Nick Hoad

That was a long old gap wasn’t it? Maybe AC/DC was so unbelievably terrible it threatened to put me off this project for good. Some kind of spark certainly left me for some reason, but with any luck, it’s back now. I’m still yet to find an album that can break the four star mark. I’m sure such a thing exists, patiently waiting to reveal itself to me.

Today’s long overdue recommendation is The Return Of The Space Cowboy (1994), Jamiroquai’s second album. If you want to see how long songs can actually justify their length, look no further than the opening track, Just Another Story, almost nine glorious minutes of the tightest acid jazz you’ll ever hear, perfectly paced so that it never gets old. Yes, one fairly long section (2:23-5:54) repeats what could be described as the same backing track over and over again, but the difference is that it actually builds and changes over time, becoming more and more energetic and full-throttle until it earns its resolution into the next section once and for all. The bass work on Mr Moon and Scam, the horn section in The Kids and Light Years, the Spicy Chords™ and songwriting throughout, none of it misses the mark. There’s even a didgeridoo jam session in the form of Journey to Arnhemland.

We’re 10% of the way through now. At this rate I’ll be done somewhere around January 2025, though I’ll do my best to speed things up overall. Arcade Fire’s Funeral is next, and I really have no idea what to expect from it. Ninety more times into the breach.