Alexis Petridis

The streetwise, tough image was matched by songs of real tenderness and fragility. Lou Reed always did the opposite of what he was expected to do.

In an era of gossip websites and Twitter rumours, one of the world’s biggest stars can still surprise … by doing nothing more than making an album.

Bobby Womack is so proud of his magnificent new album that nothing will stop him talking about it.

<em>Lioness: Hidden Treasures</em> tells you a lot about Winehouse, albeit sometimes unwittingly.

Never one to give ’em what they want, Robert Plant goes his own way again and <b>Alexis Petridis</b> approves.

Among the rock stars recently given another chance is Grace Jones, promoting her first new album in 19 years.

Badly Drawn Boy: <i>Have You Fed the Fish?</i><p> By Alexis Petridis.

<b>CD OF THE WEEK</b>: Prince makes his comeback after years of mediocrity, writes Alexis Petridis in London.

Norah Jones is a global phenomenon. Her 2002 debut, <i>Come Away with Me</i>, sold 18-million copies, eight million in the United States, where she receives little airplay. One…

<b>CD of the week:</b> Dido:<i> Life for Rent</i> It would be nice to report that Dido’s second album, <i>Life for Rent</i> (Arista), is strong enough to reveal her detractors as…

Ladysmith Black Mambazo changed the face of world music and helped to sell a lot of baked beans, writes Alexis Petridis.

After five years, Cornershop have made a dazzling comeback, writes Alexis Petridis.

Shakira: <i>Laundry Service</i>

Michael Jackson’s latest album is determined to show that he’s just a regular guy. But the results are just strange and sinister, says Alexis Petridis.

There is a much-vaunted theory that suggests rock and pop music is dumbing down. American alternative rock has replaced Nirvana’s existential loathing with Limp Bizkit’s…