Deliver Me From The Legend: Myth, Music, and the Making of Nebraska

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So, a year on from the Bob Dylan biopic, it’s now the turn of the “new Dylan” to appear on the big screen. And in another simple twist of fate, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and A Complete Unknown share similar failings; both films insist on framing their subjects as artistic martyrs, locked in a battle for creative bravery. But, thankfully that’s where the similarities end. For unlike the paint-by-numbers, sanitised tedium of last year’s Dylan movie, director Scott Cooper understands the capital rule of a great music biopic: make the movie in the spirit of the subject. Deliver Me From Nowhere is dark, depressing, intimate, slow-moving, and emotional, which is pretty much what listening to Nebraska feels like. So, as a counterpart to the album, and the larger myth around it, it’s a fine example of what a music biopic should be.

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Jeremy Allen White shines in the title role, capturing more than Springsteen’s mannerisms and voice, and moving into that eerie place where actors inhabit another person’s being. His vocals are scarily good, less imitation and more a channelling of Springsteen’s soul. He is the movie, for just as Nebraska is the sound of one man’s despair, Deliver Me From Nowhere rests firmly on his shoulders. The lean supporting cast does impress though, with Stephen Graham delivering a brilliant performance as Bruce’s father, lending the story its familial weight. Musical sequences, both the live performances and Nebraska’s stark recordings, are well-handled, evoking the raw power of Springsteen’s music. All of this makes for an enjoyable film, or at least as much as one focused on Nebraska can be. Not that it’s without flaws, some of its own making, others written into the Nebraska myth long before now.

All That You Touch And All That You See: What’s Pink Floyd’s Masterpiece Really About?

Side 2

Dark Side Of The Moon can certainly be a bleak listen, and proof of that is how an album that takes us on a journey through life features no love songs. Unfortunately though, love is not part of everyone’s life. It’s sad but it's true. Money though, impacts us all, making the world go round. So, of course Waters had to write about money. For if this is an album that deals with the stresses of life and the madness they can cause, then it’s definitely one of them. In fact, it just might be "the root of all evil today" Money is much more of a statement song than what we have heard so far. Less about projecting ourselves into the music and more Waters letting us in on his feelings. It must be important to him personally, as the young character of Pink in the film 'The Wall' writes the words in his schoolbook. It starts with another piece of 'music' that once again shows how inventive they could be. The sound of a cash register, coins clicking together, paper being ripped, are repeated over and over till they settle into a rhythm and a song is formed from this collage of sounds. Waters hypnotic bass line joins in, then the rest of the band appear, settling into an odd time signature and funky groove. What Pink Floyd do here is very clever. They choose this song, the one about money, to be the biggest earworm on the album. It’s catchy, it’s rhythmic, it’s, dare I say it, commercial. There’s an interesting juxtaposition going on, a scathing cutdown of capitalism married to an infectious rhythm and a wonderful vocal from Dave Gilmour, sang with just a touch of ambiguity. Is this a flat out criticism of capitalism, or is there a hint of enjoyment at all these fancy things he can buy with all his money? Because if Dark Side Of The Moon allows us to project ourselves into it, then there are plenty of people listening to this album who love the pursuit of money, something Pink Floyd themselves aren’t above, as, in a final twist, there’s something meta going on here. No singles were released from Dark Side Of The Moon in the UK. But, Money was released in the US, at the insistence of the label, but Pink Floyd still went along with it, as this grand concept album of interconnected songs was butchered, all to make a bit more money.

“Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash”

All That You Touch And All That You See: What’s Pink Floyd’s Masterpiece Really About?

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Side 1

Time. Mortality . Loss. War. Capitalism. Madness. Life and Death. The Dark Side Of The Moon is about them all. But more than any of these grand ideas, more than any theme the album might deal with, it’s really about one thing: You. It’s an album that needs you to be part of the experience. There’s no point just sitting listening to it. You need to feel it, you need to connect with it. It’s telling your story. You are the prism on the cover. The light is the music. Without you the music is thin and colourless. Then it hits you and is coloured by your feelings, your emotions, your experiences, till it pours out of you in all the colours of your life. That’s why it’s an album that takes every person on their own unique journey. Look at the lyrics, a few moments aside it’s built on speaking to us the listener:

“You race towards an early grave”

“and then one day you find, ten years have got behind you”

“and all that you love. And all that you hate”

Waters is our guide taking us on an existential dive into our very souls. Even the moments when he doesn’t speak directly to us he still reaches out and pulls us closer to him, letting us know it’s “us and them” Released in 1973, Dark Side Of The Moon was the first in a run of big selling albums for Pink Floyd. But it was far from their first album recorded, being their eighth studio album in six years. Their debut, 1967’s ‘Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ featured enigmatic frontman Syd Barrett on vocals, guitar and songwriting duties. This early Floyd was built in his image as he took them into a world of dark psychedelica and childlike songs featuring trippy lyrics and unique guitar playing. But Barrett’s time in the band would be short lived as he suffered a mental breakdown that forced the others to move on without him. Besides a founding member leaving the band, Barrett’s departure causing three seismic changes within Pink Floyd. Although he had been playing with them while Syd was still a member, David Gilmour will now take the reins as full time lead guitarist. Rightly hailed as one of the greatest guitar players of all time, his is an instantly recognisable style, the sound of feelings being directly channeled into his instrument. Secondly, Roger Waters will now step up to primary songwriter. Waters will become the driving force in the band’s music from now until ‘The Final Cut’ in 1983. The third major repercussion of Barrett’s mental breakdown is how it affects his fellow bandmates, specifically Roger Waters. Syd’s loss of sanity will be a recurring story in Waters lyrics, featuring majorly in albums like Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. In fact, it will be the loss of both his father and Barrett, one in World War II, the other to madness, that will be the twin sources of inspiration for a large portion of his career. But, while Dark Side Of The Moon is inspired by events both personal to Waters and relatable to all people, its genesis can be traced back to a song on an earlier Pink Floyd album.

Of course, Hey Jude is a classic. But, outwith the music there’s two stories connected to it that always make me smile, and I find pretty revealing. And not the one about Paul writing it for Julian(though John thought it was actually about him and I think he was definitely onto something there) No, these are stories that reflect the competitiveness, arrogance and cockiness of Lennon and McCartney, and the differences between the two of them. As Ray Davies once said:

“Paul McCartney was one of the most competitive people l've ever met. Lennon wasn't. He just thought everyone else was shit”

Here’s two wee stories that show that attitude in practice. It’s a hot August night in 1968, and the culture’s young and beautiful are gathered in The Vesuvio Club in London to belatedly celebrate Mick Jagger’s 25th birthday party. The place is awash with musicians, artists, and, of course, models. Champagne is being poured, mescaline spiked punch is flowing, hash cakes are being wolfed down. The hippy dream is fading into the distance by this point, but the good times are still rolling in here. And to make the night extra special, Mick has brought along a surprise. An advance copy of Beggars Banquet, still four months away from release. This record is played non stop, as London’s hip glitterati dance the night away to a true Stones masterpiece, a record that looks to the past to write their future, leaving behind the psychedelica of the previous album and setting them on a run of the greatest Rock N Roll records ever recorded. Spanish Tony, partner in crime to Keith and all round London face, is manning the decks, and as he’s about to once again drop the needle on the future Stones classic, he looks up, and standing beside him is Paul McCartney, immaculate turned out in his trendy threads, and a look on his face like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

Part II: It Used To Go Like That, Now It Goes Like This

The first real reason Dylan goes electric is fear, fear of being left behind. Not in his lyrics, he would always have remained a singular, genius lyricist. In his music though, he would have ended up becoming a niche artist, and slowly his relevance to the youth would have dwindled. It’s easy for us sitting here in 2025, with access to the full catalogues of all these artists to see it all as one, but looking back at what was going on at the time things become clearer. In February 1964, The Beatles land in JFK, and the British Invasion begins.  Before meeting them Dylan is driving through Colorado, hears them on the radio, and knows they are pointing the way forward. And that’s not just in music. The Beatles were more than that, it was their fashion, their attitudes, their vibrancy, that changed everything. By the Newport Festival in July 1964 Dylan walked on stage wearing a black turtleneck, just like the cover of With The Beatles. In August the famous meeting takes place at the Delmonico Hotel in Manhattan, Dylan turning them onto Pot. And this isn’t all he turns them onto. The Beatles by this point are all mad for Dylan, as are all the UK acts who have heard him. He is pointing the way forward with a new type of songwriting, intelligent, honest lyrics about subjects far beyond the usual tropes of the day. But, their effect on him, and just how much he was lagging behind musically, is frequently left out of his story. August 8th 1964 Dylan releases his last all acoustic album for 28 years, Another Side Of Bob Dylan. His lyrics take a huge leap here, going electric before his music, and the fingerpointing songs are absent, but more on that later. January 14th 1965 he releases Subterranean Homesick Blues, his second electric single. I've seen this labelled Folk Rock and i just don’t get it. It just sounds like Dylan doing a stoned version of Chuck Berry to me. Now, we know Dylan had gone electric before, then backed off. If the same had happened again, if Bringing It All Back Home hadn't had an electric side, what would it have been up against? By this point The Beatles had once again taken a leap forward in their songwriting on the album Beatles For Sale. On the non album single I Feel Fine they capture the first feedback on a Pop record, an exciting moment in music which led into a song equally as exciting. Even the B-Side took a leap, with lyrics concerning the more self assured, confident woman emerging as the decade moved on. And by the time of Bringing It All Back Home they were onto Ticket To Ride, a song that with its chiming riff, thunderous drums, stoned vocals and drone like rhythm could arguably be the first psychedelic song. And it’s not just The Beatles that Dylan is up against. In 1965 The Stones will release Satisfaction, The Who My Generation, The Kinks were going from strength to strength, The Byrds were taking Dylan’s words and making them jangle(“wow, you can dance to it,man”). If Dylan doesn’t go electric that year, at the speed the 60s was going at, he might never have caught up. People wanted music that made them think, but excitement, energy, and, yes, electricity, were what they craved. Folk was old peoples music, something Dylan knew. So, it was fear of being left behind, not bravery, that had him reaching for the electric guitar. But, that wasn’t all

The Beatles, and the other bands who form the UK Invasion, also spark
something in Dylan other than fear. You see, Dylan has no rivals, no one he is in competition with. There was a time in his embryonic state as a Folksinger that he studied, mimicked and learned from plenty of artists around him. But, once he cracks the code of how to write songs he really moves into a league of his own. No one else can get close to what he does, not at home, or from the UK. Look at the way he dismisses Donovan in Don’t Look Back. And he is more than aware of this, by the reactions of those around him. But, Dylan’s success is very much contained to a certain type of audience. Due to the style of music he is writing, the niche nature of the genre he is stuck in, he isn’t going to be a massive star. So he is a ginormous fish in a small pond. The Beatles on the other hand have conquered everything in their path, and easily. Although there was plenty of struggle to make it, more than Dylan for instance, The Beatles story is remarkable because once they get into Studio Two, set up camp at Abbey Road, they turn the tap on and it flows and flows till they break up. They create incredible music with such ease it’s a form of magic. Everything they touch, everything, turns to gold. And they are also made completely aware of this. The reaction to them is on a national level, they have number 1 albums and singles. They are in the newspaper, they appear on television, sing in front of royalty. All of this creates a justifiable arrogance in them, So much so that they even state they will not set foot in the US until they have a number 1 song there. And it’s while in Paris they receive the news that I Want To Hold Your Hand is number 1 in America. Now, that should be the most important thing that happens on that trip, but it isn’t.

More monumental than even a US number 1 is the moment a french DJ hands Paul a copy of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. They all go mad for Dylan, and of course his influence can be heard on their music going forward. But, it’s more than just influence here. The Beatles greatest strength was they had two of the best songwriters of all time in the same band. And what really made them strong was that they were involved in a fierce competitive rivalry with each other. The difference between the two was that over the years Paul had many musicians that he saw as rivals and wanted to one up;  Brian Wilson, Pete
Townshend, Ray Davies for starters. Lennon only had two, Paul and Bob Dylan. And the Dylan one is very fleeting. John’s “Dylan phase” doesn’t actually last that long, and none of the songs really sound like Bob Dylan songs. It’s not like he sings a song alone, with a guitar and a harmonica. No, what happens between John and Dylan is that Dylan gets his back up, stirs his competitive spirit and John thinks “i can do that” It’s not just influence, it’s ego, it’s a challenge. But, like always with The Beatles he takes in what he hears and does his own version of it till it comes out sounding like pure Beatles music. Listen to his two most Dylanesque songs, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away and Norwegian Wood. The rhythm of the words, and their delivery, has a

The Ghost of Electricity: Thoughts On A Complete Unknown, The Beatles, and Dylan Going Electric Again

Part I: Well, There Was This Movie I Seen One Time

So, that’s A Complete Unknown finally been released over here and as a great man once said i need a dumptruck to unload my head.  Unfortunately, since the film has been out for so long in America, and I've read loads about it, there’s things that have been rattling around my head for a while now. I would have liked to have gone in fresh, but, given the bizarre decision to release it so much later over here, that wasn't to be. It’s been interesting seeing the reaction from afar though, and in all the discourse there’s been two things that have struck me most. One is that the film seems largely immune to criticism so far. There’s been a few negative voices but i’ve seen mostly praise, and anyone with a problem is told “it’s not a documentary”,“it’s for the next generation” or “if you want the truth this is the wrong artist for you” Which seems a strange reaction, to tell some of the most devoted and passionate fans to remain silent on a film about their hero. It will be interesting to see if that changes now the film has been released over here. As Dylan once sang “patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings” and in the same way i can’t help feel that patriotism is playing a part in the stringent defence of this movie, it could be that same force that gets UK audiences backs up with the film, as it’s very US centric. But, more on that later. The second thing I noticed was the reaction of younger people to the movie, specifically the ending. I read quite a few stories of parents leaving the cinema and their kids asking “what was the big deal with the ending?” And that’s been quite interesting for me to read. Because, even though I consider myself a big Dylan fan, it’s something I've wondered myself. In amongst the many tall tales that make up the many lives of Bob Dylan I've never been too interested in Newport, or thought of it as a seismic event. Dylan going electric on the other hand is a big deal, both for him and the history of music. But Newport is not Dylan going electric. By the time he took to the stage that night he had already released Bringing It All Back Home, his first album featuring a backing band. He had released Like A Rolling Stone, one of the most exciting singles ever released, as electric in its words as it is in its speed freak jangle. So, I've always viewed Newport more as a kind of Punk moment, playing Rock N Roll at a Folk festival, Dylan and his new cronies machine gunning down the ones who used to love him. What Dylan is doing here isn't just Rock N Roll in sound but him emulating his real heroes in attitude too, the ones who would stand on stage and upset the apple cart with their music. But, i don’t think it's a particularly big deal, more just a cool moment. And I've always preferred Manchester, the legendary exchange at the Free Trade Hall.  Now that’s an exciting chapter in the story of Dylan going electric, the fiery “Judas!” the drawling “i don’t believe you” the spinetingling “play it fucking loud!” and then boom, it takes off and he sneers every line at those who would dare stand against him. The film picked Newport as its big moment though, so I was interested to see how it was handled, and how we would get there. Music biopics are the hardest to get right, and my hat goes off to anyone that even takes one on. A biopic like Oppenheimer might seem hard to make, and i’m sure he has some kind of fanbase, but he doesn't have the kind of fans who followed him round the world, or get into proper arguments like whether it’s mirror or veneer in the lyrics to Visions Of Johanna (it’s mirror) So, you're always going to upset some people. And that’s fine. Just like it’s fine for people to give their opinions on the film. So, for what it’s worth, here’s mine. For me, there’s two types of music biopic. The first is a story biopic. It shows you events as if this is what happened, feed us information, give us a look into people’s lives. And they are usually formulaic. The filmmaking techniques; the editing, the lighting, the camera shots, the sound, are not reflective of the subject and could in fact be used in any film. The second type is a spirit biopic, which are what I prefer. The techniques used in them are reflective of the subject they take on, and the vision is unique to these films. 24 Hour Party People was made in the spirit of Factory Records, wild, reckless, rule breaking filmmaking that matched the madness of its subject.  It felt so like Factory it should have had a FAC number. So, you couldn't take its style and use it on a film about Motown for instance. It was pure Factory. Like Oliver Stone setting out to present Jim Morrison as a Rock N Roll Shaman, and doing that by crafting a movie that was one long derangement of the senses, hallucinatory and dream-like. You couldn't do a Sinatra biopic like this though. It was about recreating the spirit of The Doors. And then we’ve got the greatest music biopic ever, the ultimate spirit biopic, I’m Not There. Todd Haynes' masterpiece understood the spirit of Dylan so well that his name isn't even spoken in the film. None of the six characters that represent Dylan are called Dylan. Instead these are fragments, myths, reflections of a splintered psyche. It perfectly captures Dylan’s creed of  “all i can do is be me, whoever that is”  It’s a film that needs to be solved, that doesn't give up its secrets easily. Sometimes it shows, sometimes it tells, then just as you think you’ve figured it out, it reinvents itself before your eyes, just like its subject. Dylan once described Tangled Up In Blue as “like a painting where you can see the different parts but then you also see the whole of it” This is how I’m Not There feels, like stepping into a moving, live painting of Dylan’s many lives. The problem for any other film dealing with Dylan is not only is I’m Not There such an interesting way to present a movie about him, it might be the only way. Haynes' movie knows what it is right from the start. It’s a film that aims to capture the spirit of Bob Dylan, and will do whatever it takes to achieve that. It actually feels like a companion piece to his music (as does Larry Charles' excellent Masked And Anonymous, another interesting Bob Dylan film)Dylan is a challenging artist, he’s brave and complex. A film about him has to be the same to live up to its subject. But, if I’m Not There is like a Raeburn influenced painting, A Complete Unknown is more like paint by numbers. Worse than that it doesn't quite know what it wants to be, or it does, but it will lean on the spirit of Dylan as a cop out now and again. It’s generic and safe, and plays completely loose with the facts( “it’s not a documentary”) But, any chance to dig deep into this man and try and explore interesting reasons why he does what he does are completely wasted ( “if you want the truth this is the wrong artist for you”) In being both we end up with the least interesting movie we could have got, and that ain’t Dylanesque. Ask yourself this question, “what do I love about Bob Dylan beyond the music?” Are those traits reflected in the filmmaking of this movie?  I know for me they aren’t. There’s nothing predictable about Bob Dylan. And all

Man In The Long Black Coat is one of my favourite songs to come from the Dylan/Lanois collaborations. It’s a coming together of both men’s greatest strengths. Lanois’ rich, atmospheric soundscapes and Dylan’s dense lyrics, cinematic in their imagery. It’s a great vocal

🧵 by Dylan as well, pulling the listener into this dark tale that drips with biblical imagery. And it’s a macabre connection to the Bible that a lot of people might not notice. Except Scottish people.

The production and lyrics of the first verse of Man In The Long Black Coat

Beatles 64 or: how The Beatles made a lot of American girls scream

I don’t know how it’s happened but like so many cultural institutions Disney now seem to own The Beatles. Or at least they own the TV rights to them. And like everything else Disney get involved in it hasn’t taken long for things to go downhill. First there was the Get Back documentary which was brilliantly made by Peter Jackson. But, and I mean no disrespect with this, what was great about it came from The Beatles themselves. It was the footage, the existing narrative and of

Do Paranoid Android’s Dream Of Electric Guitars?: Exit Music For Cool Britannia

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Part III

So, while Britpop had slunk off to its bed with a heavy comedown on the way, someone forgot to tell the kids downstairs that the party was over. 1997 sees an exciting genre that’s been building start to infiltrate the album charts. The UK club scene had been steadily growing since moving overground from the illegal raves of the late 80s. And though clubbers were their own tribe there was plenty of crossover with the other sects. When your favourite record

In May 1977, John Cale takes Brian Eno along with him to see Talking Heads support The Ramones at London’s Rock Garden. They all meet backstage, and Eno and David Byrne hit it off right away, agreeing to get together the next day at Eno’s flat to listen to music. This is the

🧵 moment Byrne first hears Fela Kuti’s ‘Afrodisiac’ which he falls in love with. This makes a big impression on Eno, as according to him “no one in England was at all interested” in this music. At this point Talking Heads haven’t even released their debut, Eno has just heard them

They’ve Got To Hide His Love Away: Thoughts on Midas Man

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Last night i watched Midas Man, the film on Amazon about, well, I’m going to have to say Brian Epstein. But, it’s not really about him, not a flesh and blood Epstein being brought to life in front of our eyes. Instead, it’s a surface deep Brian, neither digging enough into him as a person or into his relationship with the Beatles. I’ll not go into too many spoilers here, and the film is worth seeing if you’re a Beatles fan. But, there’s a lot of either filling in the

There’s a bit of confliction about John’s relationship with Paul’s so called “granny music” In interviews he slagged it, yet played the fantastic piano intro on Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da(while stoned out his nut, but still) and a wonderful piece of guitar on Honey Pie. But, if he

🧵 did hate it, it’s really understandable. John was born in 1940, so though Music Hall music had faded by the time he was older it was still a well known style for many years. The Kinks incorporated it into their music, as did Queen after them, so it wasn’t just a Macca trick

Watch Your Step! Costello And Nieve Are In Town.

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Like many music fans out there, I’ve always been mesmerised by the live experience. My first gig was B.B King, not that I had much choice in that. Although I liked his music, I had no real desire to see him at 12 years old. But, as we jumped in the car and headed for the Royal Concert Hall, which is just round the corner from where last nights gig took place, my Mum and Dad told me “you’ll thank us for this one day” which has certainly proven true. Not only because I got to see a legend, but

Return Of The Last Gang In Town: There They Were, Now Here They Are

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Oasis are back together, and the reaction has been pretty eye opening. Of course, their fans are buzzing, and why shouldn’t they be? As someone whose favourite band has pretty much always been The Beatles, I’ve never spent time wishing for a comeback, so I have no idea what it’s like for your favourite band to get back together. The Stone Roses reunion is the closest thing for me, a band I love but just missed out on the first time. When they got back together me and my

Songs Of Revenge And Guilt: Elvis Costello Takes Aim

Part II
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“There was a whole other bunch of stuff I could've done even back then. However, I tailored my songs and style very purposefully because I knew which way the wind of prevailing trends was blowing”

-Elvis Costello The hardest question an Elvis Costello fan can be asked is “where should I start if I want to get into Costello’s music?” Because he’s almost impossible to pigeonhole. His albums have taken in Punk, New Wave, R&B, Country, Classical, Pop, Hip-Hop, Jazz. Hell, in 1986 he

The Greatest Album Trilogy Ever, And Why( and, yes, that’s Help! there)

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Right about now, I reckon most people will be thinking “does he honestly think that Help! is better than Sgt. Pepper?!” And the answer is, no, I don’t think that. In fact, I would say Pepper is better than all the albums there, even the mighty Revolver, an album that’s critical standing has ascended in perfect synchronicity with Pepper’s descent, like some kind of Fab Four see-saw. There was a time when it seemed to be the law that Pepper was the greatest album of all time,

Songs Of Revenge And Guilt: Elvis Costello Takes Aim

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“How do more people not jump in front of this thing?” Declan MacManus thought to himself as the windows went dark, and the tube rattled through another tunnel. To ride the Central Line at 08:45 on a Monday was an admission of defeat, letting the world and its wife know they still had their hooks in you. But, here he was again, a worker bee returning to the hive, or more like a sardine being rammed into a tin. The carriage was mobbed, depression and Monday morning hangovers floating in the air. To

Revolver was released today in 1966. Here’s what Elvis Costello had to say about my favourite song on it, ‘For No One’

“For No One is everything that’s great about Paul McCartney in one song, except for the fact that it isn’t a rock ’n’ roll song, which he can do great.

1/5 But it’s a really beautiful melody. He’s like a fantastic movie actor who doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t over-dramatize. The way he sings, so the slightest hint of emotion in the timbre of his voice, I know this is going to sound weird, but I hear it sounding like records

2/5

#backtomono

2. Corrina, Corrina- Ray Peterson
-November, 1960

The Teddy Bears came and went in the blink of an eye, but Spector was going nowhere. He now had his foot in the door and was more determined than ever. And why wouldn’t he be? Just try and imagine what this success must have done to a 17 year old. His first single, which he wrote, produced and played on, goes to number one, selling 1.4 million copies. How could that not instil in him an arrogance and self belief?

He initially pursued a type of solo career, going under the name Phil Harvey

No More Nights Harmonising Till Dawn: Old Friends Say Goodbye

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A winter's day, In a deep and dark December…

As the young man made his way through the busy New York streets, the snow fell around him, as relentless and bleak as his thoughts. Pulling his collar up, he crossed the road, dodging a taxi that blasted him with its horn, a reflex action for drivers in this city, part of their civic duty to add to the incessant wall of sound. He was heading down to The Village to meet a friend “an old friend” he thought to himself. Even though he was

The Armed Forces boxset is the best piece of vinyl I own, so i just thought I would do a thread of what’s in this great collection for anyone that’s thinking of buying it or just wants to see what you get in it cause it’s really cool.

🧵 1. The album- the front of the box itself is the US cover but the vinyl comes with the original UK design. Designed by Barney Bubbles, it’s an intricate piece of wonderful Pop Art.