David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Afghan Whigs and Johnny Cash all feature in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2014 and out now (February 28).
The story of Bowie’s 1974 LP, Diamond Dogs, and the subsequent hedonistic US tour, is told by friends and collaborators, including producer Ken Scott, musicians Alan Parker, Tony Newman and Herbie Flowers, backing vocalist/dancer/confidant Geoff MacCormack and backing vocalist Ava Cherry.
“We weren’t lairy,” says MacCormack of the Diamond Dogs tour today. “We weren’t like rockers, we were more aesthetic than that. We misbehaved very badly, but not the archetypal rock’n’roll thuggery…”
Uncut heads to Perth to catch Bruce Springsteen live in front of a stadium full of Australian superfans, and to Los Angeles to hang out at chief Afghan Whig Greg Dulli’s house, to discuss the band’s reunion, drugs and the haunting in his home.
We also look at Johnny Cash’s turbulent 1980s, including muppets, dangerous ostriches and Cash as a superhero bank robber, with help from a host of the country legend’s friends, collaborators and backing musicians. Peter Gabriel answers your questions on Genesis, his solo work and writing songs with monkeys, while The Beat recall the making of “Mirror In The Bathroom”.
The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel discusses the life-changing creation of the group’s new album, while Paul Rodgers takes us through his career in LPs with Free, Bad Company, The Firm, Queen and solo.
There’s death, drugs and boogie with Little Feat, whose mercurial, tragic story is told by the surviving bandmembers, and in our front section we speak to the reformed Slowdive, Ned Doheny, Willy Vlautin and Robert Ellis, while Peggy Seeger pays tribute to her late half-brother, Pete Seeger.
In the reviews section, we look at new releases from The Hold Steady, Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey, Elbow and Metronomy, among others, along with archive releases from Dr John, T.Rex, Miles Davis, Elton John and more.
This month’s free CD, Rock’n’Roll With Us, features tracks from David Crosby, Drive-By Truckers, The War On Drugs, Real Estate, The Hold Steady, Sun Kil Moon, Linda Perhacs, Robert Ellis and more.
The new Uncut is out now (February 28).
Photo: Terry O’Neill/Getty Images