Kris Needs

Kris Needs

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!

Articles by: Kris Needs

"It was all pretty wacky..." Jeff Lynne On The Move, The Idle Race and ELO

By Kris Needs last updated

Jeff Lynne reveals all about his early days in music: honing his craft with The Idle Race, joining Roy Wood in supergroup The Move, and experimenting with a certain classical rock project...

60s duo Nirvana black and white portrait

Rainbow Chasers: how 60s duo Nirvana caught Salvador Dalí's attention

By Kris Needs published

Here's the story of London-based baroque pop duo Nirvana who became unwitting prog trailblazers when, in 1967, they released one of the first concept albums, The Story Of Simon Simopath

syd barrett

The real Syd Barrett – by the people who knew him

By Kris Needs last updated

Ten years on from his death, the magic and mystery of Syd Barrett as the architect of Pink Floyd endures – and a larger canvas emerges of a confident, multi-talented originator...

Blondie: Against All Odds 1974-1982 packshot

Blondie's Against All Odds box celebrates one of the last century's finest bodies of work

By Kris Needs published

NY punk's most dazzling supernova Blondie gets overdue consummate box set, Against All Odds 1974-1982

Kate Bush headshot

Kate Bush: the long road to Hounds Of Love and the hunt for perfection

By Kris Needs published

Kate Bush’s early years established her as the first lady of Brit rock, but after just one tour she retired from the stage. She wouldn't return for 35 years

Arthur Brown

Arthur Brown - Long Long Road: "one of music's true greats"

By Kris Needs published

Not yet rated

80th birthday celebration from the progressive 60s’ last great voice

Parliament-Funkadelic pose for a portait on the Mothership circa 1977

Get off your ass and jam! The ferociously funky story of Parliament-Funkadelic

By Kris Needs last updated

They might not get the credit, but they’re as pivotal to rock as Pink Floyd or The Beatles. This is the story of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic and their out-of-this-world Mothership

Kate Bush sits on a hotel room bed in Tokyo in 1978

10 unheralded masterpieces from the early career of Kate Bush

By Kris Needs published

Vivid proof that there's so much more to Kate Bush's first three albums than Wuthering Heights

The Clash: Combat Rock + The People's Hall cover art

The expanded Combat Rock is a magnificent, vital snapshot of The Clash’s glorious last stand

By Kris Needs published

Apocalypse again! The Clash's classic line-up’s surreal last statement, now with added rarities on Combat Rock + The People's Hall

The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You packshot

The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You gets a lustrous respray for its 40th birthday

By Kris Needs published

The Rolling Stones' first release since Charlie Watts’ departure spectacularly reboots the 1981 out-takes classic Tattoo You

Ronnie Wood: A Tribute To Jimmy Reed: Live At The Royal Albert Hall cover art

Ronnie Wood pays spell-binding tribute to Jimmy Reed with the help of Mick Taylor

By Kris Needs published

Jimmy Reed is the subject of the second of three tributes to Ronnie Wood’s musical heroes

Osbisa

Osibisa - New Dawn review

By Kris Needs published

Not yet rated

Veteran Afro-rock pioneers greet their sparkling next phase.

Steve Cropper: Fire It Up

Steve Cropper's Fire It Up is timeless, spine-tingling and funky

By Kris Needs published

Steve Cropper, legendary studio backbone of Stax Records, releases Fire It Up, his "first proper album" since 1967

Motorhead: Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin

Motorhead are a well-oiled machine on Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin

By Kris Needs published

Motorhead's Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin is a multi-format audio-visual package, including a Motorhead passport

Joe Strummer: Assembly

On Assembly, Joe Strummer's untameable rock’n’roll spirit rears vividly back to life

By Kris Needs published

Assembly is a post-Clash ‘greatest hits’ from Joe Strummer that heralds new Dark Horse label reissue deal

Siouxsie Sioux

Siouxsie And The Banshees: the story of the band who band who saved punk from parody and invented goth

By Kris Needs published

Siouxsie And The Banshees made incredible music and gave rock a true icon. The editor of Zigzag magazine at the time of their rise tells the band's story

Alice Cooper - Detroit Stories

Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories is his most concise bolt of precision-tooled heavy rock in 50 years

By Kris Needs published

Fifty years since Love It To Death, Alice Cooper revisits his birth city and forges a late-life classic with Detroit Stories

Hollywood Undead: New Empire: Volume 2

Hollywood Undead's New Empire: Volume 2 is another chance to bedroom mosh

By Kris Needs published

The seventh album from ever-masked LA rap-rockers successfully brings the bombast

Derek & The Dominos: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs 50th Anniversary Edition

Derek & The Dominos' Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs celebrates its 50th birthday - and what a party it is

By Kris Needs published

Eric Clapton’s defining one-off supernova, Derek & The Dominos' Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, gets a half-century vinyl upgrade

Why Fleetwood Mac's Tusk is better than Rumours

By Kris Needs last updated

Often dismissed as a self-indulgent, coke-fuelled folly, Fleetwood Mac's Tusk is actually perhaps the band at their very best

John Lennon

John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth gains a new sheen on the Ultimate Mixes

By Kris Needs published

John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth is part of rock’s fabric, and here it gets a brand new lustre

Lemmy in Finland, 1979

A story of Motorhead, a caravan in Finland, a fire and a food fight

By Kris Needs last updated

In June 1979 Motorhead headed north to play at the annual Midnight Sun festival in Finland, and chaos followed them there

Pretenders - Hate For Sale

Pretenders: Hate For Sale - Chrissie Hynde’s fire is undimmed

By Kris Needs published

Still great Pretenders on 11th studio album Hate For Sale

Enuff Z'Nuff - Brainwashed Generation

Enuff Z'Nuff's Brainwashed Generation - a band flying high again

By Kris Needs published

Brainwashed Generation is the fifteenth album from hair-power-pop veterans Enuff Z'Nuff

The Vacant Lot - Fuzz Club

The Vacant Lots' Interzone: the perfect stun-blast soundtrack for a shattered society

By Kris Needs published

Society-lacerating third album Interzone from Vermont electro-punks The Vacant Lots