ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 20, 1990 By Steve Newton It’s a sunny Friday afternoon on Granville Island. Art Bergmann and I are negotiating our way through armies of cars—parked and mobile—in search of a suitable spot to have a chat. “I don’t have any money,” confides Bergmann as we head over to the Island from … Continue reading Art Bergmann plays Sexual Roulette on behalf of downtrodden rockers everywhere
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON 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 garnered the group … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers tone down the Skynyrdisms on Decoration Day
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 27, 1998 By Steve Newton If there’s one thing you can bet on about a Metallica concert, it’s that Lars Ulrich will not pussyfoot around behind his drum kit. The diminutive Dane always plays like a man possessed, fiercely punishing the skins while his face contorts in a tortured grimace. He’s … Continue reading Lars Ulrich cuddles firstborn, doubts fatherhood will make Metallica wimp out
Charlie Musselwhite was just 13 when he started playing the instrument that he’d use so well while staking out his place in the blues world.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 26, 1993 By Steve Newton It was the clash of the American rock titans last Sunday (August 22) at the Coliseum, and after Big Bad Bobby D. took on Carlos “The Fret Strangler” Santana in a four-hour, 15-man battle royal, only one man remained standing as a certified rock champ of … Continue reading Carlos Santana cleans Bob Dylan’s clock in the clash of the Yankee rock titans
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 8, 1994 By Steve Newton With all the frenzied media attention and intense public speculation surrounding the O.J. Simpson case, it’s hard to keep a fair handle on the whole sordid affair. Even such trusted news sources as A Current Affair and the National Enquirer have gotten caught up in the circus. So who do … Continue reading David Lee Roth says he doesn’t regret leaving Van Halen
Last year Concrete Blonde released a CD that reunited the original lineup of Johnette Napolitano, James Mankey, and Harry Rushakoff.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 29, 2001 By Steve Newton Guitar gods—I can’t get enough of ’em. There’ve always been lots of slots in my CD stacks reserved for fret masters who balance boggling technique with high degrees of feel. Because I’m mostly a rock and blues fan, the vast majority of guitarists I’ve worshipped have … Continue reading Fretmaster Don Ross exposes the Newt to the wonders of acoustic-guitar wizardry
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 1, 2002 By Steve Newton Seventies hard-rockers Mountain didn’t waste any time in getting famous. The band—best known for the lineup of guitarist and vocalist Leslie West, drummer Corky Laing, keyboardist Steve Knight, and bassist-vocalist Felix Pappalardi (who was shot dead by his wife in ’83)—played its first gig at L.A.’s … Continue reading Leslie West recalls Woodstock and his band Mountain’s old warmup act, Black Sabbath
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
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 26, 2001 By Steve Newton When Yes guitarist Steve Howe calls from Reno, Nevada, it’s not to brag about how well he’s been doing at the blackjack tables. Although he and his bandmates—vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White—have been holed up in the gambling mecca for two … Continue reading Yes guitarist Steve Howe says Chet Atkins was–and is–his number one
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 18, 1993 By Steve Newton Most often when the member of a touring rock band calls me for an interview in November, it’s from some cold, rain-soaked, godforsaken town in the States. That ain’t the case, however, when Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora reports in from his particular location on the … Continue reading Bon Jovi drops Fairbairn, goes with Rock for Keep the Faith
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE CALGARY STRAIGHT, DEC. 6, 2001 By Steve Newton If you want to know how well Nickelback lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist Chad Kroeger’s musical career is going, you only need look as far as the 27-year-old rocker’s Langley home. He just put in a hot tub. And had the pool enlarged. … Continue reading Even Ted Nugent wants to get backstage to meet Nickelback as Silver Side Up storms the charts
