
Henry Yates
Henry Yates has been a freelance journalist since 2002 and written about music for titles including The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Classic Rock, Guitarist, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer. He is the author of Walter Trout's official biography, Rescued From Reality, a music pundit on Times Radio and BBC TV, and an interviewer who has spoken to Brian May, Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie Wood, Dave Grohl, Marilyn Manson, Kiefer Sutherland and many more.
Latest articles by Henry Yates

The 10 best BB King songs, by Joe Bonamassa
By Henry Yates published
Joe Bonamassa, one of blues music's current stars, chooses the 10 best by BB King, the late king of the blues

How Jimi Hendrix set rock'n'roll ablaze and rewired the electric guitar forever
By Henry Yates published
Jimi Hendrix’s 1966 touchdown in London started a four-year revolution that tore up the rules of electric guitar playing and terrified the old guard. Over half-a-century after his sonic boom, those ripples can still be felt

Dizzy Reed: 10 records that changed my life
By Henry Yates last updated
Guns N' Roses' keyboard player Dizzy Reed reflects on 10 records that charted his path through rock'n'roll

Six things you need to know about Dirty Honey
By Henry Yates published
In a world over-sweetened with pop syrup, Dirty Honey tell stories from the darker side of Los Angeles

Joe Bonamassa has just released the best damn blues concert you’ll experience all year
By Henry Yates last updated
The release of Joe Bonamassa’s Now Serving: Royal Tea Live From The Ryman is your chance to own the livestreamed concert that saved us from the Covid blues

Black Sabbath’s Master Of Reality: the inside story of 70s metal’s stoned masterpiece
By Henry Yates published
How Black Sabbath pushed metal to ever heavier levels on their immortal third album, Master Of Reality

Counting Crows' Adam Duritz: My Life In 10 Songs
By Henry Yates published
Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz picks out ten of his favourite tracks from a lifetime of crate-digging

Todd Rundgren: hall of famer, singer, producer, songwriter... and guitar hero?
By Henry Yates published
From using a guitar to simulate motorbikes on Bat Out Of Hell, and the sound of strangled chickens on A Wizard, A True Star, we revisit the case for Todd Rundgren’s guitar genius

Ten years of The Treatment: a tale of liquor, vampires, serial killers and Alice Cooper pranks
By Henry Yates published
Shedding band members but swaggering on, The Treatment are betting on their fortunes taking an upturn with fifth album Waiting For Good Luck

Introducing Levara: where rock-star genes and synth-rock jams collide
By Henry Yates published
Levara have come for our stadiums

50 things you need to know about The Beatles' White Album
By Henry Yates published
The Beatles' White Album release marked the coming death of the 60s, but it was also The Beatles’ most psychedelic and surreal record

How Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding inspired an AC/DC tradition
By Henry Yates published
For Those About To Rock brought cannons into the AC/DC arsenal and is responsible for the burn marks on Brian Johnson's shoulders

How well do you know Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds?
By Henry Yates published
As Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience makes a triumphant return on May 22nd, take on prog’s toughest quiz – and win prizes including signed records, limited-edition merch and savings on London’s favourite immersive night out

Mick Fleetwood interview: 50 years of Fleetwood Mac
By Henry Yates published
Mick Fleetwood arrived in Swinging Sixties London as a dyslexic school leaver and aspirant drummer – and discovered a world of blues, booze, women and global success

How Brazilian alt.rockers Ego Kill Talent defied a nightmare 2020 with big riffs and tequila
By Henry Yates published
Think your plans were disrupted? Ego Kill Talent should have spent last year on the road with Metallica, System Of A Down, Foo Fighters and Faith No More

Is rock‘n’roll ruining your hearing?
By Henry Yates last updated
With Brian Johnson forced to take a step back from AC/DC or face total hearing loss, we ask the experts about the risks for rock fans. Listen up – while you still can…

Why I ❤️ Happy Chichester, by Dave Grohl
By Henry Yates published
To those in the know, Happy Chichester is one of the most underrated songwriters of his generation, and he almost joined the Foo Fighters. We tracked down the cult hero from Columbus, Ohio

It's time to drop the 'rich man's plaything' snark - The Dead Daisies just wanna rock
By Henry Yates published
Now bolstered by the songs and shriek of new frontman Glenn Hughes, The Dead Daisies are a supergroup to take seriously

Steven Adler: How Guns N' Roses made Appetite For Destruction
By Henry Yates last updated
In 1987, the ‘real’ GN’R bottled the mayhem of the Sunset Strip on their classic debut album Appetite For Destruction. Ousted drummer Steven Adler tells all

The Pretty Reckless find brilliant new life on Death By Rock And Roll
By Henry Yates published
The Pretty Reckless's Death By Rock And Roll is proof that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Alice Cooper – 10 Songs That Changed My Life
By Henry Yates last updated
Alice Cooper picks the ten songs that provided the soundtrack to his life

Green Day's Basket Case: the story behind the song
By Henry Yates published
How Billie Joe Armstrong wrote Green Day's game-changing three-minute classic Basket Case in a basement surrounded by pizza boxes

The Moody Blues: stories of nights in technicolour satin and LSD
By Henry Yates last updated
By tapping into the worries and hopes of ordinary people, The Moody Blues became a phenomenon. But a vital part of the band’s inspiration came from tapping into some mind-expanding chemicals
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