ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 15, 2001 By Steve Newton Alice Cooper used to be the king. In the early ’70s he released four successive LPs—Love It to Death, Killer, School’s Out, and Billion Dollar Babies—that continue to rank among the top 100 guitar-rock records of all time. Back then Cooper and … Continue reading Album reviews: Alice Cooper, Dragontown (2001)
Album review: Ozzy Osbourne, Down to Earth (2001)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 8, 2001 By Steve Newton Having seen Ozzy Osbourne perform so terribly in concert over the years—out of tune, out of breath, and generally just out of it—I’m always surprised by how competently he sings in the studio. Maybe he just tries harder when the tape is … Continue reading Album review: Ozzy Osbourne, Down to Earth (2001)
Album review: AC/DC, Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 11, 2000 By Steve Newton It’s hard to believe that the scruffy Aussie hooligans who blessed rock music with the blues-metal masterwork Back in Black are now content to churn out such substandard fare as Stiff Upper Lip. Don’t be fooled by the CD’s spirited title track, … Continue reading Album review: AC/DC, Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Grand Funk gives ’70s rock a bad name on Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with collecting albums, and all my money went toward that goal. My friends had nice cars; I had nice records. Nowadays, I get most of my music free from record labels, but it’s almost … Continue reading Grand Funk gives ’70s rock a bad name on Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999
The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper includes the filler not found on Killer
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton There are a couple of ways to enjoy the best music of legendary shock-rocker Alice Cooper, and one of them is to purchase this four-disc retrospective of his work. The other is to just go out and buy his four early-’70s albums, Love … Continue reading The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper includes the filler not found on Killer
Warren Haynes says that playing guitar with Derek Trucks comes naturally, “like drinkin’ water”
kirk west photo By Steve Newton I love talking to Warren Haynes. Apart from being one of my fave guitarists, he's just such a cool, cool guy. I did my sixth interview with Haynes in 2017, when Gov't Mule was playing a show at Vancouver's Vogue Theatre. At one point in the interview I had … Continue reading Warren Haynes says that playing guitar with Derek Trucks comes naturally, “like drinkin’ water”
Shades 1968-1998 box set delivers all the best colours of Deep Purple
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1999 By Steve Newton I’ve been a Deep Purple fan for as long as I’ve loved rock. Fireball was among the first LPs I ever purchased and played on my parents’ crappy rec-room stereo from the ’50s. Even today, when “Highway Star” comes on the car … Continue reading Shades 1968-1998 box set delivers all the best colours of Deep Purple
Horror superstar Clive Barker on having the world by the balls at 35
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON 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 as the next … Continue reading Horror superstar Clive Barker on having the world by the balls at 35
That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allman Brothers transcend generations
By Steve Newton Allman Brothers Band fans (and guitar freaks in general) seem to really enjoy the audio excerpts I've been posting from my four interviews with Dickey Betts over the years, so here's another one. Back in July of '92 I did my third interview with Dickey, after the band had released its live album … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allman Brothers transcend generations
Album review: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Legend (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 30, 1987 By Steve Newton If there was one band I would have killed (well, maimed anyway) to see in its original lineup, that band would have been Lynryd Skynryd, the pride of Jacksonville, Florida, and arguably the best southern rock band to come along. That wish was shattered forever with the death … Continue reading Album review: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Legend (1987)
Album review: Def Leppard, Hysteria (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 13, 1987 By Steve Newton You've probably heard some of the buzz words used to categorize various types of heavy metal. There's speed metal, thrash metal, death metal, and--in the case of bands like Venom--toilet metal. Well, here's a new one: happy metal. It pretty well sums up … Continue reading Album review: Def Leppard, Hysteria (1987)
Album review: The Black Crowes, By Your Side (1999)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 11, 1999 By Steve Newton It’s no wonder that, after two unfocused and relatively unpopular CDs, the Black Crowes would get back to the straightforward boogie that made them a sensation with their 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker. But what is surprising is the vengeance with which … Continue reading Album review: The Black Crowes, By Your Side (1999)
Album review: The Tragically Hip, Phantom Power (1998)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 20, 1998 By Steve Newton I took my wife, Dawn, to see the Tragically Hip at Thunderbird Stadium last summer when she was seven months pregnant with our first child, Tess Georgia. They say a body is susceptible to sonic vibrations in utero, and I’d have to … Continue reading Album review: The Tragically Hip, Phantom Power (1998)