Rush is in, Deep Purple’s out: the Rock Hall’s worth is still in doubt

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 12, 2012 By Steve Newton If you’re a Rush freak who’s been holding a grudge against the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for not inducting your heroes, you’ve probably already heard that the Cleveland-based institution broke down yesterday and finally—after 14 years of eligibility—let the Canuck prog-rock legends in. … Continue reading Rush is in, Deep Purple’s out: the Rock Hall’s worth is still in doubt

AC/DC studio ace Mike Fraser is happy Phil Rudd doesn’t tickle the drums

Today is the big day for AC/DC fans, when the Aussie blues-metal legends release their new album Rock or Bust. The band has been making a lot of headlines in the past few months, though not the positive kind you’d expect from a group that has, for over 40 years, been giving the world some of … Continue reading AC/DC studio ace Mike Fraser is happy Phil Rudd doesn’t tickle the drums

After scary times in Bosnia the smalls set their sights on Texas

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 25, 2000 By Steve Newton Last February, Edmonton guitar-rockers the smalls found a unique way to celebrate their 10 years together: they kicked off a month-long European tour with a few dates in that popular wintertime destination, Bosnia-Herzegovina. When bassist-songwriter Corby Lund calls from outside of Winnipeg with the claim that … Continue reading After scary times in Bosnia the smalls set their sights on Texas

Patterson Hood on the Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera and the true meaning of Skynyrd

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 30, 2003 By Steve Newton It doesn’t seem likely in today’s musical climate that any band would record a 90-minute concept album about 1970s rock and southern U.S. culture, focusing on the legend of doomed Dixie rock act Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s even more unlikely that such a CD would get critical … Continue reading Patterson Hood on the Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera and the true meaning of Skynyrd

Dan McCafferty reveals the story behind Nazareth’s “Vancouver Shakedown”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 23, 1984 By Steve Newton Back about ten years ago, one of the coolest things for a Chilliwack high school student to do was cruise up and down the town’s main drag–preferably in a Dodge Dart–and play eight-track tapes as close to the distortion level as possible. And as I recall, … Continue reading Dan McCafferty reveals the story behind Nazareth’s “Vancouver Shakedown”

Johnny Winter showed blues traveler Ellen McIlwaine how to go in her own direction

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 13, 2001 By Steve Newton Singer-songwriter and slide-guitar specialist Ellen McIlwaine is best known as a blues artist, but she’s always been willing to let her muse drift away from the Mississippi Delta or the south side of Chicago. For her latest CD, Spontaneous Combustion, McIlwaine wrote a … Continue reading Johnny Winter showed blues traveler Ellen McIlwaine how to go in her own direction

R.L. Burnside keeps his fridge chained shut and his blues cool as hell

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1999 By Steve Newton On the back cover of his latest CD, Come On In, Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside is pictured standing in his modest kitchen, strumming a Stratocaster and gazing toward his fridge—which is chained shut. Since Burnside has been known to distill his own moonshine, you might think … Continue reading R.L. Burnside keeps his fridge chained shut and his blues cool as hell

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons tells me “them low-down blues ain’t bad”

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 1, 1994 By Steve Newton When famous rock guitarists reminisce about their first instruments, the talk tends toward dirt-cheap acoustics with heavy strings set so high off the fretboard that it hurts just to look at them. Not with Billy Gibbons, though. The incomparable guitarman for ZZ Top got an atypical … Continue reading ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons tells me “them low-down blues ain’t bad”

The Fixx’s Cy Curnin talks Rupert Hine, Tina Turner, and fear-driven censorship in 1984

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 12, 1984 By Steve Newton “It’s good fun coming up into Canada,” says Fixx vocalist Cy Curnin, who called from Ottawa last week. “You notice a difference moving from America to Canada, in that the audiences are really refreshing up here. They seem to listen a lot more, and at the … Continue reading The Fixx’s Cy Curnin talks Rupert Hine, Tina Turner, and fear-driven censorship in 1984

Eddy Clearwater took Magic lessons on Chicago’s West Side

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1999 By Steve Newton Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater chose a good guy to hang with when he moved to Chicago’s West Side in 1950. As a budding, 15-year-old bluesman, Clearwater became close friends with Magic Sam, the legendary West Side guitarist who died of a heart attack at the age … Continue reading Eddy Clearwater took Magic lessons on Chicago’s West Side

Stevie Ray Vaughan says “it’s good to be alive with you” at his final Vancouver show, five weeks before the crash

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 26, 1990 By Steve Newton As far as arena spectacles go, Sunday’s (July 22) Stevie Ray Vaughan/Joe Cocker double-bill was pretty lame. No huge banks of lights, fancy lasers, or explosions. But there didn’t need to be. Those who laid down bucks for the Coliseum show got their money back in … Continue reading Stevie Ray Vaughan says “it’s good to be alive with you” at his final Vancouver show, five weeks before the crash

Johnny Winter is white, hot, and blue in Vancouver

On September 1, 1989, Johnny Winter played the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. The chance to witness the underrated Texas guitar legend in the confines of one of Vancouver’s finest concert venues (for the second time) was not one I was about to pass up. Besides, at the time I was really grooving on his latest album, … Continue reading Johnny Winter is white, hot, and blue in Vancouver

Bonham tours behind The Disregard of Timekeeping and Jason reflects on his dear old dad

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 22, 1989 By Steve Newton In September of 1980, Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died of a heart attack attributed to massive quantities of alcohol. A year before that tragedy–which stopped the much-loved band in its tracks–Led Zeppelin performed a major outdoor concert at Knebworth, England, and Bonham’s 13-year-old son Jason … Continue reading Bonham tours behind The Disregard of Timekeeping and Jason reflects on his dear old dad