Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Classic Rock

WELCOME Here’s a challenge: try to think of a band who’ve endured more adversity and strife over their storied career than Florida’s Lynyrd Skynyrd. No? Didn’t think you could. They’ve weathered a devastating plane crash that robbed them of three of their number (iconic lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing singer Cassie Gaines) and severely injured the rest, they’ve overcome heart attacks, car accidents, and endured the deaths of so many of those who have passed through their line-up, and yet still they go on to fight another day. Street survivors indeed. But alas even the best things must come to an end eventually. And as is befitting a band with their legacy, they’re quitting the road on their own terms with one final hurrah round…

the DiRT RIP Thank you and good night. Hal Blaine February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019 Drummer Blaine was a member of legendary session musicians The Wrecking Crew. Born Harold Simon Belsky, he played on more than 150 US Top-10 singles and 40 No.1 hits, including Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel and on the sessions for the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations. He died aged 90 of natural causes. Danny Kustow May 10, 1955 – March 11, 2019 Tom Robinson has led the tributes to his co-star in the Tom Robinson Band, saying: “Danny’s unique, fiery guitar playing was at the very heart of the TRB sound.” The 63-year-old, whose life ended in a coma after contracting double pneumonia and a liver infection, also…

Dick Dale May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019 THE GODFATHER of surf guitar, Dick Dale has died at the age of 81. No cause of death has been announced, but he was a two-time cancer survivor and was also known to be battling renal failure and diabetes. Boston native Richard Anthony Mansour, who reinvented himself as Dick Dale, is probably best-known for his 1962 version of the Greek music standard Misirlou – his take on it was soaked in reverb, with the volume of his Fender Strat cranked up – which later featured in the opening credits sequence of Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction. Dale’s colourful technique brought enlightenment to the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Ry Cooder, the B-52s, Stevie Ray Vaughan and,…

Anderson Says Yes To More Yes Singer would be up for a reunion while ARW go on hiatus. JON ANDERSON SAYS he’s “very open” to a Yes reunion at some point in the future. His statement coincides with the news that Yes Featuring Anderson Rabin & Wakeman are now on indefinite hiatus, and the announcement that the current Jon Davison-fronted Yes will play 26 shows across North America this summer. “On stage we [Yes Featuring ARW] were just killing it every show,” Anderson tells Rolling Stone. “But there was, dare I say it, mismanagement of the situation. I love the guys [but] I just thought I need to breathe. There was too much of: ‘Should we do an album?’ We couldn’t agree on that.” Although they didn’t work together in…

HIGH HOPES the DiRT The Lazys Fusing the spirit of Bon Scott with songs about impotent pirates, these Aussies are on the up. YOU CAN TAKE the band out of Australia, but you can’t take Australia out of the band. Two years since The Lazys left the Southern Hemisphere to seek their fortune in Toronto, singer Leon Harrison is still a roughneck charmer with a back-pocket full of AC/DC-worthy anthems. “We wrote Nothing But Trouble about Bon Scott,” he says of the rabble-rouser that opens new album Tropical Hazards. “But the more I sing that song, the more I think it’s actually about me. I love beer. I love touring and the parties that come with it. Bon was a pioneer, a menace and just a fucking good singer. Am…

HIGH HOPES the DiRT Saint Agnes Meet the London rockers channelling the spirits of the White Stripes and The Stooges. ROB BLACKHAM/PRESS “WE HAD PLANNED on being a two-piece, writing acoustic music and busking around the UK,” says Saint Agnes singer Kitty Austen. “But then we started writing these epic, western inspired rock songs…” Austen and her bandmate, guitarist and co-vocalist Jon James Tufnell, are recalling Saint Agnes’s journey from unassuming beginnings to the electrifying, Led Zeppelin meets Dead Weather rockers they are today. It all started back in 2014. The duo were broke and holed up in Kitty’s grubby student flat in a neglected East London district, dreaming of a life on the road, when their songwriting took an adventurous turn. Before long, they had created their own fictional…

PUMP IT UP After their multi-million-selling album Permanent Vacation, it was time for Aerosmith to go one bigger. They stepped up to the plate, swung hard and hit a home run with Pump, their biggest album ever. Words: Mick Wall So, I asked Steven Tyler and Joe Perry: is it true that you once… “Yes!” yelped Tyler, an overexcited puppy in violet shades. “All of it!” What about the time… “Totally,” said Perry, gunslinger drawl, head-totoe leather. And… “More than once,” Tyler said with a grin, pushing back his long tresses to overexpose his pouting-skull features. “And in many more places.” But… “We’re not like that any more,” said Perry, barely moving his lips. “We do different shit now.” “Right, well, that’s that cleared that up, then,” I should have…

SHOCK WAVE After their last album, in 2014, Tesla didn’t know whether they’d ever make another record. Then along came an old friend, Phil Collen from Def Leppard, and everything changed. Words: Philip Wilding The day has barely begun in California and Def Leppard’s Phil Collen is already on the road. It’s a little after six in the morning and Highway 405 is already busy as it snakes north towards Hollywood. A high-sided truck glides past him on the left, its drag rattling the car’s windows, the whoosh and hum of the traffic clear through his phone, even from thousands of miles away on a gloomy London afternoon. “I basically joined Tesla,” Collen says with a chuckle. “Best not tell Joe that. When it came to producing the new album…

ROUND-UP: BLUES By Henry Yates AUSTIN HARGRAVE/PRESS George Benson Walking To New Orleans PROVOGUE/MASCOT Under normal circumstances, nothing screams ‘creative stasis’ like an older man penning love letters to the music of his youth. George Benson is different. The jazz great showed with 2013’s tribute to Nat King Cole that he could get inside a song, take it for a joyride and leave the engine hissing. Six years later, Walking To New Orleans, a doubleheader salute to Chuck Berry and Fats Domino is just as much fun. King’s double-cream vocal and mellow jazzbox guitar tone were born for Domino benchmarks such as Ain’t That A Shame and I Hear You Knocking, both songs more roll than rock, and are deliciously laidback. But the pick here is Benson’s treatment of the rougher…

CLASSIC ROCK ON THIS MONTH’S FREE DIGITAL ALBUM… ROCKIN’ THE BLUES 2019 To tie in with the upcoming Rockin’ The Blues tour, we’ve got some killer new tracks from its stars – Jonny Lang, Kris Barras, Walter Trout – plus top tunes from Mascot Records. 1 Joe Bonamassa Deep In The Blues Again If all mid-life crises generated music like this, then they might actually be welcomed. Joe’s heart is worn eloquently on his sleeve in the lyrics here, while musically it’s all sweet, up-tempo bluesy heartland rock. For an artist sometimes considered a little devoid of emotion, this track takes a pleasingly personal turn. From Redemption https://jbonamassa.com 2 Reese Wynans Crossfire Reese Wynans might have only just released his solo debut, but the Nashville-based keyboard player is already an icon…

Tour Dates KEVIN NIXON See below for dates. Currently June 17 and 18. See below for dates. Currently September 17-29. KEVIN NIXON See below for dates. Currently October 18, 19, 20.…

The Soundtrack Of My Life Bluesman Walter Trout on the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to him. Interview: Nick Hasted Walter Trout has rebounded from near-fatal liver disease in 2013 with still fierier purpose, continued with his new covers album, Survivor Blues. Spells with Johns Mayall and Lee Hooker preceded 90s stardom with his own band, interspersed with self-destructive wildness following childhood damage from his parents’ disastrous remarriages. Sober for three decades, his well-earned blues are leavened by his lust for life, and great taste in music. Here he picks some highlights. THE RECORD THAT INTRODUCED ME TO MUSICIANS My parents’ big-band jazz records were pretty much always blazing in our living room. One that stood out was Duke Ellington’s live Ellington At Newport. On the…

This month’s contributors HENRY YATES Henry has written for the Guardian, NME, Total Guitar, the Telegraph and more, and co-authored Walter Trout’s official biography, Rescued From Reality. On p66 he speaks to Peter Frampton about his careerthreatening illness. “I was struck by his bravery and good humour,” says Henry, “and I know this won’t be the last we hear from him.” DOLTYN SNEDDEN At just 24 years old, music photographer Doltyn had to really earn his spot in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s camp as the band’s official photographer. “They never had a photographer on the road with them before,” he explains, “so trusting someone so young with capturing the band’s current emotion and environment was a risk.” See the fruits of Doltyn’s labours from p28. STEVE WOOD When he’s not beautifying images…

Scott Walker January 9, 1943 – March 22, 2019 ACKNOWLEDGED AS an influence on artists as diverse as David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Steven Wilson, Marc Almond and Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt, Scott Walker has died at the age of 76. At the time of going to press the cause of death had yet to be revealed. Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio, the enigmatic singer/songwriter began his career in London as a teen idol in the Walker Brothers during the mid-1960s, enjoying a run of hits that included the UK chart-toppers The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore and Make It Easy On Yourself. He went on to record the solo albums Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3 and Scott 4 between 1967 and 1969. His output became increasingly experimental in the following years…

NEWS Mick Jagger is “on the mend” after the heart procedure that forced the Rolling Stones to postpone the commencement of an American tour. The 75-year-old must now abide by a new diet to assist recovery, undergo therapy for the trauma caused by the operation and maintain a new exercise regime to build his strength back. The Eagles, who play British and Irish dates in May and June, are to perform their classic 1976 album Hotel California in its entirety for the first time ever at two special shows in Las Vegas in September. A three-page letter written by Bon Scott to a girlfriend called Valerie in 1978, which conveys struggles with drinking, touring and financial woes, has been purchased by Australia’s Western Government for the equivalent of around £7,500.…

MY FIRST LOVE Gene Vincent BE-BOP-A-LULA By Sharon Osborne Mrs O knows a thing or two about rock’n’roll, having grown up surrounded by it – and subsequently managing, and marrying, one of rock’s ultimate icons. Here she talks about the joys of Be-Bop-A-Lula, and the lure of black leather… “My father [Don Arden] worked with Gene Vincent and he was the first man I ever saw wearing black leather from top to bottom. “He had this charisma where as soon as he walked into the room he grabbed everyone’s attention – no matter what you were doing every eye went to him - and as a little girl I fell totally in love with him. This was such a great, great song and he was such a great performer. So…

CHARLIE STARR'S FANTASY SKYNYRD SETLIST Blackberry Smoke will support Skynyrd on select European dates. Frontman/fan Charlie Starr tells us what he’d love to hear them play. CHARLIE STARR: KEVIN NIXON 1. THE BALLAD OF CURTIS LOEW “As is the case with so many of Skynyrd’s great songs, this song is expertly crafted and beautifully recorded. One of their greatest attributes as a band was their ability to be subtle. I think most people overlook that. Also, this is one of Ronnie Van Zant’s best stories.” 2. WORKIN FOR MCA “This is Skynyrd at their most muscular. What a great big riff! The story is they played this for their label [MCA] at an album-release party, which is fantastic, because the song is basically a threat.” 3. I AIN’T THE ONE…

ALL ROADS LEAD SOUTH BISHOP GUNN Their debut album has given them an expanding fan base across the States and brought them support gigs with big names including Slash and Kid Rock. Now it’s time to take on the rest of the world. Words: Polly Glass ROB BLACKHAM/PRESS It’s an unseasonably hot morning outside Buckingham Palace, and a towering man in a colourful, fluffy coat, with added rock-star bling in the form of aviator shades and chunky necklaces, is striding towards us. His shirt buttons are undone to the waist, his snakeskin trousers are flared, tight and leave little to the imagination. His name is Travis McCready. He was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi and is now based in Leipers Fork, Tennessee, and this is his first time outside…

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN We meet the next little ol’ band from Texas, and get a sneak preview of their next album. Words: Henry Yates It’s not much of a stretch to imagine them as the South’s next all-conquering stadium band. After all, these Texans have spent more of their early career warming up arena crowds than playing for one man and his dog. “We’ve opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd,” recalls Bryant. “Jeff Beck. AC/DC. Aerosmith. Guns N’ Roses. Axl actually told us, ‘Yeah, I heard you guys, and I thought to myself, Ah, an opening band I don’t have to fucking ignore’. I guess that was a compliment.” The Shakedown are good enough to lure punters away from the bar. Since forming in Nashville a decade ago, the band…

This is M.E. Gay icon, activist, plant-medicine advocate, marijuana producer, friend of Hollywood A-listers… Melissa Etheridge is more than just a singer-songwriter with depth and conviction. Words: Polly Glass Some rock stars don’t mix music and politics. For Melissa Etheridge the two are almost interchangeable, and her experiences and opinions (always erudite, sometimes controversial) have shaped her public persona almost as much as her songs. Take cannabis, now legalised in her home state of California and one of her more polarising pursuits. She first tried medicinal marijuana while undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2004 and has been a firm advocate ever since – alongside gay rights activism, all-round political engagement and a successful musical career. Today cannabis is the “filter” that her music is seen through. Recently it’s played…

ROUND-UP: MELODIC ROCK By Dave Ling KRISTIE MAYFAIR SCHRAM/PRESS Jim Peterik & World Stage Winds Of Change FRONTIERS Jim Peterik is a force of nature. Although he left Survivor more than 20 years ago, he’s still a member of his highschool band the Ides Of March and has made five albums with lead-singing protégé Toby Hitchcock in Pride Of Lions. Composing new songs is what motivates Peterik to get out of bed each day. Arriving almost two decades after a starstudded debut, Winds Of Change is the second Jim Peterik & World Stage album. Some collaborators, including former Styx frontman/keyboard player Dennis DeYoung and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin and Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, make return visits, but the album’s joy is the juxtaposition of the voices of the Nelson twins,…

INSIDE THE WORLD OF ROCK the DiRT cat no:#262 Let’s Get Rock And Roll Hall Of Famed Def Leppard, Roxy Music and Stevie Nicks among the 2019 inductees. FOR MORE NEWS: WWW.CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM COPYRIGHT FUTURE 2019 MARKING THE EVENT’S 33rd anniversary, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, The Zombies, Radiohead and The Cure were among those inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame during last month’s lavish ceremony in New York City. Nicks, already a member of the HOF with Fleetwood Mac, spent 15 minutes at the microphone as she accepted her induction as a solo artist, becoming the first female to be inducted twice. During a four-song live set later she was joined by former beau Don Henley of the Eagles for Leather And Lace, and friend Harry…

Shawn Smith October 28, 1965 – April 5, 2019 THE MUCH-LOVED singer with Satchel, Brad, Pigeonhed and The Twilight Singers has died at the age of 53 at his home in Seattle following a torn aorta and high blood pressure. Born in Spokane, Washington, Smith fell into the role of lead vocalist, having begun as a drummer and guitarist, before songwriting became his passion. “Prince was kind of my biggest inspiration,” he once told Classic Rock. Smith moved to Seattle in 1987 and by 1992 had teamed up with producer/musician Steve Fisk to found Pigeonhed, whose self-titled debut album featured Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. That same year Smith formed Brad with Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, bassist Jeremy Toback and drummer Regan Hagar. Their first album Shame was released in…

Q&A Alan Parsons The prog-rock wizard on his new solo album, winning his first Grammy and being sawn in half on stage. Words: Grant Moon It’s been 15 years since Alan Parsons’ last record. During that time he has relocated to Santa Barbara, California and opened a thriving studio, and has toured his multimillion-selling back catalogue with his Alan Parsons Live Project band. His fifth solo album, The Secret, marks a return to his golden-era Project sound, with a diverse roster of guest stars and a set of tightly orchestrated progressive tracks revolving around the theme of magic. Now 70, he tours The Secret across the US and Europe this year. Your previous album, A Valid Path, came out in 2004. Why such a long wait for The Secret? It’s…

INTERVIEW DUFF McKAGAN The man best known as the bassist with the Most Dangerous Band In The World talks about Guns N’ Roses, a life in music, near-death, break-ups, make-ups, the journey from alcoholism to sobriety and his soon-to-be-released solo record. Oh, and a new GN’R album. Interview: Paul Elliott GETTY Duff McKagan is back in the place where it all started for the greatest rock’n’roll band of their generation: Los Angeles, California, where in 1985, at the age of 21, he became the bass player with Guns N’ Roses, and where, two years later, I first interviewed the band. McKagan, a resident of Seattle, where he was born and raised, is in LA to promote his new solo album, Tenderness. On this sunny spring morning he’s risen early and…

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY It’s not easy for a poodle-haired pop star of the 80s to now be taken seriously. So how did Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett sideman and the Mute Gods mainman Nick Beggs manage it? Words: Polly Glass HAJO MULLER/PRESS For a while in the 80s, Nick Beggs’s world was one of police escorts, fans camping outside his house, teen magazine covers, TV appearances and endless celebrity parties and events. He owed much of that to just one song he co-wrote with his pop band Kajagoogoo, Too Shy, which catapulted them to instant stardom. All that seems a long way from the comparatively nerdy but more ‘respected’ progressive rock sphere he occupies these days. He’s 57 but looks younger, with long, bleach-blond hair, and has the easy,…

Reviews The Wildhearts Renaissance Men GRAPHITE Their first album in 10 years ticks all the right boxes – arriba! (It’ll never last, of course…) Although touted as featuring the ‘classic’ line-up of Ginger, CJ, Ritch Battersby and Danny McCormack, these four made only one album together – the original Fishing For Luckies in 1994. They tried again later that year, but CJ was gone after the initial sessions for what became p.h.u.q. CJ and Ginger smoothed things over in 2001, and Ritch has been back on the drum stool since 2005. So presumably it’s the return of bassist Danny – on stage for the Britrock Must Be Destroyed dates a year ago even though recovering from the amputation of part of his right leg – that has been the catalyst…

BEST OF THE REST Other new releases out this month. JD Simo Off At 11 CROWS FEET Simo frontman goes it alone with psychedelic Hendrix-channelling jams and hooky, distorted blues rock straight out of the 60s. Expect soul, roots, wah-wah guitars and freaky shit. 7/10 The Felice Brothers Undress YEP ROC Sweet, potent vignettes of American folk storytelling, nodding to the troubadour soul of Dylan and the literate bite of Guthrie. At once stirring, sun-kissed and eloquently political. 7/10 Matt Pearce & The Mutiny Gotta Get Home MUTINEAR The debut from Voodoo Six guitarist’s new band is a swishy, funky display of blues’n’roll. Pedestrian lyrics and vocals are solid rather than great, but there are more-ish chops aplenty. 6/10 Josefin Öhrn And The Liberation Sacred Dreams ROCKET Aural flotation tanks…