No Rock And Roll Fun

WHO COULD IT BE?: The writer, 6music and former gayer Tom Robinson. But who can he be talking about?
"We know that. If the name on this album was Costello, Young or Springsteen it would be acclaimed as a major return to form. If the name was Adams (R) or Gough (D) it would be hailed as their greatest, bravest work to date. How deliciously post-ironic, what a daring stroke of genius (everyone would say) to make a record with solo guitar in this age of Fatboy Slim and The Neptunes.
That would be his judgement on the new solo Roddy Frame album - although, as (we think it was) The Guardian pointed out, even when he was Aztec Camera he was mostly solo. Not sure that it's that ironic, really, but its always nice to have something new from Rod, isn't it? The album is called Surf. Some bastard's pinched the list of other new releases this week - and we assume you're not sweating on X from Def Leppard; over in the singles corner Alanis Morissette sticks out precious illusions (let's hope she keeps her kit on for the video; much as I'd like to believe the far superior Flaming Lips and do you realise? will trounce Coldplay's in my place, we know its not going to happen. And Toploader's Commonwealth Games downer time of my life should only be bought by people planning musical bonfires.