A little Zeppelin goes a long way at Robert Plant’s Vancouver concert

crappy iPhone photo by the Newt By Steve Newton When I interviewed Robert Plant back in 1993, the first thing he said on the phone from New York City was that he was “pissed off” that Black Sabbath wasn’t getting back together. He was joking, though. It was more a comment on how frustrated he … Continue reading A little Zeppelin goes a long way at Robert Plant’s Vancouver concert

That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes about working with legendary producer Tom Dowd

By Steve Newton that’s Dowd on the far left, hangin’ with Warren and the Brothers By Steve Newton Legendary producer Tom Dowd has worked with some of the biggest names in the music biz, including–as Warren Haynes points out in this audio excerpt from 1994–Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and John Coltrane. But it was Dowd’s … Continue reading That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes about working with legendary producer Tom Dowd

The Drive-By Truckers’ 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

By Steve Newton So far I’ve posted these wacky “20 best songs” lists for some of my fave bands from the ’70s, including Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Robin Trower, Van Halen, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, and Thin Lizzy. When I decided to compile one for the Drive-By Truckers, who are … Continue reading The Drive-By Truckers’ 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

Newt’s Top 10 Albums of 2018

By Steve Newton This year I picked some instrumental rock, some hard rock, some southern rock, and some Beatles, but the underlying thread running through most of this stuff is the blues. You just can’t beat the blues. Joe Satriani What Happens Next Bay Area guitar wizard hooks up once again with Langley producer Mike Fraser … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 Albums of 2018

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

Album review: Queen, Queen at the BBC (1995)

  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 23, 1995 By Steve Newton Recorded in February and December of 1973—half before and half after the release of Queen’s self-titled debut album—Queen at the BBC is an intriguing document of the Brit supergroup’s earliest material, which is certainly some of its best. (The band went downhill, … Continue reading Album review: Queen, Queen at the BBC (1995)

That time I asked 28-year-old Susan Tedeschi what she hoped to accomplish in her career

By Steve Newton Hey all you diehard Susan Tedeschi fans: here’s another audio excerpt from my 1998 interview with her, when she had just released her second album, Just Won’t Burn, and was on the verge of stardom. As the “phoner” wound down, I asked her what she hoped to accomplish in her career, and … Continue reading That time I asked 28-year-old Susan Tedeschi what she hoped to accomplish in her career

Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid says he’s very much in awe of music

So what are these four black guys doing playing in a straightforward, heavy-duty rock band? They’re crossing barriers…

That time Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes told me who his biggest influences were on slide

By Steve Newton Oh man, I freakin’ love the sound of slide guitar. And I especially love it when it’s being created by somebody like Warren Haynes. In case you didn’t know, Haynes is the player who took over the slide duties when the Allman Brothers reunited back in 1989. I did my first interview … Continue reading That time Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes told me who his biggest influences were on slide

Aerosmith’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

By Steve Newton Clearly, the ’70s stuff was best. 20. “Make It” (Aerosmith, 1973) 19. “Let the Music Do the Talking” (Done With Mirrors, 1985) 18. “Mama Kin” (Aerosmith, 1973) 17. “S.O.S. (Too Bad)” (Get Your Wings, 1974) 16. “Sick as a Dog” (Rocks, 1976) 15. “My Fist Your Face” (Done With Mirrors, 1985) 14. … Continue reading Aerosmith’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome

That time I asked Jeff Healey about his 1989 Grammy nomination and he told me that Jimmy Page would probably win

By Steve Newton On February 16, 1989, I did the second of my three interviews with Canadian guitar hero Jeff Healey. He was only 22 at the time, but holy crap could that guy play! Anyway, this was about five months after the release of his wicked debut album, See the Light, which you may … Continue reading That time I asked Jeff Healey about his 1989 Grammy nomination and he told me that Jimmy Page would probably win

That time Warren Haynes told me that his Allman Brothers song “Soulshine” was inspired by his dad

By Steve Newton There some tunes that just grab you by the heart with their simple beauty and honesty and, if you’re lucky, maybe a wailing Les Paul guitar. “Soulshine” is one of ’em. When I interviewed Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes for the first time, a quarter-century ago, the band was touring behind its … Continue reading That time Warren Haynes told me that his Allman Brothers song “Soulshine” was inspired by his dad