ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 3, 1993 By Steve Newton Blues legend Mayall lays down 12 bare-bones blues-rock tunes on Wake Up Call, his third good album in a row after Chicago Line and A Sense of Place. Fans of wailing harp and biting guitar won’t be disappointed by the sounds coming … Continue reading Album review: John Mayall, Wake Up Call (1993)
Tag: Mick Taylor
Rolling Stones super-deluxe box set falls short without Keith Richards mini cut-out
By Steve Newton The Rolling Stones snubbed Vancouver when it came time to book their current Zip Code Tour, which could very well be the group's last major trek outside the nursing home. But hardcore fans who've been bawling about that omission for months now can take some comfort in the fact that the money … Continue reading Rolling Stones super-deluxe box set falls short without Keith Richards mini cut-out
Coco Montoya was transformed by the sheer soul of Alberts Collins and King
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 18, 2003 By Steve Newton Many guitarists can pinpoint a moment in their youth when they knew they were destined for a life in music. For blues-rocker Coco Montoya it happened in 1969, at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. He’d gone there to see Creedence Clearwater Revival and … Continue reading Coco Montoya was transformed by the sheer soul of Alberts Collins and King
Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, DEC. 13, 2006 By Steve Newton The lineup of guitar slingers on this five-CD package is enough to make any blues-rock devotee start foaming at the mouth: Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Mick Taylor, Billy Gibbons, Otis Rush, Steve Miller, Walter Trout, Jeff Healey, Steve Cropper, and Jonny Lang. Such … Continue reading Essentially John Mayall sees the British bluesman with a cavalcade of guitar heroes
Rolling Stones Blu-ray sounds killer with Keef’s botched chords fixed up
By Steve Newton Just hours after the Rolling Stones finished the first of two shows at Hyde Park last July YouTube started getting flooded with fan-shot videos that showed Keith Richards seriously fucking up the opening chords to the big show's first song, "Start Me Up". It was not a pretty sound. Ironically, in a … Continue reading Rolling Stones Blu-ray sounds killer with Keef’s botched chords fixed up
Clean-living music-biz veteran John Mayall has still got the blues
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, AUG. 10, 2011 By Steve Newton While prepping for my interview with British blues-rock legend John Mayall I browsed my trusty CD collection and came up with the remastered version of his 1971 album, Back to the Roots. This turned out to be a fine choice from a guitar freak’s standpoint as … Continue reading Clean-living music-biz veteran John Mayall has still got the blues