By Steve Newton Steely Dan cofounder, cosongwriter, guitarist, and bassist Walter Becker passed away today at the age of 67. I freakin' love Steely Dan. Here's 10 of my fave tunes by them, in chronological order. I could easily come up with 20 more--including all the hits. (And if this list would have gone up to … Continue reading R.I.P. Walter Becker: here’s 10 of the Newt’s fave Steely Dan tunes
That time I asked Dickey Betts if the Allman Brothers’ new live album captured the band as well as At Fillmore East
By Steve Newton The Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East has long been regarded as one of the finest concert albums of all time, and you won't get any argument from me about that. But it's not the band's only great live LP. Back in 1992 I did my third interview with ABB guitarist Dickey Betts, … Continue reading That time I asked Dickey Betts if the Allman Brothers’ new live album captured the band as well as At Fillmore East
Guns N’ Roses hit the mark in Vancouver by playing covers better than their own
photo by the Newt By Steve Newton I wasn't that excited about going to see Guns N' Roses at BC Place last night, mainly because I wasn't sure if they were still gonna have what it takes to pull off killer rock shows like they did back in the nineties. There were concerns about Axl … Continue reading Guns N’ Roses hit the mark in Vancouver by playing covers better than their own
Yes guitarist Steve Howe on playing at 70 and the tragedy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 31, 2017 By Steve Newton The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is notorious for taking forever to induct bands that almost everyone but the institution’s voting members thinks are overdue for entry. There was much frustration among rock fans—especially of the Canuck persuasion—when the mighty Rush kept getting shunned, … Continue reading Yes guitarist Steve Howe on playing at 70 and the tragedy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Heart singer Ann Wilson’s passionate wails can still send a shiver up the spine in 1987
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 4, 1987 By Steve Newton Heart has come a long way from the days when they used to play high-school dances and small-town community halls across B.C. They drew 12,000 fans to the Pacific Coliseum last Friday (August 28), and the predominance of David Bowie and Huey … Continue reading Heart singer Ann Wilson’s passionate wails can still send a shiver up the spine in 1987
That time I called Dickey Betts to talk about the Allman Brothers’ new live album and a lady said he wasn’t home
kirk west photo By Steve Newton I've interviewed Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts four times, which is pretty cool, since he was one of my main guitar heroes in the seventies. Over the last year or so I've been posting audio excerpts from my 1991 interview with Dickey, when the Allmans were touring behind their … Continue reading That time I called Dickey Betts to talk about the Allman Brothers’ new live album and a lady said he wasn’t home
Original Pennywise makeup-FX artist Bart Mixon talks Tim Curry’s look on the 1990 set of Stephen King’s It
By Steve Newton Life is full of surprises--and sometimes they're good. Like what happened today, for instance. I was playing that old cassette tape I used to record my exclusive Fangoria interview with Tim Curry on the Vancouver set of Stephen King's It back in 1990. I thought that all I had on there was my … Continue reading Original Pennywise makeup-FX artist Bart Mixon talks Tim Curry’s look on the 1990 set of Stephen King’s It
That time Link Wray told me why he became a rocker
By Steve Newton Back in 1997 I did my one and only interview with guitar legend Link Wray, and man was that cool. He's always been one of those players who never got the credit he deserved, considering how influential he was. Those boneheads down at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame haven't even … Continue reading That time Link Wray told me why he became a rocker
Mason Ruffner was inspired by Jimmy Page to inject fire into his Gypsy Blood
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 31, 1987 By Steve Newton The Fabulous Thunderbirds are from Austin, Texas. Mason Ruffner is from Forth Worth. The Fabulous Thunderbirds hit it big last year with an album produced by Dave Edmunds. Mason Ruffner is hitting it big this year with an album produced by Dave Edmunds. Is there a … Continue reading Mason Ruffner was inspired by Jimmy Page to inject fire into his Gypsy Blood
Remembering Kiss before the reunion tour got Gene Simmons back in diapers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 29, 1996 By Steve Newton If you were a rock-loving teenager in the ’70s, you probably have some kind of Kiss story to tell. Maybe you made your own outfits and played in a Kiss air-guitar band (“I wanna be Ace!”), or painted a black star around one … Continue reading Remembering Kiss before the reunion tour got Gene Simmons back in diapers
That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
By Steve Newton I realize I've mentioned it before--maybe more than once--but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn't dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool--not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
Hollywood wins the War for the Planet of the Apes
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 12, 2017 By Steve Newton I've harboured a peculiar fondness for the Planet of the Apes movies ever since I saw the 1968 original at Chilliwack's historic--and since demolished--Paramount Theatre at age 11. Even then I could tell that it was pretty dumb, but I had a thing about "gorillas"--even … Continue reading Hollywood wins the War for the Planet of the Apes
That time Circus Magazine’s editorial department sent me a rejection letter :(
By Steve Newton Thirty-six years ago today somebody at Circus Magazine sent me a rejection letter. They could have at least signed it. Back in the seventies I devoured Circus. It was a total fanzine, but it really covered the bands I was interested in. On any given issue you'd see capitalized band names like MOTT, … Continue reading That time Circus Magazine’s editorial department sent me a rejection letter 🙁