Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: On April 17, 1994, Led Zeppelin's main songwriters reunited for the Alexis Korner Memorial Concert in Buxton, England. In August, they recorded performances in London, Wales, and Morocco featuring Egyptian and Moroccan orchestration of classic Led Zeppelin tracks along with four new songs. These performances were broadcast as a 90-minute MTV special UnLedded which led to a successful tour starting in February 1995. This newly reissued release captures an exceptional performance from that tour and includes both new material and Middle Eastern-influenced renditions of Zeppelin classics like 'Bring It On Home,' 'Ramble On,' 'The Song Remains the Same,' 'Black Dog' and 'Kashmir.'

Review: Lou Reed's Berlin is a visceral journey into the darkness of human relationships, now reissued on 180g vinyl. Initially overlooked upon its 1973 release, the album has since gained recognition for its journey into the toxic dynamics of a crumbling relationship, blending autobiographical elements with poetic flair. The album, produced by Bob Ezrin and featuring top-tier musicians like Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce, is a symphony of emotional turmoil set against rich, orchestral arrangements. This reissue, sourced from the original master tapes, brings the album's intricate details to life with unprecedented clarity. Reed's voice, raw and immediate, conveys the torment of his characters, while the musicians' contributions add depth and tension to the narrative. Tracks like 'Caroline Says II' and 'The Bed' explore themes of despair, violence, and regret with unflinching honesty. Berlin remains a haunting exploration of life's darker sides, made even more poignant by its lush, yet ominous, musical landscape, and is surely one of Reed's most impactful works.

Review: Light In The Attic teams up with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive for a thrilling retrospective, Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed At Pickwick Records 1964-65. An expansive selection of songs all written by Lou Reed, during his mid-60s stint as the staff songwriter for the long-defunct label Pickwick Records, this is a rare glimpse of a master rock musician stepping out of the limelight over the course of 25 songs, yet still letting the form and contour of his voice and sensibility be heard. All this was achieved before Reed had at all launched his career with the Velvets; it may indeed be said that this pubescent 60s period was the firelighter to Reed's flame, as the label specialised in soundalike records that emulated the major pop hits of the day - it's no wonder Reed would absorb such emulations and take them in as his own, albeit with a Century-defining twist. Channelling everything from teenybopper pop to soul-inflected garage rock, whether byJeannie Larimore, The Hi-Lifes or The Hollywoods, we get a thorough look-in here as to what made Reed and his contemporaries tick, and what Reed made tick in turn, before the fame.

Review: 'Goat's Head Soup' succeeds where a lot of Deluxe Edition releases fail - it adds a LOT to an equation most of us thought we had sussed out years (well, decades) ago. It's not necessarily the first Stones record fans would want to see expanded over a massive four discs, but let's face it, it's not the last by a long shot. The record met a wishy washy response when it arrived in 1973, following the benchmark-setting 'Exile On Main St.', yet this package proves it's very much worth revisiting.

Heard in a different light - one not overshadowed by preceding landmark releases - 'Soup' actually does stand up, whether it's the Americana twang of "100 Years Ago", or the proto-funk of "Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" there's a lot to like. Add to this the fact the previously unreleased stuff here, "Scarlett" being a prime example, really stands up, too, and you've got so much more than a mere collection-completer.

Review: The Rolling Stones are arguably one not only the most iconic rock bands of all time but also considered legendary performers as well. One of their most well-recorded performances (as noted by fans often) is their 2002 performance at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, with a track listing full of 70s classics and spread over three albums to get the best possible fidelity from the medium.