Tom Petty blows into the psychedelic harmonica on the Into the Great Wide Open Tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 21, 1991 By Steve Newton “Oh, those fabulous ’70s,” intoned Tom Petty halfway through his Monday-night (November 18) show at the Coliseum. The Florida native was catching his breath between a couple of his early tunes, “Here Comes My Girl” and “Breakdown”, but you couldn’t really tell if he was being … Continue reading Tom Petty blows into the psychedelic harmonica on the Into the Great Wide Open Tour

Eddie’s off-the-cuff raunch blasts save Van Halen’s ass while Jimmy Page watches from the wings

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 21, 1991 By Steve Newton Twice during Van Halen’s show at B.C. Place last Wednesday (November 13), shaggy-maned vocalist Sammy Hagar apologized for having throat problems and not being able to sing up to par. The second time, he added, “But the band’s hot, and that’s all that counts.” Yeah, sure, … Continue reading Eddie’s off-the-cuff raunch blasts save Van Halen’s ass while Jimmy Page watches from the wings

Star producer Bob Rock just wants to play guitar in a band

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton Vancouver’s Bob Rock is one of the most in-demand rock producers in the world today. The albums he’s worked on in the last few years have sold millions of copies and—in the case of Motley Crüe’s Dr. Feelgood—made it to number one in Billboard. Recently, he … Continue reading Star producer Bob Rock just wants to play guitar in a band

Stone Gossard says Pearl Jam’s hard work is all paying off

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 19, 1991 By Steve Newton When a rock writer does a lot of “phoners”—media slang for telephone interviews—with bands that are coming to town, once in a while wires get crossed. This scribbler was planning to speak to Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder last week, but guitarist Stone Gossard rang up … Continue reading Stone Gossard says Pearl Jam’s hard work is all paying off

An electrifying Lenny Kravitz blows the Cult off the stage in Vancouver

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 16, 1992 By Steve Newton When I saw local singing sensation Sarah McLachlan pick up her coat and leave the press box after Lenny Kravitz’s opening slot for the Cult, I thought: “Geez, she could have stuck around for a couple of rockin’ Cult tunes.” But, as it turned out, the … Continue reading An electrifying Lenny Kravitz blows the Cult off the stage in Vancouver

Alex Lifeson says Rush’s no-compromise approach is key to its staying power

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 30, 1992 By Steve Newton When I interviewed Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate last month, the singer had some intriguing things to say about an alleged “backlash” against progressive rock, which he felt had been initiated by the music industry in the ’70s. Tate uncovered a plot to undermine the growing popularity … Continue reading Alex Lifeson says Rush’s no-compromise approach is key to its staying power

Pantera’s Vinnie Paul explains what makes Phil Anselmo so “F**king Hostile” on Vulgar Display of Power

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 27, 1992 By Steve Newton Would you let somebody punch you in the face for 300 bucks? Considering that knuckle sandwiches sometimes come for free, 300 smackers might not sound too bad. Then again, it depends who’s on the other end of the fist. And whether or not dental coverage is … Continue reading Pantera’s Vinnie Paul explains what makes Phil Anselmo so “F**king Hostile” on Vulgar Display of Power

John Mellencamp’s killer repertoire runs fast and loose in Vancouver

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 5, 1992 By Steve Newton A couple of weeks back, the Straight ran a John Mellencamp interview in which the Indiana man characterized his debut acting/directing effort, Falling from Grace, as “a very slow and methodical movie”. Fortunately for the 13,000 or so rowdies who packed the Coliseum … Continue reading John Mellencamp’s killer repertoire runs fast and loose in Vancouver

Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 12, 1992 By Steve Newton When Michael Schenker was only 15, he met up with Scorpions singer Klaus Meine. Just a year later, he was laying down the white-hot guitar licks for the Scorpions’ debut album, Lonesome Crow. But Schenker’s early musical accomplishments were not without their price, as the teen … Continue reading Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it

Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert can deal with a number-one single at 25

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 19, 1992 By Steve Newton Some recording artists come off as self-absorbed types whose only musical interest involves what they’re doing. They claim not to listen to anybody else’s tunes, lest their precious art be influenced away from its predestined place in history. But sometimes you come across an open-minded recording … Continue reading Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert can deal with a number-one single at 25

Widespread Panic finds a home on Phil Walden’s resurrected Capricorn label

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2, 1992 By Steve Newton If you were a fan of southern rock back in the days of vinyl, chances are you owned a couple of discs with the Capricorn label on them. With an early ’70s roster that included the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie, Elvin Bishop, … Continue reading Widespread Panic finds a home on Phil Walden’s resurrected Capricorn label

Metallica delivers on Lars Ulrich’s promise to “kick f***in’ ass” while touring behind The Black Album

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 28, 1992 By Steve Newton You don’t have to be a big fan of Metallica’s furiously thrashy—albeit recently refined—sound to give the band credit for blazing a formidable trail since its inception in ’81. The group has always gone against the grain and done things its own way, riding the precarious … Continue reading Metallica delivers on Lars Ulrich’s promise to “kick f***in’ ass” while touring behind The Black Album

Kim Mitchell hits 40 and just keeps getting wet with life

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 6, 1992 By Steve Newton Used to be that whenever you saw Kim Mitchell’s name on an album’s liner notes the name of his lyricist, Pye Dubois, would be right there beside it. But Dubois’ moniker is nowhere to be found on Mitchell’s latest release, Aural Fixations. Seems the long-time songwriting … Continue reading Kim Mitchell hits 40 and just keeps getting wet with life