By Steve Newton Finally got around to watching the 2014 documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper for the first time the other night, and it was awesome: except for the part where they refused to even mention the name "Michael Bruce". For the uninitiated, Bruce was the rhythm guitarist for the Alice Cooper Band during its first … Continue reading Michael Bruce’s deletion from Super Duper Alice Cooper is a bloody travesty
Newt’s top 5 Vancouver concerts of 2015: U2, Foos, Skynyrd, Alvins, Emmanuel
Skynyrd photo by Kevin Statham, all other photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Lynyrd Skynyrd at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver on March 20. "When you’ve got three shit-hot guitarists tearing up the place on deathless southern-rock songs you can’t really go wrong, in my book." U2 (above) at Rogers Arena on May 14: "The encore … Continue reading Newt’s top 5 Vancouver concerts of 2015: U2, Foos, Skynyrd, Alvins, Emmanuel
Metal world mourns death of Motörhead mainman Lemmy Kilmister
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT. COM, DEC. 28, 2015 By Steve Newton The heavy-metal world is in mourning tonight as one of its most beloved figures has passed away. Lemmy Kilmister, singer-bassist and principal songwriter for legendary metal act Motörhead, died at his home in L.A. today, just days after being diagnosed with an extremely aggressive … Continue reading Metal world mourns death of Motörhead mainman Lemmy Kilmister
Newt’s top 10 albums of 2003
By Steve Newton In a fucked-up music world where turntables pass for musical instruments, thuggish recording “artists” are judged by how many bullets they’ve taken, and the week’s top seller is directly related to whichever surgically altered and heavily made-up tart has the skankiest video, it’s no wonder I’m such a cranky bugger when the … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 albums of 2003
Dio brings medieval fantasy and better-than-Ozzy vocals to Vancouver, Yngwie just shows off
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 3, 1986 By Steve Newton Heavy metal veteran Ronnie James Dio played his own game of Dungeons & Dragons at the Pacific Coliseum last Saturday (December 28)--and 5,000 or so of his young fans came out winners. The show started when curtains surrounding the stage were pulled to reveal a 60-by-40-foot … Continue reading Dio brings medieval fantasy and better-than-Ozzy vocals to Vancouver, Yngwie just shows off
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2008
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 10, 2008 By Steve Newton I still like the sound of guitars the best. Martone Clean Local rock-guitar instrumentalist Dave Martone aims for the stratosphere with his self-produced debut on the New York specialty label Magna Carta. His band includes primo bassist David Spidel and drummer Daniel Adair, who no doubt … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2008
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2006
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 20, 2006 By Steve Newton Throughout 2006, as in the previous few years, an American idiot named George inspired recording artists everywhere to lambaste his putrid foreign policies. Others just wanted to rock out. Neil Young Living With War Although it includes a couple of duds, Young’s antiwar offering is … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2006
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 15, 2010 By Steve Newton Drive-By Truckers The Big To-Do “Birthday Boy” has to be the greatest rock song of the year, and it’s no surprise it was written and sung by the underrated Mike Cooley. The other main DBT tunesmith, Patterson Hood, does his part as well, especially on the booze-fuelled … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2010
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2011
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 14, 2011 By Steve Newton It wasn’t a great year for humanity, what with Fukushima and all, but at least there was some good music released along with the hot particles. Foo Fighters Wasting Light The Foos went back to the garage on their seventh studio album, and lucky for us … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2011
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2012
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2012 By Steve Newton Sorry, I’m just not into the Gangnam style. Neil Young and Crazy Horse Psychedelic Pill The Can-Am rock legend gets back together with his favourite combo for a platter that, while not in the league of Crazy Horse offerings like Zuma and Ragged Glory, still delivers … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2012
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2013
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 11, 2013 By Steve Newton Whatever happened to the Gangnam style? Gov't Mule Shout! Mule fans got a double dose of their favourite southern-flavoured blues/jam-rock outfit this time around, as all 11 tracks on Shout! were rerecorded on a second disc with a stellar cast of guest singers, including Ben Harper, … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2013
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2014
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 10, 2014 By Steve Newton One of the biggest music stories of 2014 concerned the trials and tribulations of AC/DC, which had one original member retire due to dementia and another facing criminal charges. The return of Pink Floyd after two decades also made a few headlines—or garnered a ton … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2014
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2002
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 2002 By Steve Newton My fave recorded music this year, as listed below, ranges from garage-y, instrumental prog-metal to fingerstyle acoustic-guitar wizardry, from improvisatory jam bands to North Mississippi hill-country blues. Everything involves guitars; I still haven’t come to grips with how a turntable can be anything … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2002