ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 26, 1987 By Steve Newton For R.E.M. fans who can't wait for the follow-up to last year's Life's Rich Pageant LP, there is now a unique compilation of b-sides and studio out-takes to keep them going. And what's most surprising is that, on a whole, Dead Letter Office is … Continue reading Album review: R.E.M., Dead Letter Office (1987)
Tag: B-sides
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers box set is a must-have for Pettyphiles
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 14, 1995 By Steve Newton Some boxed sets are basically just glorified greatest-hits collections, with maybe a handful of remixed or previously unreleased tracks tossed in to lure die-hard fans with bulging pockets, but the 92-track Playback isn’t one of those. While it does contain all the big … Continue reading Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers box set is a must-have for Pettyphiles
Good news for those who can’t get enough Bad Company
By Steve Newton If you were type of rock fan in the '70s who thought it was the end of the world when guitarist Mick Ralphs left Mott the Hoople--only to be blown away when he formed a supergroup called Bad Company with singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (from Free) and bassist Boz … Continue reading Good news for those who can’t get enough Bad Company
Message in a Box delivers all the great tracks the Police laid down before Sting went off by himself to be boring
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 9, 1993 By Steve Newton Now here’s one band that deserves to have its recorded output compiled in one nifty boxed set. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the Police, the pioneering Anglo-American rock trio whose adventurous melding of pop styles and sheer musical talent made its … Continue reading Message in a Box delivers all the great tracks the Police laid down before Sting went off by himself to be boring
Cheap Trick box set wisely avoids ’80s clunkers
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1996 By Steve Newton Back in ’78, my personal Top 10 included power-rock LPs such as UFO’s Obsession, AC/DC’s Powerage, Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous, and the third Cheap Trick album, Heaven Tonight. At the time I was a UBC faculty of arts slacker, and the best … Continue reading Cheap Trick box set wisely avoids ’80s clunkers