Four lads

Consider this the last in a short series of encounters with somewhat cantankerous sorts, following accounts in this space over the couple of weeks of meetings with Lou Reed and Gordon Lightfoot, both of which have stirred some passing interest and lively comment. Today’s subject is Van Morrison, by reputation a notoriously tough assignment, as I would discover.

The Georgians' major-label debut - even more thrilling and subversive a quarter of a century on...

We look into the touching, awkward new film about Bill Callahan, Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film, in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2013, and out now. As a companion piece, check out this fantastic piece with Callahan, aka Smog, recalling how he made his greatest albums, from May 2010’s Uncut (Take 156).

We head to Los Angeles in the new issue of Uncut (dated March 2013), out now, to meet Richard Thompson and discuss his extraordinary new album, Fairport Convention and recording in Nashville with Buddy Miller. Here, in this piece from Uncut’s May 2006 issue (Take 108), Thompson talks us through the making of some of his finest albums, including Liege & Lief, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight and Rumor And Sigh. “It was the best way to lose our audience overnight…” Words: Nigel Williamson __________________

Affable Americana from Nashville statesmen...

Arctic Monkeys will play next summer's Open'er festival in Poland. The event takes place in Gdynia from July 3-6, and will also see sets from Queens Of The Stone Age, Blur and Kings of Leon. Arctic Monkeys will play on July 4. Early bird tickets for the festival are on sale until January 15, 2013. For more information visit Opener.pl/en. This autumn, drummer Matt Helders' mum confirmed that Arctic Monkeys were in the Californian desert recording the follow-up to ' Suck It And See.

The man himself talks Uncut through six pivotal Beach Boys albums

Hard to believe that Woody Guthrie, conceivably, could still be alive in 2012, given that he’s been gone for 45 years. Yet his incomparable work, especially circa 1939-1949, and the indomitable spirit of that work, a Big Bang of social-consciousness-in-song that set off reverberations down through history – from Dylan and Ochs and the whole early ’60s folk revival and on to Joe Strummer’s righteous punk rebellion – resonates still, as long as repression, corruption, and abuse of power still flourish.

The banana’s back. Not before time. Late last year, Lou Reed’s reputation suffered a serious blow when his ill-fated collaboration with Metallica met with hostility not witnessed since Metal Machine Music. He even had death threats. This 45th anniversary edition of The Velvet Underground & Nico is a timely reminder (if one is needed) that Reed at his best had few peers and no equals, and that his writer’s eye – literate, probing, explicit – was unflinching right from the start. He was always hardcore.

Matt Helders' mum has confirmed that Arctic Monkeys are in the desert recording the follow-up to Suck It And See. Responding to internet rumours suggesting that Arctic Monkeys are set to enter the studio for their fifth album soon and have already chosen the recording location, the drummer's mum - Jill Helders tweeted: "I don't know if it helps to clear things up but lads are in the desert!" She added: "And now we start on 5th album titles!".