PAUL WELLER TRACES the music and themes that have illuminated his career, from The Jam to now, while delving into his soulful new album, On Sunset. Meanwhile, summer festival vibes pour forth from MOJO’s amazing covermount CD, with exclusive live tracks from Weller, Nick Cave, U2, R.E.M., The Black Keys, New Order, Foo Fighters, Michael Kiwanuka, Lucinda Williams and more. Also in the issue: Bob Dylan’s all-new album; Little Richard and the Big Bang of rock’n’roll; Frank Zappa – the legend at 80; Steve Cropper’s soul odyssey. Plus: The Go-Go’s, Fontaines DC, Dion, Cat Stevens, Shirley Collins, Robert Johnson, Pretenders, Blake Mills, Florian Schneider, Brian Wilson, Grateful Dead, the last interview with The Pretty Things’ Phil May, and… in lockdown with Glen Matlock and Earl Slick!
CONTENTS MOJO 321
PAUL WELLER The former Jam man’s hot streak continues, with a new album – On Sunset – his most soulful in years. With MOJO he looks back over its precedents, past battles and future hopes. Plus – can it be true? – a Style Council revival?
COVERMOUNT CD: THE MOJO FESTIVAL 2020 Distraught at the cancellation of your favourite summer festival? Kill the pain with exclusive live tracks from Weller, Nick Cave, U2, R.E.M., The Black Keys, New Order, Foo Fighters, Michael Kiwanuka, Lucinda Williams and more.
FRANK ZAPPA Under the off-colour ‘folklore’ and mindblowing polyrhythms, what made rock’s ultimate refusenik really tick? Mark Paytress asks family and bandmates.
LITTLE RICHARD No-one is owed more by the music we still call rock’n’roll. But he wasn’t always thanked – least of all in his home town. David Fricke delivers the eulogy.
STEVE CROPPER The rhythmic right hand of southern soul on building Stax (literally), stumbling on Otis, hate mail from Neil Young fans and estrangement from Booker T.
THE GO-GO’s From punk to pop via drug madness and cash conflict: how the fairytale of Beauty And The Beat turned dark before the healing began. “What a f***ing career” indeed!
DION The Bronx-bred, angel-voiced tough guy of doo-wop survived heroin, heartbreak, Phil Spector and Buddy Holly’s plane. Now 80, he’s still standing, still singing his blues.
FONTAINES DC They’re the most exciting rock’n’roll band in the British Isles, but will their daring second album make or break them? “There’s a lot of stress,” they tell Keith Cameron.
REVIEWS Bob Dylan / Lianne La Havas / Willie Nelson / Pretenders / X / Bananagun / Grateful Dead / Ray LaMontagne / Céu / Jon Hassell / Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks / Buju Banton / The Jayhawks / Sophie / The Residents / The Beths / The Stooges / Peter Gabriel / Wire / Junior Byles / Phil Ochs
PLUS The Pretty Things’ Phil May: his last interview / In the studio with Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam / The unseen Robert Johnson / Blake Mills and Chronixx are Rising / How To Buy… Yo La Tengo / In lockdown with Glen Matlock and Earl Slick / Shirley Collins – up and down with Davey Graham / Robert Pollard vs The Beastie Boys: it’s a hoops off! / Farewell Florian Schneider, Dave Greenfield, Jimmy Cobb, Betty Wright…