Record Roulette: A Music Appreciation Podcast
This is a podcast about the greatest music of all time. Every two weeks we choose an album from the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums to discuss with a rotating cast of guests - everything from physicists and journalists to politicians and musicians.
Episodes
We asked music journalist Allison Rapp to pick an album to chat about from the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest list and she picked... something from John Mayer?!?
It's true. We're reviewing Continuum, an album that barely makes the list at #486, from an artist that receives a lot of (unearned?) scoffing. Will Allison's pick make Mayer fans of Eamon and Nathan? You have to listen to find out. In this episode we co...
Don't know anything about John Mayer's 2006 album Continuum? No problem. This short explainer gives you everything you need to know - short of listening to the actual album - to prepare for our upcoming full-length discussion.
In this episode you will learn:
- the basic info about the album
- its critical and commercial reception
- why Rolling Stone thinks it's one of the greatest albums of all time
This is the absolute last episode before we go on summer hiatus, so we're looking back on the season two to each make our pick for the *best* album of the season.
Quick reminder: this season we talked about Beyonce’s self-titled album, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, as well as albums from Neil Young, Nirvana, David Bowie, Janet Jackson and NWA. In other words, there was lots to ch...
In the final episode of season two, the Record Roulette crew tackled one of the FOUR albums from Aretha Franklin on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list. Young, Gifted and Black comes in at #388 on the list.
Can they add anything to the discussion about her voice? Will Nathan say something that will infuriate the internet? Anything is possible on Record Roulette.
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It's not a genre that Rolling Stone recognizes on their list of the greatest albums of all time, but soundtracks (and scores, for that matter) are very important contributors to culture.
Do you have a favourite soundtrack? We asked the Record Roulette team to reveal those soundtracks that they love most.
What's your favourite soundtrack? Let us know how you did on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmu...
Ten years after it was released, do we think Daft Punk's Random Access Memories - #295 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums list - is underrated, overrated or just, uh, rated?
The Record Roulette crew weighs in on that question, the suggestion that this is "live" instrumentation, the challenge of comparing dance music to everything else and whether this is another "Nebraska" situation.
...
With groups like Blur, Oasis, Pulp and Suede leading the way, BritPop was a dominant force in mid-1990s music that produced a ton of classic tracks. The question: what's your favourite one?
We asked the Record Roulette crew and our special guest from our episode about Pulp's Different Class - Stewart Reynolds aka Brittlestar - to weigh in on their favourite BritPop song. What'd they pick? Listen to find out....
What's a Pulp? Well, if you're American or named Eamon you might not know, but they're a BritPop band that has an album from 1995 -- Different Class -- at #162 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list.
The Record Roulette crew are joined by Canadian icon Brittlestar to discuss Jarvis Cocker being weird, the meaning of BritPop and the fallout from Sonya's much-discussed move.
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What do Joe Cocker, Frank Sinatra, the B52s, Beastie Boys, Aretha Franklin, The Black Crows, Blue Oyster Cult, Bon Jovi and David Bowie have in common? They all covered Beatles songs. The Beatles are probably the most-covered group of all time.
We asked the Record Roulette crew and special guest Gia Mora to name their absolute favourite Beatles cover. What'd they pick? Listen to find out.
Who is your favouri...
What can you say about Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that hasn't been said? Good question! Joined by the wonderful Gia Mora, we tackle the idea of Sgt. Pepper as a concept album, unique approaches to storytelling and turning points in Western Civilization in this new episode about The Beatles' eighth studio album, which comes in at #24 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list.
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A Record Roulette Exclusive! We've had Michael Simon, the creator of VH1 Storytellers, on our show three times. Until now, we've controlled our urge to ask questions about working with the likes of Ray Davies, Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, but that's exactly what we did in this BONUS EPISODE.
Take a listen for a behind the scenes look at three VH1 Storytellers episodes.
Want to hear ...
The wonderful Michael Simon - creator of VH1 Storytellers - returns to discuss one of the foundational pieces of the hip hop genre: Straight Outta Compton.
We talk about misogyny, trying to understand an album built on completely different life experiences and the potency of creating an album on a shoestring budget.
Leave comments on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod or visit our website at recordroul...
Gordon Lightfoot - Canada's greatest songwriter - passed away at age 84. Record Roulette host Eamon O'Flynn, a devoted fan of Lightfoot's work, says a few words about his impact, importance and legacy.
It's a simple question, but your answer says a lot about you. Is your favourite guitarist a speed demon like Eddie Van Halen? A finger-picker like Mark Knopfler? A classic rock icon like Eric Clapton?
We've made our picks - and so has our guest, Mark Urban.
Who is your favourite guitarist? Let us know how you did on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod.
Like this sort of thing? You shou...
The debut album from Guns N' Roses is many things. It's the best-selling debut album in American history. It's one of the best-selling albums of all time. It's #62 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list. But, is it the definitive hard rock album?
We tackle this question and more in this episode of Record Roulette with the help of videographer, guitarist and big-time Guns N' Roses fan Mark U...
We all know The Beatles are #1 when it comes to the British Invasion, but who places (a distant) second? There are lots of deserving options - The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, etc. - but picking just one is HARD.
Like this sort of thing? You should check out some of our other BONUS episodes:
Is this album a brilliant and courageous effort to create a new sound or the flat, amateurish work of a first-time producer? Does that even matter when it comes to judging an album?
The Record Roulette crew is joined by returnee Gabe Pollack to discuss these and other questions about The Kinks' incredible sixth studio album - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - which comes in at #384 on the Rolling ...
The term heartland rock is a bit nebulous but that didn't stop the Record Roulette crew from picking their favourite heartland rock albums.
What is your favourite heartland rock album? Let us know how you did on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod.
Runtime: 6.5 minutes
Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.
As we review Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska - the 150th greatest album of all time according to Rolling Stone - we ask whether it's truly a great album or just a great Springsteen album. Can it be one without being the other?
Along the way, the Record Roulette crew stumbles upon Neil Diamond, scratched up cassette tapes and one truly incredible bad review from Amazon.
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What cocktail best represents 1980s-era Madonna? Is there a beer that absolutely captures the essence of 1970s Neil Young?
We asked Adam Rogers, author of the NYT Bestseller Proof: The Science of Booze, and co-host Nathan Smith to suggest cocktail and beer pairings for six artists we've covered on Record Roulette. Want to drink the essence of Beyonce? Listen now.
What's your favourite drink for listening...
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