Danny Neill

Springtime In New York, the latest Bootleg Series from Bob Dylan covering 1980-85, proves beyond doubt that Dylan, unlike many during this period, did not lose it in the early 1980s…so much of this strong material will rise deservedly towards the top end of the Dylan canon.

On Josienne Clarke’s ‘A Small Unknowable Thing’, the songs are so direct, showing an immediacy born of frustration and inspiration. Unshackled creative freedom screams out of every song…ripe with raw artistic expression combined with music of surefire melodic and dramatic purpose.

From the off, Son Volt’s ‘Electro Meloidier’ is brimming with an artistic assuredness. The songs are potent and refreshing; songs that demand to be written will always make for a more intense and rewarding experience as they do here. This is must-hear Americana for 2021.

On ‘For Free’, David Crosby sounds re-invigorated by the connections he makes with his art and these recordings. Fans and new converts will find much to love on this album which spotlights all that is fine about the man and his pure voice.

For week five in our Bob Dylan appreciation, we take a step away from Bob’s own recordings and enjoy a wide range of other musical artists covering his material. Includes a Spotify Playlist featuring over 5 hours of covers.

On the latest Bob Dylan Appreciation Society, things go a little deeper as Danny Neill looks at Dylan as a live performer and a career that provokes continued debate to this day. Includes an extensive playlist featuring over 6 hours of live music.

For week three of the Bob Dylan Appreciation Society, Danny Neill steers our attention towards Dylan’s songs of Society, Protest & Classic Story Songs. Again Danny has pulled together another great playlist to accompany the piece.

For week two of the Bob Dylan Appreciation Society, Danny Neill steers our attention towards a specific side of Bob Dylan’s writing: Love songs and relationship songs which is accompanied by a four-hour playlist for you all to enjoy.

In honour of Bob Dylan’s 80th Birthday, Danny Neill presents the first in a series of deep dives into the music of Bob Dylan accompanied by an extensive playlist featuring over 5 hours of music. We kick off with Vol 1 – Essential Bob.

For too many years this album was a buried treasure in the Paul Simon back catalogue. Danny Neill takes us on a journey back to 1965 to explore ‘The Paul Simon Songbook’. An innovator always in pursuit of new sounds…An LP recorded in a single day…it was a big deal.

Bill Stone wrote songs that played out like dreamy meditations. The delivery is soft-focused and hushed, Lo-fi before lo-fi existed…This is definitely one of those rare records that deserve the wider discovery it will now surely enjoy.

Danny Neill chooses his Best Albums of 2020 ft. Amy LaVere, Bob Dylan, Sarah Jarosz, Courtney Marie Andrews, Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom, Brigid Mae Power, Terry Allen, Jason Isbell, Laura Cortese and Richard & Linda Thompson

It is clear from the get-go that these guys are working from the same core recipes. The key is in the inspiration and motivation; when Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams make music they are copiously fuelled by an abundance of both.

Sarah Jarosz’s stories are carved like a craftsman’s antique furniture, with an attention to detail and capacity for nuance lending these sketches a depth and realism that ensures repeated listening is a rewarding experience.

If you want to get to the heart and soul of Reveal Records, then bring this compilation into your home and let some inspired music light up your life…one of our finest modern-day record label collectives.

Leyla McCalla has taken huge leaps forward from this mature solo launch pad but, with this timely re-issue, it is an album that remains ripe for wider discovery; its delights are many and varied indeed.

On Silhouettes, the latest offering from duo Matthew Lowe & Daniel Trenholme known as Stables, they deliver melodically rich tunes and an abundance of good vibes and go-getting lust for life.

Finally, there is one place to go for anyone who wants the complete works of Richard & Linda Thompson… it’s exactly what you want from an essential archive trawling box set.