This issue Foo Fighters take over Classic Rock as Guest Editors and choose the content, so we thought it only fair to also have a feature on them. So in our cover feature we look at how Dave Grohl has taken the band from effectively a solo project to one of the biggest bands in the world.
Other features include Rainbow, Siouxsie And The Banshees, King Crimson, Bob Mould, The Police, the Walker Brothers, Happy Chichester, Parquet Courts, plus David Bowie, the Cadillac Three, X-Ray Spex, Cardiacs, Charlie Starr and more… Not forgetting the biggest and loudest rock reviews section on the planet.
The new, Dave Grohl-edited issue of Classic Rock is on sale now.
Features
Foo Fighters
How, with his determination, dedication, energy and wide-ranging talent, one man has taken them from effectively a solo project to one of the biggest bands in the world.
Rainbow
How sackings, seances, spooks and being scared shitless all fed into the making of a truly great record: Long Live Rock ’N’ Roll.
Parquet Courts
They’re smart, they don’t like to repeat themselves and they describe history as “rose-coloured”. Meet the maverick heirs to the Velvet Underground throne.
King Crimson
Starless And Bible Black is one of the finest live albums of all time – and one that most people thought was a studio album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
They invented goth, saved punk from parody, made incredible music and gave rock a true icon. The editor of Zigzag magazine at the time of their rise tells their beginnings-to-glory story.
Bob Mould
The internet has gone off the rails. He has a problem with hypocrites. Being a musician is a luxury… These are among the things that shape his world view.
Walker Brothers
For a short period in the 60s, they were superstars: bigger than The Beatles, idolised and mobbed – but unbearable for their main singer.
Happy Chichester
To those in the know, he’s one of the most underrated songwriters of his generation – and he almost joined the Foos. We tracked down the cult hero from Columbus, Ohio.
The Police
How they battled a tight deadline, rid themselves of label interference and made the album that turned them into international superstars: Zenyatta Mondatta.
Regulars
The Dirt
In a slimmed-down Dirt this month to make way for our Guest Editors the Foo Fighters: Sammy Hagar hints that a Van Halen farewell tour – featuring all three of their lead singers – was on the cards; Angus thanks fans for Power-ing Up AC/DC’s new album; Greta Van Fleet’s second album on the way; Deep Purple have been back in the studio; former Temperance Movement frontman Phil Campbell introduces his new band… Welcome back The Empty Hearts and Lonely The Brave… Say hello to Kills Birds and Bad Nerves… Say goodbye to Tony Hooper, Hal Ketchum, Jim Tucker…
The Stories Behind The Songs: David Bowie
How with Changes a young Bowie’s artistic manifesto was captured in three and a half perfect minutes.
Q&A: Jaren Johnston
The Cadillac Three frontman on their new album, odd gifts from Billy Gibbons, religion, and writing 200 songs a year.
Six Things You Need To Know About… X-Ray Spex
“Mad glasses,” feminism, bondage trousers and a brilliant, troubled leader made these punk enigmas an alluring prospect.
Reviews
New albums from Clutch, Foxy Shazam, Hawkwind, Steve Perry, Drive-By Truckers, Big Big Train Voivod, The Dirty Nil, Accept, Erja Lyytinen… Reissues from Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Peter Gabriel, Edgar Broughton, Mötley Crüe, Paradise Lost, Martin Barre, Mike Tramp… DVDs, films and books on Joe Bonamassa, Pink Floyd, Killing Joke, Radiohead, Swans, Kenny Wayne Shepherd… Lockdown lives and livestreams from Alice In Chains and friends, Fish, Architects, Cats In Space, Volbeat…
Buyer’s Guide: Cardiacs
Easy to hate, with their at times unfathomable music, but for fans of the weird and wonderful there was nothing else like them.
Gig Listings
Find out who’s playing (and streaming) where and when.
The SoundtrackOf My Life: Charlie Starr
Blackberry Smoke’s frontman tells us about the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to him.
* Copies of the new issue of Classic Rock can be purchased online from Magazines Direct - make sure you select issue 284 from the dropdown menu.
* Classic Rock is on sale in the UK in shops such as supermarkets and newsagents, although delays are possible as stores prioritise the delivery of different lines of stock.
* In North America, Classic Rock is available is branches of Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, although new issues do not go on sale until a couple of weeks after they're published in The UK.
* An easy option is to go digital. You can subscribe digitally from just £2.19 an issue. Individual issues and subscriptions are also from the Apple Store, Zinio, Readly, Press Reader and Pocketmags.
* Save money by buying a physical subscription. UK and overseas subscriptions are available.
