Album review: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pack Up the Plantation (1985)

One of my fondest concert memories dates back to 1978, when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.

Aerosmith is reborn as a killer live act on the Permanent Vacation tour

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

John Cougar Mellencamp sells seats, not principles, in Vancouver

chris cameron photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 25, 1988 By Steve Newton Some guys have it and some guys don’t. A great band, that is. Springsteen had one when he played here in 1984. And the latest hero of the American heartland, John Cougar Mellencamp, had one at the sold-out Coliseum last Saturday (March 19). Mellencamp was definitely the … Continue reading John Cougar Mellencamp sells seats, not principles, in Vancouver

Kiss struggles on stage in 1988, can’t rekindle the magic of Alive! from ’75

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 Alive! from ’75

Album review: Heart, Heart (1985)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 2, 1985 By Steve Newton For their ninth album–and their first on Capitol Records–Heart have utilized the talents of celebrated producer Ron Nevison (Led Zeppelin, the Who), and come up with a catchy collection of heavy-duty rock tunes and soaring ballads. The rockers take up the bulk of this self-titled LP, rugged … Continue reading Album review: Heart, Heart (1985)

Album review: Blackfoot, Siogo (1983)

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)

Album review: Mötley Crüe: Too Fast For Love (1982)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 9, 1982 By Steve Newton Talk about ugly. These guys make the New York Dolls look like the kids on Leave It To Beaver! Well, maybe they aren’t that bad. Anyway, their music sure isn’t ugly. It’s beautiful, in fact. That is, if you’re into energetic, hook-filled boogie. Music for the … Continue reading Album review: Mötley Crüe: Too Fast For Love (1982)

That time Dickey Betts told me how sweet the buses were that the Allman Brothers toured in

By Steve Newton Hey, how about another audio excerpt from an old interview I did with one of my fave guitarists, Dickey Betts? Back in 1992 I was talkin’ to Dickey about the Allmans’ latest album, An Evening With the Allman Brothers Band: First Set. The disc’s cover photo, taken by the inimitable Kirk West, … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me how sweet the buses were that the Allman Brothers toured in

Album review: Scorpions, Blackout (1982)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 4, 1982 By Steve Newton The cover art of Scorpions‘ new album Blackout is really quite shocking. Created by Austrian painter Gottfried Helnwein, it shows a mustachioed young man with his head completely bandaged and two steel forks protruding from the white cloth at his temples, curling menacingly into his eyes. The … Continue reading Album review: Scorpions, Blackout (1982)

David Gilmour shines like crazy as Pink Floyd blows Vancouver away on its A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton Seeing Pink Floyd live is a luxury that every rock fan should allow him or herself at least once. Yours truly took advantage of the opportunity to do just that last Thursday (December 10), along with about 44,000 other lucky dogs at B.C. Place. It was my first Floydian experience, and … Continue reading David Gilmour shines like crazy as Pink Floyd blows Vancouver away on its A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour

Album review: Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction (1992)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 17, 1992 By Steve Newton Used to be that whenever Megadeth albums like Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? or Killing is My Business…And Business is Good came my way, I’d pass them off as just too thrashy and evil-sounding for my more melodic sensibilities. That was good news … Continue reading Album review: Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction (1992)

Album review: David Lee Roth, Skyscraper (1988)

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)

That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allman Brothers transcend generations

By Steve Newton Allman Brothers Band fans (and guitar freaks in general) seem to really enjoy the audio excerpts I’ve been posting from my four interviews with Dickey Betts over the years, so here’s another one. Back in July of ’92 I did my third interview with Dickey, after the band had released its live album … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me that the Allman Brothers transcend generations