Low-Noise

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of French musician Nicolas Godin in (just under) fifteen minutes. The French electronic music duo Air was formed in 1995 by Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Godin was born in Paris and studied architecture and Jean-Benoît Dunckel was a mathematics student. To begin with, Air was a solo project. Godin, an amateur musician, was asked by a friend to compose a song for a...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of Max Richter in (just under) twenty minutes. Richter was born in Hamelin, Germany and grew up in Bedford, England. He studied composition and piano at the University of Edinburgh and at the Royal Academy of Music. After completing his studies, Richter co-founded the contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus. He stayed with the group for ten years, commissionin...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Blue Nile in (just under) twenty minutes. The Blue Nile were a Scottish band, specifically three Glasgow natives: Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Joseph 'PJ' Moore, who had graduated from university there. Following support from artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Peter Gabriel, the group received critical acclaim, particularly for their first two album...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Clash together with their 1979 album 'London Calling' in (just under) thirty minutes. The Clash achieved critical and commercial success in the UK with the release of their eponymous debut album and second album Give 'Em Enough Rope however, it was their experimental third album London Calling, released in 1979, that earned them popularity in the United Stat...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1981 album 'Face Value' by Phil Collins in (just under) twenty minutes.  Face Value was an instant commercial success and reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart for three weeks. It has since sold over 1.5 million in the UK. The album received widespread praise from critics and launched Collins' solo career whose commercial success would ultimately outstrip tha...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the album '1972' by indie folk musician Josh Rouse in (just under) twenty minutes.  Released in 2003, 1972 is the fourth album by Rouse. Born in the rural town of Oshkosh, Nebraska, Rouse's family moved to various locations during his childhood including Utah, California, Wyoming, and Georgia. He began writing songs aged 18, and following his nomadic childhood,...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the song Love My Way (and The Psychedelic Furs) in (just under) fifteen minutes. The Psychedelic Furs formed in London in 1977. Led by vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim on bass, they are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scene. The band had several hits in their early career. Pretty in Pink was originally released in 1981 as a sin...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the pop band Frankie Goes To Hollywood in just under thirty minutes. Goes to Hollywood signed to ZTT Records in 1983. Their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome was released in 1984. Produced by Trevor Horn, it achieved advance sales of more than a million, and their first three singles, Relax, Two Tribes and The Power of Love, reached number one on the UK s...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of British, singer/songwriter Judie Tzuke in just under thirty minutes. Judie Tzuke was born Judie Myers in 1956. She is best known for her 1979 hit 'Stay with Me till Dawn', which reached number 16 on the UK singles chart. Tzuke's family relocated from Poland to England in the 1920s, and changed their surname from Tzuke to Myers, like other Jewish families from Ea...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1973 album 'Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid' by Bob Dylan in (just under) fifteen minutes. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is the twelfth studio album and first soundtrack album by Dylan, released by Columbia Records for the Sam Peckinpah film of the same name. Dylan himself appeared in the film as t...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1975 album 'A Night at the Opera' by Queen in (just under) twenty minutes. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber. Queen's previous album, Sheer Heart Attack had achieved commercial success and the single Killer Queen reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. Despite this success, the band was broke at the time, essentially due to a cont...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of American lyricist, singer, songwriter and painter Carole Bayer Sager in just under thirty minutes. Bayer Sager's first recording as a singer in her own right was the 1977 album Carole Bayer Sager. It included the hit single 'You're Moving Out Today', a song which she co-wrote with Bette Midler and Bruce Roberts. The single reached number 6 in the UK Singles Char...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the song There Is a Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths in (just under) fifteen minutes. Critics consider "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to be one of the Smiths' finest songs. Simon Goddard wrote, "In a straw poll among Smiths fans today, 'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' would more than likely still come out victorious", which he credits to the...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of British guitarist and singer-songwriter John Martyn in just under twenty minutes. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 albums, and was revered by his peers. The Times described him as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues". Before his late-career decline, Martyn was one of the most innovative...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Police in just under 20 minutes. Their 1978 debut album, Outlandos d'Amour, reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart on the strength of the singles "Roxanne" and "Can't Stand Losing You". Their second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), became the first of four consecutive No. 1 albums in the UK; its first two singles, "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of American singer, songwriter, and musician Kacey Musgraves in just under fifteen minutes. Musgraves is a seven-time Grammy Award winner who released her fifth studio album Deeper Well in March 2024. Born in Golden, Texas, Musgraves has been making music since she was eight. As a child, she was a champion yodeller and sang the national anthem at the 2002 Winter Ol...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Waterboys in just under 20 minutes. The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. Although over seventy musicians have performed live as part of the group, some have spent only a short time with the band, contributing to a single tour or album, while others have been long-term members with significant contribution. Mike Scott has remained the only constan...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the song Wand'rin' Star by Lee Marvin (in just under 20 minutes). The song was originally written for the stage musical Paint Your Wagon in 1951 and was recorded by Lee Marvin when the musical was translated in a movie in 1969. Released as a single in 1970, Wan'drin' Star became a number one hit in the UK. A sound-alike cover version appeared on the 1970 Top of...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of German musician, composer, and record producer Nils Frahm (in just under 20 minutes). Redefining the space between classical and electronic music, Frahm’s unconventional approach to the piano, played contemplatively and intimately, and his use of ambient textures and atmospheric electronica, has won him many fans across the globe. Frahm launched his own label LE...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1977 album 'Low' by David Bowie in (just under) fifteen minutes. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber. Bowie's eleventh album is an art/experimental record influenced by German bands such as Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Harmonia and Kraftwerk, Low features Bowie's first explorations in electronic and ambient styles. Side one consists primarily...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of The Bible in just under fifteen minutes. The band released two critically acclaimed albums in the mid-1980s and are best known for the hits 'Graceland' and 'Mahalia'. Since The Bible's first split in 1990, lead singer Boo Hewerdine has maintained a solo career while the band itself has been intermittently active, performing a 30th Anniversary concert (originally...

Manassas is a double album by the group Manassas, a blues-rock band led by Stephen Stills. Recorded towards the end of 1971 the album explored several musical styles including rock, latin, country and bluegrass. Released in 1972, it was a critical comeback for Stills, being certified Gold a month after being released and peaking at number 4 on the US album charts. Stills, a Civil War enthusiast, f...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of the 1979 album Tusk by Fleetwood Mac in (just under) fifteen minutes. In this episode I am in discussion with Dr. Andrew Webber. When contemplating their 12th album, Lindsey Buckingham was adamant about creating an album that sounded nothing like Rumours. Eager to embrace the modern sounds of New Wave and insprired by bands such as Talking Heads, Buckingham was...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of House of Love in just under fifteen minutes. The group rose to prominence in 1987 with their first single Shine On, released on the Creation label. In the US, I Don't Know Why I Love You, Marble and You Don't Understand were also popular on alternative rock radio stations. They disbanded in 1993 and after a hiatus of ten years, reformed in 2003. They have been c...

A (relatively) in-depth analysis of singer, songwriter and musician Mark Knopfler (in just under 15 minutes). As the front man of Dire Straits and later a composer of film soundtracks and solo artist, Knopfler is exceptionally skilled on the guitar, celebrated for his trademark fingerstyle technique and distinctive sound. As a songwriter, he is known for his unique blend of folk, roots, pub rock a...