‘Clouds’: How Joni Mitchell Began To See Life From All Sides Now

With the ‘Clouds’ album, Joni Mitchell found her sweet spots: the joins between love and freedom, hope and despair, and much, much more.

‘Ladies Of The Canyon’: The Further Depths Of Joni Mitchell’s Creativity

An album that explores joy and hope alongside sadness, ‘Ladies Of The Canyon’ took steps towards Joni Mitchell’s later experimentation.

‘Rest In Blue’: Why Gerry Rafferty’s Swansong Is The Perfect Epitaph

Emerging from the great beyond, Gerry Rafferty’s posthumous final album, ‘Rest In Blue’, is a fitting tribute to a legendary songwriter.

‘Golden’: Behind Kylie Minogue’s Glittering Country-Pop Reinvention

Like ‘Dolly Parton standing on a dancefloor’, Kylie Minogue ensured her ‘Golden’ album was her most surprising new direction yet.

‘Thick As A Brick’: Behind Jethro Tull’s Towering Satirical Masterpiece

Inspired by the surreal humour of Monty Python, Jethro Tull’s ‘Thick As A Brick’ album lampooned British life and the excesses of prog rock.

Why James Blunt Is More Than A Beautiful One-Hit Wonder

Often hiding behind deadpan wit and snarky tweets, You’re Beautiful hitmaker James Blunt is one of Britain’s most underrated songwriters.

‘Harvest’: How Neil Young Became The Cream Of The Country-Rock Crop

‘Moondance’: Why This Van Morrison Classic Is “Part Of The Universe”

Setting out to produce a simple ‘album of good songs’, Van Morrison emerged with the painstakingly created masterpiece ‘Moondance’.

Shane MacGowan: The Pogues’ Singer Is A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day

Harnessing the lyrical brilliance of Irish folk and the aggressive snarl of punk, The Pogues’ frontman Shane MacGowan created a unique style.