By Steve Newton The hard-rock world lost one of its most beloved artists on November 18, 2017, when AC/DC rhythm-guitarist Malcolm Young passed away at the age of 64. Ill health had forced him to leave the band in 2014, and to be confined to a nursing home, where he suffered from dementia. I only met … Continue reading Malcolm Young: the five best quotes I ever got from AC/DC’s rhythm master
Album review: Bernard Allison, Storms of Life (2002)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 17, 2002 By Steve Newton So I was upstairs at A&B Sound on Seymour recently, searching for the new DVD release of that fab vampire flick Near Dark—which is so new they didn’t have it yet—when a rowdy slide-guitar tune caught my attention. One of the store’s … Continue reading Album review: Bernard Allison, Storms of Life (2002)
Album review: Echobrain, Echobrain (2002)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 9, 2002 By Steve Newton You’ve gotta wonder why long-time Metallica bassist Jason Newsted threw in the towel with that enormously popular metal act last year. Perhaps it had something to do with his ex-bandmates’ intolerance of his side project with guitarist-vocalist Dylan Donkin and drummer Brian … Continue reading Album review: Echobrain, Echobrain (2002)
Album review: Mick Jagger, Goddess in the Doorway (2001)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 13, 2001 By Steve Newton Mick Jagger must be chuckling all the way to the bank. With the help of producer-arranger-cowriter-guitarist Lenny Kravitz, he came up with one really rockin’ tune, made it the first single off his heavily promoted new solo disc, and then sat back … Continue reading Album review: Mick Jagger, Goddess in the Doorway (2001)
Kiss’s first-ever box set is a Kiss completist’s wet dream
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 2001 By Steve Newton Musicwise, I’ve always thought that Kiss went downhill after the release of its third album, Dressed to Kill. Of course, as rock history has proven, the band actually started to get hugely popular just after that, with the release of its 1975 double live … Continue reading Kiss’s first-ever box set is a Kiss completist’s wet dream
Album reviews: Alice Cooper, Dragontown (2001)
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 ON 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 rolling; perhaps he’s … 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