Classic Album Sundays

Gilles Peterson speaks with CAS founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy about the influence of Sun Ra and why he believes “Sun Ra was the man, the ultimate artist for any vinyl collector”. Sun Ra was a one-off in the annals of jazz. As author Robert L. Campbell describes, “He claimed to be the last of the swing band leaders, yet dosed classic songs with LSD. He wrote poetry about the “coming space age” and...

This week’s episode looks at Kraftwerk  The Man-Machine . As the title suggests, this album successfully blends the boundaries between human and robot to the point where it’s unclear quite exactly what Kraftwerk are. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

Electronic music pioneers Orbital joined us as part of our celebrations for National Album Day 2018 to look back their iconic fourth album  In Sides . Orbital were interviewed by Classic Album Sundays founder and BBC 6music host Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy on the making of the album and its lasting legacy. Read more about your favourite albums here: classicalbumsundays.com

This Woman’s Work is a series highlighting classic albums by female artists who have made a lasting impact on music and pop culture. This time: the Grammy nominated live album, "Black Gold," by singer and pianist Nina Simone. It was recorded in front of a packed audience at Philharmonic Hall in New York City on October 26, 1969 and released in 1970.

We were delighted to be joined by Lekan Babalola (Fela Kuti’s political protege) at a Classic Album Sundays event in Birmingham where host Chris Watkiss was able to ask Lekan about his first hand experiences of working with Fela. For more on your favourite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

Our latest CAS Worldwide sees Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy digging deep into David Bowie Heroes . Although it was the second instalment of David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy,  “Heroes”  was in fact the only album to be written and recorded entirely within the city. The multi-instrumentalist Bowie was joined by many of the same musicians who had worked on his previous album, Low, including guitarist Carlos Alo...

Multi-award-winning musician and composer Nitin Sawhney joins Classic Album Sundays’ founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy to discuss his Mercury Music Prize nominated album  Beyond Skin . Sawhney will discuss his inspirations and the stories behind the album and the impact it had on British Music. Beyond Skin  portrays Sawhney’s reflections on British Asian identity and the pressing need for human being...

On today’s episode of ‘This Woman's Work’ we’re looking at the artist who inspired the name of this series: the singer-songwriter, dancer, and producer Kate Bush. ‘This Woman’s Work’ was the name of a single on Kate Bush’s sixth album. But this time, we’re backing up one album in Kate Bush’s catalog, to her fifth studio album,  Hounds of Love . Released in September 1985,  Hounds of Love was produ...

John Coltrane’s 1965 LP  A Love Supreme  is one of the landmarks in recorded jazz and a deeply spiritual work. It’s often viewed as Coltrane’s masterpiece and one of the greatest albums of all time. Denys Baptiste joins us to discuss the legacy of Coltrane and the impact of  A Love Supreme . Denys’ is a Coltrane expert who has performed A Love Supreme live on the biggest stages. For more on your f...

For this month's Album Club we will be joined by Kevin May and David McElroy, the authors behind the forthcoming book  Halo: The Story Behind Depeche Mode's Classic Album Violator . They will relay the inside scoop behind the band's seventh studio album - one that took the band to even greater heights. For more on your favourite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

Taking inspiration from the more extreme ends of guitar music, namely early-hardcore, dissonant no-wave, and a performance ethic that saw nothing wrong with playing the same note of feedback for half an hour, Sonic Youth were the Velvet Underground for the materialistic 1980s. Tune in as Colleen is joined by Sonic Youth founding member Thurston Moore to look back at 30 years of ‘Daydream Nation’....

The legendary jazz singer transformed pain into art on her 1956 album and inspired singers like Jose James and Paloma Faith. For more on your favorite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire and André de Ridder discuss ‘Snowflakes are Dancing’ by Japanese musician Isao Tomita. The album features arrangements of Debussy’s tone paintings, including Clair de Lune and The Girl with the Flaxen Hair. For more on your favorite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

The story behind 1975's The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, the first major left turn of Joni Mitchell’s already celebrated career. For more on your favorite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

How did an album about mental illness, mortality and the need for human empathy stay on the U.S. Billboard Charts for 741 weeks (14 years)? Nick Mason looks back on this boundary-pushing classic album. For more on your favorite records, visit classicalbumsundays.com .

 Classic Album Sundays tells the stories behind the albums that have shaped our culture and our lives. We are the world’s most popular and respected classic album listening event with satellites in four continents. Our website, social media channels, and our podcast are the hub for classic albums and artists. Visit us at https://classicalbumsundays.com/