By Steve Newton It's been a rough Thursday in the worlds of sports, fashion, and music. Brazilian soccer legend Pelé, British fashion rebel Vivienne Westwood, and Canadian country-folk singer-songwriter Ian Tyson all left us today. And to make matters worse, yesterday brought the awful news that Vancouver journalist Tom Harrison, a cherished fixture on the … Continue reading Ian Tyson’s passing reminds me of how much my dear old dad loved “Four Strong Winds”
Tag: Ian Hunter
Album review: Martin Briley, One Night With a Stranger (1983)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 1, 1983 By Steve Newton Former Ian Hunter Band member Martin Briley comes on strong with his second solo album (his first for Attic Records), One Night With a Stranger. Brimming with catchy pop/rock tunes like "The Salt in My Tears" and "Just a Mile Away", Briley's newest … Continue reading Album review: Martin Briley, One Night With a Stranger (1983)
Album review: Mick Ronson, Heaven and Hull (1994)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MAY 27, 1994 By Steve Newton From his early-'70s glory-and-glitter days as the muscular, platinum-haired axeman in David Bowie's Spiders from Mars to his workmanlike late-'80s club gigs with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson always proved himself a rock guitarist of the highest order. When Ronson succumbed to cancer on … Continue reading Album review: Mick Ronson, Heaven and Hull (1994)
Album review: Great White, …Twice Shy (1989)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 23, 1989 By Steve Newton So Great White's last album was called Once Bitten, and its new one is ...Twice Shy. Is that any reason for the L.A. hard-rock band to slaughter Ian Hunter's 1975 classic "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"? The answer is an unequivocal no goddamn way! … Continue reading Album review: Great White, …Twice Shy (1989)
The 70 greatest opening tracks of the ’70s
By Steve Newton Remember how you'd set the needle down on the opening track of a new rock album and the first tune would just blow you the funk away? Me too. "(Ain't Nothin' But a) House Party" (Bloodshot, J. Geils Band, 1973) "All the Way From Memphis" (Mott, Mott the Hoople, 1973) "Already Gone" … Continue reading The 70 greatest opening tracks of the ’70s
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?
That time Mick Ronson told me he was a rocker, as if I didn’t know
By Steve Newton I watched that documentary on Mick Ronson, Beside Bowie, the other day, and it inspired me to digitize another snippet off my first interview with Ronno, from 1988. You're welcome, fellow Ronson freaks! The conversation happened on September 9, '88, in advance of a show by the Hunter-Ronson Band at Vancouver's 86 … Continue reading That time Mick Ronson told me he was a rocker, as if I didn’t know
That time I called up Mick Ronson and asked what he’d been doin’ the last few years
By Steve Newton I've got a lotta guitar heroes, and as a rock journalist for 35 years now, I've managed to interview quite a few. One of my all-time faves has to be Mick Ronson. I've been crazy about him since I heard my first David Bowie album, Aladdin Sane, back in April of '73. … Continue reading That time I called up Mick Ronson and asked what he’d been doin’ the last few years
That time I asked Mick Ronson what he thought of Great White’s version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”
@shotbykevin By Steve Newton I graduated from high school in 1975, and, holy crap, was that ever a great year for rock music! Lizzy's Fighting, Floyd's Wish You Were Here, Zep's Physical Graffiti, Neil's Zuma, Beck's Blow By Blow, Seger's Beautiful Loser--the list of killer albums went on and on. But none of them thrilled me … Continue reading That time I asked Mick Ronson what he thought of Great White’s version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”
Mott the Hoople drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin dies from Alzheimers at 67
By Steve Newton The drummer from one of my fave bands of the '70s has passed away. Dale "Buffin" Griffin, a founding member of Mott the Hoople, died peacefully in his sleep last night. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009. Griffin played on all the Mott the Hoople albums, including 1972's breakthrough All the … Continue reading Mott the Hoople drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin dies from Alzheimers at 67
The greatest guitar solo of all time: Mick Ronson on Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten Twice Shy”
By Steve Newton I've heard a lotta amazing guitar solos in my life, but today I decided to just go ahead and pick the greatest one of all time. I'm goin' with Mick Ronson's 30-second blast on Ian Hunter's classic boogie number "Once Bitten Twice Shy". It's not because that's the best rock song of 1975--the year I graduated … Continue reading The greatest guitar solo of all time: Mick Ronson on Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten Twice Shy”
Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, is everywhere next month
By Steve Newton Fans of Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, are in for some real treats next month. Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, announced today that it will release a collection of music titled JACO: Original Soundtrack on November 27, aka Record Store Day Black Friday 2015. Produced by … Continue reading Jaco Pastorius, the wickedest bass player of all time, is everywhere next month
Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion
By Steve Newton Back in January I blogged about the "major concert news" that my old buddy's cover band, Cold Chain, was gonna play the 40-year reunion for my Chilliwack Senior High School class of 1975. At the time I put a request in for what was probably my fave tune that year, Ian Hunter's … Continue reading Cold Chain revives the spirit of ’75 at the Chilliwack Senior High 40-year reunion