ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 12, 1988 By Steve Newton Die-hard McCartney fans whose record collections aren’t already jammed with his solo and Wings projects may want to consider this two-album set featuring the biggest hits (but not necessarily best songs) of the “cutest” Beatle. When McCartney is in prime songwriting form he can still … Continue reading Album review: Paul McCartney, All the Best (1987)
By Steve Newton Nineteen-seventy-five was one hell of an awesome year for rock. That was when Floyd released Wish You Were Here, Zep dropped Physical Graffiti, and Lizzy unleashed Fighting.And a band named Wings, featuring ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, joined the fray with a 13-track monster titled Venus and Mars. Man, I played the crap out of that album. From the … Continue reading Paul McCartney & Wings deluxe-edition box sets are pretty sweet
photo by rebecca blissett ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 26, 2012 By Steve Newton Pretty well all of the world’s biggest pop and rock acts have played Vancouver since the ’60s. The Rolling Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, U2, Guns N’ Roses—our city has played host to … Continue reading Paul McCartney leaves Vancouver’s Beatles fans with little to complain about
By Steve Newton Groundworks Marketing announced today that a new Paul McCartney tribute album will be released on November 17, and that it will feature some of my fave artists from the seventies, including Alice Cooper, Steve Miller, Heart, Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers, Montrose‘s Sammy Hagar, the Who’s Roger Daltrey, and Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander and … Continue reading The Art of McCartney boasts ’70s rockers Heart, Steve Miller, Sammy Hagar, and the Coop
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 28, 1997 By Steve Newton Back in the late ’60s, British blues-rock crooner Paul Rodgers wrapped his gravel ’n’ honey vocals around a simple, bludgeoning Paul Kossoff guitar riff and rock history was made. Twenty-seven years after its release, Free’s “All Right Now” has joined an elite club … Continue reading For Paul Rodgers, everything stems from playing live
I’ve always enjoy asking guitar heroes which players they’d most like to jam with if they could pick anyone, living or dead. And the last one I interviewed, George Thorogood, had a pretty interesting bucket list. “Well you can’t jam with Robert Johnson ’cause he didn’t need anybody,” replied the 64-year-old blues-rocker. And I can’t jam with Elmore … Continue reading George Thorogood wants to rock with McCartney and play the blues with Dylan
By Steve Newton Remember when the last track on an album would finish and you’d wish the music would just never end? Me too. “All Right Now” (Fire and Water, Free, 1970) “American Girl” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1976) “Another Star” (Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder, … Continue reading The 70 greatest closing tracks of the ’70s
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
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 23, 1988 By Steve Newton Horror is big stuff nowadays. Why, just flick your TV on any night and chances are you’ll come across War of the Worlds, Monsters, Tales from the Dark Side, or Freddy’s Nightmares. Walk into most any video store and you just might find … Continue reading Clive Barker on making movies, writing books, and the state of horror in 1988
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 18, 1986 By Steve Newton The Everly Brothers’ second “comeback” album is a worthy successor to their first, EB84. The latter album sported a nice hit single written by Paul McCartney (“On the Wings of a Nightingale”), and once more Phil and Don have carefully chosen other people’s … Continue reading Album review: The Everly Brothers, Born Yesterday (1986)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 11, 1987 By Steve Newton Remember that neat movie from 1970, The Magic Christian, which starred Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr and was a cutting farce on the lengths people would go to to get money? And remember that film’s nifty theme song, “Come and Get It”, which sounded like … Continue reading Badfinger’s Joey Molland on working with the Beatles and dealing with the fallout of suicide
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 13, 1987 By Steve Newton What scares you? Spiders? Sharp knives? The dentist? The threat of nuclear holocaust? Count me in on all the above, and add another: Clive Barker’s writing. Like Count Floyd used to say: “It’s scary stuff, kids!” At 35, Clive Barker is being touted … Continue reading Horror superstar Clive Barker on having the world by the balls at 35
By Steve Newton In celebration of the Georgia Straight turning 50 this year, I figured I’d offer a roundup of the 50 top Vancouver concerts I’ve reviewed while writing for the paper since 1982. Maybe you made it out to a couple yourself! Although I doubt you weaseled your way backstage at the Orpheum in ’93 to … Continue reading My 50 fave Vancouver concerts of all time (so far)
Aerosmith: Honkin’ on Bobo (2004) Eric Clapton: Me and Mr. Johnson (2004) Jimi Hendrix: Axis Outtakes (2003) ZZ Top: Mescalero (2003) Nickelback: The Long Road (2003) Joe Jackson Band: Volume 4 (2003) Led Zeppelin: How the West Was Won (2003) Yardbirds: Birdland (2003) Jimmy Thackery: Guitar (2003) Various Artists: We’re a Happy Family, A Tribute … Continue reading album reviews
By Steve Newton One of my alltime fave Canadian bands, the Age of Electric, is playing Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom tomorrow (March 24). They played the Commodore 11 months ago as well, and it was one of the most consistently rockin’ gigs I’d ever seen at the historic venue. Before that show I did a phone interview … Continue reading 29 minutes of shootin’ the shit with Age of Electric’s Todd Kerns, the most rockin’ Canadian bass player of the 21st century
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 18, 1986 By Steve Newton The Legends of Rock and Roll series, which takes place Sundays at the Expo Theatre, has had some pretty dismal moments so far. But with acts like The Ventures, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles still to come, the token appearances of people like … Continue reading Everly Brothers get legendary in Vancouver with the help of Albert Lee
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 11, 2013 By Steve Newton Whatever happened to the Gangnam style? Gov’t Mule Shout! Mule fans got a double dose of their favourite southern-flavoured blues/jam-rock outfit this time around, as all 11 tracks on Shout! were rerecorded on a second disc with a stellar cast of guest singers, including Ben Harper, … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2013
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 13, 1985 By Steve Newton Long John Baldry is a giant among British blues-rockers–and that’s not only because he stands 6 feet 7-1/2 inches tall. In his 26-year career the singer has played with stars such as Mick jagger, Rod Stewart, and Elton John, among many others, and … Continue reading Long John Baldry on Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, David Bowie–and Dale Martindale of Images in Vogue
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 5, 1983 By Steve Newton Formed in 1975 by Kevin DuBrow and the late Randy Rhoads (who died in a plane crash last year while a member of the Ozzy Osbourne band), Quiet Riot were one of the leading Los Angeles rock bands during the late seventies. Boasting … Continue reading Rudy Sarzo on Randy Rhoads, life after Ozzy, and the return of Quiet Riot
By Steve Newton You had to be there. Abraxas: Santana (“Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen”, “Oye Coma Va”, “Samba Pa Ti”) 1970 A Day at the Races: Queen (“Tie Your Mother Down”, “Somebody to Love”, “Long Away”) 1976 Aerosmith: Aerosmith (“Make It”, “Dream On”, “Mama Kin”) 1973 After the Gold Rush: Neil Young (“Tell Me Why”, “Southern Man”, “When You … Continue reading The Newt’s 300 Best Rock Albums of the 1970s
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 6, 2003 By Steve Newton Unless you’re really up on your rock guitarists, Walter Trout may be the biggest guitar hero you’ve never heard of. In a 1993 BBC Radio 1 poll of the top 20 players of all time, Trout came in sixth, ahead of such six-string … Continue reading Walter Trout has a spiritual bond with his Strat of 30 years
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 5, 2002 By Steve Newton Twelve seems to be an age that many musicians—and music fans—look back on as being influential in the formation of their musical tastes. I can remember spending countless hours as a 12-year-old sprawled on my parents’ living-room rug, poring over the lyrics … Continue reading Tony Furtado dedicates song on American Gypsy to Americana great John Hartford
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 29, 1992 By Steve Newton Joe Satriani doesn’t do anything halfway. Whether writing, recording, or playing live, the New York-born, San Francisco-based guitar wizard always strives for musical perfection. If there were a rock ’n’ roll army, Satriani would surely be all that he could be. “One of … Continue reading Guitar wizard Joe Satriani is totally cool being The Extremist
“Sound and Vision” was a pretty cool tune from a David Bowie album that made my Top 30 Rock Albums of 1977. It’s also a pretty cool name for this page where I’ll gather up my box set (sound) and Blu-ray (vision) reviews. I might also throw in the odd DVD and CD/vinyl reissue when … Continue reading sound & vision
Ah, 1975. The year I graduated high school. Talk about dazed and confused. Albums listed alphabetically by title, including three choice tracks from each one to help you remember how wicked they really were. Against the Grain: Rory Gallagher (“Bought and Sold”, “Out on the Western Plain”, “Lost at Sea”) America’s Choice: Hot Tuna (“Sleep … Continue reading Ear of Newt’s Top 30 Rock Albums of 1975
Maybe you saw him at the Grammy’s the other night, performing his old hit “Photograph” and then playing drums behind Paul McCartney on some song that wasn’t a Beatles tune. Well, now you can see him in the flesh, as legendary Fab Four drummer and all-around good guy Ringo Starr is bringing his All-Starr Band … Continue reading Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band to perform at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver
Last year I decided to turn the clock back four decades and put together a list of my 30 fave albums of 1973, because, for one thing, that was the year when the greatest rock album of all time–the Who’s Quadrophenia–was released. Then, a couple of weeks back, I kept up the “40 years ago” … Continue reading Ear of Newt’s Top 30 Rock Albums of 1970
