By Steve Newton I called Louisiana slide guitar-ace Sonny Landreth up at his home in Lafayette yesterday and we chatted for a while, mainly about his latest album, Bound By the Blues, which he’ll showcase tunes from in Vancouver on January 17. The album, his ninth studio release, is a paeon to the blues and his … Continue reading Sonny Landreth ranks Johnny Winter with Clapton and Beck
By Steve Newton Back in 1997 I did my one and only interview with guitar legend Link Wray, and man was that cool. He’s always been one of those players who never got the credit he deserved, considering how influential he was. Those boneheads down at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame haven’t even … Continue reading That time Link Wray told me why he became a rocker
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 4, 1987 By Steve Newton Heart has come a long way from the days when they used to play high-school dances and small-town community halls across B.C. They drew 12,000 fans to the Pacific Coliseum last Friday (August 28), and the predominance of David Bowie and Huey … Continue reading Heart singer Ann Wilson’s passionate wails can still send a shiver up the spine in 1987
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 6, 1987 By Steve Newton Devoted fans of serious music should make a point of being as far away as possible from the 86 Street Music Hall this Tuesday (November 10). However, those with less cultivated tastes–and a penchant for rowdy, party-time country rock with … Continue reading The Beat Farmers’ Country Dick Montana offers tips for men and insight into The Pursuit of Happiness
By Steve Newton Some Def Leppard fans think the band was at its best when Steve Clark was in the lineup. I’m one of them. I interviewed Clark back in 1988 when the band was selling out arenas worldwide, touring behind its massively popular Hysteria album. At one point in the conversation I mentioned a quote from … Continue reading That time Def Leppard’s Steve Clark told me that Pyromania set the standard for a lot of groups
By Steve Newton Man, I sure have been lucky as far as interviewing great guitarists go. Sometimes–in the case of guys like Joe Satriani, Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, and Joe Bonamassa–I get to interview them a bunch of times. Other times–with deceased legends like Link Wray, Albert King, Gary Moore, and Danny Gatton–I consider … Continue reading That time I called Roy Buchanan up at his house and he raved about his new Bluesmaster guitar
By Steve Newton It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon and I’m not quite up to mowing the lawn yet, so I figure I’ll just post another audio excerpt from my one-and-only conversation with American guitar legend Link Wray. It’s from just over 20 years ago–June 21, 1997, to be precise–when Link was in Dallas, on a … Continue reading That time I asked Link Wray if he’d sign the Ear of Newt guitar
By Steve Newton I realize I’ve mentioned it before–maybe more than once–but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn’t dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool–not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 1987 By Steve Newton Not too many bands make it to the 20-year mark. But Scottish rockers Nazareth will reach that milestone next year. Singer Dan McCafferty, guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, and drummer Darrell Sweet have been kicking royal butt for nigh-on two decades now, and with the … Continue reading Nazareth’s Dan McCafferty says Manny Charlton was writing good tunes for Cinema, so they used ’em
kevin kane photo By Steve Newton I called Steve Howe up at a Yes tour stop in San Diego in 2017 and had a nice chat with the British guitar wizard, who I’ve adored ever since first hearing him go to town on “Roundabout” back in the seventies. During our conversation I asked Steve about … Continue reading Yes guitarist Steve Howe on paying tribute to bass god Chris Squire at the Rock Hall
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 15, 2016 By Steve Newton When Sonny Landreth connects his glass slide to the strings of his Strat, there’s always a good chance a blues-drenched tone will emerge—perhaps blended with zydeco strains befitting the guitarist’s home state of Louisiana. A blues freak since day one, Landreth composed a love letter to … Continue reading Sonny Landreth on first hearing Johnny Winter: “Holy shit, man, this is awesome!”
By Steve Newton In the Year of Our Lord, 1974, Mountain was one of my favourite bands. Back then I played the crap out of their new live album, Twin Peaks, marvelling at how totally rockin’ a cowbell could sound on “Mississippi Queen”. And Leslie West’s guitar playing wasn’t too bad either. Four years later another American … Continue reading That time Leslie West told me that Eddie Van Halen inspired him to get back into guitar after rehab
By Steve Newton It’s been a sad week for fans of the Allman Brothers Band, following the news of original drummer Butch Trucks’ death at the age of 69. I never got the opportunity to interview Trucks–although I have chatted with his nephew, Derek, and fellow ABB founding members Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts. During … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me the secret of the Allman Brothers’ longevity
