Mojo Magazine Issue 381 (August 2025) The Beatles

Sixty years ago, the Beatles hit new highs, metaphorically and literally, and took their music to another level. John Harris explores how and why Help!, and 1965, proved so pivotal. Also in this issue: Black Sabbaths Last Stand; life as a Banshee (and Mr Siouxsie Sioux) by Budgie; Bruce Springsteens lost albums unearthed; Herbie Hancocks highlights reel; Carla Thomas soul survivor. Plus: Tropiclia; Wet Leg; Rick Wakeman; English Teacher; Dylan 65; unseen Blur; Charlie Musselwhite; Gina Birch; ABCs The Lexicon Of Love; All Back To all of the Kinks! And introducing: MOJOs all-new record collecting section!

THIS MONTHS COVERMOUNT CD is Feed Your Head: The Second Course. 15 Mind-Altering Classics by Otis Redding, The Fall, John Prine, Love, Bert Jansch, The Orb, Charlie Parker and more!

THE BEATLES Sixty years ago, the Beatles ascended to a whole new level turning on, tuning in and learning how to ask for Help! John Harris revisits 1965, to find out what John Riley, Frederick Wagg and Allen Ginsbergs undies had to do with it.

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES The triumph and trauma of life in Siouxsies band, and bed, by the man behind the kit, from his brand new memoir. I felt like I was going insane, says Budgie.

BLACK SABBATH As the classic quartets hometown showdown looms, we wonder, will the hatchets stay buried? Will the vertebrae hold out? One could call it lunacy, they admit.

CARLA THOMAS The Queen Of Memphis Soul remembers the heyday of Stax, her irrepressible dad, downhome Otis Redding, an audience with the Beatles, and why shes not done yet.

RICK WAKEMAN The original Keyboard Wizard on Bowie, Yes, divorce, destitution, heart attacks, onstage curries, Jack Wilds MiniMoog and all with a twinkle in his eye.

ENGLISH TEACHER Last years Mercury Prize scoopers hit the road, fortified after a post-fame wobble. I got so burned out, singer Lily Fontaine tells Dorian Lynskey.

HERBIE HANCOCK The new Polar Music Prize laureate runs his highlight reel for Grayson Haver Currin. Cue Miles, Rhodes, Mwandishi, Rockit and inspiring new jazz generations.

ABC How Martin Fry and co fed soul, funk, heartache and verbal diarrhoea into Trevor Horns celestial pop machine and out of it came the panoramic The Lexicon Of Love.

REVIEWED Bruce Springsteen / Wet Leg / Nick Drake / Mike Oldfield / Haim / The Beta Band / Nick Mulvey / Mary Chapin Carpenter / Kokoroko / Lukas Nelson / U.S. Girls / Gwenno / BC Camplight / Frank Zappa / Sault / Tropical Fuck Storm / Yaya Bey / Herman Dune / Underworld / Durand Jones & The Indications / GoGo Penguin / Cypress Hill / Cosey Fanni Tutti / Ben LaMar Gay / Gong / Andre 3000 / Richard Hawley / Dusty Springfield

PLUS New Record Collecting Section! / How To Buy Tropiclia / All Back To ALL of the Kinks! / Unseen Blur / Dylan 65 / Gina Birch steps forward / Pop goes to space / Charlie Musselwhite blows through / Hotline TNT and Poor Creature arise / Tanya Donellys bellyful of Belly / Cabaret Voltaire life after Richard Kirk / Adieu, Mike Peters, Wizz Jones, Junior Byles

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