ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 6, 1993 By Steve Newton When I first heard Aerosmith’s “comeback” releases—1987’s Permanent Vacation and 1989’s Pump—I thought they were mighty fine. In the intervening years, however, I found myself playing those discs less and less, tending instead to dig around in my vinyl collection for earlier … Continue reading Album review: Aerosmith, Get a Grip (1993)
Tag: Aerosmith
Alice Cooper talks heavy metal, sleazy horror, and getting back in the game with Constrictor
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 7, 1986 By Steve Newton Alice Cooper's early '70s rock anthems captured my imagination as a teenager, and have stayed with me ever since. Not only was his image so horrifically new and different, what with the ghoulish makeup, wild costumes, and weird props--but his songs were so good. "Eighteen", … Continue reading Alice Cooper talks heavy metal, sleazy horror, and getting back in the game with Constrictor
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 1993
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 23, 1993 By Steve Newton Popular music hit an all-time low this year with the outbreak of something called gangsta rap, an ugly, expletive-laden noise that degrades women and glorifies real-life crime and violence. We can only hope this latest strain of the rap virus will help bring down the whole … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 1993
Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” chosen as the top heavy-metal song of all time
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 4, 2003 By Steve Newton Toronto-based music writer Martin Popoff is Canada’s top expert on heavy metal. Senior editor of metal mag Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles and author of The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal, the Trail, B.C.–raised Popoff certainly knows his stuff when it comes to … Continue reading Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” chosen as the top heavy-metal song of all time
Patterson Hood on the Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera and the true meaning of Skynyrd
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 30, 2003 By Steve Newton It doesn’t seem likely in today’s musical climate that any band would record a 90-minute concept album about 1970s rock and southern U.S. culture, focusing on the legend of doomed Dixie rock act Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s even more unlikely that such a CD would get critical … Continue reading Patterson Hood on the Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera and the true meaning of Skynyrd
Patriots vs. Seahawks = Aerosmith vs. Nirvana, Cars vs. Pearl Jam, J. Geils vs. Soundgarden
By Steve Newton Today I just realized that the New England Patriots--who play some big football game with fancy TV commercials tomorrow--are from the greater Boston area. I didn't know that. In my blissful ignorance of American geography--which may be unconscious payback for the Yanks' legendary cluelessness about all things Canada--I always thought New England was a … Continue reading Patriots vs. Seahawks = Aerosmith vs. Nirvana, Cars vs. Pearl Jam, J. Geils vs. Soundgarden
Mike Fraser helps AC/DC get back on top, sets his sights on Sabbath
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 3, 2014 By Steve Newton The first time he ever saw AC/DC, Mike Fraser had no idea what band he was seeing. He'd gone to an Aerosmith show at the Pacific Coliseum back in '78 and showed up early enough to catch the warmup act. "Usually you kinda miss the opening … Continue reading Mike Fraser helps AC/DC get back on top, sets his sights on Sabbath
Interviewing Jeff Beck, the world’s greatest living rock guitarist
As long as he’s got those magic fingers, you can bet that Jeff Beck will be searching for fresh ways to communicate through six strings.
That time at Aerosmith in Vancouver when Joey Kramer’s hallowed drumstick got snatched away
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 30, 1997 By Steve Newton At the climax of Aerosmith’s two-hour-plus concert at the Coliseum last Saturday (October 25), muscular skin-basher Joey Kramer emerged from behind his rotating drum kit, trotted to the front of the stage, and jubilantly hurled one of his drumsticks into the roaring, near-capacity crowd. Seeing as … Continue reading That time at Aerosmith in Vancouver when Joey Kramer’s hallowed drumstick got snatched away
“Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 23, 1997 By Steve Newton Inside the False Creek offices of A&M Records, a scrawny young guy is struggling to record a promotional sound bite over the phone for a Prince George radio station. “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?” After a couple … Continue reading “Hi, this is Matthew Good, and you’re listening to…what are those call letters again?”
Steven Tyler speaks out on loving the stage, hating Spinal Tap, and Aerosmith without Bruce Fairbairn
Whether due to Fairbairn’s absence or not, the once-mighty Aerosmith delivered its weakest album ever in Nine Lives.
When Aerosmith sold its soul to Sony and flew me to Toronto to watch
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 13, 1997 By Steve Newton TORONTO—For the past quarter-century or so, Aerosmith has been doing things in a big way, as befits a band with combined worldwide sales of more than 70 million LPs, tapes, and CDs. When the time came to promote its 12th studio release, Nine … Continue reading When Aerosmith sold its soul to Sony and flew me to Toronto to watch
AC/DC’s onstage antics and rowdy classics undermined by hellish sound on the Ballbreaker Tour
The show ended with a bang as several cannons were rolled out for the trusty concert standby, “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)”.