ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC .12, 1991 By Steve Newton This scribbler’s teenage memories are filled with happy thoughts of Aerosmith, the best thing from Boston since Bobby Orr. There’s the time me and some pals hijacked somebody’s dad’s car and travelled down to Seattle’s Kingdome to join 60,000 other maniacs for a show on the … Continue reading Pandora’s Box conjures vivid memories of Aerosmith in the seventies
Category: sound and vision
The Definitive Lynyrd Skynyrd Collection is a must-have for hardcore Skynyrd fans
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton I know, I know—you can’t win. Just when you’ve finally replaced all your cherished Lynyrd Skynyrd LPs with half a dozen CDs, along comes a 3-CD box set that covers the entire course of the classic southern rock band’s ill-fated career. Well, don’t … Continue reading The Definitive Lynyrd Skynyrd Collection is a must-have for hardcore Skynyrd fans
Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton I’ve always thought Crosby, Stills & Nash sounded best with a “Young” tagged on the end, so it was good to find out there are actually 18 CSN&Y tunes among this four-CD set’s massive 67 tracks. But after one run-through of these tunes, … Continue reading Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
The Doors announce 50th anniversary deluxe edition of killer debut album
By Steve Newton I was only nine when the first Doors album came out in January of 1967, so I didn't run out and buy it. But I sure remember them playing the hell out of "Light My Fire" on the radio when it was released as a single four months later. Damn I loved … Continue reading The Doors announce 50th anniversary deluxe edition of killer debut album
Clapton captured live in the ’70s on vinyl-only box set
By Steve Newton Eric Clapton freaks who think the legendary guitarist did his best work in the seventies--on vinyl!--will be happy to know that a six-piece vinyl-only box set, The Live Album Collection 1970-1980, will hit stores March 25. Universal Music Canada announced the package today, describing it as a companion piece to the nine-piece … Continue reading Clapton captured live in the ’70s on vinyl-only box set
Rounder hits the mark with no-frills Box of the Blues
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Blues fans looking to acquire a worthy cross-section of the genre—but who aren’t up to shelling out big bucks for the premium package centred on Martin Scorsese’s film series The Blues—should consider this compact, no-frills set. The four-disc collection brings together 60 tracks … Continue reading Rounder hits the mark with no-frills Box of the Blues
ZZ Top goes heavy on the ’70s with Chrome, Smoke & BBQ box
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton In 1987, blues-rockers ZZ Top released a three-disc compilation of their early work titled The ZZ Top Sixpack, which included such stellar mid-’70s albums as Tres Hombres, Fandango, and Tejas. If you own that collection, you’ve already acquired most of the trio’s best … Continue reading ZZ Top goes heavy on the ’70s with Chrome, Smoke & BBQ box
Queen box set out today captures the legendary rockers live in ’75
By Steve Newton Queen freaks who couldn't quite afford the massive Queen Studio Collection that was released a couple of months ago should know that the legendary British rockers are issuing another box set today (December 18), one that is aimed at fans who adored the band in its mid-'70s, long-hair-on-Mercury heyday. A Night at the Odeon captures … Continue reading Queen box set out today captures the legendary rockers live in ’75
Black Sabbath reissues bring back memories of “War Pigs”-inspired furniture abuse
By Steve Newton I have hazy memories of the very first albums I ever owned, but there's three that stick out in my mind: Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies, Deep Purple's Fireball, and Black Sabbath's Paranoid. I used to play the hell out of them on an ancient stereo downstairs in my parents' "rumpus room". And my favourite … Continue reading Black Sabbath reissues bring back memories of “War Pigs”-inspired furniture abuse
Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, is everywhere next month
By Steve Newton Fans of Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, are in for some real treats next month. Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, announced today that it will release a collection of music titled JACO: Original Soundtrack on November 27, aka Record Store Day Black Friday 2015. Produced by … Continue reading Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, is everywhere next month
The ultimate Queen fan and vinyl freak just creamed his or her jeans
By Steve Newton There's been some pretty freakin' sweet deluxe-edition vinyl box sets released in the last little while, especially if you're a '70s-rock fanatic. That John Lennon package from last April--with all his solo albums on LP--was a real treat for Lennon aficianados. And the Roxy Music collection that came out the month before that was a godsend … Continue reading The ultimate Queen fan and vinyl freak just creamed his or her jeans
Wes Craven’s 1991 horror hoot The People Under the Stairs gets collectible Blu-ray release today
By Steve Newton Scream Factory, the horror arm of the Shout! Factory home video and music company, is releasing a collector's edition Blu-ray of terror titan Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs today. Bonus features include: Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Wes Craven Audio Commentary With Actors Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen And Yan Birch House Mother … Continue reading Wes Craven’s 1991 horror hoot The People Under the Stairs gets collectible Blu-ray release today
Stray Cats Live at Rockpalast finds the rockabilly revivalists at their ballsy best
By Steve Newton Maybe, like me, you were lucky enough to catch the Stray Cats when they played the Commodore back in '82. Or perhaps you saw them when they were on that bill at GM Place in 2007 with the Pretenders and ZZ Top. But if you're one of those sad sacks who've never seen the Stray … Continue reading Stray Cats Live at Rockpalast finds the rockabilly revivalists at their ballsy best