ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 8, 1988 By Steve Newton You don’t hear a lot from Leslie West these days. The under-rated guitarist has sort of faded into the distance since his two ’70s bands–Mountain and West, Bruce & Laing–called it quits. But for those who’d like to catch up on what the … Continue reading Album review: Leslie West, Theme (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 1, 1989 By Steve Newton You’ve gotta like a band like the Georgia Satellites–they know what they do best, and the just keep doin’ it. On their first two albums they made pulverizing boogie-blues their one-and-only forte, and on their excellent third album they’ve not only kept the faith–they’ve become better … Continue reading Album review: Georgia Satellites, In the Land of Salvation and Sin (1989)
By Steve Newton Here’s an interesting tidbit from the first interview I did with Buddy Guy, back in 1991. At one point in the conversation I asked Buddy about this story in his record-company bio about the time he was starving in Chicago and Muddy Waters “force-fed him salami sandwiches”. Have a listen: To hear … Continue reading That time Buddy Guy told me about Muddy Waters bringing him sandwiches when he was hungry
By Steve Newton I did my eighth interview with Joe Satriani a couple years ago, and finally got to ask him about something that his former G3 tourmate Yngwie Malmsteen once said to me. Back in 2014 I had interviewed Yngwie in advance of his Guitar Gods show in Vancouver, and that was when he … Continue reading Joe Satriani responds to Yngwie Malmsteen’s claim that Ibanez guitars are “a bad copy” of the Strat
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 27, 1988 By Steve Newton Whether you like David Lee Roth or not, there’s one thing you’ve got to admit: the guy’s a star. It’s hard to take your eyes off him, and few did at the Pacific Coliseum last Saturday (May 21). Whether you’re ogling his sexy bod, … Continue reading David Lee Roth shows off manly biceps, a giant surfboard, and Steve Vai on the Skyscraper Tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 29, 1988 By Steve Newton If you were in a rockin’, blues-based guitar band and wanted to cover a song from the Beatles’ White Album, you’d probably pick one of the heavier Lennon/McCartney tunes like “Yer Blues” or “Savoy Truffle” or “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”, … Continue reading Georgia Satellites’ Rick Richards on covering the Beatles, meeting the Faces, and thanking Jack Daniels
By Steve Newton Buddy Guy is one of the most influential guitar players of all time, having been a major inspiration for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck. When I did my first interview with Guy, back in August of 1991, he had just released his album Damn … Continue reading That time I asked Buddy Guy why he was such a huge influence on Clapton and Beck
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 15, 1989 By Steve Newton Joe Satriani is the ultimate hero for air guitarists. When he burst on to the mainstream recording scene with the all-instrumental Surfing With the Alien last year, his high-voltage attack had people everywhere going, “What the hell is that?” Not since Eddie Van Halen’s appearance had … Continue reading Album review: Joe Satriani, Flying in a Blue Dream (1989)
By Steve Newton Gov’t Mule is one of my favourite bands, and not just because their original music is so damn fine. Once in a while they’ll do a cover of an old blues tune that inspires me to search out previous versions, with wonderful results. Like back in 1998 when they recorded “John the … Continue reading Warren Haynes calls Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” one of the most haunting recordings ever
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 12, 1987 By Steve Newton When I first heard Mötley Crüe back in 1981, I was quite impressed. The group’s debut album, Too Fast for Love, had a rough-edged punk feel, and songs like “Live Wire”, “Public Enemy #1”, and “Piece of Your Action” made repeated rounds on the old turntable. But … Continue reading Album review: Mötley Crüe, Girls, Girls, Girls (1987)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 6, 1989 By Steve Newton Some bands grow old gracefully, mellowing with age, but not Aerosmith. On Pump, the follow-up to the band’s 1987 comeback album Permanent Vacation, the bad boys from Boston are as rude ‘n’ rowdy as ever. And nobody does it better. Pump kicks off … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Pump (1989)
By Steve Newton Way back in July of 1993 I did my first interview with Dick Dale, the pioneering surf-rock guitarist who passed away two nights ago. I chatted with the 56-year-old Californian in advance of a show at the Commodore Ballroom, one of the top live venues in Vancouver. After the gig I hung … Continue reading Dick Dale signed the Ear of Newt guitar
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 3, 1988 By Steve Newton I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I heard that Edgar Winter and Leon Russell were going to share the same stage, but I did know that I should definitely be there. I was aware that Winter was something of a wildman–prone to leaping about … Continue reading Edgar Winter and Leon Russell knock ’em down and drag ’em out in Vancouver
