Search Results for: ac/dc

Burt Reynolds’ death two weeks after Ed King’s gets me raving about “Saturday Night Special”

  By Steve Newton I never thought Lynyrd Skynyrd’s third album, 1975’s Nuthin’ Fancy, was anywhere near as fine as its first two albums, but holy fvck did I love the opening track, “Saturday Night Special”. It boasted a killer main riff by guitarist Ed King, and some seriously kick-ass, southern-fried solos by Gary Rossington. … Continue reading Burt Reynolds’ death two weeks after Ed King’s gets me raving about “Saturday Night Special”

That time Dickey Betts told me why he got kicked out of the Allman Brothers Band

By Steve Newton I did my fourth interview with guitar legend Dickey Betts in August of 2001, when he was touring with the Dickey Betts Band in support of their new album Let’s Get Together. A little over a year earlier he’d been fired by fax by the Allman Brothers, who he’d cofounded back in … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me why he got kicked out of the Allman Brothers Band

Dickey Betts on the “disco shit” of the ’80s and the nauseating music the Allmans made for Clive Davis

By Steve Newton Hey, as you may be aware, I never tire of posting little audio snippets from my four interviews with guitar legend Dickey Betts. Here’s one from 2001 where Dickey, always honest and to the point, explains how the Allman Brothers broke up in the early ’80s to let disco run its course–but … Continue reading Dickey Betts on the “disco shit” of the ’80s and the nauseating music the Allmans made for Clive Davis

Album review: The Four Horsemen, Nobody Said It Was Easy (1991)

  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 26, 1991 By Steve Newton It can be a long wait between AC/DC albums, so easily-pleased fans of gritty, bastardized blues might cotton to the latest release from a new band featuring former D.O.A. drummer Ken “Dimwit” Montgomery. The Four Horsemen’s Nobody Said It Was Easy offers … Continue reading Album review: The Four Horsemen, Nobody Said It Was Easy (1991)

James Reyne soars as a solo artist after doing the Australian Crawl

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1988 By Steve Newton Have you ever heard of a fellow named James Reyne? Unless you’re from Australia–or were a big fan of the now-defunct Australian Crawl–you probably don’t recognize the name. But you will in the future, if Reyne’s solo career follows the same pattern that has brought such Aussie bands … Continue reading James Reyne soars as a solo artist after doing the Australian Crawl

That time Dickey Betts told me to quit being so “reclusive” and come meet him after the show

kirk west photo By Steve Newton I did my fourth interview with Dickey Betts back in 2001, after he’d been kicked out of the Allman Brothers and was touring with his own band, promoting the Let’s Get Together album. As our “phoner” wound down, he invited me to come back and meet him after the … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me to quit being so “reclusive” and come meet him after the show

Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson bring the best of Mott the Hoople to Vancouver

kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 7, 1988 By Steve Newton Two nights after Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler sailed through town, on September 30, a couple more British rock greats visited. While not as widely known, Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson have a following that is just as devoted, and they gave a … Continue reading Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson bring the best of Mott the Hoople to Vancouver

That time Warren Zevon told me about his cyberpunk-inspired concept album, Transverse City

By Steve Newton As I’ve no doubt mentioned before, I really like Warren Zevon. I only got to interview him once before his cancer death in 2003, but that one conversation–back in 1992–left a big impression on me. He was just such a smart, funny, no-bullshit kinda guy. I admire him so much that I … Continue reading That time Warren Zevon told me about his cyberpunk-inspired concept album, Transverse City

Caught on tape: that time Strat fanatic Yngwie Malmsteen trash-talked Ibanez and Les Paul guitars

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

That time Robin Trower told me that most of the pop music in England was “rubbish”

By Steve Newton Robin Trower is one of my fave guitarists of all time. His string of wicked albums in the seventies–in particular Twice Removed from Yesterday, Bridge of Sighs, and For Earth Below–were a major part of the soundtrack to my teenage existence. He’s never gotten the cred he deserves, partly due to the … Continue reading That time Robin Trower told me that most of the pop music in England was “rubbish”

The Georgia Satellites are my favourite bar band in 1988

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 5, 1988 By Steve Newton There’s nothing quite like your favourite bar band in your favourite bar to bring a tired body back to life. After a long haul to Seattle last week to check out the Monsters of Rock show at the Kingdome, I was pretty tired, but it didn’t … Continue reading The Georgia Satellites are my favourite bar band in 1988

Meeting with the Alien: hangin’ with Joe Satriani backstage in Vancouver

By Steve Newton Went and saw Joe Satriani at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver last night, and holy crap was he smokin’! I must have seen Satch live around 10 times over the years–including on various G3 tours–and I don’t think he’s ever played better. Having such a wicked backing band–guitarist-keyboardist Mike Kenneally, bassist Bryan … Continue reading Meeting with the Alien: hangin’ with Joe Satriani backstage in Vancouver