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Welcome…

God bless the cockroaches. this issue, we feature two

THE TEAM

Simon was the bassist and keyboard player in the Cocteau

THE DARK ARTS

Fifty years ago, they crawled out of Birmingham boasting a sludgy sound that still defines ‘heavy’. Black Sabbathare the band critics hated but fans adored, a primal rock wail that has influenced generations. Michael Stephens charts the influence of a legendary band and that sound…

Rare Sabbath

A couple of boxsets you won’t be finding in a charity shop

Disciples Of Doom

Sabbathhave influenced so many bands, they’re akin

SabbathCovered

The 1990s brought a sudden upsurge of interest in Black Sabbath. Notably, from US grunge and alt-rock acts. Here’s our pick of a few notable cover versions…

Backing Black

Irish punkers Therapy? sound very different, but bassist Michael McKeegan has worshipped at the altar of Sabbathsince he was a pre-teen…

New Bowie live LP kicks offRecord Store Day list

Record Store Day 2020 promises more vinyl than ever, as an album of unreleased Bowie material is unveiled

The Selecter

Long Live Vinyl’s essential picks for the monthahead

TJINDER SINGH, CORNERSHOP ENGLAND IS A GARDEN

AMPLE PLAY 6 MARCH

Lost Shops

Situated behind Warren Street Station, Sterns was the

Simon says

Vaughan Oliver created a number of memorable sleeves for Cocteau Twins. Simon shares his memories of 4AD’s celebrated designer, who died in December

Can you still bag charity-shop bargains?

The pricing policy in charity shops has changed over recent years, but can thrifty vinyl collectors still find the treasure we seek?

The Completist

As every self-effacing male instinctively knows, the quickest route to a woman’s heart is through a mixtape. Music transferred from vinyl to audio cassette is truly the food of love

Still growing

UK vinyl sales rise for 12thconsecutive year

THE SECRET SEVEN

Details of the final Secret 7 exhibition at London’s

4 OF A KIND… Home furnishings

The dysfunctional West Country pop duo celebrate an

IAN PEEL’S THE ART OF THE 12 “

New year, new column, new theme. New passion! In the first of a new series, Ian dives deep into his first and truest love in the world of vinyl: 1980s 12” singles

THE VINYLIST DAVE BRITTON

Endtroducing a serious DJ Shadow collector…

MOST VALUABLE VINYL

Rare 1971 UK first pressing 8-track vinyl LP on an

Now Spinning

Here’s what’s been revolving on our turntable this issue, while we were nursing a can of Heathen from Northern Monk, a bold yet balanced India Pale Ale

Band Of Brothers

A comprehensive 10LP and 5CD Allman Brothers boxset

TOP DECK

Audio-Technica has unveiled details of its new “premium”

HONEY HARPER

The rising star discusses his bold and beautiful debut and his vision for cosmic country

CRATE DIGGING WITH… CHALI 2NA

The American rapper and respected visual artist blazed a trail as a founding member of Jurassic 5. Here, he puts forward his all-time top 10 albums

#34 Scientist SCIENTIST WINS THE WORLD CUP

Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan look on helplessly as

THE PRETENDERS

While the band formed in 1978, and launched their first

HILARY WOODS

Withher new solo album, Birthmarks, due out in March, the former JJ72 bassist explains why the gothic soundtrack to a 1970s Czech horror film made such an enduring impression

1O QUESTIONS FOR … TOM SMITH, EDITORS

Editors have been at it since 2002 and withthe release of best-of compilation Black Gold, now is the time to take stock. Gary Walker talks to their frontman about the band’s longevity, their back catalogue and hanging out withR.E.M.

COUNTER CULTURE

In his first column for Long Live Vinyl, Union Music Store’s Del Day selects some of his shop’s most treasured ‘gateway’ albums

The Can MONSTER MOVIE

A first issue of Can’s experimental debut album is a rare beast

NEXT MONTH

ON SALE 6TH MARCH

CLOSER

The folk ballad that brought Marley’s final album to a close was a powerful epitaph, observes Gary Tipp

When You’re Strange…

After a decade away, the return of Supergrass for a 25thanniversary tour and boxset celebrates a band who were always pop masters – while never quite fitting in. John Earls hears from four men determined to keep their identity

Not In It For The Money

While Supergrass’ boxset The Strange Ones: 1994-2008

Road To Ruin…

Having spent “around L100” on the alternative ‘cowboy’

45 RPM

As someone so in thrall to 7” singles that he’s got a tattoo bearing ‘45 R.P.M’ on his arm, there was only one way Johnny Marr was going to celebrate the first chapter of his solo career: witha singles boxset. Discussing the merits of singles, B-sides and where the album fits in withit all, Johnny tells John Earls why the 7” remains the perfect format…

Going Out Of His Head

Vinyl obsessive Marr owns no fewer than 9 copies of this early Stones LP

Ignorant Is Bliss

The Cribs’ album is overdue the reissue treatment

”In the world of Wire there always has to be a sense that things are moving forward, and that you’re thinking differently”

Withtheir debut album, Pink Flag, hitting the racks back in November 1977, post-punk vets Wire are still as experimental, unpredictable and relentlessly forward-looking as ever. Huw Baines discovers a vital band who are 17 albums in and still fine-tuning their process

Colouring Outside The Lines

Pink Flag established Wire as a band who got to the

AMERICAN ADVENTURE

Isobel Campbell’s first new album in a decade has been worththe wait, but, as she tells Jonathan Wright, it has been a long haul to bring it to life

CAMPBELL ON VINYL

Collecting Isobel Campbell on vinyl can be an expensive

CAMPBELL’S CAREER IN FOUR ALBUMS…

THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP

THE ESSENTIAL METAL

Fifty years young, and as loud and obnoxious as ever, the world of metal remains a true musical phenomena. Michael Stephens turns the dial up to 11 and beyond

Metal Box

WITH ITS ELABORATE LP ARTWORK AND ITS LOYAL FANS’ INSATIABLE PENCHANT FOR LIVE RARITIES, B-SIDES, MERCH AND MORE, METAL IS PERFECT FOR THE HEFTY BOXSET

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Hippy relic created by four warring egos or a timeless Americana classic? Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s second album sold by the bucketload, yet 50 years on it still continues to divide opinion. Ben Wardle gets Déjà Vu

The songs

CORE PERSONNEL

IGGY’S 80s

Iggy Pop entered the 1980s as a post-punk pioneer. What followed was a wild decade of wanton excess and sonic exploration. Daniel Dylan Wray hears the war stories of some of the musicians who tried (and failed) to keep up withIggy along the way

Pop Music

FIVE VITAL ALBUMS FROM IGGY’S 80S CATALOGUE

Robert Crumb

A major figure in the comic book world as flower power blossomed in California, Robert Crumb turned his unique style to nearly 100 album covers – withunique results. Teri Saccone meets the Fritz The Cat creator

David’s Music LETCHWORTH

David’s Music is a thriving Hertfordshire record shop that attracts repeat visits not only from record collectors but also bands. Christopher Barrett looks at what’s in store

Johnny Marr

The Smiths were one of the great UK singles bands – now Johnny Marr rounds up his first 10 solo 45 releases in a 7” box. The synchronicity of which isn’t lost on John Earls

Tame Impala

Studio wizard Kevin Parker’s latest opus delivers his signature spaced-out sound across a dozen tracks of carefree, blistering pop music. John Earls takes delight in his mastery

WHAT’S ON IN THE SHOP

AND NOW FOR THE WHATCHAMACALLIT

DREAM MACHINES

These wondrous tech-heavy towers of power offer hi-end