Classic Rock Special – The Blues Collection – 10th Edition – 6 August 2026
Summary
Jimi Hendrix arrived in London in 1966 and shocked Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck into a new, explosive kind of electric blues — and the 6 August 2026 Tenth Edition of Classic Rock Special's The Blues Collection traces that shockwave across 18 features and five buyer's guides. From Howlin' Wolf's 1970 London Sessions to Gary Moore's risky 1990 pivot Still Got The Blues, this 10th-edition anthology gathers the magazine's best blues writing under one cover, starring Hendrix, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, ZZ Top, Walter Trout and Dr Feelgood.
The feature roster opens with The Birth Of Heavy Blues (page 6), the story of how British rock royalty chased Hendrix's sound, then moves through deep-dive profiles: Howlin' Wolf (page 20), Peter Green and the birth of Fleetwood Mac (page 32), Buddy Guy (page 42), ZZ Top's Tres Hombres era (page 58), Dr Feelgood's Down By The Jetty (page 90), and Walter Trout's near-death health crisis and the transplant that saved him (page 102). Buyer's guides cover Bo Diddley, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Stax Records, Johnny Winter, Big Mama Thornton and Gary Moore — each with recommended albums and key tracks. The 23 Greatest Live Albums feature (page 72) ranks B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Etta James and others. Blues Brothers (page 80) traces the arc from bar-room sketch to cult film to a generation's introduction to John Lee Hooker.
Regular features include a full discography-oriented buyer's guide format repeated across eight profiles, each weighing peak periods against lesser-known gems. The Stax Records guide (page 56) covers Albert King's blues, Otis Redding's soul and Isaac Hayes' funk under one roof. Readers get practical collection-building advice: which Johnny Winter album hits hardest, which Eric Clapton era to start with, and which live recording changed the genre. The compilation is assembled by Sarah Bankes and Adam Markiewicz from the Classic Rock and Metal Hammer archives.
Editor's Take
The Blues Collection Tenth Edition delivers exactly what it promises — a hefty, buyer's-guide-heavy anthology from a reputable archive. The strongest features are the Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac origin story and the Walter Trout survival narrative, both of which bring genuine emotional weight. The buyer's guides are functional but repetitive: the same format applied to eight artists starts to blur by page 70. The weakest section is the 23 Greatest Live Albums list, which reads more like a rapid-fire catalogue than a considered ranking. This is for the collector who wants a single-volume blues library shortcut, not for the deep fan who already owns the original issues.
Strengths
• Peter Green and Walter Trout features with substantial original interviews
• Eight structured buyer's guides with track recommendations
• Covers the full 1960s–1990s electric blues arc in one volume
Weaknesses
• Buyer's guide format becomes formulaic across eight repeats
• 23 Greatest Live Albums list lacks depth — more catalogue than critique
Verdict: Recommended — A solid single-volume blues collection guide for newcomers and mid-level fans, but not essential for those who already own the source issues.
