Mojo March Magazine & Kinks Covers CD

The Kinks sneer at the reader from the cover of the March 2006 Mojo, but in a friendly retro way. The headline reads " The Kinks. 'Laugh? We Nearly Died!' The Rise. The Fall. The Shocking Truth. By Ray Davies." The free CD this month, The Modern Genius of Ray Davies, includes Kinks covers, three recorded exclusively for Mojo.

In the mag: interviews with John Lydon and Damian Marley, an article about Talk Talk, a look back at the Apollo as it was in the 1960s, and lists of the 50 greatest British songs and the results of their best-of-2005 readers' poll (both of which I'll write about in a separate post).

Revealed in this month's Mojo:

- The Pet Shop Boys' next album, Fundamental, out April 17 in the UK, will be their first with a drummer. Neil Tennant offers fans this attempt at reassurance, "It's OK, he also plays with Air." Trevor Horn produces "an album full of 'epics' you can dance to." Songs include: "Luna Park", "Casanova In Hell", "The Sodom And Gomorrah Show", and "Psychological".

- Scritti Politti's first new album in seven years (title TBD) is out April 10 in the UK. Producer Green Gartside says, "It's an album of me playing around with myself in the back room." Songs include "Empty" and "Boom Boom Bap".

- Spoon-bending maestro Uri Geller enjoys Nizlopi's Half These Songs Are About You (he met the group's singer/guitarist Luke Concannon on a plane and Concannon gave him a signed copy. No word on whether Geller him a bent spoon).

- The first single Rufus Wainwright ever bought was "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats, back in 1982.

- My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields has complained of noise from a pub near his home and is opposing its application for a late license. Shields says, "As a musician I really object to being forced to listen to music I don't like." Me too, Kevin, though I have used your music (which I love) as a weapon. (Mojo's subheadline for this story: "Keep That Racket Down, Demands Kevin Shields, Without A Trace Of Irony")


Mojo: The Modern Genius of Ray Davies Track Listing:

1. Fountains of Wayne - Better Things (from This Is Where I Belong - The Songs Of Ray Davies & The Kinks. I love their version)
2. Steve Wynn - This Strange Effect
3. Redd Kross - Fancy (from the "Lady In The Front Row" single)
4. Mudhoney - Who Will Be The Next In Line
5. The Thanes - You Shouldn't Be Sad
6. Bill Lloyd - This Is Where I Belong
7. The Green Pajamas - A Long Way From Home (exclusive to Mojo)
8. Yo La Tengo - No Return (from Little Honda)
9. Kevin Tihista - Situation Vacant (exclusive to Mojo)
10. The Blue Aeroplanes - Big Sky
11. Holly Golightly - Tell Me Now So I Know (from Truly She Is None Other and the soundtrack to Broken Flowers)
12. Peter Bruntnell - Waterloo Sunset (exclusive to Mojo)
13. Mark Lanegan - Nothin In The World Can Stop Me Worryin' 'Bout That Girl
14. Ed Kuepper - Steam Train
15. Gravenhurst - See My Friends