Search Results for: david gogo

Gene Odom’s Lynyrd Skynyrd book lacks literary grace and gory details

  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 21, 2002 By Steve Newton On their latest CD, Southern Rock Opera, alt-country reprobates the Drive-By Truckers combine sociology, history, and musicology to deliver a concept album about southern rock, and the band they focus on to get their ideas across is Lynyrd Skynyrd. For the uninitiated, … Continue reading Gene Odom’s Lynyrd Skynyrd book lacks literary grace and gory details

Bill Payne says that Little Feat is playing beautifully and still comes up with twists and turns

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 15, 2002 By Steve Newton Bill Payne has been singing and playing keyboards in Little Feat since the band’s inception in 1969, but he’s still learning new things about the music biz—like how to do the business yourself. Recently the group launched its own label out of North Carolina, Hot Tomato … Continue reading Bill Payne says that Little Feat is playing beautifully and still comes up with twists and turns

Link Wray licks led to Los Straitjackets’ Supersonic Guitars in 3-D

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Guitarist Eddie Angel was playing at a Nashville club in 1986, opening up for underrated roots-twang merchants Webb Wilder, when his future bandmate, Danny Amis, showed up. During the set, Angel caught the attention of the instrumentally minded Amis with a Link Wray cover, which led … Continue reading Link Wray licks led to Los Straitjackets’ Supersonic Guitars in 3-D

From Black Oak to Thin Lizzy, Tommy Aldridge has been a monster on the kit

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 25, 2001 By Steve Newton Tommy Aldridge is one of the most recognizable hard-rock drummers in the world. His name may not be a household word along the lines of Moon or Bonham, but anyone who’s followed the careers of Pat Travers, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Ted Nugent, and latter-day Thin Lizzy … Continue reading From Black Oak to Thin Lizzy, Tommy Aldridge has been a monster on the kit

.38 Special’s Donnie Van Zant on the origins of southern rock and the drive of Jacksonville bands

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 2, 1982 By Steve Newton .38 Special’s July 5 gig at the Kerrisdale Arena has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales, and according to lead singer Donnie Van Zant “it’s a real shame”. The show would have been the band’s second Vancouver appearance. Their latest album, Special Forces, is #27 … Continue reading .38 Special’s Donnie Van Zant on the origins of southern rock and the drive of Jacksonville bands

Art Bergmann plays Sexual Roulette on behalf of downtrodden rockers everywhere

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 20, 1990 By Steve Newton It’s a sunny Friday afternoon on Granville Island. Art Bergmann and I are negotiating our way through armies of cars—parked and mobile—in search of a suitable spot to have a chat. “I don’t have any money,” confides Bergmann as we head over to the Island from … Continue reading Art Bergmann plays Sexual Roulette on behalf of downtrodden rockers everywhere

Drive-By Truckers tone down the Skynyrdisms on Decoration Day

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 7, 2003 By Steve Newton Two years ago the Drive-By Truckers took the music world by surprise with Southern Rock Opera, a sprawling, two-CD concept album about ’70s rock and southern U.S. culture that focused on the legend of doomed Dixie rock act Lynyrd Skynyrd. The independent release garnered the group … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers tone down the Skynyrdisms on Decoration Day

Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano thinks Mick Ronson was a genius

Last year Concrete Blonde released a CD that reunited the original lineup of Johnette Napolitano, James Mankey, and Harry Rushakoff.

Guitar Shorty says Jimi Hendrix used to go AWOL to catch his gigs

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 17, 2001 By Steve Newton Hordes of rock guitarists have been influenced by Jimi Hendrix, but only a few would claim that he was influenced by them. According to Guitar Shorty’s latest bio, in the ’60s Hendrix would go AWOL from the U.S. Army in order to catch Shorty’s gigs at … Continue reading Guitar Shorty says Jimi Hendrix used to go AWOL to catch his gigs

Fretmaster Don Ross exposes the Newt to the wonders of acoustic-guitar wizardry

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 29, 2001 By Steve Newton Guitar gods—I can’t get enough of ’em. There’ve always been lots of slots in my CD stacks reserved for fret masters who balance boggling technique with high degrees of feel. Because I’m mostly a rock and blues fan, the vast majority of guitarists I’ve worshipped have … Continue reading Fretmaster Don Ross exposes the Newt to the wonders of acoustic-guitar wizardry

Leslie West recalls Woodstock and his band Mountain’s old warmup act, Black Sabbath

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 1, 2002 By Steve Newton Seventies hard-rockers Mountain didn’t waste any time in getting famous. The band—best known for the lineup of guitarist and vocalist Leslie West, drummer Corky Laing, keyboardist Steve Knight, and bassist-vocalist Felix Pappalardi (who was shot dead by his wife in ’83)—played its first gig at L.A.’s … Continue reading Leslie West recalls Woodstock and his band Mountain’s old warmup act, Black Sabbath