I'm In Love With That Song

Greg Renoff, author of “Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal” and “Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music”, joins us to talk about a pivotal album in his youth, "Burn" by Deep Purple. It also happens to be one of my favorite albums, too. We also spend some time talking about the first solo LP from bass player Glenn Hughes, another personal favorite of mine.

If you like...

Before there was Ziggy Stardust, there was Arnold Corns... Thanks to a legendary performance on Top Of The Pops, "Starman" was Bowie's first hit since "Space Oddity" and proved he wasn't a one-hit wonder. In this episode, we dig into the history of this song and the origin of Ziggy Stardust.

"Starman" (David Bowie) Copyright 1972 Chrysalis Music Limited, EMI Music Publishing Limited & Tintoretto M...

After 2 years of COVID-19 shutdowns, live music is beginning to return. Let's celebrate the power & importance of live music by looking back at a critical moment in history.

April 5, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated the day before. America was on edge and riots were breaking out in cities across the country. But the city of Boston, MA held it together. Why? Because the Godfather Of Soul-- James Brown-- was in t...

In our previous episode, we looked at the history of instrumental songs that topped the pop charts. For my money, there's never been a more unlikely hit instrumental than the synth-infused, riff-heavy stomper that is Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein". This episode, we break down this instrumental classic featuring Edgar Winter on keyboards, sax and drums.

"Frankenstein" (Edgar Winter) Copyright 1972 EMI Longitude...

Years ago, instrumental songs were everywhere-- on the radio, the jukebox, and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But over time, the instrumental faded from mainstream popularity. When was the last time you heard a new instrumental, or saw one topping the charts? In this episode-- our 100th show-- we explore the history of the pop instrumental as we ask the question. "Whatever happened to the instrumental hit song?"

— This show is...

The "Albums That Made Us" series continues as Brian Jacobs (Pods & Sods contributor, and one of the most thoughtful music-lovers I know) joins us with a look at two central albums that have grown with us over the years. The older we get, the better these albums get: "Shoot Out The Lights" by Richard & Linda Thompson, and Bob Dylan's "Blood on The Tracks".

-- This show is just one of many great pod...

Nothing came easy for Badfinger. Though they had success with their first few albums (all of them are must-have classics), they soon had a tough time, thanks to terrible management, record label indifference and bad timing. In 1974, worn-down & exhausted from the non-stop touring/recording/touring again grind, they dragged themselves into the studio... and, with help from producer Chris Thomas, made one of their best albums. Ma...

Aerosmith was a band on the brink of self-destruction when they set up in an old convent to record their next album in 1977. But despite the tension, drug abuse and general bad behavior, they managed to lay down a few great tunes, including "Kings And Queens". Let's dig into this Aerosmith classic.

If you enjoyed this episode on Aerosmith, check out this previous show on their classic track "Seasons Of Wither":

ht...

Wilson Pickett only recorded 9 songs during his time at Stax in Memphis, but they were defining records. "Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do)" is the last of those singles, released in May 1966. Though not as well-known as "In The Midnight Hour", "634-5789" or "Mustang Sally", this song is still a stone-cold classic in my book. Let's see what it's made of.

"Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won...

After 50 years locked away in a vault, the world finally got to see and hear some of the abandoned footage from the Beatles "Let It Be" sessions. The new documentary "Get Back" gives us almost 8 hours of never-before seen film and an unprecedented look at The Beatles at work. It was worth the wait. On this Special Edition of the podcast, we're joined by 3 of the biggest Beatle fans I know-- Ken Mills, Craig Smit...

We're back with another "Albums That Made Us" episode; this time my guest is author Christy Alexander Hallberg, whose new novel Searching For Jimmy Page is a must-read for any Led Zeppelin fan. On this episode, Christy shares how discovering Led Zeppelin IV was a life-changing moment, how the music has brought comfort over the years, and inspired her book. We also discuss one of my first album purchases, Queen's Day...

November 2021 marks 60 years since the first issue of "Fantastic Four", the comic book that launched the Marvel Universe. Rock music has had a love affair with comics for years; on this episode, we take a look at a handful of songs from the crossroads where Rock and Comics meet.

I'm joined by 2 legendary podcasters, Ken Mills (PodKISSt, Zilch, Cheap Talk with Trick Chat, Pop!) & Eric Miller (Pods & Sods, The Dail...

Join us for this Halloween Episode where we take a deep dive into one of the spookiest songs to ever hit the charts. There's a reason why this song has shown up everywhere from TV shows like "Supernatural", to films including "Halloween", the videogame "Ripper"-- its lyrics are even quoted in Steven King's "The Stand": because few songs are able to create a mood as deep and rich as this one. ...

In the novel Lost Horizon, Shangri-La is the mystical, hidden paradise of legend. In the The Kinks song, it's the name given to the humble home of Arthur, the main character in Ray Davies' concept album/rock opera Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall of The British Empire). Written as the accompaniment for a TV movie that was never produced, Arthur still stands as one of The Kinks' best works, and "Shangri-La" is the...

The "Albums That Made Us" series returns to explore the ways in which music has impacted our lives. This episode, we're joined by Jon Lamoreaux, host of The Hustle Podcast. Join us for a conversation about Jethro Tull, David Bowie, and the power of music to send us in new directions.

— This show is one of many podcasts on the Pantheon podcast network -- THE place for music junkies to get your fix. Check 'em out!

Lear...

1971 was a banner year for great rock albums, and one of the best of the best that year was "Sticky Fingers" by The Rolling Stones. On this episode, we take a dive into a key track from that album, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", where the Stones begin with a killer Keef riff and end up 7 minutes later in a completely different place. How did they get there? Let's take the journey with them… and along the way,...

The Who released a string of classic albums, but many consider Quadrophenia to be their best. It's certainly one of their most ambitious. Pete Townshend wrote the songs, but the stunning performances by Roger Daltrey (vocals), Keith Moon (drums) & John Entwistle (bass) bring the songs to life. Nowhere is that more evident on "The Real Me", which features all four members in top form, showing why they were one of the...