Latest articles by Max Bell
"We did seven encores. We ran out of material and were forced to play Jimi Hendrix tunes. Imagine that, opening for Cream and finishing with Hendrix tunes?": The story of the legendary James Gang
With a classic funk-rock sound, the rise of rock'n'roll cowboys the James Gang looked unstoppable, inspired by a real kick-ass guitarist who would both make and break the band
The Tom Waits' albums you should definitely own
From boozy beat poet to avant garde conductor of the 'Junkyard Orchestra', a guide to Tom Waits' best albums and the work of a musical maverick
“I never liked it. I never understood it. And it made no difference to the way we played, not for a second”: how Bad Company defied punk to make their classic third album Run With The Pack
In 1976, punk was on the verge of exploding. But rock was far from done – and Bad Company were making a stand with Run With The Pack
Jim Croce was about to break through in a major way, but cruel fate intervened and the almost-star all but forgotten: Then Quentin Tarantino came along
Jim Croce's finest moment was poignant and heartbreaking: Tragedy meant he never enjoyed its eventual success
“This was the Prime Minister we were dealing with, and we were very naughty boys:" a story of The Move, acid, axes and a 55-year-old political scandal
Roy Wood, Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan look back at The Move, the psychedelic pioneers who paved the way for the Electric Light Orchestra
The Grateful Dead albums you should definitely own
The Grateful Dead's best albums are a kaleidoscopic, loose-limbed, ever-adventurous alchemy of psychedelia, country, folk and blues
"He screwed up bad…" In the 70s, members of Little Feat grabbed our writer by the throat for asking about Lowell George. After his death, they were able to look back honestly
Little Feat look back on "the Orson Welles of rock", Lowell George
Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen - Album Of The Week Club review
The live album of Joe Cocker and Leon Russell's shambolic, chaotic, sex-fuelled, Mad Dogs & Englishmen rock’n’roll circus
“David was furious: 'I won’t have that kind of disloyalty!’" The real reason David Bowie ended Ziggy Stardust and sacked the Spiders From Mars
50 years ago, David Bowie announced that he was playing his last ever show. It marked a split from the men who had revitalised his career – and it was all over money…
Ziggy Stardust goes to America: the story of Aladdin Sane
David Bowie's last album with the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane was written on the road, inspired by the USA and steeped in sex, drugs and ruthless ambition
Broken bones, acid-fried sessions and terrified actors: the making of Can's Tago Mago
In the heady days of 1971, German experimentalists Can pushed the musical envelope to the furthest fringes with their landmark album Tago Mago
Robby Krieger's track-by-track guide to his favourite songs by The Doors
"Why would a young man like Jim think so much about death? Sure he was a poet. But my theory was that he always felt he had something wrong" - Robby Krieger
Van Morrison is in fine voice and generous mood as he pays loving homage to Skiffle
Skiffle may have ignited the British music scene more than 60 years ago, but it's never to late for Van Morrison to play a few old favourites
In 1969 man landed on the moon: back on Earth, rock got rolling
1969 was the year people started buying albums rather than singles, the underground became mainstream, and the pop scene wilted as rock music came of age
Volume 17 of the Bootleg series finds Bob Dylan in Miami and on excellent form
Bob Dylan's Fragments travels back to the 1990s and the Time Out Of Mind sessions with Daniel Lanois
All the young droogs: How David Bowie became David Bowie
For three years in the 70s David Bowie could do no wrong, and redefined the very concept of the rock star
The Doors' Paris Blues: Is that all there is? Really?
Released as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday event, Paris Blues features the last (apparently) unreleased studio recording by The Doors
The Grateful Dead thrive in a venue they never intended to play
A hefty Record Store Day hefty document from the Grateful Dead’s Europe ‘72 tour
Stevie Van Zandt: my stories of Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Miles Davis and more
Blues legend Freddie King pulled a gun on him. He’s a TV star with a radio show and a day job with Bruce Springsteen. He's Stevie Van Zandt
The Grateful Dead's new box set costs a fortune, but at least the playing is stellar
Grateful Dead take Manhattan on 17-CD live collection In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83
Mad Dogs & Englishmen: The debauched tour that sent Joe Cocker over the edge
The Beatles queued up to give Joe Cocker their songs, but drink, drugs and wild times on the infamous Mad Dogs & Englishmen touring circus almost finished him off
Dr. John is in tip-top form on posthumous album Things Happen That Way
Dr John raves from the grave on star-studded album Things Happen That Way, completed after his death
Pink Floyd repackage the past once more on Live At Knebworth 1990
Wish you’d been there? Pink Floyd's Live At Knebworth 1990 is super slick but lacks mystery
