expected, utterly brilliant. The countdown to the new album starts here...

2017: THE YEAR IN MUSIC - LIVE!!!

Astonishingly it's December already so, as is traditional, it's now time for me to look back over the last twelve months at the cavalcade of concerts, the glut of gigs and the luxuriance of live events that I was fortunate enough to attend in 2017. It was a real humdinger of a year with some absolute stonkers - especially during the summer months. And even though I missed out on a few pearls due to illness, last-minute emergencies and postponement - Mastodon, Future Islands and Dinosaur Jr, I'm looking at you - I still managed to tick off some serious bucket list entries. So, eyes down then......

The year kicked off in some style with the return to Brixton Academy of Oklahoma's one and only psychedelic nutballs The Flaming Lips, who - as usual - pulled out all the stops with confetti cannons, giant inflatables, streamers and life-sized glowing unicorns all in attendance. Ben Bridwell and his Band Of Horses cohorts were next up, choogling on down to East London on a freezing cold February eve. Scotland's finest exponents of 'the jangle' followed suit, with the glorious Teenage Fanclub touring last year's splendid 'Here' album and causing grown men to admit there might be "something in my eye" as they regaled the Shepherd's Bush faithful with absolute classics like Everything Flows and Sparky's Dream.

April brought us the return of Jason Lytle and his Grandaddy chums, who released their first album in a decade with 'Last Place'. Their gig at The Roundhouse in Camden was a triumph, but tragedy was to follow as co-founder Kevin Garcia died on the next leg of the tour in mainland Europe. A heartbreaking denouement to their recent revival.
The springtime kicked in monstrously with incendiary appearances by gnarly medieval folk-rockers Wolf People at Islington's Assembly Hall; prog-infused jazz-funkers Snarky Puppy at Brixton; gargantuanly bass-heavy old-school dub-dance titans Leftfield - performing their classic 'Leftism' opus in full - also at Brixton; and a spectaculary spectral performance by my Album Of 2016 winner Angel Olsen at The Roundhouse. Not even halfway through the year and my cup runneth over! Tremendously, June didn't let up in the slightest with a 25th Anniversary show of the mighty 'Let Me Come Over' album by Bostonian alt-indie legends Buffalo Tom at Islington; Oxford's shoegazing masters Ride at Shoreditch's oh-so-trendy Village Underground; rap-rock supergroup Prophets Of Rage turning Brixton into a sea of moshing mentalheads; pastoral psych-rockers Arbouretum at Our Black Heart in Camden; superlative, sweat-inducing funk with Lettuce just down the road at The Jazz Cafe; grizzled post-grunge electronica with Mark Lanegan and his band, even further down the road at Koko - all topped off with a mighty showing from Britpop fulcrum and former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft, who sold out Brixton Academy and brought the house down with stupendous renditions of Bittersweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work, Sonnet and many more.

Into July then, and a couple of mega-gigs in Hyde Park as the achingly corporate and eye-wateringly expensive British Summer Time Festival returned with 6 all-dayers of varying quality and skewed line-ups. I usually find myself annually attending at least one of these beanos, and this year I managed two of the buggers. First up, the modern-day Doobie Brothers - Kings Of Leon - headlined on the second Friday, astonishingly ahead of HUGELY influential alt-rock godfathers - and my second fave band of all time - the Pixies. A clerical error for sure methinks? The Kings were fine, but the true kings - Frank Black and co - showed the Followill boys how it should be done. A masterclass in songcraft and live performance. BST's final day was - in hindsight - a bittersweet affair, as American singer-songwriter icon Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers brought their 40th Anniversary tour to the big field and tore the non-existent roof off. Following his tragic and untimely death no more than 3 months later, my memory of Petty and his band rattling through American Girl at the finale, whilst 60,000 immensely happy and refreshed punters grooved away on the grass, will stay with me for some considerable time. RIP Tom.
With the summer winding down and the leaves on the trees starting to turn, I found myself heading to Hammersmith's venerable old Apollo theater for an extraordinarily ethereal evening in the presence of Iceland's finest purveyors of dreamy, string-laden, modern-day prog rock - Sigur Ros. They sold out three nights at the venue and the show was an astonishing spectacle - full of sweeping soundscapes, emotionally charged instrumental passages and, toward the climax, thunderously epic guitar wig-outs. Outstanding stuff. I was back at Hammersmith a week later when America's answer to Radiohead - the really rather fantastic The National - celebrated their first UK Number One album in 'Sleep Well Beast' by going one better than Sigur Ros and selling out four nights. As per usual with Matt Berninger and co, the gig was a wonderfully intense affair, with the band at the peak of their powers and roaring through the bulk of the new album with real aplomb and emotional heft. Early classics like Fake Empire and Terrible Love were also given an airing - to a rapturous response from the faithful. I ended September by spending a few hours in luxurious comfort at the London Palladium as legendary New York singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega came to town. I've been listening to her music for almost thirty-five years now - indeed, her debut album still resides in my Top 3 of all time - and it was an absolute joy to witness her and her band perform two of her classic albums in full. 'Solitude Standing' - famed for it's hit singles Luka and Tom's Diner - is celebrating it's 30th anniversary, and Vega's fourth record - the more experimental '99.9f' - it's 25th. Both have stood the test of time in some style and hearing both sets of songs up close and personal in such a unique setting was a real highlight of the year.

October brought even more marvellous musical moments as flame-haired chanteuse Tori Amos brought her Native Invader tour to the Royal Albert Hall and early 90s politico funk rockers Living Colour returned from the wilderness to promote their new album 'Shame' at the University Of London Student Hall. Decent gig but dreadful venue. Also returning to the fray were 90s shoegazy dream-poppers Slowdive, whose first album in 22 years - also called 'Slowdive' - was a wonderful surprise. Their triumphant headline gig at The Roundhouse was warm, fuzzy and a real Proustian rush of loveliness. Finally in October, I spent All Hallow's Eve at one of my favourite venues - The Borderline - to witness one of the surprise gigs of the year. BNQT came together in 2016 when Eric Pulido of wondrous pastoral folkies Midlake, hooked up with Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and Ben Bridwell of Band Of Horses with a view to recording some tracks. The resulting sessions led to a splendid album - released in April of this year - which also featured our very own Fran Healy from Travis and Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand. The album itself was a truly life-affirming confection of jangly folk, woozy Americana and off-kilter indie but, due to the disparate talents involved, I wasn't expecting anything but the basics at the gig. Magnificently however, all the personnel involved made the trip - with the exception of Bridwell who was touring the States - and the small but thoroughly enthusiastic throng were treated not only to the bulk of the album, but also Midlake classics Roscoe and Head Home, Travis standards Why Does It Always Rain On Me and Driftwood, Grandaddy's AM 180, and a truly fantastic run through Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out. An absolute blast. There was just time in late November for a splendid evening of world music fusion as Afro Celt Sound System and The Dohl Foundation faced off at The Barbican, and then Robin Pecknold and his Fleet Foxes compadres returned after a six-year hiatus to sell out two nights at Brixton and celebrate the success of their mighty third album 'Crack-Up'. I fell in love with this band within seconds of hearing their 'Sun Giant' Ep in 2008, and my feelings haven't changed since. The Brixton gig was a wonder to behold as the bands keening three-part harmonies and chiming, janglesome curlicues filled the room. And if there is a better song out there from the whole modern-day folk explosion than Mykonos, I've yet to hear it. Spellbinding stuff.

Smack dead in the middle of all this glorious gigular activity was, of course, the festival season. I've missed out on going to a big festival for the last few years but I made up for it in August by 'getting it together in the country' and driving down to the Brecon Beacons for the truly fabulous Green Man Festival. I wrote about this magnificent event in great detail a few posts back, so if you haven't done so already, take some time and have a little read why don't you? The musical treats on offer were quite something and the sets from Oh Sees, Liars, Circulus, Jon Hopkins, Ride, Angel Olsen and the bonkers Sleaford Mods are still seared into my synapses.

  

However, as you'd expect from me here at No Static At All, there has to be a list of some kind. Whittling down the best of the best from this past year of storming shindigs and jumping jamborees hasn't been easy. But whittle it down I have. So, in reverse order, here are my Top 10 gigs of 2017. I'll see you at the bar....

10: ORBITAL 2/12 Hammersmith Apollo

A truly wonderful return to the live arena from the Hartnoll brothers - Phil and Paul - who, due to a little bit of sibling rivalry, have been 'on hiatus' since 2012's magisterial 'Wonky' album. This gig at Hammersmith was one of only two performances on their schedule - the other being in Manchester the night before. The completely sold out venue was rammed full of ageing techno-heads and old school dance bods - most of whom were the spit of Viz Comic's legendary 'Ravey Davey' character.

The whole evening itself took me right back to my own misspent youth and all of those illegal raves in the Surrey countryside that I frequented in the late 80's. Opening proceedings with Lush and Impact was the perfect double whammy from the brothers, who - bedecked as usual with their torchlight headbands - continued over the course of two hours to, quite frankly, fry my brain with their thumping beats, scorching light show, and general 'throw your hands in the air like you just don't care' vibe. A final salvo of Halcyon And On, Belfast, The Box and the evergreen Chime was proof, if any were needed, that Orbital are the premier British electronica act of the last thirty years. Bangin'.

9: THE LIMINANAS 5/10 Oslo Hackney

Perpignan's husband and wife duo of Lionel and Marie Liminana brought their fuzzy, scuzzy blend of Gallic rock and roll to East London in October and promptly blew the roof off. Touring the UK for the first time on the back of last year's excellent 'Malamore' opus, the couple were complemented by a further 5 musicians, including vocalist Nika Leeflang, who added her warm and smoky voice to a bunch of tracks. Combining shoegaze, discordant indie, surf-rock and 60's indebted psych-beat to quite thrilling effect, this was heady stuff indeed. Merveilleux!!!

8: STEELY DAN 29/10 The O2

Sentiment is not something that's usually been associated with those eminent hipsters Steely Dan over the years, but when sole remaining member Donald Fagen took to the O2 stage at the end of October and glanced across to a lone microphone stand before seeming to visibly sag as he sat down behind his piano, I'm not ashamed to admit I welled up slightly. His first words to the gathered throng: "We're the Steely Dan organization, and we're a little different than usual but I'm just gonna have to live with that"' only compounded matters. This gig - the first Steely Dan performance in the UK since 2007 and part of The London BluesFest - came just a few short months since Fagen's musical partner of 50 years Walter Becker sadly passed away due to complications from a routine surgical procedure. Aside from that opening statement, Fagen kept his own counsel about recent events and let the music do the talking - which I'm pretty sure is how Becker would have wanted it. Due to the time constraints of a Sunday night in the Greenwich enormo-dome, Fagen and his hot-to-trot troupe of sterling musicians were only allotted 90 minutes of playing time so it's straight down to business with an opening troika of Bodhisattva, Black Cow (oh yes!) and Hey Nineteen. Due to my overwhelming love for this unique band's back catalogue - borne from repeated listens of the 'Aja' and 'Countdown To Ecstasy' albums during my teens - the only thing that was going to disappoint me about the evening was what they WEREN'T going to play. So even though there was no Do It Again, Rikki Don't Lose That Number or Haitian Divorce, we were still treated to Josie, Peg, Aja and Babylon Sisters as well as a truly wonderful closing double whammy of My Old School and the utterly fantastic paean to illicit drug-dealing that is Kid Charlemagne. Fagen, who must have had reservations about continuing to tour after Becker's death and who - understandably - looked more than a little fragile at the beginning of the evening, threw himself into proceedings full pelt once the music got going. On more than one occasion he got up to have a little boogie round the stage - usually tootling away on a melodica. The band were superb also, with special mention here for guitarist Michael Leonhart who was a veritable treasure trove of dazzling solos and licks. There was of course, just time enough for a frisky run through Reelin' In The Years, and then with a shy wave, Fagen was gone. Hopefully, he'll be happy to keep The Organization on the road for a little while longer, but if not, this was a splendid way to bow out. 

7: GUNS 'N' ROSES 18/6 London Stadium

I waxed lyrical about this gig in an earlier review on these very pages, so for a more fulsome lowdown on the return of three fifths of the original line-up of the 80's 'most dangerous band in the world', then feel free to dive in and peruse that particular post. Suffice to say, this was one hell of a surprise. From the band bounding on stage dead on 8:00, to Axl Rose himself smiling and enjoying himself immensely, to previously warring compatriots Slash and Rose hugging and joking, right through to a 3 hour set full of perfect performances and stunning renditions of all the hits - this was nowhere near the car crash and complete shambles that many people thought it might be. Slash was on fire on the six strings, the unbelievably cool Duff McKagan radiated poise and swagger in equal measure, and Rose's vocals were a revelation. One of the best full-blown rock and roll extravaganzas I've ever been privy to. And Sweet Child O' Mine was ASTONISHING.

6: ENDLESS BOOGIE 17/9 The 100 Club

Just over 12 months since their last visit to London - and also since bagging the Number One slot in my live review of 2016 - New York's premier cabal of blues-infused psych-rock stoners rolled on down to the legendary 100 Club on Oxford Street on a balmy September Sunday and proceeded to blow my mind. Led by grizzled long-hair and modern-day rock renaissance man Paul 'Top Dollar' Major, who moonlights as an author and DJ, The Boogie were on absolute fire on this particular evening. Ostensibly in town to promote their fantastic new 'Vibe Killer' opus, the band ended up locking themselves into a groove so tight that I'm pretty sure only 5 songs were aired across 2 hours - one of which was a monumentally trippy journey through early fave Smoking Figs In The Back Yard. I could easily watch this band play for days and never tire of them.

5: SUN KIL MOON 26/11 Shepherd's Bush Empire

Regular readers of this here blog will know by now that I've got big, bad love for Ohio's greatest export - Sun Kil Moon main-man Mark Kozelek. I've maintained for many a year that he is the world's greatest living songwriter, and in recent years his record releases have continued to cement that fact for me. This year alone he's released an astonishing 4 albums - two of which are doubles for heaven's sake. Usually for any artist, being that prolific can mean diminishing returns. Not with Kozelek. Many of the songs he's released in 2017 have been the finest of his career. So, it was with intense anticipation that I headed off to West London on a dank and drizzly Sunday - perfect conditions you may think - to indulge myself in an evening of music and songs about death, grief, ageing, ennui and the futility of modern-day life. Bring it on, Koz! Accompanied by a four-piece band - including Dirty Three drummer Jim White - Kozelek focused mainly on this year's raft of releases, which meant disappointment for those in the venue who were expecting an evening of lush, acoustic ballads in the vein of 2014's commercially successful 'Benji' album. Indeed, after half an hour of discordant jazz textures and Zappa-esque left of centre time signatures, large chunks of the audience made for the exits - muttering the price of the ticket under their breath. What were you expecting, people? Ed Sheeran??? Of course, I found all of this hilarious. Kozelek has been around long enough by now to not give a monkey's fart what anyone thinks of him and he could well be even more ornery than my other favourite stubborn old buzzard Neil Young. The whole show was an absolute triumph though. Experimental and challenging? Absolutely. But life-affirming and unique too. There were tributes to recently departed Kozelek heroes David Cassidy and Malcolm Young alongside the more, ahem, out there material and there were spine-tingling and heart-breaking renditions of God Bless Ohio and A Dream Of Winter. There was also a twenty-five minute new song called Soap For Joyful Hands that he'd only written two nights before in an Italian hotel room. And the whole show was almost three and a half hours long. Truly, the man is a genius.

4: SHAWN SMITH 18/5 Putney Half Moon

 
Just like the above-mentioned Mark Kozelek, Seattle's Shawn Smith is one of my all-time favourite singers. Unlike Kozelek however, he's never quite broken through into the wider consciousness of the music loving masses and this is an absolute travesty. Spreading his talents far and wide over the last couple of decades, Smith has written for and sung with bands and artists like Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhed, Greg Dulli, Andrew Wood and Chris Cornell. In fact, this gig in Putney - one of two London dates on Smith's Out Of The Shadows tour - occurred one day after Cornell's tragic suicide which added many layers of emotion and poignancy to the evening. Just after this gig took place, I posted an appreciation of Smith and his talents (including a review of the gig) which, if you haven't done so already, I implore you to read. The man should be selling albums by the truck-load and this gig was just another reminder of his god-given talents. It was a glorious evening, full of sadness and joy, tears and laughter. Smith's golden and honeyed soulful voice was at it's absolute best on classics like The Day Brings, Buttercup and the magisterial Screen. There was even time for a real lump-in-the-throat moment when he combined Mother Love Bone's Crown Of Thorns with Prince's Purple Rain. Divine stuff.

3: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 22/9 Alexandra Palace

When James Murphy reconvened his LCD Soundsystem project for some festival dates last year, there was a fair few fans crying foul. Murphy had ceased all LCD-related activity after the huge world tour that followed 2010's 'This Is Happening' album, culminating in a massive farewell concert at Madison Square Garden. The accompanying film - 'Just Play The Hits' - showed Murphy padding around his New York apartment the night after the gig and coming across as a man bereft. Had he done the right thing? Obviously not as, 6 years later, Murphy is back with the original band and an absolute masterpiece of a fourth album in 'American Dream'. Personally, I'm over the moon that they're back as for me, LCD are one of the most exciting and innovative bands out there. The two nights that they played at the cavernous barn that is North London's Alexandra Palace were complete sell-outs and the crackle of anticipation in the air was palpable. Murphy's original seven-piece band were all present and correct - including pink-jumpsuit clad Nancy Wang on keys, drum maestro Pat Mahoney and Hot Chip's Al Doyle on guitar. With four extraordinary albums of material to choose from, it was always going to be difficult for Murphy and co to please everyone but they gave it a magnificent shot. The angular art-funk of 2007's Get Innocuous and the slinky electronica of 2010's You Wanted A Hit were early highlights whilst the debut album's thunderously thrilling Trials And Tribulations had the 20,000 strong throng frugging away furiously. Sterling new tracks Call The Police, Tonite and Emotional Haircut all hit the bullseye before the evergreen Losing My Edge reminded me - and everyone else it seemed - why I fell in love with them in the first place. If it's true that it was a conversation with the late David Bowie that formulated the idea in Murphy's head to get the band back together, then it was one of the greatest things The Dame did in his final days. The last song of the night is, as it always is, the centerpiece of 2007's gargantuan 'Sounds Of Silver' album - the stunning All My Friends. As the beats ebb and flow and the emotion and poignancy of the lyrics kick in, people are hugging each other and climbing onto each other's shoulders as that astonishing refrain kicks in: "Where are your friends tonight? Where are your friends tonight?" Well James, if you're reading this, you had 20,000 friends there that night so come back soon, ok?

2: ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER
           4/9 The Lexington   12/9 The Moth Club

Holy crap, this was an ABSOLUTE blast. In April of this year, I was stopped in my tracks after stumbling across an EP by a young band from Australia called, deep breath, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. The French Press EP was - and still is - one of the finest collections of songs I've ever had the complete and utter fortune to hear. 6 tracks of gorgeously summery jangle-pop and shuffling indie, dripping with Beatles and Velvets influences - as well as bands like The Feelies, Orange Juice, The Go-Betweens and Pavement. Every track is a winner - all wheat, no chaff. They then went and did it again in August with the 7-track Talk Tight EP, which if anything, might be even better. 13 tracks and not one duff moment. Could they pull it off live? Their first London date at The Lexington sold out pretty sharpish, so two more nights - at The Old Blue Last and The Moth Club - were promptly added. I was lucky enough to bag tickets for two of the gigs and if I could have made the third, I would have done. I have since decided that I will attempt to see this lot every time they play London. They're THAT good. Comprising three singer/songwriters - guitarists Fran Keaney, Joe White and Tom Russo - as well as bassist Joe Russo and drummer Marcel Tussie, RBCF amble on stage at each gig emanating chilled vibes and a laid-back demeanour. Very Australian. They plug in, give each other a nod, and we're off. Pretty much all of both EPs were aired at both nights - along with a brace of new songs and an Orange Juice cover. With Keaney on acoustic guitars, flanked by White and Russo on electrics, there was a glorious shuffling groove to proceedings and highlights were plentiful. Clean Slate, Sick Bug, Julie's Place, Wide Eyes, Fountain Of Good Fortune. I've played these songs to death this year and they're still just as thrilling and enjoyable as they were when I first heard them. By the end of each gig - after a rip-roaringly stupendous French Press - the band are sweating through their shirts and the crowds weren't that far behind. One chap next to me even kissed each member of the band full on the lips as they clambered off stage. Tremendous. I don't remember having this much fun watching a new band since I first saw the Pixies almost thirty years ago. A bold claim for sure, but I'm sticking with it. WHAT a band.

1: METALLICA 24/10 The O2

No surprise here, eh? My most recent post before this one was a fulsome and full-blown lowdown on the return to London of The Bay Area Thrash Titans and The Kings Of Metal, so if you fancy it, dive on into that post and see what I thought. Suffice to say, my feelings haven't changed a jot which is why my favourite live experience of the year involved me spending three hours backstage at the Whiplash VIP Experience before heading into the pit surrounding the stage and waiting patiently for James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo to stride on stage and peel my face off. Musically speaking, of course.
Hardwired pummeled, Fade To Black glistened, Atlas Rise thundered, Moth Into Flame swaggered, For Whom The Bell Tolls exploded, Halo On Fire scorched, Seek And Destroy rattled, One shivered, Spit Out The Bone shattered, Sad But True blasted, Master Of Puppets screamed, Nothing Else Matters cradled and Enter Sandman detonated. Best live band on the planet.

So that's your lot. A pretty solid year it has to be said. Roll on 2018, I say!

LIVE REVIEW: METALLICA O2 ARENA 24/10

The return of heavy metal behemoths Metallica to the UK is always cause for celebration here at No Static Towers, and their two sold out dates at the O2 Arena earlier this week were always going to be a monumental highlight of this year's gigular activity and a strong contender for live music event of the year. Indeed, after breaking the venue's capacity record at Sunday night's concert, the anticipation for Tuesday's gig was sky-high as I boarded the tube to North Greenwich. Riding high on the huge critical and commercial acclaim afforded to last years Hardwired....To Self-Destruct opus, Metallica are back on their A-Game and reviews from the first tranche of dates from the huge, universe-straddling WorldWired Tour have been uniformly positive. They may not quite be as spectacularly tremendous as they were in their late 80's and early 90's pomp, but it's fair to say that the embarrassing nadir of the almost unlistenable farrago of 2001's St. Anger is but a distant memory.
Realising that not only am I not getting any younger but that also the band themselves have all seen better days, I decided to push the boat out this time round - just in case this turns out to be their last visit to Europe - and treated myself and my much better half to the full-on Metallica VIP Experience. Arriving a few hours early, we were treated to an exclusive stroll around the Sanitarium Museum, chock full of Metallica exhibits such as gold and platinum discs, Grammy awards, posters, flyers, lyric books, photos, stage outfits and all kinds of other splendid artefacts. There was also a whole area devoted to instruments from the band's stash - featuring a full size drum kit and guitars aplenty which the braver souls in the room were able to pick up and play. Along with free food, drink and merchandise, this was the perfect way to start proceedings. After a couple of hours of pure, unadulterated Metallica indulgence, we were led past the queuing throngs outside the venue - normal wristbands for these proles - and allowed to pick and choose our spot down by the stage, which for this tour is a parallelogram-shaped affair in the centre of the arena, allowing for a perfect view wherever you may be situated. Then it was just a matter of waiting, and after a slightly ropey support slot from trying-ever-so-hard Norwegian prog-metallers Kvelertak, the lights darkened at around 8:45 and - like the beginning of every Metallica gig before this one - the epic sound of Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy Of Gold, otherwise known as the theme from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, filled the arena. Within minutes, the boys were on stage and ready to rock.

The Bay Area thrash kings have been through a lot during their 36 years together, and their journey from pimple covered Diamond Head wannabes to the biggest metal band in the world has not been without trials, tribulations and traumas. The tragic death of original bassist Cliff Burton in 1986 in a coach crash whilst the band were touring Europe was undoubtedly the lowest point in their lives. There was also the acrimonious departure of Burton's replacement Jason Newsted in 2001, the less than stellar attempt to fit in with the post-grunge metal scene in the mid-90's with the Load/Reload albums, the failed attempt to battle music sharing site Napster, as well as the difficult to watch Some Kind Of Monster documentary that showed the band in a complete state of disrepair as they struggled with various demons. Throw in the aforementioned St. Anger situation, and the recent turnaround in the band's stock has been nothing short of astonishing. As if to prove the point, the reaction from tonight's crowd as James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammet and relative new boy Rob Trujillo take to the stage is as raucous as anything I've ever heard. The band look lean, mean and fighting fit and immediately launch into Hardwired's pummeling title track. With a hook to die for and a chorus for the ages ("We're so fucked, shit outta luck - Hardwired to self destruct!") it's the perfect start. What follows is a two and a half hour masterclass that shows why Metallica are still head and shoulders above every other metal band out there. To be honest, on this showing, I'd put them above any other arena-sized act on the planet. A healthy portion of the latest album is aired, with Atlas Rise! and Now That We're Dead standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of classic early cuts Seek And Destroy and For Whom The Bell Tolls during the early stages. There was an incendiary version of 1984's suicide anthem Fade To Black which came across as nothing more than a religious experience, as well as a frankly barnstorming run through the utter genius that is Halo On Fire. Midway through and I may have been levitating. 

The staging was a sight to behold too, with giant cubes suspended above the band that rose and fell depending on what song was being played. Each cube turned into a 6-sided television screen showing videos and footage of the band from throughout their career, as well as news footage of war, death and destruction. Standard Metallica fare, then. One of the highlights of the stage show was during Moth Into Flame when, seemingly from out of nowhere, a swarm of remote controlled glowing moth like structures floated up into the arena and around the stage. I looked for wires or handlers but saw nothing - so hats off to the folks behind that little stunt. The band themselves were in splendidly high spirits and well on form musically - Ulrich pounding away like a man 30 years his junior on his revolving drum kit, while the other three patrolled and prowled the stage sharing the 8 microphones dotted about so that the whole arena got a good look at all of them. Hammett's guitar playing has never been better and his solo at the end of Halo On Fire had me punching the air in glee. Trujillo is a wonderful addition to the band's ranks, bounding around like a panther and at one stage taking the stage by himself to perform a lovely bass solo tribute to his predecessor Burton. But it's Hetfield who runs the show here. Whereas once upon a time he came across as arrogant, cocky and unwilling to endear himself to his audience, these days the front-man is far more aware of his position as the focal point of the Metallica live experience. Laughing and joking with the crowd, paying tribute to Amy Winehouse and blowing kisses to all and sundry, tonight he's also a revelation vocally with his performance during the mighty Sad But True close to magnificence. 

Ending the main set - and crashing through the curfew - with cranium-rattling renditions of stone-cold classics One and Master Of Puppets, the quartet returned for an encore of the hits. Time - and constant radio plays - may have dulled the impact slightly of Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman, but watching the band perform them live whilst twenty odd thousand sweaty grinning souls punch the air in unison as fireworks exploded around them, tongues of flame burst forth from the stage floor and huge circle pits erupted in the crowd - well, it doesn't get much better quite frankly. Metallica are back, and back where they belong - at the very apex of the metal mountain. Now then, where's my Voltarol.....

SETLIST;

Hardwired
Atlas, Rise!
Seek And Destroy
Leper Messiah
Fade To Black

Now That We're Dead
Confusion
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Halo On Fire
Last Caress
Creeping Death
Moth Into Flame
Sad But True
One
Master Of Puppets

Spit Out The Bone
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman


       

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS 'DON'T COME AROUND HERE NO MORE'

Another week goes by and another legend passes over to that great rock and roll gig in the sky. Regular readers of this here little blog will know that I witnessed Tom Petty and his glorious Heartbreakers do the business big time in Hyde Park during the summer. He was on fine form - seemingly hale, hearty and full of beans. His death - at 66 from a cardiac arrest - is a real kick in the teeth for lovers of classic American rock. So many fantastic songs and videos to choose from too, but this one has always been a firm fave of mine. Rest in peace Mr Petty - and thank you.