Back catalogue: Rock

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks on outer sleeve, inner sleeve torn***


Two years on from Tom Waits' landmark Swordfishtrombones and the jazz cat-turned staunch experimentalist continued to explore the roads less travelled with Rain Dogs. Originally released via the seminal Island Records in 1985, if the preceding album felt expansive, the follow up broadens horizons even further, inviting luminaries Keith Richards and Marc Ribot to get in on the action, although neither come close to even sharing the spotlight with the real star of the show. Spanning New Orleans funeral march melancholy, old down and dirty blues rock, heart wrenching balladry, wild cinematic instrumentals, noir-ish pulp fiction storytelling, and more than a little of the Swordfish-style stomping oddness, it's a masterpiece. Perhaps what really sets this apart, though, is how these myriad styles, at least some of which could easily fall into caricature, feel and sound so authentic, making it impossible not to buy into.

Review: The Who's Live At Shea Stadium 1982 (not the Shea Stadium where lower league UK football team Halifax plays, but a venue in New York) captures one of the band's most electrifying performances. Despite being decades into their career, they deliver a dynamic show that is full of their usual enduring energy and musicianship. The setlist is a blend of classics and newer material, each song performed with raw intensity, with Roger Daltrey's vocals soaring, perfectly framed by Pete Townshend's blistering guitar work. The live atmosphere adds an extra layer of excitement, with the crowd's energy palpable throughout, making this a testament to The Who's status as one of rock's greatest live acts that is well worth copping.