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MUSIC FEATURE

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Each month we handpick a collection of reissues, limited editions or just straight classic long-players that deserve a place

in any record collection. Words Paul Jones, Zoë Radas & Jacqui Picone

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE …LIKE CLOCKWORK (2013)

Dark, dirty and elevated to triumphant heights by Josh Homme’s spitting growl, 2013's seminal …Like Clockwork is a record built for grimy, sweaty bars where the lights are tinted red, and the beer is cheap – and it's just been reissued in two different coloured vinyl variants. Characterised by their signature elephantine drums and exemplary riffs, Queens of the Stone Age’s sixth record struts down the street and dares you to look at it the wrong way, from ominous opener Keep Your Eyes Peeled through to

LAURYN HILL THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL (1998)

Of course, no one ever really entertained the idea that Lauryn Hill's debut solo record would be a lemon – Hill was the breakout star of East Coast hip-hop trio The Fugees (winning a Grammy for the group’s ’96 gem The Score ), and had even demonstrated her acting chops in 1993’s better-than the-original (fight me) Sister Act 2 . But few ears were quite prepared for the

parade of genius that was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill . Writing, arranging, and producing the album herself, Hill delivered an astonishing treasure of rap and soulful hip-hop focusing on social change, Black empowerment and the artist’s own life experiences. It quickly catapulted Hill’s star to intergalactic status. Crack open the schooldesk and pull out the first disc; Side A gives us soul-soaked finger-wagger Doo Wop (That Thing) , along with fan fave To Zion feat. Carlos Santana (only the heartless aren’t moved by Hill’s cries of “My joy!” in this tale

GUNS N’ ROSES APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION (1987) When Geffen boss Eddy Rosenblatt, already infuriated by Guns N’ Roses’ destructive and unruly behaviour, learned that Appetite for Destruction had cost $365,000 to make, he mammoth single My God is the Sun , right on to wonky boogie rock belter Smooth Sailing . For the entire trip, switchblade sharp lyrical work swaggers into driving rhythms, and Homme’s undeniable charisma looms large over the entire enterprise. Undeniably the band’s best album since the storming Songs for the Deaf , …Like Clockwork deftly proved, once again, that sometimes you really just can’t beat a superb rock record. TOP TRACK: Smooth Sailing FAST FACT: The song Fairweather Friend features piano and backing vocals from Sir Elton John. It was co-written by QOTSA along with the late Mark Lanegan, who had officially left the band in 2005.

of, and dedication to, her son Zion David Marley). On Side B, Hill ponders the expectations of artistry ( Superstar ), shows off her flow fronting brass and harp ( Final Hour ), and laments heartbreak ( When it Hurts So Bad and I Used to Love Him with Mary J. Blige). On to Disc 2 and Side C, with Motown-licked Forgive Them Father , and Hill’s reflection on her New Jersey childhood adventures in the irresistibly funkified Every Ghetto , Every City . Side D gives us bright final single and Desiderata -esque manifesto Everything Is Everything , closing with the gorgeous piano-and-organ feast of the title track. This pioneering work sat Hill atop the pedestal of hip-hop’s new direction, seeing the then-23 year-old collect five Grammys from ten nominations (the most any female artist had yet received in one night). TOP TRACK: To Zion FAST FACT: After rebuffing production aid from Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA during the album’s creation, Hill famously (and rhetorically) asked: “Who can tell my story better than me?”

demanded that the label drop the band. However, a punishing tour following the album’s release in July 1987 would see album

sales rise like mercury on a sun-scorched LA summer day.

THE KILLERS HOT FUSS (2004)

When Welcome to the Jungle became an MTV darling, the reckless,

With guitar bands enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in the early noughties, spearheaded by Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, and The Strokes, Las Vegas-based The Killers were ready to join the thrust. Armed with a potent roll of anthemic tracks, the band recorded their debut, Hot Fuss , in 2003. The global commercial success of singles Mr. Brightside and dancefloor-favourite Somebody Told Me gilded the path for the eventual album release, with Hot Fuss hitting the racks smack bang in the middle of 2004. A generational rock behemoth, Hot Fuss bewitched critics and music lovers alike with a potent surge of finely crafted arena-filling bangers. 19 years later, the songs retain that red-hot energy. As a debut album goes, it doesn’t come much better than this. TOP TRACK: Mr. Brightside FAST FACT: The elements of Mr. Brightside were brought together on only the band’s second rehearsal.

drunk punk gunslingers became the most bankable band on the planet. Packed tight with 12 breakneck rockers, Appetite was the dangerous album that every teenager wanted. At a time when the burgeoning CD was becoming the dominant format, producer Mike Clink recorded the album with vinyl in mind. It’s the only way this rock juggernaut should be played. TOP TRACK: Welcome to the Jungle FAST FACT: Kiss’ Paul Stanley was rejected for the producer role, and Mutt Lange was considered too expensive. The band settled on Mike Clink, who had previously worked with Whitesnake and Triumph.

14 FEBRUARY 2023

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