By Steve Newton Hurry Sundown rules. 20. “Stay With Me” (Outlaws, 1975) 19. “Hearin’ My Heart Talkin’” (Hurry Sundown, 1977) 18. “Cry No More” (Outlaws, 1975) 17. “Song For You” (Outlaws, 1975) 16. “So Afraid” (Hurry Sundown, 1977) 15. “Waterhole” (Outlaws, 1975) 14. “So Long” (It’s About Pride, 2012) 13. “Loverboy” (Lady in Waiting, 1976) … Continue reading The Outlaws’ 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
By Steve Newton I really, really enjoy guitar solos sometimes. When a geetar player hits just the right notes with just the right feel, it’s almost like a religious experience for me. That’s why I’ve asked God to bless exquisite guitar solos by Scott Gorham on Thin Lizzy’s “Romeo and the Lonely Girl”, Donald “Buck … Continue reading God bless Hughie Thomasson’s guitar solo on the Outlaws’ “Hurry Sundown”
By Steve Newton I interviewed Rickey Medlocke in 1997, the year after he’d joined Gary Rossington and Hughie Thomasson in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s three-guitar lineup. While Rossington was a founding Skynyrd guitarist, and Medlocke had played drums for them in their early days, Medlocke and Thomasson had made their names in two of my other fave … Continue reading That time I asked Rickey Medlocke if he and Hughie Thomasson might get to sneak a Blackfoot or Outlaws tune into Skynyrd’s set
bev davies photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 7, 1985 By Steve Newton Most people visit the Fraser Arms Hotel to see the Top 40 bands at Frams, but last Saturday night I had the urge for something a little more mellow. (I knew I’d be ending up at the D.O.A. show later … Continue reading A night on the town in Vancouver circa 1985 starts with “Mick from Paradox” and ends with D.O.A.
Horror director Gigi Saul Guerrero appears at the Rio By Steve Newton MONDAY: American indie-rockers Built to Spill, featuring singer-guitarist Doug Martsch, play the Commodore Ballroom, with guests Braided Waves and Anchorbaby. MONDAY: the Vancouver Canucks take on the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights in National Hockey League action at Rogers Arena. Blue Rodeo plays the … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this week, Nov. 21-25
By Steve Newton Since the death of Meat Loaf last Thursday I’ve been hearing an awful lot about his 1977 debut album, Bat Out of Hell. The media’s been falling all over itself, declaring how it’s one of the best-selling albums of all time–moving over 40 million copies–and how much people love the music on … Continue reading 25 rock albums from 1977 that are way better than Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell
Geez, even Jimi knew Johnny ruled. By Steve Newton Back in September of 2010 Gibson.com posted what it felt were the 50 greatest guitar solos of all time, and boy did they ever blow it. Most conspicuous by his absence is Texas blues-rock legend Johnny Winter. I for one am getting sick and tired of … Continue reading Gibson picked the top 50 guitar solos of all time, and boy did they ever blow it
kirk west photo By Steve Newton The spirit of southern rock was alive and well when I was a music-crazed teenager in the seventies. Skynyrd, Hatchet, Blackfoot, Outlaws, Allmans: I ate it up. Then the eighties came along and the sound of the south took a nosedive, popularity-wise. But back in the early ’90s the … Continue reading That time I asked Warren Haynes if the spirit of southern rock was alive and well in 1994
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 17, 1994 By Steve Newton In today’s high-tech, high-finance music world–where flavour-of-the-month recording “artists” of questionable talent can essentially buy fame with expensive corporate-funded video clips–it’s nice to know that devoted, honest folks with simple, strong tunes can still get a shot at the big time. Such is the case with … Continue reading Collective Soul’s Ed Roland is still shocked by the success of “Shine”
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, SEPT. 20, 1985 By Steve Newton Former Heart guitarist Roger Fisher, and his new band 10 Bulls, had their Vancouver debut at Club Soda this summer. The most surprising thing about their performance was the fact that nearly all their songs–with the exception of maybe five–were covers! I mean, … Continue reading Roger Fisher moves on from Heart-break with new band 10 Bulls and hopes for a record deal
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
