ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 4, 1989 By Steve Newton It's been four years since Stevie Ray Vaughan's last studio album, but with In Step he's made the long wait worthwhile. The Texas blues-rocker covers a lot of musical bases on this latest effort, and comes through with flying colours. The album kicks … Continue reading Album review: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, In Step (1989)
Album review: Doobie Brothers, Cycles (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 21, 1989 By Steve Newton For those who yearn for the early- to mid-'70s heyday of the Doobie Brothers, this new LP will provide plenty of friendly flashbacks to the days of Toulouse Street and The Captain and Me. Now that Michael "Mellow" McDonald has left the fold, … Continue reading Album review: Doobie Brothers, Cycles (1989)
Album review: Great White, …Twice Shy (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 23, 1989 By Steve Newton So Great White's last album was called Once Bitten, and its new one is ...Twice Shy. Is that any reason for the L.A. hard-rock band to slaughter Ian Hunter's 1975 classic "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"? The answer is an unequivocal no goddamn way! … Continue reading Album review: Great White, …Twice Shy (1989)
That time I asked Country Dick Montana what he liked best about playing live with the Beat Farmers
kevin statham photo By Steve Newton Here's another audio excerpt from my 1990 interview with the legendary Country Dick Montana, because it's Sunday afternoon and posting this seems like way more fun than the other crap I should be doing instead. Please note: you can hear the entire interview--all 20 minutes of Dick being Dick--by … Continue reading That time I asked Country Dick Montana what he liked best about playing live with the Beat Farmers
That time Gary Rossington told me that Lynyrd Skynyrd would still be together, if not for the crash
By Steve Newton Back in 1986 I interviewed southern-rock legend Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd fame. At the time he had his own band called Rossington, which featured his wife Dale Krantz-Rossington on vocals. That group wasn't nearly as great as Skynyrd--or the Rossington Collins Band, for that matter--but it was still a real hoot … Continue reading That time Gary Rossington told me that Lynyrd Skynyrd would still be together, if not for the crash
Various Artists: Roadhouse Soundtrack (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 9, 1989 By Steve Newton Hard-core Jeff Healey fans who've already worn out their copies of See the Light and can't wait for the guitar wizard's next LP may want to pick this record up, 'cause Healey goes hog wild on four tracks, including the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" … Continue reading Various Artists: Roadhouse Soundtrack (1989)
Album review: Concrete Blonde, Free (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 9, 1989 By Steve Newton "God Is a Bullet" is one of the best singles of the year so far. A raging tirade against the mindless use and dire consequences of firearms, the tune just guns along, propelled by guitarist James Mankey's freewheeling harmonics and Johnette Napolitano's seething, … Continue reading Album review: Concrete Blonde, Free (1989)
Album review: Various Artists, Guitar Speak (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1998 By Steve Newton The lineup of incredible guitarists on this all-instrumental string-fest says it all: Alvin Lee, Randy California, Eric Johnson, Leslie West, Ronnie Montrose, Steve Howe, Paul Manzanera, Rick Derringer, Pete Haycock, Steve Hunter, Hank Marvin, and Robby Krieger. Each player does one song, and … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, Guitar Speak (1988)
Album review: Johnny Winter, The Winter of ’88 (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1988 By Steve Newton A new album by albino blues-rocker Johnny Winter is always welcomed by fans of lightning-fast guitar and raunchy vocals, and his latest is no exception. For his first release on the Voyager label (after four on Alligator Records), Winter has stripped down his … Continue reading Album review: Johnny Winter, The Winter of ’88 (1988)
Album review: Cinderella, Long Cold Winter (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOVEMBER 18, 1988 By Steve Newton Cinderella kinda turned me off with their multi-platinum '86 debut album. I thought they were too much of an Aerosmith clone. It didn't seem to bother the multitudes of kids that scooped up the record, though. On their new album they sound a … Continue reading Album review: Cinderella, Long Cold Winter (1988)
That time I asked Gary Rossington about first meeting Dale Krantz and he let her answer that one
By Steve Newton I've been a huge Lynyrd Skynyrd fan ever since I first heard Pronounced, so it was a real kick to get to interview Gary Rossington back in 1986. (As dedicated Skynyrd fans know, that was also the year a drunk Allen Collins crashed his new Ford Thunderbird, paralyzing himself from the waist … Continue reading That time I asked Gary Rossington about first meeting Dale Krantz and he let her answer that one
That time Country Dick Montana sang me a couple of lines from the Beat Farmers’ version of “Angel of the Morning”
By Steve Newton I loved Country Dick Montana. He was a true rock god as far as I was concerned. I got to interview the wildman drummer and sometime singer for San Diego's Beat Farmers three times before his heart-attack death on stage in 1995. I chatted with him in 1987, 1990, and--when he was … Continue reading That time Country Dick Montana sang me a couple of lines from the Beat Farmers’ version of “Angel of the Morning”
Steve Cropper’s musical career has been touched by tragedy but his killer guitar licks endure
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 27, 2019 By Steve Newton On the phone from his home in Nashville, Steve Cropper sounds happy and full of life. He talks a lot and ends most of his sentences with a chuckle, as you might expect from a guy who's spent the last 60-or-so years of his life doing … Continue reading Steve Cropper’s musical career has been touched by tragedy but his killer guitar licks endure