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It would be easy to become cynical about the continual

She’s ELECTRIC

Recorded against a backdrop of civil unrest and band turmoil, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s final album, Electric Ladyland marked the end of the trio and their manager’s relationship with Jimi. But, on the record’s 50th anniversary, John Earls hears from the key players how it became Hendrix’s enduring masterpiece

JIMI’S RECORD COLLECTION

In July 1968, Hendrix lived in a third-floor flat at 23 Brook Street in London with his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, returning in January 1969. The Handel & Hendrix In London museum, with its recreation of Jimi’s bedroom that includes his record collection, opened to the public in 2016. His collection is now owned by the Experience Music Project and collector Jeff Gold. Here it is…

Jimi Hendrix

Perhaps the most irresistibly magnetic and natural performer in musical history, Jimi Hendrix was also a studio visionary who expanded rock’s horizons, then departed – leaving a tangled posthumous legacy in his wake. Owen Bailey says: ’Scuse me while I list this guy…

SUBSCRIPTION

VAN MORRISON ASTRAL WEEKS

After the feisty garage rock of Them and pop success of Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison’s quantum leap with his second studio album Astral Weeks would leave critics and fans grasping at its meaning for the next half-century. Steve Harnell charts the sound of an artist in the grip of radical creative upheaval

EDDIE ARGOS

It’s a daring proposition – offering to hand-paint an album cover of your choice for a fee while listening to said album and formulating a review – but that’s just what Art Brut singer Eddie Argos spends his time doing these days. Laura Williams finds out more…

WILL AT HOME WITH SERGEANT

Beginning with their 1980 debut, Echo And The Bunnymen have released many vinyl classics of their own. Jennifer Otter Bickerdike takes a tour of guitarist Will Sergeant’s collection…

NOTTINGHAM

Mark Elliott heads to the home of Robin Hood in search of vinyl, discovering a varied selection of stores catering for all…

EEL PIE RECORDS

Eel Pie Records draws on the rock ’n’ roll heritage of the Middlesex enclave that hosted early shows by the Stones, Sabbath and The Who. John Earls hears how the area is finally ready to make its mark in music again, 50 years on

On the record

Led Zeppelin’s 50th anniversary celebrations continue

Simon says

This month, our columnist looks back at his experiences creating and recording Cocteau Twins’ classic 1988 album, Blue Bell Knoll

#17 Mezzanine

Enjoy Long Live Vinyl’s essential 12 tracks with this

PLEDGE MUSIC

PledgeMusic is a direct-to-fan music site that provides

YOUR MOST VALUABLE VINYL

This is a rare 2010 UK numbered limited-edition debut

LALA LALA

New-found sobriety results in thoughtful follow-up from Chicago solo artist

IAN PEEL’S LINER NOTES

There are three words that gave me a real feeling of excitement in my early years of loving and collecting vinyl. And I’ve realised they still have the same effect, 30 years later…

CRATE DIGGING WITH…Alex Paterson

Since co-founding The Orb with Jimmy Cauty at the height of acid house, Alex Paterson has soothingly soundtracked countless comedowns and taken listeners on innumerable adventures beyond the ultraworld. On the eve of a 30th anniversary tour and having just released his 15th Orb album, Paterson digs out a selection of influential albums…

ARETHA FRANKLIN

Atlantic Studios, New York City, January 1969

MIKE PETERS

With their album Equals out now, Mike Peters of anthemic rockers The Alarm tells Why Vinyl Matters author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike about the sense of magic and discovery a new LP brings

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

The six-year gap between Sweet Heart Sweet Light and majestic new LP And Nothing Hurt is the longest of Spiritualized’s career. Jason Pierce tells John Earls: “I always seem to choose the dumbest route to finishing anything…”

Rebel MC

Wayne Kramer talks to Sean Egan about the chequered history of one of rock ’n’ roll’s most pioneering, politicised, influential and underrated acts – and how, on a new tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of their debut, his band will still “rip your head off…”

ANNA CALVI

“I LIKE THE IDEA OF A WOMAN BEING THE HUNTER AS OPPOSED TO BEING HUNTED, WHICH IS HOW SHE OFTEN SEEMS TO BE PORTRAYED IN OUR CULTURE. GOING OUT AND HUNTING FOR WHAT SHE WANTS AND CREATING HER OWN STORIES, RATHER THAN BEING THIS PASSIVE PRODUCT OF A MAN’S DREAMS”

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

Ignored at the time of its release, the quintessentially English The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is Ray Davies’ masterpiece. With the band reforming, Steve Harnell takes a rural excursion into BMG’s latest Art Of The Album reissue…

THE ZOMBIES ODESSEY & ORACLE

This timeless psychedelic pop classic that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary is one of the best records of its era – and on mono, it’s a real find…

DIGGING FOR VICTORY

When Mark O’Shaughnessy is offered a haul of rare cosmic jazz, he finds himself temporarily blinded by the Sun…

Tidal Waves Music

With its catalogue of funk, soul, jazz, Nina Simone, Afrobeat and more, Chris Parkin finds out how, for this Belgian reissue label, preserving music is a serious business…

REVIEWS

Aretha Franklin

EXTRA

The Welsh three-piece led by Ritzy Bryan return with

Time-capsule compilations

Chris Parkin explores the many esoteric compilations which preserve and celebrate a period of music from a specific time and place, and picks some unmissable examples…

DREAM MACHINES DAN D’AGOSTINO RELENTLESS

In our series showcasing high-end hi-fito die for, Paul Rigby takes a closer look at the ingenious design of hif-filegend Dan D’Agostino’s new monoblock amplifier model, the Relentless…

PRO-JECT RPM 3 CARBON

Pro-Ject’s RPM 3 Carbon is a perfectly fine performer straight out of the box, but here, Paul Rigby investigates the quality of the raft of sonic upgrades the company offers…

THE FUNK FIRM

Paul Rigby reviews the latest turntable offering from The Funk Firm in a couple of different configurations, and discovers that good things do indeed come in small packages…

SCHEU ANALOGUE CELLO

John Pickford puts the svelte Cello turntable from German manufacturer Scheu through its paces, to find out how their introductory model stands up to the higher-end designs in the product line…

MARIO CARPENTIERI

Self-confessed ‘Italian bearded vinyl collector’ Mario Carpentieri runs the Instagram account 30secsofvinyl, showcasing his love of various genres from punk and post-punk, through to prog, indie and 60s classics – basically, anything that smells nice…