Latest articles by Neil Crossley
It’s what Macca played on Hey Jude
How the singer transformed an album track into one of the most abiding love songs of all time
Otis Blackwell wrote over 1,000 R&B and rock ‘n’ roll hits, including some of Elvis's most iconic tracks, but "never wanted to meet him… We had something I felt that was going pretty good"
Almost 40 years since its release, The Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary stands the test of time as a soaring and majestic pop-rock anthem – including some happy accidents
"He was obsessed. Martin sensed it was a song that was going to last forever and wanted to make it really special"
"Be Here Now was reframed first as a disappointment and then as a disaster” – but is it really that straightforward?
A musical legacy that continues to inspire
“He pointed to his rental amp and said, ‘I'm not playing through that piece of shit’. So he took mine”
"We used to fight and argue all the time"
“A noisy, bouncing fuzz-monster that makes no kind of sense in the universe of mainstream 70s radio pop” – but is Fleetwood Mac's flop a misunderstood masterpiece?
On his last studio album of the '60s, Bob Dylan embraced country music and unveiled a surprising new vocal style
"Ninety-nine percent of that solo was done on the first take"
How a sublimely dreamy, easy-listening love song captured the collective minds of middle America during one of the nation’s most turbulent years
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
Johnny Marr and Morrissey’s relationship may have crumbled during its creation, but The Smiths’ final album is regarded by many as their best
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
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…
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
Disillusioned with rock music, Radiohead turned to electronica and ambience as Ed O’Brien forged a whole new six-string sound
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
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…
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
From his soaring, unbridled falsetto to his sonic artistry, Jeff Buckley defied conventions and left a catalogue of songs that is timeless and unique
