Articles by Neil Crossley, Contributor

Neil Crossley is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, The Times, The Independent and the FT. Neil is also a singer-songwriter, fronts the band Furlined and was a member of International Blue, a ‘pop croon collaboration’ produced by Tony Visconti.

Articles by: Neil Crossley

American blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy performs live playing a Fender Stratocaster guitar on the American Folk Blues Festival tour in London in October 1965

“In the flesh, he was earth-shattering. His style on every level was fantastic… playing with his teeth, his feet, and behind his head": When Buddy Guy rewrote the blues rulebook with a Strat and blew the collective minds of Clapton, Beck and Page

By Neil Crossley published 12 April 24

The inspirational playing of the last living American blues legend: "I was bringing it up to Eric and Jimmy – ‘Have you heard this stuff!?'"

"Songwriting for me, at the time of Rubber Soul, was a bit frightening because John and Paul had been writing since they were three years old": How The Beatles raised their game in 1965 to create a masterpiece that "broke everything open"

By Neil Crossley published 8 April 24

The Beatles' sixth album Rubber Soul was a colossal creative leap and marked the point at which albums began to be viewed as works of real artistic merit

The Smiths Strangeways Here We Come album cover art

“Every time I opened a music paper it said, ‘Johnny Marr – jingle jangle’. I'd just had enough”: How The Smiths defied expectations on their final album, Strangeways, Here We Come

By Neil Crossley published 20 March 24

Johnny Marr and Morrissey’s relationship may have crumbled during its creation, but The Smiths’ final album is regarded by many as their best

The Stones Roses Second Coming album cover art

“We did turn a corner. But it must have been the biggest corner in the universe, ‘cos it took ages to turn it”: Inside the protracted creation and glorious guitar work of The Stone Roses' Second Coming

By Neil Crossley published 13 March 24

It took the band 347 ten-hour days in the studio to produce 75 minutes of music, but the definition of difficult second album saw a darker Zeppelin-esque Les Paul-toting John Squire emerge

Bob Dylan plays a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar for the first time on stage as he performs at the Newport Folk Festival with guitarist Mike Bloomfield on July 25, 1965 in Newport, Rhode Island

“My God, it’s hard to get in tune when they’re booing": when Bob Dylan faced down his detractors with a Strat and made rock n' roll history

By Neil Crossley published 11 March 24

In 1965, Bob Dylan strapped on a Stratocaster, then a Telecaster, and ushered in a bold new folk-rock sound. But he'd actually gone electric six months earlier…

Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, holding Jimmy Page's Gibson twin-neck guitar in an empty auditorium, during a rehearsal at Hiroshima Prefectural gymnasium, Hiroshima, Japan, 27th September 1971

"If you absolutely hated Stairway to Heaven, nobody can blame you for that because it was so… pompous": The glory and burden of Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven, over half a century on

By Neil Crossley published 2 March 24

In early 1970 Jimmy Page had a concept for an epic song that “would unravel in layers as it progressed”. More than five decades on, Stairway To Heaven still has a hold on its writers and the world

How Radiohead redefined the role of guitar on their landmark album Kid A: "It's scary – everyone feels insecure. I'm a guitarist and suddenly it's like, well, there are no guitars on this track, or drums"

By Neil Crossley published 10 February 24

Disillusioned with rock music, Radiohead turned to electronica and ambience as Ed O’Brien forged a whole new six-string sound

English singer-songwriter, guitarist and former Beatle, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Cannes, France, 30th January 1976

The 5 George Harrison post-Beatles songs you need to hear: “I write lyrics and I make up songs, but I'm not a great lyricist or songwriter or producer. It's when you put all these things together — that makes me"

By Neil Crossley published 31 December 23

Best of 2023: Freed from the creative confines of The Beatles, George Harrison set out to realise his true creative potential. Here are five of his finest works…

Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing their hit song Little Drummer Boy on TV Christmas Special Merrie Olde Christmas 1977

The story of David Bowie and Bing Crosby's Little Drummer Boy: "David wasn’t going to do the show, and his mum said, ‘No, you HAVE to work with Bing Crosby!’ She was a fan"

By Neil Crossley published 19 December 23

A schmaltzy TV special did not seem the most likely vehicle for a hit Christmas single, but this 1977 collaboration between David Bowie and Bing Crosby yielded an enduring classic that cuts across the generational divide

The making of Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever: "George Harrison went to the store and bought a ginger root, boiled it and had me stick my head in the pot to get the ginger steam to open up my sinuses. Then I ran in and did the take"

By Neil Crossley published 14 December 23

More than 33 years after its release, Tom Petty's solo debut is still making headlines thanks to Grand Theft Autio 6. We dig into the creation of a classic album

Portrait of British musician Kirsty MacColl (1959 - 2000) and Irish musician Shane MacGowan, the latter of the group the Pogues, as they pose together, each holding a toy gun with one hand and, in the other, a Christmas cracker over an inflatable Santa Claus, 1987.

The story of Fairytale Of New York: “I sat down, opened the sherry, got the peanuts out and pretended it was Christmas…"

By Neil Crossley published 8 December 23

At this time when the music world is mourning the loss of Shane MacGowan, MusicRadar looks back on one of his most enduring and beloved achievements

Noel Gallagher performing with Oasis for MTV Unplugged in 1996

"Even before we got to the day of the show, there was a ‘concern’… a concern with Liam" – the story behind the farce and the glory of Oasis’s infamous 1996 MTV Unplugged performance

By Neil Crossley published 21 November 23

Riding high after playing to 250,000 people at Knebworth, Oasis set about rehearsing for a very different kind of show – an intimate MTV Unplugged performance from the Royal Festival Hall. But within days, it was clear all was not going to plan…

Rory Gallagher performs on stage at Reading Festival, United Kingdom, 16th March 1975

The story of Rory Gallagher's Rolling Stones audition: "All of the music papers were full of speculation. It's a bit like when the Pope dies and you get pictures of all these people who might succeed him"

By Neil Crossley published 8 November 23

Stunned by the sudden departure of Mick Taylor, The Rolling Stones spread the net far and wide in their search for a suitable replacement. One of the players high up on their list of possibles was Rory Gallagher

Jeff Buckley, Pacific Club, Antwerpen, Belgium, 21/09/1994

An introduction to Jeff Buckley: "I would listen to anything: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Judy Garland, Robert Johnson, Thelonious Monk, Bartk, Mahler. And I asked a lot of questions"

By Neil Crossley published 17 October 23

From his soaring, unbridled falsetto to his sonic artistry, Jeff Buckley defied conventions and left a catalogue of songs that is timeless and unique

Elliot Smith performs on stage at Glastonbury Festival, United Kingdom, 2000

“I thought my head would be chopped off immediately when it came out, because at the time it was so opposite to the grunge thing that was popular” – 5 essential Elliott Smith songs to start with

By Neil Crossley published 6 October 23

Elliott Smith’s elegantly crafted songs of self-doubt and despair still resonate with successive generations of discerning music fans. Twenty years after his controversial death, we assess five of his most enduring songs

Jethro Tull posed in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1972. Left to right: Ian Anderson, Barriemore Barlow (Barrie Barlow), Jeffrey Hammond, John Evan, Martin Barre

5 essential Jethro Tull songs guitar players need to hear

By Neil Crossley published 14 September 23

"And here was Jimmy Page waving like mad… I'm thinking, 'I can't wave back, or I'm going to blow the solo'”

"The worst track we ever had to record" – why 3/4 of the Beatles hated Maxwell's Silver Hammer

By Neil Crossley published 16 August 23

No Paul McCartney song ever incurred the joint wrath of Lennon, Harrison and Starr quite like Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. Here’s why…

The Beatles at Candlestick Park, their final live performance

John Lennon: "Somebody let off a firecracker onstage and every one of us looked at each other, because each thought it was the other that had been shot. It was that bad.” – Why The Beatles retired from the stage

By Neil Crossley last updated 8 August 23

How death threats, disillusionment and the very real threat of onstage electrocution all fuelled The Fab Four’s decision to stop playing live…

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, 1977

5 songs you need to hear by Steely Dan: "Like a lot of kids in the ’50s, we were looking for some kind of alternative culture, an escape from where we found ourselves"

By Neil Crossley published 26 July 23

Across nine studio albums, jazz-loving perfectionists Walter Becker and Donald Fagen created a stunning body of work. Here are five of their finest moments