Steve Newton Sad news for music fans today. Peter Green, the British guitarist who made a name for himself with his stunning work in the Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac, has passed away at the age of 73. Long before the pop-minded duo of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham put their radio-friendly stamp on Fleetwood Mac, … Continue reading Peter Green shunned the guitar-hero status of Clapton, Beck, and Page, but Mick Fleetwood says “he was the guy”
Tag: Jimmy Page
That time I asked Jeff Healey about his 1989 Grammy nomination and he told me that Jimmy Page would probably win
By Steve Newton On February 16, 1989, I did the second of my three interviews with Canadian guitar hero Jeff Healey. He was only 22 at the time, but holy crap could that guy play! Anyway, this was about five months after the release of his wicked debut album, See the Light, which you may … Continue reading That time I asked Jeff Healey about his 1989 Grammy nomination and he told me that Jimmy Page would probably win
A little Zeppelin goes a long way at Robert Plant’s Vancouver concert
crappy iPhone photo by the Newt By Steve Newton When I interviewed Robert Plant back in 1993, the first thing he said on the phone from New York City was that he was "pissed off" that Black Sabbath wasn't getting back together. He was joking, though. It was more a comment on how frustrated he … Continue reading A little Zeppelin goes a long way at Robert Plant’s Vancouver concert
Album review: Robert Plant, Now and Zen (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 22, 1988 By Steve Newton You know how some albums take a while to grow on you? Well, that's what happened with this new Plant LP. The first time I heard it I thought it was crummy, but now that I've listened to it a few times, I don't really … Continue reading Album review: Robert Plant, Now and Zen (1988)
Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 5, 2003 By Steve Newton Back in June of 1972, when these live recordings were made at the L.A. Forum and Long Beach Arena, I wasn’t a big Led Zeppelin fan. I was too busy reaming my ears with then-new LPs like Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4, Deep Purple’s … Continue reading Album review: Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (2003)
Album review: Dread Zeppelin, Un-Led-Ed (1990)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 6, 1990 By Steve Newton You gotta wonder how a band like Dread Zeppelin ever came into being. Did a down-on-his-luck Elvis impersonator drowning his sorrows in a bar knock into a zonked-out reggae fiend, who then spilled his beer on a guitarist who idolizes Jimmy Page? And … Continue reading Album review: Dread Zeppelin, Un-Led-Ed (1990)
Mason Ruffner was inspired by Jimmy Page to inject fire into his Gypsy Blood
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 31, 1987 By Steve Newton The Fabulous Thunderbirds are from Austin, Texas. Mason Ruffner is from Forth Worth. The Fabulous Thunderbirds hit it big last year with an album produced by Dave Edmunds. Mason Ruffner is hitting it big this year with an album produced by Dave Edmunds. Is there a … Continue reading Mason Ruffner was inspired by Jimmy Page to inject fire into his Gypsy Blood
That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons
By Steve Newton My nephew Jeff has been letting me borrow his Gibson Les Paul Standard for a while now, and, holy crap, is that one killer instrument! You wouldn't have gotten an argument about that from Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who used Gibson guitars to craft some of the band's finest riffs before … Continue reading That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons
Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 13, 2016 By Steve Newton Tal Wilkenfeld has accomplished an awful lot since emigrating to the U.S. from Australia in 2002 as a teen. She’s performed with jazz greats Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, and at the age of 20 recorded her 2007 debut album, the all-instrumental Transformation, which … Continue reading Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state
That time Mick Fleetwood told me that Peter Green shunned the guitar-hero status of Clapton, Beck, and Page
By Steve Newton Legendary drummer Mick Fleetwood called me up a couple days ago to plug his upcoming gig at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, and I made sure to ask him all about his long-ago bandmate Peter Green. Fleetwood's current outfit, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, is performing several Green-penned songs from the early … Continue reading That time Mick Fleetwood told me that Peter Green shunned the guitar-hero status of Clapton, Beck, and Page
That time I asked Joe Satriani to pick five “desert islands discs” and he went 80 percent Hendrix
By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I interviewed one of my fave guitarists, Joe Satriani, for the seventh time. I'm always curious what the world's finest pickers would choose as their "desert island discs"--the albums they'd choose if they were ever stranded like Gilligan, but with some vinyl and a killer stereo. And electricity, of … Continue reading That time I asked Joe Satriani to pick five “desert islands discs” and he went 80 percent Hendrix
The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins loves Jimmy Page’s wrong notes and Joe Perry’s swagger
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 15, 2015 By Steve Newton Fans of rowdy, old-school, Les Paul–driven guitar rock have a band worth worshipping in British noisemakers the Darkness. The Marshall-powered six-string team of 40-year-old Justin Hawkins and his two-years-younger brother, Dan, really do tear up the frets, both on-stage and on record—as evidenced by their latest … Continue reading The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins loves Jimmy Page’s wrong notes and Joe Perry’s swagger
The Aristocrats’ Guthrie Govan on the influence of Joe Satriani and Zal Cleminson
By Steve Newton Back in 2015 I interviewed guitarist Guthrie Govan, who--while not nearly as well known as the Satrianis and Vais of the world--is equally monstrous when it comes to technical ability and musical inventiveness. He plays in an instrumental rock-fusion trio called the Aristocrats, which made its debut Vancouver appearance at the Rickshaw Theatre. … Continue reading The Aristocrats’ Guthrie Govan on the influence of Joe Satriani and Zal Cleminson