Summary
MONGREL - BETTER THAN HEAVY (Wall of Sound): Featuring a former Arctic Monkey and current members of Babyshambles and Reverend and the Makers, Mongrel's Better Than Heavy pulls from a wide variety of influences, with dub reggae and rap very much to the fore. A key reference point is Gary Clail and On-U Sound System from the mid- 1980s and, appropriately, On-U's Adrian Sherwood mixed and dubbed the album. Guest rappers abound on Better Than Heavy, most notably Skinnyman and Purple, while 16 rappers feature on the astonishing Alphabet Assassins. Mongrel's sound is a long way away from the frantic guitars of the 'Shambles or the Monkeys but, hopefully, fans of those bands will give Better Than Heavy the warm welcome it deserves.
THE CLASH - LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM (Sony/BMG): In 1982, The Clash were on the verge of breaking big in America . . . and also on the verge of falling apart forever. By the time this live album was recorded - supporting The Who on a stadium tour - drummer Topper Headon had been booted out and replaced with the band's original drummer, Terry Chimes. Chimes is a solid player, a hard-hitter, but Topper Headon could play jazz, funk and soul drum patterns and the band often sound leaden without his contribution. That said, Live at Shea Stadium is a welcome reminder of just how good a frontman Joe Strummer was. Standout tracks include a frantic take on London Calling and a sprawling version of Armagideon Time that suddenly flips into The Magnificent Seven.See the full content of this document
Extract
The Mix: Stereo
THE ANSWER - EVERYDAY DEMONS (Alber...
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