Innehållsförteckning för April 2022 från Classic Rock

WELCOME No sooner than we sent the last issue of Classic Rock to the printers than the terrible news of Meat Loaf’s death broke. That definitely wasn’t one I was expecting. It had only been a couple of weeks earlier that I was sorting out an old boxful of concert tickets and other bits, and I stumbled across a ticket stub from one of the first gigs I ever went to as a kid. It was Meat Loaf – and I’ll always remember my dad picking me and my mate up from the Newport Centre and having him complain about the ‘language’ that Meat had used on stage (back in those days it seems they let long-suffering ‘taxi service’ parents into the venue while they waited for their offspring). Now,…

the DIRT RIP Thank you… and good night. Sam Lay March 20, 1935 – January 29, 2022 Born in Birmingham, Alabama, and inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015 as part of the Butterfield Blues Band, Sam Lay played drums for some of the biggest names in blues, rock and R&B, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Bob Dylan, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Little Walter and Magic Sam. In 2000 Lay was nominated for a Grammy. He died at a nursing home in Chicago at the age of 86. Dixie Lee Died January 27, 2022 Welshman Lee was best known as the drummer with cult heroes Lone Star, who made two albums for CBS, Lone Star (1976) and Firing On All Six (’77), and whose line-up featured…

Kit Woolven December 21, 1950 – January 26, 2022 TONY CLARKIN AND Bob Catley of Magnum were among those to express sadness at the passing of popular music producer Kit Woolven at the age of 71. “Without Kit, our album On A Storyteller’s Night would not have been the same record,” said the Magnum duo. “His production input was invaluable, creative and always much appreciated. He was fantastic to work with and such a personable guy. We have really fond memories of him.” Born in Maidstone, Kit Woolven began his career as an engineer working with producer Tony Visconti. He later worked on several albums with Thin Lizzy, as well as David Bowie (Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)), Phil Lynott (both of his solo records, Solo In Soho and The Philip…

NEWS UK proggers Big Big Train have announced their wish to continue following the death of their lead vocalist David Longdon last year. This is in accordance with Longdon’s wishes. In an interview with The Telegraph, Ian Anderson has dismissed the music of the Rolling Stones and The Who as “generic”, suggesting that both bands were prepared to “sit comfortably backpedalling in order to keep on an even keel.” Anderson claimed that to have pursued same path with Jethro Tull would have made him “restless”. The sad passing of Meat Loaf led to three of his albums making a return to the UK Top 40. Billboard reports that streams of his tracks surged by 2,583% after he died on January 20. Bruce Dickinson predicts that Iron Maiden will play their…

NEWS Alice Cooper is working on two new records (his twentyninth and thirtieth) simultaneously. “They’re two entirely different kinds of albums, but they’re Alice Cooper, pure rock‘n’roll albums,” Alice told American DJ Eddie Trunk. “[Both] will really be hard rock albums.” Described by the organisers as “a one-of-a-kind artist”, Iggy Pop says he is “honoured” to accept this year’s Polar Music Prize at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden on May 24. Previous recipients include Paul McCartney, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. Carl Palmer and Geoffrey Downes will be joined by current Yes bassist Billy Sherwood and former Keith Emerson guitarist Marc Bonilla for Asia’s fortieth anniversary tour later this year. Following a successful audition while on tour, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons have chosen Joel Peters…

Q & A Steve Hogarth The Marillion frontman on their new album, being inspired by Jon Lord, and being star-struck meeting Peter Gabriel. Interview: Jo Kendall Portrait: Kevin Nixon He joined British progressive rock superstars Marillion in 1989, and yet to many people Steve Hogarth is still the ‘new boy’. With the band’s latest album An Hour Before It’s Dark just released, he talks about spending half his life in the group, and tackling climate change and the pandemic in lyric form when you’re really trying to steer clear of it. He also recalls how Deep Purple got him into this rock’n’roll lark in the first place, when he was supposed to be in training as an engineer. Marillion are on their nineteenth album. How did that happen? Opinion is…

STARS PAY TRIBUTE “Meat Loaf was one of the greatest voices in rock‘n’roll, and one of my closest friends in the business. There was nobody, and I mean nobody, like Meat Loaf. His shoes can never be filled.”Alice Cooper “He was a larger-than-life character with a voice and stage presence to match, one of those rare people who truly were a one-off talent and personality.”Bonnie Tyler “Meat and Jim brought me into the consciousness of the rock‘n’roll world. And through Paradise By The Dashboard Light I get to be a horny teenager for all time.”Ellen Foley “I’m so sorry to hear of the passing of Meat Loaf. Sincere respects to his family, friends and fans.”David Coverdale “Three madmen living all in a row: Meat Loaf, Pat Boone and me. Who…

RICK’S RETURN RICK: ALAMY; MAIN: CLARA BALZARY/PRESS “The feeling in the room when Flea, John and Chad play together is transcendent,” Unlimited Love producer Rick Rubin tells Classic Rock of the band he’s worked with, on and off (mostly on), since 1991. “Then when Anthony sings it becomes the Chili Peppers. The musical highs they are capable of channelling on a regular basis is otherworldly, truly a case of the ingredients tapping into something much larger than the sum of its parts. And the parts are as good as it gets.” John Frusciante isn’t the only person to have returned to the Chili Peppers fold for Unlimited Love. The other is Rubin, who ceded production to Danger Mouse for the Chilis’ previous album, 2016’s The Getaway, largely at the request…

The HOT List THE ESSENTIAL NEW ROCK TRACKS YOU NEED TO HEAR MONTH AND THE BANDS TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR KRIS BARRAS BAND: JOHN McMURTRIE/PRESS Welcome to the first Hot List of 2022! After a brief breather, we’re back with a selection of the finest new nuggets that rock has to offer. Whatever you seek – be it rootsy rock from Blighty, luscious prog from iciest Finland, or moody, hooky rock’n’roll from one of the hottest rising stars in LA – we’ve got you covered. And if you just want to be surprised, in the best way possible, we can help you there too. How about some spine-tingling Americana from Dan Auerbach’s latest protegees? Or a song from an album called Pure Evil?! You know you’re curious. Check out…

Ghost Impera LOMA VISTA Swedish theatrical rockers swap Medieval demons for modern-day counterparts. The evolution of the stage persona of Tobias Forge – fast becoming a kind of theatre-metal Blackadder – leaps forward another few hundred years. Various incarnations of his zombie Pope Papa Emeritus character administered over Ghost’s rise from the Satanic Scandi-rock underground, and the more baronial Cardinal Copia emerged for the bubonic Boston of 2018’s Prequelle, a doomy tapestry of 14th Century plague and pestilence that proved surprisingly prescient when a lot of 70s rockers started coming down with a strange contagion just two years later. Now Copia has been promoted to Papa Emeritus IV, who should probably be delivering much of this fifth album while bathed in a devilish orange glow and adjusting a tie as…

BEST OF THE REST Other new releases out this month. Brijitte West Lockdown EP BRIJITTEWESTMUSIC.COM With vocals recorded in her broom cupboard, this six-track EP finds the former NY Loose prime mover operating at extreme social distance. A pair of nu-country-laced 21st-century snapshots augmented by four acoustic gems (including NYL’s Pretty Suicide). 7/ The Temperance Movement Caught On Stage: Live & Acoustic EARACHE A companion release to the equally self-explanatory, similarly timemarking, Covers & Rarities LP, this generous 19-song set captures the Stones/Faces/Crowes-channeling blues-rockers in session and on fire. 7/10 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Butterfly 3001 KGLW Diverse, de-rocked remixes of 2021’s keyboards-heavy Butterfly 3000. Highlights? The Flaming Lips’ signature mutation of Ya Love, Scientist’s crisp dubbing of Shanghai, and DJ Shadow’s groove-laden turntablist Mo’ Waxing of Black…

Various Can The Glam! – 80 Glambusters: Rockers, Shockers And Teenyboppers From The 70s! CHERRY RED/7TS Trash to treasure on glittering glam-pop anthology. This isn’t for lightweights. This isn’t your generic grab-bag of the obvious Bowie and Sweet hits. This is (mainly) obscure hard-core stuff, for the true heads. Yes, it’s sprinkled with a few party starters – Mud’s The Cat Crept In, Slade’s We’re Really Gonna Raise The Roof, Alvin Stardust’s Jealous Mind – but even there you see the wilful desire to avoid the regular first choice. And yes it’s got Metal Guru on it – but it’s a truth universally acknowledged that every record should have Metal Guru on it, or at least that orgasmic, spread-eagled swandive of an intro, on a loop. What we have here…

BACK TO LIVE Idles London Brixton O2 Academy Bristolians crank the energy levels to the max. ★ Finally returning to full-blooded touring mode, Idles bounce on stage like prize fighters ready to reclaim their title. This is the first of four back-toback nights at Brixton, and Joe Talbot and his artpunk hooligans are taking no chances with further covid cancellations, cramming enough energy for at least four shows into their performance. To their detractors, Idles are an overblown cartoon joke band, bellowing simplistic slogans over a clobbering post-hardcore racket, and there is certainly plenty of rowdy testosterone clamour in the show, on punchy crowd-pleasers like Mr Motivator or 1049 Gotho. But there are hints of more emotional depth too, notably on songs from the Bristol band’s latest album The Crawler.…

The Soundtrack Of My Life Singer-songwriter Rosalie Cunningham on the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to her. Interview: Rob Hughes Having started out as a teenager with Ipso Facto in the late noughties, singersongwriter Rosalie Cunningham emerged as the guiding force of Purson. The band’s billowy psych-prog sustained itself for two essential studio albums before Cunningham called time in 2017. She’s since embarked on a grippingly eclectic solo career. Her latest album Two Piece Puzzle is rich, dark, playful and wonderfully adventurous. We really wouldn’t expect anything less. THE FIRST MUSIC I REMEMBER HEARING I was exposed to a lot of cool music growing up, because my dad was a musician. But the first song I remember, when I was about three or four, was Love…

This month’s contributors KEN SHARP This month we’re pleased to welcome Ken back to CR’s pages with his extensive oral history of the making of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (p46). Ken is the New York Times best-selling author of Nothin’ To Lose: The Making Of Kiss (1972-1975), co-written with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, and is also a singer/songwriter with six albums to his name, Miniatures is his latest. More at ken-sharp.com GUS VAN SANT It’s not every month that an Oscar-nominated director shoots a cover photograph exclusively for Classic Rock, but this issue that’s exactly what we got. Gus Van Sant – acclaimed for directing such films as Good Will Hunting and Milk – has a long history with the Chilis, including directing their Under The Bridge…

Jimmy Johnson November 25, 1928 – January 31, 2022 WALTER TROUT HAS led the tributes to Jimmy Johnson, after the Chicago blues master passed away at the age of 93 following a stroke. “Jimmy was one of the greats and I was proud to call him my friend,” said Trout. James Earl Thompson (his real name) was born in Holly Spring, Mississippi, the first boy in a family of ten children. After the family moved to Chicago in 1950 he began playing with Slim Willis, changing his surname to Johnson. Surprisingly, he was 28 when he bought his first guitar, and while working as a welder at a steel company he soon mastered the instrument. Although he didn’t become a household name, Johnson was hugely respected in his genre. He…

“It would’ve been ridiculous, insane, crazy” Judas Priest rescind singleguitar idea. ROB HALFORD has assumed responsibility for the “ridiculous” suggestion that Judas Priest should become a single-guitar band. Fans around the world protested when the group – among the most iconic twin-guitar acts in rock music – announced that Andy Sneap, currently deputising for the Parkinson’s-stricken Glenn Tipton, would resume his career as a producer, leaving Richie Faulkner to take up the slack. “That [proposal] blew up in my face, didn’t it?”Priest singer Halford told Billboard. “It would’ve been ridiculous, insane, crazy… It’s kind of water under the bridge now. My heart was in the right place, but I’m not the first musician to have a crazy idea.” In happier news, Judas Priest have been shortlisted for the Rock And…

the DIRT HIGH HOPES Johnossi Swede emotion from this punk-grunge-blues duo, nodding to the psychodrama of Joker. “We’ve had commercial success, yes, but our biggest success hasn’t happened yet.” OKAY, WE HOLD our hands up, we’re a little late to the party here. Stockholm duo Johnossi have been together for well over a decade, with a glittering career in their native Sweden and beyond, so it’s about time we caught up – just as they release their seventh album, Mad Gone Wild. “It’s a concept album about metamorphosis,” says vocalistguitarist John Englebert. “But I didn’t know that at the time of writing. It’s only when I looked back that I saw a pattern emerging, and a character that I’d written about before, Roscoe. We were influenced by the film Joker…

THE CLASSIC ROCK INTERVIEW BILLY IDOL When punk came along, with it came curled-lip blond bombshell Billy, fronting Generation X. But it was the arrival of MTV in the 80s that put him among the era’s stars – and brought the attendant problems. Lived a life? You bet. Interview: Ian Fortnam Portraits: Kevin Nixon Inspired into action upon witnessing the Sex Pistols, English-degree student William Broad entered the embryonic 1970s punk scene as guitarist with the band Chelsea, before swapping specs for contacts, bleaching his hair and recasting himself as Billy Idol: smouldering, Smash Hits-friendly frontman with Generation X. After sneering his way into the nation’s hearts and charts via Top Of The Pops, Idol enjoyed significant success with Gen X, before decamping to New York and reinventing himself as…

Communication Breakdown Send your letters to Communication Breakdown, Classic Rock, Future, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, London W2 6JR or email them to classicrock@futurenet.com. For more comment visit www.classicrockmagazine.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. SPIKY STUFF It was with much surprise and joy that I learnt that Porcupine Tree were recording a new album and touring after most fans probably assumed that this wonderful band were done! Although a great loss, we have been compensated by the superb solo work from Steven Wilson and his bandmates. What has struck me, though, is that I have seen very few column inches in the music press about this joyous, to me, reunion! In my opinion this group are right up there with the greats of rock. Their music is intelligent…

ROUND-UP: BLUES By Henry Yates Dan Patlansky Shelter Of Bones VIRGIN A lifetime ago, Dan Patlansky cleaned up with 2015’s Dear Silence Thieves, but even that muchadmired breakthrough is left in the dust by this all-guns-blazing return. Four years in the making, Shelter Of Bones suggests the South African has been not so much idling as percolating (and surviving, too, with the slow-glow Lost facing his wife’s recent illness). Now, palpably impatient, these songs come flying off Patlansky’s dinged Strat, giving glancing blows to till-skimming politicos and social media loudmouths. Going in hard, Patlansky is riotously funky on Soul Parasite, while the mangled guitar tones and man-grunts of Presence and Bad Soul are likewise visceral highlights, demanding movement. Elsewhere, for all his ire, the guitarist is a sophisticated writer whose quieter…

FREE ANC HEADPODS WORTH £49.99 WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO CLASSIC ROCK Simply press the noise cancellation button to reduce the sounds around you and amplify your favourite tunes. • Bluetooth wireless headset • Black • Eight hours play time • Features active noise cancelling, volume, track skip, play/pause, take calls • Siri USB-A to micro USB charge cable • Travel case hard-shell zip pod Choose your package… PRINT ONLY £25 EVERY SIX MONTHS SAVING 35% PRINT + DIGITAL £37.50 EVERY SIX MONTHS SAVING 42% To order online visit www.magazinesdirect.com/CRK/A17C or call 0330 3331113 and quote A17C Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (GMT). TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer closes April 1, 2022. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. £25…

Ronnie Spector August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022 KEITH RICHARDS, BRIAN Wilson, Joan Jett and Elvis Costello were among those to pay tribute to the singer known as the original bad girl of rock’n’roll, after she lost a battle with cancer at the age of 78. Ronnie Spector was born Veronica Yvette Bennett in Manhattan, New York. Her girl vocal group The Ronettes attracted the attention of producer Phil Spector (who she married in 1968), and together they achieved chart success in the 60s with the hits including Be My Baby, Baby, I Love You and (The Best Part Of) Breakin’ Up. The Ronettes supported The Beatles on a US tour in 1966, and in the UK were the first girl group to generate a reaction similar to Beatlemania,…

Rachel Nagy December 15, 1984 – January 16, 2022 RACHEL NAGY: AVALON; JIMMY JOHNSON: GETTY RACHEL NAGY THE singer and founder of Michigan garage rockers the Detroit Cobras has died of unknown cause. She was 37 years old. Nagy formed The Detroit Cobras in the city after which they were named in 1994. They swiftly gained a reputation, particularly in the UK, as a covers band who were much more than a covers band, adding a gritty, feverish twist to R&B and soul songs from the 1960s. The band were also a pivotal part of the Detroit garage rock scene that helped the rise of groups such as The White Stripes, the Von Bondies and The Dirtbombs. In 2016, Jack White’s Third Man Records reissued The Detroit Cobras’ influential debut…

NEWS More cancellations and postponements. Due to covid-19, Aerosmith have now completely cancelled their twice-postponed European tour, citing “the health, safety and wellbeing of our fans”. The Zombies have delayed their UK dates by a year due to a band member requiring urgent but non-life-threatening surgery. Halestorm have cancelled their European shows, but are continuing the British leg. Former Status Quo drummer John Coghlan is to retire following a tour that ends at the annual Quo Convention at Butlins in Minehead, in September. Coghlan joined the band in 1962 when they were known as The Spectres, and left in 1981. Along with bassist Alan Lancaster, who died in September last year, he re-joined Rossi and co. for their reunion shows as The Frantic Four. American modern rockers Shinedown release their…

BURIED TREASURE Riches from the rock underground CARGO Cargo, Harvest Records, Netherlands, 1972. £1,200 September were a Dutch progressivepop/rock band formed in Amsterdam during the late 60s. After three moderately successful singles, they felt a desire to expand upon their sound in the studio in order to recreate the more cosmic vibe of their live shows, which were becoming increasingly improvised affairs. Viewing the situation as a dilemma, their management brainstormed the idea of making an album, in which all the band members remained anonymous in a bid to court press attention. The name Cargo was given to the project, even though the band were still essentially September. A deal was struck with Harvest and Cargo was released in 1972. Comprised of four lengthy tracks, the Dutch market wasn’t yearning…

the DIRT HIGH HOPES Kissin’ Dynamite Meet the German four-piece aiming to take the whole world back to mid-80s rock. “It’s not about the location. Stadium rock can be performed in a club or a theatre – it’s a lifestyle.” KISSIN’ DYNAMITE ARE on a quest to bring back stadium rock. “It’s not simply about the location,” clarifies the band’s singer, Hannes Braun. “Stadium rock can be performed in a club or a theatre – it’s a lifestyle. We love huge anthems and hooks that stick in the brain. Our mission is to take that sound to a younger crowd.” Braun, who co-formed the group’s forerunners the Blues Kids as a schoolboy 20 years ago, certainly has enthusiasm on his side. Preparing to release Kissin’ Dynamite’s seventh album, Not The…

MEAT LOAF September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022 A big man with a big voice and big ambitions, he fought hard to achieve success, and when it came he thrilled millions with his catalogue of wonderful and unforgettable music. Words: Dave Ling GETT Meat Loaf, the celebrated American singer and actor, has died at the age of 74, less than a year after the loss of his artistic foil, Jim Steinman. Meat Loaf had endured a sustained period of ill health, but at press time the cause of death had yet to be announced. Across six decades he was one of music’s most larger-than-life, enduring and fascinating figures. The tempestuous synergy between the vocalist, whose talent for delivery sold the extraordinary, chart-busting album Bat Out Of Hell, and Steinman, the…

WHAT HITS? Ten deep cuts for the Red Hot Chili Peppers connoisseur. Jungle Man (1985) The Chili’s debut, produced by Gang Of Four’s Andy Gill, was a strange hybrid of Californian funk and British post-punk. More assured was the follow up, with Parliament/Funkadelic supremo George Clinton bring a shot of P-funk weirdness to this wickedly slippery opening track. Johnny Kick A Hole In The Sky (1989) The closing song from breakthrough album Mother’s Milk: a psychedelic punk-funk broadside aimed at the US government’s oppression of Native American people. They’ve never sounded so furious before or since. Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) Weird that the title track of an album that sold 15 million copies counts as a deep cut, but that’s what happens when you’re sandwiched between Give It Away…

ROUND-UP: MELODIC ROCK By Dave Ling Radioactive XXX FRONTIERS In the world of melodic hard rock, it’s hard to name an artist that Tommy Denander hasn’t worked with. From liaisons with Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley and Dan Reed to late Toto and Survivor geniuses Fergie Frederiksen and Jimi Jamison, the Swede has carved an impressive career. Whether due to an outspoken personality, sheer ubiquity or perhaps plain ol’ jealousy, Denander isn’t universally loved within the scene, but his talent as a writer, performer and producer remains indisputable. The fifth album made under the Radioactive handle, XXX taps an impressive cast of vocalists, including Robin McAuley, Robbie LaBlanc and Clif Magness. Ex-H.e.a.t frontman Erik Grönwall is also here, doubling the harmonies. But by far the biggest coup is a clandestine link with…

THE HARD STUFF ALBUMS 3 Colours Red Reissues DEMON Britrock’s guiding lights reignite their Creation Records albums on red vinyl. If you were there when 3 Colours Red burst into action with Pure (1997, 8/10), then the bass line of the album’s opening title track cannot fail to conjure the mighty stench of spilt beer baked into the bricks of Camden Town venues. For a couple of years there, Britrock genuinely felt like it could take on all the world. If you were there, then it might feel hard to entirely separate the music from the giddy nostalgia, but Pure still sounds great. As Nuclear Holiday, This Is My Hollywood and Hateslick bound up to you like pitbulls possessed by the spirit of Sid Vicious, you can see why Alan…

Lemonheads It’s A Shame About Ray FIRE Pivotal grunge pop classic still feels like hooking up with old drug buddies. In 1992, through all the angst and anguish, the shirt ripping and guitar flinging of grunge, shot a Ray of light. Although Evan Dando’s Boston strugglers Lemonheads were on the verge of splitting after their major-label debut Lovey (1990) failed to gain traction, when his adorable slacker folk melodies were unearthed from the sludge by the more sensitive Robb Brothers production on its follow-up (their fifth album), Lemonheads instantly encapsulated a far more idyllic form of teen spirit. Half an hour of breezy grunge folk odes to friendship, romance, layabout living and recreational drugs, capped with the flying freak flag of a casual acoustic cover of Frank Mills from Hair,…