Articles by Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”

Articles by: Paul Elliott

Alice Cooper - From The Inside cover art

From The Inside: How Alice Cooper went cold turkey and made his most personal album

By Paul Elliott published 15 September 22

The booze was starting to kill Alice Cooper, so his wife and manager checked him into an asylum – little knowing it would inspire his most personal work

Alex Lifeson smiling while holding a microphone

Interview: Alex Lifeson on grilled octopus, police brutality and disco biscuits

By Paul Elliott published 27 August 22

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson explains why even Rush's worst songs might have sounded brilliant on ecstasy

The Darkness' Justin Hawkins: the soundtrack of my life

By Paul Elliott last updated 11 July 22

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins on the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to him, and which song he'd have played at his funeral

Def Leppard: the making of Diamond Star Halos and the return of the electric warriors

By Paul Elliott published 30 June 22

The setbacks Def Leppard have faced over the past 45 years would have finished off many lesser bands, but now they’re very much on the up again

False starts and a whole lotta cash: how Appetite For Destruction was made

By Paul Elliott published 21 June 22

Five young hopefuls called Guns N’ Roses walked into a recording studio. They walked out with one of the best debut albums ever, but Appetite For Destruction could have turned out very differently

Joe Elliott has big plans for Def Leppard in the next three years but he's not letting on

By Paul Elliott last updated 15 June 22

Joe Elliott looks back on a long and successful past with Def Leppard and Down ‘N’ Outz, but it hasn't all been plain sailing

The Rory Gallagher albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 14 June 22

Ireland’s greatest, man-of-the-people guitar hero Rory Gallagher left a tremendous legacy of albums studded with real gems

Lynyrd Skynyrd and the anti-firearm protest song that's as relevant now as it ever was

By Paul Elliott published 18 May 22

Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1975 hit Saturday Night Special belied the band's pistol-packin’ image, but things were never quite that black and white

Ronnie James Dio: the life and the legend

By Paul Elliott last updated 16 May 22

The great Ronnie James Dio died on May 16, 2010. Classic Rock magazine paid tribute to his legend in its next issue

Gene Simmons in makeup throwing the horns and aiming a bass guitar at the camera

Gene Simmons: when Kiss play their last song I’ll be crying like a baby

By Paul Elliott published 11 May 22

God of Thunder Gene Simmons ponders the meaning of life, love and loss, and the end of the road for Kiss

Ann Wilson's one-in-a-million voice still soars on her best solo album yet

By Paul Elliott published 29 April 22

Heart singer Ann Wilson proves her songwriting is still as strong as her voice on Fierce Bliss

Nazareth resolutely loud ’n’ proud on ballsy Surviving The Law

By Paul Elliott published 15 April 22

Dan McCafferty’s gone, but Nazareth's spirit remains strong on Surviving The Law

Serial killers, Satan and Bon's last stand: the story of AC/DC's Highway To Hell

By Paul Elliott published 21 March 22

With Highway To Hell, AC/DC raced ahead of the rest by making a record that finally helped them break America... but such success came with a huge cost

The 10 best songs by Toto

By Paul Elliott published 18 March 22

Toto's catalogue dissected for the biggest of hits and deepest of cuts from the official masters of melodic rock

The Boston albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 10 March 22

Proof that there's much more to Boston, the godfathers of melodic rock – and the man who almost single-handedly created their sound – than More Than A Feeling

Slash on GN'R, Axl, Izzy, Scott and the rest - the ultimate interview

By Paul Elliott published 2 March 22

Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash talks about his career: Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Scott Weiland, Myles Kennnedy, and the good, the bad and the ugly that came with all of them

Sheep, Supertramp, and what Alex Lifeson did during the punk explosion

By Paul Elliott last updated 25 February 22

For Rush and Envy Of None guitarist Alex Lifeson, 1977 was all about touring, punk and Panama hats – just don’t mention the sheep

Van Halen with Sammy Hagar pose in a garden

How Sammy Hagar breathed triumphant new life into Van Halen

By Paul Elliott published 24 February 22

Van Halen lost a superstar singer when Dave Lee Roth quit the band, but new frontman Sammy Hagar and Foreigner's Mick Jones ensured the loss was short-lived

The Bon Jovi albums you should definitely own

By Paul Elliott published 21 January 22

The Bon Jovi albums essential to any record collection

AC/DC: the long road to Glasgow and the triumph of If You Want Blood You've Got It

By Paul Elliott published 10 December 21

On April 30, 1978, AC/DC took to the stage of Glasgow Apollo and played one of the best shows of their career, resulting in If You Want Blood You Got It, one of rock’s greatest live albums