As I've posted before, Sean Rowley's All Back To Mine on BBC Radio Kent is the best music show on the wireless. And this week's show, available till Friday, is even better, cos there's a guest mix by … me!

I'm on at the end, publicising my little night Rock'n'RollSoul which is inching towards its 10th birthday on Friday Nov 4.

Listen at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00kg1tj/Sean_Rowley_All_Back_To_Mi...
… then share any comments here, and if you like what you hear of Rock'n'RollSoul, you'rte invited to come and find us on Facebook.

I'm in agreement with Metal Mickey in that the freewheeling era of 80s innovation effectively came to an end after Live Aid but I'd go further than that.

This year marks 20 years since Primal Scream's Screamadelica and - whatever you make of its merits - you'd have to concede that it would sound downright otherworldly if released 20 years previously.

In the 20 years before Screamadelica we went through West Coast singer-songwriters, prog, folk rock, glam, reggae, pub rock, disco, punk, two tone, new wave, NWOBHM, new romantic, goth, AOR, hardcore, C86 jangle pop, jazz-funk, hip-hop and acid house.

And since Screamadelica, pop music sounds ... well, not a lot different. 

So, did the second summer love effectively mark a full stop to pop innovation; the point at which everything had been tried? You can listen to all the grime, dubstep and witch house in the world but it won't offer the visceral shock of the new that would have been experienced had you played a Poco fan Higher Than The Sun.

What do you reckon, dear Massive?

This reminds me a tad of the Word podcast as it's nothing more than three chaps and a woman sitting around chewing the fat. One added advantage for me is that three of them (Eddie Piller, Paolo Hewitt and Martin Freeman) have DJed at my little club night http://www.rocknrollsoul.co.uk). It's Eddie Piller's Modcast, and touches upon music, movies, fashion, books and allsorts. A very entertaining hour.

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/modcast-eddie-piller-friends/id409149...

Everyone loves Dusty In Memphis, right? For a long time I put it down to Dusty's uniquely breathy vocal (not actually recorded in Memphis), or Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin's choice of backing musicians (The Memphis Cats and the Sweet Inspirations).

But at least part of its appeal surely lies in their choice of material. With four Goffin & Kings, two Randy Newmans, a Bacharach & David, and a Mann & Weill, they couldn't really go wrong.

I know Shelby Lynne recorded her own tribute, but until I heard the Hour Glass' album (early Allman Brothers incarnation, recorded at FAME), I never got to thinking how many other version of In Memphis tracks there are out there. And then I Heard Lou Rawls and The Honey Cone, and tried to track down the whole album as recorded by alternative artists.

I'd like to say it was my life's mission, but thanks to Spotify, it took about 20 minutes. So here's Dusty In Memphis, starring the aformentioned, plus Blood Sweat & Tears, Bettye Swann and Barbara Lewis …

http://open.spotify.com/user/thehorse1/playlist/6h8RjpAAGCaOj1IqPdWMnc

… and my question to the Massive is: can you construct a credible alternate version of any other album? If not, of course, this proves that Dusty In Memphis really is the best album ever.

Has anyone else noted the incongruity of the See Emily Play hitmakers' latest record deal?

After taking EMI to the High Court  - and winning - over the right not to divide their albums into individual downloads, under the terms of the new deal, they're now doing just that at the iTunes Music Store.

Could it be that the court case was merely Pink Floyd asserting how they wanted their music selling online - pricing, royalty rate etc - rather than some lofty desire to preserve the conceptual sanctity of Ummagumma?

There are some clues over at the iTunes store. Firstly. Pink Floyd downloads cost 99p rather than the more prevalent 79p price point (yes, even Speak To Me, which consists of approximately 30 seconds of silence, one computer-generated heartbeat and a scream).

However, if you want to enjoy the longer pieces integral to the band's reputation such as Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast ("Crap" - Pink Floyd), they are only available by shelling out for the entire album.

Is it any wonder that people download music illegally when labels trumpet a "record deal" that will never bring any new music into the world let alone any physical records as such? And bands spend their royalties pursuing court cases to assert their artistic integrity, while simultaneously finding new ways to charge top dollar for music we already own.

Anyone who enjoyed the Candyman's recent visit to Word towers and musing on where they might find any other podcasts even 50 per cent as erudite is hereby directed to Nostalgia For The Future, wherein the BBC London man talks to host Billy Reeves about his love for Tony Newley, Hieronymous Merkin and all.

It's always a good listen. I feel sure that the massive would also appreciate the episode with ace sessioneer turned samnple-clearing musicologist Ivan Chandler, and the Before They Were Famous instalment starring, um, me.

http://nostalgiaofthefuture.podbean.com/

Inspired by - oh, go one then - ripped off from the Word's Infinite Playlist idea, here's one for all in the Massive who like 60s soul, funk, psych and garage music.

http://open.spotify.com/user/thehorse1/playlist/2m8jjVhjIw9wKFAilMuNpb

Feel free to add anything which you think might get thw good folk at Rock'n'RollSoul tapping an appreciative foot, though I'll be checking to make sure nothing too off-message creeps in.

And if you like tunes like this, don't forget that you can also dance to them - for free! - downstairs at the Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell, London on the first Friday of every month. Or just hang round the bar.

More info at http://www.rocknrollsoul.co.uk and http://www.myspace.com/rocknrollsouluk

Sorry for the shameless plug, but Spotify really is blooming clever, isn't it?

Another week, another episode of All You Need Is Love that posed more questions than answers.

How can you devote an hour to the story of country music and omit to mention Earl Scruggs, Hank Williams or Johnny Cash? Or Willie Nelson and the whole Austin scene that was going on at the time of its making? No country rock, either, which I understand was quite popular.

With all the footage of rollercoasters and hotdog stands around Opryland, it briefly threatened to show the other side of the story before veering back up the mountains (and up its own arse). Scores of curious instruments were picked up and plucked without any explanation of what they actually were (Appalachian harp? Two-handed dulcimer?) or why folk in those parts felt such a strong urge to yodel. And, despite plentiful footage of bagpipes, it hardly touched the music's lineage in Scots and Irish folk. Instead we got a Cajun wedding, the Opry's equivalent of a pearly queen, and a rather rubbish child prodigy playing on pop's stoop.

It was the same last week, when the story of rhythm and blues and soul somehow contrived to leave out Sam Cooke, James Brown and Jackie Wilson then ended with Elvis getting signed.

Some of the footage is undeniably great, and the series is best enjoyed as a moving musical tableau, washing over you late on a Friday night in a sleepy red wine fug. It has a dream-like quality, for sure, but absolutely no coherence. Rather than the "the story of popular music", All You Need Is Love strikes me as several stories, with some popular music, lots of unpopular music, and a load of charmingly random other stuff.

Should I stick with it?

I remember hearing on the podcast that Mr Hepworth uses Airport Express to stream music from his computer to speakers in the living room.

This is a quick heads-up for him, and anyone who does the same. The new ITunes 8 has a bug in it, making compatibility with the Airport Express an issue. You'll find that it comees up with an Unknown Error.

What you need to do is update your Airport Express firmware to 6.3 (free download at Apple's site), and also ensure that ITunes sharing is enabled in the Firewall section of System Preferences.

All a bit irritating, though I'm sure Word readers will appreciate the new Genius feature which compiles bespoke playlists of things you already own, and things you might like to buy, from every track in your library.

I just wanted to be able to post this...

You got 5 of 5 correct.
Your score: 100%

This Morrissey/NME controversy means we now have the nucleus of a corking supergroup. Garry Bushell could drum up some press, the Mail On Sunday could give away the album, Ron Mael could advise on their "look"....

On vocals, it's Stephen Patrick "the gates are flooded" Morrissey.

On drums, it's Phil "if Labour get in, I'm leaving the country" Collins.

On guitar, it's Eric "we should send them all back... Keep Britain white" Clapton.

On piano, it's Elvis "Ray Charles is a blind, ignorant n-----. Oh, did I say that? I was terribly drunk at the time" Costello.

But who could be the bassist? Are they all frighteningly PC? Or just so boring that no-one asks their opinion on anything?

After paying £1,000 for a ticket, you pick up a flyer advertising next summer's stadium gigs

Jason Bonham is allowed to have a ctack at 'Moby Dick'. For 20 minutes.

Mobile phones are held aloft during 'The Battle Of Evermore'

Jimmy Page wears the baggy powder blue chinos that he had on at Knebworth '79.

The acoustic segment encompasses 'Black Dog' and 'Rock'n'Roll'

"We're gonna do some our solo stuff now, starting from Jimmy's time in The Firm."

Phil Collins comes on to reprise Live Aid's "two drumers" brainwave.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you saw him earlier.... Paolo Nutini!"

So, Morrissey has decided to give NME his thoughts about immigration, the "gates" to the country being "flooded", that sort of thing. Perhaps understandably, they've splashed them all over the cover along with the amusing headline "Bigmouth Strikes Again!"

However there's been a whole world of plea bargaining going on behind the scenes in the run-up to this piece, including assurances that the article wouldn't be controversial, a rewrite by "the NME" (do I detect the hand of Sutho?), and the original writer, Tim Jonze, requesting that his name be taken off it.

On hearing that the piece was going to be "stronger" than expected, Moz's manager fired off a legal letter to NME. Not sure, though, that his case will be helped any by him publishing this letter, clearly marked "Not for publication".

Still, for now, enjoy this revealing insight into the workings of the music press.

http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_071127_01

2007 has been a fantastic year for singles. A glance at my iPod's 'Best Of 2007' playlist reveals great work by the likes of Cold War Kids, Feist, Sarabeth Tucek, The Troubadours, Operator Please, King Creosote, Cherry Ghost, Candie Payne, The Hours, David Vandervelde, Glasvegas, The Draytones, Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip and even Groove Armada.

However, just occasionally a record stops you in your tracks. Maybe not immediately, in this case, but definitely around the 2 minute mark.

Remember the first time you heard that metallic 'clunk' on Radiohead's 'Creep'? Or the rattly balalaikas on Portishead's 'Sour Times'? Well prepare to be spellbound by a 22-year-old from Wales who, until earlier this year, was still working in a shop yet somehow conjures the indefatigable spirit of Marianne Faithfull and Ronnie Spector.

My only worry is that this record is already overexposed; that its creator will never be able to live up to its promise. But, for now, enjoy an ode to one of the less salubrious areas of the Wirral in the company of Duffy.

(And do post if you think I'm getting carried away.)

The ever-excellent Health & Happiness and Sonic Cathedral club nights came together last night to celebrate the life of Lee Hazlewood.

Pete Aves of the High Llamas (a member of Lee's backing band in 2002 and 2004) acted as MC, offering lots of reminiscences about the great man. Apparently, Charles Shaar Murray's one-word review of 'Poet, Fool Or Bum' ("Bum") still stung late into Lee's life. He once said, "I'm 74 years old, but if I ever saw that guy I'd punch his lights out."

Among the performances were a unique splicing of The Tambourines and The Left Outsides, Holton's Opulent Oog with Lisa Bilson of The Loose Salute, Pete and his band, the still-fragrant Dot Allison, and The Magic Numbers.

Footage of Lee's 78th birthday party was screened, as well as 'Cowboy In Sweden', and unique Lee badges and stick-on droopy moustaches were on sale in support of his favourite charity, the Arizona Salvation Army.

The whole thing was pleasantly ramshackle with some genuinely magical moments. It was packed, but anyone who feels that they wished they'd heard about the event and others like it (the same guys did a tribute to Syd Barrett and a paisley-underground afternoon featuring The White Stripes), should keep checking:
http://www.soniccathedral.co.uk
http://www.healthandhappiness.co.uk
http://www.rocknrollsoul.co.uk