Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

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About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with 35 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of the interview anthology "The Classic Rock Bob Reader" and "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Both available on Amazon!

Boogie & Blues Rockers Foghat Keep Up Their Sonic Mojo

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

Turn on any Classic Rock radio station—terrestrial, satellite or streaming—and you’re sure to hear something by Foghat. The UK-bred boogie blues band scored in the ’70s with hits like “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” “Drivin’ Wheel,” “Fool … Continue reading →

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When Mark Farner Funked Up Woodstock Nation

Posted on December 23, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

There have been three “official” iterations of the Woodstock Festival. The 1969 original that gave its name to an entire generation and spawned almost as many myths as truths; the 1994 edition that attempted to bridge the music, and the … Continue reading →

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A Half Century of KISStory is Celebrated—Loudly—in New Book

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

If you’ve got a KISS fan on your upcoming gift list and don’t know what to possibly get for he or she (though it’s probably a he…), fear no more! Your shopping stress just got a little easier with the … Continue reading →

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Beck, Bogert & Appice—Classic Rock’s “Lost” Power Trio—Thunder on Live Box Set

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

Though it’s been nearly a year since the sudden and unexpected death of guitarist Jeff Beck from bacterial meningitis, his former bandmate, drummer Carmine Appice, is still stunned. Especially since the two had been working closely together on a new … Continue reading →

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Mark Volman of the Turtles is Happy—Forever!

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

He wasn’t the lead singer—that would be his lifelong partner in music and comedy, Howard Kaylan. He didn’t write any of his band’s many ‘60s hits like “Happy Together,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “Elenore,” “You Showed Me,” “You Baby,” “She’d … Continue reading →

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Geezer Butler’s Lifetime of Sabbaths—and the Days of Metal In Between

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

The song opens unlike anything else that had been heard in rock music to date. The sounds of a howling wind, drizzling rain, thunder, and then the slow, repetitive tolling of a bell. Just when you think it’s a Halloween … Continue reading →

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Firefall Focuses on Famous Friends & Family

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

The country-tinged classic rockers in Firefall first ignited their musical ember in 1974. That means they’ve had nearly five decades worth of touring with other bands, while various members have also played with big-name artists or been in noted groups. … Continue reading →

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Celebrating Quadrophenia—The Who’s “Other” Rock Opera

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

It’s not the Who’s most famous rock opera—that would be the one about the deaf, dumb and blind kid with great flipper action, Tommy. Nor is it the great “What If?” never-assembled rock opera—that would be Lifehouse, most of which … Continue reading →

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Book Charts Eagles’ Soaring Heights and Plummeting Crashes

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

As esteemed rock journo Mick Wall writes in his introduction, Don Henley hates books about his band, Eagles (there is technically no definite article in the group’s name—so you’ve been saying it wrong all these years. See also: Talking Heads). … Continue reading →

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Cows, Pigs and Prisms: Doc Tells the Graphic Story of Hipgnosis

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Bob Ruggiero

If you were a rock performer or band in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and wanted a cover for your record that was mysterious, arty, and a bit jarring all at the same time, then Hipgnosis was you go-to graphic … Continue reading →

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