ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 2003 By Steve Newton Back in June of 1972, when these live recordings were made at the L.A. Forum and Long Beach Arena, I wasn’t a big Led Zeppelin fan. I was too busy reaming my ears with then-new LPs like Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, Deep Purple’s … Continue reading Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 1987 By Steve Newton Everybody has their favourite rock guitarists. “Hendrix,” scream some, “Jimi Hendrix rules!” “Page is king,” others argue. “Clapton is God,” says the next person. And then there are people who bow down before Jeff Beck. Me, I’m a Randy Rhoads kinda guy. I … Continue reading Album review: Ozzy Osbourne/Randy Rhoads, Tribute (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 12, 1986 By Steve Newton This latest offering from Aussie ear-busters AC/DC is the official soundtrack of the new Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive. So is it music to watch possessed trucks run people over by? You betcha. Actually, Who Made Who is more of a compilation album … Continue reading Album review: AC/DC, Who Made Who (1986)
chris cameron photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 22, 1987 By Steve Newton When Billy Idol kept stalling and stalling the release of his latest LP, Whiplash Smile, there was some real danger that the man’s popularity–which had reached great heights after the release of 1983’s Rebel Yell–was beginning to run its course. When a star with so … Continue reading Billy Idol humps the stage and Steve Stevens’ guitars rage as the Whiplash Smile tour hits Vancouver
By Steve Newton Back in January of 2013 when I started planning the Ear of Newt website–which I launched on Halloween night that year–I knew I had to get my autographed plexiglass guitar into the picture. I’d been dragging it around to concerts to get it signed by my fave pickers–folks like Link Wray, Ronnie … Continue reading The incredible story behind the Ear of Newt autographed guitar
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1996 By Steve Newton In the liner notes to this collection of mostly new tunes “from and inspired by” the cult TV series The X-Files, the show’s executive producer, Chris Carter, takes time out from justifying yet another product marked with the guaranteed money-making X-Files logo to … Continue reading Album review: Various Artists, Songs in the Key of X (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 25, 1983 By Steve Newton Dedicated to the memory of Randy Rhoads, the first album by his former band is one heavy chunk of vinyl. “Metal Health”, “Slick Black Cadillac”, and “Breathless” are all excellent, bang-your-head crotch rockers, but the album’s most outstanding cuts are the bluesy “Don’t Want to Let … Continue reading Album review: Quiet Riot, Metal Health (1983)
roger fritz photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 8, 1988 By Steve Newton Blues guitar giant Roy Buchanan makes his yearly visit to Vancouver this week, and fans of his searingly soulful, technically awesome style can get their 1988 dose of it. This time around, though, Roy will be shooting off those wild licks with the … Continue reading Roy Buchanan talks jamming with Pink Floyd “bluesman” David Gilmour and boasts about his new Bluesmaster guitar
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 2, 1984 By Steve Newton My choice for best instrumental rock album of the year–so far–has got to be this new release by former Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse. With accompaniment from bassist Jerry Peek and drummer Rod Morgenstein, Morse unleashes some of the tastiest riffs imaginable, melding … Continue reading Album review: Steve Morse, The Introduction (1984)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 22, 1983 By Steve Newton Gary Moore is an astounding rock guitarist, capable of wrenching the most scintillating and unique licks imaginable from six strings. His brief stints with Colosseum II and Thin Lizzy showed him to be a versatile and technically superior player, and on Corridors of … Continue reading Album review: Gary Moore, Corridors of Power (1983)
texastengu photo By Steve Newton When you see a promotional image of Warren Haynes, or an in-concert shot, the American guitar legend is almost always clutching a Les Paul. So I was kinda surprised to see that on the most recent Gov’t Mule album, Revolution Come…Revolution Go, there’s a photo of him in the CD … Continue reading Guitar legend Warren Haynes admits he’s “a Gibson guy”, but still likes to play a Fender now and then
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 12, 1988 By Steve Newton Old Diamond Dave had his hands full surpassing his 1986 LP Eat ‘Em and Smile, but with this new one, Skyscraper, he’s certainly done just that. In his first endeavour as producer Roth has come up with a brilliantly played and varied hard-rock album that should turn … Continue reading Album review: David Lee Roth, Skyscraper (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 20, 1995 By Steve Newton Canadian guitar-rock heroes the Tragically Hip took all of Vancouver by surprise on July 12 when they announced a last-minute concert that night at the wee Railway Club (capacity 176). When word went out over local rock station 99.3 the Fox that 75 wristbands for the … Continue reading The Tragically Hip causes traffic havoc before getting messy with a surprise gig at Vancouver’s wee Railway Club
