ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 6, 1995 By Steve Newton I’ve been a Neil Young fan ever since the Harvest days of the ’70s, when folksy, acoustic-based tunes such as “Heart of Gold” and “Old Man” were the ideal soundtrack to youthful experiments with massive consumption of Old Style in a wood-grained … Continue reading Album review: Neil Young, Mirror Ball (1995)
Tag: Eddie Vedder
Album review: Pearl Jam, Vs. (1993)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 25, 1993 By Steve Newton Although I became a fan of Pearl Jam the first time I heard its debut album, Ten, I must admit that I haven’t played that disc a lot since scoring a review copy back in ’91. Shortly after its release I saw … Continue reading Album review: Pearl Jam, Vs. (1993)
I played Neil Young’s “I’m the Ocean” eight times on my shitty commute today
By Steve Newton My morning commute from Delta to Vancouver can really suck—mainly because of a concrete montrosity called the Alex Fraser Bridge—but every now and again I slide in a CD that makes the trip a little less painful. Today I chose Neil Young's Mirror Ball album—that awesome one from '95 that he recorded with the … Continue reading I played Neil Young’s “I’m the Ocean” eight times on my shitty commute today
Neil Finn got passion from his dad and ability from his mom
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 4, 2002 By Steve Newton I might not be the most sensitive guy in the world—what Skynyrd-loving bozo ever could be?—but there are certain heart-rending pop songs that can get even my old throat aclenchin’. Neil Finn’s “Lullaby Requiem” is one such pensive tune. It’s included on the … Continue reading Neil Finn got passion from his dad and ability from his mom
Illinois duo Local H is bound for glory with “Bound For the Floor”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JAN. 30, 1997 Thanks to the popularity of an angst-ridden grunge-pop ditty called “Bound for the Floor”, Illinois rock duo Local H is making tsunami-sized waves on North American radio right now. The group is also garnering attention for its unusual configuration, although vocalist-guitarist Scott Lucas and drummer Joe … Continue reading Illinois duo Local H is bound for glory with “Bound For the Floor”
Stone Gossard says Pearl Jam’s hard work is all paying off
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON DEC. 19, 1991 By Steve Newton When a rock writer does a lot of “phoners”—media slang for telephone interviews—with bands that are coming to town, once in a while wires get crossed. This scribbler was planning to speak to Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder last week, but guitarist Stone Gossard rang up … Continue reading Stone Gossard says Pearl Jam’s hard work is all paying off
Pearl Jam pulls off a loud one at the Town Pump in Vancouver
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 3, 1991 By Steve Newton I’d been warned by someone who caught Pearl Jam’s sound check at the Town Pump last Thursday afternoon (September 26) that the Seattle band was extremely loud. My second clue, upon entering the busy club around midnight, was the abundance of black leather and tattoos among … Continue reading Pearl Jam pulls off a loud one at the Town Pump in Vancouver
O.A.R. Dips Its Paddle in the Big-League Ocean
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 24, 2005 By Steve Newton Most independent bands have a tough go of it, struggling just to make it to low-paying gigs, scraping money together to make records, and then having a rough time selling them. But there are exceptions. Before Washington, D.C.-based O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) became a major-label … Continue reading O.A.R. Dips Its Paddle in the Big-League Ocean
The Police reunite in Vancouver, but is it all about the money?
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MAY 30, 2007 By Steve Newton The Police may be remembered as musical revolutionaries who dragged punk-tinted new wave into the '80s mainstream, but that doesn't mean they didn't commit their share of crimes. Sure, "Message in a Bottle" deserves a spot on the proverbial desert-island jukebox, but hands up everyone … Continue reading The Police reunite in Vancouver, but is it all about the money?