Mick and the PhatMan Talking Music

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!A “Deep Cut” is something that is recognisable or familiar to passionate fans but not usually to others.  As a special treat this week, we've delved into our collections to give you some deep cuts from our favourites – things like Queen, Bowie, Joe Cocker, Nick Cave and TISM. We think you'll love them,   In Rock News, Jeff delves into songs that turn 60 on 2025, looks at Sunday Lunch with Toyah and Robert Fripp, and looks at Yachtley Crew, a strange phenomenon from California.  Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die this week is Raw Power (1973) by Iggy and the Stooges. The lo-fi production on this highly influential album is the source of much tension between Bowie and Iggy, much of it not fair. We liked it!  Enjoy.  Playlist  Songs that turn 60 this year  Sunday Lunch with Robert and Toyah  Yachtley Crew Peter Cook as The BishopREM on Letterman References:  Raw Power, Iggy Pop, The Stooges, John Cale, Columbia Records, Sex Pistols, Johnny Marr & The Smiths, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, MainMan, Tony DeFries, Sonny Boy Williamson, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, “Gimme Danger”, “Search and Destroy”, Iggy on Countdown, radio-friendly, Bowie, “The Man Who Sold the World”, Unplugged, Roxy Music, “For Your Pleasure”, Roxy live in Sydney – 2001 & 2011, The Police, “Bring on the Night”, Regatta de Blanc, white reggae, T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, Joe Cocker, “Many Rivers to Cross”, Sheffield Steel, Queen, “Fairy Fellers Master Stroke”, Richard Dadd, State Criminal Lunatic Asylum of Bethlem Royal Hospital – Bedlam, Nick Cave, “Papa Won't Leave You, Henry”, Henry's Dream, John Cale, “Close Watch (I Keep a)”, Helen of Troy, Music for a New Society, Fragments of a Rainy Season, REM, "So. Central Rain (Sorry)", Reckoning, Lou Reed, “Street Hassle”, Warren Zevon, “Hit Somebody!  (The Hockey Song)”, My Ride's Here, Carl Hiassen, “Bad Monkey”, Vince Vaughan, David Letterman, Enjoy Every Sandwich, Jimmy Webb, “Galveston”, Kate Bush, Aerial, "Pi”, Pete Townshend, “The Sea Refuses No River”, All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, TISM, Great Trucking Songs of the Renaissance, "The Ballad of John Bonham's Coke Roadie"  

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!Just because you're successful doesn't mean everyone likes you.  In fact, success can often draw criticisms that might not be given to other performers.  In Australia, we call that the “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, where people look for reasons to bring successful people down! We look at some criticisms (not by us - mainly!), of highly successful artists and try to find a reason for them.    This month seems to have a host of rock star deaths!  In Knockin' on Heaven's Door, we mourn the passing of David Lynn Thomas of post-punk group Pere Ubu; Drew Zingg, an American blues and soul guitarist, best known for work with Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs; Joey Molland from Badfinger, and Richard Chamberlain, of Dr Kildare, Shōgun & The Thorn Birds.   Our “Album You Must Hear before You Die” is Bob Marley and the Wailers' “Catch a Fire”, a landmark album that established reggae as a musical force, influencing such artists as The Clash, The Police, UB40 and Eric Clapton.  Enjoy!! References:  “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, Morrissey, “We Hate it When our Friends Become Successful”, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, YouTube, “Classic Album Review”, Baz, Barry Robinson, “The 10 Worst Bands in the World”, The Doors, Jim Morrison, Patti Smith, Rob Younger, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Doors' Miami concert – January 1969, The Eagles, Pink Floyd, “Hell Freezes Over”, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Guns'n'Roses, Axl Rose, Slash, Motley Crue, Shakespeare - “thankless child”, U2, Achtung Baby, “With or Without You”, Adam Clayton's private parts, “Days of Innocence”, REM, Coldplay, “music for estate agents”, Oasis, Gallagher brothers, Sex Pistols, Black Sabbath, Rolling Stones, “The Rest is History”, Frank Zappa, “Billy the Mountain”, “Don't You Eat the Yellow Snow”, PMRC – Parents Moral Research Centre, Tipper Gore, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl  Our email: MickandthePhatman@Gmail.com  Playlist – The music we talked about in this episode  Homer singing Kiss  Led Zeppelin's light fingers  Classic Album Reviews:  The Ten Worst Bands Ever

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!Back in Season 1, we talked at length about Warren Zevon, one of the great American songwriters and one of our idols.  So, this year Warren Zevon has been inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, along with Bad Company and Cyndi Lauper, and we thought that was a perfect excuse to close the loop on our coverage of his career.  It's all here – his later career, final album, appearances on Letterman.  We loved doing it, and we know that you will love listening to this one! Our “Album You Must Listen to Before You Die” is John Lennon's 1980 hit, “Imagine”.  As usual with Lennon's solo albums, it's more (and less) than it seems on the face of it, containing some of Lennon's best work along with some filler.  But, hey, it's a strong album and gave Roxy Music their worst-ever cover (FYI - “Jealous Guy”). We also venture into the world of ChatGPT to find out the Best Albums of 1972.  Fairly strong list – Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Lou Reed and..............................Wishbone Ash!  Who?    References – Globite Travel Bag, Warren Zevon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “The Wind”, Zach Starkey, The Who, Bad Company, Paul Rodgers, Cyndi Lauper, Jordon Zevon, CHAT GPT, 1972, Letterman, alcoholism, Rolling Stone magazine, Jann Wenner, Zevon Live in Australia, The Bridge Hotel, St Mary's Band Club, The Hilton Sydney, Little River Band, Linda Ronstadt, pleural mesothelioma, Enjoy Every Sandwich, “Sentimental Hygiene”, Neil Young, “Detox Mansion”, “Splendid Isolation”, “Heartache Spoken Here”, “Searching For a Heart”, “The Indifference of Heaven”, Life'll Kill Ya, My Ride's Here, “Hit Somebody”, Tony Levin, “Basket Case”, Carl Hiassen, “Bad Monkey”, “The Wind”, Crystal Zevon, Springsteen, “Knockin' on Heaven's Door”, Dylan, Grammy Award,  “Keep Me in Your Heart", “Enjoy Every Sandwich”, Jackson Browne, Billy Bob Thornton, David Lindley and Ry Cooder, Pixies, Jorge Calderón  Playlist – Music from the episode Enjoy every sandwich The Wind 

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!The late Steve Harley was most famous for his 1975 hit Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), but there's much more to the story than one good single.  We look at the band's early albums and Steve Harley's career around and after that single and the band's break up.  As usual, Mick says their early stuff is way better than their later stuff!Our Album you Must Listen to Before You Die is “Tres Hombres”, ZZ Top's 1973 album containing the huge hit “La Grange”. Regular listeners might guess what we thought of the album, but let's not spoil the surprise!  We also look at Louder magazine's recent poll where their readers voted for Genesis' 10 best-ever songs.   Spoiler alert:  Only 2 of the selected songs are post-Peter Gabriel's departure.   For those interested, we covered Genesis in Series 2, Episode 15, and Peter Gabriel in Series 2, Episode 14 There's plenty here you may not have known.  Enjoy!  References: Jethro Tull, Curious Ruminant, Gene Simmons, Nick Cave, Flea, Genesis best of all time, Robert Dimery, Cancer, Cockney Rebel, The Human Menagerie, The Psychomodo, Diamond Dogs, For Your Pleasure, polio, The Rolling Stones, Jean-Paul Crocker, Stuart Elliott, Paul Jeffreys, Lockerbie, New Musical Express, Rock Australia Magazine, Sebastian, Mr. Soft, Cavaliers, Ritz, The Best Years of our Lives, Make Me Smile (Come up and See Me), Sounds, Francis Monkman, Here Comes the Sun, The Cockney Rebel – A Steve Harley Anthology, BBC Radio 2 Sounds of the 70s. Playlists: Episode playlist The Psychomodo Gene Symonds Weather Man

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!Why do you like the music you do?  Is it as simple as “It's what I heard on the radio”? Or something deeper? People with elder siblings may be exposed to music earlier than first children.   Jeff had an older brother, so was exposed earlier to cool music - Beatles, Janis, Hendrix, and so on.  Mick was the eldest in his family and had to find his own taste. (No surprise considering what he listens to!) Were you bullied as a child?  Influence!  Did you share music with your friends?  Influence!  Did you have access to a good radio station?  Or print media?  Influence!! We talk about our early influences – musical & otherwise – and look at how they played a role in what we listen to today.    In Rock News, Ringo has released a country album, and Toto is touring.  Oh well, shouldn't take them long to play their 3 hits. You know Jeff's obsessed with AI, so he asked three AI brands to nominate the greatest albums of 1971.  Not much variation, really.  One day, we may ask them to understand quality, rather than sales figures, and see what they give us.    Our Album You Must Listen to Before you Die is “Blue” by Joni Mitchell - an top grade album that deserves to be here.  Mick references Atlantic Records' sampler called “Very Together” which featured “Carey” from this album, and pointed out a link between Joni Mitchell and Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth. How did YOUR tastes develop?  Drop us a line & let us know. Enjoy! References:  RAM Magazine, Rock Australia Magazine, Countdown, Molly Meldrum, 2DoubleJay, The Magus/Holger Brockman, Chris Winter, Mac Cocker, “Never Mind the Bollocks”, The Sex Pistols, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie, “Five Years”, “Room to Move”, Chris Winter, “Starman”, “Rock'n'roll Suicide”, Birdland, Weather Report, Joe Zawinul, Brian Eno, “Another Green World”, “Zawinul Lava”, “Rock'n'Roll Animal”, Lou Reed, Steve Hunter, “Sweet Jane”, “Heroin”, “Rock'n'Roll”, Berlin, Alice Cooper, Velvet Underground, Peter Gabriel, “Car”, “Stranded”, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, “Song for Europe”, “Street Life”, “Psalm”, Sisters of Mercy, XTC, Nico, REM, Television, Patti Smith, “Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band”, The Beatles, "Within You Without You”, “Tomorrow Never Knows”, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Like a Rolling Stone”, Revolver, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel, Pearl, Janis Joplin, Tapestry, Carole King, Slade Alive, Hot August Nigh”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Dark Side of the Moon”, “Led Zeppelin IV”, “Silk Degrees”, Box Scaggs, “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, Rick Wakeman, “Woodstock”, “Monterey Pop”, “The Song Remains the Same”, “The Last Waltz”, The Guitar Spa, Redeye Records, John Foy, bootleg records, “His Master's Voice”, “Sheetkeeckers”, Australian electronica/dance music store, Hipgnosis, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Regurgitator, “I like your old stuff better than your new stuff", DeepSeek, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Blue, Joni Mitchell, Henry Lewy, “Very Together”, “This Flight Tonight”, Nazareth  Episode Playlist  The first song played by 2DoubleJay - “You Just Like Me ‘Cos I'm Good in Bed” 

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!This episode, we look back at two hugely influential women artists – Patti Smith, whose 1975 “Horses” album inspired so many artists, and Marianne Faithfull, whose passing in January, 2025, is a huge loss.  “Horses”, with its confrontational approach - “Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine” - changed the landscape of rock music for the next few decades.  Produced by John Cale, of Velvet Underground fame, the album opened the door for so many women, including Blondie and so many English punk and new wave bands.  We talk about why we like this album, its influential impact, and how Patti Smith developed over later years. Marianne Faithfull has long been one of our favourites, and we talked about “Broken English” in Season 3. (If you haven't heard that episode, here's the link.) Tributes have come from every corner of the industry, all saying one thing – Marianne was inspirational to everyone she worked with, from The Rolling Stones to Metallica to Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Banging our own drum for a moment, we've just been named as one of the top Australian Music Podcasts by monitoring service, Feedspot, which compiles the most comprehensive list of Australian Music Podcasts on the web. Great subjects.  Great episode.  Enjoy.  References:  Marianne Faithfull, Patti Smith, Andrew Loog Oldham, Sister Morphine, Girl on a Motorcycle, Samuel Beckett, homelessness, Hipgnosis, Storm Thorgerson, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, “The Memory Remains”, Metallica, Lars Ulrich, Warren Ellis, She Walks in Beauty, Graham Coxon, Blur, TOTO, “Africa”, “Hold The Line”, "Rosanna”, Robert Dimery, 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die,  Jim Morrison, oil shortage – 70's, Robert Mapplethorpe, Allen Lanier, Blue Öyster Cult, Tom Verlaine, Television, "Break It Up",  John Cale, “Gloria”, Van Morrison, “Marquee Moon”, “Land (Horses)”, “Radio Ethiopia”, “Wave”, “Easter”, “Because the Night”, Siouxsie Sioux, Siouxsie & The Banshees, R.E.M.,  Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Morrissey, Johnny Marr,  Courtney Love, Hole, PJ Harvey Episode playlistHorsesBroken EnglishMarianne Faithfull - Series 3, Episode 14

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!Part 2 of our fascinating conversation with Rob Younger, from Radio Birdman.  From music production styles, to why some people can't keep it in their pants, there's never a dull moment in this wide-ranging discussion.  Enjoy

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking! A special treat for you this episode!  Rob Younger, lead singer of legendary Australian group, Radio /Birdman, joins us in the studio to give us his thoughts on everything from music production to the influence of the Beatles on all rock music.   Rob's near-encyclopedic knowledge of the rock era is impressive, and fuels a conversation that runs the gamut from John Coltrane to scarcely-known bands of the 90's, with plenty of stops in-between.   The conversation went so long, we had to split it into 2 fascinating parts!  We had a blast talking to Rob, and hope you do, too. Playlist:  Radios AppearReferences:  Radio Birdman, New Christs, Nick Cave, Pere Ubu, influence of The Beatles, McCartney vs Lennon, Oxford Hotel 

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!In case you hadn't noticed, we love a good cover version! This episode, we're looking at covers - staples, covers from strange sources, and some songs that have had a LOT of covers, including a bunch of covers of Bowie's “Heroes”. Our Album You Must Hear before You Die is “Is This It?” by The Strokes. This punk/Britpop-influenced album got rave reviews on release in 2001 from Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and New Musical Express.  We're not convinced.  In Knockin' on Heaven's Door, we mourn the loss of Wayne Osmond (of the Osmond Brothers), Chad Morgan, the Aussie country great, and Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary.  We hope they get to sing a rousing chorus of “Puff the Magic Dragon together.  As usual, there's heaps of fun.  Enjoy!! Playlist (all the songs and artists referenced in the episode) Playlist – “Heroes” covers  References:  Heroes, REM, Leonard Cohen, “Suzanne”, “Hallelujah", Bob Dylan, “All along the Watchtower”, "If Not for You”, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Cash, American Recordings, “All the Young Dudes”, Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter, XTC, White Music, “This is Pop”, Devo, “(I can't get no) Satisfaction”, Zoot, “Eleanor Rigby”, Rick Springfield, Howard Gable, Alison Durbin, 801, “Tomorrow Never Knows”, ” 801 Live, "You Really Got Me”, Ministry, “Lay Lady Lay”, Al Jourgenson, “Heartbreak Hotel”, Elvis Presley, John Cale, June 1, 1974, Slow Dazzle, Fragments of a Rainy Season, Nirvana, "The Man Who Sold The World", “Unplugged”, Mick Ronson, Linda Ronstadt, “Different Drum”, Stone Ponies, Mike Nesmith, “You're No Good”, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”, Cowboy Junkies, “Sweet Jane”, Fine Young Cannibals, “Suspicious Minds”, Talking Heads, “Take Me to The River”, Elvis Costello, “(What's So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding”, George Benson, “On Broadway”, Mia Dyson, “The Passenger”, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Sara Blasko, “Flame Trees”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, Reg Livermore, “Celluloid Heroes”, The Kinks, Peter Gabriel, Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours, Motorhead, David Hasselhoff, Blondie, Oasis, Nico, Moby (with Mindy Jones), Phillip Glass, “Superman”, Lifes Rich Pageant, “There She Goes Again”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, “First we take Manhattan”,  

Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!Every band/artist has to have a first album.  Sometimes those albums are good, sometimes they're not, and sometimes they just show potential.  This episode, we look at some first albums over the gamut of the rock era that we regard as great, including some Australian albums. You've probably heard of most, but not all. In rock news, we look at Neil Young, The Wiggles (yes!), Joe Bonamassa, Jethro Tull and Billboard's new list – The Top 200 Albums of the 21st Century.  Our Album You Must Hear before You Die is Paris 1919 by John Cale. Mick regards this elegant 1973 album from the Velvet Underground co-founder as a stunning listen, and a great intro to John Cale.  Chris Thomas' production is, as usual, precise, while Cale presents some wonderful imagery in the lyrics.   References:  John Cale, Paris 1919, “A Child's Christmas in Wales”, Fragments of a Rainy Season, Brian Wilson, UCLA Symphony Orchestra, Words for the Dying, Dylan Thomas, Chris Thomas, Roxy Music, Eno, Sex Pistols, Pretenders, INXS, Bowie, Lou Reed, Queen, The Police, Outlandos d'Amour, “Can't Stand Losing You”, “Roxanne”, Stewart Copeland, Sting, Rod Stewart, The Tubes, “White Punks on Dope”, “What do you want from life?”, “a baby's arm holding an apple”, Kate Bush, The Kick Inside, David Gilmour, “Wuthering Heights”, Wuthering Heights Day, Roxy Music, Kari-Ann Moller, Chris Jagger, Andy Mackay, saxophone, “Re-make / Re-model", Bryan Ferry, Steely Dan, Can't Buy a Thrill, Jeff (Skunk) Baxter, “Do it Again”, “Reelin' in the Years”, “Only a fool would say that”, John Lennon, Imagine, Robert Dimery, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Three Imaginary Boys, Boys Don't Cry, "10:15 Saturday Night", Robert Smith, Television, Marquee Moon, Devo, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Rolling Stones, "Satisfaction", Mark Mothersbaugh, Violent Femmes, "Kiss Off", "Add It Up", “Glister in the sun”, "Blister in the Sun", Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols, Marlon Brando, The Wild One, Malcolm McLaren, The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle, “Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?”, Ramones, Mi-Sex, Graffiti Crimes, Midnight Oil, “Run by Night”, 2JJ, Cold Chisel, Khe Sanh, Skyhooks, Living in the 70's, “You just like me ‘cos I'm good in bed”, Neil Young, Oceanside Countryside, Joe Bonamassa, Adele, Taylor Swift, Jethro Tull, Donald Trump  Playlist – Everything we talked about in this episode The Wiggles' new album (snippet) Donald Trump strikes again! 

Send us a textWell, this is the last episode of Season 4, and once again, it's been a ball of fun (and music). 4 years and still going strong – bigger and better than ever! We look back at “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” and "Rock News", as well as some of our favourite episodes.  We recall some of the albums we've listened to (before we die), some of the shows we've seen, some of the books we've bought and some of Mick's fluffs! We also talk about what we might do next year – more interviews, more covers, maybe a list or two.   So much to look forward to!  References:  Globite, Tyka Nelson, Peter Sinfield, King Crimson, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Nick Cave in Krakow, 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before you Die, Robert Dimery, Kevin Rowlands, PJ Harvey, musician interviews, Jarrah McCleary, Panama, Duke Dumont, “dance cry”, Nick Lowe, Buzzsprout "Send us a message”, Ed Kuepper, Thus Spake the king of Euro Disco, They Might Be Giants, Tim Freedman (The Whitlams), The Animals, Bob Mould, Crowded House, Sydney Opera House, Rockwiz, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Half Deaf & Completely Mad”, Tony Cohen, John Olson, “Icons of Rock”, Jenny Boyd, “Us & Them”, Mark Blake, Hipgnosis, Bowie, Scary Monsters, “Teenage Wasteland”, “Teenage Wildlife”, Clash, Joe Strummer, John Lydon, Shirley Strachan, Huggy Bear, Starsky and Hutch, Antonio Fargas, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Mi-Sex, Graffiti Crimes, 250 Greatest Guitarists, How critics get it so wrong, Rob Younger, Radio BirdmanEpisode playlist 

Send us a textEveryone knows and loves Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their run of hits at the end of the '60's, and their enduring popularity, has rarely been equaled. Not so well-known is the story of the clashes that caused their run to end so abruptly. We take a look at how the band split and the many personal and legal issues that led to it.  It ain't pretty! Well, we also kept our promise and listened to the new Coldplay album, “Moon Music”.  How did it sound to us? Regular listeners won't be surprised at our reaction! In Rock News, we look some more at the issues surrounding Diddy, and look at the problems with the "stage hole" in Melbourne. Our Album You Must Listen to Before You Die is 1977's “Bat Out of Hell” by Meat Loaf.  Such a great album!!  References:  Houston Bernard, “Dancing in the Dirt”, Puff Daddy, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Chris Martin, Marvel Stadium, Music of the Spheres, Olivia Rodrigo, Donald Trump sneakers, Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell, Todd Rundgren, You took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Jim Steinman, Rocky Horror Picture Show, car sex, El Cerruto California, Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, The Blue Velvets, Tom Fogerty, Fantasy Records, Casey Kasem, Credence Newball, Olympia beer, CCR, Dale Hawkins' Susie Q, Apocalypse Now, Woodstock, Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?", Hammond B3 organ, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, “Fortunate Son”, Trump (the) fortunate son, An American Werewolf in London, Evan Almighty, Keith Richards, Saul Zaentz, Allen Klein, “The Royal Albert Hall Concert”, Concord Records, Rockin' All Over the World, Status Quo, Asylum, Warner Bros, Centerfield, Zanz Kan't Dance, Mr. Greed, “Mardi Gras”, Rolling Stone (Jon Landau), “Classic Album Review”, “The 10 Worst Albums Ever”, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Pop, Chronicle, US Top 200, Glenn Barros, The Long Road Home Playlist  We play all the music/artists discussed during this episode 

Send us a textThis episode, we look at what Rolling Stone magazine considers to be the best songs of the 80's.  We have been critical of Rolling Stone in the past for the quality of their lists, and this time is no different.  However, there's some good stuff in this list, which we're happy to acknowledge.  Of course, we point out their failings as well – it'd be no fun if we didn't, would it?! In Rock News, we look at a new album from Coldplay (as if anybody cares!), the trials of Sean “Puffy” Combs, and The Beatles. Our “Album You Must listen to Before you Die” is 1985's The Nation's Saving Grace, by The Fall.  Mick loves it, Jeff doesn't think much of it.   So, what's new? Another fun episode.  Enjoy.  References:  Rolling Stone magazine, 80's, Coldplay, ‘Moon Music', No 1 album, Sean Diddy Coombs, Puff Daddy, Diddy, Cassie Ventura, Beatlemania, Beatles '64, David Tedeschi, Disney+, The Fall, The Nations Saving Grace, John Leckie, Mark E Smith, Can, German, krautrock, Damo Suzuki, DoubleJay, TripleJ, Prince, ‘Kiss', Madonna, ‘Like a Prayer', Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, ‘The Message', Michael Jackson, ‘Billie Jean', Public Enemy, ‘Bring the Noise', Whitney Houston, ‘How Will I Know?”, The Go-Gos, ‘Our Lips Are Sealed', Duran Duran, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf', Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill', The Smiths, ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out', Husker Du, Minutemen, rap artists, Bowie, Depeche Mode, Culture Club, Clash, Neneh Cherry, U2, Joy Division, AC/DC, “Hell's Bells”, INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”, Apple music streaming, Leonard Cohen, Tower of Song, Sisters of Mercy, “This Corrosion”, “Floodland”, Jim Steinman, “New Big Prinz”, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Relax", Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time”, Missouri, Bow Wow Wow, “I Want Candy”, Haysi Fantaysee, “Shiny Shiny”, Countdown, Falco, “Rock Me, Amadeus”, A-Ha, “Take on me”, Nena,  99 Luftballon, Kim Carnes, “Bette Davis Eyes”, Shriekback, “Nemesis", parthenogenesis, Samantha Fox, Africa, Toto  Playlist – Episode This is our usual playlist, where we curate a list to play what we've talked about in the episode Playlist – Spotify's complete list  Africa – Mass band  Samantha Fox web site – purely for academic interest! 

Send us a textThis episode spends time with Nick Lowe, a British performer, who started out with pub rock band, Brinsley Schwarz, and Dave Edmunds' Rockpile. Lowe's solo career has produced a huge bunch of great songs – many of which you've heard, even if you've not heard of him - which have been hits for him AND covered by some amazing people! A suggestion from listener Nick from Victoria, this episode was the most fun we've had for some time! Rock News features some standards – Oasis touring (yeah, right!), a new single and album from The Cure, Ozzy Osbourne inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and The Eagles playing a 10-week residency in Las Vegas.  Yep, more of the same!  Our “Album You Must Listen to Before you Die” is Doggystyle (1993) by Snoop Doggy Dogg.  We decide “Who cares?”.  Instead, we talk about Snoop Dogg's presence in TV and movies since the 90's, including the 2024 Olympics!  References:  Brinsley Schwarz, Dave Edmunds, Rockpile, punk, Oasis, Ozzy, The Cure, Robert Smith, The Eagles, Classic Countdown, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, Globite travel bag, Nick Lowe, Warren Zevon, ‘6 degrees of Kevin Bacon', Carlene Carter, Johnny Cash, 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before you Die, Robert Dimery,  Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle, “What's So Funny ('Bout Peace, Love and Understanding)?”, Jesus of Cool”, “Labour of Lust”, “Marie Provost”, “Lifes Rich Pageant”, REM, Chrissy Hynde, Warren Zevon, alcohol problems, Producer, The Damned, “New Rose”, Elvis Costello, “Basher”, “Bay City Rollers, We Love You”,   Episode Playlist – the music we talked about during this episode Spotify Playlist – Best of Nick Lowe  ________________________________________________Snoop Dogg's Menulog ad Snoop Dogg at the Olympics 1 Snoop Dogg at the Olympics 2 Snoop with Dr Dre 

Send us a textDavid Bowie's “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” is, for many fans, his last great album. Mick regards it as one of Bowie's best, with the singles "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion".  Mick and Jeff talk through what makes this album great, and look at the music environment as Bowie, along with many other 70's greats, faced the changes and challenges of the 80's.“Knockin' on Heaven's Door” offers a long line of new entrants to Rock'n'Roll Heaven including Herbie Flowers, Tito Jackson, Kris Kristofferson and Liam Payne from One Direction. Our Album You Must Listen to Before you Die, fresh from Robert Dimery's book, is Dexy's Midnight Runners' “Don't Stand Me Down”, a massive failure on release in 1985 but receiving a fresh critical re-evaluation in modern times.  We didn't like it!  Not least because of their complete rip-off of “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon.   Episode PlaylistScary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - just the album__________________________________More Trump! One of those things – Dexy's  Bowie interview - “My Phil Collins Years”  Bowie – Ashes to Ashes live on Jools Holland  Pete Townshend   Glass Spider LiveOther References Alt Rock Chick – fabulous insightful reviews across the rock spectrum  References:  Angie Bowie, Eno, Lodger, Outside, Joy Division, Kate Bush, Gary Numan, New Romantic, “Are “Friends Electric?”, The Pleasure Principle, “Cars”, “It's No Game”, Pete Townshend, “Because You're Young”, Robert Fripp, “Heroes”, Carlos Alomar, George Murray, Dennis Davis, Tony Visconti, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Edward Bell, Pierrot, "Ashes to Ashes", Brian Duffy, Natasha Korniloff, Lindsay Kemp, Pierrot in Turquoise, Berlin Trilogy, Phil Collins, Let's Dance, Nile Rodgers, “In the air tonight”, Alt Rock Chick, Major Tom, Fripp's skronky guitar work, “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)”, “Fashion”, “Scream Like a Baby”, “Kingdom Come”, Tom Verlaine, Neil Young, “Hey Hey My My” 

Send us a textAs we grew up, music was the most important thing there was.  As part of that, we bought some albums that weren't great, and time has generally proven our assessments right! This episode, we talk about some of those "dud" albums, by artists like Bowie, U2, Led Zeppelin, Golden Earring, Neil Young, Alice Cooper, Phil Collins and Yes, to name but a few. In Rock News, we talk about a Filipino family who perform Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love with uncanny precision and an auction of Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie's memorabilia, wardrobe and belongings. Our “Album You Must Listen to Before You Die” is Dire Straits' monster 1985 hit, “Brothers in Arms”. Released at a time when Dire Straits could do no wrong, this album sold over 30 million copies worldwide and went 9 times platinum in the US alone. We damn it with faint praise.    A Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin Cover by Missioned Soulsyoutu.be  The Bridge:  Neil Young Tribute Album  Playlist  References:  Kenwood KA9800 amp, Pioneer PL518 direct drive turntable, Cerwin Vega 15-inch 2 way speaker, Ripper, Sounds of 79, Bowie Pinups, Diamond Dogs, “Candidate”, drugs, Spiders from Mars, “Sorrow”, Scarey Monsters (and Super Creeps), U2: Songs of Innocence, iTunes, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Neil Young, Trans, Geffen, “Mr. Soul”, Buffalo Springfield, “Computer Age”, Sonic Youth, “The Bridge”, Golden Earring, Moontan, “Radar Love”, Alice Cooper Goes to Hell, Yes, Yessongs Live, Phil Collins, Face Value, Lou Reed, Metal Machine Music, Pete Townshend, Psychoderelict, The Beatles, Naked, Led Zeppelin, In through the Out Door, “In the Evening”, “All my Love” 

Send us a textIn today's episode, we look at how social media gives us a grab-bag of people's memories of stars and some who weren't quite so successful, or scarcely successful at all.  Nonetheless, they are remembered by some and lionised on social media. The other side of "on-line" is the channels that present video imagery of any and everything, such as YouTube, TikTok and so on.  Jeff presents a bunch of interesting links for you to investigate.   In “Knockin' on Heaven's Door”, we lament the passing of such greats as David Sanbourn, John Mayall, as well as a couple of guys who have played beneath the radar for most of their career but still worked with giants like Frank Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ray Charles, Steve Hackett, and many others. Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is John Mayall's “Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton” from 1966.  The album featured John Mayall, Eric Clapton, John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) and Hughie Flint (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) and marks the start of Clapton's legend as a British guitar god.  References:  social media, Nick Cave, “Australian bands from the 60's - 90's”, music nostalgia, Mi-Sex, Graffiti Crimes, Kevin Stanton, “Computer Games”, Space Race, “Live at the Wireless”, Kransky Sisters, Second Thoughts, Split Enz, Mental Notes, “Stranger than fiction”, Husker Du, Bob Mould, Greg Norton, Tim Walz, The Angels, Selina's, Coogee Bay Hotel, cost of stadium tours, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band, Mick Conway, My Wahini in Wangaratta, Tamam Shud, The Dynamic Hepnotics, A Soul Kind of Feeling, Quora, Reddit, YouTube, "What's In My Bag?", Amoeba Music, Professor of Rock, Rick Beato, Playing For Change, the Needle Drop, Top 5 Record, Billy the Mountain, (Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention), Aynsley Dunbar, Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman, The Turtles, Anthony Amaratti, Muiris Mac Cartaine  Links:  Playlist (including “Billy The Mountain”) Other Links:Amoeba Music - What's In My Bag? Professor of Rock Rick Beato  Playing For Change When the Levee Breaks The Needle Drop Top Five Record Lists Billy the Mountain - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention Computer Games – The Kransky sisters 

Send us a textAll bands need a name, but the process of getting that name is different for each band. This episode, we look at how a bunch of well-known bands got their names.  Some are amusing, some are horrifying, some are dark or seedy – be ready for surprises! Our “album you must listen to before you die” is Arc of a Diver, by Stevie Winwood (1980).  This was a formative album during our youth, and with this million-selling album and its hit single “While You See a Chance”, Winwood was a major influence on other people we love, such as Marianne Faithfull.   In Rock News, the major story is that the Gallagher brothers have agreed to reunite as Oasis for a UK tour in 2025. We don't like the odds of the brothers completing the tour without fighting and would like ringside seats! In other news, we look at Nick Cave's new album, Wild God, Bruce Springsteen back on tour, and Neil Young releasing Archives Vol. III, a 17-CD box set featuring 198 tracks.  Wow! References: Oasis, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, INXS, Guns n Roses, Bee Gees, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Fleetwood Mac, Joy Division, Nazi camps, 10CC, The Lovin' Spoonful, Steely Dan, The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, The Doobie Brothers, Rammstein, Ramstein air show tragedy, Husker Du, The Velvet Underground, Depeche Mode, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Boris Karloff, The Foo Fighters, The Angels, The Beatles, The Quarrymen, The Silver Beetles, Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Pink Floyd, Pink Anderson & Floyd Council, “Oh by the way, which one's Pink?”, Cheap Trick, Slade, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Talking Heads, Shakespeare's Sister, The Bay City Rollers, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Tim Staffell, “Smile”, Freddie Mercury, The Band, The Hawks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Barenaked Ladies, Jethro Tull, U2, The Hype, Beach Boys, The Pendeltons, "Surfin'", Blue Öyster Cult, “On Your Feet or on Your Knees”  Playlist – Band names 

Send us a Text Message.It's not unusual for bands to change their sound or style as they move through their career.  We take a look at bands that changed their sound, or started a completely new sound for a whole lot of reasons - from The Beatles, Bowie and Dylan and Black Sabbath through to Japan, The Cure and Split Enz.   Our album you must hear before you die is Let it Bleed by The Rolling Stones. From the cover art to the great music it contains, this album from The Stones' golden period leading into the 70's - Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street - is a corker! In Rock News, Jeff updates us on The Sex POistols, Ritchie Blackmore and Cyndiu Lauper, while our Ozzy Osbourne report has Sharon telling us that “If a bomb dropped there would be cockroaches, Keith Richards and Ozzy!”  Enjoy.  References: The Sex Pistols, Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple, Blackmore's Night, Candice Night, Cyndi Lauper, The Police, Spotify, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, John Lennon's guitar, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed, Jimmy Miller, Brian Jones, Mick Taylor, “Gimme Shelter”, “Midnight Rambler”, “Love in Vain”, “You can't always get what you want”, “Honky Tonk Woman”, Beggars Banquet, The Beatles, The Quarrymen, Lonnie Donegan, Revolver, Sgt Peppers, Paul MacCartney, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, The Bee Gees, “New York Mining Disaster”, “Stayin' Alive”, David Bowie, “Love you ‘til Tuesday", “The Laughing Gnome”, art-rock, glam, Bob Dylan, T-Rex, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Japan, Jimi Hendrix, Chitlin' Circuit, Split Enz, Neil Finn, Tim Finn, The Cure, Billy Joel, Black Sabbath, “Black Sabbath”, The Animals, “The House of the Rising Sun”, Isaac Hayes, “Theme from Shaft”, Pixies, “Monkey Gone to Heaven”, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Soundgarden, BushPlaylist John Lennon on Dick Cavett Show Hendrix Live on TV   

Send us a Text Message.Nick Cave.  After a career that would exhaust a lesser man, he's still recording and performing breathtaking work.  Mick's just seen him live with only his piano, and a bass guitar, and can't stop raving! We look at how he started and the difference between his performances and attitudes then and now.    In other news, Lenny Kravitz is still sticking to his vow of celibacy, The Police's Andy Summers declares that they were total babes, and The Angels are still releasing new work. Hmmm.......  References: Jarrah McCleary, Panama, Jethro Tull, The Prince of Darkness, Nick Cave, Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Lenny Kravitz, The Police, Andy Summers, The Angels, Christine Anu, Mark E Smith, The Fall, “music for surly virgins”, Boys Next Door, Caulfield Grammar, Mick Harvey, Phill Calvert, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Grinderman, “Lawless”, “And the Ass Saw the Angel”, Dogs in Space, "Shivers", “a murder of crows”, John Cooper Clarke, Rowland S Howard, Colin Greenwood, Radiohead, “Fragments of a Rainy Season”, John Cale, “Mercy Seat”, “Balcony Man”, The Seekers, “The Carnival is Over”, “Kicking against the Pricks”, The Big Day Out, “The Weeping Song”, The Good Son, Blixa Bargeld, Live Seeds, Red Right Hand, “Into Your Arms”, “Mutiny in Heaven”, Order of Australia, Coronation of Charles III Playlists: Episode Playlist Nick Cave Solo Setlist Live Seeds YouTube Links Roy and RG Planet Norwich 1998 Cave on Roy and HG - part 2  https://youtu.be/fiwlZgOeAHA?si=8iyIi8m1JmVcVfaG https://youtu.be/MfPQZzTbVqU?si=z7X0Eb5ea9NhS7cJ 

Send us a Text Message.Musicians love to collaborate. We thought we'd have a look at some that are just great, some that are weird, and some that are simply awful! As usual, you'll know some, and some you won't.  This month, we farewell Graham Webb, an Australian pioneer of music videos – and Blind Date!  We also say goodbye to Ignatius Jones, of Jimmy and the Boys, along with a series of more conventional roles, and Steve Albini, producer of The Pixies, PJ Harvey and Nirvana. Vale! Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is Pet Sounds, by The Beach Boys (1966). Long revered by musicians including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, this album is a masterpiece of production and innovation.   How do we fit it all into an hour?  References:  Brian Wilson, Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, Capitol Records, Billboard, Sgt Pepper, Rubber Soul, LSD, “Good Vibrations”, Led Zeppelin, Sandy Denny, The Battle of Evermore, Aerosmith/Run-DMC, Walk This Way, Rick Rubin, Confessions of Dr Dream and other stories, Kevin Ayers, Nico, “Irreversible Neural Damage”, “With a Little Help From my Friends”, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Page, Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, Bing Crosby, David Bowie, “Little Drummer Boy”, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, “Where The Wild Roses Grow”, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand”, “Raise the Roof”, “Sentimental Hygiene”, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, The Party Boys, Peter Gabriel, “Don't give Up”, Kate Bush, “So”, Melt, “Games without Frontiers”, “Screaming Jets”, Johnny Warman, The Sex Pistols, Ronnie Biggs, “No One Is Innocent”, The Great Rock'N'Roll Swindle, Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, “Have A Cigar”, Wish You Were Here, Nick Cave & Shane McGowan, “What a Wonderful World”, Freddie Mercury, Montserrat Caballe, “Barcelona", U2, Brian Eno, The Joshua Tree, “Miss Sarajevo”, “Passengers”, Johnny Cash, “Under Pressure”, Queen, Vanilla Ice, “Dancing in the Street”, Mick Jagger, Mike Garson, Aladdin Sane, Pete Townshend, “Because You're Young”, Ann & Nancy Wilson (Heart) & Lisa Simpson, The Simpsons, REM, “End of the World”, Sesame Street, “Shiny Happy People”, Ozzy Osbourne & Miss Piggy, “Born to Be Wild”  Playlist - You'll really enjoy this one!!

Send us a Text Message. Jethro Tull is one of the stranger turns taken by rock music over more than 50 years. Mick and Jeff look back at some of the band's best work, and, maybe, some of their strangest. The “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is Queen II, a sensational album released the year before Queen took over the world!  Both Mick & Jeff love it! Jeff takes a look at what AI is doing to music.  We're not worried, because, as Joe Walsh says, AI can't even trash a hotel room!  While he's at it, he then looks at who is “knocking on Heaven's door” this month. Yet another very full episode! Episode playlist Professional Flautist watches Jethro Tull:  https://youtu.be/0SCdFmSqcjk?si=gRbdG9nsk0rW4Od7  “Too Old to Rock & Roll / Too Young to die”  References:  Queen II, EMI Records, Elektra Records, Trident Studios, Roy Thomas Baker, Jethro Tull, Marquee Club, flute, John Glasscock, Ian Anderson. Martin Barre, “Locomotive Breath”, “Aqualung”, “Loudermilk”, Ocean, “Thick as a Brick”, “Passion Play”, “Too Old to Rock & Roll / Too Young to die”, “Songs from the Wood”, “Heavy Horses”, “Broadsword and the Beast”, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, Clive Bunker, John Glascock, Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi, salmon farming, Michael Stipe, Kirk Hammett, Nick Cave, Thick as a Brick 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?, “Jethro Tull: The Rock Opera”, “RökFlöte”, Norse mythology, “The Zealot Gene”  

Send us a Text Message.This week, something a little different for you – our first live interview!  Jarrah McCleary is an Australian musician - writer, songwriter & producer - whose music, a mix of synth heavy sounds and beats to smooth electronica, is sometimes evocative of a smoky Fifties restaurant, and at other times, the coolest nightclubs.  Starting out in Western Australia around 20 years ago, Jarrah has toured Australia and Europe, played the festival circuit in Europe and the UK and played the Big Day Out. We talk with Jarrah about his history and how he creates his work with his band Panama and how, more importantly, a musician like him makes a living in this modern world that doesn't have physical albums fans can buy, far fewer venues where fans can see him play, and, often, a more remote atmosphere for collaboration with other musicians.  Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, and Jeff loves it.  Jeff also brings us some Rock News with legal action against Rod Stewart kicking soccer balls into the crowd.  We think you'll like it.  References:  Big Day Out, Rod Stewart, Back to Black, Tensnake

This episode looks at Johnny Cash's “The American Recordings”, a series of 6 albums released on American Records between 1994 and 2010.  By 1994, when he signed to Rick Rubin's American Records, it looked like Cash's career was all but done. However, Rubin had other ideas and, over the next 10 years, worked with Cash to produce some of the most memorable work of his career. Part of this process involved Cash covering songs by some of the greatest artists of the late 20th Century - U2, Nine Inch Nails, Nick Cave, Tom Petty and Leonard Cohen.  He's not performing the songs in his usual country style, but simply as Johnny Cash.  It's a great story, with a fabulous playlist! Jeff's found 5 bands you would not believe exist, including Mac Sabbath, a parody of Black Sabbath with lyrics about fast food, and Shat, a band that is offensive in every possible way, whose lead singer's costumes are draped with dildoes!  Our "Album you must listen to before you die" is “Arrival” by Abba.  Reviewers weren't convinced.  Neither is Jeff.  Have a listen and see what Mick thought. References: Winny Puhh, The Residents, Mac Sabbath, Shat, TISM, Taylor Swift, Tortured Poets Department, Abba, Arrival, American Records, Rick Rubin, Def Jam, Shel Silverstein, “A Boy Named Sue”, “Solitary Man”, The Highwaymen, The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, June Carter Cash, “Bitter Tears”, “Ballad of Ira Hayes”, Bruce Springsteen, “Highway Patrolman”, U2, Zooropa, “The Wanderer”, “Personal Jesus”, “The Mercy Seat”,  “Streets of Laredo”, John Cale   Johnny Cash American Recordings – Full albums Johnny Cash – Our episode playlist Discogs' listing of all 6 covers Interview with Rick Rubin re “Hurt”  Ten Bands you Won't Believe Exist

“Songs for Drella”, Lou Reed & John Cale's marvelous 1990 posthumous tribute to Andy Warhol, offers an intensely personal view of Warhol with songs and playing that rank among the finest in either man's career. Their first collaboration since The Velvet Underground, nearly 20 years earlier, led to both artists vowing never to work with the other again. Our album today, suggested by listener Nick Farmer, is “El-Rayo-X" (1981) by multi-instrumentalist David Lindley. We hadn't come across this album before, and we both agree it's a lot of fun - mainly reggae-influenced beat, but clearly Californian.   Lindley sounds familiar, probably because of his presence on albums by so many others we love – Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt to name but a few. In the segment, Lunacy, Legends and Lies we look at how Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi only stopped setting drummer Bill Ward on fire after Bill's mum called Tony a "barmy bastard" who should "grow up", and recount how, in 1989, Slash ran naked and bleeding through a resort hotel after a hallucination.  This episode has lots of stuff you may not have known before, and isn't that the fun of it? References:  The Factory, Banksy, Bowie, “Andy Warhol”, “15 minutes of fame”, Metallica, Master of Puppets, Stone Temple Pilots, MTV Unplugged, Valerie Solanis, Nico, “Waiting for the Man”, White Light/White Heat, “Words for the Dying“, Dylan Thomas, “New York”, The Church of St. Anne's Brooklyn, “Berlin”, Czechoslovakia, viola, “Fragments of a Rainy Season”, “Hallelujah”  Our email: MickandthePhatman@Gmail.com  Songs for Drella – Album El-Rayo-x – David Lindley Werewolves of London - David Lindley; Late Night with Jules Holland Song for Drella – The Movie Fragments of a Rainy Season – John Cale Nobody Like You VideoInterview Part 2

We all know that rock and pop stars live in a different universe to us mere mortals.  Many make strange demands for things that must be provided before they'll perform a show.  Today, we look at stars' demands – whether extreme or reasonable, or blindingly hilarious!  You won't believe some of them.    In Jeff's Rock News, Keith Richards has covered Lou Reed's, “Waiting for the Man”, U2 has played a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, an unheard Jimi Hendrix song has been included in a time capsule placed on the moon, Deep Purple has released a 50th Anniversary video for “Smoke on the Water” featuring dragons and John Fogarty's Australian tour is cancelled.    Our “Album You Must Listen to Before You Die” is Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark's “1981 debut, Architecture and Morality.  We didn't think much of it!  It's fun episode.  Enjoy.   References:  Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Architecture and Morality, Keith Richards, The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed, U2 Sphere Residency, Odysseus Moon lander, Space Blue, Deep Purple, Smoke On The Water, Machine Head, Dweezil Zappa, John Fogarty, tour demands, tour riders, Rock mythology, Rose Tattoo, Canterbury Leagues Club, Angry Anderson, “Paper fucking towels!”, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Grace Jones, Metallica, Guns'n'Roses, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Peter Gabriel, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Iggy and The Stooges, Bob Hope impersonator, Van Halen, brown M&Ms, The Foo Fighters, Weird Al Yankovic 

Bob Mould is the founding member of Husker Du, one of the most influential guitar bands of the 80's.  Husker Du's wall-of-sound guitar approach was as influential as REM in creating alternative rock, and created an environment which allowed Nirvana, The Pixies and The Foo Fighters to succeed. In the early-90's, Sugar, Bob's next band, built on that with a thrash/melodic collection of songs, particularly on “Copper Blue”.  Since then, Bob's kept the flame alive for guitar-based rock with a solo career that is still giving us marvellous albums like 2012's “Silver Age” and 2020's “Blue Hearts”. Mick saw Mould in Sydney on his Copper Blue 20th Anniversary tour, and it still ranks as one of the best he's seen.  Our “Album you Must Hear before you Die” is Joan Armatrading's self-titled 1976 gem.  Unusually, both Mick and Jeff love this album.   In “Knockin' on Heaven's Door”, the boys salute Melanie Safka, who has passed away after a career that stretched from being one of only 3 female acts at Woodstock to duetting with Miley Cyrus (it's great!).  They also wonder why “Death by Shooting” is a major category of death for rappers!? The playlist is pretty damn good, too!! Enjoy.  Episode playlist Dead RappersBob Mould; What's In My BagMelanie Live Netherlands

Have you ever NOT bought an album based on a poor review?  You're not the only one!  Would it shock you to learn that the critics likely know less than you about music?  This episode, we look at how often (supposed) expert critics got it so wrong with some of the best albums of our time.  Victims of such poor efforts include Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and The Beatles!  We also start a new segment we think we'll call, “The Crazy World of the Rock Gods”, where we look at things rock stars have done that are so absurd, you couldn't possibly make them up!  Enjoy.     References: Billy Idol, Keith Moon, James Brown, Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin, “Abbey Road”, The Beatles, “Something”, George Harrison, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”, AC/DC, “High Voltage”, “Ram”, Paul McCartney, “Exile on Main St.”, The Rolling Stones, “Low”, David Bowie, “Harvest”, Neil Young, “Blood on the Tracks”, Bob Dylan, “Never Mind the Bοllocks, Here's the Sex Pistols”, Sex Pistols, “Pretty Vacant”, “Bad”, Michael Jackson, “The Kick Inside”, Kate Bush, The Velvet Underground and NicoPlaylist - Brilliant albums Badly Reviewed

This week, we talk about successful artists who blew it all with dumb decisions.  Youth, fame and amazing amounts of money – what could go wrong?  Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is the wonderful Aladdin Sane, by David Bowie. The cover artwork, featuring a lightning bolt across his face is one of the best-known images in rock, while the album marks Bowie's tougher, heavier attempt to conquer America.    In Rock News, we hear about Gene Simmons, The Eagles, Iron Maiden, Journey, Judas Priest, Kansa, Lynard Skynyrd and ZZ Top, and raise the age-old question, “Why can't the members of KISS just get along?”  Enjoy   References:  David Bowie, “Aladdin Sane”, Ken Scott, The Jean Genie, Globite bag, George Best, MC Hammer, David Crosby, TLC, 50 Cent, Lauryn Hill, Fugees, “Killing Me Softly”, Meat Loaf, “Bat Out of Hell”, Ted Nugent, Billy Joel, Leif Garrett, Willie Nelson, Mick Fleetwood, Harry Nilsson, Michael Jackson, Peter Green, Bill Nighy, Billy Mack, Love Actually, Warren Zevon Episode Playlist - Fame is no guarantee against stupidityNickelback album ranking

Rolling Stone just released “The 250 Greatest Guitarists of all Time”.  Naturally, we take issue with the list, who's on it, who's been left out, the balance, and everything else! We're back for another season of opinionated comment on all things from the golden era of rock'n'roll.  Hold on & enjoy the ride!  References: Rolling Stone's “250 Greatest Guitarists”, Globite School Case, David Lindley, Mick Ronson, Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Wrecking Crew, Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, Bob Mould,  Shane McGowan's funeral - YouTube Playlist - Greatest Guitarists – well, some of them, anyway! Rolling Stone Playlist RecommendationsAlan HoldsworthAl Di MeolaPolyphia Fan Covers

We looked at some exceptional music this year, and Jeff inflicted some real crap on our listeners.  Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Lou Reed, Ed Kuepper and Hallelujah – and that barely scratches the surface. And we got a new Globite School Case!   And, in case you were wondering, we'll be back on Sunday 28 Jan 2024.  Subscribe and get an automatic reminder! Books:The Number Ones – Tom Breihan You Are Beautiful & You Are Alone – Jennifer Otter Bickerdike SAHB Story – Martin Kielty (authorised by the entire band – obviously NOT Alex!) Half Deaf, Completely Mad – Tony Cohen (with John Olson) Sound Man – Glyn Johns A Life – Deborah Conway References:  Dylan, Knebworth, The Doobie Brothers, Nico, New York, David Hurley, Yes, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Kiss at Australian football grand final, The Smiths, Nirvana, Shane McGowan, Rod Stewart, Tracey Chapman, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before you Die, Robert Dimery, The Wall, Pink Floyd, So, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Remain in Light, Extreme Kayaking, Cookers, Influencers, Coachella, AI, Chat GPT, Bored Ape Yacht Club, Bitcoin, Donald Trump, Mr Beast, The Pixies, Steve Hackett, Sisters of Mercy, Underground Lovers, Nirvana, Nevermind, Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, John Cale, Angels, Mi-Sex, Leaves Me Blind, The Number Ones, Tom Breihan, You Are Beautiful & You Are Alone, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, SAHB Story, Martin Kielty, Half Deaf Completely Mad, Tony Cohen, Sound Man, Glyn Johns, A Life, Deborah Conway, The 250 Greatest Guitarists of all Time, Bali, Bintang, Alam Kul Kul  Spotify playlistKiss at the AFL Grand FinalGordon RamsayLoren Gray talks CochellaGovernor General's wife sings about invasive species

We look at songs from a few of the major protest movements in our lifetime – racism, Vietnam, Ireland, Margaret Thatcher! From Woody Guthrie, through Springsteen and Dylan, to racism and Vietnam and the UK's  Margaret Thatcher, to present-day Australia, we look at some of the great protest songs.  Some of the stories behind those songs will take your breath away.   Our “Album You Must Hear before You Die” this time is Talking Heads' awesome “Remain in Light” from 1980.  This album has been hailed as Talking Heads' greatest statement, the last and most accomplished of the trio of albums they recorded with Brian Eno (another of our idols). Seemingly timed to coincide with our review, the live movie “Stop Making Sense” has been completely restored and is in 4K on the big screen - 40 years on!  We also talk about how Ed Kuepper achieves such a big sound in concert using a special edition Fender Stratocaster. There's sure to be stuff you didn't know here!  References:  Ed Kuepper, Fender FSR Stratocaster X, Talking Heads, “Remain in Light”, Brian Eno, “Once in a Lifetime”, “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”, USA – Vietnam, Women's & Black rights, Woody Guthrie, Springsteen, Cisco Houston, Bob Dylan, “Hurricane”, “Eve of Destruction”, Barry McGuire, “A Change is Gonna come”, Sam Cooke, “People Get Ready”, Curtis Mayfield, Rod Stewart & Jeff Beck, “Strange Fruit”, Billie Holliday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, NWA, Public Enemy, Buffalo Springfield / Steve Stills & Neil Young, “I Feel Like I'm fixin' to die Rag”, Country Joe and the Fish, Edwin Starr, Give Peace a Chance, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Aretha Franklin, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, Robert Wyatt, The Cranberries, Midnight Oil, Goanna, Warumpi Band, Archie Roach Protest Playlist18,000 sing TotoKiss mass Russian GroupSmells Like Teen Spirit We Will Rick You

Matthew Sweet, an American guitarist, has had a criminally understated career, marked by a sensational solo album, “Girlfriend”, three terrific albums with Susanna Hoffs from The Bangles, “Under the Covers” (Vols 1, 2 and 3) and some very tasty soundtrack work, including the Austin Powers movies. In 2014, he also appeared as Apu's singing voice in an episode of The Simpsons.   Our “Album you Must Hear Before you Die” is “Rid of Me” by P J Harvey.  We hated it and can't pretend otherwise!  She was, at one point, in a relationship with Nick Cave, who admitted that he “still had a certain amount of work to do on (his) understanding of the concept of monogamy.”    Jeff is totally impressed that Kid Rock's built his own personal copy of The White House, with a gold elevator right in the middle.  Of course, Kid Rock's claim to fame is that he had a hit single which sampled Warren Zevon's “Werewolves of London”.  We also try some of Mr Beast's chocolate – pricey but available at your local supermarket. Not very good, really. Enjoy.  ___________________________________________________________ References:  Michael Stipe, “Girlfriend”, “Evangeline”, “I've Been Waiting”, Girlfriend – musical/stage show, Robert Quine, Richard Lloyd, Television, Tuesday Weld, Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers, “How Soon Is Now?”, “Austin Powers in Goldmember”, Lloyd Cole, "Chelsea Hotel", I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, “The Simpsons” P J Harvey Rid of MeGirlFriendUnder the Covers Mathew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs

REM are often viewed by casual listeners as a lighter-style rock band.  This is deceptive, with the band offering complex songs with obscure lyrics, brilliant playing, covers, and an incredible refusal to compromise.  The boys talk through REM's development from their rock cliche start – the singer, Michael Stipe, met guitarist Peter Buck in the record shop where Buck worked - to their becoming one of the biggest-ever bands in the world – all without selling out.   MOJO Magazine called them an ensemble growl adorned with heavenly harmonies  which describes perfectly how their beautiful melodies, with disaffected, jaded lyrics, were influenced by The Velvet Underground. In turn they influenced such key bands as Nirvana and Pavement, as well as Radiohead, Coldplay, Pearl Jam, The Pixies and The Smiths.  Our “Album You Must Hear before You Die” is 1971's “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull.  It's a special album of contrast full of brave variations – from gentle acoustic breaks to Martin Barre's power chords and Ian Anderson's tough vocals.  The Dickensian quality of many of the lyrics challenges organised religion. Mick & Jeff both have great memories of this album, including the night that Jeff's keyboard player from his band, Ocean, blew the crowd away with the piano intro lifted from “Locomotive Breath” during a show south of Sydney.   We look at The Stones' new album, “Hackney Diamonds”, their first in 18 years. Jeff thinks it's pretty good, but Mick still keeps comparing every new Stones record to “Exiles on Main Street”.  Jeff brings some bad news.  The Bored Ape Yacht Club, famed distributor of NFTs (as credible as digital currency!) has gone belly-up, driving another nail into the digital con artist industry. References:  Rolling Stones, ‘Hackney Diamonds', ‘Angry', ‘A Bigger Bang', Bored Ape Yacht Club, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die”, Robert Dimery, Jethro Tull, “Aqualung”, Martin Barre, Ian Anderson, “Locomotive Breath”, “Hymn 43”, REM, Athens Georgia, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe, Wuxtry Records, Patti Smith, Television, The Velvet Underground, Dr. William Dement, Mandolin, “Out of Time”, Hofner bass, "Monster”, “Lifes Rich Pageant”, “Document”, “Femme Fatale”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, "So. Central Rain", alternative rock, Don Gehman, “The Flowers of Guatemala”, “Strange”, “Murmur”, “Fables of the Reconstruction”, "The One I Love", "Exhuming McCarthy", “Finest Worksong”, “The End of the World As We Know it”, “Green”, “World Leader Pretend”, “Out of Time“, “Automatic for the People”, John Paul Jones, "Everybody Hurts", "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?", "Bang and Blame"Rolling Stones Angry Start Me UpEpisode PlaylistTony Martin REMDavid Essex V REM

Cover versions – always fascinating!!  Occasionally, an artist will cover an obscure song, or a deep cut by another artist and make it their own.  But what about when the song has ALREADY been a hit?  Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't; sometimes it ends up in court! This episode, we're looking at examples of all three.  Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is, believe it or not, “And other bits of material” by Paper Lace, the most successful band to come out of Nottingham, UK.  The hit single from the album, “The Night Chicago Died” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over three million copies!  Who'd have thought it? Jeff also follows up with some rock news looking at Ozzy Osbourne and Bruce Springsteen's efforts to stay on the stage.   References:  Bob Dylan, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Lennon & McCartney, cover versions, “Blowin' in the Wind”, Peter Paul and Mary, Leonard Cohen, “Suzanne”, The Great American Songbook, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis, All Along the Watchtower, Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Mr. Tambourine Man, Tainted Love, Soft Cell, Gloria Jones, Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin, “Pearl”, “Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay”, Otis Redding, Kris Kristofferson, I Love Rock 'n' Roll, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Arrows, Sex Pistols, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Without You, Badfinger, Harry Nilsson, Mariah Carey, Led Zeppelin, Nobody's Fault but Mine, Joan Baez, Anne Bredon, “In my time of dying”, Blind Willie Johnson, “Dazed and Confused”, Jake Holmes, Inspired by Jake Holmes, David Bennett Piano, Whole Lotta Love” Muddy Waters, You Need Love, Willie Dixon, The Small Faces, “You Need Loving”, “Rock'n'Roll”, Little Richard, “Keep a-Knockin'”, Stairway to Heaven, Taurus, Spirit, back-payment of royalties to the original artist, Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen, John Cale, “I'm Your Fan”, Jeff Buckley, I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, The First Cut is the Deepest, Rod Stewart, Cat Stevens, Reason to Believe, Tim Hardin, The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie, Nirvana, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper, Robert Hazard, Love Hurts, Nazareth, Everly Brothers, Turn the Page, Jon English, Metallica, Bob Seger, A Hazy Shade of Winter, Bangles, Simon & Garfunkel, I'm a Believer, The Monkees, Neil Diamond, RESPECT, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Moonlighting, Bruce Willis, David Addison  Bob Dylan, cover versions, Peter Paul and Mary, Leonard Cohen, Tainted Love, Without You, Led Zeppelin, Jake Holmes, Hallelujah, John Cale, RESPECT, Aretha Franklin Episode PlaylistYouTube Links:Jake Holmes - Dazed and Confused TrumpI Live Rock and Roll - Joan KirnerOnce in a LifetimeDavid Bennett Pian - 8 Led Zeppelin songs that "rip off" other songs The Man Who Sold the World - Nirvana

Everyone has heard of Leonard Cohen, but not so many know much about him.  With this episode, we look to give you a taste of Mr Cohen – his views on life, women and songwriting; his extraordinary influence on modern songwriting; his legacy, and, of course, “Hallelujah”!  A world that never had Leonard Cohen in it would be a much lesser place indeed. Jeff gives us his holiday report on a visit to the only Museum in the world dedicated to penises, whose prime exhibit is a plaster cast of Jimi Hendrix' tackle. (It's true!!) We give an update on our Ed Kuepper episode, with a report on his live concert in Sydney in September, which was fantastic! We take a quick look at a few of the icons we've lost so far this year including Tom Verlaine (Television), Burt Bacharach, Andy Rourke (The Smiths), Francis Monkman (Sky, 801), and Sinead O'Connor.  In honour of Sinead, our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is her “I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got” (1990), which we both agree is an absolute cracker of an album.  Haven't heard it?  The link is in the show notes. References:  Iceland, Icelandic Phallological Museum, Jimi Hendrix' penis, Cynthia Albritton, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Ed Kuepper, Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth, Tom Verlaine, Television, Burt Bacharach, Tim Bachman, Cliff Fish, Paper Lace, Gordon Lightfoot, Andy Rourke, Francis Monkman, 801, Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Rodrigeuz, Robbie Robertson, Jimmy Buffett, Globite store  Sydney Airport, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die”, Robert Dimery, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, “Nothing Compares to You”, The Young Ones, Alexei Sayle, Tom Waits, “There's a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in”, “The Future”, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Janis Joplin, Kris Kristofferson, “Chelsea Hotel #2”, “Tower of Song”, "Famous Blue Raincoat",  "Everybody Knows", Concrete Blonde, “Bird on a Wire”, Willie Nelson, “Hallelujah”  ___________________________________  Other References This episode's playlist I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen Songs of Love and Hate - Leonard Cohen I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinead O'Connor Rare on Air - Amazon - Tori Amos/Leonard Cohen spoken word intro Rare on Air Vol 1 – all songs Ed Kuepper – Live Song List 21 Sep 23 Ed Kuepper - Live Sep 2023 The Young Ones – Leonard Cohen vampire reference YouTube Links Bon Jovi Hallelujah - O2 Arena June 24th 07   

Michael Jackson's “Thriller” – one of the biggest hit albums of all time - also marks a quantum change in how rock music was marketed and sold.   Brought up as part of The Jackson 5, Michael saw himself as an entertainer crossing musical genres and categories. He almost single-handedly made music videos into a serious art form.In those days, with typical video budgets around $50k, the video for “Thriller” had a budget of $1m and a top Hollywood director in John Landis. Total recording budget for the entire album was $750k! Our “Album you must hear Before you Die” is  “So”, Peter Gabriel's 1986 blockbuster, produced by Daniel Lanois, an Eno disciple who'd just produced U2's “The Unforgettable Fire”. The hit single from this album, “Sledgehammer” also had a dynamite film clip featuring state-of-the art stop-motion photography.   In Jeff's Rant, he is surprisingly gentle to Justin Bieber.  Who'd have thought it possible? There's lots in this episode to enjoy.  We hope you do!  References:  Justin Bieber, Ricky Gervais, Peter Gabriel, Daniel Lanois, So, world music, Manu Katché, Youssou N'Dour, Sledgehammer, Redeye Records, Don't Give Up, Kate Bush, Big Time, Tony Levin, In Your Eyes, Red Rain, Jerry Marotta, Number Ones, Tom Breihan, Billie Jean, I want you Back, The Wiz, Off The Wall, Quincy Jones, Beat It, biggest-selling album of all time, Singing in the Rain, John Landis, An American Werewolf in London, Moonwalk, Vincent Price, Welcome to my Nightmare, The Black Widow, Steve Lukather, Toto, Eddie Van Halen, Bad, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, George Michael, Weird Al YankovichEpisode PlaylistEat ItFatSmells Like Nirvana

Marianne Faithfull's journey from 60's elfin-voiced beauty to grande-dame of rock music has given us some wonderful music, including Broken English, inspired by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist gang.   We look at her career, focusing on what this album meant for her. Many may know the title-track single, but the album brings a bunch of stunning tracks we know you're going to really enjoy discovering, including, “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” and Lennon's “Working Class Hero”. Our “album you must listen to before you die” is Pink Floyd's gloomy masterwork, “The Wall”, a stunning vision of British society said to be “so unremittingly dismal.... that it makes gloom-mongers such as Randy Newman or Nico seem like Peter Pan and Tinker Bell”. Needless to say, we love it, not least for the wonderful production by Bob Ezrin. (“Berlin”, Peter Gabriel”, and “Billion Dollar Babies” )In “Rock News”, Jeff brings us up to speed with upcoming tours by Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Yes, and Kiss, Oh, goody! References: Roger Waters, Frankfurt, Germany, Brian Johnson, Bruce Springsteen Day, Yes, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Kiss, The Wall, Pink Floyd, Enmore Theatre, Countess Eva Von Sacher-Masoch, Steve Vizard, Paul McCartney, Here, There and Everywhere, Rolling Stones, Keef, Wild Horses, heroin addiction, Broken English, Island Records, Chris Blackwell, 1001 Albums you must listen to before you die, Robert Dimery, Working Class Hero, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Shel Silverstein, Dr Hook and the Medicine Show, Stevie Winwood, Richard Lowenstein, Dogs in Space, Dangerous Acquaintances , A Child's Adventure, Intrigue, Kissin' Time, Before the Poison, Blazing Away Episode Playlist

In 1975, “Pampered Menial” was released to 5-star critical ratings. It was not a commercial success. However, in the years since, it has become a gem, possibly one of the greatest albums of the 70's!  David Surkamp's surreal 4-octave voice has been compared to Robert Plant.  Matched with Siegfried Carver's violin and Steve Scorfina's guitar, it creates a stunning work of art – intricate and majestic with guts and delicacy in equal measure. With this episode, we want to open more ears to an amazing piece of symphonic rock/metal. Our “Album you must hear before you Die” is 1974's “Crime of the Century” by Supertramp.  Produced by Ken Scott of Bowie fame, this album is where their sound came together as a kind of Pink Floyd-lite. Mick and Jeff saw them live around this time where their light show was similar in many ways to the light/movie show Floyd toured in the mid-late ‘80's.  Mick's comments on this album are quite contentious. Jeff wants to awaken listeners to the sport of extreme kayaking, with a proposal for a 970m drop over Angel Falls in Venezuela.  Mick is not convinced. While they're about it, Mick and Jeff pay tribute to their teen broadcast heroes - Roy & HG who still address callers to their program “Bludging on the Blindside” with “Happy Rugby League” Enjoy! ____________________________________________________________ References: Roy & HG, Bludging on the Blindside, tandem kayaking, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, Crime of the Century, Supertramp, Bloody Well Right, Crime of the Century, Rick Davies, Roger Hogson, Dreamer, Pavlov's Dog, David Surkamp, Richard Nadler, Siegfried Carver, Steve Scorfina, Song Dance, Julia, Late November, Once and Future King, At The Sound of the Bell, She Came Shining, Yes, Bill Bruford, Roxy Music, Andy Mackay Pampered MenialEpisode PlaylistSkyaking

 As a special treat, this episode features four tasty albums from the golden age of Rock Music.   Rick Wakeman's “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, accused of hastening the arrival of punk, and of justifying the need for it, ultimately sold over 14 million copies.  Go figure! “Not Fragile” by Bachman Turner Overdrive, topped the charts in USA and Australia proclaiming that “you ain't seen nothin' yet”!  The pick of the crop, the self-titled “Bad Company” was hailed as “swing and swagger with power chords”.  Arising from the ashes of Free and Humble Pie, Bad Company was one of the first bands to be dubbed a “supergroup” Our album that “You Must Hear before you Die” is Bowie's "Young Americans" (1975), the album that first got America's attention and laid the groundwork for “Heroes”, 2 years later.   Jeff also has plenty to say about fake American “influencers”, especially at events like Coachella!   Enjoy!!  References: “Young Americans”, David Bowie, One Damn Sing, John Lennon, “Fame”, “Across the Universe”, “A Day in the Life”, Carlos Alomar, King Arthur on Ice, Jules Verne, orchestral concerts, The Who, “Tommy”, A&M Records, David Hemmings, “Grumpy Old Men”, “Not Fragile”, Randy Bachman, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", “Roll on down the Highway”, “Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Free, Mick Ralphs, Mott the Hoople, Boz Burrell, King Crimson, Peter Grant, Swan Song Records, "Straight Shooter”, “Shooting Star”, Led Zeppelin, “Houses of the Holy”, Hipgnosis, "Can't Get Enough", “Movin' On”, “Bad Company”, “Rock Steady”, “Ready for Love” Cochella Fashion 2023Episode Playlist

 Nico – one-time member of The Velvet Underground - is an enigma in modern rock music.  Despite her wide-ranging influence, her music is not for the faint-hearted.  Mick saw Nico at the Sydney Trade Union Club in 1986 and it was a concert unlike any other. She's not for everybody, or even most people, but have a listen, you'll hear something new and might just broaden your view on the rest of the music you listen to. We discuss why we don't play actual music on our podcast (licensing laws!) and why we put a curated playlist to help you get a feel for what we talk about.  We like to think of our podcast as journalism for your ears! Our album "You Must Hear Before You Die” is Too-Rye-Ay by Dexy's Midnight Runners, featuring the single, “Come On Eileen”, the only single from the album to be a hit.  Adding strings (violin, viola and cello) to the band's existing horn section created a joyous riot of Irish music-influenced pop and soul, with a potent mix of S-E-X! Enjoy!  References:  Martin Mull, TripleJ, APRA, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die”,  Robert Dimery, Too-Rye-Ay, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Kevin Rowland, “Come On Eileen”, Van Morrison, Velvet Underground, “Songs They Never Play on the Radio”, "Chelsea Girls”, John Cale, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, Eno, “June 1, 1974”, Sydney Trade Union Club, Christa Paffgen, Andy Warhol, The Factory,  Andrew Loog Oldham, “I'm Not Saying”, Gordon Lightfoot, The Plastic Exploding Inevitable, “I'll Be Your Mirror”, “All Tomorrow's Parties”, “Femme Fatale”, “Desertshore”, “The Marble Index”, "Janitor of Lunacy", Nico, Cale and Lou Reed, Bataclan ‘72, “Heroes”, Bowie, "The Blue Angel”, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, M0orrissey, Iggy Pop, Elliot Smith, Bjork, Peter Hook, Marianne Faithfull  Books You Are Beautiful, and You Are Alone – Jennifer Otter Bickerdike UPTIGHT!  The Velvet Underground Story – Victor Bockris (Reed, Cale, Stones)  The PlaylistThe Love Boat with Any Warhol

In 1989, Lou Reed released his tour de force, “New York”.   Many see this album as part of Reed's holy trinity of spectacular albums - “Velvet Underground & Nico”, “Berlin” and “New York”. Commercially & artistically successful, this album took everything back to basics, and Reed himself was quoted as saying, “This is as good as it gets – two guitars, bass and drums”. Mick and Jeff both love this late-career revival album for its strong songs, caustic lyrics, perfect observations and great word play. This deals with the "everyday" – domestic violence, child abuse, corruption, politics – and it's grittier for that reality.   The album you must hear before you die is 1988's self-titled “Tracey Chapman”.  This album, very different to what was on the charts at the time, received 6 Grammy Award nominations, winning 3. The big hit from this album was “Fast Car", which sold strongly around the world, and still features in lists of the Greatest Songs of All Time.  Needless to say, Mick and Jeff think it's a terrific single on a terrific album   Jeff leaps into the world of fashion with tips on the biggest style trends for men in 2023.  The boys talk about Abbey Road and Star Wars parody T-shirts, with Mick's Peruvian t-shirt featuring llamas crossing the famous road. They've found Abbey Road shirts featuring not only The Simpsons, but The Depps (yep, Johnny Depp), The Sherlocks (of the Holmes variety), Dr Who and a Social Distancing design, with each person 1.5 metres apart!  We think you're going to love this episode.  We sure did!  References:  Lou Reed, “New York”, Abbey Road, llamas, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die” Robert Dimery Editor 2021, Tracey Chapman, “Fast Car”, Elektra, “Talkin' ‘bout a revolution”, Billboard Hot 100, Globite School bag, “Berlin”, “Dirty Boulevard”, “Songs for Drella”, John Cale, Velvet Underground reunion tour PlaylistStyle trends for men 2023Linda Hurley song about invasive species to Australia

Mick has discovered an excellent book - “The Number Ones – Twenty chart-topping hits that reveal the history of pop music” by Tom Breihan (Hachette Books, NY) - one of the best books ever written on how songs get, or don't get, to the top of the charts. Gems from the book include:  The Miracles' “Shop Around”, Motown's first hit, was kept out of the top spot by "Calcutta" by Lawrence Welk (Who?  WTF?) “The Twist”, by Chubby Checker, led to a wave of “Twist”-labelled hits. Except that, in this case, it was made “nicer” for white audiences, so that white DJs would play it.  The first “rap” single to top the charts was  “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice, in a story with more twists than an Agatha Christie novel! All the money Vanilla Ice made from his hit was gobbled up by lawyers for David Bowie & Queen! Human League's “Don't You Want Me, Baby?” became a breakthrough hit simply because MTV needed video clips when they started up, and most existing bands weren't set up to provide them. Our album you must hear before you die (with thanks to Robert Dimery) is The Pogues' “Rum, Sodomy and the Lash” from 1985. The title is based on Winston Churchill's quote that “English Naval tradition was nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.”  Elvis Costello, who produced the album, saw his role as capturing the Pogues' “dilapidated glory”, with the band heavily influenced by alcohol, and their name meaning, in Gaelic, “Pogue mahone”, or “up your arse”!  Musical gems abound on the album, not least in Ewan MacColl's “Dirty Old Town”, and Eric Bogle's “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” (listed as one of the 30 Greatest Australian songs of all time). We love The Pogues, and you should, too. Jeff has uncovered some gems from the mind of Donald Trump and his supporters, as well as discovering that the man has an ego bigger than the most deranged rock star. Another jam-packed episode!  _______________________________________________________________ Books “The Number Ones.  Twenty chart-topping hits that reveal the history of pop music” Tom Breihan, Hachette Books, New York The Show PlaylistTrump Justice for AllTrump the Best

This episode, we look at Ed Kuepper, whose fame sadly does not match in any way his contribution to rock'n'roll!  Bursting out of Brisbane in the mid-70's, Ed helped found The Saints, one of the key influences on punk.  Tiring of The Saints, he created The Laughing Clowns, before launching into a solo career interspersed with stints in The Aints and The Bad Seeds. The “Album You Must Hear before You Die” is the immortal “Tubular Bells”, Virgin Records' first-ever release.  This was one of the first albums Mick ever bought, and what an album to start with!  Mick recounts the story how the Tubular Bells themselves, left behind in the studio after John Cale recorded “Paris 1919”, were a late addition to what became an iconic album.   On a lighter note, Jeff introduces extreme kayaking, and considers the possibility of a “Mick and the Phatman”-branded team, sponsored by a leading brand, leaping over 1000-metre waterfalls!    Enjoy!  The Ed Keupper Playlist"Also spake the King of Euro Disco" - YouTube - a MUST-LISTEN!!

Do you remember the best show you've ever seen?  How about the worst?  Mick and Jeff talk about what makes a great show and relive some of the best (and worst) they've seen.  Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is “The B-52s” self-titled first album from 1979.  This high-energy album smashed the B-52s onto the world stage while looking like escapees from the Rocky Horror Show! To top it all off, Jeff brings you rock news featuring Alice Cooper, Pete Townshend, Brian Eno, Brian May, a Foo Fighters pinball machine, and a whole bunch of others. References:   Nita Strauss, Alice Cooper, Pete Townshend, Ann-Margret, Everly Brothers, “Bye Bye Love”, Brian Eno, EarthPercent campaign, Brian May, Bohemian Rhapsody, Ozzy Osbourne, Frankfurt, Roger Waters, Foo Fighters pinball machine, “The Dark Side of the Moon”, Jimmy Barnes, The Barnestormers, The B-52's, Chris Blackwell, Island Records, REM, Cindy Wilson, Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Ricky Wilson, “Rock Lobster”, Dick Dale, narwhal, “matching towels”, The Bridge Hotel, Rozelle, Riverwood Millers, Bexley North Hotel, Family Inn, Rydalmere, Caringbah Inn, Coogee Oceanic, Mi-Sex, Hurstville Civic Centre, Coffs Harbour Civic Centre, Sydney Entertainment Centre, The Hordern Pavilion, Ignatius Jones, Joylene Hairmouth, “Baby's on Fire”, Sydney Olympics ceremonies, Nirvana, Queen, Lou Reed, Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, MiSex, John Cale, The Tigerlilies, The Kinks, John Cougar Mellencamp, Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, The Police PlaylistB52's Concert

More than any band we've covered in over 50 episodes, this band has delivered us the most blank looks! “Never heard of them!”, people say! So, we thought we'd remedy this serious hole in people's musical appreciation by looking at one of the most exciting but overlooked musical occurrences of the 70's. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB) could only have existed during the 70's, and possibly only in Glasgow. Starting with the idea that, to call yourself “Sensational”, you've got to be sensational, Alex Harvey joined local band, Tear Gas, to form SAHB in 1972. Singing in a broad Glaswegian accent, Alex Harvey led the band to become the highest-grossing live band in the UK. When they launched a song called, “Faith Healer” at 1973 Reading Festival, they blew Rod Stewart and Status Quo off stage!SAHB has influenced bands like AC/DC, The Cure and Nick Cave and inspired a generation of bands over the years since then.  There're a million stories around SAHB. The anecdote involving The Doobie Brothers and the wrong dressing room is an absolute corker! Not to mention the time they gave AC/DC their big break on UK TV. Jeff is loving the possibilities of ChatGPT, and had it compose songs in the style of David Bowie and Elton John. Or a fruit-based limerick! Or an Eminem rap about cats. Yep, it's as horrific as it sounds.Normally, we'd do an album “you must hear before you die”, but for a change, we've chosen to look at Rod Stewart's wonderful mandolin effort, “Maggie May”, and how it's based on an actual “experience” with an older woman where Rod's biggest concern was that if his performance wasn't good enough, his reputation could be ruined. Probably one of the best songs of Stewart's career.   References: Artificial Intelligence, Chat GPT, Open AI, David Bowie, Elton John, Eminem, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die”, Robert Dimery, “Anatomy of a Song”, Marc Myers, “Maggie May”, “Reason to Believe”, Ron Wood, celesta, Rod Stewart sexual performance, “Storyteller”, Tear Gas, SAHB, “Mid-Atlantic accent”, Zal Cleminson, Chris Glen, Hugh & Ted McKenna, Doobie Brothers, The Cure, AC/DC, “Framed”, The Coasters, “SAHB Live”, “Isobel Goudie”, “Faith Healer”, “Anthem”, “Tomahawk Kid”, “Delilah”, “Vambo” SAHB PlaylistVambo Live Youtube 

We sometimes forget just how talented The Police - Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers - actually were. They arrived in the late-70's, merging elements of Reggae, New Wave & Punk.  Their sound -  simple, lean (bass, drums, guitar), well-produced - still sounds fresh, with songs like “Roxanne”, “Message in a Bottle”, and “Walking on the Moon”. We saw them live at the Hordern Pavilion back in 1980, in the days before digital light shows, when every single light can had a specific purpose – and what a show it was! Our "Album You Must Hear Before you Die" is Frank Sinatra's “In the Wee Small Hours”, a classic from the early LP era.  Sinatra is a master, and a joy to listen to. The man himself was certain that many baby boomers were conceived to the sound of this album.  Jeff tells us more about Mr Beast, and digital sampling of Beavis and Butt-Head. It's almost too much for one episode!! Police playlist_______________________________________ References:  Nelson Riddle, Chairman of the Board, "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, Outlandos d'Amour, Regatta de Blanc, Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine, Synchronicity, Roxanne, “The Secret Policeman's Ball”, Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Hordern Pavilion, John Cale, The Bottom Line, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Every Breath You Take, physical light cans  

The Smiths, one of the finest bands produced by Britain (or anywhere).  Their third album, The Queen is Dead, is rated by Mick as one of the finest albums ever made.  We talk about where they came from, their influences, and why they are still popular today, over thirty years after they split.   Jeff brings you up to speed on recent rock deaths, talking about Jeff Beck, David Crosby and Renee Geyer, among others.  Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is “New Wave”, by The Auteurs.  Mick damns it with faint praise, but then, he's very picky!!  References:  Robbie Bachman, David Crosby, Anita Pointer, The Pointer SISTERS, Rodney Rude,  This is a Man's World, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Johnny Rogan, The Severed Alliance, “The Smiths”, Johnny Marr, Morrissey, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Neil Young, David Bowie, “Meat is Murder”, “The Queen is Dead”, “Strangeways Here we Come”, “How soon is now?”, “The Headmaster Ritual”, Rickenbacker, Phil Manzanera, “Panic”, Matt Johnson, The The, Mike Joyce (drums), Andy Rourke (bass), The wit of Steven Morrissey, The Smiths are very popular among depressedThe Smiths PlaylistAre The Smiths miserable?  Survey linkBook:  The Severed Alliance - Johnny RoganThe Cooker Travelling

 How often have you heard of an artist being labelled “over-rated”? Did it strike you as fair, or just a subjective, lazy way to insult artists you don't like? Mick & Jeff look at the concept of ‘over-rated' as a way of describing artists, and consider whether certain artists ARE, in fact, over-rated, and, if so, why or why not?  Our album you MUST Listen to Before You Die is “Bossanova” by the Pixies. We talk about where the Pixies fit into the music universe and where this album fits in their canon of work.    Jeff provides a dip sample of some of the rock news so far this year, an update on what's happened to Princess Fionnula now that's she's gone back to Ireland, and some of the finer points of beer tasting!  References:  Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins, Robert Forster, Go Betweens, “Venus”, Television, Marquee Moon, Justin Bieber, Mastodon, Elton John concert, Ian “Molly” Meldrum, Rolling Stone, “Top Australian Albums of 2022”, “King Stingray”, King Stingray, “Angel in Real Time”, Gang of Youths, “PrePleasure”, Julia Jacklin, “Matter of Time”, Meg Mac, Pixies, “Bossanova”, “Doolittle”, Tromp le Monde, “Wave of Mutilation”, Rolling Stones, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, “I like your old stuff better than your new stuff”, Ramones, REM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doors, “The 27 Club”, Rage Against the Machine, Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall”, KISS, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, Oasis/Liam Gallagher/Noel Gallagher, Guns'n'Roses, The Smiths, Toto Overated Playlist