ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 2, 1998 When veteran Vancouver guitar-slinger James Grant drops by the Georgia Straight office for a chat, he’s got a local gig set up that isn’t your typical Yale or Fairview blues happening. That night, Grant and his band are booked to play a private gig at Panama … Continue reading Vancouver blues-rocker James Grant is doing what he loves to do
Steve Earle says his midlife crisis took place when he was about 24
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 5, 1998 By Steve Newton It’s pretty common for a recording artist to tout his latest work as his best ever. I’ve yet to hear one say, “Well, this new record’s okay, but it’s nothing like the one I did five years ago.” Sometimes you can tell whether a musician truly … Continue reading Steve Earle says his midlife crisis took place when he was about 24
Teen tunesmiths unplug for dark but down-home Days of the New
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 26, 1998 By Steve Newton Days of the New is different from most international recording acts in a couple of ways. First off, the average age of the Louisville, Kentucky–based quartet is 19. Then there’s the fact that it’s a full-on guitar band that doesn’t have much use for Les Pauls … Continue reading Teen tunesmiths unplug for dark but down-home Days of the New
At 50, southern-rock legend Gregg Allman is Searching for Simplicity
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 12, 1998 By Steve Newton Gregg Allman has released six solo albums over the years, but he never wanders too far away from the southern-rock sound he helped popularize as a founding member of the Allman Brothers. On his latest CD, Searching for Simplicity, Allman doesn’t even try to shake his … Continue reading At 50, southern-rock legend Gregg Allman is Searching for Simplicity
The Rolling Stones go from bogus to brilliant as the Bridges to Babylon Tour hits Vancouver
I’ve seen my fair share of B.C. Place rock concerts over the years, but none that have left me as perplexed as last Wednesday’s Stones show.
Guitar great Ronnie Earl makes dedication to Peter Green on new Tom Dowd-helmed CD
On the phone from his Boston home, Earl comes off as an artist driven as much by compassion for others as by a personal joy in making music.
Silverchair fanatics will lap up the Aussie grunge-rockers’ Freak Box
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 11, 1997 By Steve Newton You’ve gotta think pretty highly of yourself to issue a five-disc box set when you’ve only got two albums to your name, but that’s what teenage Aussie grunge-rockers Silverchair have done with this limited-edition import, The Freak Box. Even more bizarre, though, is … Continue reading Silverchair fanatics will lap up the Aussie grunge-rockers’ Freak Box
The Doors box set documents the band in all its unrefined glory
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 11, 1997 By Steve Newton This four-disc package of Doors material, spanning the years 1965 to ’71, favours previously unreleased live tracks and demo recordings over studio-polished hits, and documents the band in all its eccentric, unrefined, and—with tunes that pass the 18-minute mark—excessive glory. Its mix of … Continue reading The Doors box set documents the band in all its unrefined glory
Bonfire box a godsend for fans of AC/DC’s ear-bustin’ boogie blues
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 11, 1997 By Steve Newton My reviewer’s copy of the long-overdue AC/DC box set was labelled with a warning that it was not for sale and “must be returned on demand of recording company”. Yeah, right—I’d like to see Warner Brothers just try to get this prized package back. They’d have … Continue reading Bonfire box a godsend for fans of AC/DC’s ear-bustin’ boogie blues
Joe Louis Walker’s Great Guitars made even greater with the help of Steve Cropper
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 20, 1997 By Steve Newton Any bozo can pick up a guitar and trace out a simple pentatonic blues scale. I should know, I’ve been tracing out blues scales like a bozo for years. But while the most basic techniques of blues guitar are accessible to the beginner, it’s not nearly … Continue reading Joe Louis Walker’s Great Guitars made even greater with the help of Steve Cropper
Carnivals and bar fights inspire Junkhouse’s Fuzz
On the Saturday afternoon when Tom Wilson calls from his Hamilton home, he’s still buzzing from a wild gig the previous night in Quebec City.
Spine-tingling guitar solos light up Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first-ever Vancouver show
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 4, 1997 By Steve Newton Those ’70s-rock fans sure are a devoted bunch. Even if one of their fave old bands hasn’t produced a hit in two decades, they’ll stick with it and flock to its concerts to hold Bic lighters on high and relive the halcyon days of 8-tracks, mag … Continue reading Spine-tingling guitar solos light up Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first-ever Vancouver show
For Paul Rodgers, everything stems from playing live
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 28, 1997 By Steve Newton Back in the late ’60s, British blues-rock crooner Paul Rodgers wrapped his gravel ’n’ honey vocals around a simple, bludgeoning Paul Kossoff guitar riff and rock history was made. Twenty-seven years after its release, Free’s “All Right Now” has joined an elite club of records to … Continue reading For Paul Rodgers, everything stems from playing live