It’s that time of the month. We’re recording our review of last month’s album* - Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys and we’re ready to announce our album for September.

How are you all doing? Tom is positively giddy about Chelsea’s start to the new season, which is painful but hopefully short-lived. I’m clinging on to summer by insisting on wearing shorts, this normally lasts until around the second week of October when I’ll finally admit defeat and put on my big boy trousers.

If you missed it, I wrote an article about why I love the concept of The Long Play (and how it was partly inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites), you can read it here.

Thanks to everyone who voted for this month’s album. It’s an album that I’ve wanted to get to for some time, so I’m excited to reveal…

This month’s album is Madvillainy by Madvillain.

Oh man! I feel like this has the potential to split the vote. I’m keen and know a little bit of the album. There are a few MF DOOM tracks that I love but I’ve never dived into a full album. Tom is less of a Hip Hop head, so let’s see what he thinks.

Madvillainy is by hip-hop duo Madvillain, consisting of British-American rapper MF Doom** and American record producer Madlib. It was released on March 23, 2004.

It is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time in general, being ranked in various publications’ lists of all-time greatest albums, including on NME’s The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, on Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time, and on Billboard’s The 100 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time. A stone cold classic.

Let’s go!

Back soon with the Mid-Month Missive and remember…

No Skipping, No Shuffling!

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

🗞️ Not subscribed yet? Join The Long Play here.

*Admittedly it was 2 months in total, a bumper start to the new season.

** I only recently found out about MF DOOM British heritage and that he lived in Leeds for a while***

*** Expect more details in the Mid-Month Missive

Hello gang 👋,

We’re in the middle of an extended Long Play - Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. How’s it going? If you missed the Mid-Month Missive, you can read it here.

We’ll be back at the end of the month with our review (no spoilers) and our announcement of next month’s album.

But today, I wanted to talk about an unlikely inspiration behind The Long Play.

I was recently in Kyoto and saw a retrospective of the YBAs. Curated by Tate, this exhibition takes a look back at the British art scene of the 90s centred around the group of artists that included Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst and was given the collective name the Young British Artists.

I loved the YBAs (still do). Having had very little interest in art growing up, their work unlocked a passion that I never knew I had. I fell in love with the ideas, the spectacle and the emotions. I marvelled at the audacity and vision of Hirst’s work, the directness and unflinching vision of Jenny Saville and the raw emotion of Tracey Emin. I was touched on an emotional level by inanimate objects, it was a revelation to me.

In contrast, any art made pre-1900 was definitely not for me. Overly concerned with religious iconography, a lack of modern sensibility and a focus on craft and skill in lieu of idea (at least, to my untrained eye) meant that it felt like a different category of art. One that I would never appreciate.

That’s until I decided to take a short evening course in art appreciation at the University of York. The lecturer was an expert in the Pre-Raphaelites and so naturally there was a disproportionate focus on these artists. Or, at least, when she spoke there was an added zing to her words, an extra sparkle in her eyes.

All of a sudden, the Pre-Raphaelites were unlocked for me and I seek them out whenever I can. One of my happiest memories was an event at a stately home where they had a Rossetti from their private collection on display for the evening and I was left alone to marvel at it for a while.

I can’t fully express why I appreciate these works so much now. But what I do know is that learning about them unlocked it for me.

And that’s how they inspired The Long Play. It is my thesis that any high-quality work of art will reveal its charms if you spend sufficient time with it, learn about the context in which it was created, and hear from others who are passionate about it.

It worked for the Pre-Raphaelites, and that brings joy to my life. It works for classic albums. The Long Play exists so that we can further our musical education, stretch our musical tastes and unlock joy from unexpected sources. It is genuinely one of the most important things in my life.

That’s enough banging on from me. We’ll be back soon with your usual programming!

No Skipping, No Shuffling,

Paul

Oh look, the world-famous Mid-Month Missive is back! You missed us right?

We’re starting Season 2 right here with Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. If you’re new here*, this is the point in the month where we send you lots of links, reviews and other content to add some background and colour to this month’s album.

First up though - make sure you’re caught up on our launch episode. We took one of Paul’s favourite albums and spoke to friends of the pod Wright & Grainger about it…

Pet Sounds - Let’s get into it.

If you only know The Beach Boys from surfboards, hot rods and “fun fun fun,” brace yourself**. This is Brian Wilson, 23 years old, having a panic attack on a plane, quitting touring, and locking himself in the studio with a room full of session musicians (the legendary Wrecking Crew) to try and beat Rubber Soul. “That’s it, that’s all, that’s all folks,” he apparently said after hearing it. “I’m going to make an album that’s really good.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Let’s start on YouTube this month. Here’s Hans Zimmer calling “God Only Knows” the “perfect song” . To back this up, the isolated vocals are astounding - “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Stripping the instruments away and just hearing those harmonies is one of the best five minutes you’ll spend on YouTube this month.

While we’re on vocals, Al Jardine once said the sessions could run 12-15 hours a day, and it shows. Apparently it took longer to record the vocal on “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” than any other track on the album.

I’m also enjoying David Hartley’s YouTube content, and here he is expressing why Pet Sounds is one of his favourite albums.

“A feeling of joy” - Brian Wilson

Let’s take a diversion for a minute. There’s a great story that Bruce Johnston smuggled two copies of the album to London before its UK release, and got Keith Moon to arrange a meeting with Lennon and McCartney at a hotel to play it to them. They listened to it through twice in silence. Soon after, they started work on Sgt. Pepper’s. George Martin later said, “Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper never would have happened.”

On to reviews. Rolling Stone have it at #2 on their 500 Greatest Albums list and their podcast episode on it is genuinely excellent - new interviews with the surviving Beach Boys alongside archival Brian Wilson tape. Pitchfork gave the 40th anniversary reissue 9.4*** and got members of Talking Heads, Yo La Tengo and Deftones to weigh in on its influence for the 50th anniversary. Worth a read if you want to see how far the ripples spread.

For a completely different kind of deep dive, there’s a podcast called Discograffiti that’s done an entire multi-part series on this record with Beach Boys biographer Chuck Granata, genuinely goes song by song. If you’ve got a long drive coming up, this is your thing.

“God only knows what I’d be without you”

A quick word of warning: not everyone agreed at the time. Early US reviews ranged from lukewarm to actively confused, and Capitol Records was so unconvinced it released a Best Of compilation the same month to hedge its bets, which promptly outsold Pet Sounds. Meanwhile in the UK, it went to number one.

Well, I think that’s enough content for you to work your way through this month.

Before you go, please vote for our album for next month - HERE

It’s great to be back bothering your inboxes!

Don’t forget - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom 🩶

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* Also…Welcome 🙋‍♂️. Here’s our FAQ

** Spoilers - That was my starting point - Paul

***Although they did delete a previous 7/10 review, apparently.

We’re only flipping back. We’ve missed you and we’ve missed this.

The purpose of The Long Play is to spend time listening to albums all the way through (as nature intended). In the hiatus since our last season* I’ve found that I have slipped back into listening to more podcasts**** and, when I do listen to music, defaulting to playlists. It’s time to get back on the horse 🐎

If you’re new around these parts, we did a little introduction here, but the core principle behind The Long Play is that given time, attention and curiosity you can find something to love in any classic album and often, you’ll find a brand new favourite. So we dive in.

There’s a new episode out now. What? Already?

Yes. We have an occasional series called B-Sides where we talk about an album we already know well. This time we’re joined by award-winning theatre makers Wright and Granger to talk about our collective love***** of The Streets album - A Grand Don’t Come For Free.

With Mike Skinner currently touring the album, it felt like an ideal time to talk about it. Alex and Phil were perfect guests talking passionately about how the album inspired their work, how it felt to perform the whole album at the Edinburgh Fringe and how Phil embarrassed himself with Mike himself.

Get it here

But wait I hear you say, what about July’s album? What should we be listening to now? We’re excited to say that…

This month’s album is Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys.

When we were debating where to start the new season, the sun was blazing and we felt like we needed a summer album. So here it is.

I think I owned the album on CD many moons ago, but I never got into it. I’m hopeful that a full month with it will reveal its secrets to me.

Released in 1966, Pet Sounds saw The Beach Boys leave their surf rock roots behind as Brian Wilson pushed the boundaries of what a pop album could be.

Despite not initially being a huge hit, it inspired countless artists. Most famously, The Beatles when they made Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and is widely regarded today as one of the greatest and most influential albums ever recorded.

A pretty damn good place to start.

Back soon with the Mid-Month Missive (it’ll come in the middle of the month).

No Skipping, No Shuffling!

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

🗞️ Not subscribed yet? Join The Long Play here.

*Yes, we’re launching Season 2**

**Yes, we’re retrofitting the last set of episodes into Season 1***

*** Yes, we’re pretending that our hiatus was planned

**** Shout out to Elis and John

***** At least for 3 of us

I’ve missed this. Season 1 was a blast. I absolutely loved taking time to listen to albums that were considered classics but we didn’t really know them properly.

Our hypothesis for The Long Play is that if you approach a classic album with an open mind and curiosity over the course of a whole month, it will reveal itself to you, and you will start to appreciate music that you may have avoided in the past. It definitely worked more times than it failed!

I missed it. I find that I’m defaulting to podcasts and not taking time to listen to music. When I am listening to music, I’m revisiting albums (and often playlists) that I already know. It is high time to get back on the horse and force myself to listen to new** stuff again.

For July we will be choosing a classic album to listen to***. But to get us started, we have something a bit special for you. We’re joined by friends of the pod - Wright & Grainger to talk about our love of A Grand Don’t Come For Free by The Streets.

This is a special album for at least 3 of the 4 people on the pod! And it feels apt to be talking about it now as Mike Skinner embarks on a UK tour this summer where he is playing the whole album all the way through****

So have a listen, you’ll hear Al and Phil talk about how this album inspired their award-winning theatre company, how they performed it at the Edinburgh Fringe and how Phil embarrassed himself with Mike Skinner!

Here is the link to the episode.

It is great to be back!

We’ll see you in a few days for the announcement of July’s album.

In the meantime…

No Skipping, No Shuffling!

Paul and Tom

*I was going to say ‘it has been a minute’ but I’m not sure I could pull it off (or want to).

**old

***watch out for the announcement. It’s a goody.

****I’ve got my tickets to see him at Roundhay Park

Hello Gang (*robot voice*) 🤖

Welcome to this month’s Mid-Month Missive. For September, we’re listening to Random Access Memories by Daft Punk. If you’re new here*, this is the point in the month where we send you lots of juicy links, reviews and other content to add to your listening pleasure and help us all dive deeper into this month’s album.

Once again**, there’s more music available if you want to stray outside the standard track-listing. There’s the seemingly obligatory anniversary release with bonus tracks…

And the weird ‘drumless’ remix (which was poorly reviewed and I must admit to having not listened to it yet to make up my own mind.

But more excitingly, there is a Dolby Atmos mix available. At least I think there is. It’s not available on Spotify, but it might be available on Apple Music. I say ‘might’ because I haven’t found conclusive evidence that it is available in the UK. ****

Finally, if you want a completely different take on the album, how about Darkside’s Random Access Memories Memories?

OK, this month, we’ve mostly got YouTube content for you. There are two full web series to watch.

The Collaborators

And Memory Tapes

For reviews, let’s start with newsletter favourite Anthony Fantano…

And here he is, ten years later, standing behind his review…

For a deeper dive on Daft Punk’s whole discography and where Random Access Memories fits in, I enjoyed this video…

Let’s finish with a few written reviews.

Rolling Stone placed it in their Top 500 album list and gave the album 4 stars on release.

Pitchfork rated it at 8.8 and said “…the record will remain, something that channels the past but sounds like little else right now, an album about rediscovery that's situated in the constantly-shifting present”.

Whilst The Guardian said “Daft Punk have shone a laser beam into dark corners of the 70s and 80s and made them sing again, with timbres more human than ever before”.

And John Mulvey in Uncut gave what sounds like an endorsement of the whole The Long Play concept - “Random Access Memories” is built on a classic old conceit: the most immediate of singles, ushering in an album which repays deep listens.

Well, I think that’s enough content for you to work your way through this month.

Don’t forget - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom 🩶

The Long Play

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* Also…Welcome 🙋‍♂️. Here’s our FAQ

** If you’re keeping up, last month we listened to Disintegration by The Cure and there was lots of extras and rereleases for that album ***

*** And yes, I’m very aware that you’re waiting for the review for last month. Thank you for your patience 😉

**** Let me know if and when you find it. I’d be really keen to listen to it.

Last month, we let ourselves fall apart.

Disintegration by The Cure was a masterpiece of slow-burning sadness*

But now… It’s time to dance.

This month’s album is Random Access Memories by Daft Punk.

Oh boy. I’m looking forward to this one. Let’s go deep on some Daft Punk.

An album that I’ve never listened to. But I’m up, are you?

Random Access Memories facts** -

Released in 2013, Random Access Memories is an album about memory, machines, and music itself. Daft Punk swapped drum machines for live session musicians, EDM drops for lush arrangements, and robot masks for - well, okay, they kept the robot masks.

It’s a love letter to the 70s and 80s, full of shimmering disco (Lose Yourself to Dance), soft rock melancholy (Instant Crush), and full-blown cinematic epics (Touch). It’s also the album that gave us Get Lucky, the Nile Rodgers-powered mega-hit that took over the planet for an entire summer.

Let’s mark the end of summer/start of autumn with a dance shall we?

Back soon with the Mid-Month Missive.
Stay lucky,*****

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

🗞️ Not subscribed yet? Join The Long Play here.

* The podcast review is coming very soon! Bear with us.

** Said in Adam Buxton’s voice***

*** I’ve pre-ordered his new album. Not sure what I’ll make of it ****

**** Highly doubt that it will feature in a forthcoming episode of The Long Play though.

***** Oh…and don’t forget - No Skipping/No Shuffling 😉

OK! Hello Gang 👋

This month, we are all listening to Disintegration. The Cure’s seminal* 1989 album. Let’s dive straight into the music because there’s a lot of it! There’s 1 hour and 12 minutes across the 12 tracks…

That’s not even half the story, though. Firstly, the original vinyl release omitted Last Dance and Homesick to keep it to a single disc. The original CD and cassette releases in the US listed these tracks as ‘bonus tracks’, but they are very much part of the core album and this remastered version is the definitive one we’re listening to***

I’ve also got the album on vinyl, which was released in its full version as a double album in later pressings.

The band then released a remix album called Mixed Up**** the following year, which includes dance remixes of 4 of the tracks on Disintegration…

They also released a live version of the album The Entreat (and later The Entreat Plus) which, to quote Wikipedia, was distributed exclusively in France as a promotional tool in 1989 and then was given away free by HMV stores in the UK and Ireland to customers who purchased two CDs from the band's back catalogue in May 1990.

The Entreat isn’t available on Spotify (or any other streaming service as far as I can see), but do not despair because the Deluxe edition contains it all as well as a load of rarities, demos and instrumentals…

Given that I linked to the ‘deluxe’ version of Mixed Up, I reckon that’s over 8 hours of music for you to dive into. What you need is some sort of guide to make sense of all this, some way to find your way through the mass of music. That’s where the Mid-Month Missive comes in! Let’s see what treats we have for you this month.

I make no apologies for starting with an MMM favourite. Trash Theory*****.

They have an excellent primer on Disintegration…

You could also do a lot worse than watching this 1993 concert that includes quite a few tracks from the album…

And according to this list, 'Lullaby' is their best video ever…

If Trash Theory is my ‘go to’ choice for videos then I think 1001 Album Club is the podcast that I link to every month*****, but here they are again…

https://www.1001albumclub.com/episodes/651-the-cure-disintegration/

I promise that we aren’t so calculating and savvy to time our listening to the zeitgeist but Goth culture is definitely haven’t a moment/revival as Netflix push the new series of Wednesday hard. This article links the album and the series nicely.

And to finish us off, a couple of in-depth and gushing reviews from -

Pitchfork - “big, warm, slow, full of beauty and melody and even joy”

The Quietus - “a mass of self-pity, crocodilian remorse and existential angst”

There you have it. Enjoy!

And remember now - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

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* Do we only use seminal for classic albums? I can’t think of any other time I’ve used it. **

** Thought I’d look it up, seminal comes from the Latin for seed and therefore has the same etymology as semen. So there’s that.

*** Mostly leaving this here for Tom so that he listens to the right version. We don’t want another Eurythmics debacle where his favourite track wasn’t even on the album!

**** I had no idea that The Cure had released a dance remix album!

***** Maybe we should just listen to bands that Trash Theory have covered?

****** I mean, they have covered A LOT of albums

New month, new album. That’s how it works folks.

We’ve been living inside a fog this past month, filled with tape hiss, rhythmic drag, and quiet despair.

Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On might have come from a band known for joy and unity, but this was a different beast. Paranoid, cracked, and often barely holding together, Riot whispered where their earlier records shouted. It was brilliant but bleak. You can listen to our full review wherever you get your pods.

So where do we go from here?

Into the gloom, of course. But this time, it’s beautifully gothic.

This month’s album is Disintegration by The Cure. Robert Smith’s masterpiece of romantic desolation, released in 1989 as a deliberate act of self-sabotage… that accidentally became their biggest record*

With its slow-build synthscapes, cavernous drums, and aching lyrics, Disintegration is an album that luxuriates in sadness but never loses sight of beauty. It’s the sound of heartbreak turned symphonic. Or at least that’s what the reviews say. Let’s dive in and find out if we agree.

We’ll be back in the Mid-Month Missive with the usual goodness of links, reviews and more.

Thanks for subscribing, and remember…

No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

🗞️ Not subscribed yet? Join The Long Play here.

* This is definitely a theme for our classic albums. Self-sabotage leads to the opposite outcome! **

** See last month’s album, or Led Zep IV for example.

OK! Hello Gang 👋

It’s Friday night, Tom and I have just finished playing padel*, I’m home alone as Abbi is at work and so…

I’m watching Sly Lives! again. As always, I’ve been collecting juicy links to feature in this newsletter for you. However, your main task is to watch Sly Lives!

Here’s the trailer. You can watch it on Disney+ in the UK.

Whilst you’re at it, you can watch Questlove’s previous documentary - Summer of Soul. Which won an Oscar for Best Documentary and also features Sly and The Family Stone***.

That should cover Sly’s broader career, but we’re here to talk about There’s a Riot Goin’ On.

There was an outpouring of tributes following Sly’s death last month. Amongst them are some new and reissued reviews of this album. As The Vinyl District says -

“When Stone finally dragged his bad self into the Record Plant in Sausalito to record the band’s fifth album, the results were completely unlike any previous Family Stone release. What is surprising, given Stone’s precipitous psychic decline, is that the result, 1971’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, is perhaps the most brilliant LP he ever recorded.”

A few years ago, The Guardian ran a series of quotes by famous musicians on the influence of the album. I think Mica Paris is right when she says -

“If it wasn’t for Sly, there wouldn’t be George Clinton, Prince, Rick James. So many borrowed from Sly, but he was the first.”

I also love this review of Family Affair from The Guardian’s list of Sly’s greatest songs**** -

“Possibly the bleakest US No 1 single ever, Family Affair draws a firm line under 60s idealism. Rose Stone’s blank-eyed delivery of the hook; its fatalistic lyrics given a shrugging, so-what? twist by Sly’s stoned drawl; the muffled, distorted sound lending a claustrophobic, etiolated quality to its muted funk. Chilling and incredible.”

To round off, let’s see what Rolling Stone said when they placed it at number 82 in their greatest albums of all time list.

“In mid-1971 Marvin Gaye asked the question ‘What’s Going On?,’ and Sly and the Family Stone answered ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On.’”

For video reviews, let’s start with this, as it’s a great video…

I also enjoyed this one.

For a more in-depth look, then maybe check out Abigail Devoe’s review. Although, as I’ve said before, Abigail has a ‘unique’ style which may not be for everyone.

As always, I’m pointing you to 1001 Album Club if you *have* to listen to another podcast this month.

Oh, and maybe this episode of the Jeremy Dylan podcast.

That should keep you going!

If you’ve made it this far down the newsletter, I have a favour to ask.

We’re building a long list of albums for future episodes and we want your input.

There’s a form here, the question is very simple. What’s a classic album that you’d like to hear on The Long Play?

We’ve compiled a playlist of some of my personal favourite songs from each of the albums to date. Hopefully, that will give you some inspiration for what we might need next!

That leaves us with one thing to say - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

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Here’s our FAQ

* Like the cliché bearded hipsters we are **

** But, seriously, you should play padel, it’s fab.

*** And described by Mark Kermode as the best music documentary he’s ever seen.

**** Family Affair is at no. 2 and my favourite, If You Want Me To Stay is no. 9.

We're back. New month, new energy, new album *

The Revolution 💫

We’re back with another classic album for the month, but this month also carries a little extra weight. Sly Stone passed away in June — a genuine pioneer, provocateur, and musical revolutionary. So this edition of The Revolution is part tribute, part transmission, part time machine.

We’re going deep into There’s a Riot Goin’ On.

Released in 1971, Riot is Sly and The Family Stone at their darkest, weirdest and most groundbreaking. It’s a long, woozy comedown from the optimism of Stand! — full of tape hiss, drum machines, and murky, layered grooves that seem to crawl across the vinyl. Funk, soul, paranoia, and protest all rolled into one dense, chaotic masterpiece.

This is not a record that’s trying to make you feel good. But it is one that tells the truth.

Why Riot?

Because Sly changed everything. He was one of the first to put black and white, male and female musicians together in a band. He fused soul and rock into funk. He gave us Dance to the Music and Everyday People. But Riot was something different — a kind of beautiful collapse, reflecting a world that wasn’t living up to the promise of the 60s.

If Tapestry was last month’s warm blanket, Riot is a late-night transmission from a basement with no clocks.

We’ll be back in the Mid-Month Missive, and we’ve got some juicy extras lined up**

Let’s dig into the noise behind the noise.

Rest in power, Sly.✊

Thanks for subscribing, and remember…

No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

* And new artwork for the pod.

** There’s so much to dive into!

We lost two greats of American music this month - Brian Wilson and Sly Stone.

In their honour, we’re going to listen to one of their classic albums as our album of the month for July. The question is which one?

OK! Hello Gang 👋

A beautiful day here in North Yorkshire and a beautiful album to listen to this month.

This month, we’re listening to Tapestry by Carole King. Her second studio album released in 1971. An album that has sold over 30 million copies.

It is safe to say that Carole King is a giant in songwriting history. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and 61 songs that reached the UK charts. Unbelievable.

Her first hit as a songwriter was ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ by The Shirelles*, her version of this is included in Tapestry**.

She also wrote (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, a hit for Aretha Franklin, Up on the Roof for the Drifters and The Loco-Motion which has been a hit for Little Eva, Grand Funk Railroad and Kylie. And this only scratches the surface of her writing credits and her influence.

My personal introduction to this album was reading an interview by Mike Skinner from The Streets, where he said that it was his favourite album. I don’t think it was this interview in Rolling Stone, but he says it here too. If Mike Skinner is into it, then I’m interested.

Speaking of Rolling Stone, they placed Tapestry at number 25 in their latest Top 500 list.

It’s not only Mike Skinner who loves this album, just look at this article from The Guardian quoting the likes of Tori Amos and Rufus Wainwright. There’s also a link to this video in that article.

Aretha is 73 years old in this clip. Staggering. One of our greatest ever vocalists singing a song by one of our greatest ever songwriters.***

The 1001 Album Club have a podcast episode on Tapestry that I recommend by way of an introduction. I always find their discussions insightful.

It also makes up for the fact that we haven’t recorded an intro episode for this album this month.

Due to other commitments, we plan to release the Tapestry review and last month’s Lemonade review as a double header at the end of this month.

A couple of video reviews to point you to this month. Carole’s influence on music cannot be overstated, and this video is a good summary of the impact of Tapestry.

Produce Like A Pro has a good in-depth look at the album too.

Finally, when an album is this old, the internet is awash with reviews and articles, particularly when it turns 50. Here are just two that I picked from the bundle of results.

A short but interesting review from the BBC.

“Tapestry remains a classic because it never forgets the innate urban r&b understanding of great pop while it covers itself in patchouli, satins and silks.”

And a much more in-depth look at the album from Pitchfork.

“The songs of Tapestry are like companions for navigating the doubts and disappointments of everyday life with dignity.”

No poll as yet for next month’s album. Watch this space****

So I’m going to end with a poll of a different kind.

🎵 Which Tapestry track do you love the most?

• 👑 It’s Too Late

• 💔 You’ve Got a Friend

• 🐦 So Far Away

• ✨ Beautiful

• 🎹 Something else?

👉 Hit reply and let us know — or just reply with the emoji for that song.

That leaves us with one thing to say - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

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* The first US number one by a black girl group.

** And also recorded by the likes of Amy Winehouse and Roberta Flack.

*** I’m not sure what Carole is doing in this clip. But then, what do you do?!

**** I have a plan but I haven’t told Tom yet 🤫

How is everyone? Ready for another classic album? Let’s dive in…

The Revolution 💫

The Revolution marks our transition from one album to the next, moving us forward in our musical journey.

In May, we listened to Lemonade by Beyoncé. We’re currently putting the final touches on the review episode*, so stay tuned. It will appear in your podcast feeds imminently.

For this month, the people have spoken and, after a hotly contested poll, the chosen album is -

Tapestry by Carole King

Oh boy I’m excited for this one!

It is number 25 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 list. It’s got Joni Mitchell on backing vocals. And, the thing that actually sealed the deal for me, Mike Skinner once said it was his favourite album.

Here’s the link to Spotify, we’ll be back soon with an intro episode and stay tuned for the Mid-Month Missive.

Annie Lennox, Beyoncé and now Carole King. What a run of female singers** over the last few months.

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No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

* Yet again.

** What a run of singers!

OK! Hello Gang 👋

Strap in—this Mid-Month Missive is a biggie! There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get into it.

This month, we’re listening to the 2016 masterpiece Lemonade by Beyoncé.

Before we start, don’t sleep on last month’s episode where we reviewed our experience of listening to Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics. It’s a goodie.

And also the Intro episode for Lemonade should be in your feed…

OK, let’s dive in.

Firstly, it’s worth saying that Lemonade is described as a visual album and was released as such. We will be focusing on the audio, but inevitably, there is a lot of content in here which also relates to the film.

As far as I can tell, you can only watch the film on Tidal in the UK** but you can also stream it at Internet Archive here.

The film gives the album more context and expands on the themes. You can get most of it through watching the videos and (obviously) reading the articles in this post.

If you really really want to dive into it, then the Dissect podcast has about 10 hours of podcast episodes dedicated to the album and an accompanying Visual Guide online.

I’ve been waiting for us to review an album from 2016 since we started the podcast, so that I can talk about how much I love James Acaster’s book and podcast series Perfect Sounds Whatever. James is convinced that 2016 is the greatest year for music ever and owns over 500 albums from that year*.

Lemonade features in the book and in this episode of the podcast with Romesh Ranganathan. I’m planning to go back through the back catalogue, although I just realised it’s 117 episodes long. Anyway, I can’t recommend the whole project enough.

In our tour through YouTube this month, we start (inevitably) with Anthony Fantano’s album review

And I also enjoyed the Middle 8 video on the album

OK, let’s take a break from our usual programming. We recognise that Lemonade is, at its heart, the story of Black American Women, so maybe a White English Male perspective might not capture all aspects fully.

Thanks to the Actually Obsessed podcast for pointing me to some reading from African American Women…

What Black Women Are Saying About Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' by Taylor Lewis

Beyoncé's ‘Lemonade’ Is a Revolutionary Work of Black Feminism: Critic’s Notebook by Miriam Bale

On to some reviews of both the album and the film.

Rolling Stone named the album as their best of the 2010s; here’s their review.

Pitchfork says that it’s “an album stacked with some of Beyoncé’s best recorded vocal performances to date”, which is quite a claim for a Beyoncé album***

“Beyoncé is not a woman to be messed with” - The Guardian

Vox claims that Beyoncé’s Lemonade is one of the best movies of the 2010s

Let’s finish this month with a view diversions from the main Lemonade highway by looking at a few of the influences and collaborators.

The Jack White collaboration Don’t Hurt Yourself, feels like it has the same energy as my favourite track by The Dead Weather (a Jack White project)****

Hold Up contains a sample from the Andy Williams song - Can’t Get Used to Losing You.

Already given the Ska treatment by The Beat*****

(The Air Horns were from somewhere else, though.)

And the same song includes an interpolation of Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

“They don’t love you like I love you”.

Well done on making it this far.

As a reward, you get to cast your vote in the poll for next month’s album. We’re back in the early 70s. Which do you fancy?

Cat Stevens, Carole King, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye or Neil Young

No extra recommendations this month, I’m swimming in Lemonade.

That leaves us with one thing to say - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

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* I wonder what the latest total is? It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s past 1,000

** It looks like you can get a free trial.

*** But I agree

**** There is every chance that this is just an excuse for me to include Treat Me Like Your Mother.

*****Or The English Beat if you’re reading this in the US or Canada******

******Or The British Beat is you’re in Australia

OK, after last month’s triumph of sending this email on the 1st, we’re back to our usual schedule 🙃

Don’t fret though we have a banging album for May. Here we go…

The Revolution 💫

The Revolution marks our transition from one album to the next, moving us forward in our musical journey.

In April, we listened to Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics. We’re currently putting the final touches to the review episode*, so stay tuned. It will appear in your podcast feeds imminently.

For this month, we have broken with our convention of running a subscriber poll, as last month there was a tie. Therefore, we chose Eurythmics for April and in May we have….

Lemonade by Beyoncé

A modern classic by any definition. We all know that 2016 was the greatest year for music of all time** and this was the album of the year on most lists.

Rolling Stone have it as the best album of the 21st Century*** Saying that “Lemonade solidified her status among the best musicians of all time”

It feels like a good progression to be moving from Annie Lennox to Beyoncé. One remarkable diva to another. I can’t wait, and we hope you join us for the ride.

Stay tuned for the Mid-Month Missive in a couple of weeks when we’ll take a deeper dive into Lemonade. There’s so much to explore.

Thanks for subscribing, and remember…

No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

* Recording it

** At least, according to James Acaster

*** Pushing The Long Play favourite Kid A into 2nd place

OK! Hello Gang 👋

Welcome to the Mid-Month Missive for April 2025. For April, we’re taking a trip back to the 80s and listening to the synth-pop classic Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurythmics*.

Everybody up to date and listened to March’s Led Zep IV episode?**

And also the Intro episode for Sweet Dreams?

OK, then I shall begin…

I’m pretty sure that I’ve extolled the virtues*** of the YouTube channel Trash Theory before on these pages, but I’m happy to do it again. Here’s the Sweet Dreams story as told by them…

There’s also a much deeper dive into the origins of synth-pop just published; it’s a lot, but it’s worth it.

As per the above video, Annie Lennox’s appearance in the videos for this album caused concern in America that she was either a cross-dresser or trans and were momentarily blacklisted whilst assurances were sought. America has come a long way since the 80s 🙄

Finally, for the videos section, Produce Like A Pro looks at the details behind the recording and producing of the album…

I like how this Rolling Stone review puts it that this album proves ‘that transistorized white soul doesn’t have to be wimpy’.

This Classic Pop Mag review is a great dive into the album with links to the videos thrown in.

And The Quietus review might just be the definitive review…

Had it not been for Robert Christgau’s review which is short enough to quote here in full:

“In theory, synth duos have always been okey-doke with me, especially when the resulting pop is as starkly hooky as what Dave Stewart comes up with here. And you might say Annie Lennox has a bono vox. But like so many with comparable gifts, both these people are fools, and pretentious fools at that. Remember, folks--when they tell you everybody's out to use or get used, make certain you go along for the ride you paid for. B”

Just the one podcast recommendation this month with the always excellent 1001 Music Club

If you listen in, you’ll find that not everyone is totally on board with Annie’s version of Wrap It Up so let’s finish with Sam and Dave’s original…

In a change to our regular programming, there is no poll this month to choose next month’s album.

This is because last month there was a tie between Eurythmics and Beyonce’s Lemonade, so we’re going to carry Beyonce over to next month, so stay tuned for that!

Recommendations time…

I went to see Jane Weaver this month. The new album definitely is worth a listen but I really enjoyed her performance of I Need A Connection…

We’ve booked tickets to see CMAT in Leeds in October, I loved her interview on the Adam Buxton podcast. She is a superstar.

And to complete a trio of brilliant female popstars in the recommendations, we’re going to see Self Esteem in Sheffield this year too, and her Celebrity Bake Off episode is worth watching (if that’s your sort of thing). She’s such a joy****

That leaves us with one thing to say - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

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* I always want to say The Eurythmics but it’s pretty clear that I’d be wrong.

** Episode 12! A whole year of content.

*** Why is it just virtues that are extolled?

**** Also check out the celebrity Taskmaster from a couple of years ago that features Self Esteem.

How are you all doing? April 1st is an awful time to post anything on the internet, isn’t it?* This is what we get for actually being on time with our podcast for once!

Anyway, no jokes I promise, just classic albums all the way down…

The Revolution 💫

As always, The Revolution marks our transition from one album to the next, moving us forward in our musical journey.

In March, our album of the month was Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin. A seminal album from 1971 which set the tone for heavy metal for decades.

Our review episode is out now. It’s an album that gave me an existential crisis. Listen below to find out why***

For April, we ran our usual poll, which ended in a dead heat, necessitating our first ever Instagram tie-break where Lemonade by Beyonce lost out to…

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by The Eurythmics

Yes! We’re hitting the 80s synth-pop hard. In a first for The Long Play, this is an album that I actually owned on vinyl as a teenager. Of course, that copy is long gone**** and so I will be replacing it with a copy for my collection.

Released in January 1983, this is the album that spawned the eponymous hit but also Love is a Stranger. I’m interested to dive in further to see what else exists on the tracklist.

Next month I’m hoping that we find an album from an artist that has a name that’s easier to spell than both Led Zeppelin and The Eurythmics*****

Until then we’ll be luxriating in the vocal stylings of the glorious Annie Lennox.

We’ll be back with the Mid-Month Missive in a couple of weeks with more insights, deep dives, and whatever else we’ve been obsessing over.

And finally, my superstar co-host Tom has a new album out. It’s a soundtrack for the boardgame Earthborne Rangers. If you love cinematic soundtracks, this will be your thing. You can buy the album here (including a special binaural mix if you have fancy headphones).

There’s some preview tracks on Tom’s Spotify if you want to sample before buying…

Thanks for subscribing and remember…

No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

* And to be on social media in any way. I’m counting the hours until April Fools Day is over**

** Didn’t your mum used to say that you can’t play pranks after midday?

*** I think that’s what's known as a teaser 🙃

**** Sold to a record shop in Davygare Arcade in York, which is also no longer with us (not just the record shop but the whole arcade).

***** Can I suggest “New York · London · Paris · Munich” by M?

OK! Hello Gang 👋

Welcome to the Mid-Month Missive for March. This month we’re listening to Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin*, the 1971 juggernaut of an album that has sold over 37 million copies.

We hope you enjoyed the February episode, Remain in Light by Talking Heads, and that you’re up to date and have listened to our Intro episode for this month, too.

We’ve got some big news from my co-host Tom and a couple of recommendations at the end but first, let’s get into LZ IV…

It is coincidental but excellent timing that the film ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ is currently out in cinemas. You have to search to find a showing and it looks like the initial Imax release is over but I intend to go on Saturday when it is on in York.

Let’s see which track wins the McCartney in Goal podcast for this album. Spoiler in the footnotes (look away now if you don’t want to know the score)**

I like Abigail Devoe’s Vinyl Monday reviews. She has a certain ‘style’ and it might not be for you but here’s her Led Zeppelin IV episode. “The band at the zenith of their hero’s journey”.

This month, let’s have a full Led Zeppelin tier list from Anthony Fantano.

And finally a video from Middle 8 titled ‘How Led Zeppelin Made Their Fourth Album’***

A short and simple review from the BBC to open this section.

Here’s the original 1971 review from Rolling Stone - “an album which is remarkable for its low-keyed and tasteful subtlety”.

And finally, Reddit at its best can be a great place to read a debate about whether IV is Led Zeppelin’s best.

Next month we’ve picked a fresh five albums for you to choose from. Vote and let us know which of Bjork, Eurythmics, D’Angelo, Beyonce and Joni Mitchell you want.

The poll is now open and here’s the LINK

As promised, we’ve got some big Tom Figgins news to bring you, he’s been working on a soundtrack for the game Earthborne Rangers, it’s brilliant**** and available on Bandcamp now. If you like your music cinematic then this is for you. For a preview, Tom was on the Earthborne podcast last week.

I’ve got a couple of recommendations for you too this month.

I watched the Disney+ documentary on Sly Stone this week. Directed by Questlove***** it is well worth your time especially if, like me, Sly is a hero of yours. Sly Lives.

Snapped Ankles played The Crescent (great venue) in York this week, I’m loving their recent releases and their further embrace of the dance element of their sound. Whilst we wait for the album Hard Times Furious Dancing to be released later this month, the single Pay The Rent is worth your time.

That leaves us with one thing to say - No Skipping, No Shuffling.

Paul and Tom

The Long Play

Follow us on Instagram

Here’s our FAQ

* I have to google the name every time to check whether it is two Ps or two Ls.

** It’s When The Levee Breaks

*** I’m now halfway through the newsletter and I’ve got to grips with the speeling.

**** I may be biased but it is genuinely my work soundtrack now.

***** Also watch Summer of Soul if you haven’t already!

Woo hoo! Spring is here, the nights are getting lighter and we’re entering March with a spring in our step and a heavyweight rock classic on the turntable. Join us!

The Revolution 💫

As always, The Revolution marks our transition from one album to the next, moving us forward in our musical journey.

In February, our album of the month was Remain in Light by Talking Heads. A 1980 art-rock* classic.

Our review episode is out now, find out what we thought about this work by Byrne, Eno, Frantz, Harrison and Weymouth** - Right here

For March, my co-host Tom campaigned hard for a rock month and so the poll featured five quintessential*** rock albums. And the winner is…

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Technically untitled, the fourth album by Led Zeppelin is commonly called Led Zeppelin IV (and that’s what we’re going with from now on).

Released in November 1971 it is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time with sales of 37 million copies. It’s hilarious to think that their record company were strongly against the lack of a name and the lack of any text on the outer sleeve, they thought it was commercial suicide, only for it to go on to sell 37 million copies. The power of great songs.

Often cited as Led Zeppelin’s greatest work, let’s find out what we think.

For a bit more of a teaser, the intro episode will be in your podcast feeds this week.

That’s the plan for this month, rock out with Plant, Page et al.

Before we go, we had a bit of a photo shoot this week (we’re updating our thumbnails etc) and we couldn’t exclude our producer and official pod dog Flanagan 🐶

We’ve been around enough to know how to get engagement on the internet… post photos of your dog 😉

We’ll be back with the Mid-Month Missive in a couple of weeks with more insights, deep dives, and whatever else we’ve been obsessing over.

Thanks for subscribing and remember…

No Skipping / No Shuffling

Paul & Tom x

(Follow us on Instagram if you get a chance)

* I’m going with art-rock as the genre please substitute post-punk, art-punk, new wave, art-pop, afro-funk as you see fit

**As they allegedly agreed to be listed in the songwriting credits, only for Byrne and Eno to stiff the rest of the band in the original release.

*** Hang on, is quintessential something to do with five?****

****Quickly googles the etymology…Yes, it derives from the Latin for ‘fifth essence’. This makes ‘five quintessential’ a pleasing pair of words.