Latest articles by Rob Hughes
“We’re all in the midst of fear, confusion and glory”: The Claypool Lennon Delirium’s personal AI hallucination
Behind the playfulness of Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon’s The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy lie serious questions about abuse of power, social collapse and the value of compassion
Nine Little Feat albums to listen to and one to avoid
Despite musical excellence and fans in high places, Little Feat were a classic case of commercial underachievers
The story of the RATM anthem that topped the Christmas charts 17 years after it was released
Inspired by the LA riots, Killing In The Name became an unlikely Christmas smash after a fan campaign against TV talent shows
How ZZ Top ended up playing to 1.2 million people with help from a monster hit and a travelling zoo
Buffalo, buzzards and Tush? ZZ Top’s Fandango album saw the Little Ol’ Band From Texas go nationwide
“Some men and women felt threatened by a woman appearing nude”: Hawkwind ex Stacia Blake’s life in art
She busts myths about where she came from, how she joined and how she felt about Lemmy – but won’t discuss her departure from the space rock icons
Nine Steve Marriott albums you should listen to and one to avoid
Buying guide One of the great British singers and frontmen, Steve Marriott's catalogue with the Small Faces, Humble Pie and beyond is littered with classics
Remembering Mott The Hoople and Bad Company guitarist Mick Ralphs
A tribute to Mick Ralphs, who died on June 23, 2025 – includes interviews with Ian Hunter and Paul Rodgers
The story behind the song: Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
This single from their album Déjà Vu was just what America needed in 1970, reckons songwriter Graham Nash
Praised by half the Beatles, Rick Wakeman and Pat Metheny, Rod Argent still didn’t have it all easy
Founding member of The Zombies and Argent had no trouble writing songs that have endured for decades, and easily collaborated with Phil Collins, The Who and many others. But he also encountered his share of troubles in the music industry
Eric Burdon: the hellraiser who had it all and then lost it
Founder of The Animals, party buddy of Hendrix and Morrison and hero to Springsteen, Eric Burdon is a bluesman, a rogue and a survivor, and this is his story
Brian Auger warned Jimi Hendrix off drugs and learned about prog from Keith Emerson
Multi-genre organ master’s fervent hope is that he opened a channel between rock and jazz: ”And it kind of worked out…”
King Crimson, Porcupine Tree and Pineapple Thief’s Gavin Harrison proves he’s a pro
The award-winning prog drummer – who says he’s quite happy playing simple songs – on working with Kevin Ayers, Iggy Pop, Mic Karn and others
Keith Emerson remembered by PP Arnold, who named his band The Nice – and had them stolen from her
The soul singer who named The Nice – and had them stolen from her – still recalls the keyboard wizard with great affection
A Thousand Horses have finally delivered the "full-throttle" album they were born to make
White Flag Down is A Thousand Horses' most personal work by far
Radiohead’s Philip Selway put his solo ambitions on hold for 20 years to focus on the band. Does he regret it?
The drummer decided to focus on his “day job” band in 1991, and finally released his first solo album in 2010 – after finding influence in King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Can and other prog giants
"A true fighter with a heavenly voice": A tribute to The Alarm's Mike Peters
A look back at the life and music of Mikre Peters, the much-loved guitarist, singer and songwriter with Welsh rockers The Alarm, who died a year ago today
Keith Emerson’s manager wanted to ditch plans for a flying piano. Emerson proved him wrong
Backstage boss Stewart Young took one look at the prototype in 1974 and decided to walk away – but the keyboard maestro wouldn’t have it
The trauma behind Otis Redding's tragic classic (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
Written by Otis Redding and his guitarist/producer Steve Cropper, (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay became one of the truly great songs
Big Star: Power-pop nirvana meets emotional baggage, personal tragedy and a band destined to fail
Big Star were all but forgotten by the end of the 70s, but they became a Rosetta Stone for a whole generation of later musicians
How country-rock trailblazers The Flying Burrito Brothers pioneered a whole new sound – only for the Eagles to steal their thunder
Splintering off from The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers burnt brightly on two iconic albums
The story of the song that heralded Blondie's comeback – but tanked in the US
Written about "sexual repression causing incredible desire among a school full of boys", Maria was a No.1 across Europe
The bloody-minded duo who dared to delete a Robert Fripp solo in front of him
Their groundbreaking 1994 album has stood the test of time – but their refusal to compromise with label and management made it look as if their time was up
The surprisingly contentious origins of Gimme Some Lovin' by the Spencer Davis Group
Gimme Some Lovin’ by the Spencer Davis Group was written in minutes - but its roots are still debated
