Available on March 14, the box set also includes a video interview where Waters goes track-by-track through this reinterpretation of his former band Pink Floyd‘s legendary 1973 album. The concert recordings are from Waters’ appearances on Oct. 8-9, 2023, at the London Palladium. A 40-page commemorative book includes photographs from sessions for the album, rehearsals and the shows in London.
Waters initially previewed the reworked album in early 2023 as part of an interview in which he claimed ownership of the entire original concept. “I wrote The Dark Side of the Moon. Let’s get rid of all this ‘we’ crap!” Waters told The Telegraph. “Of course, we were a band, there were four of us, we all contributed – but it’s my project and I wrote it.”
The Dark Side of the Moon Redux rose to No. 4 in the U.K., Waters’ second-highest solo ranking after Is This the Life We Really Want? went to No. 3 in 2017.
Watch Roger Waters’ ‘Us and Them’ Lyric Video
Why Did Roger Waters Re-Record ‘Dark Side’?
Also included in the Dark Side of the Moon Redux reissue are multi-format editions of both the original album and Waters’ live performances including gold vinyl, compact disc and a Blu-Ray with Dolby Atmos Mix 96/24 Audio mix. A 10-inch 45RPM vinyl disc features “Money,” “Time,” “Speak to Me/Breathe” and “Us and Them,” with individual etched artwork on each b-side.
The super deluxe box is limited to 3,000 copies, with a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity. The first 700 orders through the official store will also include a print signed by Waters. Pre-ordering is already underway.
So, why rework a 15-times platinum album that’s broken chart records around the world?
“The original Dark Side of the Moon feels in some ways like the lament of an elder being on the human condition,” Waters said in 2023. “But Dave [Gilmour], Rick [Wright], Nick [Mason] and I were so young when we made it, and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn’t stuck. That’s why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a re-imagined version.”
David Gilmour and Roger Waters Solo Albums Ranked
They both laid claim to the Pink Floyd legacy, while only rarely stepping out with solo works.
Feature Photo: savoryexposure from Atlanta, GA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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“Dance Alone” – Reasonable Woman (2024) “The Day That You Moved On” – Global Intimacy (2017) “Day Too Soon” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Death by Chocolate” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Deer in Headlights” – Fifty Shades Freed: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2018) “Déjà Vu” – Déjà Vu (2015) “Del Mar” – ENOC (2020) “Destiny” – Simple Things (2001) “Diamond Eyes” – Emotional (2021) “Dim the Lights” – Echoes (2013) “Distractions” – Simple Things (2001) “Don’t Bring Me Down” – Colour the Small One (2003) “Don’t Get Me Started” – OnlySee (1997) “Don’t Give Up” – Random Shit from the Internet Era (2020) “Dragging You Around” – Landline (2012) “Dreaming” – The Garden (2006) “Dressed in Black” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “Drink to Get Drunk” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Dusk Till Dawn” – Non-album single (2017) “Dynamite” – Scorcha (2021) “Elastic Heart” – 1000 Forms of Fear / The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014) “Electric Bird” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Everyday Is Christmas” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Eye of the Needle” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “Eye to Eye” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “Exhale” – Non-album single (2020) “Fair Game” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “Fear” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “The Fight” – We Are Born (2010) “Fire Meet Gasoline” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “Firefly” – Graft (2012) “Fist Fighting a Sandstorm” – This Is Acting (2016) “Flames” – 7 (2018) “Floating Through Space” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “Fly Me to the Moon” – Non-album single (2021) “Footprints” – This Is Acting (2016) “Free Me” – Non-album single (2017) “Free the Animal” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014)
“Genius” – LSD (2018) “Get Me” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Golden” – Rough Water (2015) “Gimme Love” – Reasonable Woman (2023) “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “The Greatest” – This Is Acting (2016) “Guts Over Fear” – Shady XV (2014) “Hass Hass” – Non-album single (2023) “Healing is Difficult” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Heaven Can Wait” – LSD (2019) “Helium” – Fifty Shades Darker – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2017) “Here I Am” – Dumplin’ – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2018) “Hey Boy” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2020) “Ho Ho Ho” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Hold Me Down” – We Are Born (2010) “Hostage” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “House on Fire” – This Is Acting (2016) “How to Breathe” – How to Breathe (EP) (1997)
“I Don’t Want to Want You” – OnlySee (1997) “I Go to Sleep” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “I Love It” – Drinking from the Sun (2012) “I’ll Forget You” – Corner of an Endless Road (2008) “I’m in Here” – We Are Born (2010) “I’m Not Important to You” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “I’m Still Here” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2018) “If I Can’t Have You” – The Garden (2006) “Insidiously” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “It’s Time” – LSD (2019) “Je te pardonne” – Mon cœur avait raison (2015) “Jesus Wept” – This Is Acting (2016) “Judge Me” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Kill and Run” – The Great Gatsby – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2013) “Lentil” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Let’s Love” – TBA (2020) “Lie to Me” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “Light Headed” – 7 (2018) “Like a River Runs” – Terrible Thrills, Vol. 2 (2015) “Little Black Sandals” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Little Man” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Living Out Loud” – Non-album single (2017) “Lucky” – Don’t Bring Me Down (2003) “Lullaby” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008)
“Madlove” – OnlySee (1997) “Magic” – A Wrinkle in Time – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2018) “Manchild” – The Versions (2022) “Midnight Decisions” – This Is Acting (2016) “Miracle” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “Moon” – Colour the Small One (2004) “Moonquake Lake” – Annie (2014) – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014) “Mountains” – LSD (2018) “Move Your Body” – This Is Acting (2016) “Muddy Feet” – Endless Summer Vacation (2023) “Music” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “My Love” – The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010) “My Old Santa Claus” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Naughty & Nice” – Everyday Is Christmas (2022) “Natale’s Song” – Colour the Small One (2004) “Never Give Up” – Lion – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2016) “Never So Big” – Here Lies Love (2015) “No New Friends” – LSD (2019) “Numb” – Colour the Small One (2004)
“Oakland Nights” – The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience (2019) “Oblivion” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2019) and Imagination & the Misfit Kid (2021) “Oh Father” – We Are Born (2010) “On” – Map of the Soul: 7 (2020) “One Candle” – Racing Extinction – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2015) “One Million Bullets” – This Is Acting (2016) “One More Shot” – OnlySee (1997) “OnlySee” – OnlySee (1997) “Opportunity” – Annie (2014) – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014) “Original” – Dolittle – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2020) “The Pageant of the Bizarre” – The Garden (2006) “Paranoid Android” – Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads (2006) “Pictures” – Lady Croissant (2007) “Pin Drop” – Everyday Is Christmas (2021) “Play Dumb” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2021) “Playground” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Puppies Are Forever” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Rainbow” – My Little Pony: The Movie (soundtrack) (2017) “Reaper” – This Is Acting (2016) “Rewrite” – Colour the Small One (2004) “Riding on My Bike” – At Home with the Kids (2020) “Round and Round” – Everyday Is Christmas (2018) “Salted Wound” – Fifty Shades of Grey – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2015) “Santa Visits Everyone” – Everyday Is Christmas (2021) “Santa’s Coming for Us” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Satisfied” – The Hamilton Mixtape (2016) “Saved My Life” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2020) “Sea Shells” – Colour the Small One (2004) “Shadow” – OnlySee (1997) “She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)” – Nothing but the Beat 2.0 (2012) “Sing for My Life” – Everyday Is Christmas (2018) “Snowflake” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Snowman” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “So Bored” – Don’t Bring Me Down (2003) “Sober and Unkissed” – Healing Is Difficult (2001) “Somersault” – When It Falls (2004) “Soon” – OnlySee (1997) “Soon We’ll Be Found” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “Space Between” – This Is Acting (2016) “Speed Dial No. 2” – When It Falls (2004) “Step by Step” – Non-album single (2018) “Stop Trying” – We Are Born (2008) “Stories” – OnlySee (1997) “Straight for the Knife” – 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) “Summer Rain” – This Is Acting (2016) “Sunday” – Colour the Small One (2004) “Sunshine” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Sweet Design” – This Is Acting (2016) “Sweet One” – Emperor’s Box (2010) “Sweet Potato” – Colour the Small One (2004)
“Take It to Heart” – OnlySee (1997) “Taken for Granted” – Healing Is Difficult (2000) “That’s Life” – Non-album single (2019) “This Fine Social Scene” – The Garden (2006) “Throw It All Away” – The Garden (2006) “Thunderclouds” – LSD (2018) “Titanium” – Nothing but the Beat (2011) “Titans” – Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded) (2021) “Tripoutro” – OnlySee (1997) “To Be Human” – Wonder Woman (soundtrack) (2017) “Together” – Music – Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2020) “Under the Milky Way” – Non-album single (2010) “Underneath the Christmas Lights” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Underneath the Mistletoe” – Everyday Is Christmas (2017) “Unforgettable” – Finding Dory – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2016) “Unstoppable” – This Is Acting (2016) “Vague à l’Ame” – Tout Va De Travers (2012) “Waiting to Die” – The Garden (2006) “Waterfall” – Non-album single (2017) “Waving Goodbye” – The Neon Demon – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2016) “Welcome to the Wonderful World of” – LSD (2019) “Where I Belong” – Colour the Small One (2004) “The Whisperer” – Listen Again (2014) “Wicked Game” – East Side Stories (2009) “Wild One Two” – Wild Ones (2011) “Wild Ones” – Wild Ones (2012) “Wolves” – The Life of Pablo (2016) “You Have Been Loved” – Some People Have Real Problems (2008) “You’re My Flame” – The Garden (2006) “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” – Annie (2014) – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014) “You’ve Changed” – We Are Born (2010)
“Lionisation is too late when you’re dead… I’ve often thought of faking my own death and watching the record companies drum up all the stuff they can”: A fight, a show then a drink with John Martyn
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Folk? Rock? Blues? Jazz? John Martyn was a mixture of all four and certainly one of the most progressive artists of his generation – as late Prog writer Tommy Udo argued in 2009, soon after the singer-songwriter’s death at the age of 60.
Bearded men with acoustic guitars always appeared to be the antithesis of prog: by their very nature, folkies seemed to be making regressive music, retreating to tradition, to rootsiness. They also seemed to epitomise that most nausea-inducing spectacle: the sensitive young man, the lonely boy outsider, the bedroom poet who can’t get a girlfriend and tells the world so in dreadful, self-pitying verse.
Who among us has not guffawed uproariously at the scene in National Lampoon’s Animal House when John Belushi, descending the stairs to find some anaemic beatnik with an acoustic guitar serenading a girl with a sensitive folk ballad, seizes the guitar and smashes it savagely against the wall? Who among us hasn’t wanted to do the same to the whey-faced, bum-fluffed fun-annihilators who produce their bloody 12-strings and start picking out Neil Young’s The Needle And the Damage Done at parties?
Growing up in Glasgow in the late 70s and early 80s, one of the party favourites of the acoustic guitar and scraggy beard massive was John Martyn’s May You Never, a haunting, Celt-tinged blues ballad from his classic 1973 album Solid Air. You probably heard it murdered many times by some flat-voxed James Taylor wannabe before actually hearing the original.
Your reporter, then, was probably not alone in having, for many years, an unreasonable prejudice against Martyn based solely upon those who sought to interpret his work. This prejudice, like so many, was a stupid one that was happily blasted to pieces in 1978 when he performed Big Muff from the astonishing One World album in a live film for The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Fed through a labyrinth of effects pedals, it sounded like the madder end of dub, it sounded like music that had more in common with Can than with any of the rootsy folkies that I then so detested. It was one of those what-the-fuck?! moments that we have all experienced upon being confronted with music that blows our minds. Man.
And any preconceptions that Martyn was some knock-kneed, introspective bedroom wallflower were soundly destroyed a year later when he headbutted my mate in a bar in Glasgow.
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He’d been enjoying a small sherry after dinner, as it were, and my pal had – metaphorically speaking – spilled his pint. Martyn drew his head back and cracked him on the nose. There was blood. After a few minutes spent tearing lumps of flesh from each other’s faces, Martyn put him in an armlock and rammed him face-first into the wall. “Stay the fuck down, cunt!” he growled in the sort of Glasgow accent that can loosen the bowels. My chum, slumped in a heap, was no longer in a position to argue.
At which point one of the bar staff tried to calm John down and get him to leave. Martyn grabbed him by the throat: “You want some too, ya fuckin’ fanny? Do ye?” The hapless pint-puller acknowledged that he did not, in fact, want some or indeed any. Martyn slowly released him and was led out of the bar.
‘Now Scratch Perry, he is really mental, by the way,’ said the pot of the kettle
Twenty minutes or so later he was onstage at the Glasgow School of Art and we were in the audience, my friend still pressing a wet towel to his now-ruined nose. Martyn was mesmerising in a performance that I remember clearly: much of the material was drawn from One World, at times spacey, dub-crazed, at others jazzy and late-night.
May You Never had the hairs on the back of everyone’s necks bristling. In a month when I also went to see The Pop Group, James ‘Blood’ Ulmer, Kevin Coyne, Suicide and Pere Ubu, Martyn’s was the most disconcerting and memorable show.
Afterwards I saw him and bass player Danny Thompson and my busted-nosed friend sitting together in the bar – all pals together after some eye-to-eye apologies and manly handshakes. Martyn was by now very convivial, a beardy uncle, telling us about his trip to Kingston, Jamaica, to record at The Black Ark with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry (“Now Scratch, he is really fucking mental, by the way,” said the pot of the kettle) and recommending that we listen to Pharoah Sanders and Davy Graham. We did.
He also said he’d come and see our band the following week. He didn’t, of course. Probably just as well. He’d probably have kicked fuck out of us for crimes against music.
Martyn was many things. He was actually a sensitive poet – a proper one – firing off autobiographical despatches from a life that was happy but knew more than its share of sorrows. He was a Glasgow hard man when it suited him, though he was born Iain David McGeachy in New Malden in Surrey and spent only part of his early childhood in Scotland. He grew up in the respectable South Side of the city with his father and grandmother. Still, to outsiders, when he lapsed into that Glasgow snarl, he may as well have been the Razor King from the violent streets of the Gorbals.
In his teens he straddled the sub-cults of beat and mod, dressing like a tramp to go to folk clubs but donning a sharp suit on a Saturday night to go to the dancing with his girlfriend. Glasgow had a thriving folk scene in the 60s, thanks in part to the influence of the great Scottish traditional song revivalist Ewan MacColl, and the active encouragement of the Communist Party, who’d decided that it was authentic people’s music in opposition to commercial trash like rock’n’roll.
By 1965, inspired by Dylan, a new generation – Martyn among them – was discovering folk music. New venues, particularly Clive Palmer’s Incredible Folk Club in Sauchiehall Street, catered to this less traditional traditionalism. Clive’s group The Incredible String Band were already starting to branch out and experiment with other ethnic musical sounds. Martyn was a contemporary of the ISB as well as Billy Connolly and Bert Jansch.
Danny Thompson moved Martyn in a jazzier direction, becoming the perfect foil for the songwriter’s guitar and voice
His biggest inspiration and mentor was the now largely forgotten Hamish Imlach, who taught him blues guitar and allowed him to play the odd song of his own between sets. At 17 he was a prolific writer and performer, though he hadn’t seriously thought of music as a career.
Like many Scots, Martyn migrated south of the border almost as soon as he had the bus fare. He started playing in folk clubs in London; then a meeting with label boss Chris Blackwell resulted in his becoming the first white artist to sign with Island Records – until then best-known as a UK outlet for Jamaican bluebeat, ska and reggae. His 1967 debut album London Conversation is a fairly standard folk album of the time (mostly self-penned, obligatory Dylan cover) though the flute and sitar on Rolling Home hint at a more expansive sound to come. His voice had yet to develop into the slurred instrument that he said was his attempt to sound like a tenor sax.
The second album The Tumbler was still more adventurous, thanks in part to the happy fusion of Martyn’s pastoral songs with jazz flautist Harold McNair’s ethereal woodwind sound. But John was dissatisfied with his recorded output. “I got bored with the folk/acoustic thing,” he said. ”Churning that out stifles innovation – kills the personal touch.”
In 1970 he was hired as guitarist on an album by Beverley Kutner that was to be produced by Joe Boyd, who’d been instrumental in the success of Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band, Pink Floyd and Nick Drake, later to become a close friend of Martyn’s. Martyn and Beverley became an item, began writing together and released the subsequent album Stormbringer! as a duo.
It was the first time Martyn used the Echoplex on his guitar – a sound that would become his signature. On the next album, The Road To Ruin, he fell out with Boyd over the multiple overdubs. He also worked with a band for the first time, one that included his long-time collaborator bassist Danny Thompson (a muso for hire who’d worked with The Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention and Pentangle). Thompson moved Martyn in a jazzier direction, becoming the perfect foil for the songwriter’s guitar and voice. They worked together right up until Martyn’s death in 2009.
Songs covered by Eric Clapton, Dr John and Wet Wet Wet probably earned him far more in royalties than any of his own recordings
The music became free ranging, from the complex 1973 classic Solid Air (written about the decline of Nick Drake, who’d die a year after its release) to the echo-laden 1977 masterpiece One World. Chris Blackwell became a close friend and encouraged Martyn in his collaborations. Artists like dub producer and certifiable genius/madman Lee Perry proved a fruitful if unlikely creative foil. While in Jamaica he played on Burning Spear’s roots reggae classic Man In The Hills as well as some sessions with Perry and Max Romeo. He later claimed he was paid in Tia Maria and porn films.
He was no record company darling. Chuffed with the success of Solid Air, Island received the follow-up Inside Out anticipating more of the same – nice mellow, pastoral jazz folk. What they got was about 40 minutes of wild electronics, free jazz and vocals that sounded like a drunk in space. In retrospect, it anticipates the Island era of Tom Waits nicely. But at the time, to put it mildly, it was totally misunderstood and critically panned. Martyn held a serious disregard for the press ever since.
His music was not difficult in the sense of being unapproachable. Some of it was definitely ‘progressive’ by any definition, although much that was recorded after 1980’s harrowing Grace And Danger was conventional by comparison. He was always a great songwriter, though, and songs covered by Eric Clapton, Dr John and Wet Wet Wet probably earned him far more in royalties than any of his own recordings.
He never settled into a comfort zone. In the 90s he signed with then hip- as-fuck label Independiente. His 1996 album And saw him experimenting with trip-hop and drum & bass. Later he made a record of startling covers called The Church With One Bell, where he played music by Lightnin’ Hopkins, Portishead, Dead Can Dance, Elmore James, Randy Newman and others. And on his 2000 LP Glasgow Walker he abandoned the guitar and wrote the whole thing on keyboards.
The last time I spoke to him, around the release of the box set Ain’t No Saint in 2008, he was still wildly enthusiastic about music, chuffed to bits that Pharoah Sanders had asked him to work on a new album, and generous about younger bands. He was also talking about releasing music on the internet.
After his death an almost inevitable process of rediscovery and reassessment went on, not unlike the cult which grew up around Nick Drake. “I don’t want to talk about Nick. It’s creepy, ghoulish and strange; this lionisation is too late when you’re dead,” he told Classic Rock in 2000. “If they’d dug him enough then, he’d still be here now. I’ve often thought of faking my own death and watching the record companies fucking drum up all the shit they can.”
So beware of cashing in on his incredible legacy: if there’s one guy who would get so pissed off up in Heaven that he’d jump back down to Earth and stick the heid on you, it’s definitely John Martyn. Definitely.
John Martyn & Danny Thompson – Spencer The Rover (Transatlantic Sessions, 5th April 1996) – YouTube
Allan McLachlan spent the late 70s studying politics at Strathclyde University and cut his teeth as a journalist in the west of Scotland on arts and culture magazines. He moved to London in the late 80s and started his life-long love affair with the metropolitan district as Music Editor on City Limits magazine. Following a brief period as News Editor on Sounds, he went freelance and then scored the high-profile gig of News Editor at NME. Quickly making his mark, he adopted the nom de plume Tommy Udo. He moved onto the NME‘s website, then Xfm online before his eventual longer-term tenure on Metal Hammer and associated magazines. He wrote biographies of Nine Inch Nails and Charles Manson. A devotee of Asian cinema, Tommy was an expert on ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano and co-wrote an English language biography on the Japanese actor and director. He died in 2019.
Feature Photo: Rogue Artists, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Lady Gaga, born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in New York City on March 28, 1986, has become one of the most dynamic and influential artists of the 21st century. Hailing from Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Gaga demonstrated a passion for music and performance from a young age, studying piano and songwriting before attending the Collaborative Arts Project 21 (CAP21) at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Although she left college early to pursue her career, her drive and vision led her to redefine pop music and solidify her status as an iconic performer and philanthropist.
Gaga’s career began in the New York underground music scene, where she performed with her band, the Stefani Germanotta Band, in small venues. After gaining attention for her raw talent and avant-garde aesthetic, she worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing, penning hits for artists like Britney Spears and the Pussycat Dolls. In 2007, Akon recognized her potential and signed her to his KonLive Distribution label, marking a pivotal moment in her career.
Her debut album, The Fame (2008), catapulted her to stardom with its infectious singles “Just Dance” and “Poker Face,” both of which topped the Billboard Hot 100. The album earned critical and commercial success, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. She followed it with The Fame Monster (2009), an eight-song EP featuring chart-dominating hits like “Bad Romance,” “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé, and “Alejandro.” This era solidified her as a pop powerhouse and an artistic innovator.
Over the years, Gaga has released six studio albums, each showcasing her versatility and creativity. From the electro-pop of Born This Way (2011), which included anthems like the title track and “The Edge of Glory,” to the stripped-back country and rock-inspired Joanne (2016), her discography reflects her ability to evolve while maintaining her unique identity. Her collaborative album with Tony Bennett, Cheek to Cheek (2014), highlighted her jazz influences and earned her a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. In 2020, Chromatica marked a return to her dance-pop roots, featuring hits like “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande.
Lady Gaga’s achievements extend beyond music. She has won 13 Grammy Awards, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Shallow” from A Star Is Born (2018). Her portrayal of Ally in the film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, showcasing her range as a performer. Additionally, Gaga has broken records, including becoming the first woman to win an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy in a single year.
Gaga’s impact is not limited to her artistic output. As a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and mental health awareness, she founded the Born This Way Foundation in 2012 to promote kindness and combat bullying. Her philanthropy also includes significant contributions to COVID-19 relief efforts, as she curated the One World: Together at Home benefit concert in 2020, raising millions for frontline workers.
(#-B)
“1000 Doves” – Chromatica (2020) “1000 Doves” (Piano Demo) – Chromatica (2020) “3-Way (The Golden Rule)” – The Wack Album (2011) “911” – Chromatica (2020) “A-Yo” – Joanne (2016) “Again Again” – The Fame (2008) “Alejandro” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Alice” – Chromatica (2020) “Always Remember Us This Way” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Americano” – Born This Way (2011) “Angel Down” – Joanne (2016) “Angel Down” (Work Tape) – Joanne (2016) “Anything Goes” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Applause” – Artpop (2013) “Artpop” – Artpop (2013) “Aura” – Artpop (2013) “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – — (2015) “Babylon” – Chromatica (2020) “Bad Kids” – Born This Way (2011) “Bad Romance” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” (Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center) – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” – The Fame (2008) “Before I Cry” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Bewitched” – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” (Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center) – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Big Girl Now” – The Block (2008) “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” (The LG Mix) – — (2012) “Black Jesus + Amen Fashion” – Born This Way (2011) “Bloody Mary” – Born This Way (2011) “Born This Way” – Born This Way (2011) “Born This Way” (The Country Road Version) – Born This Way (2011) “Born This Way” (Live from the Apollo) – Lady Gaga Live from the Apollo (2019) “Boys Boys Boys” – The Fame (2008) “Brown Eyes” – The Fame (2008) “But Beautiful” – Cheek to Cheek (2014)
(C-D)
“Carolina” – Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (2017) “Cheek to Cheek” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Chillin’” – Attention Deficit (2009) “Christmas Tree” – — (2008) “Chromatica I” – Chromatica (2020) “Chromatica II” – Chromatica (2020) “Chromatica III” – Chromatica (2020) “Close to You” – Harlequin (2024) “Come to Mama” – Joanne (2016) “The Cure” – — (2017) “Dance in the Dark” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Dancin’ in Circles” – Joanne (2016) “Diamond Heart” – Joanne (2016) “Die with a Smile” – TBA (2024) “Diggin’ My Grave” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Disco Heaven” – The Fame (2008) “Disease” – TBA (2024) “Do I Love You” – Love for Sale (2021) “Do What U Want” – Artpop (2013) “Do What U Want” (Remix) – — (2014) “Donatella” – Artpop (2013) “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” – Showboat (2018) “Dope” – Artpop (2013) “Dream Dancing” – Love for Sale (2021)
(E-F)
“The Edge of Glory” – Born This Way (2011) “The Edge of Glory” (Live Version) – A Very Gaga Holiday (2011) “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” – The Fame (2008) “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)” (Electric Piano & Human Beat Box Version) – The Cherrytree Sessions (2009) “Electric Chapel” – Born This Way (2011) “Enigma” – Chromatica (2020) “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “The Fame” – The Fame (2008) “Fashion” – Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) “Fashion!” – Artpop (2013) “Fashion of His Love” – Born This Way (2011) “Find Yourself” – Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (2017) “Firefly” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Folie à Deux” – Harlequin (2024) “Folie à Deux” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Fountain of Truth” – The Portal in the Park (2006) “Free Woman” – Chromatica (2020) “Fun Tonight” – Chromatica (2020)
(G-H)
“Get Happy (2024)” – Harlequin (2024) “Gimme Shelter” (Live) – Grrr Live! (2023) “Gonna Build a Mountain” – Harlequin (2024) “Gonna Build a Mountain” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Good Morning” – Harlequin (2024) “Goody Goody” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Government Hooker” – Born This Way (2011) “Grigio Girls” – Joanne (2016) “G.U.Y.” – Artpop (2013) “Gypsy” – Artpop (2013) “Hair” – Born This Way (2011) “Happy Mistake” – Harlequin (2024) “Hair Body Face” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Heal Me” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Heavy Metal Lover” – Born This Way (2011) “Hello, Hello” – None (2011) “Hey Girl” – Joanne (2016) “Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)” – Born This Way (2011) “Hold My Hand” – Top Gun: Maverick (Music from the Motion Picture) (2022)
(I-J)
“I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “I Concentrate on You” – Love for Sale (2021) “I Don’t Know What Love Is” – A Star Is Born (2018) “I Get a Kick Out of You” – Love for Sale (2021) “I Like It Rough” – The Fame (2008) “I Wanna Be With You” (Live at iTunes Festival 2013) – Artpop (2013) “I Want Your Love” – It’s About Time (2018) “I Won’t Dance” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “I’ll Never Love Again” (Extended Version) – A Star Is Born (2018) “I’ll Never Love Again” (Film Version) – A Star Is Born (2018) “I’ve Got the World on a String” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – Love for Sale (2021) “If My Friends Could See Me Now” – Harlequin (2024) “If My Friends Could See Me Now” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Is That Alright?” – A Star Is Born (2018) “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “It’s De-Lovely” – Love for Sale (2021) “Jewels N’ Drugs” – Artpop (2013) “Joanne” – Joanne (2016) “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Goin’?)” (Piano Version) – None (2018) “John Wayne” – Joanne (2016) “The Joker” – Harlequin (2024) “Judas” – Born This Way (2011) “Just Another Day” – Joanne (2016) “Just Dance” – The Fame (2008) “Just Dance” (Stripped Down Version) – The Cherrytree Sessions (2009)
(K-M)
“La Vie en rose” – A Star Is Born (2018) “La Vie en rose” (Live) – Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 (2016) “The Lady Is a Tramp” – Duets II (2011) “The Lady Is a Tramp” (Live) – Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 (2016) “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” – Love for Sale (2021) “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Look What I Found” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Love for Sale” – Love for Sale (2021) “Love Me Right” – Chromatica (2020) “LoveGame” – The Fame (2008) “Lush Life” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “Make Her Say” – Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009) “Manicure” – Artpop (2013) “Marry the Night” – Born This Way (2011) “Mary Jane Holland” – Artpop (2013) “Million Reasons” – Joanne (2016) “Million Reasons” (Work Tape) – Joanne (2016) “Money Honey” – The Fame (2008) “Monster” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Murder My Heart” – One World One Love (2009) “Music to My Eyes” – A Star Is Born (2018)
(N-R)
“Night and Day” – Love for Sale (2021) “Oh, When the Saints” – Harlequin (2024) “Orange Colored Sky” – A Very Gaga Holiday (2011) “Paparazzi” – The Fame (2008) “Paper Gangsta” – The Fame (2008) “Perfect Illusion” – Joanne (2016) “Plastic Doll” – Chromatica (2020) “Poker Face” – The Fame (2008) “Poker Face” (Live from the Apollo) – Lady Gaga Live from the Apollo (as Broadcast on SiriusXM) (2019) “Poker Face” (Piano & Voice Version) – The Cherrytree Sessions (2009) “The Queen” – Born This Way (2011) “Quicksand” – Circus (2008) “Rain on Me” – Chromatica (2020) “Replay” – Chromatica (2020) “Retro Dance Freak” – The Fame (2009)
(S)
“Scheiße” – Born This Way (2011) “Sexxx Dreams” – Artpop (2013) “Shallow” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Sine from Above” – Chromatica (2020) “Sine from Above” (Piano Version) – None (2020) “Sinner’s Prayer” – Joanne (2016) “Smile” – Harlequin (2024) “So Happy I Could Die” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Sour Candy” – Chromatica (2020) “Speechless” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Stache” (Princess High Stache Mix) – None (2012) “Starstruck” – The Fame (2008) “Stuck on Fuckin’ You” – None (2011) “Stupid Love” – Chromatica (2020) “Summerboy” – The Fame (2008) “Summer of Love” – Songs of Experience (2017) “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” – Hackney Diamonds (2023) “Swine” – Artpop (2013)
(T-Z)
“Teeth” – The Fame Monster (2009) “Telephone” (featuring Beyoncé) – The Fame Monster (2009) “That’s Entertainment” – Harlequin (2024) “That’s Entertainment” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “That’s Life” – Harlequin (2024) “That’s Life” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “They All Laughed” – Cheek to Cheek (2014) “(They Long to Be) Close to You” (Film Version) – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Til It Happens to You” – The Hunting Ground (2015) “To Love Somebody” – Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) “Vanity” – None (2008) “Venus” – Artpop (2013) “Video Phone” (Extended Remix) – I Am… Sasha Fierce (2009) “We’re Doing a Sequel” (featuring Tony Bennett) – Muppets Most Wanted (2014) “White Christmas” – A Very Gaga Holiday (2011) “Why Did You Do That?” – A Star Is Born (2018) “Winter Wonderland” – None (2014) “World Family Tree” – The Portal in the Park (2006) “World on a String” – Harlequin (2024) “You and I” – Born This Way (2011) “You and I” (Live from the Apollo) – Lady Gaga Live from the Apollo (as Broadcast on SiriusXM) (2019) “You and I” (Live Version) – A Very Gaga Holiday (2011) “Your Song” – Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (2018) “You’re the Top” – Love for Sale (2021)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Lady Gaga articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
“I found the underground a more realistic place – bodies all over the floor, film projections on various surfaces, and a right old racket coming from the stage… altogether rather dreamlike”: Robert Wyatt on his improvised life
Whether with prog-jazz pioneers Soft Machine or on his own dreamlike solo albums, Robert Wyatt always followed his instincts – right up to feeling it was time to retire in 2014. The following year he offered Prog an overview of his remarkable achievements.
“The music I heard in my head didn’t really exist in the real world,” says Robert Wyatt, trying to explain the unique otherness of his recorded work. “Elements of my ideas were already out there – an attraction to hummable tunes, for example – so I was neither trying to be different, nor trying to sound familiar. I’m not interested in following a tradition; but nor am I interested in being esoteric. I just follow my undirected instinct wherever it leads me.”
Wyatt’s instinct has rarely let him down. In a career that he brought to an unexpected close in 2014 with his retirement from music, he produced some of the most strikingly original work of the past half century. His, he says, is “an improvised life” – one fuelled by jazz, socialism and an absurdist slant on the world around him.
It’s an approach that first found expression with prog-jazz pioneers Soft Machine n the mid-60s, though he’s keen to dismiss the notion that they were part of a broader Canterbury Scene. “There were a few musicians I played with from around there, but I don’t remember a ‘scene,’” he says, explaining that he feels, Canterbury was more emblematic of a very English variant on freeform jazz and psychedelia.
Referring to their countercultural days at London’s Roundhouse and UFO Club, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason described the Softs and his own group as “the twin house bands of the London underground.” Wyatt reflects: “I always found the underground a more realistic place to be. There’d be bodies all over the floor, film projections on various surfaces, and a right old racket coming from the stage. There was a timeless feel, altogether rather dreamlike.”
Wyatt’s memories as singer/drummer of Soft Machine – for whom he contributed such stellar moments as Moon In June – are bittersweet. By his own admission, he’d become a liability by the time of 1971’s Fourth. An obstinate boozer and wild stage presence (flailing, shirtless, from behind his kit), he was utterly at odds with the restrained disposition of bassist Hugh Hopper and keyboardist Mike Ratledge. In autumn ’71, Wyatt quit to form Matching Mole – though, as Hopper admitted later, he was effectively “pushed out of what he felt was his own group.”
Soft Machine – Moon In June (Live At The Blizen Jazz And Pop Festival – Remastered Video) – YouTube
The episode forms one of the most moving passages in Marcus O’Dair’s book, Different Every Time: The Authorised Biography Of Robert Wyatt. In it, the subject confesses he still has nightmares about being ejected from the band. “It is strange, even to me,” he says. “Something to do with the humiliation of rejection, when it’s rejection from the people you got together with in the first place, I guess.”
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Post-Soft Machine, two events changed him forever. In early 1972 he met artist Alfreda Benge, who was to become his wife, muse and lyricist. It also coincided with the beginning of his devotion to Communism, with politics serving as “the missing protein” in his music.
Then in 1973 came the drunken fall from a window that left him paralysed from the waist down. The effect, he says, was truly liberating, in that it narrowed his career choices and made him concentrate on being a singer. He calls the accident a neat dividing line between adolescence and the rest of his life: “Your youth is a period of maximum physical potential. Suddenly being anchored to a wheelchair forces you to experience life in a more abstract way. You become more reflective.”
Aside from his expressionistic blend of free jazz, folk, classical and world music, what truly sets him apart is his exquisite voice. Reedy and tremulous, there’s a haunted vulnerability and disarming candour to his singing, which his friend Brian Eno compares to “a poor innocent cast into a complicated world.”
I do like to rummage around what’s been done in the past and find a different take on it
There are very few precedents for Wyatt’s voice. “I try to make the most of what’s doable with it,” he says. But one chief inspiration was the late English tenor and Benjamin Britten collaborator Sir Peter Pears. “I didn’t warm to opera singing, but Peter Pears had a gentler vibrato, which suited Britten’s adaptations of folk songs in particular. They were probably the first records that got to me as a toddler.”
The sheer breadth of Wyatt’s solo work is dizzying. As an extension of his modus operandi – “I do like to rummage around what’s been done in the past and find a different take on it” – he has reworked pieces by such disparate artists as John Cage and The Monkees, and recorded with Henry Cow, Eno, Phil Manzanera, Syd Barrett, Björk and Ryuichi Sakamoto, to name but a few.
“I think of it as alternating dictatorships,” he says of his myriad collaborations. “On my records, I hope the musicians I invite will trust me to put it all together in my own way. Conversely, when employed by others, I try to do what they would like me to do.”
Stick a pin anywhere you like, from 1974’s Rock Bottom to 2007’s Comicopera, from Soft Machine’s 1968 debut to 2010’s For The Ghosts Within, his three-way alliance with Gilad Atzmon and Ros Stephen – all of these albums are freighted with his rare brilliance. For all the genre-hopping, his work occupies a distinct corner entirely of its own.
“My identity doesn’t feel threatened by cultural variety,” he says. “Such differences as there are seem to me to highlight the specialness of each. Underneath, what we have in common with others warms the heart even more. My heart, anyway.”
Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2008, and sister title Prog since its inception in 2009. Regular contributor to Uncut magazine for over 20 years. Other clients include Word magazine, Record Collector, The Guardian, Sunday Times, The Telegraph and When Saturday Comes. Alongside Marc Riley, co-presenter of long-running A-Z Of David Bowie podcast. Also appears twice a week on Riley’s BBC6 radio show, rifling through old copies of the NME and Melody Maker in the Parallel Universe slot. Designed Aston Villa’s kit during a previous life as a sportswear designer. Geezer Butler told him he loved the all-black away strip.
I come not to bury Led Zeppelin in this dissection of their 10 worst sonic moments. Why on earth would I? It’s not for nothing that the four-piece have been universally acknowledged as the greatest rock band the world has ever seen. But in amongst the frankly ridiculous amounts of wheat – and if you listen very hard – there still lies the odd bit of chaff.
Here they are, sifted with due care and diligence just for you.
10. For Your Life (1976)
The second track from Presence starts off with a promising riff, a nice and spacey affair with considerable groove. But the tune never catches up with the riff and ambles along looking for a hook. Robert Plant’s lyric appears to be a finger-wagging exercise directed at a female whose cocaine habit is spiralling out of control, and is an interesting enough tale. But it isn’t enough to rescue the song from mediocrity.
9. Wearing and Tearing (1982)
A song that was recorded during the sessions for In Through The Out Door in 1978, but never made the cut. It finally saw the light of day on Coda. That’s not surprising, given that it’s a speedy but ultimately guileless affair. It’s not that the song is outright bad. But Zeppelin were never supposed to be about the average. Rumour has it that the band were trying to show that they had as much musical energy as the emerging punk outfits of the time. Of course they should never have stooped so low.
8. The Crunge (1973)
A song from Houses Of The Holy that came together as a jam and was inspired by the loose-limbed funky grooves that James Brown was able to produce so effortlessly. A nice idea, but an ill-advised tune that has none of the charm that Brown could summon at will. The groove isn’t all that strong and Plant has trouble latching onto anything that could be considered memorable. It’s mildly humorous – “has anybody seen the bridge?” – but that’s all it has to recommend it.
7. Hots On For Nowhere (1976)
Apparently something of a lyrical bitching session from Plant about both guitarist Jimmy Page and Zep manager Peter Grant’s way of treating him. “I’ve got friends who will give me fuck all,” he whines. But any sense of vitriol is lost as the song goes up its own arse in a revolving door of ho-hum riffs and ill-advised funk grooves. Hots On For Nowhere features on Presence and runs to four minutes and 44 seconds – but it feels an awful lot longer. Not a good sign.
6. Bonzo’s Montreux (1982)
This track from Coda is marginally more interesting than Moby Dick because of the electronic effects on the drums. But all the same, there’s no getting away from the fact that this is a drum solo. And drum solos are a waste of aural space. Page added the effects weirdness to the track for the posthumous album release following drummer John Bonham’s untimely death. But in all honesty he should have left well alone.
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5. Moby Dick (1969)
Was there ever really a time when fans were gagging for drum solos? It feels like such an antiquated art form. And if John Bonham, the best rock drummer there ever was can’t make one interesting to listen to, then surely that’s all the proof you need that drum solos are surplus to requirements. The riff that leads into all the tub-thumping here is a fine enough thing. But this song from Led Zeppelin II is a track out of time.
Led Zeppelin – Moby Dick (Live at The Royal Albert Hall 1970) [Official Video] – YouTube
A weak number from Zep’s weakest album, Presence. Plant may rate it as one of his favourites off the record. But his attempt to add some rockabilly-flavoured vocals to an aimless riff doesn’t lift the track out of the ordinary. Plant’s endless ‘oh baby babys’ wear on the ears pretty quickly and the scat outro sounds like a man looking for a way out of a vocal cul-de-sac. This doesn’t feel like a song. It feels like a jam. And a poor one at that.
3. Royal Orleans (1976)
At least the lyrical content of this track from Presence is funny. The song is allegedly about bassist John Paul Jones setting fire to the Royal Orleans hotel in New Orleans after having rolled a joint in his hotel room with a transvestite friend called Stephanie and fallen asleep. But the band’s attempt to funk things up around a couple of averagely decent Jimmy Page riffs doesn’t quite pass muster. Not awful, but somewhat forgettable all the same.
2. Hats Off To (Roy) Harper (1970)
The sound of a band amusing themselves rather than their audience. Page plays a combination of standard acoustic blues songs on bottleneck guitar on this track from Led Zeppelin III and the whole affair is spiced up with some reasonably interesting studio effects. Plant’s vocal is deliberately manipulated to sound like an ancient recording. But none of this can disguise the fact that it’s a thin piece of content that should have ended up on the cutting room floor.
1. Walter’s Walk (1982)
There’s some debate as to whether the vocals to this song from Coda were recorded at the same time as the music. Which perhaps explains why the tune lacks any cohesion. It meanders along without purpose, the various component parts failing to gel with any conviction. There’s often a reason why tracks fail to make it onto a band’s regular albums. This number is all you need to understand what that reason is.
Nick Cave has appeared on Desert Island Discs, the long-running BBC Radio show which asks its guests to name the eight songs they’d choose to keep if they were banished to a desert island.
Cave, whose 18th album with the Bad Seeds, Wild God, was released last year, talked with host Lauren Laverne about a wide range of subjects including his upbringing in Australia, the death of his sons, Arthur and Jethro, and about the lasting influence of Johnny Cash, who the young Cave first saw on TV as a youngster.
“There was something about Johnny Cash that really captured me,” says Cave. “He was the first time I’d ever seen the potential of music to be evil, and outlaw, and dangerous. He looked like a dangerous guy.
“He dressed in black and he started off the programme going [mimics Cash’s onstage introduction], ‘Hello, I’m Johnny Cash’ and he would swing around. There was just this gravity to the man.”
Cave would later cover Cash’s The Singer on his 1986 covers album Kicking Against The Pricks, and eventually sang with Cash himself on a version of Hank Williams’ classic I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry on the Main In Black’s final studio album American IV: The Man Comes Around. Another duet, a version of the traditional North American folk song Cindy, was posthumously released on the Unearthed box set in 2003.
Among the eight songs Cave chose for Desert Island Discs were Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash’s Girl From The North Country, as well as songs by T. Rex, Nina Simone, The Saints, John Lee Hooker, Karen Dalton, Kanye West and Tim Rose.
The tour kicks off June 6 in Richmond, Virginia and is currently set to conclude on July 26 in Rogers, Arkansas. Pre-sale tickets and VIP packages will go up for sale Tuesday, Jan. 28 using code KANSASBAND at their official website.
Kansas wrapped up their 50th anniversary tour in December with a show that featured a return appearance by co-founding drummer Phil Ehart, who suffered a major heart attack in February 2024. Original bassist Dave Hope also made an appearance at the show. The group’s most recent album is 2020’s The Absence of Presence.
38 Special will mark their 50th year as a band in 2025. It has been over 20 years since they released a new album, 2004’s Drivetrain.
Kansas and 38 Special Summer 2025 Tour Dates
June 6 – Richmond, VA: Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront * June 7 – Oxon Hill, MD: The Theater at MGM National * June 13 – Southaven, MS: BankPlus Amphitheater # June 14 – Huntsville, AL: Orion Amphitheater # June 20 – Orange Beach, AL: The Wharf Amphitheater * June 21 – Atlanta, GA: Fox Theatre * June 27 – Charlotte, NC: Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater * June 28 – Raleigh, NC: Red Hat Amphitheater * July 12 – La Vista, NE: The Astro % July 13 – Cedar Rapids, IA: McGrath Amphitheater * July 19 – The Woodlands, TX: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion % July 20 – Irving, TX: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory % July 25 – Camdenton, MO: Ozarks Amphitheater % July 26 – Rogers, AR: Walmart AMP*
* with the Outlaws # with Jefferson Starship % with Dave Mason
Kansas Albums Ranked
These American progressive rock heroes went on a dramatic career arc.
Simple Minds is heading out on a headlining North American tour with fellow ’80s favorites Modern English and Soft Cell. See a complete list of cities and dates below.
“Been a while but absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr said in an official statement. “Simple Minds are ecstatic at the prospect of touring so extensively in the U.S. and Canada this coming spring.”
The dates begin on May 16 at Ridgefield, Washington, and continue through June 22 in Noblesville, Indiana, with stops along the way in Chicago, Denver, Toronto, Phoenix, and the Houston and Los Angeles areas. Artist presales begin at 10AM local time on Wednesday, Jan. 29, follows by local presales on Thursday, Jan. 30 – also at 10AM local time.
All presales end later on Thursday at 10PM. General ticketing then kicks off at 10AM local time on Friday, Jan. 31. For more details, visit www.simpleminds.com/tour.
Simple Minds’ new tour coincides with the 40th anniversary of their breakout year, as “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” became an international chart-topper while their 1985 LP Once Upon a Time was certified gold. That led to a signature appearance at Live Aid.
Watch ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ at Live Aid
New Simple Minds Tour Coincides With Expanded Reissue
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” originally only appeared on the The Breakfast Club soundtrack. Simple Minds have rectified today with the release of a new expanded reissue of Once Upon a Time that now includes the smash hit. They’ll also be performing “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” this Wednesday on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“Hindsight is a glorious thing!” Kerr admits. “Forty years on and it now feels right for Simple Minds to have ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ included in this classy new nine-track edition of Once Upon a Time.”
Simple Minds are the focus of a new documentary, Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible, which is currently streaming in the UK on BBC iPlayer. The film’s North American broadcast is still pending. Their most recent album is 2022’s Direction of the Heart, though Simple Minds more recently issued a new single titled “Your Name In Lights.”
Big Hassle Media
Live Nation
Simple Minds 2025 North American Tour Dates 5/16 – Ridgefield, WA @ Cascades Amphitheater 5/17 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena 5/20 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord 5/22 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum 5/23 – Greater Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure Arena 5/24 – Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre 5/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre 5/27 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena 5/30 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center 5/31 – Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 6/1 – Irving, TX @ The Pavillion at Toyota Music Factory 6/4 – Rogers, AR @ The Walmart AMP 6/5 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre 6/7 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park 6/10 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion 6/11 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center 6/13 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater 6/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center 6/15 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center 6/17 – Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell 6/18 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage 6/20 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island 6/21 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre 6/22 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Top 40 New Wave Albums
From the B-52’s to XTC, Blondie to Talking Heads, a look at the genre’s best LPs.
A Connecticut state senator is trying to force movie theaters to reveal exactly what time the actual movie starts, to let people reduce the amount of trailers and ads they have to watch.
If you’re a regular movie-goer you’re probably well aware that revenue-seeking theaters are cramming more and more movie trailers and straight-up commercials into their screenings, dramatically increasing the amount of time between the announced and actual movie start times.
(From personal experience, in recent years our favorite Akron-area theaters have expanded from a relatively acceptable 20 minutes to a more unpleasant half-hour of trailers and ads. At a recent screening of Moana 2 that gap was stretched even further, to 35 minutes, which is a completely unacceptable amount of extra time to try and hold children’s attention. Or, if you left the kids home, to pay for extra babysitting.)
As reported by the CT Insider, state senator Martin Looney has put forth a bill that would “require that each movie advertisement or listing include, and separately list, the scheduled start time for (1) the movie trailers and advertisements that precede the advertised or listed movie, and (2) the advertised or listed movie.”
Theoretically, this bill would make movie-going a less time-wasting process, particularly if you’re going to a theater that offers advanced reserved seating. You’d know the real start time and could plan your arrival accordingly. But as the AV Club points out, declining movie attendance means more theaters are counting on that ad revenue, and the advertising companies may cut their spending if they think even fewer people will be there to watch these promotional clips.
The other problem would come from your less considerate fellow movie-goers. There are always a few stragglers who arrive after the movie starts, even with the current half-hour cushions. Imagine how much worse that’ll get when they try to arrive at the exact start time? Or how fun it’ll be for you to get there two minutes before your movie, then find out that somebody else is mistakenly (or opportunistically) sitting in your seats, and someone else is sitting in their seats, setting off a chain reaction of arguments and noisy re-alignments that run well past the movie’s actual start time?
(Sorry, I was looking for a more positive ending, but we hosted 12 kids for a sleepover last night. Maybe tomorrow?)
15 Movies That Could Have Starred John Belushi
John Belushi only made seven full-length feature movies in his life, but there could have been many more.
![Led Zeppelin - Moby Dick (Live at The Royal Albert Hall 1970) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IOb8otk7Y0U/maxresdefault.jpg)
