By Steve Newton Canada doesn't seem to have an overabundance of rock-guitar heroes. Sure, you've got your Lenny Breau when it comes to jazz, and your Jeff Healey if you're talkin' blues. But when it comes to Canadian rock-guitar heroes, I can't think of tons. Alex Lifeson, Kim Mitchell... Obviously Neil Young, but isn't he … Continue reading That time Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman told me about creating the riff for “American Woman”
Tag: Neil Young
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2017
By Steve Newton Welcome to the old-rocker department. You won’t find much in the hip-and-happening realm here, but it’s not all about the kids, ya know. Gregg Allman Southern Blood One of the hardest-hitting musician deaths this year was southern-rock legend Gregg Allman’s passing in May of complications from liver cancer. But he left his millions … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 2017
Willie Nelson bares his down-home soul on Revolutions of Time box
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 14, 1995 By Steve Newton I’ve gotta admit that I’m not a real huge country-music fan. I actually view what’s known as “new country”—that lightweight, vacuous, fabricated piffle churned out by the Nashville music mill these days—with the same jaundiced eye reserved for lowly “gangsta rap”. But there’s … Continue reading Willie Nelson bares his down-home soul on Revolutions of Time box
Album review: Neil Young, Mirror Ball (1995)
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)
Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1991 By Steve Newton I’ve always thought Crosby, Stills & Nash sounded best with a “Young” tagged on the end, so it was good to find out there are actually 18 CSN&Y tunes among this four-CD set’s massive 67 tracks. But after one run-through of these tunes, … Continue reading Crosby, Stills & Nash box set benefits from some Young
That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
By Steve Newton I realize I've mentioned it before--maybe more than once--but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn't dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool--not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
Moist releases Creature, opens for Neil Young, and waits for reality to set in
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 17, 1996 By Steve Newton Whenever I feel like getting a rise out of my 16-year-old niece, all it takes is a quick mention of her former fondness for New Kids on the Block. So what if she was only in Grade 3 at the time of the … Continue reading Moist releases Creature, opens for Neil Young, and waits for reality to set in
That time I asked J.J. Cale if he’d bought anything nice with his Clapton money
By Steve Newton Back in 1990 I did my first interview with J.J. Cale, who you may recall is one of the wickedest damn songwriters and guitar players that the United States of America has ever produced. A couple of years earlier there was a TV commercial for Michelob beer in heavy rotation, featuring Cale’s … Continue reading That time I asked J.J. Cale if he’d bought anything nice with his Clapton money
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 Young’s ragged glory undermined by shitty sound in Vancouver
The sound from the stage was great--until the band got up there. By Steve Newton Yesterday I wrote a fun little blog about how nice it would be if Neil Young topped off his show in Vancouver last night with one of my fave tunes of his, "Long May You Run". He didn't do that--opting instead to … Continue reading Neil Young’s ragged glory undermined by shitty sound in Vancouver
The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl rides the rock throne to glory at a hellraising show in Vancouver
all crappy iPhone photos by the Newt By Steve Newton Nobody really expects a millionaire rock star to, after breaking his leg falling off a stage, design a special chair--or "rock throne", if you will--that allows him to get around like royalty on stage. Is it a burning need to rock out that compels a fellow … Continue reading The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl rides the rock throne to glory at a hellraising show in Vancouver
Sooner or later it all gets real for Neil Young’s 26-year-old guitarist Lukas Nelson
By Steve Newton Willie Nelson celebrated his 82nd birthday on April 29, so when his son Lukas calls for an interview the next day, the first question has to be “So how was the party last night?” “It wasn’t much of a party,” he replies. “We just played poker, and a little golf.” If copious … Continue reading Sooner or later it all gets real for Neil Young’s 26-year-old guitarist Lukas Nelson
Neil Young’s new guitarist calls On the Beach and Tonight’s the Night his all-time Shakey faves
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Lukas Nelson last week--in advance of the gig with his band Promise of the Real in Vancouver this Saturday--we talked a lot about Neil Young. And not just 'cause we both love him. Nelson played guitar on Shakey's upcoming album, The Monsanto Years, and POTR may well be Young's next touring … Continue reading Neil Young’s new guitarist calls On the Beach and Tonight’s the Night his all-time Shakey faves