Articles by Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.

Articles by: Dave Ling

"I hate the term 'neo prog'!" Frost* and the making of Falling Satellites

By Dave Ling published 25 May 23

Five years after he called an indefinite hiatus on the band, Jem Godfrey and Frost* returned with their third studio album Falling Satellites

From triumph to nowhere and back: the story of Kansas, in their own words

By Dave Ling published 18 May 23

After a career peppered with notable successes, Kansas came close to being dead and buried. But, taking the advice of their most famous song, they picked themselves up and carried on

Hawkwind's Dave Brock is 81 and would like to go backwards in time instead of forwards

By Dave Ling published 17 May 23

Hawkwind's Dave Brock on chopping up wood, feeding the horse, and the future of rock's ultimate space travellers

Joe Bonamassa: "I've sold nine million records. The detractors can say what they want"

By Dave Ling published 16 May 23

Joe Bonamassa on being comfortable with the haters, mentoring the blues greats of the future, and the biggest guitar nerd he's ever met

Eddie Van Halen with guitar and (inset) Gene Simmons throwing the horns

The Eddie Van Halen I knew, by Gene Simmons

By Dave Ling published 15 May 23

"Our millennials need to know about the most important musician since Jimi Hendrix" - Gene Simmons on the late Eddie Van Halen

Mike Rutherford: "The last Genesis show felt bizarre"

By Dave Ling published 9 May 23

With Mike + The Mechanics currently on an extensive UK tour, Mike Rutherford talks singers, drummers, taking it easy, and the last days of Genesis

Say hi to the your new favourite southern rockers, Hillbilly Vegas

By Dave Ling published 4 May 23

"We’re a band from the South and we play music that comes from the South" - Hillbilly Vegas frontman Steve Harris

Joey Tempest sometimes wonders what life would be like without The Final Countdown

By Dave Ling published 3 May 23

As Europe's 40th anniversary shows approach, frontman Joey Tempest looks back and ponders the legacy of *that* song

How Richard Marx's "dumbest, lamest" song became his biggest hit

By Dave Ling published 2 May 23

Richard Marx only recorded the "laughably stupid" Hazard to prove people wrong. So just how did his worst ever song become a global smash hit?

Steve Perry recording in the studio, and The High Kings

Steve Perry has joined forces with Irish folk group The High Kings for their new single - and he's told us why

By Dave Ling published 28 April 23

Watch the Video for the Steve Perry-enhanced folk ballad The Streets Of Kinsale

Brian Johnson and Angus Young onstage at the Columbiahalle in Berlin

What happened when AC/DC played an intimate show for 3000 lucky fans in Berlin

By Dave Ling published 19 April 23

In 2003, AC/DC were scheduled to perform for 450,000 fans in Toronto, but warmed up with an intimate show on the other side of the Atlantic - and our man was there to tell the story

Wishbone Ash: The making of the almighty Argus

By Dave Ling last updated 17 April 23

“If you’re the main guy that’s writing the stuff you’ve every right to say, ‘Shut up and listen to what I’m telling you'" - Martin Turner

An introduction to Flying Colors

By Dave Ling published 26 March 23

When modern prog supergroup Flying Colors released their debut album back in 2012 Prog sat down with each member to find out what makes them tick

Jesse Malin: "I like to get under those lights and sweat out the poison"

By Dave Ling published 23 March 23

Jesse Malin reveals what he has planned for his upcoming dates celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Fine Art Of Self Destruction

The Slade albums you should definitely own

By Dave Ling last updated 20 March 23

Behind Slade's glam-disaster outfits, the dunce spellings, Dave Hill’s haircut and a Christmas perennial there’s some classic pop-rock. Here are their best albums

The 38 best Rolling Stones songs, as chosen by 57 different musicians

By Dave Ling, Dave Everley, Polly Glass, Philip Wilding last updated 8 March 23

The very best Rolling Stones tracks, as chosen by those best qualified to judge: their fellow musicians

The story of the King's X song that could have been "the biggest hit in the world"

By Dave Ling published 7 March 23

Sung about a mystery girl who caught King's X guitarist Ty Tabor’s attention in a club, Goldilox is now a live classic, given new depths of meaning by the band's audience

Steve Harris holding mock-ups of the Iron Maiden stamps

Iron Maiden's Steve Harris: "Having us on stamps is quite a thing for me"

By Dave Ling published 7 March 23

In his first interview in two years, Iron Maiden mainman Steve Harris talks about being honoured by the Royal Mail, the passing of time and the future of the band

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Gary Rossington: lessons from a life lived to the full

By Dave Ling published 6 March 23

The late Gary Rossington was the last original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 2017, he told us what life had taught him

"I want more haters!" Voyager tackle the critics with Colours In The Sun

By Dave Ling published 1 March 23

In 2019, Voyager signed to Season Of Mist and released Colours In The Sun. The band discuss their poppiest yet heaviest seventh album

“I really didn’t expect the scale of the success”: The story behind Asia's self-titled debut album

By Dave Ling published 24 February 23

In 1982, Asia’s self-titled debut album became America’s best-selling album and took the supergroup on an unprecedented journey halfway across the globe.

The story of Dream Theater's Distance Over Time

By Dave Ling published 22 February 23

Following on from the overblown concept of The Astonishing, Distance Over Time was Dream Theater's first album for new albel, the prog specialist InsideOut Music

Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love front and rear sleeves

Denim and Leathür: How Mötley Crüe made the album that kick-started glam metal

By Dave Ling published 21 February 23

Out of money, and their music out of fashion, in 1981 Mötley Crüe recorded a debut album that set the glam-metal ball rolling

Thunder's Danny Bowes: "I'm getting a bit better every day, but it’s a very slow process"

By Dave Ling published 14 February 23

Thunder frontman Danny Bowes speaks to Classic Rock as he recuperates from the accident that took him perilously close to death

Faster Pussycat: "If I did an album we’d all be dead before it came out"

By Dave Ling published 8 February 23

Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe talks giving up the booze, the other ’Cat, not being industrial, and crazy 80s days

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Dave Ling

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