filter
フィルター
MCQMUSICMONTHLY - MCQミュージックマンスリー MAY 2026 - 2026年5月
Nicky
Albums
Archive Long Player of the Week
New & Current Releases
The Beach Boys / Pet Sounds
Beyond some folks personal preference for the records immediately following Pet Sounds (1967's Smiley Smile to 1971's Surf's Up in particular), many would argue the actual sound of much modern music purportedly influenced by the Beach Boys is closer in execution to what the band did in the wake of Pet Sounds (and for that matter, Smile). Obviously, there's no foolproof way to measure how someone might channel inspiration from a single record, Pet Sounds or otherwise; however, much more certain is the feeling that very few musicians are making active decisions to "try to top Pet Sounds." In this light, just as with other perennially lauded pop/rock records, Pet Sounds is as much tautology as musical document. (Interestingly, this also seems to have been Brian Wilson's attitude beginning in mid-1967.)
Sixty years after release, then, while the album's initially disappointing (at least to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys) chart showing has been vindicated by a perpetual reservoir of new fans and adoring critics - not to mention still being commercially viable enough to support on-going live productions and similarly perpetual ways of reissuing the music - talking about the music, or how the music makes you feel isn't much easier than it was in 1966. Very famous people waste no time in offering testimonials to Pet Sounds' greatness, but (probably wisely) stick to short statements about how important the record was to them as artists and musicians, or just how beautiful its music is.
Pet Sounds was made during the period in 1965-66 when Brian stopped touring with his band, preferring to stay home and work on tracks. His decision to work with lyricist Tony Asher for most of the songs freed him further to focus on music. This not only translated to backing tracks of considerably more nuance and subtlety than even Brian's recent apexes "California Girls" and the Beach Boys Today! LP, both from 1965, but similarly well-crafted chord progressions and choral arrangements.
The most famous songs; "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Sloop John B", "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)", "Caroline No" are no less gorgeous now than they have always been. The hymnal aspect of many of these songs seems no less pronounced, and the general air of deeply heartfelt love, graciousness and the uncertainty that any of it will be returned are still affecting to the point of distraction.
Brian's instrumental arrangements for the album, while again justly praised (especially by other musicians), were related to concurrent productions by Juan Garcia Esquivel, Les Baxter, Martin Denny, and a host of other exotica producers, in both the kinds of instruments used, and the stylistic appropriation of, say, percussion and string instruments from other countries. In fact, Brian was the only one of these people not producing music in stereo at the time, which might explain why it took so long for bands (and not just the Stereolab kind) to borrow as much from his instrumental tracks as from his vocal ones.
How often do you need help recalling the emotions Pet Sounds provokes inside you? If you haven't lived with the record day in and day out, chances are, it's still a pretty fresh experience. However, if the music is practically family to you, check out the 40th anniversay DVD stuff if you can, and watch the album's effects wind and rewind their way through lives and cultures in the meantime.
Released: 16 May 1966.
Produced By: Brian Wilson.
Label: Capitol Records.
Frank Zappa / Zappa '66 Vol. 1: Live At TTG Studios
Historical unreleased performances of Frank Zappa and the early Mothers Of Invention recorded in conjunction with a documentary film entitled “Sex In Today’s World.” Zappa was asked to stage a full fledged “Freak Out” complete with lights, smoke and featuring the typical Freak contingent of Los Angeles including Vito Paulekas and Carl Franzoni. The footage would serve as an example of the current Freak events and the youth culture of LA and beyond. Recorded in October 1966, the band was going through a transition gaining an additional drummer and percussionist in Billy Mundi and the first appearance of Don Preston on keyboards. Also, the tapes are significant as they are the only Vault recordings with session guitar player Del Casher in the group. Vaulternative Records is being re-launched in 2026, with items curated and produced by Vaultmeister Joe Travers, serving as complements to the main Zappa Catalog in the spirit of Frank Zappa’s original mail-order company from the ‘80s - Barfko-Swill.
Ian Dury and The Blockheads / Live In London 1980
First ever CD release for this incredible live concert from Ian Dury & The Blockheads at London’s Dominion Theatre on Christmas Eve 1980. Originally transmitted as a special TV performance for the ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ on BBC2 TV and for John Peel on BBC Radio 1. This live album is exclusively partnered with a bonus second CD of long out of print live album ‘Live! Warts 'N' Audience....Plus!’ recorded at the Brixton Academy a decade later in December 1990 presented together in deluxe 2CD gatefold packaging. With The Blockheads now featuring former Dr Feelgood frontman, Wilko Johnson on guitar taking the place of the now departed Chaz Jankel the live show also features additional musicians Don Cherry (father of Neneh) and Topper Headon (The Clash) in addition to the Blockheads line up of lan Dury, Davey Payne, John Turnbull, Norman Watt-Roy, Mickey Gallagher and Charlie Charles. The vinyl version of this live set was pressed and issue on Record Store Day back in April.
Bill Evans / At The BBC - The Complete 1965 London Sets
Rare and previously unreleased recordings from the BBC archives of master pianist and huge US jazz star Bill Evans. It’s the first official release of the historic Jazz 625 show at the BBC Television Theatre, Shepherd's Bush, on 19th March 1965 by the Bill Evans Trio. Transferred from the original tape reels at the BBC and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab.This deluxe limited-edition 180-gram 2LP set includes an extensive insert with rare photographs from the show and liner notes by acclaimed jazz critic and author Marc Myers. That, and restoration aside, the sound quality is abysmal. Approach with caution.
Lemon Twigs / Look For Your Mind!
New to this album is the inclusion of live Twigs Reza Matin (drums) and Danny Ayala (bass), as well as Eva Chambers of Tchotchke, to the rhythm section. With the brothers previously having handled everything in the studio themselves, this shows a new-found sense of freedom. “Gather Round” is one of Look For Your Mind!’s bigger productions. Musically it’s ornate and delightfully 1967, but the mood and sentiment is distinctly 2026. “Every time we try to write something that’s completely straightforward, we can’t help adding an element which comes out of left field.” explains Brian. Brian’s “Fire And Gold” starts off with a ringing power pop riff before turning everything inside out. It’s also the first song on the album to feature the powerhouse drummer Reza Matin, whom the brothers favourably compare to Big Star’s Jody Stephens. This sixth studio album may at first seem like a direct continuation of the previous two, but it is also a lot more, with nods to the earlier records, a new found collective spirit, and most importantly great songwriting.
Books + Media
The Shadows: The Definitive Story / Bob Stanley
This is the first definitive biography of the Shadows, one of the most influential British groups of all time. A book that rightly places the band in the pantheon of all time British greats who changed music forever. It is a story of soaring triumphs and crushing lows. Of Soho coffee bars and northern cabaret. Of faith and disillusionment and of some of the most unique and deathless recordings of all time.
Told by lifelong fan and bestselling, critically acclaimed music historian Bob Stanley, and featuring a foreword by Cliff Richard, this is the story of how a group of working-class boys from Newcastle upon Tyne became the biggest act in the UK before the Beatles revolution of 1963.
Scoring thirty-four hit singles under their own name, the Shadows landed a further thirty-five hits alongside Cliff Richard who – along with other surviving members – has spoken exclusively to Bob for the book. 'The Shadows' aims to cement the group’s legacy as one of the most significant and commercially successful British acts of all time and the world's first pop group. Due 24 September 2026.
Elsewhere, there's The Rolling Stones Biography / Bob Spitz. At its heart it's the story of two boys, Mick and Keith, and their unique, fraught, alchemical bond, often tested, never sundered. Bandmates, like Charlie Watts, made the trip intact, while others, like Brian Jones and Mick Taylor, struggled and were chewed up. The story has many dark corners, including a surprising number of deaths. But whether Jagger and Richards sold their souls to the devil for blues greatness or not, their connection to their music and to each other puts them in a category of one, where they very much remain.
Film: Northern Soul: Still Burning
The musical and cultural phenomenon of Northern Soul has kept burning for over six decades. Discarded black soul artists in the US became underground legends across the UK’s Northern Soul clubs through rare vinyl records and legendary all-nighters. This epic story of Northern Soul, from its working class origins to super clubs like Wigan Casino, burns ever stronger with a new generation of fans who carry the torch for great soul music and kinship on the dancefloor.
With rare and restored archive footage from the time this comprehensive film features exclusive interviews and key insights from Ian Dewhirst, Richard Searling, Paul Mason, Ian Levine, Elaine Constantine, Kev Roberts, Russ Winstanley, David Nathan, Lewis Henderson, Will Foot, Wayne Hemingway, Dave Evison, Keith Gildart, Levanna McLean, Tony Blackburn, John Bratton, Stephen Riley, Jordan Wilson, Brian Rigby, Ian Wills, Tim Brown, Marie Gillespie, Neil Rushton, Frank Orrell, Lee Jeffries, Julian Palmer, Christine Fiddler, Francesco Mellina and many, many more.
Featuring 40+ northern soul tracks including Frank Wilson’s Do I Love You (Indeed I Do), Gloria Jones’ Tainted Love, The Furys’ I’m Satisfied With You, Bob & Earl’s Harlem Shuffle and Brooke Combe’s How Can I Tell You (To Love Me More).
Check local listings from 15 May.
Elsewhere, check out Iron Maiden doc, Burning Ambition, before it arrives on Netflix in the coming weeks/months. Using animations of Eddie and talking-head interviews with famous fans, the doc traces the group’s East London origins, whilst galvanizing a loyal fan base that would see Maiden go onto headline arenas and stadiums around the globe.
Tube
