Classic Album Sundays

CAS founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy speaks with Keith Killgo, a founding member of The Blackbyrds, about their seminal jazz-funk album Flying Start . The Blackbyrds were inspired by jazz trumpet player and educator Donald Byrd and the band featured some of Byrd's Howard University students. They signed to Fantasy Records in 1973 and in 1974, released two albums, their eponymously titled debut and t...

Classic Album Sundays founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy chats with 808’s State’s Graham Massey to explore their breakthrough album ex:el - an electronic landmark album which reached number 4 on the UK Album Charts in 1991. It was ground-breaking with its catchy melodies sung by guests vocalists Bernard Sumner of New Order and Bjork underpinned by 808’s states heavy acid house / techno sound. Massey r...

CAS founder Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and British indie-dance trio Saint Etienne explore their debut album 'Foxbase Alpha' in this podcast in an interview recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event at The British Library. Colleen is joined by Saint Etienne bandmembers Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event held at the British Library in October 2024. When...

CAS founder Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and French-African musician, producer and songwriter Wally Badarou explore his cult classic 1984 solo LP 'Echoes' in this podcast in an interview taken from a Classic Album Sundays event at KEF Music Gallery. Badarou’s 1984 solo LP features Balearic and club classic ‘Chief Inspector’ and ‘Mambo’, memorably sampled by Massive Attack on their classic single ‘Daydre...

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy sits down with British jazz-funk pioneer and Incognito founder Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick to explore '100° and Rising' 30 years after the album's release. Incognito were pioneers of the acid jazz movement and this album released on Gilles Peterson’s Talking Loud label in 1995 had crossover appeal reaching #11 on the UK Albums Chart and #2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. The a...

This interview was recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event at the KEF Music Gallery with Level 42 founding members Mike Lindup and Phil Gould. They take a look back to their worldwide breakthrough LP, 1985's World Machine. This is the album in which Level 42 transitioned from a straight up jazz-funk outfit into a funky pop band and reached number 3 on the UK Album Charts. The album featured a fe...

Radiohead’s second album The Bends was released on the 13th March, 1995 and exactly 30 years later Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy interviewed producer John Leckie on the story behind the album at an event at The British Library. The interview was followed by an uninterrupted vinyl playback of the full album on British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins’ iconic 800 Series loudspeakers, which were used in the...

In this interview with Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Suede’s Brett Anderson and Mat Osman explore the stories behind the making of the band’s sophomore album and reflect upon its significance today. The interview took place on the 13th October, 2024, and was a feature of a Classic Album Sundays listening event at the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room in association with National Album Day.  Suede’s second...

Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy walks the Guyana-born musician through his career starting with co-founding the first British multi-racial band, The Equals, to his classic album ‘Walking on Sunshine’, his Top 40 hit ‘Electric Avenue’ and the founding of his own genre, ringbang, with many insights and anecdotes in between.

"Illmatic," the seminal debut album by Nas, is a magnum opus in the world of hip-hop, revered for its immaculate craftsmanship and profound cultural impact. Crafted under the watchful eyes of renowned producers like DJ Premier and Large Professor, it marries Nas' lyrical genius with impeccably sampled beats, creating a sonic landscape that epitomizes the gritty realism of 1990s New York. Its influ...

We feature The Flaming Lips tenth studio album  Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots  for our March Classic Album Sundays Worldwide Podcast. The album was well-received critically and commercially, helping the band break into the mainstream, and was adapted into a musical in 2012.  Uncut  declared that “even by their standards,  Yoshimi  is astonishing. Read more about your favourite albums: classicalb...

On this episode of the Classic Album Sundays podcast, Colleen focuses on  Off the Wall , the fifth studio album from American pop royalty Michael Jackson. The record demonstrates the departure from the Motown period of Jackson’s career and the development of his pop, disco and funk melded sound, going on to define his career as a solo artist. Read more about your favourite albums here: classicalbu...

We were delighted to be joined by harpist  Alina Bzhezhinska  for our latest Classic Album Sundays Podcast show focussed on Alice Coltrane ‘Journey In Satchidananda’. Alina recently performed the music of Alice Coltrane along with Pharoah Sanders Quartet & Denys Baptiste at London’s iconic Barbican Centre so we were able to get her first hand insights on what it’s like to perform this amazing...

We were recently lucky enough to be joined by legendary Detroit beat maker Amp Fiddler as he shared with us some tales from the early days of working with J Dilla at his basement in his Detroit home. Thanks also go out to Boiler Room’s Raj Chaudhuri who interviewed Amp and also gave us his personal insights into Dilla’s music. Read more about your favourite albums here: classicalbumsundays.com

Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" stands as an ethereal masterpiece that transcends the boundaries of traditional music. Released in 1968, this seminal album takes listeners on a transformative journey through its introspective and poetic musings. Morrison's soulful voice blends seamlessly with a fusion of jazz, folk, and classical elements, creating a rich tapestry of sound. The album's lush instrume...

My Bloody Valentine's seminal album, 'Loveless,' stands as a groundbreaking masterpiece in the realm of shoegaze and alternative rock. Released in 1991, it encapsulates the band's visionary approach to sound and their pioneering use of textured layers and swirling guitars. The album's ethereal melodies and dreamlike atmospheres create a mesmerising sonic experience, where every track is a sonic jo...

Recorded over two years, the album is arguably Stevie’s finest hour and is also one of the greatest albums of all time as it contains hit after hit. “Sir Duke”, “I Wish”, “Pastime Paradise”, “Isn’t She Lovely”, “As” and “Another Star” are all included making this truly a masterpiece. To make an album that doesn’t contain an average song is hard enough, let alone doing it on a double album as Stevi...

D'Angelo's 2000 album, ‘Voodoo’, is a timeless masterpiece that redefined the sound of neo-soul music. With its seamless blend of funk, jazz, and soul, ‘Voodoo’ is a stunning showcase of D'Angelo's impeccable musicianship and his unique approach to songwriting. At its core, ‘Voodoo’ is an album that celebrates the rich musical heritage of black culture. From the infectious grooves of "Devil's Pie"...

Nightmares on Wax's 1999 album ‘Carboot Soul’ is a classic in the trip-hop genre. The album features a perfect blend of downtempo beats, soulful samples, and chilled-out vibes. Tracks like "Les Nuits" and "Survival" showcase the unique sound and style that Nightmares on Wax is known for, making "Carboot Soul" a must-listen for any trip-hop fan. Read more about your favourite albums here: classical...

Talk Talk's 'Spirit of Eden', released in 1988, is a seminal album in the realm of experimental rock. It's an introspective and haunting work that features atmospheric, jazz-influenced arrangements, with sparse instrumentation that allows for Hollis' emotive and haunting vocals to shine through. The album marked a departure from the band's previous more commercially-oriented sound, but it remains...

On this edition of the Classic Album Sundays Podcast Colleen explores The Rolling Stones‘s  Exile on Main Street , the tenth studio album from the English rock band which mixes unexpected various styles and genres. Despite receiving mixed reviews on release, the album is now celebrated as the band’s best album and is consistently cited as one of the greatest albums of all time. Read more: classica...

By the middle of the 1980s Kate Bush had reached the apex of her career with Hounds of Love . The album featured the most powerful and intriguing songs of her discography thus far, demonstrating just how incredible her sonic storytelling had become. Resisting the frenetic pace of a typical major label release schedule, Bush would spend another four years crafting her followup, with only sporadic s...

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy is joined by the 80-year-old Queen of Brazilian Jazz, Flora Purim, from her home in Brazil to discuss her iconic 1973 LP 'Butterfly Dreams'. Influenced by both traditional Brazilian singers and the improvisations of American jazz divas like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Flora Purim was one of the most adventurous singers of the 1970s. After meeting and marrying her husb...

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy celebrates the incredible polymath, innovator and musical thinker Brian Eno for the 30th anniversary of his experimental album, 'Nerve Net'. In this never-before-broadcast interview with Brian recorded back in 1992, Colleen and Brian get into everything from Maoism and Chinese opera, to Shostakovich and organic instruments, to Jeff Koons and Shamanism in music. So sit back a...

Grace Jones recorded her fifth album (and her second New Wave inspired departure from her 70s disco recordings) in Bahamas with a stellar set of musicians known as the Compass Point Allstars. The musicians included Jamaican chart toppers, Sly & Robbie, keyboardist and silent member of Level 42, Wally Badarou, among others all under the direction of Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell and i...