ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 4, 2003 By Steve Newton With all the worthwhile Jimi Hendrix CDs being issued these days by Experience Hendrix, the Hendrix-family company based out of Seattle, there isn’t much need for this collection of outtakes and alternate mixes from the 1967 sessions that spawned the second JHE LP, … Continue reading Album review: Jimi Hendrix, Axis Outtakes (2003)
Album review: ZZ Top, Mescalero (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 13, 2003 By Steve Newton It’s hard to believe that the same three guys who gave the world Tres Hombres are content to dump 16 tracks of crap on unsuspecting fans who might think the “Lil Old Band from Texas” still has a reason to be around. Guitarist … Continue reading Album review: ZZ Top, Mescalero (2003)
Album review: Nickelback, The Long Road (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton The Long Road, the highly anticipated follow-up to Nickelback’s hugely successful Silver Side Up, wasn’t worth getting excited about. It starts off okay with the riotous “Flat on the Floor”, but by the second tune, “Do This Anymore”, it’s clear the Alberta-raised, Vancouver-based … Continue reading Album review: Nickelback, The Long Road (2003)
Album review: Joe Jackson Band, Volume 4 (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 27, 2003 By Steve Newton When I recall my late-’70s/early-’80s fondness for Brit pop-punk Joe Jackson, I drift back to days spent in a rundown party pad at the foot of a dead-end street in Chilliwack. For some reason, I remember myself one spring afternoon mowing the lawn … Continue reading Album review: Joe Jackson Band, Volume 4 (2003)
Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 2003 By Steve Newton Back in June of 1972, when these live recordings were made at the L.A. Forum and Long Beach Arena, I wasn’t a big Led Zeppelin fan. I was too busy reaming my ears with then-new LPs like Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, Deep Purple’s … Continue reading Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)
American Dog guitarist Steve Theado bounces back from highway hell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 22, 2003 By Steve Newton The rock ’n’ roll life has its share of bumps along the road, like the rough ride that American Dog guitarist Steve Theado took in January of last year. He was driving home from a gig in his home state of Ohio late … Continue reading American Dog guitarist Steve Theado bounces back from highway hell
Album review: Yardbirds, Birdland (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 8, 2003 By Steve Newton You might think, since the current version of the Yardbirds includes only two founding members of the pioneering ’60s Brit-rock act—rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja and drummer Jim McCarty—that the latest installment is just trying to cash in on the group’s famous name. One … Continue reading Album review: Yardbirds, Birdland (2003)
Album review: Jimmy Thackery, Guitar (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 20, 2003 By Steve Newton Last year American blues-rock guitar ace Jimmy Thackery released a wonderfully overdue tribute to relatively unknown music great Eddie Hinton. Now he tips the hat to a few other six-string stalwarts with Guitar, collecting nine instrumental tracks from his own Blind Pig back … Continue reading Album review: Jimmy Thackery, Guitar (2003)
Album review: Various Artists, We’re a Happy Family—A Tribute to Ramones (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 27, 2003 By Steve Newton You don’t fuck with the Ramones. And one of the best ways to not fuck with them is to not change their music around; i.e., slow it down. Somebody should have pointed that obvious fact out to Marilyn Manson before they let the … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, We’re a Happy Family—A Tribute to Ramones (2003)
Another WolfCop is way better than WolfCop, but still pretty awful
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 1, 2017 By Steve Newton Apparently, quite a few people thought WolfCop--the 2014 horror-comedy about an alcoholic werewolf policeman battling ancient shapeshifters in smalltown Canada--was an okay movie. It holds a "Fresh" rating of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics seeing it as an entertaining throwback to the cheap direct-to-video … Continue reading Another WolfCop is way better than WolfCop, but still pretty awful
The Outlaws’ triple-guitar attack outshines Foghat’s boogie-blues in Vancouver
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
Blues-rocker Candye Kane puts aside her porno past
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 13, 2003 By Steve Newton Some say that blues-metal was born in 1969 when Led Zeppelin released “Whole Lotta Love”, and indeed that tune’s thundering guitar riff and wailing vocals have launched a thousand headbanger bands. Today it’s still having a powerful effect. Just ask Candye Kane, who … Continue reading Blues-rocker Candye Kane puts aside her porno past
Guitar legend Warren Haynes admits he’s “a Gibson guy”, but still likes to play a Fender now and then
texastengu photo By Steve Newton When you see a promotional image of Warren Haynes, or an in-concert shot, the American guitar legend is almost always clutching a Les Paul. So I was kinda surprised to see that on the most recent Gov't Mule album, Revolution Come...Revolution Go, there's a photo of him in the CD … Continue reading Guitar legend Warren Haynes admits he’s “a Gibson guy”, but still likes to play a Fender now and then