
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!
Latest articles by Kris Needs

The Hollywood Brats - Sick On You: A Brats Miscellany album review
By Kris Needs published
London’s first punk band finally get a deluxe reissue

Dollhouse - Live In Sweden album review
By Kris Needs published
Dollhouse serve up some MC5-approved rock‘n’soul from Sweden

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion - With Monsters And Gods album review
By Kris Needs published
The Hillbilly Moon Explosion's new album is dirty as a southern bar, clean as a Swiss mountain stream

The Dirty Strangers - Crime And A Woman album review
By Kris Needs published
Veteran rockers The Dirty Strangers forge a noir concept album

Peter Gabriel - So/Us/Up album reviews
By Kris Needs published
Not yet ratedSecond batch of Peter Gabriel solo landmarks, remastered at half speed on wax.

Camera - Phantom Of Liberty album review
By Kris Needs published
Not yet ratedCamera still fahn fahn fahn on the autobahn.

Carmine Appice - Stick It! My Life Of Sex, Drums And Rock ’N’ Roll book review
By Kris Needs published
It’s not big and it’s not clever.

Mos Generator - Abyssinia album review
By Kris Needs published
US stoner rockers get focused.

Black Bombers - Break It Down album review
By Kris Needs published
Brummie trio pull off Motor City speed rampage.

The 10 Best Aussie Rock'n'roll Bands, by Radio Birdman's Deniz Tek
By Kris Needs published
Legendary Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek picks his ten greatest Australian rock'n'roll bands of all time

Various Artists: Reissues reviewed from Norway and Finland's golden eras of prog
By Kris Needs published
A spectacular selection of Scandi progressive music from the 60s and 70s.

Rich Cohen - The Sun & The Moon & The Rolling Stones book review
By Kris Needs published
Few stones left unturned.

The Mystery Lights - The Mystery Lights album review
By Kris Needs published
New York gutter rock rides again.

Fantastic Negrito - The Last Days Of Oakland album review
By Kris Needs published
Bluesy roots masterwork from late-blossoming Oakland powerhouse.

Eggs Over Easy: Good ’N’ Cheap: The Eggs Over Easy Story
By Kris Needs published
Grand hatch: pub-rock trailblazers refried at last.

If - If 5 Album Review
By Kris Needs published
Not yet ratedNo ifs, no buts – the British prog jazz pioneers are back.

Obituary: Phil Ryan
By Kris Needs published
Welsh keyboardist and composer, best known for his work with Man and Pete Brown, has passed away.

The Dark: Chemical Warfare
By Kris Needs published
Well-deserved compilation of UK punkers’ singles and 1982 LP.

Paul Roland: In The Opium Den: The Early Recordings 1980-1987
By Kris Needs published
Cabinet of earliest curiosities.

The Rides: Pierced Arrow
By Kris Needs published
Supergroup concept revs again in Stephen Stills’s “blues band of my dreams”.
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