Kris Needs

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!

Articles by: Kris Needs

The Clash: Combat Rock + The People's Hall cover art

The expanded Combat Rock is a magnificent, vital snapshot of The Clash’s glorious last stand

By Kris Needs published 20 May 22

Apocalypse again! The Clash's classic line-up’s surreal last statement, now with added rarities on Combat Rock + The People's Hall

The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You packshot

The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You gets a lustrous respray for its 40th birthday

By Kris Needs published 22 October 21

The Rolling Stones' first release since Charlie Watts’ departure spectacularly reboots the 1981 out-takes classic Tattoo You

Ronnie Wood: A Tribute To Jimmy Reed: Live At The Royal Albert Hall cover art

Ronnie Wood pays spell-binding tribute to Jimmy Reed with the help of Mick Taylor

By Kris Needs published 18 September 21

Jimmy Reed is the subject of the second of three tributes to Ronnie Wood’s musical heroes

Osibisa - New Dawn review

By Kris Needs published 23 April 21

Not yet rated

Veteran Afro-rock pioneers greet their sparkling next phase.

Steve Cropper's Fire It Up is timeless, spine-tingling and funky

By Kris Needs published 23 April 21

Steve Cropper, legendary studio backbone of Stax Records, releases Fire It Up, his "first proper album" since 1967

Motorhead: Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin

Motorhead are a well-oiled machine on Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin

By Kris Needs published 23 April 21

Motorhead's Louder Than Noise... Live In Berlin is a multi-format audio-visual package, including a Motorhead passport

Can: a guide to their best albums

By Kris Needs published 8 April 21

Can’s classic albums sound only like themselves, yet the band’s influence lives on. These are their best albums

On Assembly, Joe Strummer's untameable rock’n’roll spirit rears vividly back to life

By Kris Needs published 26 March 21

Assembly is a post-Clash ‘greatest hits’ from Joe Strummer that heralds new Dark Horse label reissue deal

Siouxsie And The Banshees: the story of the band who band who saved punk from parody and invented goth

By Kris Needs published 2 March 21

Siouxsie And The Banshees made incredible music and gave rock a true icon. The editor of Zigzag magazine at the time of their rise tells the band's story

Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories is his most concise bolt of precision-tooled heavy rock in 50 years

By Kris Needs published 26 February 21

Fifty years since Love It To Death, Alice Cooper revisits his birth city and forges a late-life classic with Detroit Stories

Hollywood Undead's New Empire: Volume 2 is another chance to bedroom mosh

By Kris Needs published 4 December 20

The seventh album from ever-masked LA rap-rockers successfully brings the bombast

Derek & The Dominos: Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs 50th Anniversary Edition

Derek & The Dominos' Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs celebrates its 50th birthday - and what a party it is

By Kris Needs published 13 November 20

Eric Clapton’s defining one-off supernova, Derek & The Dominos' Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, gets a half-century vinyl upgrade

John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth gains a new sheen on the Ultimate Mixes

By Kris Needs published 9 October 20

John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth is part of rock’s fabric, and here it gets a brand new lustre

Pretenders: Hate For Sale - Chrissie Hynde’s fire is undimmed

By Kris Needs published 17 July 20

Still great Pretenders on 11th studio album Hate For Sale

Enuff Z'Nuff's Brainwashed Generation - a band flying high again

By Kris Needs published 10 July 20

Brainwashed Generation is the fifteenth album from hair-power-pop veterans Enuff Z'Nuff

The Vacant Lots' Interzone: the perfect stun-blast soundtrack for a shattered society

By Kris Needs published 26 June 20

Society-lacerating third album Interzone from Vermont electro-punks The Vacant Lots

Iggy Pop's Bowie Years: the resurgence of the punkfather

By Kris Needs published 29 May 20

Iggy Pop's 1977 twin towers, Bowie-branded and expanded with familiar extras

Sir Lord Baltimore's The Complete Recordings: 1970-2006

Sir Lord Baltimore's Complete Recordings: revelatory, and endlessly entertaining

By Kris Needs published 22 May 20

Gloriously untamed proto-metal unearthed on Sir Lord Baltimore's The Complete Recordings: 1970-2006

Phil Campbell's Old Lions Still Roar: Lemmy would be proud

By Kris Needs published 25 October 19

Life after Lemmy sees Phil Campbell's mane event realised with star-studded solo album Old Lions Still Roar

Nick Cave’s Ghosteen: turning life-altering grief into other-worldly beauty

By Kris Needs published 5 October 19

Nick Cave’s new album Ghosteen is an astonishing work which sees him transform his grief into a poetic masterpiece

Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul: Summer Of Sorcery album review

By Kris Needs published 2 May 19

Timely defiance from E Street Band legend Little Steven, with new album Summer Of Sorcery

Keith Richards: Talk Is Cheap (30th Anniversary) album review

By Kris Needs published 29 March 19

Rolling Stone Keith Richards' 1988 solo debut gets major expansion job – in real Fender wood!

Steve Miller Band - Complete Albums Volume 1 (1968-1976) review

By Kris Needs published 23 May 18

Not yet rated

Steve Miller’s tale told through first nine albums, now remastered. Available separately too

Wishbone Ash - The Vintage Years 1970 - 1991 box set review

By Kris Needs published 1 May 18

Wishbone Ash blaze, crash-dive and become yacht-rock captains on this monolithic, 30-CD box set

Cover art for Wild Thing: A Rocky Road by Pete Staples

Wild Thing: A Rocky Road by Pete Staples - review

By Kris Needs published 8 March 18

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