ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 2, 2009 By Steve Newton I’m a sucker for guitar heroes. Check out my CD stash and you’ll find the biggest sections are reserved for Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, and Joe Satriani. But in recent years my main guitar-god … Continue reading Crest of a Wave shows off the best of shockingly underrated Rory Gallagher
Category: sound and vision
Drive-By Truckers captured at its raw and raucous best on Live from Austin TX
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 12, 2009 By Steve Newton Drive-By Truckers fans had cause for concern when long-time guitarist-vocalist Jason Isbell—one of the group’s main songwriters, along with cofounding singer-guitarists Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley—decided to leave the southern rock–influenced alt-country band in 2007. But the group simply responded by recruiting guitarist and pedal-steel … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers captured at its raw and raucous best on Live from Austin TX
Dio-era Rules of Hell box proves Sabbath thrived after Ozzy
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton Just as there are many who feel that Van Halen turned to crap when David Lee Roth left the fold, there are scads of metalheads who believe that Black Sabbath wasn’t worth shite without Ozzy Osbourne at the mike. Screw them. There’s no denying that … Continue reading Dio-era Rules of Hell box proves Sabbath thrived after Ozzy
Jeff Healey’s amazing legacy captured on three-disc package
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton At eight months old Jeff Healey lost his eyesight to a rare form of cancer, but he would overcome that monumental setback to achieve critical acclaim and international stardom. The Toronto blues-rocker died way too soon—just last March at the age of 41—but he left … Continue reading Jeff Healey’s amazing legacy captured on three-disc package
Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same remains awesome on vinyl
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton No sooner had I replaced the stylus on my ancient Yamaha turntable than into my mail slot slid a review copy of The Song Remains the Same, a four-disc vinyl re-release recorded during three sold-out Led Zeppelin gigs at Madison Square Garden in 1973. Thanks … Continue reading Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same remains awesome on vinyl
The mighty KISS marketing machine pulls off another fast one with IKONS
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton I’ve always argued that KISS’s best album was its self-titled 1974 debut, and that musically the band went downhill from there. For those who disagree, there’s IKONS. In an obvious effort to squeeze a few more bucks out of the American glam-rock quartet’s extensive catalogue, … Continue reading The mighty KISS marketing machine pulls off another fast one with IKONS
The soul-destroying legacy of “Sussudio” puts damper on Genesis box
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM. DEC. 5, 2007 By Steve Newton For me, "Sussudio" was the last straw. Even though it was part of Phil Collins's solo career, that tune irritated me so much that it threw a pall over everything he'd done before as Genesis's lead singer. Never again could I listen to worthwhile Collins-era … Continue reading The soul-destroying legacy of “Sussudio” puts damper on Genesis box
The volume knob on the Heavy Metal Box goes past 11
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 5, 2007 By Steve Newton This is one of the coolest-looking box sets ever. It's designed to resemble the head of a Marshall amp, and even features a volume knob that goes all the way to 11. How appropriate that Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom" is featured among the four-disc package's … Continue reading The volume knob on the Heavy Metal Box goes past 11
Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton The lineup of guitar slingers on this five-CD package is enough to make any blues-rock devotee start foaming at the mouth: Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Mick Taylor, Billy Gibbons, Otis Rush, Steve Miller, Walter Trout, Jeff Healey, Steve Cropper, and Jonny Lang. Such is … Continue reading Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
Extravagant Doors box captures cosmic aspects of the Lizard King
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton Anyone put off by surviving Doors members Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek’s attempts to cash in on the band’s legacy by scooping up Jim Morrison look-alike Ian Astbury for last year’s Doors of the 21st Century tour can take solace in this extravagant package. Perception … Continue reading Extravagant Doors box captures cosmic aspects of the Lizard King
Nine Lives box set best suited for hardcore Robert Plant fans only
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton Only hard-core fans of Robert Plant’s post-Zeppelin output should invest in the 10-disc Nine Lives set, which includes his nine solo albums—from 1982’s Pictures of Eleven through last year’s Mighty Rearranger—plus bonus tracks and an hourlong DVD. Nine Lives isn’t Christmas music, obviously, but that … Continue reading Nine Lives box set best suited for hardcore Robert Plant fans only
The Strat Pack DVD is a guitar freak’s dream come true
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 24, 2005 By Steve Newton Last year, in celebration of the Fender Stratocaster's 50th anniversary, an impressive array of electric guitarists got together at London's Wembley Arena to see what kind of joyful noise they could all make with Leo Fender's masterpiece of metal, plastic, and wood. The result is … Continue reading The Strat Pack DVD is a guitar freak’s dream come true
Tragically Hip box set artfully melds sound and vision
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 8, 2005 By Steve Newton My wife Dawn and I are big Tragically Hip fans. Heck, back in '97 we went to see them at Thunderbird Stadium when she was eight-months pregnant, giving our first-born an in-utero sampling of Canada's top guitar rockers. No wonder the opening riffs of "Little Bones" … Continue reading Tragically Hip box set artfully melds sound and vision