Category Archives: Miscellaneous

MARILLION: Chippenham Goldiggers – 12th March 1984

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A lot of great Marillion shows have been made available on video, DVD and blu ray over the years.  Dozens of shows from the 90s onward have been issued via the band’s official website, but fans of Marillion’s formative years have had to make do with just two shows – neither of which show the band at their best.

‘Recital of The Script’, filmed at Hammersmith Odeon in 1983, remains the definitive document of early Marillion despite being hampered by some painfully slow drumming.  At the other end of the “Fish Years”, the 1987 festival set ‘Live at Loreley’ shows Marillion seeming rather tired and in need of a little re-invention.

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In Appreciation: Martin Birch

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Every so often, a record producer comes along whose mastery of the studio takes on a legendary status.  The early years of pop showed off the technical talents of George Martin and Phil Spector; the world of disco gave a platform to Quincy Jones and Geogio Moroder (Quincy’s hand in making Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ a global success cannot be understated – it’s a stunning sounding record) and the rock scene gave Martin Birch plenty to apply a distinctive style.

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The Nine Lives of Metallica

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With Metallica having announced ‘S&M Volume II’ in July 2020, we revisited the first recording from 1999 and it was just about as terrible as we remembered. A second volume of Metallica tunes bolstered by a symphony orchestra isn’t necessarily going to appeal to an audience beyond the die hard fans, but then, it’s those die hards who’ve helped keep the band afloat through good and bad over several decades.

On the eve of a new album that’s bound to split opinion, Real Gone takes a look back at the times Metallica missed the mark.

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REAL GONE SESSIONS: Mick Terry – Big Sur

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It took Mick Terry a very long time to record and release his second album ‘Days Go By’.  The record started to take early form just a year after his 2010 debut ‘The Grown Ups’ and a couple of songs – ‘Pop’s A Dirty Word’ and ‘Riverbend’ – appeared online in early versions around that time.

The final record, though, seemed to have a tricky birth.  Real life got in the way.  Having a Transatlantic producer and differing time zones didn’t help.  Eventually making its way into the world about five years later than planned, ‘Days Go By’ was worth waiting for.  Each one of its tracks resembled a classically retro pop nugget; a musical love letter to AM radio artists like Andrew Gold and 10cc.

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