The Fat Angel Sings

True legends of American rock, the Pixies have triggered many vocations: from Nirvana to the Smashing Pumpkins, from Radiohead to the Strokes, more than one band has been formed in the wake of this quartet with an adventurous journey. Founded in Boston in the mid-1980s by guitarist Joey Santiago and singer-songwriter Black Francis (also known as Frank Black), the Pixies have left their mark on indie rock history with the telluric force of their songs, which collide rock guitars, punk corrosion, melodic surf-rock and scruffy acoustic passages.

Their albums “Surfer Rosa” (1988) and “Doolittle” (1989) remain must-sees, but their more recent releases, including “Beneath the Eyrie” (2019) and “Doggerel” (2022), prove the relevance of their reformation.

the Pixies sounded like no other band. By 1991, every band sounded like the Pixies.” Pixies are an American alternative rock band which formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986. The band consists of Charles “Black Francis” Thompson IV (vocals, guitar; also known as ‘’Frank Black’‘), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), David Lovering (drums) and Paz Lenchantin (bass and backup vocals). Until 2013, the band’s bassist was Kim Deal. The band officially split in 1993 and reunited in 2004. They went on hiatus in 2007, with each band member pursuing projects of their own, only to reunite in 2009, with the announcement of a new tour commencing in Europe that summer. The band’s style of alternative rock music is heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, is capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis is the Pixies’ primary songwriter and singer and has a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He has typically written cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, and physical injury feature in many of the band’s songs.

The album includes 14 songs, eight collected from singles Clapton has released over the past few years, such as the LP’s opening track “Pompous Fool” and “Heart of a Child.” The collection features six brand-new songs . Among the previously released songs appearing on the album are the politically charged tunes Clapton recorded in collaboration with his friend Van Morrison

“Meanwhile” includes collaborations with Van Morrison, Bradley Walker, Judith Hill, Daniel Santiago, Simon Climie and the late Jeff Beck on “Moon River,” originally released last year. The album marks Clapton’s first non-holiday album since 2016’s “I Still Do” he also released the seasonal LP “Happy XMas” in 2018.

Another previously released tune featured on the upcoming album is Clapton’s cover of the country ballad “Always on My Mind,” a collaboration with veteran country/bluegrass singer Bradley Walker. Eric released the song in September 2023 as a 90th birthday tribute to Willie Nelson, who had a chart-topping country hit with the tune in 1982.

Coinciding with the album announcement, Clapton has released the new song “One Woman” as an advance digital single. The upbeat, reggae-flavored song was co-written by Clapton, his longtime studio collaborator Simon Climie, and hit-making lyricist John Bettis. Bettis, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on 2011, is best known for collaborating on many classic tunes by The Carpenters.

‘Luck and Strange’ was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour’s first album of new material in nine years. The record was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with ALT-J and Marika Hackman. Of this new working relationship, David says, “We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos, and said things like, “Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?” and “Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?”. He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.” The majority of the album’s lyrics have been composed by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer and collaborator for the past thirty years. Samson says of the lyrical themes covered on ‘Luck and Strange’, “It’s written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.” Gilmour elaborates, “We spent a load of time during and after lockdown talking about and thinking about those kind of things.” Polly has also found the experience of working with Charlie Andrew liberating, “He wants to know what the songs are about, he wants everyone who’s playing on them to have the ideas that are in the lyric informing their playing. I have particularly loved it for that reason.”

The album features eight new tracks along with a beautiful reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ ‘Between Two Points’ and has artwork and photography by the renowned artist Anton Corbijn. Musicians contributing to the record include Guy Pratt & Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd and Steve DiStanislao on drums, Rob Gentry & Roger Eno on keyboards with string and choral arrangements by Will Gardner.

The title track also features the late Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, recorded in 2007 at a jam in a barn at David’s house. Some contributions emerged from the live streams that Gilmour and family performed to a global audience during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021; Romany Gilmour sings, plays the harp and appears on lead vocals on ‘Between Two Points’. Gabriel Gilmour also sings backing vocals.

The album’s cover image, photographed and designed by Anton Corbijn, is inspired by a lyric written by Charlie Gilmour for the album’s final song ‘Scattered’. Of working with his family on ‘Luck and Strange’, David says, “Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years and the Von Trapped live streams showed the great blend of Romany’s voice and harp-playing and that led us into a feeling of discarding some of the past that I’d felt bound to and that I could throw those rules out and do whatever I felt like doing, and that has been such a joy.”

David Gilmour’s ‘Luck and Strange’, released 6th September 2024

She is small, blonde and brisk. And there is one sentence she has often heard in the macho music biz: “You are weak, you can’t do it”. Of course, both are nonsense. As the singer of Amyl And The Sniffers, Amy Taylor has a decisive influence on the band’s sound – a wild mixture of punk, glam and 70s Aussie rock. When Amy Taylor kicks off with the energy of a big army of bouncy balls in songs like “Got You” and “Comfort To Me”, it smells of riot and ruckus – and is always crisp to the point.

Amy Taylor – vocals Declan Mehrtens – guitar Fergus Romer – bass, backing vocals Bryce Wilson – drums, backing vocals

Record Collector Presents… Siouxsie & The Banshees revisits the band’s career in detail from their formative years emerging from London’s punk scene. It charts their diverse, psychedelic and experimental evolution (album by album) that has ensured universal kudos from critics and fans. We also take a look at the post-Banshees catalogue – The Creatures and The Glove – through to Siouxsie’s solo material and various collaborations.

We speak to Steve Severin about his musical journey alongside Siouxsie, longtime guitarist Jon Klein on his expansive work with the Banshees, Mike Hedges about his exploits producing the band, and Billy Chainsaw, the editor of the band’s fan club and magazine, and their personal assistant for many years. Plus, expect all the usual collectables – from vinyl and cassettes through to rarities and memorabilia – our collector Q&As and a select UK discography.

On sale 10th October 

Pink Floyd’s catalogue of live recordings underscores the idea that 1973’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and 1979’s “The Wall” are their signature releases. After all, there are multiple albums commemorating multiple tours focusing on just those two projects.

Pink Floyd Live Albums also makes the case for the often-overlooked material released before the band’s platinum-selling heyday. David Gilmour began to explore this era much more deeply once he reconnected with former Pink Floyd co-founder Richard Wright, digging back to his initial albums with the group. Original drummer Nick Mason has created his own new band to perform some of Pink Floyd’s earliest songs.

Tours also inevitably feature the latest songs from an act’s latest album, and these live recordings are no different – whether that means including material from the Gilmour-led Pink Floyd reboot or individual solo efforts from Gilmour and Roger Waters. With a backlog of earworm classics,

Ummagumma (1969)

David Gilmour had been touring with Pink Floyd for just over a year, and they still hadn’t found a musical path forward. “Ummagumma” summed up the confusion. The first disc was recorded as Pink Floyd performed sometimes desultory 1969 versions of recent songs like “Astronomy Domine” and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.”

Ummagumma is a strikingly ambitious double album: one disc captures Pink Floyd in concert, showcasing their early psychedelic live prowess, while the other features solo studio experiments from each member. The live recordings are often celebrated for their energy and inventiveness, capturing the band at their exploratory best. The studio disc, however, divides listeners. Some hail it as daring avant-garde exploration, pushing sonic boundaries, while others dismiss it as self-indulgent, uneven, and occasionally impenetrable, making Ummagumma one of Pink Floyd’s most polarizing works.

(The concerts also included embryonic takes on soon-to-be-released songs like “Cymbaline” and “Green is the Colour,” though they weren’t included on “Ummagumma“.) Yet it’s all still better than the second disc, which contains largely pointless solo studio compositions by each member of the group.

‘Delicate Sound of Thunder’ (1988)

Pink Floyd’s first proper live release somehow didn’t arrive until Roger Waters was long gone. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his former bandmates had trouble rising to the visceral anger of Waters’ late-period material, in particular on tracks where he used to share vocals. They tended to sound far more comfortable with the new songs.

Recorded over five nights at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York, in August 1988 and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in September 1988, The album includes many works from “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” as well as tracks from older Pink Floyd albums.

Still, “Delicate Sound of Thunder” offered a welcome return to the flowing group sounds that predated novelistic albums like “The Wall” and “The Final Cut“. Replacement band member Guy Pratt also had a knack for adding the kind of funk and sophistication on bass (check out “Another Brick in the Wall [Part 2]”) that Waters can’t really approximate. It opened the door to far more intriguing future collaborations.

Although David Gilmour stated around the time of its release and on a radio interview in 1992 that the album contained no studio overdubbing whatsoever, he embellished the tracks during mixing with some extra acoustic guitar on “Comfortably Numb“, according to engineer Buford Jones. In addition, some harmonies were replaced by studio re-takes: Richard Wright re-did his vocal on “Time” and Sam Brown replaced Rachel Fury‘s part in “Comfortably Numb“ but the rest of the album is as performed at the shows

‘Pulse’ (1995)

Pink Floyd’s only chart-topping live album featured the return in full of Richard Wright, who’d made only occasional contributions to 1987’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” after being fired by Waters in “The Wall” era. This opened the band’s in-concert setlist a little wider, as they added “Astronomy Domine” a Syd Barrett song not performed since the early 1970s taken from their 1967 debut. The album was recorded during the European leg of Pink Floyd’s “Division Bell” Tour in 1994

The second-disc performance of “Dark Side of the Moon” also served to highlight Wright’s often overlooked contributions as an instrumentalist (“Us and Them”), composer (“The Great Gig in the Sky”) and vocalist (“Time”). At that point, this was the only complete reading of Pink Floyd’s signature 1973 album.

The track “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” features small portions of the songs “Another Brick in the Wall, Part I“, “The Happiest Days of Our Lives” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part III“. Unlike the previous live album “Delicate Sound of Thunder”, no parts of the songs were re-recorded in the studio. However, the band and Guthrie fixed songs that had bad notes (as heard on some bootlegs) by lifting solos and corrected vocal lines from other performances as the band recorded most of the European leg.

‘Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81’ (2000)

Waters’ solo renditions of “The Wall” typically held their own intrigues, but all were forgotten after an historic excavation by producer James Guthrie. Pink Floyd originally staged just 31 concerts in support of this sprawling project. Guthrie focused on performances from August 1980 and June 1981 in London, including Waters’ last concert appearance with Pink Floyd before 2005’s Live 8 reunion. 

The shows involved the construction of a wall on stage throughout the first half of the show. Once complete, members of the band performed in small openings in, atop, in front of, or even behind the wall.

“Is There Anybody Out There?” unfolds with a new sharpness and muscular force, while expanding our understanding of the narrative: Two new songs appear, including “What Shall We Do Now?” – a last-minute cut from the original album.

The album artwork featured the life-masks of the four band members in front of a black wall; the masks were worn by the “surrogate band” during the song “In the Flesh“. “Goodbye Blue Sky” and parts of “Run Like Hell” were taken from the 17th June 1981 show, this was the very last performance by the four-man Pink Floyd until the 2005 Live 8 concert.

‘Live at Knebworth 1990’ (2021)

This headline show was part of the star-studded 1990 Silver Clef Winners performance at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire 15th November 1990 that saw Pink Floyd topping the all-star bill that included Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Genesis, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Robert Plant (with Jimmy Page), Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton and Tears For Fears. Around 120,000 music fans saw these giants of rock appear on the hallowed stage of Knebworth, all in aid of the Nordoff Robbins charity, profits from which went towards setting up the BRIT School. The concert was broadcast globally on MTV.

This stunning live concert features many of the bands best known songs including “Comfortably Numb”, “The Great Gig In The Sky”, and “Wish You Were Here”. Alongside David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, the album also features original “The Great Gig In The Sky” vocalist Clare Torry, plus guest musicians including sax player Candy Dulfer and keyboard player and composer Michael Kamen.

Completists might be tempted by the dramatic return of vocalist Clare Torry for “The Great Gig in the Sky,” but they’ll also notice there isn’t much more to this. Originally part of The Later Years box set focusing on Pink Floyd’s post-Roger Waters era, “Live at Knebworth 1990” was subsequently issued as a painfully short, cash-grabby stand-alone product.

There are only seven total tracks, and two of them – “Comfortably Numb” and “Run Like Hell” – were on the previously released compilation Knebworth: The Album.

‘The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974’ (2023)

This has an origin story not dissimilar to “Live at Knebworth 1990″, having been released as a stand-alone LP after originally appearing on two earlier box set reissues. But that’s where the similarities end. “The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974″ finds Pink Floyd at the peak of their powers and performing their best-known album in its entirety. The material was originally recorded in November 1974 by BBC Radio 1 at what’s now Wembley Stadium. The shows are notable for showcasing an early version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” as well as very early versions of “Sheep” and “Dogs” under different titles – “Raving and Drooling” and “You’ve Got to Be Crazy”, respectively.

The first three tracks were released as part of the “Wish You Were Here” Immersion box set in November 2011. The whole performance of “Dark Side of the Moon” was released two months earlier, in September 2011 as part of the “Dark Side…” Immersion box set. The encore, “Echoes”, was not released until November 2016 when it was included in “The Early Years 1965–1972” box set as part of Volume 7: 1967–1972 Continu/ation.

The tour also featured the whole of “The Dark Side of the Moon” album played as well as one of the final performances of “Echoes” before being resurrected briefly in 1987; this performance of “Echoes” is notable for featuring saxophone performed by Dick Parry.

Here’s how great those shows were: They also provided material for 2011’s “Wish You Were Here” Immersion box (including an early version of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”) and 2016’s The Early Years (one of the final classic-era renditions of “Echoes”).

George Harrison’s gold-selling album “Living in the Material World” will be expanded with a suite of expanded 50th-Anniversary reissue packages.

The limited-edition super deluxe edition spans 2CDs, 2LPs and a Blu-ray with a new Dolby Atmos mix. Included are 12 previously unreleased recordings, a 60-page booklet and artwork from the Harrison archive. An included seven-inch single also features a previously unheard recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymund)” with Ringo Starr and members of the Band, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson.

Lovingly overseen by Dhani and Olivia Harrison, “Living in the Material World” has now been completely remixed by triple grammy award winner Paul Hicks from the original tapes for a stunning suite of 50th Anniversary releases. Dhani writing “Finally, we are overjoyed to present to you the 50th anniversary package of George Harrison’s “Living in the Material World”. For those of you who are just discovering this album; This record was released in service and with deep love for all our Brothers and Sisters around the world who populate this dualistic system we live in called Earth. Peace be upon all sentient beings.”

As a preview of the super deluxe edition, they’ve shared a previously unreleased rendition of Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).” It’s assumedly the 18th take Harrison recorded, as the new track is delineated with a “Take 18” parenthetical. With his signature yearning, raspy vocals and a sole acoustic backing the Beatle, the song is a poignant and authentic reminder of Harrison’s early ’70s majesty.

“I hope you revisit “Living in the Material World” or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George’s wish for himself and mankind: ‘Give me Love, give me peace on Earth,'” Harrison’s widow Olivia said in an official statement. She co-produced the reissue project with their son Dhani.

The set will be available as a Super Deluxe Edition including 2LPs, 2CDs, Blu-ray, 7” vinyl, 60-page book with exclusive images, & 12-page recording booklet all housed in a rigid slipcase, as well as 2LP & 2CD Deluxe Editions,

“LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD” 50TH ANNIVERSARY will be released on November 15th.

Talking Heads have announced a Super Deluxe Edition of their debut album, “Talking Heads: 77”. On November 8th, a Super Deluxe Edition of Talking Heads’ landmark debut, featuring a number of rarities and previously unreleased tracks – including a live set captured at CBGB, New York, on October 10th, 1977.

The three-CD/Blu-ray and four-LP vinyl sets will be available and include’s a remastered version of the original album, a disc of rarities and a disc of live tracks, all previously unreleased.

an acoustic version of “Psycho Killer” featuring Arthur Russell, from the upcoming set, A 4xLP + 4×7” boxset of Talking Heads: 77 which includes the remastered original album, one LP of rare and previously unreleased demos and outtakes, and a double LP of “Live At CBGB, New York, NY, Oct. 10, 1977“. An 80-page hardcover book features never-before-seen photos, fliers, artwork, and liner notes personally penned by each member of the band – Tina Weymouth, David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison – plus recording engineer Ed Stasium.

The Blu-ray in the CD version features new Atmos Mix, 5.1 Mix DTS-HD MA and 5.1 Mix LPCM overseen by Harrison and a 2024 Stereo Remaster.

The rarities include B-sides and outtakes from the era, including “Sugar on My Tongue” and “(Love Goes to) Building on Fire.” It also features acoustic versions of songs, as well as previously unreleased versions of “Pulled Up” and “Psycho Killer.”

The live set taken from an October 1977 appearance at CBGB around the time of the album’s release includes 13 songs, most taken from “Talking Heads: 77”, which was released less than a month before the show. Among the songs played is a cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” which would be recorded for their second album, 1978’s “More Songs About Buildings and Food“, and became their first Top 40 single.

The deluxe set features many outtakes/rarities and live tracks with the blu-ray featuring a Dolby Atmos Mix, along with 5.1 and hi-res stereo mixes.

“Talking Heads: 77” (Super Deluxe Edition) released 8th November

“People are saying it’s the first new Lone Justice record in 40 years, and I’m like… is it?” says Maria McKee, the band’s vocalist. The answer is both yes and no. While the group hasn’t released a proper full-length since 1986’s “Shelter“, the upcoming album “Viva Lone Justice” isn’t technically new. McKee recorded the bulk of the material with ex-bandmates Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington as demos for her 1992 solo effort “You Gotta Sin To Get Saved“.

Dusting off those tapes in the wake of Heffington’s passing in 2021, Etzioni encouraged McKee to turn the sessions into a new solo album. Instead, she suggested they reach out to another former bandmate, guitarist Ryan Hedgecock, to add overdubs and release it under the Lone Justice name.

“Viva Lone Justice” is a rollicking, eclectic ride that puts hillbilly country stomp alongside shimmery folk, barrelhouse blues and a faithfully ripping cover of The Undertones’ “Teenage Kicks”, recorded in honour of Feargal Sharkey who scored his only No 1 single in 1985 with the McKee-composed “A Good Heart”.

“I didn’t do anything,” McKee says of the finished album. “Marvin called me one day and said, ‘It’s done.’ I was completely blown away. It really has this wild energy. This is like fire.”

“This is the closest thing to what our original vision was for a Lone Justice record,” adds Hedgecock. “When we were playing at [famed Hollywood country venue] the Palomino, we’d go from a George Jones song into a Jimi Hendrix song. Nothing else that’s ever been out there has been reflective of the band.”

When Hedgecock and McKee started Lone Justice in 1982, both were becoming soured on the punk and rockabilly scenes in their native LA, finding fresh inspiration in the recordings of George Jones and Rose Maddox. “We just went further back,” says McKee. “There was no way to be subversive any more because punk was everywhere. So going back to the roots of everything was our way of being rebels.”

With McKee’s powerful voice and their rowdy live shows, Lone Justice’s star rose quickly. Before they knew it, the group was being praised by Dolly Parton and finding themselves in the studio with Bob Dylan to record his song, “Go ‘Way Little Boy”. The session was memorably contentious. “I was a brat and he was a brat,” remembers McKee. “I was fearless, and he loved me for it. I was one of the only people he liked because I hated him. He was so sick of everybody kissing his ass. He kept sending me out to sing the song over and over and over again. He was like, ‘You’re doing it all wrong.’ So finally I just did a Bob Dylan impression. When I did, he gave me this wink and said, ‘I knew you had it in you.’”

Neither of Lone Justice’s two albums were wildly successful and the band soon fell apart. That’s not to say they have been completely overlooked. The past few years have seen the release of various archival recordings