The 200 greatest albums of all time, plus New Order, John Cale and Suede, all feature in the new issue of Uncut, dated February 2016 and out now.
We count down the best albums ever made for the first time ever in Uncut, as chosen by a swathe of our staff and contributors – plus there are informative infographics, charts and breakdowns of the results of our poll. Pick up the issue to see who has made it into our historic chart…
Elsewhere, we head to Paris to find New Order taking stock after one of the strongest and most poignant comebacks in recent memory. “[Peter Hook]’s not got a monopoly on our history,” protests Stephen Morris. “It’s our past as much as his.”
“We’ve earned our hedonist medals,” says Bernard Sumner later. “Time to move on.”
John Cale answers your questions in our Audience With… feature, tackling topics such as instrument abuse, Lou Reed, jamming with Bowie, and recalling the time he made Nico cry.
“Everybody knew the excitement of the first Velvets album wouldn’t last,” he tells us. “When it came to White Light/White Heat we were barely able to be in the same room.”
As they prepare to release their new album Night Thoughts, Suede tell Uncut about mid-life “disaster thinking”, their “Shakespearean” story and getting older. “I don’t feel sad that I’m not young,” Brett Anderson explains. “All of the jagged edges that I had, the inability to place myself and be comfortable anywhere, I don’t have that any more and I’m pleased about that.”
The issue also features our 2016 album preview, featuring The National, Ray Davies, Underworld, Jack White, Graham Nash, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Swans and more.
Krautrock legend Michael Rother talks us through the best albums of his career, from Neu! and Harmonia to his stellar solo work. “I’ve sort of lost interest in releasing new music,” this once studio-bound musician tells us. “Instead I now try to add a creative element when I play live. In China last year I saw these people going totally wild… having the time of their lives listening to the music. This is what I really love now.”
Also in the issue, members of the Arkestra tell the incredible story of Sun Ra‘s “Space Is The Place”, the 22-minute epic that gave its title to an album and an interstellar film by the eccentric, visionary jazzman. “It really was as if he was an Egyptian priest, with the concepts he’s talking about,” says Knoel Scott.
Our Instant Karma news section features Ryley Walker and Danny Thompson, Matmos, Ronnie Lane and Lera Lynn, while our reviews section includes Eleanor Friedberger, Savages, Tindersticks, Lucinda Williams, Ty Segall, Francoise Hardy, The Long Ryders and Them.
We catch Peaches and Death live, and check out films including The Revenant and the Sarah Records documentary.
The free CD, What’s Going On! The Sound Of 2016, features great new tracks from John Cale, Lucinda Williams, Fat White Family, Tindersticks, Cian Nugent, Tortoise and Suede.
Uncut: the spiritual home of great rock music.
