By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Danny Gatton, "the world's greatest unknown guitarist", back in 1993, just before the release of his Cruisin' Deuces album. Tragically, he took his own life the following year. A close friend said he thought Gatton had suffered from depression for over two decades. He … Continue reading That time I asked Telecaster master Danny Gatton if he liked playing slide with beer bottles
That time I asked Warren Haynes how long he thought the Allman Brothers might stay together
By Steve Newton I wouldn't say that the Allman Brothers were as great, back in 1994, as they were when Duane was in the band, but holy crap were they still a smokin' hot band! A lot of that smoke was conjured up by Warren Haynes, who Dickey Betts brought with him when the band … Continue reading That time I asked Warren Haynes how long he thought the Allman Brothers might stay together
Crawl puts gators ahead of sharks on the waterborne terror chart
By Steve Newton When it comes to waterborne terrors with teeth, there have always been three on my scariest list. The first, thanks to the traumatizing opening scene of Jaws, is the great white shark. Coming in a close second is the piranha, 'cause I heard as a kid that if you fell in the Amazon … Continue reading Crawl puts gators ahead of sharks on the waterborne terror chart
10 wicked horror flicks streaming on Netflix Canada right now
By Steve Newton Hey horror freaks: there's only 116 chopping days until Halloween, so why not get in the mood with some of the finest scary movies available on Netflix at the moment. Here's 10 that I've reviewed in my role as the Georgia Straight newspaper's "horror guy" in Vancouver. A Quiet Place (2018) "...ultimately … Continue reading 10 wicked horror flicks streaming on Netflix Canada right now
That time I asked Warren Haynes if the spirit of southern rock was alive and well in 1994
kirk west photo By Steve Newton The spirit of southern rock was alive and well when I was a music-crazed teenager in the seventies. Skynyrd, Hatchet, Blackfoot, Outlaws, Allmans: I ate it up. Then the eighties came along and the sound of the south took a nosedive, popularity-wise. But back in the early '90s the … Continue reading That time I asked Warren Haynes if the spirit of southern rock was alive and well in 1994
That time I asked Dr. John who he’d most like to work with
bruce weber photo By Steve Newton When the weekend chores are done--well, a couple of 'em anyway--it's always fun to sit down and bang out a quick rock blog. The wife brought home some garlic chili coho candy (aka smoked salmon) and Stellas, there's Apollo Pizza on deck, and in the fading light of Father's … Continue reading That time I asked Dr. John who he’d most like to work with
Steely Dan’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
By Steve Newton Hey, if you think it's easy trying to decide which 20 Steely Dan songs are their best, why don't you try it sometime? 20. “Midnite Cruiser” (Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972) 19. “Peg” (Aja, 1977) 18. “Razor Boy” (Countdown to Ecstasy, 1973) 17. “Bad Sneakers” (Katy Lied, 1975) 16. “Only a Fool … Continue reading Steely Dan’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
Tom Petty’s King of the Hill character buys Brownsville Station tix for primo view of Mike Lutz’s guitar solo
By Steve Newton I was channel surfing last night and came across a King of the Hill episode from 2006 that perked me up and made me yearn for the halcyon days of '70s arena rock. At the end of the Season 10 episode titled "Hank Fixes Everything", the recurring character Lucky--voiced by Tom Petty--buys tickets to … Continue reading Tom Petty’s King of the Hill character buys Brownsville Station tix for primo view of Mike Lutz’s guitar solo
That time I asked Dr. John which musician he was most proud of working with
By Steve Newton If you're a dedicated music fan you’ve no doubt heard by now that Dr. John passed away the other day. He was one helluva musician, which is why everybody and their dog wanted to play with him. He started hanging with folks like Professor Longhair and Earl King as a teenager. When … Continue reading That time I asked Dr. John which musician he was most proud of working with
Remembering Dr. John’s answering-machine message
By Steve Newton Back in 2004 I did my one and only interview with New Orleans music legend Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack. The first time I called him, though, he wasn't around, and after four rings his answering machine turned on. His message was short, but also pretty cool. I don't remember if I … Continue reading Remembering Dr. John’s answering-machine message
The 70 greatest closing tracks of the ’70s
By Steve Newton Remember when the last track on an album would finish and you'd wish the music would just never end? Me too. "All Right Now" (Fire and Water, Free, 1970) “American Girl” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1976) "Another Star" (Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder, … Continue reading The 70 greatest closing tracks of the ’70s
That time Warren Haynes told me that Albert King might be the biggest influence on rock guitar ever
By Steve Newton When it comes to blues guitar, everybody's got their favourite King. Lots love B.B. Some prefer Freddie. And then there's others who think Albert is tops. Warren Haynes is one of those. When I interviewed Haynes in October of 1994, he was touring with the Allman Brothers, who were out promoting their … Continue reading That time Warren Haynes told me that Albert King might be the biggest influence on rock guitar ever
Rory Gallagher’s stunning Blues should be his ticket to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
By Steve Newton Life is full of unanswered questions. Like, is there life after death? Are UFOs real? And why the hell isn't Rory Gallagher in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I've been asking that last question for a few years now, via various blog posts, and the usual response from dedicated Gallagher … Continue reading Rory Gallagher’s stunning Blues should be his ticket to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame