Pat Carty

Pat Carty

Pat Carty is a freelance Irish arts journalist whose work appears regularly in The Irish Times, The Sunday Times, The Irish Examiner, The Irish Independent, The Business Post, Hot Press magazine and elsewhere. He also contributes to several radio shows and will fight anyone who doesn't agree that Exile On Main St. is the pinnacle of all human endeavour. 

Latest articles by Pat Carty

The album covers of the 50 best rock albums of 2026 so far
The 50 best rock albums of 2026 (so far)

By Fraser Lewry Published

Six months of classic rock, prog rock, stoner rock, southern rock, country rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, power pop, heavy metal, punk and all forms of rock'n'roll

Bands & Artists
Paul McCartney headshot
Paul McCartney's The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is not the late-period masterpiece you were hoping for

By Pat Carty Published

A mixed bag from arguably the world's greatest songwriter

7 Comments
Music
The Lemon Twigs group portrait
Review: The Lemon Twigs fill a bumper bag of poptastic delight on Look For Your Mind!

By Pat Carty Published

Brian and Michael D’Addario continue to effortlessly pluck songs from the rock'n'roll ether

Music
The Black Crowes in 1991
Nine albums by The Black Crowes you should listen to and one to avoid

By Paul Elliott Published

Buying guide The Black Crowes may have been born out of time, but their best albums – a fusion of southern rock, gospel, blues and fiery rock'n'roll – are timeless

Buying guide
Chris and Rich Robinson, studio portrait
The Black Crowes' blessed resurrection keeps rolling on A Pound Of Feathers

By Pat Carty Published

More songs about rockin’ an’ rollin’

Music
The Who group portrait, 1978
The latest upmarket makeover of The Who's Who Are You is interesting and exhaustive

By Pat Carty Published

The Who’s last blast with Keith Moon

Bands & Artists
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen and Jeremy Strong as John Landau in a diner in a scene from Deliver Me From Nowhere
Jeremy Allen White shines in the Boss’s breakdown biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

By Pat Carty Published

The review of the film of the book about the making of Bruce Springsteen's bleak masterpiece, Nebraska

Films & TV Shows
Buckingham Nicks album cover excerpt
Lindsey and Stevie invent the future on long-lost, now-found Buckingham Nicks album

By Classic Rock Magazine Published

The album that took Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks away from their day jobs into the belly of the Fleetwood Mac beast

Albums
Bruce Springsteen standing against a wall
Bruce Springsteen's staggering The Lost Albums asks why lesser records were released instead

By Pat Carty Published

The Boss’s magnificent missing chapters, now finally published

Albums
Justin Hawkins onstage
The sound of glorious pandemonium: Two nights with The Darkness in Ireland

By Pat Carty Published

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins and writer Pat Carty worked together as apprentice joiners in the 1990s: 30 years on, we put them together again

Live Performances
Fleetwood Mac group portrait
The mightiest Fleetwood Mac line-up albums in one handy box

By Pat Carty Published

Pulchritudinous platinum perfection

Music
Tom Waits - Heart Of A Saturday Night cover art
Tom Waits' The Heart Of A Saturday Night still sounds smoky on anniversary coloured vinyl

By Pat Carty Published

Be-bop, beat and ballads

Albums
Mötley Crüe: Dr Feelgood (35th Anniversary) cover art
Mötley Crüe rock like a rowboat in a typhoon on the 35th Anniversary edition of Dr Feelgood

By Pat Carty Published

Gonzo glam greatness

Albums
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Fillmore East 1969 cover art
Stills, Nash & Young are still in thrall to each other on Fillmore East 1969

By Pat Carty Published

Bands & Artists
Thin Lizzy: 1976 cover art
Thin Lizzy's big year: Revisited, remixed and thoroughly expanded

By Pat Carty Published

Phil Lytnott's annus mirabilis celebrated with a nifty combination of Jailbreak and Johnny The Fox

Bands & Artists
Nick Cave: Wild God cover art
"It does what great art is supposed to do, taking the artist's experiences, however dark, and making them universal": Nick Cave returns to the water on Wild God

By Pat Carty Published

The wizards of Aus finds hints of light in the darkness

Albums
Joni Mitchell The Asylum Albums (1976-1980) packshot
The beautifully presented Asylum Albums 1976-1980 finds Joni Mitchell inhabiting the art department

By Pat Carty Published

Joni loves jazz

Albums
Sheryl Crow: Evolution cover art
"It all becomes a bit by-numbers": Sheryl Crow fails to evolve on unambitious Evolution album

By Pat Carty Published

Sheryl Crow's 12th album Evolution starts strongly but soon falters

Albums
The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards cover art
"More soulful than a gospel convention, warmer than a mother's love and groovier than the Grand Canyon": The Black Crowes return in righteous form on Happiness Bastards

By Pat Carty Published

The Black Crowes are still shaking on reunion album Happiness Bastards

Albums
Bob Dylan: The Complete Budokan 1978 album art
"Hardly likely to convert Dylan doubters, but it's an interesting curio all the same": Bob Dylan: The Complete Budokan 1978

By Pat Carty Published

Dylan's 1979 live album Bob Dylan At Budokan expanded, featuring two full shows from the famed Budokan arena in Tokyo

Albums
Aerosmith - Greatest Hits cover art
The deluxe version of Aerosmith's Greatest Hits: includes everything a reasonably sane person could possibly want

By Pat Carty Published

If you have an arse they will kick it: Aerosmith's Greatest Hits is now even more deluxe than it used to be

Albums