Mojo - The Music Magazine

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The mystic Scouse muso is down with the Kings and Can.

“Kings Of Leon’s Only By The Night, I thought they were just another Strokes when they started and I turned myself off to them for two or three years, but I realise now they’re growing boys and they are growing up really nicely, doing their own thing, finding their own identity. I’ve also been falling back on the classics, peaceful things you know you can leave on, like I’ve Seen All Good People by Yes, I’ve always liked Tomorrow and Steve Howe so Yes weren’t completely abhorrent to me and I heard this this year and thought, this is really good, like a British Crosby, Stills And Nash. So someone lent me the album it’s on, 1971’s The Yes Album, and I’m really liking Chris Squire’s bass playing; he plays the harmony instead of the root which is really interesting. And because of those CSN-esque vocal harmonies, which are truly lovely, you can see why Atlantic signed them."

"Also I’ve been buying up the Led Zeppelin seven inches just for the headcharge thing. Again, like Yes and Kings Of Leon they were a band I used to ignore, but there’s no denying their power, their adrenaline rush, and I also got a copy of No Matter What by Badfinger, which is the ultimate pre-indie tune along with Big Star’s September Gurls. I play them together when I DJ. Also I’ve been getting into 20th Century classical; Schoenberg’s Variations For Orchestra, it’s another long one, really eerie, it scares the girls. Everyone goes on about German music from the ’70s but he was doing it in 1911, he was way ahead of them. He invented the 12 tone technique, which Stravinsky picked up on later. Finally Can’s Tago Mago, it’s just so brave but safe too. Incredible when you put it on really loud. Everyone should own this record.”

Check out this month’s MOJO for more Best Things from Billy Connolly, U2 Oasis and more.