"SOFT ROCK", The first book « in french » devoted to soft rock which massively occupied the airwaves during the seventies and eighties. 100 albums that marked this musical period are told by Arnaud Choutet in this book to be released on October 22nd.

Born in Paris in 1968, Arnaud Choutet lived for a few years in the United States in the 1990s. Since his return, he has reported on his various discoveries and musical passions in various reviews, and several books published by « Le mot et le reste »: Country rock (2014), Bretagne (2015), Malicorne (2016) and Rock Sudiste (2019). He now lives in Brittany.

KANSAS – 40th ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR From the very heartlands of America came a band with the skill and vision to fuse AOR with prog rock, delivering a majestic sound all their own – and even scoring hit singles Carry On Wayward Son, Dust In The Wind and Fight Fire With Fire along the way. But once money started rolling in, disputes over direction and religion tore Kansas asunder…  

PLUS – 15-TRACK CD Class Acts – the best new melodic rock songs with Vanity Blvd, Loverboy, Houston, The Treatment, Work Of Art, Night By Night, Helix, Chicago, Kjetil By (with Robin Beck), Skyscraper, Hot Fire, Superdirt, Audio Nation, Gasoline Stars and Wicked Faith.  

ALSO FEATURED IN THE ISSUE…   CHICAGO Jason Scheff (son of Elvis Presley bassist Jerry Scheff) stirs up the excitement for Chicago’s newest release, Chicago XXXVI: Now. Worth the wait?   

SAGA After a break from the band, founder and lead singer Michael Sadler is back and rather chuffed to be talking about music past, present and future.  

BABY ANIMALS Singer Suze DeMarchi escaped becoming a Stock, Aitken & Waterman popstrel to create Baby Animals. As the revered Australian group re-form after two decades, they tell all about Van Halen orgies, divorce and how life’s too short for bitterness.  

TOTO Guitarist Steve Lukather discusses Toto’s new in-concert DVD, how he dislikes the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and what the deal is with a new album.  

NEW ENGLAND They were on the verge of the big league… then they received more encores than Kiss and everything went to hell. Intrigued?   

THAT METAL SHOW We talk to the guys behind VH-1 Classic’s longest-running series. They reveal which artists like them (and which ones don’t).  

FEMME FATALE Lorraine Lewis looks back on her frankly rather bonkers career, from hair-metallers Femme Fatale to modern-day reality TV success.  

NOW & THEN We take a look back at a truly groundbreaking label that helped launch some truly original AOR acts.  

VEGA The Man did his best to screw Vega over, but these nu-AOR overlords have got Joe Elliott on their side. Just don’t call them ‘80s throwbacks’.  

Q&AOR – LOVERBOY Guitarist Paul Dean on why he loved the 80s, the joy of recording new music – and how it’s weird to be accused of miming when you’re, er, not.  

RETRO PERSPECTIVE – WHITE LION We look back at White Lion’s 1985 wonder album Fight To Survive.  

HI INFIDELITIES – RYAN ROXIE Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper, Casablanca and Roxie 77) spills the beans on a few naughty secrets.  

BUYERS GUIDE – WESTCOAST The work of session aces and angelic voices, Westcoast offered AOR with extra polish. We identify the genre’s must-have albums.  

ALBUM REVIEWS Loverboy, Mike Tramp, American Hi-Fi, Kix, Miss Behaviour, Houston, Tempt, Robin George, Adrenaline Rush, Moon Land, KXM…  

REISSUES Toto, Ambrosia, Fortress, Victory, Ratt, Lynch Mob, Heart, Rick Springfield, Fiona, Vandenberg…  

LIVE REVIEWS Monsters Of Rock Cruise, Winery Dogs, Space Elevator, Steelhouse Festival, Night By Night, Foreigner, Styx, H.e.a.t, Extreme, Boston, Cheap Trick, Heaven & Earth…

Buy it here !

As the founding member of Survivor and co-writer of one of the most inspirational songs in rock history, Jim Peterik easily fits into the category of “rock star.” But a closer look at Peterik’s life and career reveal that he is anything but your typical rock star. Forgoing a life of meaningless sex and drugs, Peterik married his high school sweetheart and focused on the music, becoming one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation.

Here, for the first time, Peterik shares the stories behind his iconic songs—from touring with Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin on the heels of the Ides of March number one classic “Vehicle” to his Grammy-winning, triple platinum “Eye of the Tiger” with Survivor and beyond. He explores the often torturous power struggles within the band contrasted by the giddy highs that accompany a trail of worldwide hits. Peterik has also co-written songs with some of the most famous bands and artists in rock-and-roll, including 38 Special (Rockin’ Into the Night, Caught Up In You, Hold On Loosely), Sammy Hagar (Heavy Metal), Brian Wilson, The Doobie Brothers, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, the platinum comeback of The Beach Boys (That’s Why God Made the Radio), and many more.

Through the Eye of the Tiger is more than just a memoir of a songwriting legend; it’s a classic rock-and-roll story, told through the eyes of someone who has lived through it all- and through the Eye Of The Tiger.

The brand new issue of AOR magazine features the story of Journey’s Infinity album – their first with Steve Perry, and the record that changed them from also-rans into all-stars.

ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW AOR NOW!

The year is 1978. Journey had won a loyal muso following with their post-Mahavishnu fusioneering, but world domination would not hover within their grasp until they found the perfect lead singer to turn their improvisations into anthems. Enter one Steve Perry for their fourth studio album, Infinity. Suddenly, everything changed… Bonus feature! On the road with Journey in Europe in 1979.

Plus! Diamonds, a 15-track CD featuring a glittering collection of melodic rock gems.

Featured in our 24-carat stash: Vandenberg’s Moonkings, Stan Bush, Heart, Foreigner, Vanity Riots, Ajenda,Nashville Pussy, Drought…

Also in this issue: HEART – Ann Wilson on home movies, inventing a brand new way of rocking – and making Robert Plant cry.

TNT – After surviving bereavement and thyroid cancer, frontman Tony Harnell is ready to re-ignite his career with the Norwegian rockers.


A TO Z OF SCANDINAVIAN AOR – Let us take you on a guided tour of Scandinavia’s rock history and glam/sleaze/AOR future…


STARSHIP –  Mickey Thomas returns with a fine new album and plans to bring his new-look combo to the UK.


FOREIGNER – It’s 1977, and with disco at its height, and the punk and new wave hordes baying at the gates, it’s not a great time for rock. But it’s the perfect time for Mick Jones, Lou Gramm and co. to swoop in.


KINGDOM COME – This is the story of their stairway to rock’n’roll heaven…


GIUFFRIA – After Angel went their separate ways, keyboard wizard Gregg Giuffria was free to indulge his grand melodic visions. But then the label began to interfere…


MISSING PERSONS – Returning with a new album, Dale Bozzio tells all about Frank Zappa, stardom and her painful split from husband/bandmate Terry Bozzio.


BOSTON –  Tom Scholz looks back on the hits that made him a legend, as well as looking towards the future.

PLUS! Interviews: H.E.A.T., House Of Lords, The Treatment, Jessica Wolff, L.R.S., Vanity Blvd,Skyscraper, Space Elevator, United Nations, Linda & The Punch, Trillion, Frédéric Slama, Michael Des Barres, Chris Laney, Tommy Denander… Buyers Guides: Bryan Adams and Pretty Maids Album reviews: Heart, L.R.S., Asia, The Treatment, House Of Lords, Foreigner, Space Elevator,Magnum, Casablanca, W.E.T., Missing Persons, Donnie Vie, Johnny Lima… Reissue reviews: Jay Ferguson, Honeymoon Suite, David Gates, REO Speedwagon, Dokken,Shakin’ Street… Live reviews: Blue Oyster Cult, BlackWolf, The Treatment, Lost Weekend…

Heart's 14th studio album, Fanatic, ranks as one of the Wilson Sisters most rock & roll albums to date. With Grammy-winning producer Ben Mink at the helm (who also produced their last album, Red Velvet Car), these ten essential performances by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson are a celebration of their life spirit: Ann and Nancy are fanatics about love, art and truth. Includes the title track "Fanatic," "Dear Old America," and "Million Miles."

The story of Heart is a story of heart and soul and rock ’n’ roll. Since finding their love of music and performing as teenagers in Seattle, Washington, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, have been part of the American rock music landscape. From 70s classics like “Magic Man” and “Barracuda” to chart- topping 80s ballads like “Alone,” and all the way up to 2012, when they will release their latest studio album, Fanatic, Heart has been thrilling their fans and producing hit after hit.

In Kicking and Dreaming, the Wilsons recount their story as two sisters who have a shared over three decades on the stage, as songwriters, as musicians, and as the leaders of one of our most beloved rock bands. An intimate, honest, and a uniquely female take on the rock and roll life, readers of bestselling music memoirs like Life by Keith Richards and Steven Tyler’s Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? will love this quintessential music story finally told from a female perspective.

Carole King takes us from her early beginnings in Brooklyn, to her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed songwriting and performing talents of all time.

A NATURAL WOMAN chronicles King's extraordinary life, drawing readers into her musical world, including her phenomenally successful #1 album Tapestry, and into her journey as a performer, mother, wife and present-day activist. Deeply personal, King's long-awaited memoir offers readers a front-row seat to the woman behind the legend.

The book will include dozens of photos from King's childhood, her own family, and behind-the-scenes images from her performances.

In an AOR world exclusive, we've got all-new interviews with all four Crüe members – Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee. They consider the band's longevity and their final legacy – when not indulging in internal squabbles, airing beefs with other rock bands and evading the press. Nice to see some things don't ever change… Plus we name the Crüe's Top 10 Most Melodic Moments.

And we tell the tale of Dr Feelgood, the 1989 breakthrough album that propelled the band into the big time. We've also got a sensational 15-track free CD, titled AORmania, featuring all-new tracks from Houston, Fiona, Grand Illusion, Fate, Reckless Love, Mecca and more.

Elsewhere in the issue, we talk to Norwegian melodic rock goddess Issa about her sublime new album, The Storm. Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach comes clean about loving power ballads, starring on Broadway and the tensions caused by being the hottest guy in your band. There's a revealing chat with the legendary David Crosby. Having lost his lover to a car crash and his mind to an ever-more-wild cocktail of illicit substances, in 1970 the former Byrd retreated to the studio and distilled these miseries into his haunted, transcendent, Vatican-approved solo album, If Only I Could Remember My Name.

That's not all. There are further features on Shy, Y&T, Lindsey Buckingham, Tokyo, Doogie White, Davy Vain, Le Roux, Starship… and a six-page review of Firefest, the UK AOR scene's live event of the year, starring Jimi Jamison, W.E.T., Jeff Scott Soto, Steve Augeri, Strangeways, Newman, Coney Hatch, White Widdow, Mitch Malloy, Unruly Child… All this, plus reviews of all the latest AOR albums and live reviews of Def Leppard, Heart, the Electric Boys, The Union, Bret Michaels and more. Finally, we deliver our verdict on the controversial Rock Of Ages hair-metal musical – did we love it, or did we loathe it? Find out in issue No.5 of AOR!

The measurements of The Foxy Lady Project (109 x 47 cm 42-15/16” x 18-1/2”) create the largest book published to date. However, the size was not in itself a goal. It was made necessary by the content: a collection of guitars among the most emblematic of the twentieth century, presented life-size.

61 photographs by Maxime Ruiz, hyper-realistic portraits depicted at full scale, a selection of key instruments in the history of blues, jazz and rock. Collectors' items found from musicians and passionate collectors, narrated and documented by Christian Séguret, music historian and guitarist. Guitars photographed like human beings, revealing their texture, their wounds and the traces of the lives of those who played them.

The book is not intended for specialists, experts or the elite. Foxy Lady’s creator, Maxime Ruiz explains: « I photographed objects telling about a century, talking about my generation. Objects loaded with history and stories. I know that the eye that touches my images takes them away from me somewhat. Like a guitar maker, I am only a ferryman. I am neither a collector nor an expert, just an amateur. From the beginning I decided that my subject would solely be guitars. Not the guitar of someone or someone else, the guitar itself, with all the diversity of my early emotions ».

Available in a limited 2,500 numbered edition, The FoxyLadyProject is a unique experience for the reader, the product of an adventure, of travels and encounters. A dream of reckless and stubborn artisans that became a reality, delivered in the form of a photo odyssey aiming at those who love shapes, stories, images and sounds.

The second sensational edition of Classic Rock Presents AOR is now available for pre-order. Among the top stuff in AOR issue No.2:  Cover story: the epic, chaotic, multi-platinum tale of Toto, the band who invented AOR.

Features on Houston, Mr Big, The Babys, Roxette, FM, King Kobra, Moritz, Ten and more.

Interview with Journey guitarist Neal Schon, a review of the band’s new album Eclipse, and a major live review of Journey and Night Ranger from Las Vegas.

An exhaustive A To Z Of AOR, covering everyone from Alexa Anastasia to Richie Zito.

The phenomenon known as Yacht Rock – featuring interviews with Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggins!

A celebration of the 35th anniversaries of two key albums: Blue Öyster Cult’s Agents Of Fortune and Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive!

The second edition of AOR also comes with a sensational FREE 15-track CD: Lovin’ Every Minute Of It. Among the tracks on the CD are an exclusive, never-before-released live version of Toto’s Pamela, plus a brand-new studio song from Journey called City Of Hope. Classic Rock Presents AOR issue No.2 goes on sale on May 6. But you can pre-order your copy today – with free UK delivery!

Go here for the full pre-order details.

One of the most popular and defining musicians of his generation, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel has sold more than 100 million albums and consistently sells out arenas and stadiums around the world. From the song which first brought him wide notice, "Piano Man," through such legendary hits as “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “New York State of Mind,” “Just the Way You Are," and numerous others, in his upcoming memoir, 
THE BOOK OF JOEL: A Memoir, written with Fred Schruers, Joel brings us along for the emotional ride, unveiling the life events that brought the original inspiration for his songs, then sharing insights into the process of writing and recording them.

A concert celebrating the end of an era: The Beatles opened it and Billy Joel closed it. The Last Play At Shea, staged on July 16 and July 18, 2008 before a combined 110,000 fans, comprised the final performances ever at the historic stadium. Live At Shea Stadium contains two and a half hours of hits and album favorites, featuring special guests Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Steven Tyler and Roger Daltrey. Live At Shea Stadium captures the music and memories of a generation.