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THE REFERENCE GROUP – FILE UNDER UNPOPULAR (Cuneiform Records) (2008/ 2025)
Titles like ‘It Will Resolve Itself Mathematically’ give an idea of what The Reference Group are all about: challenging time signatures,...
May 7, 20251 min read
STARSHIP OVERFLOW - GARRY LEE-PLAYLIST 1000 (Pt.2)
Thanks to Garry Lee for playing ‘Robot Formation Dance’ from the latest Paradox One “Extinction” EP series. It appears on hour 2 of part...
Apr 14, 20251 min read
MASCOT MOTH – SPESIMEN B EP Bandcamp (2025)
After “Spesimen A” comes another EP from Welsh wizards Mascot Moth. It begins with an atmospheric chant ‘In the Light Tonight’ with...
Apr 14, 20251 min read
WHY THE BEATLES? by PHIL JACKSON
Author of “Within You, Without You” The most comprehensive book about The Beatles, offering fresh insights, and explaining why they...
Apr 8, 20251 min read
SHOSTAKOVICH- EIGHTH SYMPHONY IN C MINOR: RSNO (Caird Hall, Dundee: 3rd April, 2025)
Conducted by Jonathon Hayward with a full orchestra the RSNO did us proud with as good a rendition of Shostakovich’s Eighth as I have...
Apr 8, 20254 min read
HERVE PEREZ & JOHN GARNER – BELL OF EVENING SKIES (Bandcamp) (2025)
Following Hervé’s live streams and inspired by Buddhist mediation, his latest project is a collaboration with John Garner which explores...
Apr 8, 20251 min read
DOCTOR WHO – THE SAVAGES (DVD)
The recent totally missing Doctor Who serial to be brought back to life, “The Savages”, provides a glimpse into this well received...
Apr 8, 20251 min read
CHRIS COCHRANE COLLAPSIBLE SHOULDER BIG BAND – LIVE 2019: A MAP OF BOOKS (Cuneiform Records) (Release date: 28th March, 2025)
This album captures two concerts with a dizzying array of players and instrumentation. It starts with a Robert Pollard rocker – “Here we...
Mar 25, 20251 min read
WHY THE BEATLES?
A good question! And one I have tried my best to answer in a complete re-write of my book "Within You, Without You". It is entitled - you...
Mar 24, 20251 min read
BILL FAY: OBITUARY
Bill Fay died on 23rd February having been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. I have been thinking about what to say about him. What...
Mar 24, 20253 min read
FOURTH DOCTOR WHO SERIES GUIDE DUE FOR PUBLICATION IN MARCH: THE DAVID TENNANT YEARS
These popular guides are not called “The Only Doctor Who Guide You’ll Ever Need from Now until the End of Time” for no reason. “The...
Feb 24, 20253 min read
VARIOUS ARTISTS – IN THE YEAR 2025 (Fruits De Mer Records) (2025)
Remember the Zagar and Evans 1969 #1 hit song ‘In the Year 2525’? Well, we’re not quite there yet, and there is nothing that futuristic...
Feb 18, 20251 min read
JINGLE JANGLE MORNING: THE 1960s FOLK-ROCK EXPLOSION (Cherry Red) 3 x CD (Release date: 21st March, 2025)
I used to be an avid collector of 60s American music, all those psychedelic compilations and box-sets; the only I have left is a four CD...
Feb 18, 20252 min read
JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – HEAVY SOUL (Journeyman Records) (2024)
I’m a bit slow off the starting blocks with this one, having been ‘in on’ Joanne’s music since the very beginning when Thomas Ruf used to...
Feb 3, 20252 min read
MAGIC PETRA & CHRISTIAN JÄGER – EILENSTEIN (Bandcamp)
This EP is a collaboration between Magic Petra and Space Debris drummer Christian Jäger. It consists of five tracks: it starts with the...
Feb 3, 20251 min read
MASCOT MOTH – SPESIMEN A (2024) (Bandcamp)
Eight new tracks from Mascot Moth on an EP that starts with a loose funky jam, punctuated by guitar and sax excursions, followed by ‘The...
Jan 30, 20251 min read
KEVIN KASTNING, CARL CLEMENTS & SOHEIL PEYGHAMBARI – TRIPLE HELIX (Bandcamp/ Greydisc) (2025)
Kevin Kastning once again plays various types of contraguitars on this collaboration with saxophonist Carl Clements, with whom he has...
Jan 30, 20251 min read
CHESS by STEFAN ZWEIG reviewed by Benedict
(Apart from music which is its main focus, this site also reviews books and films. If we read something we’d like to share with others,...
Jan 28, 20252 min read
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN Bob Dylan film (2025 screening)
Timothée Chalamet has rightly earned plaudits for his portrayal of Bob Dylan, and there also many other strong performances by, for...
Jan 24, 20253 min read
INTERVIEW WITH TONY CURRIE/ THE TONY CURRIE ORCHESTRA- RACE THE SUN (Pye Records) (2024)
I posted a review of The Tony Currie’s Orchestra album earlier and have re-posted it to give this interview more context. PHIL: What...
Jan 22, 20253 min read
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