Articles by: Neil Jeffries

Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.

Articles by: Neil Jeffries

Bernie Marsden has delivered another master class in rock history

By Neil Jeffries published 5 August 22

Bernie Marsden latest album pays tribute to guitar heroes and the art of the power trio

Whiskey Myers swagger confidently into southern rock's promised land

By Neil Jeffries published 29 July 22

Southern rock’s brightest stars Whiskey Myers turn up the dazzle on sixth album Tornillo

Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters: Mythos, Confession, Tragedy & Love cover art

Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters are polished and poised for stardom

By Neil Jeffries published 8 July 22

Third album Mythos, Confession, Tragedy & Love delivers a sound powerful enough to match Beth McDonald’s extraordinary voice

Dan Reed Network: Let's Hear It For The King cover art

Dan Reed Network's new album is funky, dripping with melody, and a joy to hear

By Neil Jeffries published 17 June 22

Funk-rock lives. Dance to the hills!

Argent: Hold Your Head Up - The Best Of Argent cover art

Argent's latest collection reveals them to be ripe for rediscovery

By Neil Jeffries published 3 June 22

Mixing proggy keyboards with radio-friendly hits, early-70s also-rans Argent sound far more vital today

Def Leppard: Diamond Star Halos cover art

Def Leppard have just released their best album in 30 years

By Neil Jeffries published 27 May 22

Def Leppard studio album number 12 Diamond Star Halos is a sparkling set that proves there’s life in these old cats yet

Cave In explore the noisy landscape between grunge and metalcore on Heavy Pendulum

By Neil Jeffries published 20 May 22

Massachusetts heavyweights Cave In return with first full album in 11 years, Heavy Pendulum

John Illsley's VIII: a decent album with fining playing but skip the Beatles cover

By Neil Jeffries published 6 May 22

The eighth solo album by former Dire Straits bassist John Illsley reconfirms his allegiance to their signature sound

Suzi Quatro: Back To The Spotlight cover art

Jeff Beck? Rihanna? Goldfrapp? It can only be a Suzi Quatro reissue

By Neil Jeffries published 15 April 22

The two albums that sparked Suzi Quatro's 21st-century renaissance have been repackaged as a satisfactory single set

Moving Pictures (40th Anniversary) cover art

The 40th anniversary edition of Rush's Moving Pictures is a goddamn treasure

By Neil Jeffries published 15 April 22

Rush's impossibly good eighth studio album Moving Pictures is now boosted by complete hometown live set

Bryan Adams - So Happy It Hurts cover art

Business as usual for Bryan Adams but there's a lot to like about So Happy It Hurts

By Neil Jeffries published 11 March 22

So Happy It Hurts is studio album number 15 from rock’n’roll Peter Pan Bryan Adams

Skid Row's Atlantic years: from wild youth to burst bubbles

By Neil Jeffries published 8 December 21

Skid Row's Atlantic Years (1989-1996) features everything from Sebastian Bach-era Skid Row: three albums and two EPs, spread across five CDs or seven slices of vinyl

Bernie Marsden's tribute to Chess crackles with youthful energy

By Neil Jeffries published 26 November 21

Veteran guitarist Bernie Marsden revisits tracks released on Chicago’s famous Chess label

Jerry Cantrell's Brighten: like Alice In Chains, but also fresh and unexpected

By Neil Jeffries published 29 October 21

Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell lights up our lives with dazzling third album Brighten

Every David Coverdale and Whitesnake album, ranked from worst to best

By Neil Jeffries published 22 September 21

National treasure David Coverdale has been there, done that, and sung a song of sweet love while doing it. These albums cover his Purple patch and beyond, ranked from worst to best

Thunder: a guide to their best albums

By Neil Jeffries published 26 August 21

British rockers Thunder have rarely come up short over their 30-year-plus recording career. Let’s take a closer look at their best albums

Black Sabbath: Sabotage (Super Deluxe version)

Black Sabbath's super deluxe Sabotage is the lavishly packaged sound of indignant fury

By Neil Jeffries published 17 June 21

Out now: Anger and frustration resulted in Black Sabbath's sixth album Sabotage - now on super deluxe form - being their heaviest

Def Leppard's Volume Three might not contain their best work but it still sparkles

By Neil Jeffries published 11 June 21

Out now: Volume Three finds Joe Elliott doing a thorough job curating Def Leppard’s 21st-century collection

Thunder: how we made All The Right Noises

By Neil Jeffries published 14 April 21

It’s little wonder Thunder are frustrated at not being able to tour latest album All The Right Noises – it’s one of the best records they’ve made in decades

Blackmore's Night continue to conjure up the Renaissance

By Neil Jeffries published 13 March 21

Blackmore's Night deliver more 16th-century musings on Nature's Light, album number 11

Whitesnake's Blues Album blurs genres but remains in the shadow of the blues

By Neil Jeffries published 20 February 21

After Whitesnake albums called silver, gold, purple, red and white, David Coverdale completes a weird rainbow on The Blues Album

Ricky Warwick - When Life Was Hard And Fast

Ricky Warwick's complex soul exposed on When Life Was Hard And Fast

By Neil Jeffries published 20 February 21

Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick's panoramic When Life Was Hard And Fast is his seventh album under his own name

Black Sabbath: Vol 4 Super Deluxe Edition - sometimes, the drugs do work

By Neil Jeffries published 12 February 21

Black Sabbath's Vol 4 Super Deluxe Edition: a four CD/five vinyl box containing everything except the Class A narcotics that fuelled it

Walking Papers lose half a band for The Light Below with no loss of quality

By Neil Jeffries published 7 February 21

The Light Below is the compelling third album from Walking Papers, the unconventional Seattle blues swingers

Glenn Hughes dominates the Dead Daisies' hook-laden Holy Ground

By Neil Jeffries published 22 January 21

The Dead Daisies' Holy Ground: What the Voice Of Rock Glenn Hughes did next

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