ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 1, 1983 By Steve Newton One of the reigning monarchs of L.A. session guitarists, Larry Carlton has played with some of the best in the world. and now, on his third self-produced LP Friends, he's gathered some of the best in the world to play with him. Bassist … Continue reading Album review: Larry Carlton, Friends (1983)
Tag: the Ventures
Album review: Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Savvy Show Stoppers (1990)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 13, 1990 By Steve Newton With winter here for a while, there’s no better way to recreate the joy of carefree summer cruisin’ than throwing some surf music on the ol’ turntable. The ol’ CD player, I mean. Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet are Canada’s foremost … Continue reading Album review: Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Savvy Show Stoppers (1990)
The Cramps’ Poison Ivy says that what passes for rock ‘n’ roll isn’t
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 6, 1990 By Steve Newton Legend has it that B-movie mogul Samuel Z. Arkoff took an ass-backwards (but ultimately effective) approach to producing his low-budget films. First off he'd come up with a catchy title; then he'd build an advertising campaign around that title; and only then would he start shooting … Continue reading The Cramps’ Poison Ivy says that what passes for rock ‘n’ roll isn’t
Huevos Rancheros believe commerce is occasionally a good thing
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 17, 2000 A few years back Calgary instro-rockers Huevos Rancheros made my Top 10 with their CD Dig In!, a veritable smorgasbord of guitar-bass-drums delights. Now their new disc, Muerte del Toro, is a serious contender for my best-of-2000 list. Coproduced by Dave Alcock of Chixdiggit fame, it’s … Continue reading Huevos Rancheros believe commerce is occasionally a good thing
Falcons guitarist Mike Beddoes says the Jaguar is the most Fender of all the Fenders
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 11, 1999 Vancouver instro-rockers the Falcons recently had their independent CD, Queen of Diamonds, chosen as best album of 1998 by the U.K.’s influential surf-music magazine Pipeline. As lead guitarist and main songwriter Mike Beddoes explains, that’s a far better reaction than he got the first time he … Continue reading Falcons guitarist Mike Beddoes says the Jaguar is the most Fender of all the Fenders
Ventures guitarist Don Wilson on the origin and influence of “Walk, Don’t Run”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 13, 1997 By Steve Newton When Ventures cofounder Bob Bogle walked onto a Seattle used-car lot one afternoon in 1959, he wasn’t expecting to form the nucleus of what would become the world’s top-selling instrumental-rock band—he was just looking for some new wheels. Fortunately, he ran into aspiring … Continue reading Ventures guitarist Don Wilson on the origin and influence of “Walk, Don’t Run”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock
kevin statham photo ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 1995 By Steve Newton Some rock bands have a magical way of winning over a crowd straightaway, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a prime example. I saw them do it back in ’78 at the Commodore on the You’re Gonna Get It tour, and they … Continue reading Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leave Vancouver reeling with a two-hour barrage of cannonball rock
The Falcons give diehard instro-rock fans a reason to rejoice
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 20, 2012 IN CELEBRATION OF their 20th anniversary, Vancouver instro-rockers the Falcons recently released EP Collection, a batch of tracks recorded between 1991 and ’97, newly remixed and remastered in analogue. The 12 originals—plus a version of the deathless instro classic “Apache”—were recorded “live off the floor” at a no-frills Kitsilano location … Continue reading The Falcons give diehard instro-rock fans a reason to rejoice
Sonny Landreth and friends let the music do the talking
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 24, 2013 By Steve Newton Fans of Louisiana slide-guitar ace Sonny Landreth have reason to be thrilled about his latest album, Elemental Journey. It’s totally instrumental, which means there’s no pesky vocals getting in the way of the 61-year-old picker’s shimmering bottleneck licks. Turns out Landreth has yearned to go wordless … Continue reading Sonny Landreth and friends let the music do the talking