The new issue of the UK's Mojo Magazine (cover date December 2004), which hit the store shelves today, features a number of Nick Mason and Pink Floyd items in it.

The main feature, of course, is a tribute to the late British DJ and legend, John Peel. The magazine takes a long look at his career, and includes a fascinating interview with him conducted earlier this year. There are also tributes from various key artists that have had their careers helped by Peel's enthusiastic championing. Nick Mason gives his thoughts, which include...

"There simply hasn't been anyone else like him in the past 40 years. Virtually every other DJ has been a sort of Smashy & Nicey type - very excited about every band that comes along. But John was different. He was unimpressed by the bands but a great aficionado of the music... There was the feeling that he was the guy that was involved in "our sort of music".

"Most people's success is a mixture of talent and luck. John would supply the level of luck or at least promotion that you might not otherwise have had. I suspect there's a whole raft of music that would just have disappeared without trace but for John. It's quite difficult to see now where that's going to come from..."

Nick talks at length about John, the Top Gear sessions, and how he supported the Floyd. Other contributions are made by the likes of Pete Townshend, Roy Harper and Jarvis Cocker.

There's also a look at "20 Landmark Peel Sessions", with the first one being the Pink Floyd on 30th September 1967, stating that "the Floyd's first [session] sets the agenda for future Peel sessions".

Other items of interest in the magazine, a great read as ever, include a review of Nick's Inside Out book - given a positive review, but notes the lack of really controversial material in it. The DVD of "The Wall" movie is classed as "Essential Viewing" in their 50 Greatest Music DVDs You Must Own, with "Roger Waters [exorcising] his many demons to make the most disturbing rock opera ever".

There's also an appeal for photos of Syd Barrett between 1971 - 1975, to be used in their feature on the post-Floyd Barrett (with a particular focus on the short-lived band, Stars). Brain Damage has been helping out with researching this feature for the last few months or so, and it promises to be a thorough look at the period. If you are able to help out with any information or photos, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and mark your mails "Syd Barrett".