Many congratulations on getting this one over the line Colin – a Herculean effort I’m sure.

If you haven’t heard it I strongly recommend his edition of This Cultural Life on BBC Sounds/Radio 4 with the excellent John Wilson who is as good a cultural interviewer as his dad Bob was a goalkeeper. I l […]

Great review of an album that, like Lodes, I struggled to love when it came out (the towering Long Distance Love apart). Haven’t listened to it in years but this review makes me want to to go back and see if I g […]

I absolutely love the song but Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts somehow doesn’t go with the rest of Blood on the Tracks.

Bloody hell Junes that sounds horrific. And also a strong argument against bringing the washing in. Speedy recovery old chum but also – take it easy.

That’s desperately sad. I queued up with my then girlfriend to see Annie Hall at the beginning of the second year of uni. Like most of the world we both fell immediately in love with her. She seemed i […]

Q it’s utter nonsense and has every Stephen Knight cliche going – and every Irish cliche – but it is also highly entertaining.

And then of course there is Scarlet Rivera, like the rest of the band, gamely trying to hang on to Bob Dylan’s performances on Desire…

And by contrast, I really enjoyed seeing The Haar this summer and particularly enjoyed Adam Summerhayes’ fiddle playing which spanned traditional folk, jazz, Middle Eastern and classical influences and more. T […]

One of my favourite violinists today is the brilliant Isabelle Faust. Her range is incredible – From Bach through Mozart, Beethoven, 20th century greats like Britten, Berg and Stravinsky up to the present day. […]

And this is a more recent poem and very moving in the circumstances.

Such sad news. Saw him perform a few times with Richard Thompson and others and it was always a pleasure to see him on stage – his character as well as his musicianship shone through.

Daniel Lanois is a producer who creates a real and distinctive feel on his albums that makes the whole record more than the sum of its parts (though I know he’s not for everyone). His solo album ‘Acadie’ is a gor […]

I reckon such records would fit into three categories: 1) Concept albums or records with an explicit theme running through it; 2) records which create a particular mood or vibe which builds and sustains across […]

It’s a brilliant programme and I hope it does continue. It has to be someone with some credentials in at least one academic area – literature, history , science, etc. I’m sure the BBC would like it to be a wom […]

Brilliant post Bingo.

One of my favourite albums of recent years not least because of the magnificent guitar playing, as referenced by KFD of Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz. Anyone who enjoys thier work should check out thier […]

Too many, but here’s three – Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball Van Morrison Veedon Fleece Television Marquee Moon