Music was my first love…

This is the soundtrack to a life well travelled — classic albums, deep cuts, backstories, playlists and concert memories that deserve a place on your turntable or in your headphones.

You’ll find first-hand reviews of landmark albums, reflections on unforgettable live shows, and playlists to match a mood, a moment, or a destination. Some of the records here are well known. Others might just surprise you.

In Search of the Division Bell
Jamie Riddell Jamie Riddell

In Search of the Division Bell

A first-hand journey into the Cambridgeshire Fens to identify the exact location of Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell album cover, and to understand how Ely Cathedral shaped one of rock’s most enduring images.

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What Does Hotel California Really Mean? Unlocking the Eagles’ Dark Allegory
Classic Albums and Bands Jamie Riddell Classic Albums and Bands Jamie Riddell

What Does Hotel California Really Mean? Unlocking the Eagles’ Dark Allegory

Hotel California isn’t just a song—it’s the overture to an album that unravels the excesses, illusions, and ultimate disillusionment of rock stardom. By starting at The Last Resort and working backwards, we see how the Eagles crafted a thematic journey akin to a rock opera, where the title track sets the stage for the rise and fall that follows.

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Happiness is Easy
Classic Albums and Bands Jamie Riddell Classic Albums and Bands Jamie Riddell

Happiness is Easy

Happiness Is Easy by Talk Talk isn’t as straightforward as its title suggests. With haunting melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, the song explores themes of war, religion, and innocence—wrapped in the atmospheric brilliance of The Colour of Spring. But is Mark Hollis being ironic, or is there something deeper beneath the surface? Let’s take a closer listen

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