A measured shot of dignity, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” is immediately obvious as the work of an adult and a craftsman. Charles was 32 in 1962, and sounds twice that age as he steps carefully, resigned and brokenhearted, through this […]

As horrifying as the goriest death ballad or country tragedy, no amount of listens can change the awful outcome – our Wendy* leaves the club with Mockney lech Mike Sarne, stepping out for a promised “slap and tickle”. The delight in[…]

Continuing Elvis: The Autopilot Years. This is confidence pressed into the service of competence; no ‘luck’ required.[…]

Roll over Tchaikovsky! Hokey, straightforward and highly effective dance number: one of a stream of jolly, uptempo, slightly goofy hits that swarmed the British charts in ’62/’63. Some were harmless, some annoying – this splicing of[…]

It reminds me of America, one of the Shadows told Jerry Lordan when he played them his latest instrumental. America seems like a wonderful land, said somebody else, and the name stuck. A sweetly-struck six-note figure becomes a sweep of the arm takin[…]

For me, Elvis’ devotional lullaby walks the line between dreamy and dreary a little too finely. The arrangement is immaculate – lulling harmonies; carefully-placed twangs – but the melody and performance are a little too sedate. Per[…]

It wouldn’t have been such a bad record if the arrangers had just let Hank Marvin and the band handle it. The bittersweet descent of Marvin’s intro captures the record’s point – and the listener’s spirit – far more[…]

There’s a few big Popular entries coming up so I’m giving myself a spare day’s breathing space, which means it’s time for a year poll. To be moved to its proper place in a week or so.
I give every record on Popular a mark out […]

A landmark of sorts – the first song on the list that I own, on 7″ vinyl, the first song that I know as an object. When I was going through a bad patch several years ago I would put it on before going to sleep at night; it was my own lull[…]

A record that anticipates, outdoes, and sadly fails to prevent Tom Jones, “Tower Of Strength” is the pop equivalent of those great, famous old Charles Atlas ads. Hey! Wimp! Fed up with having sand kicked in your face? Well, we can’t[…]