Naked jamming, mountains of coke, knife-wielding fans… This can only be the story of the four Brummie boys known as Black Sabbath – as told in their own words.
Also in this issue…
Features
**Kid Rock **He’s been a motor-mouthed rapper, nu-metal icon, unlikely Nashville country star and now a blue-collar heartland rocker. Will the real Kid Rock please stand up.
Blackberry Smoke Beloved by ZZ Top, befriended by Skynyrd, and Gregg Allman reckons they’re “gonna put southern rock back on the map”. We joined the band on the road as they met their adoring British public.
Skip Spence The Moby Grape co-founder wrote his cult solo album Oar in an NYC psychiatric ward after threatening his bandmates with an axe. We tell his tragic tale.
Hipgnosis As one half of the visionary British design teams, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell changed the face of the album sleeve. Here he digs deep into his archive to reveal previously unseen photos – and the stories that go with them.
The Cadillac Three The shit-kicking southern rockers celebrate their recent Classic Rock Awards victory by drinking the magazine under the table. Cheers!
Jethro Tull In 1977, punk had killed off prog’s old guard, right? Wrong. Ian Anderson and his merrie men were about to record a ‘folk trilogy’ that would give them their greatest success in years.
Scorpions Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine and Matthias Jabs revisit 50 years of non-PC LP sleeves, Siberian beauty queens and the never-ending party that was the 80s.
What’s on your free CD
Thunder: Live At Brooklyn Bowl, London Recorded exclusively for Classic Rock on November 6, 2014. Luke Morley, Thunder’s guitarist/songwriter-in-chief, talks us through this career-spanning CD of live delights, including Backstreet Symphony, Wonder Days, Low Life In High Places, Be Good To Yourself, Up Around The Bend and more…
Regulars
The Dirt Is there a conspiracy to keep Deep Purple out of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame? Fleetwood Mac ready to hit the studio, AC/DC: Malcolm Young’s heart and lung surgery, and Phil Rudd says: “I want my job back and I want my reputation back”… say hello to Pond and Sons Of Bill, welcome back Butch Walker, Revolution Saints and Venom; goodnight Joe Cocker, Jeff Golub, Robert ‘Rock’ Scully…
Raw Power Flashing the V sign: check out the new Michael Schenker signature model from US guitar makers Dean.
**The Stories Behind The Songs - XTC **Politically-charged song Making Plans For Nigel firmly established the Swindon band as the intelligent arm of the post-punk movement.
Q&A - Steve Earle The singer-songwriter reveals all about getting divorced, getting older and finally getting the blues.
Reviews New albums from Blackberry Smoke, Marilyn Manson, Venom, Black Star Riders, Pond, Gov’t Mule, The Vibrators, Thunder, Enter Shakiri… Reissues from Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Manic Street Preachers, Pixies, Rainbow, The Byrds, Todd Rundgren… DVDs, films and books on Rush, Metallica, Stiff Records, Motörhead, Whitesnake, Anthrax… Live reviews of Queen + Adam Lambert, Manic Street Preachers, Rival Sons, Aaron Keylock, Status Quo, Whitesnake…
Letters Got something to say? Let us hear it – shout it out loud!
Lives previews Gig previews from Royal Blood, Zakk Wylde, Nazareth, Colosseum and Jefferson Starship, plus full listings – who’s playing where and when.
Buyer’s Guide - John Lennon The Beatle’s solo albums are full of timeless pop, but be prepared for avant-jazz, birdsong and primal screaming too.
Heavy Load - Phil Mogg The UFO frontman talks politics, religion and self-fellatio.
**If your newsagent isn’t selling issue 207 of Classic Rock, you can order it online from MyFavouriteMagazines. **
**Alternatively, you can download the Classic Rock magazine app from iTunes. **
