THE HARD STUFF the Ultimate ROCK REVIEWS

WELCOME

W elcome to the last issue of 2021.

This month’s contributors

POLLY GLASS This month our features ed enjoyed

Peter Makowski

July 12 1956 - November 4, 2021

RIP

Thank you… and good night

Graeme Edge

March 30, 1941 – November 11, 2021

Herbie Herbert

February 5, 1948 – October 25, 2021

John Goodsall

February 15, 1953 – November 11, 2021

Judy Totton

Died October 20, 2021

Emmett Chapman

September 28, 1936 – November 1, 2021

Malcolm Dome

April 21, 1955 – October 29, 2021

Foo Fighters join the Hall Of Fame

Paul McCartney attends Class Of 2021 induction

Porcupine Tree are back

Steven Wilson revives progrockers after 12 years

NEWS

Following Paul McCartney’s recent comments, Roger Daltrey is

Dawn After Dark

British rockers release their debut album – 30 years after they got together. Is that a record?

The Hawkins

From the jaws of personal despair come Sweden’s latest garage-rock heroes

FRACTION

Moon Blood, 1971, Angelus Records, USA. £2,000

NEWS

American bluesman Robert Cray has ended his friendship

Gov’t Mule

Twenty-seven years after Allman Brother Warren Haynes started his side project, it’s now his main band

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana

THE YEAR IN ROCK THE ULTIMATE REVIEW 2021

W here are we now? Here at Classic Rock we’ve been asking ourselves

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

2021 has given us more great music than we probably deserve from both big names and newcomers. Allow us to present the Classic Rock critics’ choice of the best 50

THERE IS LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE

Having just released his highest charting solo album and toured it, Queen's Roger Taylor is enjoying life away from his ‘day job’

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS

Finally, the duo have released Raise The Roof, the follow-up to their hugely successful Raising Sand album. And it was more than worth the wait

TOP REISSUES OF 2021

From notable anniversaries to desirable retrospectives and compilations, there was a ton of superb reissue activity this year. The following are definitely worth your time

20 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT KISS’S DESTROYER

In 2021 we celebrated the 45th anniversary of the release of Kiss's most ambitious and celebrated album, the songs from which are still staples of their set-lists. Think you know all there is to know? Think again

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR

Top of the list in our Blues Albums Of 2021 on burnout, her new covers album, working and relaxing with Joe Bonamassa, and being “a giant nerd”

LETS TALK ABOUT IT

It's good to talk. Certainly Status Quo's Francis Rossi thinks so, as in 2021 he continued his marathon spoken-word tour around the UK. Classic Rock's Mick Wall was alongside him every step of the way

BENJI WEBBE

The Skindred frontman on early gig memories, orchestral ambitions, and his recipe for having a perfect Christmas

THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST OF 2021

Need a soundtrack for the holiday season that will satisfy all moods and musical cravings? Then try this smorgasbord of bangers, ballads and more from the past 12 months

DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN

Mastodon’s monumental latest record is a double album inspired by, and dedicated to, their late, much-loved manager

IN MEMORIAM

Here’s to the rock’n’rollers, among them musicians, producers, writers and others who sadly left us in 2021. Thank you, and goodnight

ROUND-UP: SLEAZE

Wine Lips: a feisty punk-rock racket. Wine Lips

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Barn WARNERS Album number umpteen from the grizzled

ROUND-UP: MELODIC ROCK

Nestor Kids In A Ghost Town ELECTRIC LODGE

Bernie Marsden

FABIO GIANARDI/PRESS Chess CONQUEST MUSIC Veteran guitarist revisits

BEST OF THE REST

Other new releases out this month

Various Artists

Scrap Metal: Excavated Heavy Metal From The Era

The Pretty Things

GETTY Live At The BBC REPERTOIRE Six-CD compilation

Six-String Stories

Eric Clapton GENESIS PUBLICATIONS Tales of cherished guitars.

U.K. Subs

GETTY A Punk Rock Anthology 1978–2017 DEMON Punk

The Hellacopters

Grande Rock NUCLEAR BLAST Swederockers’ hard-to-find third finally

Bruce Dickinson

The Iron Maiden frontman on audience questions, language barriers and making fun of cancer

Rick Wakeman

Captain Grumpy discusses receiving a CBE, Steve Howe, and what he would give the prime minister for Christmas

The Dust Coda

The rising rock foursome hit the road and fly the NWOCR flag

Roger Taylor

London Shepherd’s Bush O2 Empire

Biffy Clyro

London Kentish Town 02 Forum

The Mysterines

London Highbury The Garage

Bauhaus

London Alexandra Palace

Suede

London Alexandra Palace

The Courettes

London The Lexington

The Dead Daisies/ Quireboys

London Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Johnny Marr

London Electric Ballroom Rick Astley & Blossoms London

The Waterboys

Bexhill De La Warr

The Soundtrack Of My Life

Songwriter, singer and band leader Huey Lewis on the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to him