THE ULTIMATE SINGER-SONGWRITER ALBUM, Blue by Joni Mitchell is 50 years young; MOJO discovers how love and loss shaped its genesis, and its genius. Also in the issue: The Black Keys on their blues heroes; The Troggs on wild times and Wild Thing; Noel Gallagher on why he doesn’t rate Wonderwall; Redskins’ soul-punk revolution remembered; the dawn of Big Star; and a definitive guide to the essential purchases of Record Store Day. Plus: Can, Roky Erickson, Sons Of Kemet, Northern Soul, Lucy Dacus, John Grant, Stiff Records, Talulah Gosh and much, much more.
THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is curated and compiled by The Black Keys, bringing together some of their favourite blues nuggets – by James Cotton, Mississippi Fred McDowell, RL Burnside, Jessie Mae Hemphill and more – plus tracks by the The Black Keys themselves.
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CONTENTS MOJO 332
COVER STORY: JONI MITCHELL Blue, Joni’s first masterpiece, celebrates its Golden Jubilee. MOJO charts its epic odyssey of love and pain. The best record by the best singer-songwriter of our times? Just ask David Crosby.
THE BLACK KEYS Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney return to their garage-blues roots to hymn their top ten heroes: Howlin’ Wolf, Son House, Junior Kimbrough and more.
NOEL GALLAGHER Wit and wisdom from Britpop’s hedonist-in-chief turned solo seeker. Find out which of his songs he hates and why he’s “such a fucking Gemini”.
BIG STAR The patron saint of luckless bands was born 50 years ago. But whose group was it, really? And what were the real reasons behind its untimely doom?
REDSKINS On the political battlefield of ’80s Britain, their punk-rock soul and street-smart Harringtons stood out. Then their singer all but vanished. Why?
THE TROGGS How Reg Balls changed his name and Wild Thing changed their lives. Eyewitnesses recall the ribaldry, rip-offs and an electrocuted lion.
SONS OF KEMET For a decade, the pack leaders of Brit Jazz have brought sax fire, percussive flair and topical discourse: “It’s about our freedom to be multiple.”
REVIEWED Lucy Dacus / Can / Lambchop / Wolf Alice / Billy Gibbons / Sleater-Kinney / Crowded House / Faye Webster / James / BLK JKS / Gary Louris / Reigning Sound / John Grant / Greentea Peng / Johana Samuels / Earl Slick / Don Cherry / Amy Winehouse / Grateful Dead
PLUS Roky Erickson is resurrected / Merry Clayton seeks shelter / Record Store Day’s best buys revealed / How To Buy... Stiff Records / Shaun Ryder talks Mumbo Jumbo / Jim Morrison’s written works / Inside the Wigan Casino / Hello, Rodrigo Amarante and Cassandra Jenkins / Farewell, Jim Steinman, Les McKeown, Shock G / Liz Phair digs Yazoo!