The Record Player

Send us a textThe great John Sebastian celebrates his 81st birthday today as we're posting this. We had the good fortune to have a lengthy conversation with John this past fall to discuss John W. Sebastian, his 1970 debut as a solo artist. It's an album which is certainly underrated and if your ears have never had the pleasure of hearing it, today's the day to change that. Our good friend Peter Lubin helped to arrange the time with John and joins us for this discussion, which is one that we'll all remember for a long time. Keep up with John at his official website and thank you for listening!Support the show

Send us a textIn picking her favorite album, author K.L. Doty let us know up front that she couldn't settle on just one -- something which we're all familiar with as music fans, right? So we talk about a lot of different music. But in regards to Disintegration by the Cure, specifically, she shared a thought that will land with many of us who have grown up (I guess that's all of us) and made our way out into the real world, which can maybe be the first real moment where you learn about things like compromise. Prior to the interview, K.L. told us the reason for her love of Disintegration comes back to this: "It reminds me of dreams and all the things I wanted as a child that I ultimately left to go chase."Her story is an interesting one, because she's been chasing a lot of different things for a good amount of time. There's been both happiness and heartbreak -- that's life in a nutshell on some days -- but also, redemption and discovery. Her newest project found her spending the past few years helping former Great White vocalist Jack Russell put his memories on paper and her book was the result of the hours of conversations they had. The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative was released this summer and is an unvarnished look at Russell's life and career. Through Doty, Russell puts it all out on the table. We enjoyed talking with K.L. to learn about how the book came together, but also, we spoke about her general life journey that has brought her to this point and what's ahead. We hope you enjoy this conversation!Support the show

Send us a textYou might know Brian Wecht as Ninja Brian. Or maybe you know him as Trey Magnifique. Perhaps, you just know him as Brian and that's fine too. Matt and Jeff were just thrilled to have him on the podcast to talk about Al Jarreau's mighty fine Breakin' Away album. But there were conditions. First, an impromptu 20 minute discussion about Kenny G. You'll see. Is there a Chicago reference followed by some scathing condemnation? You know there is.As it happens, Brian, er, Trey Magnifique has a new holiday EP, Let it Blow, available now as you're listening to this. We talk about that and you should buy it and give Brian some of your hard-earned money that you were planning to spend on Christmas cookies. Was Jim Morrison on the receiving end? What does it all mean? I guess it means that we had a really fun and extremely random conversation with Brian that covers a lot of different topics. Which frankly, it feels like that's exactly what needed to happen.Our thanks to Brian for spending time talking tunes with us. We look forward to having him back on the podcast soon! Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, but also follow him on BlueSky. You know he has a podcast, right? It's called Leighton Night and you can listen here.P.S. This episode has some filthy language. You kind of expected that, didn't you?P.S.S. Jeff and Matt are on BlueSky as well.Support the show

Send us a textRob Baker of The Tragically Hip joins Matt to discuss the 35th anniversary of the band's 1989 debut, Up to Here, which is being celebrated with a lavish box set featuring a wealth of previously unreleased content. The box set is available today digitally and will be released in a variety of physical formats on Nov. 15. You can order your copy of the box set here.The conversation with Rob was wonderfully free-flowing and numerous topics are discussed, including of course, stories from the time period that Up to Here was in the works. But also, Rob and Matt dig into the band's early struggles before they secured their first label deal, the challenges they've had in locating and preserving their archival material, recording in unique locations and even a humorous Rush story, just to name a few things.In addition to the new box set for Up to Here, fans can also enjoy No Dress Rehearsal, the new four-part documentary on Amazon Prime. There's also a new book. So it's a good time to be a fan of the Tragically Hip and it was a real pleasure to speak with Rob to hear some stories. Fellow longtime fans will enjoy this conversation and we appreciate Rob's time!P.S. Our comrade Allison Rapp also had a recent conversation that will be of interest to Hip fans. She spoke with bassist Gord Sinclair to discuss his love of Joni Mitchell's music for her Joni podcast and it's a chat you won't want to miss!Support the show

Send us a textProfessor Louis Moore joins Matt and Jeff to discuss his essential new book, The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans and the Making of the Black Quarterback. Our engaging discussion with Lou took us deep into the history of Black quarterbacks and athletes in general in the NFL and he talks about the journey he took as he was writing the book. However much progress you might think has been made in the NFL (and beyond), this discussion -- and Lou's book -- will remind you that there's a lot that still needs to be addressed.Lou also shared his history as a music fan and the formative experiences he had as a listener growing up, and why Life is...Too $hort is still one of the most important albums in his collection. We had a blast speaking with Lou and if you haven't had a chance to check out his book yet, you'll really want to after hearing this conversation. Our thanks to Lou for writing this book and the time he spent with us to talk about it! You can visit his official website and read more information about his career to date below.P.S. You can skip the intro and go right to our conversation with Lou, which begins at 10:02.About Professor Louis Moore:Louis Moore is a Professor of History at Grand Valley State University. He teaches African American History, Civil Rights, Sports History, and US History.His research and writing examines the interconnections between race and sports.  He is the author of two books, I Fight for a Living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880-1915 and We Will Win the Day: The Civil Rights Movement, the Black Athlete, and the Quest for Equality, and has an Audible lecture, African American Athletes Who Made History. In addition, he has two Audible lectures, African American Athletes Who Made History and A Pastime of Their Own: The Story of Negro League Baseball. He has also written for various online outlets including The New York Daily News, Vox, The Global Sports Institute, First and Pen, and the African American Intellectual Historical Society, and he has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, and BBC Sports. The co-host of the Black Athlete Podcast, his latest book, The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans and the Making of the Black Quarterback is out now.Support the show

Send us a textThis is almost a "lost episode" of sorts. To pull the curtain back a bit, we recorded this episode back in July and then promptly got busy with a bunch of other things. So if you hear a mention or two that sound a bit dated, there ya go. What remains is a fun discussion that we had regarding Robert Wyatt's 1974 album Rock Bottom. We examine where Robert was career-wise in 1974 as he was continuing to evolve his solo work following his time with Soft Machine and subsequently, Matching Mole. Fellow prog aficionados and those who like a good, weird album, just generally, this one's for you.P.S. As we get into the fall, we've got a bunch of fresh episodes ready to roll and you'll be hearing them here in the coming weeks! Thanks for listening and for your ongoing support of The Record Player!Support the show

Send us a textThe guys end summer break with a completely random "accidental Cassingle," as Jeff tagged it. There are discussions of Funyuns (which still exist!), Taco Bell, concept albums, Jeff's new book, asbestos, kids who swear a lot, new music from Jon Anderson of Yes, the upcoming solo album from Warren Haynes and other subjects that are probably being forgotten. We got together to record a simple introduction for our next podcast episode....and this happened. Anyway, it's been a good summer away, but we've all missed you!P.S. Don't play this particular episode around your kids. There's some swearing.P.S.S. Apparently Funyuns are 55 years old this year! It's time for them to start pulling their weight around here.Support the show

Send us a Text Message.Our latest Bonus Track features a conversation with author and journalist John Barry, who covered Woodstock '94 as it happened. Thirty years later, he joins Matt to share some of his memories of the experience. Music fans will also be interested in the book that John wrote about Levon Helm's incredible second act with the Midnight Ramble and other events that happened during the later years of his career.Levon Helm: Rock, Roll & Ramble - The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble is an essential read for fans of Levon and the Band. John shares the story of how the book came together and some of the Levon memories he's really grateful for.  You can read John's latest articles at the Times Union website and he also has an ongoing newsletter, Quicksand.Big thanks to John for the conversation!Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Jeff and Matt love nothing more than coming across obscure AOR gems. Jesse Colin Young's 1982 album, The Perfect Stranger, fits into that category. Featuring guest appearances by Carly Simon, Michael McDonald, Bill Payne and Fred Tackett of Little Feat and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles, The Perfect Stranger also finds Jesse surrounded by an unbelievable cast of many of the era's best session players.Jesse tells the guys how he came to work with producer Michael James Jackson on The Perfect Stranger, which he describes as an album he'd never made before - and it was an experience he ultimately didn't repeat. We also discuss his current songwriting contest with Future Youth Records. They're seeking to help inspire young songwriters from 18-24 to "use their unique voice to inspire change. Jesse knows a thing or two about that, having been the voice for "Get Together," the inspiring and unifying hit he released in 1967 with the Youngbloods. Entries for "The Perfect Stranger" songwriting contest are being accepted through August 15. Good luck!Jesse also tells us about the early days of the No Nukes movement, which he co-founded, his struggles with Lyme Disease and his memoir that he recently completed. We also ask him how many times he saw the Freedom Rock commercial in the '80s.It was a delight speaking with Jesse and for the first time, you can now find The Perfect Stranger on your favorite digital service, wherever you get your music, so dig in! P.S. Jeff has been quite busy. He has a new book out and he continues to write even more good words beyond that at Jefitoblog.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Podcasting pioneer Jimmy Pardo hosts the award-winning podcast, Never Not Funny. But he also puts his name behind a lot of good things. Witness his annual Pardcast-a-Thon, which provided nine hours of laughs from Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Dave Holmes, Jon Cryer and numerous others -- INCLUDING DAVID FOSTER -- raising over $125 thousand dollars for charity in the process. For $25 you can purchase an archive of this year's performances and if you like to laugh, we highly recommend that.Jimmy is also a big fan of '80s AOR music and the only rock band with horns that you need to have in your life, Chicago. Which means that when we needed a friend to help us talk about Chicago 17 in honor of its 40th anniversary, Jimmy came right over to "Stay the Night." Okay, wait. We're taking that last part back. Here's what we can promise about today's edition of the podcast: You will hear three guys talking for more than an hour about Chicago 17 -- before and beyond -- making obscure band/Peter Cetera references and other things we can't remember now that it's been several days since we recorded this. Short version: you will probably enjoy this.Thanks to Jimmy as always for hanging out with us. Visit Jimmy's Records & Tapes for even more music nerd fun.Visit Jefitoblog.com for even more Jeff Giles.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.This is a flashback moment to our previous podcast, 1991: The Year AOR Ate Itself. For those of you who didn't hear that podcast series, you'll be interested to hear this episode, which aired July 5, 2021. In my memory (note: I'm making this up), we decided to celebrate Independence Day by talking about Foreigner's first album without Lou Gramm, Unusual Heat.Even though that's not true, we did have a lot of fun discussing Unusual Heat with our friend Ben Arthur, who brought a really interesting perspective as a fellow artist to this discussion. It was Jeff who had the idea overall for the AOR podcast and I'm really glad we did it. We had a lot of fun talking about some of our favorite albums from 1991 and who knows, maybe we'll visit another year from the '90s -- or even the '80s -- one of these days. In the meantime, there's 12 other episodes of this '91 'cast if you enjoy what you hear today. Dig in!We've both been tied up with life stuff, but will be back with a fresh episode this week -- and it's another one of our favorite albums (I don't think I'm wrong in saying that, but we'll find out, won't we?). In the meantime, enjoy this conversation regarding a Foreigner album you've probably never heard!P.S. Ben is back with a new season of his SongWriter podcast. Check out the initial episode here!Related:An article at Ultimate Classic Rock from Jeff and Matt regarding Unusual Heat, featuring interviews with Johnny Edwards and Mick Jones. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Our latest Bonus Track features a great conversation with the legendary Leland Sklar and director Denny Tedesco regarding his film, The Immediate Family. That's right, someone finally made a movie about Lee Sklar, Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel and Russ Kunkel. If you're a liner notes nerd, you know those names!Here's one example:Jackson Browne's Running on Empty album was one where the music fans got to be part of the process. Because it was recorded live on stage in concert -- and at other points along the touring trail, backstage, in hotel rooms and even on the tour bus - it was a unique and often chaotic experience for those involved in the recording.As Sklar told me, Running on Empty was unlike anything he had ever been a part of. While bands and artists are very used to the uncomfortable nature of playing new material in front of an audience that's just there to hear the hits, Running on Empty captured moments with Browne and the band where they were playing new songs that the audiences hadn't even had a chance to get on an album yet, because they hadn't been recorded.For Sklar, it was just one experience of many songs and albums that he's played on across the decades. While he's worked with countless names, there were a few that kept coming up -- guitarist Waddy Wachtel, guitarist Danny Kortchmar and drummer Russ Kunkel. The four became known as The Section, the '70s heir apparent to The Wrecking Crew of the '60s. Collectively and often together, they've played on thousands of albums.In more recent years, they've acquired a new moniker, one which fits well with their connection to the legendary albums they played on by Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Don Henley and many others -- The Immediate Family. Adding vocalist Steve Postell to their ranks, they've put out several albums.But it was Tedesco who decided to tell the story of the guys, through the words of their famous employers and associates. He's well-suited for the task, having put out a film about The Wrecking Crew, the group of session musicians that featured his father, guitarist Tommy Tedesco. He saw the natural throughline that connected that collective with what Kortchmar, Wachtel, Sklar and Kunkel continued with the Section.The Immediate Family is a fascinating journey, one which weaves together valuable history as recounted by those who were there. The film was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray and continues to screen nationally. You can find further details at immediatefamilyfilm.com.I loved chatting with Denny and Lee -- and it was exciting to hear some details from Denny about his next project, a movie about Wolfman Jack that's currently in process! Can't wait!P.S. I mention it during the episode, but here's a direct link to Leland's YouTube channel.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.The 1974 Project continues as we welcome back our friend and A&R man Peter Lubin to discuss Pussy Cats by Harry Nilsson. Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats is an interesting and at times, unfortunate mile marker in Nilsson's career -- and the guys discuss why that is.There is once again a great tribute album at the heart of all of this Nilsson stuff for Jeff and Matt, 1995's For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson. Jeff describes the doors that opened for him as a music fan after he heard that album. We talk about the many peculiarities of Harry's career -- including the fact that he never toured. How did everyone not die while recording Pussy Cats? Good question. Okay, so that scratches the surface, rather roughly, on some of the areas that we cover in today's episode. All you really need to know is that whether you worship this album, or you've never heard Harry's music, there's something here for everyone. Thanks for listening!Related:The Harry Nilsson documentary (which is a great watch and very much worth your time)An article that Jeff wrote about Pussy Cats for Ultimate Classic RockThe mega-Nilsson playlist that Matt knew Jeff had somewhere in his digital back pocket. Can you finish it?Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.In 1984, Christopher Cross added a unique new entry to his discography. "A Chance For Heaven" was selected as the official swimming theme for the Olympics. I bet you didn't even know there was an official swimming theme that year, did you? Neither did we. Discovering that factoid during our episode about Christopher's 1985 album, Every Turn of the World, was enough to send us out on an important quest.What if we were to discuss the Olympics soundtrack albums for 1984, 1988 and 1992? That's the task that Jeff and Matt decided to tackle on today's episode of The Record Player. It's not an easy one, because none of the three volumes are on streaming. Which means, YouTube to the rescue!Here's streaming links for all three volumes:The Official Music Of The XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 19841988 Summer Olympics Album: One Moment in TimeBarcelona Gold (1992) - note that a few songs are not streaming officially, but 12 songs are. You'll get the point. But here's the complete rundown.This is a wide-ranging discussion that explores the bulk of the first two compilations track-by-track with scattered thoughts on Barcelona Gold, because we  were at the clock limit and honestly, the tone of the song curation changed with Barcelona Gold in a way that felt less specific to the Olympics. But where else are you going to find En Vogue and Damn Yankees back to back on the same album? That's a really good question.There are references along the way to the Ghostbusters soundtrack, the We Are the World album and a bunch of other things -- including the most excellent Little Feat-related tribute album from the '90s, Rock & Roll Doctor: A Tribute to Lowell George. Streaming the Lowell tribute appears to be a bit of a chore -- it's on Apple Music at the very least, but finding it on Spotify was an elusive task.Anyway, we talk about some things and you've got some fresh listening material to enjoy now as well. Thanks as always for listening and don't forget to visit Jefitoblog for even more thoughts from Jeff. Have a good weekend!Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.In our first Bonus Track of 2024, legendary artist and producer Narada Michael Walden tells Matt about his time working with the late Tommy Bolin. It's an emotional subject for Narada, but also a period in his career that he retains a lot of love and affection for.We spoke in November of 2023 as Narada was just about to release his newest solo album, Euphoria. The record features a wealth of exciting new compositions -- and also, a long-in-the-works collaboration with Sting, Carlos Santana and Stevie Wonder.You can hear "The More I Love My Life," the song which came out of the collaboration and read more about how it happened right here.Thanks for listening and don't forget to visit Jefitoblog!If you're listening to this podcast on YouTube, you can also find it wherever you get your other podcasts, including Apple Music and Spotify. Here's a complete list of providers.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.The magnificent Davia Schendel joins Jeff and Matt to discuss Suzi Quatro's second album, Quatro.Today's conversation definitely goes deep into "music nerd" territory. We talk about record stores of the past, making playlists devoted to things like gated reverb and snare hits. Should we talk about the underrated power player in music that is known as the saxophone? You're darn right, we should.  How much does the bass rule? We've got thoughts.There are stray conversations about movie soundtracks, AOR soundtrack rarities , Roxy Music and Duran Duran. We discuss some non-musical things too, you know, the related and relevant topics like the holy trinity of oxygen machines, smoking and gambling.But there's also wisdom. Davia puts the thought out there about how "nothing is singular." We're keeping that as our new mantra. It was truly a joy to speak with Davia about so many things and it's a conversation that we both walked away from feeling energized and inspired.Check out Through the Deluge, Davia's newest EP -- and make sure to sign up for her newsletter/podcast, Zeitgest Deterrent. Our huge thanks to Davia for spending the time with us.Related links:Davia's snare hit playlistDavia's sax playlistHer Celluloid Tracks podcast (the prelude to her current Zeitgeist Deterrent podcast)The Suzi Q documentary about Suzi QuatroThe AOR soundtrack rarities playlist.Kathy Valentine's memoir.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.It's time for the first solo Jeff and Matt episode in a good while! Today, the guys team up to look back at Every Turn of the World, the third album by Christopher Cross. They dig through a number of topics including the album's relative lack of success, how Jeff found it -- and why he loved it so much at the time.We also discuss Jeff's forthcoming debut novel, Langley Powell and the Society for the Defense of the Mundane, which is set for a July release. Jeff gives fans of The Record Player an inside look at what they can expect from the book -- and how it came to be! Along the way, we discuss Mike Seaver and Boner, Matt Sledge and why Cleveland is a big deal and numerous other topics too boring to detail here. We're kidding about that last part, probably.OH....and if you see that link at the top of this episode description, you'll be aware that we can now receive fan mail -- which we will likely discuss on the podcast. We dig into an especially crazy submission that came in recently from an "anonymous caller."Thanks for listening and don't forget to find more words from Jeff at the coolest destination in the nation, Jefitoblog.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.We have another first on the podcast, but you're going to have to listen to find out what it is. Let's start with the facts: Benjamin Miner of The Feldons joins Jeff and Matt to talk about 1969's Uncle Meat album, by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Have you ever heard this album? It's a wild ride, just like our discussion. In addition to Uncle Meat, we also discuss pinball machines, pinball lust, churches with pinball machines and basketball gyms that have no air conditioning.Oh yeah, we also dig deep into the story behind The Feldons and their latest album and the fascinating journey that Benjamin took with both the band and the music. He unpacks the path that took him from Zappa to having his own band -- and there's a surprising revelation about horn sections. Is that a horn section-related plot twist? Perhaps.Our thanks to Benjamin for hanging out with us today. You can get your hands on a copy of the Feldons album at Bandcamp and for you fellow vinyl nerds, there's even vinyl to be had!Thanks also to all of you for listening to this episode. Don't forget to visit Jeff at Jefitoblog where you'll find even more musical discussion and thoughts.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Benjamin Wagner joins the guys for a frank discussion about mental health in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month. He's spent a good amount of time thinking about -- and researching the subject. His new film, Friends & Neighbors, is the result of that work. Benjamin tells Jeff and Matt how his own mental health struggles influenced the movie -- and what he learned once he finished the project.In Friends & Neighbors, Benjamin thinks back to the words of his friend, Fred Rogers -- known to the world as Mister Rogers -- and how he always encouraged people to "look for the helpers." For Benjamin, one of those helpers, beginning in his formative years as a teenager, was definitely music. One of the key albums was R.E.M.'s Reckoning. He shares his love for both the record and the band itself -- and why he really respects what they did from the beginning to the way they handled the end of their career.We also discuss Benjamin's first interview -- which happened to be with R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe -- and moments from his incredible run at MTV News which lasted for nearly two decades. As it happens, you can hear a whole lot more about Benjamin's time at MTV. He's got an essential podcast, You Hear It First: An Unofficial and Unfiltered History of MTV News, where he's been interviewing an incredible mix of people from the network -- including many of his former colleagues. For those of us who grew up with MTV News -- and perhaps eventually worked in the industry themselves -- it's a fascinating journey.Friends & Neighbors is screening this month at select locations and will feature panel discussion with Benjamin and others. You can find information on those screenings here. And If you're not in range to attend a screening, you can stream it during the month of May by visiting the film website.You can also find information on Benjamin's previous movie, Mister Rogers & Me at the film's official website. The movie is available for streaming on many major platforms.Thanks so much for listening to the program as always! Join us for further discussion at Jeff's website at Jefitoblog. We'll see you there (and we'll be back soon enough with Benjamin #3. You'll see what we mean after listening to this episode.)

Emmy-nominated songwriter Ben Arthur released his third album, Edible Darling, in 2004. A longtime friend of the podcast (long before there was a podcast, in fact), Ben joins Jeff and Matt to look back on the album in its 20th anniversary year. He recaps his rollercoaster experience navigating the music industry in those early years and how it ultimately influenced where he's gone with his life's work since then.To date, Ben has released 10 albums and an ongoing series of singles, with his most recent song release being "Bless Your Heart" earlier this year. He is the creator and host of SongWriter, a podcast that turns stories into songs. SongWriter is launching its sixth season and has featured guests/collaborators that include  Questlove, Joyce Carol Oates, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd,  Susan Orlean, Neil Gaiman, George Saunders, Katie Melua, David Sedaris, and Steve Earle.Our thanks to Ben for hanging out with us. We had a blast looking back at one of our favorite albums and learning more about what was going on at the time.If you're new to The Record Player, check out our extensive archive of past episodes wherever you get your podcasts! Keep the experience going and visit Jefitoblog for more thoughts from Jeff (and more abuse from Matt). Thanks so much for listening!

Legendary producer Tom Werman joins Jeff and Matt to talk about one of his favorite albums, Who's Next, by the Who.Tom is one of the best kind of people you can hope to meet in the music industry, because not only is he very talented as a producer, but he also is a music fan at heart. That's something that comes through again and again as you're reading his new memoir, Turn It Up:  My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock Music (Featuring Mötley Crüe, Poison, Twisted Sister, Jeff Beck, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, And More). Yes, that's a very long title, but the good news is that if you needed a refresher course about Tom Werman and his life's work, you just got it! One of the great things about Turn It Up is that you get the stories about Werman's experience working with the mentioned artists (and more), but you also really get an inside look at what a producer does -- and how they do it. It's a valuable fly on the wall perspective on a number of levels, but Tom is able to explain the very technical job he did -- without getting overly technical in the way he illustrates that process.As it happens, the roots of the book began with a column that Tom wrote, The Producers, which ran at Jeff's website, Popdose. It's an interesting prequel that Jeff and Tom talk about as the interview begins. Tom has long been one of our favorite people when we think back to all of the albums we own that have his name in the liner notes, so it was a real joy to get a chance to dig in with Tom and discuss his career.P.S. Are you reading Jeff's words at Jefitoblog yet? Goodness gracious, get on over there and become part of the discussion!P.S.S. Here's a link to the Who's Next / Lifehouse box set that Matt mentions during the conversation with Tom. It's essential if you're a fan of the album.

Andy Timmons is one of our favorite folks to talk about music with and he returns to the program -- with his guitar once again in hand -- to discuss his love for Peter Frampton's fourth studio album, 1975's Frampton.Andy tells Jeff and Matt why Peter has been such an important influence on his own career -- and he shares the story of how he came to write his newest single, "The Boy From Beckenham" as a tribute to Frampton. Happily, Frampton himself joined Timmons to play on the track. It's a heartwarming look at how a musical friendship deepened between the pair as a result.We discuss a lot of different things with Andy on the Frampton tip, including the Sgt. Pepper movie -- and yes, as you might expect, there are some side topics as well, like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. and Andy's surprising connection to the late, great Louisville record store, ear X-tacy. We're up to our usual BS, in other words. But in all seriousness, it was a wonderful hang with Andy, which wrapped up with each of us dashing out the door to go get Thai food. A perfect start to the weekend!Our thanks to Andy for the time. You can see the music video for "The Boy From Beckenham" right here. Make sure to visit Andy's website to stay in tune with everything that he has going on. Thanks for listening!Related Links:Andy's GuitarXperienceAndy's Electric Truth album.The Shout! Factory reissue of the Sgt. Pepper movie.

The Reverend Shawn Amos is our guest today on the podcast. Matt has had a conversation with Shawn in the past, so he knew that Jeff would love speaking with The Good Reverend. Shawn opened up right away, getting deep and personal with Matt and Jeff about a wide variety of sociopolitical topics surrounding his latest album, Soul Brother No. 1, including the reckoning with past traumas that informs the music making up the album. But don't let us give you the wrong impression — much like many of the songs on the record, this was an honest, joyous exchange rather than a truly heavy conversation.Long story short, we really loved talking with Shawn — in fact, it was so satisfying to talk about Soul Brother No. 1 that we almost didn't have enough time to get into his love of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's Ain't That a Bitch. (Never fear; we did get there eventually.)Soul Brother No. 1 is out May 3 on Immediate Family Records. You can find more info via Shawn's links here.Here also is a link to his book, Cookies & Milk, which we discussed during this episode!Our thanks to Shawn for spending the time with us!

UCR's Allison Rapp is back with Jeff and Matt for another episode of The 1974 Project. This time, they're talking about On the Border by Eagles and digging into a bunch of related (and yeah, sometimes, unrelated topics). For instance, why do so many people hate the Eagles? Why do people get worked up about calling them "the Eagles" instead of "Eagles" when the band is discussed.What was it like covering the recent trial regarding the allegedly stolen Hotel California lyrics and being in the presence of Don Henley? Allison shares details about that experience. For those of you who take a drink every single time that Jeff says, "It's fine," you're in luck once again this episode.Because this is The Record Player, there are also stray references to Michael McDonald and Chicago. P.S. Make sure that you read Michael's upcoming memoir, because it rules.Our thanks to Allison as always for joining us. You can catch up on her latest work at Ultimate Classic Rock by following this link. We hope you enjoy this episode!Some of our favorite lists from Allison -- including a couple mentioned in this episode:55 Times Albums Shared a NameShelved Songs: 22 Songs That Took Years to Complete24 Songs About Managers and Record ExecutivesOh yeah, please don't forget to read Jeff's stuff at Jefitoblog. The universe thanks you.

We couldn't miss out on the chance to post a new episode of The Record Player on a rare Leap Day!As one of our comrades said very recently, "Happy Leap Year, to all who celebrate!"We're back with the latest installment in The 1974 Project, our ongoing collaboration with Ultimate Classic Rock spotlighting a variety of albums that were released, as you might have guessed, in 1974.UCR's Nick DeRiso joins Jeff and Matt to discuss What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits by the Doobie Brothers. The wide-ranging conversation touches on a number of topics including a Doobies song that was once compared to both Chicago and Eagles, bands with two drummers, the Doobie Liner and five-time Grammy Award winner Michael McDonald.There's more, but those are the dubious highlights of our discussion. Nick also shares details regarding Journey: Worlds Apart, his new best-selling book about Journey and its many eras and side projects. Our thanks to Nick for taking the time!

Mike Duquette of The Second Disc and Duque's Delights is in the hot seat with Jeff and Matt to discuss The Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears.Matt has been waiting two years and several days to have an in-depth conversation with Mike. But he's also been waiting since the early '90s to find someone to have a similarly long conversation about The Seeds of Love. On this day, two dreams came true at one time.For only the fifth time in the history of this podcast, Jeff and Matt agree on an album. (Okay, now you can really tell that Matt writes these dumb episode descriptions.) We celebrate some important life happenings for Mike and in general, have a great conversation about Tears for Fears.Our thanks to Mike for joining us.

The latest episode of The 1974 Project finds Jeff and Matt teaming up with Matthew Wilkening of Ultimate Classic Rock to discuss the self-titled debut album by Kiss, which was released on February 18, 1974. But the conversation covers a lot of territory involved with just being a music fan. Sneaking out of the house to go buy albums. Parents putting their foot down regarding bands/music they find to be objectionable. How the albums that you're hearing can change your impressions (positively or negatively) regarding a band/genre. Rogue school bus drivers helping to facilitate further musical education.On the subject of Kiss, we talk about the merits and stereotypes surrounding the first album. The album cover that could have been (but unfortunately, was not). The underrated Kiss record that more fans should embrace. Should you listen to the entire Kiss discography from top to bottom? What is "Nothin' to Lose" really about? How do you feel about '80s Kiss? An alternate reality where Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons follow through with Wicked Lester and Kiss never happens.Our thanks to Matthew for joining us!Related:Were Kiss Really Asked to Dress Like Clowns on Their First Album: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-clown-album-cover/'Detroit Rock City' Movie Pretty Much Ends Kiss Reunion:https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-detroit-rock-city-movie/

Van Halen's self-titled debut celebrates its 46th anniversary this month (today in fact, as this is being posted). Jeff and Matt celebrate by welcoming journalist Steve Rosen to discuss this legendary album.Steve brings unique insights to today's discussion as someone who was covering Van Halen from the moment that the album hit the shelves. He became friends with Eddie Van Halen, kicking off a series of conversations that lasted more than two decades. Those discussions have now been collected into a book, Tonechaser - Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey With Edward Van Halen.Now entering its third printing, Tonechaser is not just a collection of interviews -- Rosen has gone far beyond that, taking the original conversations, adding in additional context and details. Folks who love a fly on the wall perspective, you'll love this book.Our thanks to Steve for taking time to hang out and talk VH with us!

Our second entry in The 1974 Project focuses on Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell's sixth studio album. UCR's Allison Rapp once again joins Jeff and Matt to discuss a number of topics related to the album.  We talk about the impact that Court and Spark had on Joni's career -- and why it stands out when compared to the rest of her discography. How challenging is it to navigate Joni's overall body of work? How was it received by some of her peers, then and now? Allison also shares her experience seeing Joni's live performance at the Gorge ("near" Seattle) in 2023 -- and her own origin story with Joni's music. P.S. -- here's some more information on the Gorge documentary that's mentioned during this episode.

The wonderful Bill Lloyd returns to The Record Player nearly two years after he stopped in to discuss Paul and Linda McCartney's RAM with us.This time, we're talking Todd Rundgren with Bill and the conversation spirals in a lot of different directions -- including plenty of record collector nerd chatter. We also discuss Look Into It, Bill's latest solo release, which has a really cool music video for the initial single, "This Ain't My Parade."Our thanks to Bill as always for taking time to converse about music with us! We had a ball.P.S. Here's a link to the absolutely essential Rundgren book from Paul Myers that we mentioned during our conversation.P.S.S. Don't forget to check out the newly reborn Jefitoblog.

Kudos to Chris and Stephanie from Ida Mae for helping Matt and Jeff connect the dots when it comes to the music of Richard and Linda Thompson. We loved getting a chance to dig into their Pour Down Like Silver album.There's a new Ida Mae album that demands your ears also, called Thunder Above You. This particular conversation with Chris and Stephanie has been in the production vault for a minute and we're thrilled to finally be able to share it with you.Jeff also shares some details regarding the rebirth of Jefitoblog -- and we preview the forthcoming trip to Bootleg City. Longtime readers and listeners, you'll be happy to hear that Bootleg City is once again being recognized as a proper town....or is it a village? The "City" part has always been a bit overblown, that much is known. There's a new sheriff in town....and a new Mayor. The Great Gross-Off is back in action at Jefitoblog and there are mumblings about Rock Court and many of the other features you know and love. This reboot is a good one, so don't miss it.We also talked about how Pour Down Like Silver is yet another example that not everything is on streaming. If you guessed this might spark Matt to go on a tangent and talk about some examples, you'd be correct. Related to that, our buddy Mike Duquette is going to dig deep into that topic as part of "Stream Police," his new column at Duque's Delight which will focus on "unstreamable music." We can't wait!There's probably some other stuff that we talked about as well in the really, really long intro, but that's why it's there for you to dig in and find out! Enjoy.P.S. Did you listen to our first episode of The 1974 Project regarding Bob Dylan's Planet Waves? Our next episode regarding Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell lands next week!

Bob Dylan finally reunited with the Band officially to record the Planet Waves album in 1974. The stories behind the creation of Planet Waves and the events of the subsequent tour will make you wish that time machines were a real thing.Planet Waves is just one of a number of albums marking its 50th anniversary here in 2024. As it happens, Ultimate Classic Rock recently collected 50 albums turning 50 this year and Jeff had an idea: Why don't we spend part of each month in 2024 discussing some of those albums at the 50-year mark? This conversation about Planet Waves is the first installment. Jeff and Matt welcome UCR's Allison Rapp to talk about a bunch of Bob-related subjects as they examine how Planet Waves came together. How does it stand up against the rest of Bob's catalog today? Was David Geffen ultimately the villain? Can you imagine these songs without the Band playing on them?We also discuss Bob's feelings about the '74 tour -- and dig into some fun Bob quirks. Subway sandwiches! Welding! Al Jarreau! Plus, Georgia Satellites guitarist Rick Richards drops in (virtually) to share some amusing Bob anecdotes from his personal experiences.Our thanks to Allison for joining us to spend a bit of time in the Dylan rabbit hole!Related:Here is the UCR article that Jeff wrote (and doesn't remember) about Planet Waves.We mention Ray Padgett's excellent Dylan newsletter and if you're not already reading that, now's a great time to jump in as he's going through each show of the '74 tour.

Our guest today is a longtime friend of the podcast, David Lebovitz. He brought us two album choices and while it's always an enticing idea to discuss Warren Zevon, we tabled that and begged for him to talk about a really weird Johnny Cash album with us instead. Thankfully, he bent to our will. If you've never heard of this particular Johnny Cash album, you're in for quite a ride. We dig into why it's such an intriguing and mystifying entry in his catalog of work -- and David came prepared with quite a bit of material.Big thanks to him for putting this album in front of us! David's all over the place on socials -- here are his many links in the form of a good old-fashioned link dump, as the kids call it.https://twitter.com/leboismhttps://bsky.app/profile/leboism.bsky.socialhttps://letterboxd.com/leboism/https://ko-fi.com/leboismhttps://thedavidbugle.substack.com/David also suggested the following Salon article for further reading about this album.Here also is the documentary that he references during the conversation, plus the book about Bitter Tears.P.S. If you enjoy this podcast, we'd love it if you were moved to join our Patreon. The Record Club offers all sorts of bonus content related to this podcast and beyond -- including advance listens to our episodes and additional bonus audio! Thank you for your support and listening ears!

Katherine Yeske Taylor is our guest today on The Record Player and boy, this conversation was an absolute joy. We discuss her new book, She's a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism, which is coming out on January 16, but we also dig deep into a bunch of different topics.Katherine is a fellow music journalist who began her career as a rock critic in Atlanta in the 1990s, interviewing Georgia musical royalty such as the Indigo Girls, R.E.M., and the Black Crowes while still a teenager. Since then, she has conducted several hundred interviews and contributes regularly to Billboard, Spin, and American Songwriter, among others. She is a longtime New York City resident and is extremely active in the downtown rock scene.We talk a good amount of journalism shop -- including the many things and particulars that go into the craft of interviewing. Katherine also shares a lot of good Athens stories and tales of how music can intersect with life in some pretty cosmic ways.R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People weaves in and out of the discussion -- with some choice memories filtering through the songs and moments. If this episode doesn't make you want to visit Athens, you probably should think about visiting Athens.If there's any justice, Katherine's book will become a valuable resource  -- both now and in the coming years -- for anyone who wants to know the often difficult path that women in rock have traveled as part of the ongoing fight for gender equality.  Our thanks to Katherine for an inspirational, illuminating and entertaining discussion. We'll look forward to the next round!

Welcome to our longest episode to date! Matt and Jeff are joined by Peter Lubin, who returns to the podcast to talk about an important artist in his A&R career, blues guitarist and vocalist John Campbell.But this time, Peter also brought additional ammo: We were thrilled to also welcome British music journalist Harry Shapiro, who recently published a great book about John's career called John Campbell: Spirit of a Bluesman. Heavily researched with a wealth of new interviews and previously unknown information, Spirit of a Bluesman is an essential read, especially if you've been curious to learn more about the all-too-brief career of John Campbell. We devoured every page in less than a weekend and were subsequently stoked to get the chance to take a deep dive into John's career with Harry and Peter.If you've never heard of John Campbell, this can be your entry point to his work, a journey that's well worth taking. We use John's 1991 One Believer album as our center, but we also delve into many other aspects of his career and life. Our thanks to both Peter and Harry for sharing so much of their wisdom!

Guess who finally decided to return with a new episode? To be fair, we have no real good excuse...except LIFE!In that vein, what a thrill it is to be alive when you're speaking with someone like Cidny Bullens, and going through selected bits of the incredible adventure that has been his life. His career has seen him sharing the stage with Sir Elton John, Rod Stewart -- and even Bob Dylan, just to name a few from his extensive highlight reel. He takes stock of his life and the journey that it has led him on with his memoir, Trans Electric: My Life As a Cosmic Rock Star.Beyond the key career moments that he details in his book, Cidny also reveals his own healing process and how he ultimately found himself and transitioned from female to male ten years ago.  Going through the process, he found unexpected love, becoming a stepfather and a grandfather.  Happily, he also discovered his true voice and true power as a performer.We really enjoyed speaking with Cid and getting to go inside his experiences both past and present. He continues to work tirelessly on new music and recently put out Little Pieces, his latest album via Kill Rock Stars. Look also for a forthcoming collaboration with Lucinda Williams, where he'll revisit one of his own songs for a new single that's expected to be released in 2024.For more about Cidny Bullens, we highly recommend reading David Browne's excellent profile which recently ran at Rolling Stone. And of course, for goodness sake, don't miss the book. You won't be able to put it down.Our thanks to our dear comrade Angie for helping to make this conversation happen. Kudos!

The music gods are truly smiling, because Brother Cane is hitting the road for a reunion tour this fall. On top of that, the band has recently put out a 30th anniversary reissue of their debut album on both CD and vinyl -- marking the first time, by the way, that the record has been out on wax!That seemed like a good enough excuse to get Damon Johnson on the horn to talk some music with Matt as part of the latest Bonus Track. Damon shares lots of Brother Cane stories, digs into some Lynyrd Skynyrd talk -- and tells the tale behind the new Brother Cane songs that are finally hitting our ears....and that's just scratching the surface on the topics we covered during our nearly hour-long chat.Enjoy it and make sure to hit Brother Cane's website to get all of the details regarding the music and the upcoming tour dates!New Music From Brother Cane:"Blinded by the Sun" https://youtu.be/GUeRx1vl4bM?si=5jPiynxjxymD4CGq"Are You in There Anymore" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWCch_4Uyag

Guitarist Mike Connell of the Connells is our guest on the latest installment of The Record Player.  The North Carolina band has had a busy few years, including the long awaited arrival of a new studio album, 2021's Steadman's Wake. Their entire back catalog went digital, including a few things that had been out of print. Here in 2023, they released their first-ever official live album called Set the Stage.This summer, their 1993 album Ring was expanded to a double disc in honor of its 30th anniversary, adding a full bonus disc of previously unreleased tracks.Mike joins us to discuss all of the above and also shares his thoughts and memories regarding The Kinks and their seminal compilation, The Kinks Kronicles.As a bonus (depending on your point of view), Jeff and Matt dig into a chunk of random items in the podcast intro, a throwback of sorts to their sorely missed Cassingle entries. So for those of you who were hoping we'd discuss a bunch of random stuff? It's your lucky day!Our thanks to Mike for joining us and sharing some great stories about the band's history. We had a ball chatting with him.If you like what we're doing with the podcast, join our Record Club on Patreon for all sorts of bonus material, including exclusive interviews and other material. Thanks so much for listening and for your support!

Jono Manson is one of the godfathers of the NYC jam band scene, an influential presence in the early days when bands like Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors were cutting their teeth. A longtime singer, songwriter and producer, Jono has an impressive list of credits and he's one of those guys who always seems to be working on something.He's released two albums here in 2023, including Stars Enough to Guide Me, his latest solo album -- and also, Bootlegger Days, a collaboration with John Popper. He joined Matt to discuss a wide range of topics, including those early days in NYC, some recent work with Eric Ambel, adventurous times in the '90s out on the road with the H.O.R.D.E. festival and lots more.Jono will be on the road starting this month for a lengthy series of shows with Blues Traveler in addition to his own solo headlining dates. It's been quite a while since he's been out for such a lengthy tour, so go see him if he's coming your way! Our thanks to Jono for this conversation, which was a lot of fun!

Trevor Rabin joins us on the eve of the arrival of Rio, his first vocal album for the rock/progressive audience since 1989's Can't Look Away.The multi-talented guitarist, vocalist and composer will be in Cleveland on Friday, October 6 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to celebrate the release of Rio. He'll converse with the Rock Hall's Jason Hanley about the new album and his career. Fans will have an opportunity to meet Trevor following the interview during a signing session where copies of. Rio will be available for purchase. Ticket information for the Rock Hall event can be accessed here.Jeff and Matt were thrilled to speak with Trevor in advance of the event to discuss the Rio album and a number of other topics from his career. We touch on topics like his early solo work (1979's "Now"), his collaboration with Supertramp's Roger Hodgson, working with Jerry Bruckheimer and other similar giants in the film industry, some choice Yes moments -- including great Chris Squire stories -- and lots more!You can pre-order the Rio album now.Music:"Big Mistakes" -  https://youtu.be/KPzga7UJwy4?si=cVL6y3NdC-ztvTPR"Push" -  https://youtu.be/udpVPB223O0?si=5cqhXwaK3ZrRpQUw"Oklahoma" -  https://youtu.be/NzN62Oouhyo?si=8MnTNDWuJb21-Z0n

It's a good day, because we get to talk about Satan. Okay, let's clarify that, actually. We're sitting down with singer-songwriter Brennen Leigh to discuss Satan is Real by the Louvin Brothers. Country music is full of fascinating corners and Satan is Real is no exception. You'll hear many artists cite the Louvin Brothers as an important inspiration and we dig into that topic with Brennen to get her own insights on that subject.We also talk about Brennen's latest album, Ain't Through Honky Tonkin' Yet (what a title!) and her plans for the fall -- among many other things. Sadly, her roosters nearby did not make a major ruckus. We were hoping for it.Our thanks to Brennen for spending time with us!If you dig these episodes, please consider supporting our Patreon. Join our Record Club to receive access to a ton of additional material and interviews. We appreciate your support!

Richard Patrick is our guest for the latest Bonus Track. We caught up with Richard out on the road where Filter is presently playing shows on the Freaks on Parade tour with Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and Ministry. He joins Matt to discuss the band's new album, The Algorithm, plus a number of additional topics, including his time working with Robert and Dean Deleo in Army of Anyone, plus last year's amazing reunion with Nine Inch Nails.Find the latest Filter tour dates here.Music featured in today's episode: "The Drowning" and "Burn Out the Sun"Watch the Nine Inch Nails reunion via YouTube.Listen to the 2008 interview with Richard mentioned during the intro.

Bill returns to the podcast to talk about all things Little Feat, including the new reissues for Sailin' Shoes and Dixie Chicken. Bill also digs into some of his past session work, including time spent with Bob Seger and Pink Floyd. He also reveals details regarding the memoir that he currently has in the works. As always, it's a thrill to talk music with Bill.Visit Bill's website at BillPayneCreative.com and if Little Feat is coming your way, don't miss 'em! They're on the road as we speak and they'll be touring this fall performing Sailin' Shoes and Dixie Chicken in full. In short, you'll want to be in those seats for that experience!

It's our 100th episode! We're so thrilled to welcome legendary guitarist Steve Lukather on this occasion.Steve and the members of Toto are hosting an incredible benefit concert on Saturday, September 9th at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The all-star lineup features Ringo Starr, Stone Temple Pilots, Joe Bonamassa, Colin Hay and Hoobastank. Each artist will play a selection of songs from their catalog with the all-star band. Tickets are disappearing quickly, so grab yours via this link.Proceeds will benefit the Ed Asner Family Center. Steve tells us how this event came together. We also discuss Bridges, his latest solo album -- and Steve shares a wealth of stories from across his career.Luke is a big fan of the James Gang and Joe Walsh and tells us why their first album, Yer' Album, is his favorite. We've both spoken to Luke a number of times over the years, but this was the first time talking to him together. It was a total blast and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Here's to the next 100 episodes!P.S. If you dig what we do, how about joining our Patreon?  There's all sorts of bonus content that you'll love, extra interviews and other stuff! Details are here and we appreciate the support!

This will go down as another one of our favorite episodes. Singer-songwriter David Wilcox joins us and his music is one seed in the origin story of our friendship. We've both interviewed David separately over the years, but it had been a while, so we were looking forward to this one. David did not disappoint, bringing an hour's worth of insightful thoughts about, yes, songwriting, but also, life and the things we face as humans -- and how he processes all of that back into what he does.David has a wonderful new album, My Good Friends, which is available wherever you get your music on August 18. During the podcast, he performs a couple of songs from that album live, while also discussing some other tracks from his catalog. We talk about dads and so many other things. It was an absolute delight, as always, to speak with David.We also get into conversation with David regarding Jesca Hoop, one of his favorite recent discoveries musically -- and his habits as a fellow music fan. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this chat as much as we did!Please do rate and review this podcast wherever you're listening. It helps out a lot! We'll leave you with some more information about David's new album for your reading pleasure.P.S. For some bonus reading, check out Jeff's 2011 chat with David about his essential album, Home Again.--David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis.Pick any song from Wilcox's new acoustic album, My Good Friends, to be released August 18 on his own Fresh Baked Records, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you'll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you'll marvel at the 4-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of 10 songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.My Good Friends features Wilcox on guitar, Bill Berg on drums, and Steve Cohen on bass. It is produced by Wilcox and almost entirely written by him except for co-writer Robert Vincent on “Just a Trace of Light.” Of special note are “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today's obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there's a trio of story songs – “Dead Man's Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”

It was a thrill to get a chance to chat a bit with longtime comrade (via Twitter and X and whatever we're calling it now) Jude Gold for this latest Bonus Track.Jude is currently out on the road with Jefferson Starship (he's been their guitarist since 2012) as the band tours as part of the inaugural Parti-Gras festival lineup with Bret Michaels and Night Ranger (in addition to a flurry of special guests). We dig into Jude's thoughts regarding Poison's music, his early experience getting to see the legendary Brad Gillis play live -- and how the Parti-Gras tour is a mecca for those who love guitar players.He's got some cred to address that whole guitar player thing as a longtime fellow journalist for Guitar Player and many other outlets. Since 2015, Jude has been the mastermind behind the essential No Guitar is Safe podcast. Even if you're not a guitar player, you will love the hell out of the musical journey that Jude takes with each episode of No Guitar is Safe. Some of the episodes that we mention include his conversations with Kevin Cadogan (ex-Third Eye Blind), Jake Faun (David Lee Roth, Winger) and Vinnie Moore (UFO).Big thanks to Jude for taking the time. We'll have to get a part two one of these days to dig deeper into his work on No Guitar is Safe and the many career highlights that we didn't get a chance to address. You can read more about Jude at his website. P.S. Don't miss the latest Jefferson Starship release, Mother of the Sun. It's an excellent listen.

As Tres Hombres turns 50, Jeff and Matt get together to talk about the wild, weird and wonderfully eccentric, rockin' world of ZZ Top. They examine the band's history from the early years to the Eliminator era and beyond (with an occasional argument about certain songs). Along the way, there are stray topics, including listener mail, a discussion of band fan clubs and lots more.On a related note, if you haven't seen the ZZ Top documentary from Banger Films, you'll want to check that out. It's an excellent watch.Please rate and review this podcast wherever you happen to be listening. We appreciate it! Also, if you enjoy these episodes, please consider joining our Patreon. Your support helps fund the beer and pizza we mention on the podcast -- but it also (okay, this part is serious) helps to cover the hosting costs and other associated expenses. In exchange, you'll receive a ton of bonus material and additional interviews related to this podcast.Thank you and enjoy!

Jeff and Matt are alone in the studio this week to discuss Michael Bolton's big breakout album, 1989's Soul Provider. They review the history which led up to this record (including "Fools Game," which could be one of the best Bolton songs you've never heard) and dig into some of the stories and Michael's own musings from the time period. Is this the smoothest episode of the Record Player that you'll hear in 2023? Time (Love and Tenderness) will tell.If you enjoy listening to these episodes as much as we enjoy doing them, consider supporting our Patreon. Record Club members receive a wealth of bonus content and additional fun stuff. Thank you. We appreciate your support!

We're dipping into the archives for this previously unreleased Bonus Track featuring a conversation with Steve Howe recorded in September 2022. The legendary Yes guitarist joined Matt to discuss the band's forthcoming (at that time) tour featuring a full album performance of Close to the Edge.Additionally, Steve talks about Lunar Mist, the posthumously released collaboration with Virgil Howe, the follow-up to the pair's 2017 album Nexus. Plus, he shares stories regarding Yes albums including Heaven and Earth, Fly From Here, The Ladder and more.Don't miss Mirror to the Sky, the latest Yes album, which is available wherever you buy music. Thanks for listening!If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting our Patreon. Record Club members enjoy access to bonus interviews and a wealth of additional material. We appreciate your support!

Today's Bonus Track features the legendary John Lodge of the Moody Blues. John's heading out this week for a special tour starting on July 18 where he'll be playing the entire classic Moody Blues album Days of Future Passed.We dig into a lot of different topics, including Days of Future Passed, of course -- and John also shares some stories regarding the individual members of the Moody Blues and some of his favorite memories.A couple of weeks after this interview, John announced that he'd completed a full re-recording of the album, titled Days of Future Passed - My Sojourn. Information on how the new version of the record came together follows.Our thanks to John as always for taking the time to chat!--John Lodge, legendary bass player, songwriter and vocalist of The Moody Blues and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, has announced that he will be releasing his version of the iconic album ‘Days of Future Passed', entitled ‘Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn', to accompany his upcoming tour of the same name. The album is to be released on CD as special fan club only release, and will be available at the upcoming shows starting July 18th, and through John's website https://shop.johnlodge.com for pre-orders, with shipping on August 7th. The album was recorded over the last year, and has grown from John's current live show as he, and his 10,000 Light Years Band, lovingly recreate this classic album. The album also features a special recording by the late Graeme Edge and performances by Jon Davison of YES. It is being released as part of John's celebration of the album ‘that changed his life', and with the hope that it will continue to introduce fans to the original iconic recording. The album's orchestration is by John's long-term collaborator, and great friend, Alan Hewitt. “November 2023 will be the 56th anniversary of 'Days of Future Passed'. It's incredible to look back on this album that changed my life, and that still has so much impact today on so many, and I felt that it deserved celebrating, and so I began rehearsals in 2021/2022 to bring this celebration to life on stage. What was important to me was to make this concert another milestone in the history of ‘Days of Future Passed', and so I asked Graeme if he would record his poetry, ‘Morning Glory' and ‘Late Lament', to include in my concert. Graeme gave me his blessing and said, ‘John, Keep the Moody Blues music alive'. We had a fantastic time putting the show together, with Alan, Duffy, Billy and Jason, and Jon Davison, giving me so much support and helping bring my vision to life. After the final rehearsals for the concert, I realised I should capture this new moment in time, although a reflection of the past, forever, by going into the studio and recording the album, ‘Days of Future Passed – My Sojourn'. I am hoping that this will bring a new generation of listeners to the album, that they then may rediscover the original recording, and the beautiful vocals of Mike Pinder, Justin Hayward, Ray Thomas and myself.  I dedicate this album to Graeme, Justin, Mike and Ray, to Tony Clarke, and to all the fans that are with me on this sojourn, no matter when you joined…”  John Lodge July 2023 The CD in Digipak will be available starting July 18th at John's first show in Rockford, IL, and a vinyl album is due to follow in the Fall.  The album will also be available to stream and download from July 14th. The cover features a poignant photograph of John and his wife, Kirsten, taken by his daughter-in-law, Inga Wilson - for John, this was an image that perfectly encapsulated the idea of past and future and what this album means to him. Go here to stream and download, https://slinky.to/DaysOfFuturePassed

Our buddy Rob Smith likes to talk about albums that are "the one after the big one" and Lucinda Williams' 2001 album Essence is in that category. Both Jeff and Matt enjoyed diving into the record for the first time -- with special guest Mya Byrne.If you're not familiar with Mya's music, you should be! Playing Americana steeped with potent branches of blues, rock, glam and country music, Byrne is every bit the voice of the outsider that built the foundation of the genre, where we behold stages beaming with the light of those who are so willing to stand tall and confident in the entirety of their truth. Here Byrne stands too. Americana has many champions, but there are scarce few like Byrne; a queer trans woman creating ripples that will find themselves born again and again as waves.On Rhinestone Tomboy, Mya's newest album, we are treated to a portrait painted with shades of Byrne's youth, one spent listening to stacks of her mama's dusty 45s, and thrift store 8-tracks blasting from blown speakers out the window of an old Chevy. Songs that opened the trailhead to a lifelong journey that informed Byrne's musical landscape.Find all of the latest episodes of The Record Player wherever you get your podcasts -- and if you enjoy what we do here, we invite you to join our Patreon and become a member of the Record Club. You'll receive access to a ton of bonus content and interviews. We appreciate you support and your listening ears!