ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, 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 … Continue reading Georgia Satellites’ Rick Richards on covering the Beatles, meeting the Faces, and thanking Jack Daniels
Tag: Chuck Berry
Is Jim McCarty’s lead break on Bob Seger’s “Get Out of Denver” the second-greatest guitar solo of all time?
By Steve Newton Back in 2015 I wrote a fun blog in which I declared that Mick Ronson's guitar solo on Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy was "the greatest guitar solo of all time". Now, I know as well as anybody that it's pointless to try and rank guitar solos--or guitar players, for that … Continue reading Is Jim McCarty’s lead break on Bob Seger’s “Get Out of Denver” the second-greatest guitar solo of all time?
Album review: George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Born to Be Bad (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 26, 1988 By Steve Newton When it comes to party-time, rockin' blues, few people deliver with the same kind of no-frills, honest urgency as George Thorogood. Well, the bad-ass guitar ace from Wilmington, Delaware has come through with another sturdy collection of originals and classic blues covers that … Continue reading Album review: George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Born to Be Bad (1988)
Album review: Stray Cats, Rock Therapy (1986)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 14, 1986 By Steve Newton Before Brian Setzer went solo with The Knife Feels Like Justice, one of the most consistently fine rock albums of '86, and before Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker joined up with guitar ace Earl Slick to produce two albums as Phantom, Rocker & … Continue reading Album review: Stray Cats, Rock Therapy (1986)
Album review: Lonnie Mack, Strike Like Lightning (1985)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 24, 1985 By Steve Newton Strike Like Lightning--the newest release from blues innovator Lonnie Mack--packs a sizzling guitar-drenched punch. Produced by Mack and six-string hero Stevie Ray Vaughan, the album features Vaughan's nifty fretwork on five tracks, including the go-for-broke instrumental "Double Whammy" and the acoustic, back-porch jam of … Continue reading Album review: Lonnie Mack, Strike Like Lightning (1985)
Album review: George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Maverick (1985)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 29, 1985 By Steve Newton George Thorogood hasn't changed much since his first album was released in 1978. On that LP he recorded an eight-minute version of John Lee Hooker's homage to alcohol, "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer". On his new record, Maverick, he begins side two with Carl … Continue reading Album review: George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Maverick (1985)
Album review: Santana, Havana Moon (1983)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 3, 1983 By Steve Newton The Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Tower of Power horns, Booker T. Jones, Willie Nelson. All fine artists, but what do they have in common? The new Carlos Santana album, that's what. Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, drummer Fran Christina, bassist Keith Ferguson, and harmonica man Kim Wilson--the Fabulous … Continue reading Album review: Santana, Havana Moon (1983)
Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues overflows with deathless blues classics
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Many music fans have discovered the beauty of the blues while uncovering the roots of rock, yours truly included. Twenty-some-odd years ago I got set on that course by a pedal-steel guitarist and country-bluegrass performer named Smokin’ Joe Michno. As a dedicated hard-rock … Continue reading Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues overflows with deathless blues classics
Newt rocks out at 60th birthday bash with members of Chilliwack bands Cold Chain, Horsepower, and Concrete Jungle
jet sutherland photo By Steve Newton After 35-plus years of writing about other people rockin' out on guitar, I finally got off my butt, hopped on stage, and did some half-assed riffing myself. Last night at the Coast Hotel, in the heart of beautiful downtown Chilliwack, B.C., a bunch of old guys who were born … Continue reading Newt rocks out at 60th birthday bash with members of Chilliwack bands Cold Chain, Horsepower, and Concrete Jungle
Sax great Bobby Keys was much more than a sideman for the Stones
Bobby Keys passed away this morning at the age of 70 after battling cirrhosis. He was best known as the saxophonist for the Rolling Stones, having blasted out that unforgettable solo on "Brown Sugar". He also blew like crazy on such Stones gems as "Happy" (from Exile on Main Street) and "Live With Me" (from Let It … Continue reading Sax great Bobby Keys was much more than a sideman for the Stones
Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 20, 2000 By Steve Newton Since barging onto the North American music scene in 1986 with the double-platinum Strong Persuader album, Robert Cray has proven himself a formidable purveyor of guitar-drenched blues and soul. And with five Grammy Awards to his credit—including one for his latest CD, Take … Continue reading Robert Cray speaks on Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, and Muddy Waters
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 1995 By Steve Newton Some rock bands have a magical way of winning over a crowd straightaway, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a prime example. I saw them do it back in ’78 at the Commodore on the You’re Gonna Get It tour, and they … Continue reading Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock
Keith Richards’ other great band kicks out all the jams in Vancouver
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 21, 1993 By Steve Newton The Rolling Stones have owned the Granville Mall of late. A couple of months back Ronnie Wood played the Commodore; now Keith Richards has ripped things up a few doors down at the Orpheum. Maybe Mick Jagger will continue the trend and drop … Continue reading Keith Richards’ other great band kicks out all the jams in Vancouver