Rock's Backpages Barney Hoskyns, Mark Pringle, Jasper Murison-Bowie

In this episode we're joined from Nashville by acclaimed critic, author and broadcaster Ann Powers for a discussion of her new Joni Mitchell book.
Starting in Ann's native Seattle, we hear about her early '80s pieces for The Rocket before moving on to her stints at the San Francisco Weekly and the New York Times. Mention of Piece by Piece, the 2005 book she wrote with Tori Amos, leads us to clips from Steven Daly's 1998 audio interview with Amos and a broader conversation about the wave of female singer-songwriters that engulfed pop music in the '90s.
Ann's noughties move to California and the L.A. Times prompts discussion of the "dreamlike" night she spent chez Prince on New Year's Eve, 2008. From there we jump to the life and music of an artist Prince admired more than most: Joni Mitchell, subject of Ann's remarkable new book Travelling. With particular focus of 50-year-old jazz-rock masterpiece Court and Spark, we explore the richness and complexity of Joni's '70s work, her deep engagement with the Black American experience, and the worship she's experiencing in the wake of the recent "Joni Jams".
Many thanks to special guest Ann Powers. Travelling: on the Path of Joni Mitchell is published by Harper Collins and available now from all good bookshops.
Pieces discussed: Ride the Unicorn: Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Tanita Tikaram, Tori Amos (1998), My Night with Prince, Joni's Jazz-rock and Fusion's Big Bang, A New Canon: In Pop Music, Women Belong at the Center of the Story, Louise: Sheepish in wolverine's clothing, Millie Jackson: The Poor People's Queen and Chvrches: "It only takes two seconds to say: I don't agree with white supremacy."

In this episode — our first-ever "field recording" — we travel up to North London to interview the legendary writer-photographer Val Wilmer.
Val takes us back to her earliest musical memories in Streatham, South London, and her immersion in the capital's '60s jazz and blues scenes. We hear about her first pieces for Jazz Journal and her experiences of interviewing (and photographing) the likes of blues singer Jesse Fuller. We also hear about her remarkable DownBeat interview with Jimi Hendrix from early 1968.
Val's classic 1977 book As Serious As Your Life — reissued in 2018 — provides the pretext for asking about her passionate championing of the "free jazz" of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and others. We focus on her 1966 Melody Maker encounter with the extraordinary Albert Ayler and the unsolved mystery of his death in 1970.
A discussion of Val's deep involvement in the women's movement leads us to clips from Ira Robbins 1994 audio interview with the late Lesley ('It's My Party') Gore — and in particular her startling photo-feminist classic 'You Don't Own Me', six decades young this year. Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on Alan Light's 1991 Rolling Stone interview with Queen Latifah.
Many thanks to special guest Val Wilmer. As Serious As Your Life is published by Serpent's Tail and available from all good bookshops.
Pieces discussed: Jimi Hendrix: An experience, Once Upon A Time In Williamsburg, Ayler: Mystic tenor with a direct hot line to heaven?, Memories of Hoppy: An interview with Val Wilmer, The New Jazz Gets With It (That Means With Contemporary Art), Tempo: Coltrane, Shankar and All That Rock & Roll, Coltrane, Davis, Monk, Mingus, Lesley Gore audio and Queen Latifah's New Gambit.

In this episode we welcome Fast Show legend Simon Day to downtown Hammersmith and ask him about his musical passions and the immortal Life Of Rock With Brian Pern.
We start with our guest's misspent youth in south-east London, where he frequently saw bands such as Dr. Feelgood and local lads Squeeze and even fronted his own punk combo Simon & the Virgins. We hear about his early days on the standup circuit and his close associations with Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and the gang that coalesced around The Fast Show. From there we discuss the genesis of his "prog'n'roll" alter ego Brian Pern and his affectionate lampooning of Peter Gabriel.
Clips from a 2003 audio interview with Steely Dan prompt an in-depth conversation about Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker. During this, Simon tells us how he first fell for the arch duo and we collectively compare notes on some of the group's greatest songs and albums.
After a brief mention of featured writer Dorian Lynskey and his new book Everything Must Go, Mark quotes from newly-added library pieces about Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and Beatles hairdresser Leslie Cavendish before Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on M. People's Heather Small and a particularly cantankerous Van Morrison.
Many thanks to special guest Simon Day.
Pieces discussed: Genesis Doing The Foxtrot, Genesis: No "Pale" Imitation, Seventies prog rockers Genesis are back, but are they welcomed?, All Apologies: Brian Pern, Steely Dan audio, Wayne Robins on the RBP podcast, Pete Seeger, Kendrick Lamar, Why do pop stars fall for conspiracy theories?, Dorian Lynskey on the RBP podcast, Mötley Crüe, Beatles hairdresser Leslie Cavendish, Elvis, The King Remembered — An oral history, Heather Small: Proud, Los Campesinos!, and A duel with Van Morrison.

In this episode we welcome the splendid Steffan Chirazi to RBP Towers and ask him about his career as a metal/hard rock specialist and his long association with the mighty Metallica.
We hear about our guest's lucky break as a 15-year-old Motörhead maniac when the band's frontman Lemmy gave up three hours to Steffan during the sessions for 1983's Another Perfect Day – and became a dear friend for life. Steffan then recounts how he got his foot in the door at Sounds and its enduring HM spinoff Kerrang!.
The first of many interviews with Metallica led to Steffan moving to San Francisco, where the band's bassist Cliff Burton showed him around town – only to die, tragically, in a car crash just months later. Clips from Barney's 1996 audio interview with Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield prompt a conversation about our guest's close involvement with the thrashmeisters and his eventual stewardship of their in-house mag-turned-website So What!
Following the metallic section of the episode we return to the older San Francisco of Haight-Ashbury and its '60s summer(s) of druggy love. Clips from Gene Sculatti and Davin Seay's 1984 audio interview with Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady – about to turn 80 as we record this episode – give us the chance to ask Steffan about the days of the Grateful Dead and their many hirsute friends. From there we switch to the rather different environment that was late '60s Detroit, paying tribute to poet, political firebrand and MC5 manager John Sinclair.
We circle back to Steffan's post-Kerrang! career and hear about his 1999 encounter with David Bowie before Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on newly-added library pieces about LL Cool J and Eels.
Many thanks to special guest Steffan Chirazi. Find him on Patreon at patreon.com/steffyspurs and read the Metallica magazine So What! at metallica.com. Listen to the official Metallica podcast at https://metallica.lnk.to/TheMetallicaReport.
Pieces discussed: Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister: The Man Behind the Myth, Metallica: Thrash on Delivery, Metallica audio, Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady audio, Portrait of the Artist: David Bowie, LL Cool J: Time Traveller and Eels: Shootenanny!.

In this episode we welcome revered High Llamas leader (and arranger to the hip and the mighty) Sean O'Hagan to Hammersmith and ask him about his life and times from Microdisney to new album Hey Panda.
We hear about Sean's Luton childhood, his family's move back to Ireland, and his 1980 encounter with the late Cathal Coughlan — the Corkonian with whom he formed the brave and brilliant Microdisney. Their path through '80s pop via Rough Trade and Virgin, and their eventual unravelling at the end of the decade, is discussed with reference to the new BBC documentary The Clock Comes Down the Stairs.
The birth of the High Llamas involves RBP's own Mark Pringle, who recalls his production work on the 1992 EP Apricots (a.k.a. Santa Barbara). The influence of Brian Wilson on the sound and aesthetic of 1994's Gideon Gaye and 1996's Hawaii leads to Sean's reminiscences of meeting the Beach Boys and (almost) producing them. A side story involves his amusing memories of backing another cult L.A. genius, Love's Arthur Lee, in London.
After we've heard clips from Mike Quigley's 1969 audio interview with Carl Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston, we return to the arc of the Llamas' story and ask Sean about the influence of contemporary R&B on the Llamas' Hey Panda.
Finally, Mark and Jasper talk us out with quotes from the pieces they've most enjoyed adding to the RBP library over the preceding fortnight.
Many thanks to special guest Sean O'Hagan. The High Llamas new album, Hey Panda, is out now; visit highllamas.com or your local record shop to get your hands on it.
Pieces discussed: The High Llamas: You Can Call Me Alpaca, The High Llamas: Lo-fi Heaven, The High Llamas: A Different Breed, An Improbable History: Microdisney Interviewed, The Beach Boys audio, Ted Nugent Unleashes His Little Ball of Fire, Leonard Bernstein: Lenny's song and dance in Vienna, Lounging with Mr Williams, So why exactly does David Gray have this effect on women? and Terence Trent D'Arby: Neither Fish Nor Flesh.

In this episode we welcome long-time RBP contributor Ira Robbins as he celebrates the 50th anniversary of the launch of his beloved Trouser Press.
Ira tells us about the musical Anglophilia that began for him with the Beatles but surged with the 1968 release of The Who Sell Out.  He then recounts the beginning of his friendship with schoolmate Dave Schulps and explains how it led to a shared obsession with the British music press.
The story of the 1974 launch of Anglophile fanzine Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press, in partnership with the late Karen Rose, is accompanied by quotes from a 2001 interview Ira gave to RockCritics.com. He talks about the years that followed the dropping of the "Trans-Oceanic" prefix, and about some of the contributors – more than a few female – who made Trouser Press such essential '70s reading.
After playing a clip from a 1975 audio interview Ira did with Cockney Rebel's late frontman Steve Harley – who died after this episode was recorded – we turn our attention to his more recent encounter with the rather more genial Nick Lowe. Clips from this 2007 conversation prompt a general appreciation of the Jesus of Cool's career from Kippington Lodge to Little Village via Elvis Costello and Johnny Cash.
After we've paid tribute to the departed Eric Carmen – with our guest disputing that (the) Raspberries were authentically "power pop" – Mark talks us out with quotes from the pieces he's most enjoyed adding to the RBP library over the preceding fortnight.
Many thanks to special guest Ira Robbins. Zip It Up! The Best of Trouser Press Magazine 1974–1984 is published by Trouser Press Books and available now via trouserpressbooks.com. 
Pieces discussed: Ira Robbins articles, The Story behind Trouser Press, Ira interviewed on RockCritics.com, Steve Harley audio, The New Wave Washes Out, Nick Lowe audio, Eric Carmen: Rock's Rejuvenated Raspberry, World Party, Charlie Watts, Was (Not Was), Rhythm and Blues and Kiss.