ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 21, 1998 By Steve Newton I know a little about seminal blues-rockers Savoy Brown. I know that they’ve been around since 1966, that founding guitarist Kim Simmonds is the only original member left, and that the boogie tune “Tell Mama” used to rock my world in the early ’70s. What’s news … Continue reading Kim Simmonds ponders an early-’70s era Savoy Brown reunion with the guys from Foghat
By Steve Newton 1973 sure was a stellar year for guitar-based rock. Maybe the best one ever. Mind you, that opinion has a lot to do with how old I was back in ’73 (which just happened to be the same year that Bob Seger released Back in ’72, the one with “Rosalie” and “Turn … Continue reading 50 years on, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut LP still brings the dynamite in both hands
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 22, 2010 By Steve Newton I heard a rumour a while back that the Faces might be getting back together. I remember seeing them at Pacific Coliseum in the ’70s—with Foghat opening up!—and they were a raggedy-ass rock ’n’ roll machine. Ronnie Wood was blasting out that wonderful … Continue reading Album review: Rod Stewart, Soulbook (2009)
By Steve Newton Back in the ’70s, Foghat were the kings of boogie. And boogie ruled, back in the seventies. 20. “Long Way to Go” (Foghat, aka Rock and Roll, 1973) 19. “Fly By Night” (Energized, 1974) 18. “A Hole to Hide In” (Foghat, 1972) 17. “Take It or Leave It” (Fool for the City, 1975) … Continue reading Foghat’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
By Steve Newton Remember how you’d set the needle down on the opening track of a new rock album and the first tune would just blow you the funk away? Me too. “(Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party” (Bloodshot, J. Geils Band, 1973) “All the Way From Memphis” (Mott, Mott the Hoople, 1973) “Already Gone” … Continue reading The 70 greatest opening tracks of the ’70s
By Steve Newton I was a huge Foghat fan in the seventies. I couldn’t get enough of their hard-driving boogie-blues on albums like Energized and Rock and Roll Outlaws. When I learned that most of their original members had come from a band called Savoy Brown I went and checked them out as well, and … Continue reading That time Kim Simmonds told me that Eric Clapton was the greatest white blues guitar player he’d ever seen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 18, 1985 By Steve Newton Dan Hartman likes to pull people’s legs. That’s why, for the video of his big 1984 hit “I Can Dream About You”, he had four black guys doing the song, singing and dancing and sliding around. The first impression is that one of … Continue reading Dan Hartman flying high 12 years after taking his “Free Ride” with the Edgar Winter Group
By Steve Newton The 2001 David Spade white-trash comedy Joe Dirt isn’t the best movie ever made, but it sure featured a rockin’ soundtrack. Some of my all-time fave bands are on there, including Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Van Halen, Foghat, BTO, the James Gang, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Canada’s own April Wine also shows … Continue reading That time Myles Goodwyn told me how April Wine’s “Roller” got on the Joe Dirt soundtrack
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 30, 1995 By Steve Newton Foghat were the gods of boogie when I was a teen—at least they were when Status Quo wasn’t hogging the old turntable. Over time, the band’s obtuse, party-hearty approach came to represent all that was lacking in the decade’s rock scene, but … Continue reading Album review: Foghat, Return of the Boogie Men (1995)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 4, 1987 By Steve Newton The raunchy guitar sounds of the ’70s were all the rage at the Commodore last weekend (November 27 and 28), with British boogiemeisters Foghat headlining over Florida-based southern rockers the Outlaws. But it was the triple-guitar attack of the openers that was the real highlight both nights. I’d … Continue reading The Outlaws’ triple-guitar attack outshines Foghat’s boogie-blues in Vancouver
By Steve Newton FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve worked at the Georgia Straight since ’82 so, yeah, I could be a little biased. I didn’t grow up in Vancouver. I hail from the small Fraser Valley community of Chilliwack, best known for ice storms in the winter, Cultus Lake in the summer, and the rock band Chilliwack … Continue reading You can tell a book by its covers: The Georgia Straight–A 50th Anniversary Celebration
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1986 By Steve Newton Have you ever heard of the Kneetremblers? Didn’t think so. How about Foghat? Now that name should ring a bell, because Foghat were one of the top boogie bands of the seventies. They released 14 hard-driving albums, although only one of their songs, … Continue reading When Foghat were the Kneetremblers and Roger Earl played to the cheap seats
Sora: Desire and Truth (2009) Rob Zombie: Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (2009) Rod Stewart, Soulbook (2009) Joe Perry: Have Guitar, Will Travel (2009) Damon Fowler, Sugar Shack (2009) Lynyrd Skynyrd: God & Guns (2009) John Fogerty: The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (2009) The Bottle Rockets: Lean Forward (2009) Various Artists: True Blood, Music from the … Continue reading album reviews
