ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 16, 1990 By Steve Newton Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson cut his teeth on ’70s bands like Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, and on his first solo album, the steel-throated vocalist gets a chance to loosen the thrashier chains of Maiden and indulge in some of the … Continue reading Album review: Bruce Dickinson, Tattooed Millionaire (1990)
Album review: Heart, Brigade (1990)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 16, 1990 By Steve Newton I've been an off-and-on admirer of the Wilson sisters for many years now—heck, they used to play teen dances when I was a kid in Chilliwack, and I loved ’em. I loved ’em a lot more than I do now, that's for sure. … Continue reading Album review: Heart, Brigade (1990)
Album review: the Beat Farmers, Loud and Plowed and…Live!! (1990)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 9, 1990 By Steve Newton San Diego's prime providers of rude ’n’ rowdy rock ’n’ roll have finally done it. After years of putting on shows—a lot of them right here in Vancouver—that were so wild they verged on the criminal, the Beat Farmers have released a live … Continue reading Album review: the Beat Farmers, Loud and Plowed and…Live!! (1990)
Album review: Johnny Crash, Neighbourhood Threat (1990)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 19, 1990 By Steve Newton Just last month the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band (or one of ’em, anyway) was locked away in Vancouver's Little Mountain Sound with producer Bruce Fairbairn, putting the finishing touches on its next album. No, I’m not talking about the Stones here. … Continue reading Album review: Johnny Crash, Neighbourhood Threat (1990)
Pandora’s Box conjures vivid memories of Aerosmith in the seventies
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC .12, 1991 By Steve Newton This scribbler’s teenage memories are filled with happy thoughts of Aerosmith, the best thing from Boston since Bobby Orr. There’s the time me and some pals hijacked somebody’s dad’s car and travelled down to Seattle’s Kingdome to join 60,000 other maniacs for a show on the … Continue reading Pandora’s Box conjures vivid memories of Aerosmith in the seventies
The Definitive Lynyrd Skynyrd Collection is a must-have for hardcore Skynyrd fans
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton I know, I know—you can’t win. Just when you’ve finally replaced all your cherished Lynyrd Skynyrd LPs with half a dozen CDs, along comes a 3-CD box set that covers the entire course of the classic southern rock band’s ill-fated career. Well, don’t … Continue reading The Definitive Lynyrd Skynyrd Collection is a must-have for hardcore Skynyrd fans
Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton I’ve always thought Crosby, Stills & Nash sounded best with a “Young” tagged on the end, so it was good to find out there are actually 18 CSN&Y tunes among this four-CD set’s massive 67 tracks. But after one run-through of these tunes, … Continue reading Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
R.I.P. Tom Petty: here’s 10 of the Newt’s fave Petty tunes
By Steve Newton Tom Petty may be gone, but the music he made will live on forever, because that's how music works. Here's 10 of my favourite Petty tunes from 10 different Petty albums. Maybe there's a couple here you like as well. "American Girl" from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1976: "I Need to … Continue reading R.I.P. Tom Petty: here’s 10 of the Newt’s fave Petty tunes
Steve Howe lists his favourite guitarists, calls Steve Morse “phenomenal!”
By Steve Newton I interviewed guitar legend Steve Howe for the third time in 2017, in advance of a Yes show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Near the end of the conversation I asked the 70-year-old fretmaster who he'd been listening to in his spare time, which led to him naming some of his … Continue reading Steve Howe lists his favourite guitarists, calls Steve Morse “phenomenal!”
Warren Haynes says he’s open to playing with former Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts again
kirk west photo By Steve Newton Warren Haynes is one of my alltime favourite guitarists, singers, and songwriters, so any chance I get to interview him I take. I've chatted with him five times for stories on Gov't Mule, and once--back in 1994--when he was speaking as a member of the fabled Allman Brothers Band. … Continue reading Warren Haynes says he’s open to playing with former Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts again
Tim Curry, the original Pennywise, on the physical violence and mental cruelty in Stephen King’s It
By Steve Newton Now that I've seen the new version of It--and declared that Tim Curry is the Pennywise of choice--it's time to unleash another previously unheard audio excerpts from my exclusive interview with Curry on the Vancouver set of the 1990 TV movie. At one point in our conversation--which took place in Stanley Park, … Continue reading Tim Curry, the original Pennywise, on the physical violence and mental cruelty in Stephen King’s It
The curse of the old-school horror freak means that Tim Curry is still the Pennywise of choice
By Steve Newton As the only journalist invited to interview Tim Curry on the set of It back in 1990--I was the Vancouver correspondent for fabled New York horror mag Fangoria at the time--I've felt a connection to the two-part TV miniseries. Not that I really liked it much. I thought the acting was pretty weak … Continue reading The curse of the old-school horror freak means that Tim Curry is still the Pennywise of choice
Nazareth survives its hangover to blast “Razamanaz” and rowdy-up Vancouver on a Sunday night
Dan McCafferty and his gang from Scotland provided a little bit of that nuthin' fancy guitar-rock these ears thirst for every now and then.