In this issue

542 March In this issue: Pink Floyd Dark Side special; Alan Parsons RC Interview; The Jam 1982 photo-by-photo; Jeff Beck, David Crosby and Tom Verlaine remembered; Sam Brown and Imagination interviews; Van Morrison on new skiffle album; and much more

Obsession?

Record collectors can cop flak for their passion. But if more people understood the psychology of record collecting, might they cut we collectors more slack?, asks Tim Jones

9 mins

The Collector

Retired plumber Stephen George tells us, \"My aunt first encouraged me to collect records 62 years ago and I never stopped.

6 mins

VALUE ADDED FACTS

\"RELAXED, IMPROVISED MUSIC, DEFYING CATEGORY\"

10 mins

Diggin' For GOLD

Our regular look at the more arcane corners of record collecting. Includes Label Of Love

10+ mins

Jeff Beck: 1944-2023

Just how good he sounded in his seventies was made clear by his last album, 18

5 mins

David Crosby: 1941-2023

"When I started writing things like Guinnevere, I began to hit my stride"

5 mins

Not Forgotten

Tom Verlaine and Lisa Marie Presley are fondly recalled

8 mins

MUSIC TO VISIT

Bob Stanley carries pop's baggage everywhere.  In search of the King's forgotten 45s.

4 mins

MACON BLACK

Ian McCann plays old sounds to new ears

4 mins

DAVID QUANTICK LIKES

To write a column for Record Collector. Yay He's gonna dress you up in his love

3 mins

AUTEUR TO AUTHOR

Luke Haines writes the shuk out of rock'n'roll Cale'n'arty

3 mins

33½ minutes with...Francis Rossi

"Quo's last record got 3.5m streams... which is apparently fuck-all"

5 mins

Alan Parsons – "It Was Pure Convenience"

So Alan Parsons tells Jo Kendall, looking back on the opportunity that took him from EMI lab lackey to Abbey Road engineering icon. But his production work with The Beatles, Hollies, Pink Floyd, Pilot, Al Stewart, Ambrosia and more wasn't the end of the story. When Parsons met musician and producer Eric Woolfson, his creativity translated into the enormously successful Alan Parsons Project, and a long-lasting solo career to sit alongside his Art & Science Of Sound Recording educational programme and occasional forays as not just a technical wizard, but a real life one, too. Oh, oh, oh, it's magic, you know...

10+ mins

SNAP!

At the height of The Jam's success, the band commissioned 21-year-old freelance photographer Neil \"Twink\" Tinning to follow them around both in the studio and on the road and take reportage photos. The resulting shots appear in Rick Buckler and Zoe Howe's new book, The Jam 1982, which documents a year when the band were arguably the biggest in Britain, their splenetically intense gigs attended by a fanatical fanbase. Before an autumn tour taking in five Wembley Arena shows in December of that year, Paul Weller, 24, announced the band would split as \"I'd hate us to end up old and embarrassing like so many other groups do\". Here, Rick Buckler (left) takes us through a selection of Twink's best shots from a year when The Jam seemed to rule the Modern World.

5 mins

Living Doll

Sam Brown, the singer-songwriter behind 1989 Top 5 hit (and attendant LP of the same title) Stop!, is back with a new album despite having lost the ability to sing in 2007. She tells Charles Donovan how she managed it.

8 mins

Flashback

With a 17-album retrospective on the shelves, Daryl Easlea catches up with Leee John, the flamboyant leader of glossy 80s pop-soul act Imagination whose camp aesthetic shouldn't preclude their entry to the post-Chic pantheon.

10 mins

Everything Under The Sun: The Dark Side Of The Moon at 50

Pink Floyd's eighth studio album, The Dark Side Of The Moon, is one of the cornerstones of modern music., capturing a band at their peak, honing and refining the experimentation of their recent past into linear progressive pop songs. Haunted by the spectre of their absent leader Syd Barrett, and bewildered by the rituals of adulthood, Roger Waters wrote of ageing, war, religion, avarice and lunacy in a manner so recognisable that it has resonated down the ages. As for its artwork, nestling just behind Sgt Pepper's bass drum, the prism on the album's cover is one of the most iconic in rock. The icing on the VCS 3, Waters' vision would be nothing without the textures provided by David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the album, issued originally on 1 March 1973, Mike Barnes and Jo Kendall explore this classic from new angles, from the live shows that shaped the record to the music press reaction. They meet the young woman behind the lens on tour, and assess the album's impact on the next generation. And Stefano Tarquini and Joe Geesin provide expert discographical detail...

10 mins

Tales Of The Unexpected

Luke Haines' 90s infamy revisited.

5 mins

Memory Lane

Northern Irish icon has a blast reworking the music of his teens.

4 mins

Of The Highest Disorder

Parenthood and politics interweave with ace pop as a revered talent re-engages.

4 mins

Flights Of Fancy

Frenchman's expansive ninth album wistfully yearns for the 20th century.

4 mins

Attack Mode

Nottingham duo broaden their musical horizons without losing their edge on masterful 12th.

5 mins

UNDER THE RADAR

Artists, bands, and labels meriting more attention

4 mins

THE ENGINE ROOM

The unsung heroes who helped forge modern music

4 mins

Read all stories from Record Collector

Record Collector Magazine Description:

Record Collector Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated to all aspects of record collecting, from the latest releases to rare and vintage vinyl. It is published by Metropolis Group The magazine covers a wide range of topics, including:

* New releases: Record Collector Magazine reviews new albums from all genres, including rock, pop, jazz, blues, and classical music.
* Reissues: The magazine also reviews reissues of classic albums, as well as box sets and compilations.
* Rare and vintage vinyl: Record Collector Magazine features articles on rare and vintage vinyl, including profiles of record labels, artists, and producers.
* Collecting tips: The magazine provides tips on how to start collecting records, how to care for your collection, and how to find the best deals.
* Record collector interviews: Record Collector Magazine interviews record collectors from all walks of life, from celebrities to everyday people.

Record Collector Magazine is known for its high-quality journalism, its informative and engaging articles, and its commitment to providing its readers with the latest news and information about the record collecting world.