Out today - on Naxos!

Happy 80th birthday to the wonderful Latvian composer Petēris Vasks! Here's an interview I did with him for @prestomusic.bsky.social: www.prestomusic.com/classical/ar...

#SweetKeys 🎹 Day 15 The Associates - Party Fears Two One of a kind - and even before Billy McKenzie's remarkable vocal there are the twists and turns of the piano: m.youtube.com/watch?v=VEWj...

#SweetKeys 🎹 Day no.14 The Doors - Light My Fire Doubtless already chosen - but the opening salvo to Light My Fire is truly unique! www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq8k...

I'm in Tallinn this week for the Audio Classique / IAMA conference...and yesterday visited the Arvo Pärt centre. A truly inspiring, creative space!

#SweetKeys 🎹 Day no.13 Joni Mitchell - River Not quite the time of year...but a magical song nonetheless, and the piano is so beautiful www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHx...

#SweetKeys 🎹 Day no.12 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Hoe-Down At some point I had to pay homage to the keyboard pyrotechnics of Keith Emerson! This is him at his ferocious and mischievous best, as the trio take on Aaron Copland's outdoor classic: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWmo...

##SweetKeys 🎹 Day no.11 Faithless - Insomnia The daddy of all dance keyboard riffs...punched out by Sister Bliss as this song reaches its peak. A cracker! m.youtube.com/watch?v=P8JE...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.10 The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again Will never forget seeing this live at T in the Park in Scotland, Pete Townshend's keyboard line floating over the masses www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhr...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.9 Bruce Hornsby and The Range - The Way It Is Simply timeless...and what a piano line! www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRQ...

Greatly enjoying the summery grooves of III (Part One), the new album by Brand New Heavies spin off group MF Robots #commuterworld

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.8 Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken Cat Stevens always makes the world feel a bit better...with this one enhanced by Rick Wakeman's instinctive piano playing, from uplifting to dreamy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmAO...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.7 Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough Catchy as anything...and a single finger keyboard riff anyone can play! www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6FB...

ICYMI my latest ‘Hanging Out a Window’ column in recognition of World Drummers Day republishes my review of a magnificent social history of the drum kit (includes video clips). Read and subscribe (free) here: johnearls.substack.com/p/book-revie...

Proper spring colours for the #commuterworld train journey, where I'm enjoying the rich ambience of Hawksmoor, the new album Am I Conscious Now? (Before I Die)

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.6 Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl Where the piano is as free as a bird - and somehow stays within the confines of a pop song: m.youtube.com/watch?v=w_HA...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.5 Barry Manilow - Could It Be Magic The clever use of a Chopin piano prelude at the start gives this song a real sense of occasion! m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5X...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.4 Van Halen - Jump One of the best! m.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.3 Fine Young Cannibals - Good Thing One of Jools Holland's best moments in pop music! A brilliant solo in the middle of a song that remains an uplifting ever-present on radio: www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_9...

#SweetKeys 🎹 no.2 Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives Safe to say house music wouldn't exist without the keyboard...and this song is a celebration of that, matching a killer piano riff and the gorgeous vocal: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfam...

#sweetkeys no.1 Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5 Starting a new challenge with this anthem, led by a hook you can hang your coat on. A rousing coda, too! m.youtube.com/watch?v=03cy...

#exitmusic no.31 Suede - We Are The Pigs This powerhouse from Dog Man Star, as already highlighted by @pauljamesgalvin.bsky.social, finds Brett Anderson delivering a soaring coda (from 2'52") Prompted by superb guitar work from Bernard Butler, his Suede swansong www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxtI...

An old school London commute this morning...with the light ambience of Ben Seretan & John Thayer, their instrumental album Little Winds #commuterworld

#exitmusic no.30 Holst - The Planets Using my favourite piece of classical music here - the last of Holst's planet evocations, Neptune, the Mystic (47 mins 27 secs) One of the most otherworldly moments I know in music, evoking distant space with uncanny accuracy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhFf...

Enjoying the latest from The Notwist - News From Planet Zombie catching the cool breeze this morning #commuterworld

#exitmusic no.29 Richard Harris - MacArthur Park An extraordinary song, going in so many different directions but each one as compelling as the last. The final section, from 6'28", is the icing on the cake! www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD-z...

#exitmusic no. 28 George Michael - One More Try Sometimes overlooked...this emotional ballad from the 'Faith' album is paced to perfection, even over nearly six minutes, thanks to the incredibly heartfelt singing. Not a note too long, and with a beautiful ending www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG5N...

#exitmusic Day 27 Prince and the Revolution - Let's Go Crazy An all time favourite...just listen to that guitar across the final minute! www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXJh...

#exitmusic No. 26 Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills Already a fine song, its greatness is sealed by the brilliant a cappella pay-off in the last 20 seconds: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiF6...

Goodness, Newsnight is a difficult but essential watch tonight. Hats off to Victoria Derbyshire and the brave panel she's interviewing

This look rather special...I can't make it but wish I could!

#exitmusic No. 25 The Blue Nile - The Downtown Lights Sublime, and perfectly placed, reaching its apex through a combination of Paul Buchanan's evocative vocals and the panoramic scene painted by the band www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNgS...

#exitmusic No.24 Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer For Love No pianos were harmed in the making of this song! Particularly at the end, with all the thrills and spills... www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSTI...

Speeding through the Kent countryside with the deep jazz resonances of Shabaka, his new long player Of The Earth #commuterworld

#exitmusic Day 23 Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman Surely a perfect song, right up to the end of its sublime orchestral coda. Wish it didn't fade out! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_...

Marvelling at the sounds and craft of Tuareg blues band Tinariwen, and their tenth album Hoggar - no connection, I'm assuming! #commuterworld

#exitmusic No. 22 Arcade Fire - Intervention Already a blast of euphoria, this song raises the stakes still further with a big key change from 2'53": www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzf8...

#exitmusic Guns N' Roses - November Rain I'll always remember hearing this for the first time on the Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance...he let it play right through to the end, giving the rain its full effect. Absolutely epic! m.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbU...

We are thrilled today to present Michael Finnissy: The Complete Métier Collection! Now available at: listn.fm/finnissycomp... Your “jump first and ask questions later”, starter pack as Michael tells @benarcanafm.bsky.social on @prestomusic.bsky.social: www.prestomusic.com/classical/ar...

#exitmusic No. 20 U2 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of By some distance my favourite song of theirs, written in response to the death of Michael Hutchence. The final chorus, a kind of chorale from 3'32", is unexpectedly moving: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-BT...

Past the foggy fortress while listening again to Dryft's atmospheric electronics, the new album Particle #commuterworld

Tagging this with #exitmusic too...

Adding lower case #exitmusic so this can be found...

#ExitMusic no.19 Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas Definitely not the season...but an absolute masterpiece, paced to perfection! The whole song really, but from 2'40" to the big finish just spot on: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfY4...

Ideal weather for the enchanting music of Gyda Valtysdottir, singer and multi-instrumentalist - her Mother Pearl album out tomorrow and well worth hearing #commuterworld

#ExitMusic Day 18 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill Even after that incredible, empowering chorus, the coda to this is otherworldly www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp43...

Another nudge in the direction of my chat with Michael Finnissy - an eyeopener into the musical world of this important British composer: www.prestomusic.com/classical/ar...

Really enjoyed Michael's insights on composing, the arts and life in general in this chat. Very sound of mind - I learned a lot!

#ExitMusic Day 17 Yes - Starship Trooper An all-time favourite and prog classic, three exhilarating parts wrapping up with the epic slow building instrumental section Würm (from 5m40s) Complete with storming Steve Howe guitar solo, this is Yes at their very best! www.youtube.com/watch?v=886W...

Crossing the green fields with the music of Dryft - glitchy beats and big spaces on his Particle album #commuterworld