Tracks Of My Years - page 2

Shakin' Stevens - This Ole House

This Ole House might be a bit cookie-cutter, an example of the too-too-clean ‘80s desire for metronomic beats and karaoke covers, but back then... what a hero we had in Shakin’ Stevens...

Madness - Embarrassment

Embarrassment is a reminder of uneasy race relations in the UK in the 70s and 80s. Masterfully, the song’s sucker-punch lyrics are punctuated by the bright brass that was Madness’ trademark.

Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about Sultans of Swing, with its lyric inspired by a mediocre pub band Knopfler once saw, and its mesmerising arpeggios from Knopfler's '61 Strat...

Jeff Wayne - Horsell Common and the Heat Ray

Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation of War of the Worlds was about as far as my interest in progressive rock ever went, and Horsell Common and the Heat Ray is responsible for one of my more...

The Stranglers - No More Heroes

No More Heroes is a fine example of The Stranglers' knack for a tune that set them apart from some of their peers, with its distinctive keyboard melody and lyric.

ABBA - Dancing Queen

With its Disco beat and signature ABBA craft, Dancing Queen perfectly captures the fleeting euphoria of the dancefloor - 'having the time of your life' - not to mention the misconceptions shared by many out...

Neil Young - Cortez The Killer

I know some people have trouble with the voice. Sometimes there’s just no getting past it - even ardent fans of Neil Young might not love every performance. If you’d never heard him sing, but...

Big Star - September Gurls

'What better way could there be to start a playlist, in September, of songs from the last 40 years of my life? September Gurls is a seminal track by a seminal band.'