Playlist 25.10.10

Leon Russell does the male grooming rather well - a Kentucky colonel on a casual Friday. Only proper legends can work with such stuff and of course Leon has journeyed with Phil Spector, The Beach Boys, George Harrison, Glen Campbell and more. His new album with Elton John is being keenly presented as the return of 'real' music and indeed that's something defensible. Two troopers going at it on the grand pianos, with Bernie Taupin throwing in sheaves of images from his southern almanac. It's not dissimilar to those early Elton records, but at the same time there's a tenable difference. It often sounds like it's trying overly hard, wreathed in significance and the collective CVs of all the session guys. I think they ought to have booked in some spontaneity.

BBC Radio Ulster, 92-95 FM

Online: www.bbc.co.uk/radioulster

Mondays, ten - midnight

Playlist 25.10.10

Elvis Costello - I Lost You (Universal)

John D'Arcy - Get Over Yourself (Good Vibrations)

Ray Davies, Bruce Springsteen - Better Things (Universal)

Belle And Sebastian - I Can See Your Future (Rough Trade)

Lowly Knights - Burning Powder (We Collect Records)

The Unthanks - The Testimony Of Patience Kershaw (EMI)

Anthallo - John J Audobon (Anticon)

Lowly Knights - Even Keel (We Collect Records)

Ray Davies, Alex Chilton - Til The End Of The Day (Universal)

Gregory Isaacs - Sad To Know You're Leaving (Island)

ABC - Tears Are Not Enough (Mercury)

Captain Kennedy - Bring It All Home (white)

Jenny & Johnny - Big Wave (Warner)

Elton John, Leon Russell - Gone To Shiloh (Mercury)

Lightspeed Champion - Til I Die (Domino)

The Zombies - Care Of Cell 44 (Big Beat)

Caitlin Rose - Learning To Ride (Names)

Telegraph - Mammon (Quay)

Blitzen Trapper - The Tree (Sub Pop)

Neil Young - Sign Of Love (Reprise)

John Deery - Rain (white)

Ray Davies, Mumford And Sons - Days (Universal)