Paul Elliott

Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”

Articles by: Paul Elliott

Journey in 1979

"Steve Perry could hit high notes that other singers could only dream of": Every Journey album ranked, from worst to best

By Paul Elliott published

From stadium-filling rock to the ultimate lighter-waving ballads, AOR titans Journey and their various frontmen have done it all

Stryper - When We Were Kings cover art

"Even the most fervent of believers can run out of divine inspiration": Stryper's songwriting falls short on When We Were Kings

By Paul Elliott published

Stryper are still fighting the good fight on 15th studio album When We Were Kings

Andy McCoy and Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks

"The greatest rock'n'roll band ever to come from Finland": The Hanoi Rocks albums you should definitely listen to

By Paul Elliott published

Hanoi Rocks' early records and electrifying live shows saw them tipped for superstardom, but fate dealt them a catastrophic blow

The cover art of Back In Black, with Joe Elliott superimposed

"There's a reason why it's sold more than all the other AC/DC albums combined": Why I love Back In Black, by Def Leppard's Joe Elliott

By Paul Elliott published

Def Leppard man Joe Elliott on Mutt Lange, Hells Bells and replacing Bon Scott

Bon Scott onstage and (inset) Gene Simmons throwing the horns

"No minor chords here, just major chords hitting you in the balls! I was just mesmerised!": What AC/DC mean to me, by Kiss's Gene Simmons

By Paul Elliott published

Gene Simmons pays tribute to the longevity of AC/DC, a band he first saw at the Whiskey a Go Go in West Hollywood in 1976

Scorpions posing for a photograph in leather outfits in 1984

“In the 80s, you ordered a gram of cocaine like you ordered a beer. Doing cocaine was normal in those days”: The high times and crazy life of the Scorpions

By Paul Elliott published

Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs look back on the career of Germany’s biggest rock band

Gene Simmons

"Oh my goodness! It's so rousing! Especially the end!": The soundtrack of Gene Simmons' life

By Paul Elliott published

Kiss bassist, Demon and fire-breather Gene Simmons picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and names the "most dishonest" album Kiss ever made

AC/DC's Angus Young brandishing a guitar and (inset) Joe Perry

"If they were to take X-rays, you'd see that his joints have taken a serious beating": What AC/DC mean to me, by Aerosmith's Joe Perry

By Paul Elliott published

Joe Perry pays tribute to the longevity of AC/DC, who first toured with Aerosmith in 1978

Styx - The Grand Illusion cover art

"From a period when the band's theatricality had yet to spill over into pretension": Styx successfully fight the pomp rock wars on The Grand Illusion

By Classic Rock Magazine published

The Grand Illusion was the first of four consecutive triple-platinum albums for Styx, establishing them as one of America’s biggest rock acts

WASP posing for a photography and pulling faces

“The first time I met Lemmy, he said: ‘How do you sit down with that sawblade codpiece?’ I said, ‘You don’t!’”: WASP frontman Blackie Lawless’s strange journey from shock rock to God

By Paul Elliott published

An epic interview with WASP singer Blackie Lawless about controversy, codpieces and Christianity

Lynyrd Skynyrd publicity photo circa 1976

One of the great American rock'n'roll bands: The Lynyrd Skynyrd albums you should definitely listen to

By Paul Elliott published

Lynyrd Skynyrd blended southern soul and hard rock to define southern rock better than anyone - and these are their best albums

Squackett’s Steve Hackett and Chris Squire posing for a photograph

“It’s the silliest name since Genesis did a track called Squonk. But The Beatles is a silly name, if you think about it”: The world according to Squackett, prog’s great forgotten supergroup

By Paul Elliott published

Late Yes bassist Chris Squire, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, some old Led Zeppelin and pints of vodka – this was one-off prog supergroup Squackett

A collection of ELO vinyl albums

Dreams really do come true: Every Electric Light Orchestra album ranked, from worst to best

By Paul Elliott published

Jeff Lynne's vision for ELO was more ambitious than most of his peers – but which of his grand ideas hit home the hardest?

Def Leppard in 1983

"This is one band that never thought about quitting, not even in the darkest times": The Def Leppard albums you should definitely listen to

By Paul Elliott published

Def Leppard took Sheffield to the world's stadiums and arenas, staring down tragedy and selling millions in the process. These are their best albums

Joe Elliott onstage

"We always play UK tours even if we're operating at a loss": Joe Elliott on the importance of Britain to Def Leppard

By Paul Elliott published

In 2008, Joe Elliott sat down with Classic Rock to discuss the band's roots, selling Britain to America, and that iconic Union Jack shirt

A shot of Def Leppard in the 90s

"A guy's just died and here we are making this euphoric, celebratory music. It seemed a bit weird": How Def Leppard overcame tragedy and made Adrenalize

By Paul Elliott published

Reeling from the death of guitarist Steve Clark, Def Leppard were determined to keep the party going. The result was Adrenalize – their last great blockbuster album

REO Speedwagon studio portrait circa 1978

Giants from the golden age of AOR: The REO Speedwagon albums you should definitely listen to

By Paul Elliott published

Illinois rockers REO Speedwagon sold millions of records, with hits that have gone down in power ballad history - and these are their best albums

REO Speedwagon: Nine Lives cover art

"Forever neutered after this, at least they went out with a bang": Gary Richrath shines as REO Speedwagon actually rock on Nine Lives

By Classic Rock Magazine published

In which the midwestern rockers rock a little harder than normal, but not everyone is convinced

New England studio portrait

"A perfect storm of obstacles and misfortunes": New England released one of the greatest AOR albums of all time, but their career was derailed by the Pope

By Paul Elliott published

With some top-drawer tunes, Paul Stanley producing and Kiss’s management behind them, New England seemed, and felt, poised for stardom. Cue bad luck and trouble

Mr Big - Ten cover art

"There's still plenty of gas left in the tank": Mr. Big might be worn around the edges, but their energetic tenth album is as tight as ever

By Paul Elliott published

Is Ten Mr. Big's swan song? Maybe. Maybe not

Van Halen: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (Expanded) packshot

"Too many tracks are more perspiration than inspiration": Van Halen's combative For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, expanded

By Paul Elliott published

Van Halen's big-hitting album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge now comes with a rowdy live set

Dokken posing for a photo in the mid-80s

“He got me in a headlock and started punching me. We just went at it”: the explosive story of Dokken, the hard rock band that tore itself apart

By Paul Elliott published

Francis Rossi at home

"I can't be a good father, because I had eight kids and my career came first": A no-holds-barred interview with Status Quo's Francis Rossi

By Paul Elliott published

Francis Rossi has fronted Status Quo for nearly 60 years: A British institution, they're loved and loathed in equal measure

Franki Miller headshot

The Frankie Miller albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published

Before Frankie Miller's career was ended tragically by injury, his records showed just how good a songwriter and great a singer he really was

David Lee Roth on the ramp at Donington 1988, arm aloft

“The best frontman I ever saw. Nobody else came close”: The day David Lee Roth turned in the performance of a lifetime

By Paul Elliott published

With a heavyweight line-up including Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe and more, Monsters Of Rock 1984 is still revered in festival folklore