That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath

By Steve Newton There’s no denying that Ronnie James Dio did an incredible job replacing Ozzy Osbourne as the singer in Black Sabbath. The moment I heard “Neon Nights”, the opening track on Dio’s first Sabbath album, Heaven and Hell, I knew the heavy-metal stars had aligned. The music had way more power and feel … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath

Bruce Dickinson in ’83: “It would be unthinkable to make an Iron Maiden album without Martin Birch”

By Steve Newton Back in June of 1983 I did a phone interview with Bruce Dickinson in advance of Iron Maiden’s show in Vancouver on the Piece of Mind tour. During the course of our conversation Dickinson claimed that it would be “unthinkable” for Iron Maiden to make an album without producer Martin Birch, who … Continue reading Bruce Dickinson in ’83: “It would be unthinkable to make an Iron Maiden album without Martin Birch”

Drive-By Truckers tone down the Skynyrdisms on Decoration Day

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 7, 2003 By Steve Newton Two years ago the Drive-By Truckers took the music world by surprise with Southern Rock Opera, a sprawling, two-CD concept album about ’70s rock and southern U.S. culture that focused on the legend of doomed Dixie rock act Lynyrd Skynyrd. The independent release … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers tone down the Skynyrdisms on Decoration Day

That time I asked 24-year-old Bruce Dickinson why Maiden had replaced Clive Burr with new drummer Nicko McBrain

By Steve Newton I’ve seen Iron Maiden in concert most every time they’ve played Vancouver since 1982, the year I interviewed original drummer Clive Burr, who sadly succumbed to multiple sclerosis in 2013 at the age of 56. In ’83 I did another Maiden interview, this time with singer Bruce Dickinson, before the band played Vancouver … Continue reading That time I asked 24-year-old Bruce Dickinson why Maiden had replaced Clive Burr with new drummer Nicko McBrain

Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 4, 1986 By Steve Newton Today he’s regarded by critics and musicians alike as one of the most distinctive guitarists in the world. He’s been the principal soloist for the likes of U.K., Gong, Bill Bruford, Soft Machine, Tony Williams’ Lifetime and Jean-Luc Ponty. And he’s one of the few players … Continue reading Humble guitar master Allan Holdsworth always struggles to pay the rent

Jimmy Barnes goes solo with Canadian connection after Cold Chisel hits its peak

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 6, 1986 By Steve Newton What do you get when you combine the guitarist from Streetheart, the bassist from Headpins, the keyboardist from Sharp Edges, the drummer from the Bryan Adams band, and the lead singer from Cold Chisel? Well, with a little time, you get a pretty … Continue reading Jimmy Barnes goes solo with Canadian connection after Cold Chisel hits its peak

John Cougar Mellencamp may be little but he’s no bastard on the Scarecrow Tour in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 25, 1986 By Steve Newton He calls himself Little Bastard on his album productions credits, and after meeting John Cougar Mellencamp backstage before last week’s (April 16) Coliseum show, I half-understood why. He’s not a bastard. On the contrary he seemed like a very nice fellow, all smiles … Continue reading John Cougar Mellencamp may be little but he’s no bastard on the Scarecrow Tour in Vancouver

Rudy Sarzo talks Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads while Quiet Riot storms the charts

By Steve Newton One day back in the summer of ’83 I stopped by the Vancouver offices of CBS Records and did an interview with Rudy Sarzo, who was one of the top hard rock/metal bassists around at the time. Sarzo was in town promoting Metal Health, the new release from his band Quiet Riot, which … Continue reading Rudy Sarzo talks Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads while Quiet Riot storms the charts

That time Stevie Ray Vaughan sang me a couple of lines from one of Jimi Hendrix’s fave tunes

By Steve Newton Since 1982 I’ve been chatting with famous rock stars and collecting the interviews on cheap cassette tapes. Even now I refuse to use a digital recording device, as most of my more intrepid colleagues do. Like Joe Walsh, I’m an analog man, I guess. Lucky for me, most of those ancient cassettes … Continue reading That time Stevie Ray Vaughan sang me a couple of lines from one of Jimi Hendrix’s fave tunes

That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed

By Steve Newton When Uli Jon Roth called me up in 2016 to promote his Ultimate Guitar Experience show in Vancouver, we ended up chatting about some of the other guitar tours he’s been on, like the G3 European Tour back in 1998, when he shared the stage with Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker, who … Continue reading That time Uli Jon Roth told me that Yngwie Malmsteen was “one of the alltime greats”, but that he wasn’t impressed by speed

Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2006

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 20, 2006 By Steve Newton Throughout 2006, as in the previous few years, an American idiot named George inspired recording artists everywhere to lambaste his putrid foreign policies. Others just wanted to rock out. Neil Young Living With War Although it includes a couple of duds, Young’s antiwar offering is … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2006

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

Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2008

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 10, 2008 By Steve Newton I still like the sound of guitars the best. Martone Clean Local rock-guitar instrumentalist Dave Martone aims for the stratosphere with his self-produced debut on the New York specialty label Magna Carta. His band includes primo bassist David Spidel and drummer Daniel Adair, who no doubt … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2008