Latest articles by Andy Price
The intricate genius and powerful subtext behind a Beatles acoustic gem
At the very heart of the White Album, this tender Beatles masterpiece pulled from the classical music tradition and empathised with the American civil rights movement
How Boards of Canada brewed a serene genre-blurring classic
It’s perhaps Boards of Canada’s most well-known track, serving as many a newcomers' route into their nostalgia evoking universe
Midge Ure talks us through the making of Ultravox’s iconic Vienna
Ultravox’s stately powerhouse was an unlikely hit single - but its classically-inspired uniqueness was key
When T. Rex opened the floodgates of glam rock with the riff-driven groove of Get It On
T. Rex's signature song was written and recorded while on a hectic US tour, and would be their only stateside hit
How Madonna transitioned from pop to the profound with the Vatican-enraging Like a Prayer
Like a Prayer saw Madonna ascend on both a thematic and musical level, but its provocative video pushed the buttons of the devout
Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
“He played it to Motown, and they said, 'No way is Jeff Beck getting this song, it's too good’”
The complex music theory that underpinned a Talk Talk classic
Mark Hollis’ masterpiece became an anthem of self-determination, but it was far from an overnight success
The fateful circumstances that led to Coldplay’s biggest ever song
Coldplay’s first stab at a euphoric crowd-pleaser was a clear indication that a stadium-filling future awaited
A British university just classified mayonnaise as an instrument. And this isn’t an April Fool
We’re not pulling your egg. Northumbria University has officially certified that mayonnaise can be used as an instrument
“David didn’t seem happy about it”: Tony Visconti reveals Bowie's reaction to Holy Holy
Visconti joins us to talk Holy Holy's farewell tour, working with Paul McCartney and why AI is "clogging the arteries" of the music business
The story of the Beastie Boys' incendiary Sabotage
Its legendary DIY video was hugely influential, but few realise that the fury of the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage was triggered by real studio pressure
A decade on, we look back at the musical theory and retro gear that shaped Bruno Mars’ 2016 classic
Exploring how one of Bruno Mars’ biggest tunes works on a musical level - and revealing its debt to the 1980s
The contentious origin of the David Guetta monolith that brought Sia to mainstream attention
In 2011, Titanium was inescapable, but its many millions of listeners probably didn’t know that its powerhouse Sia vocal was only ever intended to be a guide
How Talking Heads crafted the delicate beauty of This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Both one of Talking Heads’ most out-of-character compositions and their most emotionally resonant, This Must Be the Place continues to cast its spell over listeners
"A massive expansion of its abilities as a modulation and automation powerhouse": Bitwig Studio 6 review
This sizeable update to Bitwig Studio expands on its strengths, and locks it in as the creative sound designer’s ultimate home base
The tense night David Bowie and Queen spontaneously came up with a classic
When Bowie went for a hang with Queen, a song for the ages was born. But assembling it was fraught with no short supply of pressure
Spotify reveals how much it actually pays out to musicians in its new Loud & Clear report
The numbers might be a surprise to those who have previously bemoaned the financial dynamics of the streaming giant
Why Ryuichi Sakamoto’s spellbinding theme from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence remains so captivating
We take a deeper look at the theory underpinning Ryuichi Sakamoto’s gorgeous, award-winning theme from the movie that gave him his acting and scoring debut
The story of Born Slippy, Underworld’s emotion-stirring dance classic
At the dawn of the 1990s, Underworld were a spent force - little did they realise they were about to create one of the decade’s most enduring tracks
We visit the LA house where Lily Allen made West End Girl, and explore the home studio of Blue May
We take a look at the vintage gear-packed home studio of Blue May - the environment where Lily Allen created West End Girl
How a heartbroken bellboy took his revenge with one of the biggest indie anthems of all time
It’s one of the most omnipresent songs of the 21st century, but few realise that Mr. Brightside’s tale of betrayal reflected Brandon Flowers’ real experience of being cheated on
Did the Beatles really pioneer hard rock as early as 1965? John Lennon certainly thought so
From its buzzing guitar drone to its clattering drums, Ticket to Ride was certainly a step forward for the Beatles sonically - but did it really invent heavy rock?
How Sia made one of the biggest tracks of the 2010s
It was a song that unravelled the psychology of hedonism - with an arrangement that came together in under an hour
