By Steve Newton When I did my first interview with Jason Bonham back in 1989, I asked him what it was like growing up with a father who was world-famous for being the drummer in Led Zeppelin. Turns out it wasn't that big of a deal to him. Have a listen: To hear the full … Continue reading That time Jason Bonham told me that his famous father in Led Zeppelin was “just dad to me”
Tag: Led Zeppelin
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
Album review: Jimmy Page, Outrider (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 26, 1988 By Steve Newton As if Led Zeppelin fans didn't have enough to satisfy them with the recent return to prominence of Robert Plant, now his old guitar-playin' buddy Jimmy Page has gone solo for the first time. The result is the closest recreation of the old … Continue reading Album review: Jimmy Page, Outrider (1988)
Album review: Kingdom Come, Kingdom Come (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 22, 1988 By Steve Newton I don't know about these guys. Displaying your respect for a classic rock band by showing its influence is one thing, but to make a deliberate attempt at being a clone is another. Not to worry, though, because Kingdom Come isn't capable of capturing the essence … Continue reading Album review: Kingdom Come, Kingdom Come (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: The Jeff Healey Band, Cover to Cover (1995)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 20, 1995 By Steve Newton Considering the mostly weak material that characterized the Jeff Healey Band’s previous release, Feel This, it’s no surprise that the Toronto-based blues-rock trio has gone the cover route. The spark that lit up the band’s 1988 debut, See the Light, has all but … Continue reading Album review: The Jeff Healey Band, Cover to Cover (1995)
Singers from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Free connect for a rock-god vocal summit in Oxford
By Steve Newton What do you get when you gather the lead singers from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Free on stage at the same time? A pretty rockin' version of the '50s chestnut "Money (That's What I Want)", it appears. Robert Plant, Brian Johnson, and Paul Rodgers got together at one of Rodgers' shows in … Continue reading Singers from Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Free connect for a rock-god vocal summit in Oxford
Opeth founder Mikael Åkerfeldt loves ’70s rock, says he was born in the wrong decade
randall vasquez photo By Steve Newton One run-through of its new album, Sorceress, is evidence enough that Swedish quintet Opeth was heavily influenced by ’70s prog rock. The disc was also recorded at the famed Rockfield Studios in Wales, where bands like Rush, Budgie, Hawkwind, and Queen laid down prog-heavy tracks back in the day. As … Continue reading Opeth founder Mikael Åkerfeldt loves ’70s rock, says he was born in the wrong decade
That time Tony Iommi told me about the early rivalry between Black Sabbath and Deep Purple
By Steve Newton When I interviewed guitar legend Tony Iommi back in March of 2007 he was bringing his Ronnie James Dio-fronted version of Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, to Vancouver for a show at the Pacific Coliseum with Megadeth and Down. At one point I asked Iommi whether he was a fan of Dio's … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about the early rivalry between Black Sabbath and Deep Purple
That time Robert Plant told me he was “very very pissed off” that Black Sabbath wasn’t going to reform
By Steve Newton Now here's a fun little soundbite I digitized off an old cassette I had lying around from 1993. It's an AudioMagnetics XHE 60, so good on them for making tapes that still work decades later. That particular tape also includes 1993 interviews with Devin Townsend, Steve Hackett of Genesis fame, and Stuart … Continue reading That time Robert Plant told me he was “very very pissed off” that Black Sabbath wasn’t going to reform
Blind Willie Johnson’s blues genius lauded in upcoming tribute album
By Steve Newton Blues legends don't get much more legendary than Blind Willie Johnson, whose recordings in the 1920s of songs like "John the Revelator", "It's Nobody's Fault But Mine", and "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning" have inspired versions by everyone from Hot Tuna to Warren Haynes to Led Zeppelin. So it's more than … Continue reading Blind Willie Johnson’s blues genius lauded in upcoming tribute album
Beppe Gambetta has been a Zeppelin guy and a Doc Watson guy
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 28, 2003 Beppe Gambetta has been opening new doors for American traditional music in Europe since 1977, when he founded the acclaimed Italian bluegrass group Red Wine. In recent years his output has included Serenata, a 1997 CD of works by turn-of-the-century Italian string virtuosi, which he recorded … Continue reading Beppe Gambetta has been a Zeppelin guy and a Doc Watson guy
Lester Quitzau was a Zeppelin-loving wheelie king as a kid
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 14, 2002 On his latest CD, So Here We Are, Edmonton’s Lester Quitzau makes a strong case for his being touted as among this country’s finest blues-roots pickers. But a close look at the disc’s video portion reveals that Quitzau’s talents are more than just musical. In one … Continue reading Lester Quitzau was a Zeppelin-loving wheelie king as a kid