By Steve Newton Millions of rock fans around the world were mesmerized by Van Halen's sheer rockingness when it blasted onto the music scene in the late seventies. And Jake E. Lee was mightily impressed as well. When I interviewed Lee back in 1992 before a Badlands show in Vancouver we got to talking about … Continue reading That time Jake E. Lee of Badlands told me that hearing Van Halen got him back into hard rock
Tag: Van Halen
Van Halen and Scorpions battle it out for stadium-rock supremacy as the Monsters of Rock tour hits Seattle
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 5, 1988 By Steve Newton About 40,000 people paid $38.50 (Cdn) to see the marathon Monsters of Rock show at the Seattle Kingdome last Wednesday (July 27). My calculator blew up when I tried to figure out the night's take, but I do know that the Kingdome is … Continue reading Van Halen and Scorpions battle it out for stadium-rock supremacy as the Monsters of Rock tour hits Seattle
Scorpions’ Klaus Meine talks Monsters of Rock, Savage Amusement, and conquering Russia
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 22, 1988 By Steve Newton It's being billed as Van Halen's Monsters of Rock. Fine and dandy. But if it weren't for "special guests" Scorpions, the five-band rock show that hits Seattle this Wednesday (July 27) wouldn't be nearly as monstrous. With such mediocre acts as Dokken and … Continue reading Scorpions’ Klaus Meine talks Monsters of Rock, Savage Amusement, and conquering Russia
Album review: Van Halen, OU812 (1988)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 8, 1988 By Steve Newton So this album is selling like hotcakes, eh? I hear they shipped a million copies, and are still running out at a lot of record stores. Well, I know that it's hard not to like a band that includes two stars like Eddie … Continue reading Album review: Van Halen, OU812 (1988)
Album review: Van Halen, 5150 (1986)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 11, 1986 By Steve Newton One of the most talked about lineup changes in rock these days involves Van Halen's switch from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar. "Nobody could replace Diamond Dave", said some, while others pointed to the fine work Hagar did with influential metal band … Continue reading Album review: Van Halen, 5150 (1986)
Album review: Van Halen, Van Halen 3 (1998)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 16, 1998 By Steve Newton Ever since Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as Van Halen’s frontman on 1986’s 5150, the band’s legions of followers have been split into the Sam and Dave camps. Roth proponents feel his macho bravado and hog-in-heat performing style suited the group’s early music; Sammy … Continue reading Album review: Van Halen, Van Halen 3 (1998)
Album review: Van Halen, Best of Volume I (1996)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 19, 1996 By Steve Newton Van Halen’s first-ever greatest-hits package is a generous collection of the legendary hard-rock act’s best-known material, but it still has its faults. First off, the two new tracks that reunited the band with David Lee Roth—“Can’t Get This Stuff No More” … Continue reading Album review: Van Halen, Best of Volume I (1996)
David Lee Roth comes out of his shell in Vancouver on the Eat ‘Em and Smile tour
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 12, 1986 By Steve Newton David Lee Roth's concert at the Pacific Coliseum last Sunday (December 7) should go down as one of the loudest gigs the old hockey rink has ever hosted. We're talking precautionary Kleenex in the ears, no less. Luckily, for those tough enough to handle … Continue reading David Lee Roth comes out of his shell in Vancouver on the Eat ‘Em and Smile tour
That time Ronnie Montrose told me that the Montrose LP marked his “kindergarten days” as a guitarist
By Steve Newton Very few albums that I bought as a teen in the seventies had as huge an effect on me as Montrose. I mean, from the very first riff of the very first track of the very first Montrose album, I was like "Holy shit!" It was 1973, I was 17 years old, … Continue reading That time Ronnie Montrose told me that the Montrose LP marked his “kindergarten days” as a guitarist
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
The ferocious fire of Eddie Van Halen lights up early soundboard recording
By Steve Newton Well, hey--good things come in pairs, I suppose. No sooner had I finished blogging about the possibility of the Foo Fighters playing some Van Halen in Vancouver tomorrow than I came across this newly uploaded video of VH performing the Kinks' "All Day and All Of the Night" live at the Pasadena Civic … Continue reading The ferocious fire of Eddie Van Halen lights up early soundboard recording
Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
By Steve Newton The Foo Fighters have been paying respects to some fine classic-rock acts on their current tour. During their last gig, in Scotland on Tuesday, the Seattle guitar-rockers played snippets of Van Halen's "Eruption", Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust", and Big Country's "In a Big Country" during the band introduction. And two days earlier … Continue reading Will the Foo Fighters blast out some old-school Van Halen riffs in Vancouver?
Why couldn’t my name have been foil-stamped on a Maiden album instead of Roger Hodgson?
By Steve Newton Gather 'round kiddies and let ole Grandpa Newt tell tales of the long-ago days when the music industry was awash with cash, and promo reps didn't know what do with it all. Back in 1984 some brainiac at A&M Records came up with the idea of putting the names of rock critics the … Continue reading Why couldn’t my name have been foil-stamped on a Maiden album instead of Roger Hodgson?