The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris published in 2018 was a New York Times Bestseller and seemed to be everywhere for a few years. Originally written as a screenplay, it was instead produced in novel form. It follows the life of concentration camp prisoner Lale Sokolov and his love for fellow prisoner Gita. The Slovakian Jews end up at Auschwitz-Birkenau a few weeks apart in 1942 and were there for three years. Lale takes on the role of tattooing numbers onto the arms of prisoners as they show up at the labour camp. The role offers a few small perks in an otherwise dismal situation.
Reportedly, the book has faced scrutiny as it is was based on the information told by Lale to the author and at times does not match up to factual events. Regardless, what does make the book interesting is that it focuses on the relationships rather than strictly the atrocities these people suffered. The fleeting interactions with Gita that Lale cherishes are contrasted with his interactions with SS guard Stefan Baretski who at times offers the smallest bits of kindness but was otherwise was a wretched person. Baretski was later sentenced to life in prison for the crimes he committed during the Holocaust. The book is hard to put down and offers a glimpse of humanity during one of the saddest periods in human history.
For rock music, 2025 is the summer of Oasis with Noel and Liam Gallagher returning for reunion shows that are sold out across the world. Early in the week they announced a 30th anniversary edition for their sophomore album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? With just a few unplugged versions of songs included, the lackluster offering will still be purchased by diehard fans of the band. Back in 2014, the band released a jam packed three-disc version of the album that is filled with B-sides, live versions, and rarities.
The first single released from the album in April 1995, “Some Might Say” was their first to reach to the top of the UK charts and last to have original drummer Tony McCaroll before being replaced by Alan White. Britpop mixed with a glam rock stomp, it’s an instant singalong classic. Harder in sound is opening track, “Hello”. It’s no surprise that this was the first song the band played at their first reunion show in Cardiff on July 4th. At that show, it was followed a few songs later by the darker, “Morning Glory” and its line, “All your dreams are made/When you’re chained to the mirror and the razorblade”.
All classic songs but it’s the ballads from this era that carry the day, all three of which closed the first reunion concert. With first album Definitely Maybe being the fastest selling debut in the UK at that time, it was a cult classic for anglophiles in other parts of the world. It was the single “Wonderwall” that broke the band into the North American mainstream. The beginning acoustic guitar line has been copied on several other hits for other bands before Liam’s rough voice comes in to sing the sweetest love song, appealing to both the girls and bricklayers in equal measure.
In the past few years, the Noel sung “Don’t Look Back in Anger” has nearly eclipsed “Wonderwall” in popularity. It has become a soccer stadium knees up for the punters while also sung by those in mourning. It’s become a standard that people can turn to at various points in their lives. Nipping at the heals of those two songs is album closer, “Champagne Supervova”. The skyward looking song takes on a celestial vision of life, one that also contains the inspiring yet nonsensical lyric of “slowly walking down the hall/faster than a cannonball”. Caught between a ballad and anthemic rock song, the seven-minute epic is one of their finest.
Following the same template from the Definitely Maybe deluxe edition, disc two is mostly devoted to that era’s B-sides. It’s these songs that helped cement the band’s legacy, with several becoming live staples and just as popular as the A-sides. Sung as a duet, the amped up “Acquiesce” with its line, “Because we need each other/We believe in one another” has always sounded like Noel singing to Liam, though he would never admit it. Left off the album due to Stevie Wonder wanting a major cut of sales, the Noel sung “Step Out” is lifted by a terrific chorus.
Like the album itself, it’s the major ballads that rightly grab most of the attention, both sung by Noel. Dismissed at the time by Liam as sounding too American, “Talk Tonight” is an acoustic track that details the night that Noel disappeared from the band on a tour of the US before returning several days later. It was a feature of Noel’s live acoustic set on tours throughout the 90s. Hailed as a classic from the jump, “Masterplan” is another of what Noel does extremely well – a song stuck between ballad and anthem. The string laden verses is matched by a banger chorus.
The last bit of the second disc and third feature the rarities including the vinyl only “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday”. Originally it was to be sung by guitarist Bonehead until a night of drinking to steady his nerves thwarted those thoughts. Instead, Noel takes the lead on the frivolous sing along. Another rarity appears in the Noel sung version of The Beatles’ “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”.
Further highlights include a demo version of “She’s Electric” where further comparisons to The Beatles are warranted and a fuzzy live version of single, “Roll With It”, famously held off of the #1 UK singles position by blur’s “Country House” released on the same day. The disc then closes with a spellbinding take on “Cast No Shadow” recorded at their famous 1996 Maine Road gig in Manchester and the Knebworth concert version of “Masterplan”.
Looking back, this was the apex of Oasis. The buildup from the debut to the group going supernova with (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, all with the solid background of some of their most beloved B-sides that still form the basis of their live shows both as a band and as solo artists. More pop in nature, this is the sound of a band at the peak of their recording powers singing songs that have become rock and roll national anthems the world over.
Like his first post Beatles album, Ram credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, was not well received upon release. Retrospective reviews have been far kinder and in some quarters its considered something of a classic. John Lennon heard it differently, with a few of the songs credited as being digs at McCartney’s former bandmate including first track “Too Many People” and it’s line, “too many people preaching practices”. With an echoey beginning and strong melody line, it’s a great opener.
“Ram On” is the same verse over and over again sung over a ukelele, it later appears as a reprise. “Dear Boy” sees McCartney appreciating his love for Linda with sly digs at her ex on how he did not appreciate what he had, it’s also one of the most Beatles sounding tracks. Both “Heart Of The Country” and closer “The Back Seat Of My Car” are terrific, breezy bits of music with no shortage of melodies.
At nearly six minutes, “Long Haired Lady” sees Linda take co-lead on a track that gets better as it goes on, the line “love is long” is repeated many times over. The highlight of the album is McCartney’s first solo #1 single in the US, “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”. Separate songs stitched together by engineer Eirik Wangberg, the clever technique recalls past Beatles glories like the second half song suite of Abbey Road. It starts off as a dreamy track before getting more jaunty in the second half, it’s a remarkable slice of 70s pop rock. The entire album has a loose feel to it that really works, one where everything feels just fine.
The Archive Collection reissue from 2012 adds a further 8 songs to the original album including excellent first single post Beatles, “Another Day”. Describing an ordinary day for the rest of us, it’s similar in style to some of his past songs and British singles from The Kinks and blur. Bluesy B-side “Oh Woman, Oh Why” has a terrific guitar riff before giving way to a few more tuneful shorter tracks and the harder rocking 8-minute “Rode All Night”.
For his second solo album, The National’s singer Matt Berninger worked with producer/co-writer Sean O’Brien. The album is a mixture of mostly midtempo, atmospheric tracks with a bit of an electronic touch, some that sound like an elder indie rock stateman, and others that lean more country. “Little By Little” adds a bit of acoustic guitar and a little twang to the proceedings. “Nowhere Special” moves toward indie rock statesman with it’s stream of conscious lyrics.
Over guitars, “Bonnet of Pins” explores the Berninger favourite topic of a girl drinking at a party who’s character is further explored on the very good “Silver Jeep”. Like “Frozen Oranges”, first song “Inland Ocean” mentions Indiana and wanting to get away from everything. “I flew to Indiana to see a friend… wrap me up in your summer sheets”. On Get Sunk, Berninger is able to explore more lowkey songs whose sound don’t have to fill hockey arenas on a nightly basis.
The recording of Low was yet another transition in the extraordinary life of David Bowie. Moving to Paris with Iggy Pop to escape drug addiction, the pair began work Pop’s solo album, The Idiot. Once that wrapped up, Bowie started work on Low with Tony Visconti and ambient wizard, Brian Eno. First recording in Paris before moving to Germany, this was the start on what has become known as the Berlin trilogy.
Split between two sides, the first side features mostly quick snappy rock songs with an avant garde bent. “Speed of Life” is the instrumental opener, a solid 70s rock song with guitars and synths working away in the background. Both “Breaking Glass” and “What In The World” has some great guitar work from Carlos Alomar. “Sound and Vision” was one of only two singles from the album, reaching top 3 in the UK. With an appearance from Mary Hopkins, the song has a bit of funk, recalling several tracks on the “Young Americans” album. “Always Crashing In The Same Car” sounds like the negative answer to Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn”, one where Bowie never gets out of the driveway, going around in circles while constantly making the same mistakes.
In contrast to the song fragments on side one, the second side sees lengthier soundscapes. “Warszawa” is a moody, oppressive piece named after the Polish city. Bowie plays all the instruments on “Weeping Wall” who’s synths and xylophone stay somewhat hopeful, never quote going down the dark/horror path they could before “Subterraneans” closes out the album. Conceived during the time of The Man Who Fell to Earth movie, synths are used like orchestral strings to draw out the cinematic feel of the track.
Listening to Low almost 50 year later, the the genre expanding sounds by a major selling artist makes it a seminal piece. Its influence can be felt throughout the next several decades of music, notably on bands like Joy Division right through to Radiohead’s Kid A and many of the cold wave artists that have expanded on it’s icy synth sounds. Changing styles once again, on the album Low, Bowie moved his musical ambitions from the soul of America to the cold concrete of Europe.
The Light Appears 