And Press Play: Recent Episodes
James West
Welcome to And Press Play, a podcast dedicated to reviewing albums of all types and from all decades. Ranging from Tom Petty to Taylor Swift, Eric Clapton to Electric Light Orchestra, we will cover a wide range of both albums and songs.
Are you interested? Then listen to the trailer below and then jump right in!
Here's my review of Watch by Maisie Peters, taken from her 2023 album The Good Witch. This is a great pop-punk song featuring some cutting and bitter lyrics, as well as some great instrumentation.
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Here's my review of Magic by The Cars, taken from their 1984 album Heartbeat City. This song is one of the best finds of the year for me, its a fabulous 1980's pop rock song with great vocals, a cool guitar solo and some excellent synths.
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Here's my review of The Blue and the Grey by Magnum, taken from their 2004 album Brand New Morning. This is one of Magnums great anti-war songs, with some great guitar work from Tony Clarkin and powerful yet pained vocals from Bob Catley
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The special episode for this series is a mixtape. I have picked 10 songs which have never featured on And Press Play before and arranged them in order, so you can enjoy a carefully curated playlist from start to finish.
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Here's my review of Room in the City by Kassi Valazza, taken from her 2023 album Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing. This is a truly great folk song with some wistful and insightful lyrics, and some lovely melancholy music.
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Here's my review of Blue Angel by Marillion, taken from their 1985 album Misplaced Childhood. This is a short song, which has some great lyrics and instrumentation, which help tell a compelling and fantastical story.
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Here's my review of Come Back Be Here (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift, taken from her 2021 album Red (Taylor's Version). This is one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs, with some insightful lyrics about the difficulties of being in a long distance relationship set to some great musical backing.
PSA: Thanks to all my listeners for all supporting this podcast for the last ten series! I can't believe we've hit series 10. Here's to many more!
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A quick update on the podcast and what to look forward to in the coming weeks!
Magnus West Media: https://open.spotify.com/show/1jSzowXBwLrVvB4U5dvhc6?si=6cc7b22045ed4bf0
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Here's my review of The Release by Marillion, taken from their 1989 album Seasons End. This is a very upbeat song musically, benefitting from some great keyboards and guitar while lead singer Steve Hogarth sings about the problems with modern life.
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Here's my review of You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go by Bob Dylan, taken from his critically acclaimed 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. This is a song will the trademark Dylan styles; harmonica solo, acoustic guitars, and some of the best lyrics on the album which chart the narrator falling in and out of love. Also included is a review of Ryan Adam's 2022 cover of the song, and why in some ways I prefer it to the original.
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Here's my review of In Another Life by The Killers, taken from their 2021 album Pressure Machine. This is a song all about the decisions that people make in their life and ultimately whether they will look back on them with happiness or regret. It's got some insightful lyrics and a great vocal performance from Brandon Flowers.
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This is a special episode where I take a deeper dive into an unpopular album in a band's discography and decide whether it deserves the hate it gets from the fanbase. This episode I am looking at We Can't Dance by Genesis, their final studio album with Phil Collins on vocals. This is an album that gets huge amounts of flack for substandard songwriting, an over reliance on synths and well... I Can't Dance. However, does it deserve the hate? Listen in to find out.
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Here's my review of Down South by Tom Petty, taken from his 2006 album Highway Companion. This is one of the stranger additions in Petty's catalogue; a chance to pay homage to the South of America in his twlight years. The vocal performance here is subdued which adds to the songs mood, and Mike Campbell's guitar work keeps the listener powering through to the end.
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Here's my review of An Englishman on Holiday by Thunder, taken from their 1990 album Backstreet Symphony. This is a very fun and upbeat song about Brits drinking abroad, with some amusing lyrics and some great drum work.
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Here's my review of You're the One by Kate Bush, taken from her 1993 album The Red Shoes. This is a very sad song about the death of a relationship, and the doubts that the narrator has about leaving. The song also features a searing guitar solo from the late Jeff Beck, which adds a unique quality to the song.
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Here's my review of Eurydice by Katherine Priddy, taken from her 2021 debut album The Eternal Rocks Beneath. This is a lovely folk song about Orpheus's frustrations as he returns from the underworld, and ultimately his sadness when realising that Eurydice can't return to the world. It has some great vocals from Priddy and some wonderful instrumentation as well.
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Here's my review of You Do or You Don't by Lindsey Buckingham, taken from his acclaimed 1992 album Out of the Cradle. This is a great pop/rock song with some great lyrics and a pained vocal performance from Buckingham.
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Here's my review of Sentimental Institution by Steve Hackett, taken from his 1980 album Defector. This is a really unusual song, with a sinister and creepy mood created by some quirky singing and organ playing.
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Here's my review of three different European songs, all sung in their native language. We cover a range of genres in this episode, from German pop to Norweigian folk. I have tried my best to make sure everything is pronounced correctly, but please let me know if there are any errors.
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Here is my review of Time Machine by Margo Price, taken from her 2023 album Strays. This is a wonderfully nostalgic song, with the music and lyrics conjuring up a lovely dreamlike atmosphere as the narrator remembers a past relationship and how they long to be back there.
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Here's my review of Blood Red Skies by Judas Priest, taken from their 1988 album Ram It Down. This is one of Priest's epics; it's got a wonderful vocal performance from Rob Halford and some heavy guitar riffs from Tipton and Downing.
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Here is my review of Strangers by Nature by Adele, taken from her 2022 album 30. This is a great opening song that does a wonderful job of setting the dour yet optimistic tone for the album, and continues some vivid imagery about love's demise and moving on.
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Here is my review of Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love, taken from its eponymous 1987 album. This is one of the more pop/rock songs on the album and features quite a few E Street Band members. This is a great song both musically and lyrically and one I urge you all to check out.
Here is my review of Last Train Home by John Mayer, the lead single from his upcoming album SOB Rocks. This is a funk 1980's esque track which has some great guitar and syths on it and sticks in your head for a while. Enjoy!
This is my review of Richard and Linda Thompson's Walking on the Wire, taken from their critically acclaimed 1982 album Shoot Out the Lights. This is a fabulous song and one of my favourites. Its chock-full of lyrical imagery and features some fantastic guitar playing, which I would urge you all to check out.
My review of Fleetwood Mac's Songbird, one of the finest songs ever written in my opinion. Its warm and elegant and utterly charming in its own bliss. I highly recommend that you all listen to this song!
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers's Room at the Top, Petty's finest work in my opinion. This has some fantastic lyrics and some excellent musicianship on this track, and I wish I'd written it because of its defiant optimism and hope.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This is the first episode of my Songs I Wish I'd Written miniseries, and today we are looking at Reason to Believe by Bruce Springsteen taken from 1982's Nebraska. This is a rather gloomy song interspersed with some moments of optimism which add a vaguely hopefully note to a rather depressing album.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of Bob Dylans I'll Remember You, taken from his 1985 album Empire Burlesque. This is a complicated song which I have mixed opinions on, and attempt to make sense of them over the course of seven minutes.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Valerie by Patti Scialfa, a musically ambitious song about a relationship that went bad.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of the song Hungry for Heaven by Dio, taken from his third solo album Sacred Heart. This is a great optimistic rock song with a great guitar solo and is one of my favourite Dio songs.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This is my beginners guide to Genesis, one of the best selling prog rock / rock bands of all time. With each individual member being famous in their own right, and when two of your members are Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins you know this band is something special. Here are my top 5 songs to get you into the band, as well as what to explore next and also what they may play on tour.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Golden Hair by Syd Barrett, a great and very odd song that is a retelling of a poem in a dark and foreboding way.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of the song A Case of You by Joni Mitchell, taken from her acclaimed 1971 album Blue. This is a gem of a song about the dangers of an unsuitable love and how those people may not leave you even if you want them to.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Mirrorball by Taylor Swift, a nice 3-minute indie pop song which tells the magical and mysterious story of two people with one of them being very eager to impress the other.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Wildflowers by Tom Petty, an acoustic song telling the story of the end of a relationship and coming to terms with it enough to wish the best for the other person.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the Static Age by Green Day, an upbeat rock song which is about commercialism and how the world has changed and how it isn't a good thing. It has some great vibrant images in it all underpinned by some great guitar work.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Behind the Sun by Eric Clapton. This is a slow moving ballad underpinned by Claptons emotive lyrics and his acoustic guitar work.
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Here is my review of Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills and Nash. This is a great song whihc holds some sentimental attachment to me and has some great vocal harmonies which really help set a slightly etherial mood to the song and a sense of longing
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Gone Gone Gone by Robert Plant/Allison Krauss taken from their Grammy winning album Raising Sand. This is an excellent take on the Everly Brothers classic with some fabulous vocal interplay between the two.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Too Much Love Will Kill You by Brian May but also recorded by Queen. This is a really heart-wrenching piano ballad which is superb with some exception vocals by Brian May. Hope you enjoy this, please like and subscribe!
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Awake by Gabrielle Aplin, a rather obscure B-side from her Home single. It's a very unique song in her catalogue, and I hope that this review does it some justice.
Here is my review of the song the Bravery of Being Out of Range by Roger Waters, taken from his 1992 album Amused to Death. This is a great song which talks about the ironies of modern warfare and has some superb instrumentation.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello and welcome to my review of Little of Your Love by HAIM, from their second album Something to Tell You. This is a great pop song; definitely worth checking out!
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, done in one take with the bare minimum of preparation. The aim of this is to make some more spontaneous reviews which hopefully can be directed down tangents if I want to go down them.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the song Solo by Sandy Denny, taken from her 1974 album Like an Old Fashioned Waltz. This is a great folk song with some great vocals and some fantastically abstract lyrics
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Mudmen by Pink Floyd, taken from their 1972 album Obscured by Clouds. This is a great instrumental song which makes full use of keyboards and guitar and creates a wonderfully atmospheric piece.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the song She's a Mystery to Me taken from his 1989 album Mystery Girl. This is a fantastic atmospheric song which shows why Roy Orbison will always be remembered as one of the best singers of the 20th century.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the song Hurricane by Amber Run taken from their debut album 5AM. This is a great pop song, hence why I am reviewing it today.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of Hollyann by Boston taken from their 1986 album Third Stage, which is one of my favourite albums. This is a great rock song which is highly underrated off the album.
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of Animal by Def Leppard, taken from their 1987 album Hysteria. This is a great rock song with some great riffs and lyrics that stay in your head.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the Mother we Share, by the Scottish synth-pop group Chvrches which they released back in 2013. This is a great uptempo pop song, which some great vocal work.
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Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Here is my review of the song Talk of this Town by Catherine McGrath, from her 2018 album Talk of this Town. Hope you enjoy, please subscribe for more!
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This is my review of the song Squonk by Genesis, taken from their 1976 album A Trick of the Tail. This is a fantastic song that really shows off the exceptional vocal talent of Phil Collins. I hope you have enjoyed this; please subscribe for more!
Music for the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Welcome to my review of Instincts by Of Mice and Men, taken from their album Defy. Hope you enjoy, please subscribe for more.
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of the song Love It If We Made It by the 1975 taken from their 2018 album A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships. Hope you enjoy and please subscribe for more!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of Paul Simon's The Boy in the Bubble, taken from his 1986 album Graceland. Hope you enjoy it and please subscribe for more!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and welcome to my review of the Bringer by Magnum. Its a great old rocker from 1977 which was played a lot in the car to me as a kid. I really like this song. If you like this song please subscribe!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and here is my review of Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. I really like this song as its sweet and sentimental and its got some nice acoustic guitar work. If you like this - please subscribe!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and welcome to my review of High Hopes by Pink Floyd off the 1994 album The Division Bell. This is a great song that really highlights the great guitar work of Gilmour, the piano of Richard Wright and the orchestral arrangements. A very whistful song, but a personal favourite of all the late Floyd era. If you like this - please subscribe!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This is my review of the album That's the Spirit by Bring Me the Horizon, a great rock/pop album. Hope you enjoy this review, and subscribe for more!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and welcome to my review of the song Come Back Be Here by Taylor Swift, taken from her 2012 album Red. This is a great low key song about the stress of a long-distance relationship and how it affects someone when their partner is away. A song that really should have been on the main album. Hope you enjoy this and see you next time!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and welcome to my review of A Night at the Opera by Queen. This is one of the most famous albums of all time which contains such a diverse range of styles in the songwriting where no two songs are similar. If all you know about this album is Bohemian Rhapsody, then this is definitely one for you to listen to! Hope you have enjoyed this, please subscribe for more!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Welcome to my review of the Fleetwood Mac song Come a Little Bit Closer from their 1974 album Heroes are so Hard to Find. This is a great pop song with some nice variation involved in it which I especially enjoy. Hope you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe for more!
Music in the sting: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Hello, and welcome to my review of the song "Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park, taken from their third album Minutes to Midnight. This is fast-paced up-tempo rap-rock song which always gets me going when I hear it. A great short punchy song which any teenager will enjoy. If you like this, please subscribe to this channel.
Music for this song: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My review of the album Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Overall a superb album with some great sing a long songs and fantastic guitar work. One of my favourites.
Music for the stings are taken from: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/