special features
I have written a wide range of artist features for regular magazines sections and
special editions.
Prince
An epic feature written for a Special Edition to celebrate Prince’s legacy, this investigated the star’s re-emergence in the 2000s as a live artist and chart act. From his historic Superbowl appearance, scene-stealing turn at George Harrison’s memorial concert plus the Musicology and 3121 albums, this traced the story of pop royalty rightfully reclaiming his throne.
The essential
neil young
I’ve been listening to Neil Young for the best part of 30 years so it made sense to count down my Top 40 favourite albums from the Canadian singer-songwriter for a feature in Long Live Vinyl magazine.
michael jackson
A long-read feature about the self-proclaimed King of Pop’s controversial final decade. Beyond the music, the star’s fall from grace amid lurid personal scandals still continues more than 10 years after his untimely death.
george michael
A man who always wore his heart on his sleeve, George’s 1990s saw him release two classic albums but wrestle with personal loss and tabloid notoriety. This in-depth feature looks at the real life stories behind the music.
Duran duran:
side projects
The Duran mothership birthed two very different side projects during their temporary hiatus – the cocaine-guzzling boys club of The Power Station and the
art-pop pretentiousness of Arcadia. How do they stand up more than 30 years later?
duran duran:
the videos
The poster boys of MTV’s pomp years, Duran Duran brought Hollywood glamour and production values to the pop video format. Includes silk suits,
mud wrestling, James Bond impersonations,
Mad Max-style dystopian visions and supermodels.
Talk Talk:
ALBUM By ALBUM
Written in the days shortly after the passing of
Mark Hollis, this in-depth retrospective look at the back catalogue of Talk Talk was a real labour of love.
new order:
album by album
My first published piece of music journalism was for a New Order fanzine out of Beverly Hills. Now more than 30 years later I go back to put the studio work of one of my favourite bands under the microscope.
alison moyet:
album by album
Alison Moyet is a mainstay of Classic Pop magazine, a thoughtful interviewee and powerhouse performer. Here’s my career retrospective feature for Alf…
the essential beatles solo albums
There have been more than 60 albums released by John, Paul, George and Ringo as solo artists – some magnificent, some eccentric, some that need to be avoided. Let me help me pick your way through their past 50 years out of the band.
the legacy of
eddie cochran
Written for a Vintage Rock special edition about the rock’n’roll legend, I look at Cochran’s impact on how he shaped a generation of musicians including
The Beatles, The Who, Jimmy Page,
Ritchie Blackmore and Marc Bolan.