Mick and the PhatMan Talking Music

This episode, we look at guest appearances. From Duane Allman playing the famous lead on “Layla”, to Bob Seger doing backing vocals on The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight”. It’s all here, from a moment in the studio to creation of an inspirational piece of music It’s a chock-a-block episode. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” looks at Neil Sedaka, Charles Negron II of Three Dog Night, William "Billy Bass" Nelson Jr, of Parliament-Funkadelic, and rappers Lil Poppa 25 and Luci4 22, who were, surprisingly, shot to death. “Rock News” considers nominees for the 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we introduce our latest “Rod Stewart Moment”. If that’s not enough, “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”, looks at Eno’s 1978 album “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” and how it fits with his early body of work. So much to take in! Enjoy! References: Guesting, Collaboration, Session, Eddie Van Halen, “Beat It”, “Eat It”, “Sentimental Hygiene”, Donald Trump - “Home Alone 2”, Voice roles on “The Simpsons”, Crowded House, Sydney Opera House forecourt, Tim Finn, Split Enz, “I See Red”, Lou Reed, Antony Hegarty (Antony and The Johnstons), “Berlin”, Cyndi Lauper, Cher, “Girls just want to have fun”, David Bowie, Hammersmith Odeon, Ziggy Stardust, Jeff Beck, “Jean Genie”, “His Master’s Voice”, “Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture”, Bono, George Michael – Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy – Clapton & Phil Collins, Muddy Waters - Mick, Keith & Ronnie, Billy Bragg – Peter Buck & Michael Stipe, Glastonbury, Paul McCartney - Dave Grohl & Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Sebel Town House, Warren Zevon, Dylan, Don Henley, “Wish You Were Here”, Roy Harper - “Have A Cigar”, The Beatles - Duane Allman/Billy Preston/Eric Clapton, John Lennon - “Whatever gets you through the night”/Elton John, Lennon backing vocals on Bowie’s “Fame”, Thin Lizzy, “Live & Dangerous” - Huey Lewis harmonica, Peter Gabriel - “Games Without Frontiers”/“Don’t Give Up” - Kate Bush, Neil Young - “Heart of Gold”/“Old Man” - James Taylor & Linda Ronstadt, REM, “Shiny Happy People” - Kate Pierson, “Nightswimming” - John Paul Jones arranged, Rolling Stones, “We Love You” - Lennon & McCartney backing vocals, “All You Need is Love - Jagger and Richards backing vocals, Carly Simon, “You’re so Vain” - Jagger backing vocals, Phil Collins, “Another Day in Paradise” - David Crosby backing vocal, “The Great Gig in the Sky” – Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon - Clare Torry, “Let's Dance” – Stevie Ray Vaughan, “While my Guitar Gently Weeps” – Clapton, Sting - “Money for Nothing”, I want my MTV, Dire Straits Playlist Robert Fripp & Toyah Wilcox - "Heroes"Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Sometimes, bands release only one album – no follow-up, no nothing! Some are great. Some, not so much. This episode, we look at a bunch of what we’re calling “One-Album-Wonders". In 1975, Aerosmith released their breakthrough album, “Toys in the Attic”. Did we like it then? Do we like it now? In “Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”, we examine these and other mysteries. All this and the usual mix of stuff. We know you’ll love it. References: Mark Kennedy, Fred Smith, Television, Rod Stewart, Donald Trump, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Robert Dimery, drug use, The Toxic Twins, No more No more, Walk this Way, Run-DMC, REM, Sweet Emotion, Mother Love Bone, Apple, Seattle, Grunge, Andy Wood, Eric Clapton, Blind Faith, Derek And the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Jeff Buckley, Grace, Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah, The La’s, Lee Mavers, Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, GTOs, Permanent Damage, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Pamela Des Barres, Coverdale Page, David Coverdale, Jimmy Page, The Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman, John Cale, Mainstream, Quiet Sun, Phil Manzanera, Roxy Music, Diamond Head, 801 Live, Them Crooked Vultures Playlist Rock Star sandwiches Molly Meldrum news Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Linda Ronstadt has been described as the most successful and certainly the most durable and most gifted woman rock singer of her era. We look at her impact on music (and us!). Our "Album You Must Listen to Before You Die" is 10cc’s “Sheet Music”, their 2nd album which announced to the world that they were a force to be reckoned with. Did we like the album? You bet! Plus, more on Jeff’s current fixation with Bad Bunny’s impact on America today. Lots of fun. You’re going to love it! PS. We said we’d give you a link to Annie Liebovitz, but there’s so much on-line that you can easily find stuff yourself. Do it, You’ll be pleased you did. References: Lola, Fleetwood Mac, “Rumours”, Super Bowl #60, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, Sheet Music, Hipgnosis, Strawberry Studios, Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graeme Gouldman, Eric Stewart, The Gizmotron, Wall Street Shuffle, Mike McGear, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, The Stone Poneys, Different Drum, Mike Nesmith, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Judy Henske, “Heart Like a Wheel”, Anna McGarrigle, When Will I Be Loved, Dr Hook & The Medicine Show, Hasten Down the Wind, “Simple Dreams”, Blue Bayou, It’s so Easy, Poor Poor Pitiful Me, Carmelita, Pirates of Penzance, la Boheme, The Great American Songbook, Nelson Riddle, Canciones de mi Padre, James Ingram, Somewhere out There, An American Tail, Bette Midler, All I Need to Know Playlist Charlie Puth National Anthem Bad Bunny half time show Super Bowl food Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

When we watch movies & shows at the movies or, increasingly, on TV, the soundtrack is ever-present to set the mood and enhance the story. But we never stop to consider its’ role, how it’s changed over the years, and how it interacts with other elements, such as the title sequence.This episode we look at how the use of soundtracks has changed over the last 30 or more years and consider some very creative soundtracks! In Rock News, we look at The Hollywood Vampires, Cyndi Lauper, Deep Purple, David Lee Roth and Devo, who are all heading out on the road, while the latest fad out of the US is Lollipop Star, a sweet that plays a tune as you suck it! Our Album You Must Hear before You Die is “The Lexicon of Love” by ABC. Smooth! We know you’ll enjoy this one! References: The Hollywood Vampires, Cyndi Lauper, Deep Purple, David Lee Roth, Devo, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, ABC, The Lexicon of Love, Martin Fry, Poison Arrow, early 80s British pop, Star Wars, Sound of Music, I Dream of Jeannie, Mr Ed, The Exorcist, Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, Shrek, I’m a Believer, Hallelujah, Led Zeppelin, Immigrant Song, Charmed, How Soon is Now, The Smiths, Morrissey & Marr, Game of Thrones, The Americans, The Old Man, Bad Sisters, Leonard Cohen, Who by Fire, PJ Harvey, The Pogues, Dirty Old Town, Rogue Heroes, Amelia Hartley, “prestige TV”, Down Cemetery Road, John Cale, You know more than I know, Fear, Fallout, scenes of extreme gore, Some Enchanted Evening, The Castells, It Ain't the Meat (It's the Motion), The Swallows, Slow Horses, Mick Jagger, Mick Herron, Queen, Brighton Rock, Bowie, Heroes, Stranger Things, Kate Bush, Running Up That Hill, IF, Ryan Reynolds, Ooh La La, The Faces, Connie Francis, Pretty Little Baby, TikTok Playlist Lollipop Star – The sucker that sings to you A list of bands touring through 2026 (It’s read-only. Sorry!)60s TV Shows Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

In Season 5 (2025), we talked about how double albums came about, and talked about some of the best double albums of the 70’s. This episode, we look at some of the best double albums of the 80’s. Our Album You Must Listen to Before You Die is “Out of the Blue”, by ELO. It WAS a huge hit in the 80’s. But was it any good? Hmmm. In “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, we pay tribute to Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil), Ted Egan (a legend of the Northern Territory), and Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) among others. A big episode! References: Ultimate Classic Rock, Rob Hirst, Midnight Oil, Ghostwriters, Ted Egan, Drinkers of the Northern Territory, Bob Taylor, Dragon, Chris Rea, Bob Weir, Zen Arcade, Husker Du, Layla, Derek & The Dominos, Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street, Pink Floyd, The Wall, Prince, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious, Sign "O" the Times, U2, Rattle and Hum, The Joshua Tree, Bono’s “Messiah” complex, Husker Du, Zen Arcade, Talking Heads, The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads, The Cure, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Just Like Heaven, Why Can’t I be You, Iron Maiden, Live After Death, Eddie, Bruce Springsteen, The River, Cadillac Ranch, Hungry Heart, The River, English Settlement, XTC, No Thugs in our House, Senses Working Overtime PlaylistMusic LollypopSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

We’re back again for another year and kicking off by looking at supergroups – that “elite” class of rock bands made up of members of other top bands! What they are, how they form, and shining examples! Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is Cream’s 1967 album, “Disraeli Gears”, a stunning work from a trio featuring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker. With tracks like “Sunshine of your Love”, this album set the benchmark for rock albums for the next 50 years (or more)! We know you’ll enjoy this one. References: Eric Clapton, Cream, Disraeli Gears, Rolling Stone, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, The Four Seasons, Blind Faith, The Yardbirds, Bluesbreakers, Traffic, The Spencer Davis Group, Stevie Winwood, Bob Seidemann, Mariora Goschen, Derek And the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Duane Allman, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Bad Company, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Highwaymen, Traveling Wilburys, Honeydrippers, The Firm, Power Station, Them Crooked Vultures, Electronic, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, “Nothing Compares to you” Playlist – Supergroups Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

A quick final episode to see out the year! Christmas is many things to many people. To us, it’s a chance to talk about themed music, or, in this case, movies that fit the theme. We talk about Phil Spector’s “A Christmas gift for You”, which is nowhere near as bad as it could be with that title. Elsewhere in Rolling Stone’s 25 Greatest Xmas Albums, (which lives up to the terrible standard set by all their other “Greatest”), Elvis ranks below Phil Spector, The Carpenters wish us Season’s Greetings and Weezer’s “A Weezer Christmas” ranks below 2012’s “Christmas Joy in Latvia – Latvian Christmas Cantatas”. If you’ve never heard of Red Peter, you're probably lucky, as the song titles on his, “It’s a Red Peter’s Xmas” contain gems like, “It’s Christmas & you’re Sucking My Balls!” So tasteful! As Kiss' Ace Frehley is now “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, we look at a few of the many times those happy Kiss guys had disagreements. For a change, we look at IMDB’s list of the Top 10 Christmas movies. No real surprises, but it’ll bring joy to your heart & a tear to your eye. See you on the last Sunday in January for our first episode of 2026. Enjoy the playlist. Xmas Playlist! References: Red Peter, Red Peter’s Naughty Christmas, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Robert Dimery, A Christmas Gift for You, Phil Spector, The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love. Wall of Sound, Jack Nitzsche, Rolling Stone, Top 25 Christmas albums of all time, Top 10 Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, A Christmas Story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, Die Hard Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Well, we made it! 100 episodes & still going strong! (Except for a bit of a medical interlude for both of us.) Who’d have thought the views of a pair of opinionated Aussie music fans could have entertained so many for so long? In this episode, we celebrate the artists, music & events we’ve covered over the last five years, along with some special highlights - Mick’s habit of tapping the table when he gets excited; Jeff’s potty-mouth; the origin of the Globite School Bag as a staple of the program. We look at where our listeners live – and how on Earth they find out about us! Revisiting some of your favourite episodes shows how time has proven us right on some of our more strident opinions, such as “Roxy Music peaked in 1973”, and “Warren Zevon is one of the greatest songwriters ever”! To top it all off, the soundtrack for five years of “Mick & The Phatman Talking Music” is awesome. You’re going to love it!! See you next year. Playlist: 100 EpisodesReferences: Globite Bags, music expertise, facts and experiences, “Baby, you can drive my car”, f-word, Roy & H.G., “This Sporting Life”, “Bludging on the Blind Side”, strong music opinions, accessible music, “Revolver”, Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Nirvana, Far Out Magazine, 17 years old, Frankfurt, “How Good is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, Spandau Ballet, Elton John, Fairport Convention, Richard & Linda Thompson, Sandy Denny, Fotheringay, Robert Plant, "The Battle of Evermore", Led Zeppelin, “Bring it back! Bring it back!”, Tommy, London Symphony Orchestra, "It's a Boy", Nick Lowe, “What’s so funny about peace, love & understanding?”, "Cruel to Be Kind", "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass", "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)", Rockpile, Dave Edmunds, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, The Pretenders, Jarrah McCleary, Panama, Gordon Ramsay, “Supergroups”, Billy Idol. Shane McGowan’s teeth, “Nick Cave - his early days”,Colin Greenwood, Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs of All Time, "Rust Never Sleeps", Neil Young, “My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)", "Powderfinger"."Stranded", Roxy Music, “Futurist”, “For Your Pleasure”, The Angels, "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again", "Take a Long Line", ” No Way! Get Fucked! Fuck Off!”, Nico, Leonard Cohen, John Cale, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie Sioux, Television, Warren Zevon, The Beatles, Coldplay, Weird Al Yankovic, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Peter Gabriel, “Melt”, Rob Younger, Ozzy, Billy Idol, Artificial intelligence, Mick & the Phatman podcast art, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, “Machine Gun Etiquette”, The Damned Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

In this episode, we look at The Pretenders – where they started (& before they started!), the tragedies, and what’s happening these days. From the Kent State shootings to mid-70's punk, it’s a fascinating ride! In Rock News, we look at David Gilmour’s new live concert film, Jimmy Page in court (again!), the latest on Oasis, Zak Starkey’s in The Who (or is it Oasis?), and Panama’s new album features collaborations with French music producer and artist Massane. Our Album You Must Hear before You Die is Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned. A startlingly good album from one of the most musically skilled bands of the punk era. Rumour has it that Stewart Copeland (The Police) once took Sting to a Damned gig to learn what rock was all about! As usual, it’s an episode full of facts and fun. Enjoy! References: Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon, Martin Chambers, Akron Ohio, Kent State University shootings, Ohio National Guard, “Back on the Chain Gang”, Sam Cooke, Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, “Sex”, Clash, Pistols, Slits, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Chris Spedding, The Damned, Lemmy, New wave, Ray Davies, The Kinks, “You Really Got Me”, Jim Kerr, Simple Minds, Linda McCartney, "Here, There and Everywhere – A Concert for Linda" at the Royal Albert Hall, “I’ll Stand by You”, “Stop Your Sobbin’”, NICK LOWE, “Brass in Pocket”, Chris Thomas, “Pretenders II”, “Learning to Crawl”, “Talk of the Town”, “Message of Love”, Oscar Wilde, “2000 Miles”, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Smiths, Andy Rourke, Johnny Marr, Globite, David Gilmour, Live at the Circus Maximus, Dazed and Confused, Jake Holmes, Becoming Led Zeppelin, Oasis, Zak Starkey, The Who, Gallagher brothers, Panama, "Everything Begins Again”, Massane, Bag Raiders, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, The Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette Playlist - music we talked about in this episodeSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

A special episode today to look at the huge amount of people who’ve recently died. Obviously, Ozzy Osbourne is the most well-known, but there’s gonna be a queue a mile long at the Pearly Gates as they try to process everyone! Let’s look at some highlights, such as Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, Aussie Col Joye, Hulk Hogan, David Johansen and Golden Earring’s George Kooymans. We’re also going to look at some of the 304 covers of Dylan’s song, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” - some great, some not so much! Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is, inevitably, the self-titled debut, “Black Sabbath”. We’ll look at the impact of this album which, although not the band’s best, is credited with launching Heavy Metal itself! Stephen Colbert recently became our favourite US night-time TV host when he had Weird Al Yankovic as a guest to celebrate the “Kiss-Cam” scandal. Weird Al said “We’re gonna do some Coldplay.” When Colbert asked if he had a funny parody, Al said, “No. I can’t think of anything funnier than Coldplay.” References: Colbert, Weird Al Yankovic, Coldplay, “Kiss Cam”, Trump, Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance, Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, “Master of the Macabre”, Mario Bava, Warren Zevon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Guns’n’Roses, Eric Clapton, Roger McGuinn, Television, Sisters of Mercy, Jerry Garcia, Bryan Ferry, Dave Stewart, Cold Chisel, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Ozzy Osbourne, Brian Wilson , Sly Stone, Sly and the Family Stone, Col Joye, Hulk Hogan, David Lynn Thomas, James Baker, Paul Buckler, Paul Weller, The Jam, Rick Derringer, Edgar and Johnny Winter, Arthur Stern, "Cry Me a River", George Kooymans, Golden Earring, Chuck Mangione, Alf Clausen, The Simpsons, Tom Lehrer, David Johansen, New York Dolls, Bobby Sherman Links PlaylistMichael Flatley Ozzy - Reality TV icon. Ozzy & the coke raid I am Frying Pan by Mac Sabbath Brian Wilson interviewThe Simpsons intro Tom Lehrer Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Is a double album a record label cash grab, or a way to deliver great music that can't be contained within the usual confines of a single LP? The double album has been both. This episode, we look at how the double album came to be, and some of the greatest double albums from the 70’s. Most of these albums show career-best work from legendary artists such as The Beatles, The Clash, Bob Dylan, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Genesis, Elton John, The Who (twice!) - and more! And soon, we'll do an episode on the Greatest Double Albums of the 80's - and there's a stack of those, too!!Our “Album you must hear Before You Die” is the 1973 live album “It’s too Late to Stop Now” by Van Morrison. Neither of us is much of a Morrison fan, despite his passionate, improvisational vocals. Regarded as an energetic, spontaneous live experience, Morrison’s vocal mannerisms illustrate why we don't think much of it. We also found a great documentary on-line called “Keep me in your Heart” about – surprise! - Warren Zevon. It captured Zevon in the last days before his death & showed why his fans loved him. We think you’ll really love this episode! References: Hot August Night, Neil Diamond, Greek Theatre in LA, Derek and the Dominos, 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs', Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Fleetwood Mac, 'Tusk', Lindsey Buckingham, “Lindsay’s Folly”, Chilean profanities, "Puta la cagó", Pink Floyd, 'The Wall', Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Bob Ezrin, “One of my Turns”, "In The Flesh”, Elton John, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', Warren Zevon, “Keep me in your Heart”, “The Wind”, The Beatles, “The White Album”, The Who, “Tommy”, Dylan, “Blonde on Blonde”, Deep Purple, “Made in Japan”, “Pinball Wizard”, Elton John, Keith Moon, Tommy Australian cast - Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, 'Quadrophenia', The Band, 'Rock of Ages', “The Last Waltz”, Bee Gees, 'Saturday Night Fever', Dexter Resurrection, Kiss, 'Alive!', "Rock and Roll All Nite", The Simpsons, “I Wanna rock'n'roll all Nite”, Genesis, 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway', Peter Frampton, 'Frampton Comes Alive!', Jeff Beck, Hordern Pavilion, Led Zeppelin, 'Physical Graffiti', “Kashmir”, Robert Plant, Hipgnosis Record Covers, The Clash, 'London Calling', The Rolling Stones, 'Exile on Main St.', “Happy”, Rolling Stone’s List of 500 Greatest Albums of all Time, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Helter Skelter" Links Playlist “Keep me in your Heart” - A great documentary about Warren Zevon 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 introduces 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: [email protected] Playlist – The music we talked about in this episode Homer singing Kiss Led Zeppelin’s light fingers Classic Album Reviews: The Ten Worst Bands EverSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

A while back, 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'll 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. 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 ManSend 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 - a top grade album that deserves to be here. Mick references Atlantic Records’ sampler called “Very Together” which featured “Carey” from this album, and points 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 Debbie Harry of Blondie and Siouxsie Sue of Siouxsie & The Banshees, 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 14Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Part 2 of our fascinating conversation with Radio Birdman's Rob Younger. From music production styles, to why some people can't keep it in their pants, and the disgraceful lack of credit given to Stevie Wright for the success of The Easybeats, there's never a dull moment in this wide-ranging discussion. Enjoy!References: Rock producers, production styles, guitarists, band leaders, Died Pretty, Plunderers, Dragon, Punk rock UK vs US, Patti Smith, John Cale, orchestration, Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, Mothers of Invention, 60's songwriting & playing, Keith Moon, John Bonham, weird time signatures, Norman Gunston, Top 40, Live vs studio playing, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Stevie Wright, Vanda/Young, The Easybeats, The Plunderers Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!