
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.
Latest articles by Neil Jeffries

The Dirty Knobs sound like old friends on Wreckless Abandon
By Neil Jeffries published
Mike Campbell’s ridiculously named hobby band The Dirty Knobs step into the limelight on Wreckless Abandon

Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons refuse to relent on We’re The Bastards
By Neil Jeffries published
It's episode two of a bastard family affair on Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons' We’re The Bastards

Reb Beach pleases the jazz-rock crowd on A View From The Inside
By Neil Jeffries published
Reb Beach's A View From The Inside is an instrumental shred-fest from the former Winger and latterday Whitesnake guitarist

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown's Pressure is a true coming of age
By Neil Jeffries published
Backed into a corner in the fourth round, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown come out fighting on Pressure

The Strange And True Story of Foreigner 4
By Neil Jeffries last updated
Over budget, out of studio time, Mutt Lange and Mick Jones locking horns: so how did Foreigner 4 become the band's defining album?

Deep Purple's Whoosh!: confident, mature, and superb
By Neil Jeffries last updated
And still they rise. With Bob Ezrin producing again on Whoosh!, Deep Purple have fun, stretch out and shine brighter

The Story Behind The Song: Mary Long by Deep Purple
By Neil Jeffries last updated
A song with a lyric that merged Mary Whitehouse's infamous clean-up campaign with tensions caused by Ritchie Blackmore.

Vega: Grit Your Teeth - all the hallmarks of vintage Bon Jovi
By Neil Jeffries published
Grit Your Teeth, that difficult sixth album from Vega: sometimes very different, sometimes the same, always good

The Story Behind The Song: Profession Of Violence by UFO
By Neil Jeffries last updated
It's a UFO tradition for the hard rockers to feature a ballad on each album. So for 1981's The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent, Phil Mogg turned to the murderous Kray twins for inspiration.

Rory Gallagher's Check Shirt Wizard - a crackling addition to a rich live canon
By Neil Jeffries published
A battered Strat. A check shirt. Rory Gallagher wore them both well, as a new live album recorded in 1977 shows

Ginger Wildheart: a guide to the best albums
By Philip Wilding, Neil Jeffries, Fraser Lewry published
The best of a man with many strings to his bow: brilliantly memorable hard rock with The Wildhearts, bleeding-heart confessionals under his own name, and plenty in between

Michael Monroe's One Man Gang: in any sane world, a hit record
By Neil Jeffries published
Michael Monroe is back on a new label for solo album number nine, One Man Gang

Thunder's Greatest Hits: file next to Bad Company, Thin Lizzy and UFO
By Neil Jeffries published
Thunder milk their 30th anniversary on The Greatest Hits and produce nothing but cream

The Wildhearts' Renaissance Men is dark, heavy... and triumphant
By Neil Jeffries published
The Wildhearts' first album in 10 years, Renaissance Men, ticks all the right boxes – arriba!

Sammy Hagar: Danger Zone Collectors Edition album review
By Neil Jeffries published
Ex-Montrose, pre-Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar seeks solo success

Def Leppard - Volume One album review
By Neil Jeffries published
The first in a series of four boxed sets covering the band’s career to date: the Steve Clark years

Reef - Revelation album review
By Neil Jeffries published
After the blink of an eye that lasted 18 years, Reef are back with their fifth album

Chris Squire - Fish Out Of Water box set review
By Neil Jeffries published
A bells-and-whistles box set of late Yes bassist’s solo album

Rick Parfitt – Over And Out review
By Neil Jeffries published
Postumous first solo album from the late Status Quo guitarist is a fitting sign-off.

Michael Schenker Fest - Resurrection album review
By Neil Jeffries published
Ace guitarist overshadowed in yet another second coming

Rush - A Farewell To Kings – 40th Anniversary album review
By Neil Jeffries published
In which three Toronto longhairs become the only men ever to emerge stronger from a trip into a black hole...

Pretty Boy Floyd - Public Enemies album review
By Neil Jeffries published
The Boyz are back – and pretty in places...

Jared James Nichols - Black Magic album review
By Neil Jeffries published
Hard-gigging blues rocker overdoes the rock
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