The newest of the new percussive sounds emerge as our Eddie chats to cosmic Frank Perry, who applies lateral thinking to work out what to turn into an instrument next.

'Now the Virgin returns,' quoth Virgil, and who are we to disagree? Mel Lambert takes a colourful look at Richard Branson's new London studio: a Town House for the Lord of the Manor.

...multitracking at home, that is. Bob Clifford, he of the Frog, introduces us to the many ways of doing much with little.

Richard Elen follows on from last month's Compleat Sound Effects Recordist with a short exposition on the wonders of FX recording with the aid of a coincident pair of mics and an examination of Uher's new cassette recorder.

Readers may suspect that Richard Dean's lapses into metaphysical metaphor result from a peyote button every five paragraphs. Yet this first article in his new series is full of useful tips beyond mere sound-on-sound.

In which sir Richard loses a band but begins a solo career, and applies his multifarious talents to the world of commercials. He also has a voice like a Nightingale (when the tapes are speeded up sufficiently). All this and more...

You've read the rest, now read the best... or is it the other way round? Whatever you may have seen elsewhere, we reckon his mate Paul Brett gives us a more accurate picture of life as An Extremely Talented Person With A New Album Just Out.

Well... what can you say? You know how good he is and what a writer our Ralph D is. But don't let's give the game away: read on!