This month, the cover star is George Harrison, with a story on the making of All Things Must Pass, widely considered to be the best album ever made by a former Beatle. Just as this already triple-LP has been enhanced by a cornucopia of unreleased tracks for its 50th anniversary edition (delayed for a year by Covid), so we have amassed for this issue, via new interviews, a series of fresh observations and insights, courtesy of John Leckie, Klaus Voormann, Paul Hicks, Bobby Whitlock and Dhani Harrison, for the ultimate 2021 reassessment of a 1970 classic.
It’s not all Beatles worship this month. In the News section we hear about the tentative return of musicians to Live action in the wake of the coronavirus, and the first new music from Liverpool shoegaze/pop group The Boo Radleys in what seems like an aeon. The RC Interview is with Peter Hammill and covers his work both solo and with Van Der Graaf Generator. There are features on the messy birth of the Reading Festival, Chicago’s blues label Alligator, Postcard postpunks Josef K, Brian May’s extracurricular projects, and folk avatar Fred Neil.
Elsewhere, we speak to everyone from Monkee Micky Dolenz to new(-ish) prog band Kitten Pyramid, Andy Bell of Ride to Melissa Etheridge. Our columnists – Bob Stanley, Luke Haines, David Quantick and Ian McCann – are their usual provocative selves and we shine a light on session musician supremo BJ Cole and serial collaborator Phil Manzanera. In the album reviews pages David Crosby and Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers explain the thinking behind their latest long-players while new releases from Jackie Leven and Tina Turner are evaluated.
With the shops finally reopening as we come out of lockdown, you might be looking for more records to buy, in which case, there are thousands of items for sale in our Listings pages.
We’re already working hard on the October issue/RC 523, which comes out on 9 September and includes a cover report on The Top 200 Rarities In The World,the RC Interview is with national treasure Toyah, and there are features on Manchester 1981, Jam & Lewis, Stephen Duffy, The Who, Wanda Jackson and Faust.
RC can be purchased from your local newsagent, our loyal army of record shop stockists, or you can start a subscription or buy individual copies from our shop.
Thanks for your time, and stay safe,
Paul Lester
Editor
