Hugh Fielder

Hugh Fielder

Hugh Fielder has been writing about music for 47 years. Actually 58 if you include the essay he wrote about the Rolling Stones in exchange for taking time off school to see them at the Ipswich Gaumont in 1964. He was news editor of Sounds magazine from 1975 to 1992 and editor of Tower Records Top magazine from 1992 to 2001. Since then he has been freelance. He has interviewed the great, the good and the not so good and written books about some of them. His favourite possession is a piece of columnar basalt he brought back from Iceland.

Articles by: Hugh Fielder

Yes: Mirror To The Sky cover art

Yes: a strong start and a lacklustre finish on 23rd studio album Mirror To The Sky

By Hugh Fielder published

Mirror To The Sky is a new set of Yes songs to expand a discography that may go on forever

Jethro Tull: RökFlöte cover art

RökFlöte finds Jethro Tull tackling Norse Gods and somehow reborn as a viable contemporary outfit

By Hugh Fielder published

Jethro Tull forsake the Bible of last year's The Zealot Gene in favour of the paganism of Norse mythology on RökFlöte

Rick Wakeman: A Gallery Of The Imagination cover art

Rick Wakeman: A Gallery Of The Imagination album review

By Hugh Fielder published

Rick Wakeman's latest concept album presents the songs as if they were pictures in a gallery

Transatlantic: The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia cover art

Transatlantic's unwavering consistency will delight fans: others may find it wearisome

By Hugh Fielder published

Mike Portnoy & Co's live version of Absolute Universe is another album to add to your Absolute Universe collection

Eric Clapton: The Complete Reprise Studio Albums Vol. 2

Eric Clapton's Reprise albums wrapped up with box set number two

By Hugh Fielder published

Eric Clapton's five twenty-first century albums, gathered together in one nifty package, with a bonus disc of rarities

Jeff Beck in 1972

Jeff Beck: My Life In 11 Songs

By Hugh Fielder published

In 2008, Jeff Beck looked back on his stellar career, and talked about his solo work and his music with The Yardbirds, Robert Plant, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and more

Eric Clapton: The Complete Reprise Studio Albums Vol.1 packshot

What happened when Eric Clapton got sober: the box set

By Hugh Fielder published

The Complete Reprise Studio Albums Vol 1 features remastered versions of Eric Clapton’s first six solo studio albums with Reprise, plus an additional LP of rarities

Hugh Cornwell: Moments Of Madness cover art

Hugh Cornwell: Moments Of Madness album review

By Hugh Fielder published

Stranglers founder Hugh Cornwell plays all the instruments himself on 10th solo album Moments Of Madness

Corky Laing: Finnish Sessions

Corky Laing: still hard rockin' after 50 years

By Hugh Fielder published

The sleighride rolls on as Corky Laing calls upon Michael Monroe, Ian Hunter and more for Finnish Sessions album

Frank Zappa: Zappa '75: Zagreb / Ljubljana cover art

A cultural artefact from Yugoslavia's communist past for the Zappa-ophiles

By Hugh Fielder published

Cunningly constructed from shows in Yugoslavia, Zappa '75: Zagreb / Ljubljana features less than pristine sound and two drum solos

Donovan holding an acoustic guitar

Donovan: my stories of The Beatles, Marc Bolan, Jimi Hendrix and more

By Hugh Fielder published

Brian Jones got him his first big break, he meditates with David Lynch, and he mislaid Jeff Beck's guitar. He's the first star of British folk music, Donovan

Nikki Lane: Denim & Diamonds cover art

Nikki Lane chronicles youthful follies on defiant Denim And Diamonds album

By Hugh Fielder published

Country music's Nikki Lane is alive, kicking and rockier than before on Josh Homme-produced fourth album Denim And Diamonds

Pink Floyd - Animals 2010 remix pack shot

Pink Floyd's remix of Animals is hollowed out, brittle and harrowing

By Hugh Fielder last updated

Proof that pigs can fly again, as the 2018 remix of Pink Floyd's Animals finally emerges from beneath the bickering

Jimmy Hall: Ready Now cover art

Jimmy Hall's voice and harp playing are still in fine shape on Ready Now

By Hugh Fielder published

Wet Willie singer and harmonica man Jimmy Hall returns under the patronage of blues superstar Joe Bonamassa

Muswell Hillbillies/Everybody’s In Show-Biz packshot

The Kinks: two albums of urban isolation, cultural paranoia and occasional whinging

By Hugh Fielder published

A 50th anniversary combined deluxe re-issue of two classic Kinks albums, Muswell Hillbillies and Everybody’s In Show-Biz

Pink Floyd seated on a park bench, covering their eyes

A tour to the Dark Side: how Pink Floyd built their biggest album on the road

By Hugh Fielder last updated

In early 1972 Pink Floyd were lacking direction. A year later they emerged from Abbey Road with an album that would overshadow everything they had done before

Goo Goo Dolls - Chaos In Bloom cover art

Goo Goo Dolls have not run out of stuff to sing about yet

By Hugh Fielder published

Iris hitmakers Goo Goo Dolls are still dizzying up the girl on Chaos In Bloom

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon cover art

The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd: the ultimate track-by-track guide

By Hugh Fielder last updated

A look at the musical intricacies of Pink Floyd's masterpiece The Dark Side Of The Moon

Shinedown: Planet Zero cover art

Shinedown paint a bleak, chilling picture of the future on Planet Zero

By Hugh Fielder published

A concept album about social media, cancel culture, and growing toxic intolerance? Step right this way!

Lit: Tastes Like Gold cover art

Lit have returned to the party

By Hugh Fielder published

California countrification on hold for Orange County punks on seventh album Tastes Like Gold

Jimi Hendrix on the Lulu show

What happened when Jimi Hendrix created pandemonium and got banned by The BBC

By Hugh Fielder published

The producers of BBC1's Happening For Lulu wanted Jimi Hendrix to play Hey Joe. Instead, viewers were treated to a tribute to Cream and controlled chaos

James LaBrie: Beautiful Shade Of Grey cover art

James LaBrie: Beautiful Shade Of Grey album review

By Hugh Fielder published

James LaBrie delves into the complexities of human relationships on fifth solo album Beautiful Shade Of Grey

Pure Reason Revolution: Above Cirrus cover art

Pure Reason Revolution: Above Cirrus album review

By Hugh Fielder published

No longer obscured by clouds, Pure Reason Revolution pull their music into sharp focus on Above Cirrus

Bill Bruford: Making A Song & Dance cover art

Bill Bruford's stellar career celebrated on dizzying Making A Song & Dance box

By Hugh Fielder published

A 40 year journey through prog, jazz and improv starring former Yes, King Crimson and Genesis drummer Bill Bruford

Derek and the Dominos circa 1970

How love, chaos, ego and drug abuse fuelled an Eric Clapton classic

By Hugh Fielder published

Was Duane Allman the catalyst for Derek and the Dominos' Layla, or did his “out of tune” playing spoil it? And was the piano outro nicked from another song?

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