Glam metal. Perhaps one of the most thoroughly ignored genres of music of the last forty years. The trouble is, when your music is a silo of strange, make-up-infested faux-cowboys with ludicrous hair, flaming codpieces and guitars featuring primary colours… Read More ›
One of the problems of not having a time-machine (and there are many) is the difficulty in predicting exactly which bits of accumulated old tat you should throw disdainfully in the nearest skip, and which you should wrap in linen… Read More ›
Twenty five years on from the peak of heavy rock’s commercial popularity in 1988, this series asks why heavy rockers no longer dominate the charts and seeks to highlight the crimes that Heavy Rock is accused of, and give you… Read More ›
Whatever Happened To My Rock n Roll Part 5 I’m putting heavy rock on trial! Have Your Say! Twenty five years on from the peak of heavy rock’s commercial popularity in 1988, this series asks why heavy rockers no longer… Read More ›
I’m putting heavy rock on trial! Have your say! Twenty five years on from the peak of heavy rock’s commercial popularity in 1988, this series asks why heavy rockers no longer dominate the charts and seeks to highlight the crimes… Read More ›
The Accusation: Heavy Rock lyrics are ridiculous and adolescent In my previous post I set out the case for the prosecution: This post sets out the defence: Do you think heavy rock’s lyrics are bad just because these guys were… Read More ›
I’m Putting Rock On Trial! Have Your Say! It is the 25th anniversary of Bon Jovi’s first UK number one album, “New Jersey” – a moment when heavy rock had confirmed its place in the mainstream, capping the momentum built… Read More ›
In Britain today there are nearly two million people who share a dark and (for many) shameful secret. Although these people used to be readily identifiable, out of shame they have been forced to go underground and it is no… Read More ›
If you have been reading some of the rubbish I have come up with over the last eighteen months you may have built up a Sherlockian picture of me, although instead of observing the type of sand on my shoe… Read More ›
It seems incredible that Def Leppard’s Hysteria album is twenty-five years old. I might have yoghurt in my fridge that is older than that. I bought it on the day of release. It was the first album (lead singer Joe… Read More ›
Grabbing a souvenir from a gig is one of life’s rare pleasures. Oh sure – you can go to the merchandise stall at the back of the hall and pick up a Black Sabbath tea towel or Iron Maiden cutlery… Read More ›
So where do you stand on Rock of Ages? A bunch of ‘80s rock tunes crow-barred into an unfeasible story, with way too much hairspray and make up? Hmmm. But then it worked with Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime… What could possibly… Read More ›
My first Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington (that’s Download for the youngsters) was headlined by Ozzy Osbourne in 1986. Although a Winged Chariot would have been a more appropriate vehicle to take us to this most holy of heavy metal… Read More ›
Every record tells a story 