
Ian Fortnam
Classic Rock’s Reviews Editor for the last 20 years, Ian stapled his first fanzine in 1977. Since misspending his youth by way of ‘research’ his work has also appeared in such publications as Metal Hammer, Prog, NME, Uncut, Kerrang!, VOX, The Face, The Guardian, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Electronic Sound, Record Collector and across the internet. Permanently buried under mountains of recorded media, ears ringing from a lifetime of gigs, he enjoys nothing more than recreationally throttling a guitar and following a baptism of punk fire has played in bands for 45 years, releasing recordings via Esoteric Antenna and Cleopatra Records.
Latest articles by Ian Fortnam

Quatro, Scott & Powell - QSP album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Glam-rock supergroup show class and deliver the goods

David Crosby on protests and politics, life and death
By Ian Fortnam published
Former Bryd David Crosby reveals what it's like to be popular with The Pope, and ponders the trouble with Trump

Transformer - Lou Reed and Mick Rock review
By Ian Fortnam published
A connoisseur’s catalogue of cool

Jane Weaver -The Architect album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedHello Jane, gotta Neu motorik?

Sai Cobab - Sab Se Purani Bab album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedJapanese ragas shrieked toward the avant-garde

Hawklords - Six album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedHawkwind satellite matches mothership

Focus - The Focus Family Album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedLooking for a concept work? Look elsewhere

The Professionals - What In The World album review
By Ian Fortnam published
No Steve Jones, but never mind, this is the bollocks

Homelessness, hellraising and Hanoi Rocks: Michael Monroe's rollercoaster career
By Ian Fortnam published
Hanoi Rocks' Michael Monroe joins us to look back on a career which has taken him from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows

Orange Goblin’s Ben Ward: "I fell into the crowd and pierced a hole in my arse"
By Ian Fortnam published
Orange Goblin’s Ben Ward on being a pro footballer, a boozy past and being “a horrible bastard” at times

Jon Lord - Windows album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedJon Lord’s least loveable work of baroque’n’roll fusion

Rolling Stones: On Air In The Sixties by Richard Havers
By Ian Fortnam published
Broadcasting the blues: the official TV tie-in

Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down by Allan Jones review
By Ian Fortnam published
Former Melody Maker editor’s collected war stories. You’ve got to laugh – really

Elvis Presley - A Boy From Tupelo album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Dead Sea Scrolls expanded

Sparks on their upcoming dates: "There'll be no props - just pure showmanship"
By Ian Fortnam published
The art-pop veterans, with “a really exciting band”, tour the UK in September

Black Sabbath - The Ten Year War album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Metal pioneers’ first eight albums remastered, wonderfully repackaged and still remarkable

Koyo - Koyo album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedMy Bloody Valentine-flavoured dreamscapes invariably headed for a headrush

What happened when The Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd played Knebworth
By Ian Fortnam published
In 1976, the Stones pulled a vast crowd to Knebworth. It was a day of surprises, not least how late everything ran. In 2007, Classic Rock delivered this eye witness account

What happened when Status Quo played Lincoln Castle
By Ian Fortnam published
Lincoln Castle attracts a posh crowd eating strawberries. But Status Quo still manage to maintain "a remorselessly heavy swagger", as they told Classic Rock in 2003

Eno - Reissues album review
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedKnob-twiddler’s post-Roxy Music experimental albums brought the future into the present

John Foxx, Harold Budd, Ruben Garcia - album reissues reviews
By Ian Fortnam published
Not yet ratedLandmark ambient works from John Foxx, Harold Budd and Ruben Garcia re-pressed, including Nighthawks/Translucence/Drift Music

The gospel according to John Lydon
By Ian Fortnam published
Never trust the music industry or nuns. Question everything. Religion is pollution. You don’t have to hate your bandmates. These and more help shape the former Sex Pistol’s world view

The Who: I Was There by Richard Houghton review
By Ian Fortnam published
Fans and insiders tell it like it was
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