Classic Rock

Every month Classic Rock is packed with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes features on rock’s biggest names, from Led Zeppelin to Deep Purple, from Guns N’ Roses to the Rolling Stones, from the Sex Pistols to AC/DC and beyond. Each issue plays host to the heftiest rock reviews section on the planet. In an average issue, you’ll find over 150 albums reviewed, all from the ever-varied, multi-faceted world of rock - whether it’s hard rock or heavy metal, prog or punk, goth rock or southern rock, we’ve got it covered.

WELCOME

This month’s contributors

Classic Rock

GET ’EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT! • Record Store Day returns on April 12.

RECORD STORE DAY UK • Here’s a mini-checklist of what’s on offer this year.

RIP • Thank you… and good night.

Mike Ratledge • May 6, 1943 – February 5, 2025

Joey Molland • June 21, 1947 – March 1, 2025

Jamie Muir • July 4, 1945 – February 17, 2025

Dave Jerden • July 25, 1949 – February 5, 2025

Roberta Flack • February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025

David Johansen • January 9, 1950 – February 28, 2025

Rick Buckler • December 6, 1955 – February 17, 2025

Bad Co. And Crowes For Hall Of Fame? • But Maiden and Motörhead are overlooked again.

Sabbath Villa Park Update • Ozzy will be doing “little bits and pieces” with the band.

NEWS

Lacuna Coil • With a splendid new album, after 30 years the Italian gothic metallers are showing no signs of slowing down.

Sons Of Silver • With Springsteen a guiding hand, their big riffs and big choruses suggest big things to come.

Page “Humbled” By Film Success • But Jimmy fears AI proposal as “exploitation”.

Nirvana reunite – again! • This time with Post Malone fronting the band.

Bumblefoot • The one-time GN’R guitarist is now solo again, and has a finger in more than one pie – and sauce to put on it.

Himalayas • Meet the Welsh rockers with stadium experience and a co-write with Brian Johnson.

Bush Glycerine • A song that its writer thought he’d ripped off from someone else’s at first, it became their biggest US hit and helped its parent album Sixteen Stone sell more than six million copies.

Steven Wilson • Mr Busy on his new solo album, the wonder of space, being a control freak, being prog (or not), Porcupine Tree…

The Damn Truth • They were saved by the rock community, they’re produced by Bob Rock and dug by Billy Gibbons, they’re true to themselves…

AF⋆⋆KIN WASTE OF GOOD SMACK • CR presents the first in an exclusive series from Alan Niven’s forthcoming book Sound N’ Fury.

THE ITALIAN JOB • Lights! Camera! Music! Problems. With an updated version about to hit cinema screens, we look at the making of Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii, with recollections from drummer Nick Mason, director Adrian Maben and the man behind the new mix, Steven Wilson.

A PRAYER ANSWERED • With the way paved by monster hit Livin’ On A Prayer, Bon Jovi’s world-conquering third album Slippery When Wet propelled the band to superstardom in a blaze of perfect-rock glory.

THE NOT SO ODD COUPLE • On paper it might look like a strange marriage, but Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and one-time shredder Richie Kotzen’s joint musical venture is no vanity project.

ON THE RUN • For a while in the late 70s, Gary Moore was the hottest guitarist in the coolest rock band around. After leaving Thin Lizzy he made some creditable solo albums in the early 80s, then he struck rock gold with Run For Cover.

TOAST OF THE TOWN • The Darkness have always been – in their own words – uncool, but it’s their defiance that makes them the eccentrics that they are, as demonstrated on new album Dreams On...