The Technics-Mercury Awards were an open book - but what did it all mean?

Rock Family Trees returns to our television screens tonight, with another batch of pop secret histories. James McNair celebrates the rockumentary series which reminds us that, regardless of pedigree, most bands have had their Spinal Tap moments

THE SEVENTIES' rocker Cozy Powell, who once said that he drove cars like he drummed - madly - was on the phone to his girlfriend as he hurtled down a motorway at 104mph without wearing his seatbelt, an inquest heard yesterday.

Pop Tim Perry

Offering a defence of the Prodigy may seem like offering Chris Evans a payrise. After all, it hasn't been a bad year for the band, what with releasing an album that's topped the charts in countries most people haven't heard of, and, more importantly, in one country most people have heard of - America. None the less, the Prodigy's annus hasn't been quite as mirabilis as expected. In January, they were pegged as untouchable pop divinities, but The Fat of the Land (XL) had nothing on it that matched "Breathe" and "Firestarter", the tracks which had already been released. At this end of the year, the Prodigy's song-titles and videos are clogging up a lot more column inches than their music.

Ozzy Osbourne gets a grip.

John Shuttleworth - The Beast Of John Shuttleworth

Cardinal Ratzinger of the Vatican must be pleased, wherever he is. Black Sabbath, a band he once condemned as an instrument of the Devil, is back. Despite years of biting the heads off bats and being surrounded by the smell of patchouli oil, the original Brummie heavy-metal band is planning a two-night get-together in their home-town next month.

It was, according to kd lang, not so much a concert as a convention. The queue for the ladies, stretching from the foyer halfway into the centre of Manchester, was an early clue. Noddy Holder, there to feel the noise, presumably, was in a tiny minority in the audience; he was male and straight. This was a night for girls, to quote Damon Albarn, who like girls.

After decades spent on the cusp of folk and rock, art and commerce, Richard Thompson is still making his mind up about some things. Like the Eagles and New Wave. By Andy Gill

THE BEAT GOES ON: The Rock File Reader eds Charlie Gillett & Simon Frith, Pluto Press pounds 10.99

Last week, 13-year-old child bride Sarah Cook embraced life in a Muslim culture. Here, Elizabeth Parker remembers the day she fell foul of Islamic law

the interview OZZY OSBOURNE, ROCK LEGEND TALKS TO BEN THOMPSON

REAL LIVES THE SUZI FEAY COLUMN