Classic Rock 212 is out now. Bon Scott is on the cover, and inside we celebrate the life on one of rock’s true great frontman. Elsewhere, there’s Frank Zappa, Status Quo, Ash, Primus, Motley Crue, B.B.King, James Taylor, Britrock… and a free, 15-track CD. Here’s what the issue taught us.
**Frank Zappa had one leg shorter than the other. **When an irate fan pushed the late Zapster off the stage at London’s Rainbow Theatre in December 1971, all manner of injuries ensued. Lying on the concrete floor of the orchestra pit, Frank’s neck was bent like it was broken. He had a hole in the back of his head, a broken rib and a fractured shin. As a result of the accident, Frank ended up with one leg shorter than the other. Still, the mishap did inspire his ‘79 track, Dancin’ Fool…
**The Old Grey Whistle Test was flatulent and pompous. **At least that’s what Graham Parker of Rumour notoriety reckons. Time to look at Bob Harris’ signature ‘whispering’ in a completely different light…
**Status Quo’s Francis Rossi doesn’t like celebrating anniversaries. **He says: “Somebody farted once in 1965 and there was an anniversary for it.” (Bob? Was that you?)
**Davy O’List’s father had a gun that fired sausages. **O’List, former guitarist with The Nice, tells us his dad earned a living as a comedian in London theatres in the 1940s and 50s. As part of his act he would regale the audience with a gun that fired sausages. Later, The Nice’s Keith Emerson would plunge knives into his keyboards as part his stage act. But was he also secretly cutting up O’List’s leftover bangers for some much-needed mid-performance sustenance? We’ll likely never know.
**Slash has a Google alert for dinosaurs. **Just in case he misses Axl’s call.
**The recently passed BB King might’ve known the end was nigh. **BB’s favourite bluesman was Blind Lemon Jefferson, who sang a song called See That My Grave Is Kept Clean. On his last studio album – 2008’s One Kind Favor – King made that song the opening track.
**To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Van Halen were offered “an unfathomable amount of money” to play Download. **“I’m still left wondering why the fuck they won’t just come over and do it,” muses festival organiser Andy Copping. You and us both, mate.
**Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost has hair like an old Action Man and a beard that grows sideways. **We have nothing further to add at this juncture.
**The Sex Pistols were a pub rock group. **“Just like us, only a bit younger,” alleges Dai Davies of Ducks Deluxe. Doubtless John Lydon will claim that Dai doesn’t know his Bodies from his Boddingtons…
**Out of a grand total of 57 tracks, the greatest song Bon Scott ever recorded with AC/DC is… **sorry, this one we ain’t tellin’. (And if that doesn’t persuade you to check out the new issue of Classic Rock in full, nothing will.)
If your newsagent isn’t selling issue 212 of Classic Rock, you can order it online.
Alternatively, you can download the Classic Rock magazine app from iTunes.
Classic Rock 212: The new issue!
