One of the benefits I have with my lack of podcast listening is catching up on some true gems that are still buried away on my phone.

My podcast listening these days is pretty much dominated by Forest. I thought this would change during pre-season and I could focus elsewhere, but nope. The Forest onslaught of blokes talking to each other when not a lot is really happening is mildly addictive.

I made the brave move today to scroll down a little further beyond Forest. Oh boy, what an absolute BEAUT. I forgot I had these buried away: there’s around half a dozen or so of Andy Kershaw Plays Some Bloody Good Records to catch up with.

I almost didn’t want to dive into these, saving them for as long as I could. They are the true gems in musical podcasting. Sadly we now know that there will be no more to follow.

It’s really quite heartbreaking hearing Kershaw collating his superb musical knowledge alongside his personal stories. The final podcast that I’ve got from this series is June of 2025. He sounded in good health, but didn’t hold back with his own financial situation.

The joy of the music he plays was often balanced very finely against his own personal downfall. I know he’s had his personal troubles, haven’t we all, but he was certainly no failure when it came to continuing what he loved doing, which, as the title of the podcast suggests, is to play some bloody good records.

The format never changes. He plays three songs and then backtracks and tells a little story about them. I doubt anywhere else you’d hear Neil Young going into Prince Far-I and then a recording from his own kitchen table from a northern folk group.

He was also possibly the rudest man in music but that made him all the more appealing. Truly one of a kind and a legend of broadcasting and podcasting. I might hold back on these podcasts and limit myself to perhaps just one per month.

Paul Simon is at his best when he’s stripped back. The title track for Hearts and Bones demonstrates this at its best. He’s a storyteller and not a musician. Putting his vocals front and centre allows you to focus on the stories he’s trying to tell. There’s something really quite sweet about the album. It’s a nice warm up ahead of Graceland and all the experimentation that followed. When it comes down to it he knows how to pen a half decent tune and then to strum you along in a very understated way

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What a load of hairy old bollocks. This album was recorded the same year in which the Pistols started to break through. It’s the sound of how and why punk had to happen. The music is so staccato, so soulless, it’s impossible to dance to. It left me feeling very grim.

⭐

I’d forgotten about many of these songs. They formed pretty much the soundtrack to my post-Britpop listening with the Evening Session every night: Pure Morning, You Don’t Care About Us - these are songs that I’m overly familiar with but had instantly forgotten. It’s not that this is a bad album. It’s just that it’s not for me in 2026.

I quite like the punchy nature of it. Placebo always felt like they had a point to prove. The very delicate physical outlook of the band often felt that it needed to be beefed up with the pulsating bass and drums. I have got something of a soft spot for Brian Molko’s whiney voice. I don’t think I need Placebo in my life in 2026 though.

⭐ ⭐

Alabama 3’s Step 13 album. This is the first release without The Good Reverend. It’s something of a sober affair in every respect.

My extreme naivety has led me to overlook the fact that over the years various members of Alabama 3 have had a few issues. The album title of Step 13 is something of a dead giveaway.

I think this completes my current Alabama 3 collection, but you never know. Occasionally the odd bootleg appears online that seems to be endorsed by the band.

There’s still nothing quite like them. They walk it like they talk it up and down Coldharbour Lane. No other band looks or sounds Brixton.

Gawd Bless ‘em.

This is very jingly jangly. Sure they have the harmonies but it’s also incredibly twee. I felt as though I should have been wearing corduroy whilst listening to it. The songs are of high quality and you can’t fault the musicianship. It did feel a bit however that I was listening to Dylan outtakes - which most of the album is. A decent record but one that seems more suited to playing in autumn than during yet another bloody heat wave. To everything there is a season, etc.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What a sprawling mess. His earlier work shows how he can string together a half decent tune. This just seems to be noise for noise sake. aka DRUGS. There are some hidden delights and a little extra depths, if you can be arsed to stick with it all. But these moments are rare. Self-indulgent twaddle.

⭐ ⭐

This starts off light and breezy and once again was another perfect early morning jazz working soundtrack. It then gets a little over enthusiastic in places with some particularly energetic blowing. The bass playing remains brilliant throughout. Better Git Hit to close the concert is a highlight. I should really explore more Mingus.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This all sounded a little too Walt Disney. It’s as though the band suddenly have access to a brand new recording studio and they’re going to make sure they play with it all bloody day long. A lot of it rests on whether or not you like THAT song. Yes it’s got its merits but when you’ve heard it pretty much non-stop on crappy radio for the past 40-odd years then it does tend to get on your tits. Stringing out an entire album themed around Nights in White Satin is a little excessive.

⭐ ⭐

Some Ozrics and Neil Young. They both come from the same overall strand of the Rock Family Tree, right?

Sure the Ozrics deviated off slightly and went back to the future with their drugs. Old Shaky, however, preferred to plough his course of more traditional blue-collar, roll-up-your-sleeves rock and roll.

Each have their own merits. I’m starting to become something of an Ozrics completist. That’s a very dangerous path to tread.

It’s almost impossible to even find a definitive discography, let alone manage to source up all their releases. My rough rule of thumb is if something appears online and it’s cheap as chips then snaffle it up.

I was surprised at how much I enjoy playing Neil Young’s Weld from start to finish whilst on a train journey last week. I’m not normally a fan of live albums but this is a great mix of him bawling his heart out and getting all deep and emotional with his more soulful stuff.

Neil Young and the Ozrics collaborating, now that’s something I would like to see.