With fans of their 90s work including Morrissey, Madonna and REM, the return of Echobelly is long overdue. 2017 sees the release of their first album in 11 years, Anarchy And Alchemy. For a sense of the influences going into it, their sixth album, guitarist and founder Glenn Johansson picked 10 of his favourite singles and albums…
‘HATFUL OF HOLLOW’ – THE SMITHS
“This was the first Smiths album that I bought, and it was a game changer for me musically. An album of John Peel sessions and B-sides that gave you a great introduction to the band.”
‘III’ – LED ZEPPELIN
“One of my schoolfriends’ older brothers would play this album and it inspired me to play the guitar. I love the mixture of acoustic and heavier material. The acoustic songs have an eastern and Celtic vibe… which I love.”
‘RISQUÉ’ – CHIC
“It’s the kind of album that makes you smile. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards’ finest moment.”
‘KIND OF BLUE’ – MILES DAVIS
“This is my favourite jazz album of all time – I never get tired of it. If you were to introduce someone to jazz, this would be the album.”
‘INFIDELS’ – BOB DYLAN
“My first Bob Dylan album. It’s got Mark Knopfler, Mick Taylor and best of all, the rhythm section, Sly And Robbie. It’s probably not most people’s favourite Dylan album, but I love the atmosphere on it and every single song is great.”
‘PARALLEL LINES’ – BLONDIE
“Just the perfect pop album.”
‘MADE IN JAPAN’ – DEEP PURPLE
“A live album recorded in 1972. This is the best-sounding live album I’ve ever heard, there are no overdubs or trickery added, it’s exactly how the band sounded. The musicianship is staggering! A pure joy to listen to.”
‘NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS’ – SEX PISTOLS
“A really great rock ’n’ roll record, never mind a punk record. It’s recorded at Wessex Studios, where we recorded a lot of our B-sides. The studio’s no longer there, but I remember it had an incredible vibe to it.”
‘ANANDA SHANKAR’ – ANANDA SHANKAR
“An album from 1970 that I found in a record store recently. He’s a nephew of the late great Ravi Shankar. It has a fantastic version of Jumping Jack Flash with a kind of cheesy 60s feel.”
‘ABBEY ROAD’ – THE BEATLES
“I love this record for the sound of it. It was the first time that they used the new eight-track EMI desk; before, they were using two or four-track or two four-track desks joined together. It’s incredibly warm and rich. Especially Come Together.”