ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 11, 1987 By Steve Newton They say that rock 'n' roll is a young man's game, although the number of aging rock stars raking in big bucks today makes you wonder. Still, there are always some fine young whipper-snappers whose youthfulness comes through in the freshness and vitality of their tunes. Such are … Continue reading Pseudo Echo rises from Down Under to turn North America into “Funkytown”
Album review: Axe, Offerings (1982)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 9, 1982 By Steve Newton Just the fact that it includes a rousing version of the Montrose classic "I Got the Fire" makes Offerings worth the price you pay for it. Chief Axeman Bobby Barth pulls out all the stops on that particular tune, and makes a gallant, … Continue reading Album review: Axe, Offerings (1982)
Album review: Mötley Crüe: Too Fast For Love (1982)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 9, 1982 By Steve Newton Talk about ugly. These guys make the New York Dolls look like the kids on Leave It To Beaver! Well, maybe they aren't that bad. Anyway, their music sure isn't ugly. It's beautiful, in fact. That is, if you're into energetic, hook-filled boogie. Music for the … Continue reading Album review: Mötley Crüe: Too Fast For Love (1982)
Album review: Hughes/Thrall Band, Hughes/Thrall (1982)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 19, 1982 By Steve Newton The formation of the Hughes/Thrall band is somewhat of a marriage made in heaven for heavy-rock fanatics. Glenn Hughes, it will be remembered, was an essential driving force to the latter-day Deep Purple. His bass and vocal abilities highlighted the red-hot Burn and Stormbringer albums, … Continue reading Album review: Hughes/Thrall Band, Hughes/Thrall (1982)
Album review: .38 Special, Special Forces (1982)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 4, 1982 By Steve Newton Last year's Wild Eyed Southern Boys was a tough act to follow, but southern rockers .38 Special have come back strong with another album chock-full of heavy boogie numbers. Special Forces contains only two songs that aren't dominated by the slick, bluesy guitar … Continue reading Album review: .38 Special, Special Forces (1982)
Album review: Scorpions, Blackout (1982)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 4, 1982 By Steve Newton The cover art of Scorpions' new album Blackout is really quite shocking. Created by Austrian painter Gottfried Helnwein, it shows a mustachioed young man with his head completely bandaged and two steel forks protruding from the white cloth at his temples, curling menacingly into his eyes. The … Continue reading Album review: Scorpions, Blackout (1982)
That time Dickey Betts told me how sweet the buses were that the Allman Brothers toured in
By Steve Newton Hey, how about another audio excerpt from an old interview I did with one of my fave guitarists, Dickey Betts? Back in 1992 I was talkin' to Dickey about the Allmans' latest album, An Evening With the Allman Brothers Band: First Set. The disc's cover photo, taken by the inimitable Kirk West, … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me how sweet the buses were that the Allman Brothers toured in
Alice Cooper on horror, censorship, and battling the PMRC with Raise Your Fist and Yell
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton I bought Alice Cooper's Killer album last month. That's right, I'm 30 years old, and I went out and laid down $8.99 for the record with "Dead Babies" on it. Now some people might think: "How immature. Doesn't the guy have any taste?" But I don't … Continue reading Alice Cooper on horror, censorship, and battling the PMRC with Raise Your Fist and Yell
Album review: Aerosmith, Honkin’ on Bobo (2004)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 8, 2004 By Steve Newton The concept behind Honkin’ on Bobo—of Boston hard-rock legends Aerosmith recording an all-blues album—is enough to get any fan of ’70s guitar-boogie in a lather. (And if it doesn’t, the CD booklet’s close-up shot of some babe’s sexy midriff with a harmonica stuffed … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Honkin’ on Bobo (2004)
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2017
By Steve Newton Welcome to the old-rocker department. You won’t find much in the hip-and-happening realm here, but it’s not all about the kids, ya know. Gregg Allman Southern Blood One of the hardest-hitting musician deaths this year was southern-rock legend Gregg Allman’s passing in May of complications from liver cancer. But he left his millions … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2017
Album review: Eric Clapton, Me and Mr. Johnson (2004)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 22, 2004 By Steve Newton Ten years ago, Eric Clapton issued an astounding love letter to the blues titled From the Cradle, which featured some of his most fiery electric-guitar work since the Derek and the Dominos days. Apart from two overdubs, the 16-track CD was a live, unedited studio recording … Continue reading Album review: Eric Clapton, Me and Mr. Johnson (2004)
Badfinger’s Joey Molland on working with the Beatles and dealing with the fallout of suicide
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 11, 1987 By Steve Newton Remember that neat movie from 1970, The Magic Christian, which starred Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr and was a cutting farce on the lengths people would go to to get money? And remember that film's nifty theme song, "Come and Get It", which sounded like the Beatles but … Continue reading Badfinger’s Joey Molland on working with the Beatles and dealing with the fallout of suicide
Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Motörhead, T. Rex, Free, the MC5, Humble Pie, and the J. Geils Band
By Steve Newton In yesterday's blog denouncing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's continued refusal to induct Link Wray, I mentioned that today I planned to induct six acts into Newt's Rock Hall, to keep up with the Joneses (a.k.a. that other, crappier Hall in Cleveland). And since I don't like to disappoint people, … Continue reading Newt’s Rock Hall inducts Motörhead, T. Rex, Free, the MC5, Humble Pie, and the J. Geils Band