Letter Never Sent: Whispers, Jangles, and Indie Revolution - Decoding The Power Of REM’s Mystique

He Did What?! : Nick Kent & Sid Vicious, 70s NME Stories

Take a peek into the sources I used for the Mick Taylor podcast 'Why Talent Alone Fails' through a fascinating look at the life and work of Nick Kent. This podcast highlights Nick's writing and the impact it had on me while sourcing material for the review of British rock music through the 70s. The cast of characters Nick Kent came into contact with was inexhaustible, but non more mind-boggling than Sid Vicious. I have a look at how the NME journalist covered Sid's last weeks and his final descent in the late 70s.

Joan Jett and Independent Music

Joan Jett like Philip Marlowe shouldn’t exist in her time. Both are out of sorts in their era. They are outside of their time, timeless heroes. “She brought menace and I bought a lot of pop sensibility,” producer Kenny Laguna said about her album debut. Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna’s take on Joan and Kenny’s unlikely musical partnership is, “You mix that together and you've got a Molotov cocktail that's gonna totally do some damage.”

Mick Taylor: Why Talent Alone Fails, Pt. 2

Members have recently enjoyed exclusive access to part 2 of my Mick Taylor album review, here is a taste. For anyone who is interested in free or full membership check out our channel on Patreon. In Part 2 we look at how Mick Taylor could have produced a very good debut album to launch his solo career. I've done as much coulda, shoulda, woulda as anyone else when I wanted a favourite artist to knock it out of the park when they actually didn't. Was he oversteered by Columbia Records to make an album that would have more popular appeal without relying on his time-tested skills?

Letter Never Sent: Whispers, Jangles, and Indie Revolution - Decoding The Power Of REM’s Mystique

The band's unique ability to blend intellectual depth with compelling musical innovation was central to their enduring appeal and mystique. Letter Never Sent is the eighth song on REM’s second album Reckoning. It's a typical REM song with its faint air of melancholy. While it has a brash post-punk riff driving it in the verses, it goes into a wistful and mysterious chorus. Loose © 2026 RolloGuitar/RJ Tosha

Mick Taylor: Why Talent Alone Fails, Pt.1

When Mick Taylor joined the Stones in 1969 he unwittingly entered into a psychodrama that would define his time in the band. He was the anti Brian Jones. Taylor is not a casualty of the sinister allure of the Rolling Stones. He got out just in time, but had to come terms with his own musical journey. The next episode, Mick Taylor: Why Talent Alone Fails, Pt.2 will be available to free and paying members on Patreon. Loose © 2026 RolloGuitar/RJ Tosha