ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 15, 1989 By Steve Newton Joe Satriani is the ultimate hero for air guitarists. When he burst on to the mainstream recording scene with the all-instrumental Surfing With the Alien last year, his high-voltage attack had people everywhere going, "What the hell is that?" Not since Eddie Van … Continue reading Album review: Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)
Album review: Georgia Satellites, In the Land of Salvation and Sin (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 1, 1989 By Steve Newton You've gotta like a band like the Georgia Satellites--they know what they do best, and the just keep doin' it. On their first two albums they made pulverizing boogie-blues their one-and-only forte, and on their excellent third album they've not only kept the … Continue reading Album review: Georgia Satellites, In the Land of Salvation and Sin (1989)
Album review: Ten Years After, About Time (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 24, 1989 By Steve Newton After seeing Alvin Lee kicking royal (not to mention Steppenwolf's) butt at the Expo Theatre three years back, I was really hoping he'd get back on the recording scene and unleash some of his hurricane guitar licks for home consumption. I didn't expect … Continue reading Album review: Ten Years After, About Time (1989)
Album review: Webb Wilder, Hybrid Vigor (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 24, 1989 By Steve Newton I'd never heard of Webb Wilder before his Hybrid Vigor album showed up in the office, but lemme tell ya--one spin on the turntable and this scribbler was an immediate fan. Singer-guitarist Wilder fronts a band that churns out straightforward boogie in the … Continue reading Album review: Webb Wilder, Hybrid Vigor (1989)
That time I asked Leo Kottke if he switched from trombone to guitar to get the chicks
By Steve Newton Just digitized my 2002 interview with Leo Kottke for my Patreon page, and laughed out loud when I heard his response to one of my more routine questions. At one point in the conversation I was asking the American acoustic-guitar wizard about when he first started playing, and he explained that he … Continue reading That time I asked Leo Kottke if he switched from trombone to guitar to get the chicks
That time Lemmy from Motörhead told me that Jimi Hendrix was “the best you’ll ever have”
By Steve Newton I was just listening to an old interview I did with Lemmy Kilmister back in 2002 and came upon a bit where he talks about being a roadie for Jimi Hendrix back in the day. Having never seen Hendrix in concert myself, I had to ask Lemmy if he was really as … Continue reading That time Lemmy from Motörhead told me that Jimi Hendrix was “the best you’ll ever have”
That time Buddy Guy told me about Muddy Waters bringing him sandwiches when he was hungry
By Steve Newton Here's an interesting tidbit from the first interview I did with Buddy Guy, back in 1991. At one point in the conversation I asked Buddy about this story in his record-company bio about the time he was starving in Chicago and Muddy Waters "force-fed him salami sandwiches". Have a listen: To hear … Continue reading That time Buddy Guy told me about Muddy Waters bringing him sandwiches when he was hungry
Album review: Raging Slab, Raging Slab (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 20, 1989 By Steve Newton Guns N' Roses meets Lynyrd Skynyrd in a southern-fried riff-fest that bodes well for this thundering new act from Atlanta. Singer-songwriter Gregory Strzempka crafts catchy, good ol' boy tunes that are nicely lit up by the leads of Mark Middleton and bottleneck attack … Continue reading Album review: Raging Slab, Raging Slab (1989)
Album review: Aerosmith, Pump (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 6, 1989 By Steve Newton Some bands grow old gracefully, mellowing with age, but not Aerosmith. On Pump, the follow-up to the band's 1987 comeback album Permanent Vacation, the bad boys from Boston are as rude 'n' rowdy as ever. And nobody does it better. Pump kicks off … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Pump (1989)
That time I asked Mike Rutherford about the biggest highlights of Genesis’ career
By Steve Newton Way back in December of 1983 I did an interview with Mike Rutherford, who at the time was the guitarist-bassist in Genesis, joined by singer-drummer Phil Collins and keyboardist Tony Banks. Two months earlier the band had released a self-titled album that was a huge success, spawning the hits "Mama", "That's All", … Continue reading That time I asked Mike Rutherford about the biggest highlights of Genesis’ career
Album Review: The Radiators, Zigzagging Through Ghostland (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 18, 1989 By Steve Newton It's a real shame that the Radiators had to cancel a scheduled show at 86 Street a while back, because the New Orleans-based band is a real cooker, as Zigzagging Through Ghostland attests. The Radiators' funky southern soul is reminiscent of Little Feat, … Continue reading Album Review: The Radiators, Zigzagging Through Ghostland (1989)
Album review: Accept, Eat the Heat (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 4, 1989 By Steve Newton German metal act Accept no longer has steel-throated screamer Udo Dirkschnieder in its lineup, but the group still combines the best elements of AC/DC and '70s bands like Rainbow to come up with a platter-full of catchy, melodic rock. New vocalist David Reece … Continue reading Album review: Accept, Eat the Heat (1989)
That time Dickey Betts asked me to mention all the guys in the Allmans, including the “piece of dynamite”
By Steve Newton Yesterday I went and dug up the old cassette with my first Buddy Guy interview on it, the one from 1991, because I wanted to digitize it for my Patreon page. Cool thing was, I noticed that the interview before it on the tape was the one I did the previous month … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts asked me to mention all the guys in the Allmans, including the “piece of dynamite”