kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 18, 1988 By Steve Newton One of the most memorable concerts of this scribbler’s young life was seeing Kiss at the Commodore Ballroom just after the release of its second album, Hotter Than Hell. A bunch of my buddies and I had crammed into a rented van and driven up … Continue reading Kiss struggles on stage in 1988, can’t rekindle the magic of Kiss Alive! in 1975
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 24, 1995 By Steve Newton They’ve had plenty of time to rehearse, but Deep Purple still can’t improve on Made in Japan, the live double album that captured the hearts and minds of hard-rock hooligans back in ’73. Still, you won’t hear me complain when the band rips … Continue reading Album review: Deep Purple, Come Hell or High Water (1995)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 24, 1983 By Steve Newton Former Uriah Heep keyboardist Ken Hensley has become the fifth Blackfoot member on their sixth studio album, Siogo. While I was a little worried that the overpowering organ sound he’d often wielded in his former band might drown out the gritty guitars of Rickey Medlocke and … Continue reading Album review: Blackfoot, Siogo (1983)
By Steve Newton The following is the Preface from my new coffeetable book, Gord Downie, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. of New York City and currently available at Indigo, Coles, and Chapters outlets across Canada. ———————————————————————- The first time I spoke to Gord Downie he was a longhaired 25-year-old rocker touring behind his band’s first full-length … Continue reading Exclusive excerpt from my new book, Gord Downie, about the late frontman of the Tragically Hip
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 3, 1997 By Steve Newton Its previous two albums—1993’s Sister Sweetly and 1995’s Strategem—were sterling examples of well played and wonderfully sung roots-pop, but on Beautiful World, Colorado’s Big Head Todd & the Monsters venture winningly into seriously funky and soulful territory. The title track—featuring former Parliament-Funkadelic … Continue reading Album review: Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Beautiful World (1997)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 29, 1988 By Steve Newton Prior to Aerosmith‘s local appearance last week, I’d seen the Boston band in concert three times, including a show on the massive Rocks tour that saw them headlining over Jeff Beck at the Kingdome in Seattle. Each time before, they had performed more raggedly than singer Steven … Continue reading Aerosmith is reborn as a killer live act on the Permanent Vacation tour
By Steve Newton The most popular story I ever posted on Ear of Newt–until I broke the news about AC/DC being spotted in Vancouver back in 2018–was the one from 2014 with the headline Yngwie Malmsteen calls Ibanez guitars “a bad copy” of the Strat and says Les Pauls are “furniture”. For some reason people–mostly guitar … Continue reading Caught on tape: that time Strat fanatic Yngwie Malmsteen trash-talked Ibanez and Les Paul guitars
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 14, 1993 By Steve Newton When I first heard the title of John Hiatt’s new album, Perfectly Good Guitar, I thought for a second that maybe it was an immodest reference to the guitar-playing skills of Hiatt himself. I should have known better, of course, since Hiatt … Continue reading Album review: John Hiatt, Perfectly Good Guitar (1993)
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen, back in December of 1985, he was touring with Ronnie James Dio as opening act on the Sacred Heart tour. He was only 22 at the time, and four years earlier had spent a very brief stint in the Swedish army. Like, two days. When … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen told me that he escaped the Swedish army by threatening to shoot himself
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 17, 1997 By Steve Newton To me, John Fogerty is the ultimate rock ’n’ roller. His songwriting—as evidenced by a myriad of deathless Creedence Clearwater Revival hits and some stunning solo tunes—is untouchable. He’s one hell of a swamp-rock lead guitarist. And when it comes to singing, man—what … Continue reading Album review: John Fogerty, Blue Moon Swamp (1997)
By Steve Newton I’ve been getting quite a few hits lately for a blog I posted about Danny Gatton, which included an audio excerpt from the interview I did with the underrated guitar genius back in 1993. So I figured maybe it was time to treat that particular group of Ear of Newt readers–the ones … Continue reading That time Roy Buchanan told me that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour was just a bluesman at heart
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 27, 1987 By Steve Newton Whenever Steve Earle hits town, you’re pretty well guaranteed a hellraisin’ good time. It happened at his Vancouver debut last May at the 86 Street Music Hall, and then again last Thursday (November 19) when he and his rip-snortin’ band the Dukes returned to the Expo … Continue reading Steve Earle takes Exit O back to Vancouver and delivers another hell-raisin’ good time
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)
