ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 25, 1999 By Steve Newton Two years ago I was offered a free trip to Toronto to interview Aerosmith, who were tirelessly promoting their then-new CD Nine Lives. Since I’d never been to T.O., I put on my Media Slut From Hell cap and agreed to spend some of Sony Music’s … Continue reading Martin Bryant’s rampage inspired Jeff Lang’s gun-control plea on Cedar Grove
Tag: Bob Dylan
Wallflowers guitarist Michael Ward was more influenced by Ace Frehley than Jakob Dylan’s dad
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 20, 1997 By Steve Newton Most guitarists for hire would jump at the opportunity to join a band featuring Bob Dylan’s son as singer-songwriter; name recognition alone would give that group an instant edge in the competitive rock ’n’ roll game. When Jakob Dylan was on the lookout for a new … Continue reading Wallflowers guitarist Michael Ward was more influenced by Ace Frehley than Jakob Dylan’s dad
Pete Droge’s Pearl Jam connection led him to Find a Door
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SEPT. 12, 1996 By Steve Newton When you think Seattle rock, you picture plaid shirts, baggy shorts, vein-bulging vocals, and propulsive guitar noise comin’ at you in heavily amplified blasts. You don’t necessarily envision a guy like Pete Droge, whose rootsy, laid-back style has more in common with Tom Petty’s breezy, melodic … Continue reading Pete Droge’s Pearl Jam connection led him to Find a Door
Carlos Santana cleans Bob Dylan’s clock in the clash of the Yankee rock titans
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 26, 1993 By Steve Newton It was the clash of the American rock titans last Sunday (August 22) at the Coliseum, and after Big Bad Bobby D. took on Carlos “The Fret Strangler” Santana in a four-hour, 15-man battle royal, only one man remained standing as a certified rock champ of … Continue reading Carlos Santana cleans Bob Dylan’s clock in the clash of the Yankee rock titans
The Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan says he’s not here to talk about his dad
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 25, 1993 By Steve Newton I’d never heard the Wallflowers until about a week ago, when a colleague suggested I might like their rootsy style—the Black Crowes meet The Band. After rounding up a copy of the group’s self-titled 1992 debut, I fell under the spell of 22-year-old singer/songwriter Jakob Dylan’s … Continue reading The Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan says he’s not here to talk about his dad
George Thorogood wants to rock with McCartney and play the blues with Dylan
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 26, 2014 By Steve Newton I’ve always enjoy asking guitar heroes which players they’d most like to jam with if they could pick anyone, living or dead. And the last one I interviewed, George Thorogood, had a pretty interesting bucket list. “Well you can’t jam with Robert Johnson ’cause he didn’t need anybody,” replied … Continue reading George Thorogood wants to rock with McCartney and play the blues with Dylan
Jeff Healey’s amazing legacy captured on three-disc package
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 3, 2008 By Steve Newton At eight months old Jeff Healey lost his eyesight to a rare form of cancer, but he would overcome that monumental setback to achieve critical acclaim and international stardom. The Toronto blues-rocker died way too soon—just last March at the age of 41—but he left … Continue reading Jeff Healey’s amazing legacy captured on three-disc package
Bob Dylan Blu-ray smokes with Johnny Winter, Neil Young & Tom Petty
By Steve Newton Back in October of '92 a mindblowing array of the world's top recording artists performed at New York's Madison Square Garden for Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary concert celebration, and this Tuesday (March 4) a deluxe edition of the concert is being released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray. I watched the Blu-ray this … Continue reading Bob Dylan Blu-ray smokes with Johnny Winter, Neil Young & Tom Petty
Dr. John says that he has 180 songs in the band book
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 4, 2004 By Steve Newton You learn pretty quickly as a music writer not to put too much faith in recording artists' bios. Once in a while, though, the proclamations heard in those promotional sheets actually turn out to be true. Take the opening line of the current PR blurb for … Continue reading Dr. John says that he has 180 songs in the band book
John Hiatt recalls the “Old Days” at the Commodore when the weed smelled like cat pee
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 25, 2010 By Steve Newton John Hiatt is a songwriter's songwriter, which is why such esteemed artists as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, and Bonnie Raitt have recorded his tunes. When Canuck blues-rocker Jeff Healey blasted onto the scene in 1988 he doubled up on the Hiatt material, using both “Confidence Man” … Continue reading John Hiatt recalls the “Old Days” at the Commodore when the weed smelled like cat pee
Sun Wizard takes an old-school approach to rock ‘n’ roll
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 29, 2011 “SUN WIZARD ARE your favourite band from when you were in high school,” begins the bio accompanying local guitar-rock quartet Sun Wizard’s full-length debut album, Positively 4th Avenue. That’s a pretty grand statement, but of course its accuracy depends on when and where you went to high school. It wasn’t … Continue reading Sun Wizard takes an old-school approach to rock ‘n’ roll