ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 27, 1996 By Steve Newton Load is probably the most highly anticipated heavy-metal album ever. Not only is it Metallica’s first studio recording in five years, but it’s the follow-up to the breakthrough self-titled disc that brought metal to the mainstream via the resounding radio hit “Enter … Continue reading Album review: Metallica, Load (1996)
Album review: Various Artists, Songs in the Key of X (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton In the liner notes to this collection of mostly new tunes “from and inspired by” the cult TV series The X-Files, the show’s executive producer, Chris Carter, takes time out from justifying yet another product marked with the guaranteed money-making X-Files logo to … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, Songs in the Key of X (1996)
Album review: Steve Earle, I Feel Alright (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21, 1996 By Steve Newton If you’ve been wondering whatever happened to Steve Earle, join the club. Since his The Hard Way album of 1990, he’s been pretty well out of the musical picture—mainly because he was in jail for heroin possession. His run-ins with the law combined with rumours … Continue reading Album review: Steve Earle, I Feel Alright (1996)
Album review: Bad Religion, The Gray Race (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 7, 1996 By Steve Newton I don’t normally spend money on punk music from the ’70s, but when I came across a used cassette of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols recently, I couldn’t help myself. The notion of motoring around town to the raucous … Continue reading Album review: Bad Religion, The Gray Race (1996)
Album review: Tom Cochrane, Ragged Ass Road (1995)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 12, 1995 By Steve Newton While Tom Cochrane’s last album, Mad Mad World, spawned his biggest hit ever in the undisputably catchy “Life Is a Highway”, it was far from one of his best recordings overall. It included some pretty weak tunes—the worst being the ponderous title track—and was a … Continue reading Album review: Tom Cochrane, Ragged Ass Road (1995)
Album review: Dan Baird, Buffalo Nickel (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 8, 1996 By Steve Newton The name Dan Baird might not be familiar to the average music fan, but to hardcore devotees of southern boogie, Baird is a hero. Former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for underrated ’80s swamp-rockers the Georgia Satellites, the gap-toothed, goofy-grinning … Continue reading Album review: Dan Baird, Buffalo Nickel (1996)
Roger Waters brings the best of Pink Floyd to Vancouver
crappy iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton I've seen Roger Waters in concert a few times--although never with Pink Floyd, I hate to say. The first time was in June of 2007 at Vancouver's GM Place on his Dark Side of the Moon Tour. Then I saw him in December of 2010 at the … Continue reading Roger Waters brings the best of Pink Floyd to Vancouver
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers slay Vancouver with smokin’ guitarists Montoya and Trout
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 6, 1987 By Steve Newton John Mayall knows blues guitarists. And it's no wonder since he's played with the best of them--guys like Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor. But the two lead players he brought with him to the Commodore last Thursday (October 29) were so hot that they literally stole the show from … Continue reading John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers slay Vancouver with smokin’ guitarists Montoya and Trout
Jigsaw’s killer twist takes torture porn up a notch
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 27, 2017 By Steve Newton Back in October of 2010, after six straight years of hugely successful Saw films coming out on the Friday before Halloween, the seventh and "final" entry in the series, Saw 3D, was released. It made money--eventually raking in $136-million worldwide on a $17-million budget--but also garnered the worst reviews … Continue reading Jigsaw’s killer twist takes torture porn up a notch
“Saw Six is the sixth Saw I’ve seen”: my original reviews of every Saw movie, 2004-2010 & 2017
By Steve Newton As most in-the-know horror-movie freaks are no doubt aware, the latest entry in the Saw franchise, Spiral: From the Book of Saw, opens this Friday (May 14). As the designated horror reviewer for Vancouver weekly the Georgia Straight since the early '80s, it was my journalistic duty to cover all the Saw … Continue reading “Saw Six is the sixth Saw I’ve seen”: my original reviews of every Saw movie, 2004-2010 & 2017
That time Gord Downie wanted to meet in person and I turned him down, feeling like a bit of a knob
By Steve Newton Regrets? I've had a few. Like that time Gord Downie called me up for a phone interview in January of '95 and the first thing he asked was whether I'd rather wait and talk to him in person when he arrived in Vancouver the next day. He sounded like he wanted to … Continue reading That time Gord Downie wanted to meet in person and I turned him down, feeling like a bit of a knob
“Nautical Disaster” is the greatest Tragically Hip song ever, says Newt
By Steve Newton I love a lot of Tragically Hip songs, but if you asked me which one was my all-time favourite, I'd have to say "Nautical Disaster", off the 1994 Day for Night album. I adore every second of that tune, like the way it calmly opens up before Rob Baker and Paul Langlois' guitars fabulously … Continue reading “Nautical Disaster” is the greatest Tragically Hip song ever, says Newt
15 minutes on the phone with 25-year-old Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip
By Steve Newton Back in 1989 I did the first of my five interviews with Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip. I know a lot of my fellow Hip fans are hurting right now with the news of his passing, so here's something I hope brings a bit of comfort: 15 minutes of Gord being Gord. … Continue reading 15 minutes on the phone with 25-year-old Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip