Latest articles by Paul Elliott
“He said, ‘Your upstrokes are weak!’ I’m like, ‘You effin’ what?’”: Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith never stops learning
"I've never really been big on practicing," he confesses
Your chance to win Kurt Cobain's plectrum — used during Nirvana’s legendary Unplugged show
Visitors to the new London exhibition can enter the prize draw
“It wasn’t just my decision to fire Ozzy”: Tony Iommi says Ozzy Osbourne had to go to make Black Sabbath great again
And he met the band's next singer through Ozzy's future wife Sharon!
“When I'm listening to Dear Prudence, you’re aware of what the bass is doing”: Gene Simmons salutes Paul McCartney
His other favourites include Motown legend James Jamerson and — surprise — Ronnie Wood
“This is the new rock ’n’ roll Metallica. The riffs are greasier, bluesier, dirtier”: How Metallica changed on Load
"Nobody knew where this record was going to end up when we started it"
“I did wonder how much longer the band would last”: Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray on 50 years of highs and lows
“Maiden songs take you on a journey,” he says
“Whole Lotta Love was clearly the track that everybody would go to”: A classic interview with Jimmy Page
The Zeppelin legend spoke to Total Guitar's Chris Bird in 2020
Chris Bird, MusicRadar Lessons Editor and former Total Guitar Editor has died, aged 48
Gifted guitar tutor rose through the editorial ranks
“I looked around and everybody was just down”: Bruce Dickinson recalls his audition for Iron Maiden
“It’s a unique sound, the divinity of my vocal cords”: How Perry Farrell defined alternative rock with Jane’s Addiction
The album Nothing's Shocking was the antidote to hair metal
“It's The Beatles — but they're pretending to be another band? It breaks all the rules”: Gene Simmons on Sgt. Pepper
"It was almost music hall stuff," he says
“We would have absolutely lied through our teeth if there wasn't a full song”: How a TV jingle turned into a pop classic
The strange tale of The Carpenters' We've Only Just Begun
“Gilmour’s Strat went for four million”: The man with the $1billion guitar collection
The late Jim Irsay also had Kurt Cobain’s famous Mustang
“Don’t get precious about your songs. We’re going to tear them apart”: Producer Mutt Lange’s first words to Def Leppard
How Leppard's 'sixth member' took them to a new level
“Eddie says, ‘Let’s go back to the ’80s, so put down your phones!”: Iron Maiden ask fans to limit phone use at shows
“We would very much like you to be ‘in the moment’,” says manager Rod Smallwood
“In his prime, he was the super frontman of all time”: The rock superstar hailed by Gene Simmons as the GOAT
And no - he ain't talkin' 'bout himself!
“He went into this trance state as he played”: A close encounter with the genius of Eddie Van Halen
The insider's view of how EVH reinvented himself on the 5150 album
“Paul’s basslines are iconic, not technically challenging”: How McCartney’s sidekick Brian Ray juggles bass and guitar
"Even if you’re not a bass player, you know these parts"
“We threw strings at the track and it exploded”: How a pop anthem turned into a wedding song favourite
“The first idea I had was in the bath," the singer says
“If you’re a singer, you’re totally reliant on your body”: Why Iron Maiden had to change singers to reach the next level
Guitarist Adrian Smith remembers a pivotal moment in Maiden’s history
“We may jump up on stage and jam. It's very loose”: Gene Simmons tells Kiss fans to expect the unexpected in Las Vegas
He adds: “We’re very open to guest stars jumping up"
“He was a great hero to all of us”: Paul McCartney salutes a rock ’n’ roll legend who influenced The Beatles
Buddy Holly influenced The Beatles, the Stones and many more
“He stopped writing because he just ran out. He'd used that guitar neck up”: Sammy Hagar on Eddie Van Halen's lost years
“When I joined the band, everyone says, ‘Oh man, they started playing keyboards"
