Do ya wanna get rocked? Well, we figure the chances are pretty good. And what better band to celebrate than the one who brought that particular phrase to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Yep, this month we’re all about the mighty Def Leppard, a band who have enjoyed more triumph and weathered more adversity than most over their now four decades of existence. We talk to Joe, Sav, Rick, Phil and Viv about their incredible ‘You honestly couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried’ history.
Elsewhere, we check in with the rejuvenated Stone Temple Pilots and their new singer; spend some time getting to know the men of The Temperance Movement; take a look at the huge talent but tragically short life of Sandy Denny (who died 40 years ago this month); try to get inside the mind of Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel as they relaunch A Perfect Circle; drag the protagonists of the forthcoming Britrock Must Die! tour to the scene of past crimes; and so much more.
Cover Feature
Def Leppard
The first forty years of Sheffield’s finest. By Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell.
Features
The Temperance Movement
You’ve heard their songs, seen them live and their new album has hit the Top 10. But just who are the men of The Temperance Movement?
Stone Temple Pilots
After the tragic deaths of two singers, how did they pick up the pieces and return with an excellent new album?
The White Buffalo
Jake Smith is touching people with his songs woven from resonant lyrics and a blend of rural folk, punk, rock and more.
Judas Priest
“We are the most relevant metal band in the world today,” says frontman Rob Halford.
Thee Hypnotics
In the late 80s, with “one foot in Blue Cheer and one foot in the punk side of Led Zep”, Thee Hypnotics were a band out of time. Now they’re back to save us again.
Sandy Denny
She had one of the most captivating voices of her era, but due to insecurity and tragedy she never fulfilled her potential.
A Perfect Circle
The confrontational supergroup fronted by Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan returns.
Britrock Must Be Destroyed!
Ginger Wildheart, Terrorvision’s Tony Wright and Reef’s Gary Stringer share tales of excess and mayhem ahead of their bands’ joint UK tour.
Brian Fallon
The Gaslight Anthem frontman and rising solo artist is “very optimistic about the ability of music to comfort people”.
What's on your FREE CD?
Accelerize
Fourteen slabs of the month’s best new music, including Rick Parfitt, Foreigner, Walking Papers, Blackberry Smoke, Dizzy Reed and more…
Regular Features
The Dirt
Skynyrd, Elton, Slayer and more to retire from the road… Say hello to Kris Barras and Demob Happy, welcome back Adrian Vandenberg, Kino and Fanny Walked The Earth, say goodbye to Russ Solomon, Pete Boot, John Perry Barlow…
The Stories Behind The Songs - Kansas
The making of the monster hit Dust In The Wind.
Q&A - Charlie Starr
The Blackberry Smoke singer/guitarist on brawls, Beefheart, Skynyrd and how “everything that I enjoy is bad for you”.
CR’s Social Club
Write! Rage! And more! Just a few of the many things you can find when you head over to classicrockmagazine.com
Reviews
New albums from Rick Parfitt, Manic Street Preachers, Stone Temple Pilots, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Monster Magnet, FM, The Damned… Reissues from Led Zeppelin, Anthrax, Wishbone Ash, Thee Hypnotics, Marillion, Moody Blues, Paradise Lost… DVDs, films and books on Thunder, Steve Lukather, Scott Ian, The Slits, LA Thrash… Live reviews of Saxon, Diamond Head, Brian Fallon, King Gizzard & His Lizard Wizard, Starcrawler, Rock Goddess…
Live Previews
Must-see gigs from Nickelback, Dead Daisies, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Jon Hiseman-Clem Clempson-Mark Clarke and Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. Plus full gig listings – find out who’s playing where and when.
Heavy Load - Derek Smalls
The Spinal Tap bass player answers life’s big questions as he finally releases his debut solo album. And no, Jazz Odyssey didn’t make the cut…
The new Classic Rock is on sale now at all good newsagents, or directly from us.
