Megadeth blows Black Sabbath (“Heaven and Hell”) off the stage with its unbridled energy

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 14, 2007 By Steve Newton When Black Sabbath came to town last Sunday (March 11)—calling itself Heaven and Hell, I guess, to make sure no one expected Ozzy Osbourne to dodder onto the stage—it was the quartet’s first public performance in 14 years. More importantly, it was the group’s first … Continue reading Megadeth blows Black Sabbath (“Heaven and Hell”) off the stage with its unbridled energy

Underrated Marshall Crenshaw flies under the pop radar

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 27, 2013 By Steve Newton In the annals of underappreciated pop-rock singer-songwriters, Marshall Crenshaw is probably at the top of the chart. Some may vaguely recall him hitting the top 40 back in 1982 with the single “Someday, Someway”, but it’s quite likely that even more remember rockabilly crooner Robert Gordon’s … Continue reading Underrated Marshall Crenshaw flies under the pop radar

Edgar Winter strives to break down senseless musical barriers

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 28, 2005 By Steve Newton Most rock bands from the ’70s aren’t making waves on the sales charts these days, but not every musician who thrived 30 years ago has been barred from Billboard in recent years. Edgar Winter had the chorus from his 1971 song “Dying to Live” used in … Continue reading Edgar Winter strives to break down senseless musical barriers

Soundgarden’s grungey return leaves little to complain about in Vancouver

photo by rebecca blissett ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 30, 2011 By Steve Newton Due to its proximity to Seattle, Vancouver has enjoyed a special kinship to the famed grunge bands of the Emerald City. Before making it big the plaid-clad lads in Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, hungry for gigs, would head north to … Continue reading Soundgarden’s grungey return leaves little to complain about in Vancouver

Johnny Ramone says being in the Ramones “beats working”

By Steve Newton Whether you remember or not, May of 1983 was a great month for historic rock concerts in Vancouver. On May 9 Roxy Music played the Pacific Coliseum, performing tunes from its final studio album, Avalon. Then on the 25th a little band from Ireland named U2 played the Queen E., blasting out political … Continue reading Johnny Ramone says being in the Ramones “beats working”

B-52s guitarist Keith Strickland recalls the Cramps’ Lux Interior loving “Rock Lobster”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 26, 2008 By Steve Newton That Lux Interior sure knows a hit when he hears one. Back in the late ’70s, when the B-52s first journeyed from their native Athens, Georgia, to make the scene at underground Manhattan clubs like Max’s Kansas City and CBGB, the outrageous Cramps frontman heard them … Continue reading B-52s guitarist Keith Strickland recalls the Cramps’ Lux Interior loving “Rock Lobster”

Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 25, 2004 By Steve Newton Unless you’re an avid follower of guitar players–and slide-guitar specialists, in particular–you may not have heard of Sonny Landreth. According to Eric Clapton, he is “probably the most underestimated musician on the planet”. But that didn’t stop Landreth from earning a Grammy nomination for his 2003 … Continue reading Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him

The New York Dolls’ David Johansen says that the Harlots of 42nd Street were his favourite band

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 25, 2005 By Steve Newton Looking back, 1973 was a wicked fuckin’ year for American guitar-rock albums. It saw the release of Alice Cooper‘s Billion Dollar Babies, Blue Oyster Cult‘s Tyranny and Mutation, Johnny Winter‘s Still Alive and Well, and the debuts by Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montrose, and the New York Dolls. … Continue reading The New York Dolls’ David Johansen says that the Harlots of 42nd Street were his favourite band

Carlos Santana says you get the tone with what you’re thinking

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 24, 2011 By Steve Newton There’s a quote on Carlos Santana’s official website that reads: “When you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life.” If that’s true, then anyone who’s heard Santana effortlessly channel the sound of pure joy through his instrument knows that he hasn’t … Continue reading Carlos Santana says you get the tone with what you’re thinking

Taj Mahal wasn’t so much shocked as pissed off by Jesse Ed Davis’s death

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, APRIL 24, 2013 By Steve Newton When music legend Taj Mahal calls from a tour stop in Phoenix, it’s been just a few days since he played Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden in New York. He’d been asked to play the event before, and never had the … Continue reading Taj Mahal wasn’t so much shocked as pissed off by Jesse Ed Davis’s death

Tony Iommi on Heaven and Hell and how Frank Zappa always loved his “Supernaut” riff

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 7, 2007 By Steve Newton It’s somewhat ironic that Black Sabbath‘s 1978 album was titled Never Say Die, because that disc actually signaled the end of the group’s original lineup. After eight albums with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, the metal pioneers gave him the boot, replacing him with Ronnie James Dio. … Continue reading Tony Iommi on Heaven and Hell and how Frank Zappa always loved his “Supernaut” riff

My first and last interview with guitar hero Ronnie Montrose

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 4, 2012 By Steve Newton It may seem kinda crazy to stay up all night transcribing a phone interview I did with Ronnie Montrose 14 years ago, but the news of his death yesterday hit me pretty hard. He was such a wonderful and underrated player that I feel it’s almost … Continue reading My first and last interview with guitar hero Ronnie Montrose

Glenn Tipton says Judas Priest was shocked by K.K. Downing’s departure

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 26, 2011 By Steve Newton When Judas Priest announced its final world tour last month headbangers far and wide, young and ancient, stained their black-leather pants with a torrent of tears. The British metal icons had been bringing the noise to its followers—off and (mostly) on—since 1969, traversing the globe and … Continue reading Glenn Tipton says Judas Priest was shocked by K.K. Downing’s departure