Mick and the PhatMan Talking Music

We’re in lockdown, so we look back at our first dozen episodes, including some lovely feedback that called us a “rollicking podcast (fuelled by) decades-worth of accumulated music knowledge (and) deceptively casual banter.” Another said that “there’s no hiding the expertise of Mick and Jeff, as they poke and prod into obscure music trivia”. Nice. This podcast allows us to share our excitement for the music we love. It's more a case of “isn’t this cool” than “we know stuff”! We're just guys who love music - not professionals, not journalists, not radio/TV people, not even music industry people (except for the many thousands of dollars we’ve invested over the years!). Only 1 in 3 podcasts last beyond the first 10 episodes, so at 13, we’re already a success! The next few episodes will be really interesting: Aussie Pub Rock - The Angels: One of our favourite bands of the 70’s and 80’s, whose live shows were amazing Genesis: There's some really some fierce opinions about this band, but we're not afraid of a strong opinion or two! Songs about Heroin: You'll be amazed how many there are!! Stay with us over coming months for some really interesting fun, and controversial opinions. Recommend us If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with a friend who loves music. Or subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating to help our audience grow. ___________________________________________________Pandemic Movies https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/best-pandemic-movies-on-netflix-hulu-prime-and-more.htmlPlaylists1973 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38NBvWKbglGxQagX4rdDcw?si=3C0eS6X-S9OSs8u-loI7Ug&dl_branch=1Delta Dawn https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1DYuNlzkY5cDmKxRyooIbS?si=OMB-gmWcQzq-NfbDBFaqkQ&dl_branch=1Delta Dawn Nola Francishttps://youtu.be/Ybm1ChH4vxsContact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739mickandthephatman@gmail.comSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

There's so much to Warren Zevon's story that we needed to split him over 2 episodes.The story of Zevon, hailed by Bruce Springsteen as “one of the great, great American songwriters”, is like a Greek tragedy, where everything that could happen to him, happened - and it was all his own fault! Zevon, an American based in LA, was a musician's songwriter. His songs seemed simple but were masterpieces of technique. He worked with key artists, like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, REM, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. He was a drunk, by his own admission, who damned his own career when he went up to Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone and told him a few alcohol-fuelled home truths, and got banned from the magazine as a result.Live, he wasn't afraid of baring his soul to his audience, once saying, “I’d prefer you didn't dance; these songs are kind of personal”; or wryly introducing a song, “Here’s a song that brings back a lot of memories. For me, anyway.”His songwriting is full of characters such as Roland, a mercenary who ends up as a vengeful ghost searching for the “man who done him in”. Or Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, a boxer who killed his opponent in a match. Or outlaws Frank & Jesse James."Werewolves of London" shows Zevon's humour with a werewolf "with a Chinese menu in his hand / Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein”, and "drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic’s / His hair was perfect”, all set to an oft-sampled jaunty piano rhythm. On top of this, his love songs were often achingly beautiful. Songs such as "Reconsider Me”, for Crystal, his ex-wife and the love of his life, and “Hasten down the wind” - “She’s so many women, he can’t find the one who was his friend.” You can always count on finding great lyrics. In “Desperadoes Under the Eaves”, he states that “if California slides into the ocean / Like the mystics and statistics say it will/I predict this motel will be standing/Until I pay my bill”; in “Bed of Coals”, he's "too old to die young / and too young to die now” and in "Poisonous Lookalike", he's “so confused /(he) can't tell the salt from the wound” and refers to “Little Miss Gun-to-a-Knife-Fight". We make no apology for being Zevon fan-boys. You don't need to lock Zevon to a date or particular album. In this streaming age, you can just pick a random point and listen to a great bunch of songs. Mick has been listening to Kina Grannis, who does a lovely, moody version of Elvis' "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You" . The Phatman has been listening to Neil Young's "Lotta Love", by Nicolette Larson. Nicolette did a lot of work with Neil Young but unfortunately died from an overdose of paracetamol. References: Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, REM, Fleetwood MacBook “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” - Crystal ZevonListening:Kina GrannisSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Warren Zevon, hailed by Bruce Springsteen as “one of the great, great American songwriters”, is like a Greek tragedy, where everything that could happen to him, happened - and it was all his own fault! He was a musician's songwriter, whose simple songs were masterpieces of technique, full of characters, and, often, achingly beautiful love songs. He had his demons, and was not afraid of baring his soul to his audience, once saying, “I’d prefer you didn't dance; these songs are kind of personal”. You can always count on finding great lyrics, like where he's “so confused / (he) can't tell the salt from the wound” We’re Zevon fan-boys. Wherever you start listening to his work, you’ll always be rewarded by wonderful songs. Also featured: Zevon, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Glockenspiel, Serge Gainsbourg, Isaac Hayes, 1978 Top 40, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt & Jackson Browne Book “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” - Crystal Zevon ______________________________ Laissez-Moi Tranquille Hot Buttered SoulBlack is Black La Belle EpoqueSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Crowded House arose from the ashes of Split Enz, a NZ band but adopted by Australia, where they were huge. After Split Enz, Neil Finn went to LA, where he put together a band he planned to call "The Mullanes". However, Capitol, their US label, wanted a “better” name. They were all living together in one house rehearsing, so, voila!, “Crowded House”. They became huge in America - good looking guys, with no tattoos, long hair or drug convictions, who were pleasant, fun and funny, the same qualities as The Beatles over 30 years before. Mick first heard Crowded House in Bali, where someone had a cassette of “Don’t Dream it’s Over” that got flogged for 7 days straight. On a road trip away with his wife, they played a cassette (remember them?) of Woodface non-stop for 4 days. The boys saw Crowded House when they were one of the first bands ever to play the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. The boys talk about a show called “Ashes to Ashes”, set in 1981, with lots of music from that era - The Clash, Duran Duran, Bowie (title track), Ultravox, The Stranglers, late-period Roxy Music and Gary Numan. The boys talk about Gary Numan - an agoraphobic recluse who lived in a caravan in his parents’ backyard so that “Cars” is not just a song, (“Here in my car / I feel safest of all / I can lock all my doors”). It was a lifestyle for him. References: Crowded House, Split Enz, Countdown, Gary Numan, Stranglers, The Clash, Duran Duran, Bowie, Ashes to Ashes, Ultravox, Roxy Music.Ashes to Ashes Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/55HqiQ9VlIfKVJX4oEhHYn?si=9b4310d5d0a24d04 Kevin Bloody Wilson https://open.spotify.com/album/5orAfKmNqVCKLWdBVomveP?si=e99383a2d86d48da Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

After leaving The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed produced two albums - Transformer and Berlin – based around songs he'd worked on with VU. Transformer showed Reed’s caustic wit and observation of the seamy culture around him. "Walk on the Wild Side", a huge hit in 1973, featured drugs, oral sex and transvestism, and yet often features in advertising? Don’t ad agency creatives listen to the words!? Berlin, Reed’s response to the demands of success, is a grittier, darker album that didn't do well on first release. Reviewers called it “disappointing”, “too dark” and “a disaster”, but it has been consistently one of Reed’s most popular albums. Mick and the Phatman don’t agree about Berlin. Mick says it's a masterpiece while the Phatman says it's a morbidly depressing pile of steaming chords. Mick saw Reed in the 80’s and 90’s up to the Berlin live show in 2008, including the show where he introduced “Small Town” as “Here’s a song for you, Sydney”! References in this program: Lou Reed, Kali Uchis, Deep Purple, Space Truckin', Bob Ezrin, Bowie, Berlin, Transformer, Slade, Gary Glitter, Transformer, Andy Warhol, Mick Ronson, Walk on the Wild Side, Songs for Drella, John Cale, David Bowie _____________________________________Listening:TransformerBerlinContact usWhat do you think of the podcast? What would you like us to talk about? Ask questions, or even let us know if we got something [email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

In the 70’s and 80’s, the USA had MTV, England had Top of the Pops, but Australia had Countdown. The show featured an amalgam of film clips, live music and interviews with Australian and overseas acts, all with a live studio audience. We religiously rushed home by 6.00 pm on Sundays to watch the show while our parents made themselves scarce. The conversation on Monday morning was, “Did you see who was on Countdown last night?” Host, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, a shambolic interviewer, but a true believer in what he was doing, knew so much about music that bands WANTED him to interview them. Countdown definitely played a part in the building of Aussie bands like The Angels, AC/DC, Split Enz, Sherbet, Skyhooks, and helped build the profile of such mega-stars as Rod Stewart, Elton John, Duran Duran. It was even a key element in the huge success of Abba! References: Countdown (TV program), Cold Chisel, Molly Meldrum, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Midnight Oil, AC/DC, Angels, Bo Diddley, Station to Station, David Bowie, Alice’s Restaurant, spoken word tracks ___________________________________________________ Spoken word playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1sbhq1phWR4PEl6n7pt3AP?si=P6OQxIThT5-tmrTuoQSv1Q We compare 1974 's Top 10 singles to the Top 10 in April 2021 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6hYJY4QfUpy09oOaeCt67E?si=5202bd6b9a9742d8 HumDrum with Iggy Pophttps://youtu.be/DncmE8UV_dwwith Prince Charleshttps://youtu.be/a78mzQZPDAQ__________________________________________________________________We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

This is one of THE most influential rock & roll albums ever. Brian Eno noted that “it didn’t sell many copies but everyone who bought it went and formed a band.” Stylistically, their influence is enormous. REM started with a sound very much like VU & a bunch of VU covers. Mazzy Star's sound has everything distorted at 11 with the volume turned down, and, on Hunky Dory, Bowie noted “some VU White Light returned with thanks”.The VU has also been covered by Japan, Joy Division, REM, Nick Cave, Nirvana, Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, and stacks more. We talk about the songs' gritty NY style, much of it about drugs, and contrast that with the California sounds of the time. We also talk about Lou Reed's songwriting, with beautiful, tender lyrics in a song like "I'll be your Mirror" at the same time as those of a song like "Heroin"! Mick is a huge VU fan, but the PhatMan is not convinced! References: The Velvet Underground, Matthew Sweet, Eno, Rick Wakeman, Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, Susanna Hoffs and Victor Bockris. Rick Wakeman: https://youtu.be/AXlZ0x0Ghrk https://youtu.be/CL9NJh_0oy4 https://open.spotify.com/album/0ALQd0pjofVj8QQecUnP6l?si=JAZfyViATs6DMOpA2WovlQ Matthew Sweet: https://open.spotify.com/album/4F71ROKxuStS3pwxVkJIcH?si=QMIYBNUDRFmJDz1p_19t7A__________________________________________________________________________Please tell us what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, or even if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Stranded, Roxy's third album, released in 1973, is arguably their best album, with subsequent albums showing a slow but gradual decline in quality. The boys recall seeing Roxy Music at the Sydney Entertainment Centre - once in 2001 and then in 2011. The 2001 concert was a great career retrospective and the boys were rapt when the band started the show with "Remake/Remodel" from the first album. And THEN, some boofhead yelled out, "Play something good"! Some people shouldn't be allowed out!! We discuss Roxy's record covers - beautiful, near-naked women - which were very appealing to teenage boys' imaginations. The Phatman talks about the reaction when Mick first brought home "Stranded". We also talk about Eno's contribution to their sound, and how the band changed once he left. References: Roxy Music, Stranded, TV Themes, Mi-Sex, Ultravox, Brian Eno, Record covers, Rick Wakeman_____________________________________________________________If you enjoyed the podcast, you'll probably want to hear stuff from Roxy Music and everything else we've mentioned. We've created a list of recommended listening for you:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/24pAQqNzft16JxLHihJVl7?si=DNZSPnnkSiSzyQS7g5d3hQTV Themes: https://open.spotify.com/album/0rZPGTfdvJjmAL27HoPOOU?si=B3hC89kbQ-W1qVI5bu8eYw We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Released in 1972, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" was David Bowie's breakthrough album. In a world that had run out of resources and had only five years left, Ziggy Stardust is an alien creature who becomes a rock star with all that entails. When Bowie first toured Australia in 1978, he played five songs from Ziggy Stardust. On later tours, he dropped those songs in favour of later work such as "Station to Station", and "Heroes". References: David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust, Station to Station, Heroes, Mick Ronson, The Monkees Check out the playlistWe’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Late-70’s, Neil Young produced what many (including Mick!) regard as his finest album - Rust Never Sleeps. In a productive burst, he produced that album, a live album featuring many of its songs, and released a live concert movie called, coincidentally, "Rust Never Sleeps". The boys went to town by train to see “Rust Never Sleeps”. They talk about the highlights, like the Star Wars-influenced stage sets, and the 70's retrospective set list. They also compare the concert movie to the times they've seen Neil Young live in concert, including the Greendale tour nearly thirty years later. This week: Neil Young in concert, Live Rust, The Last Waltz, The Tubes, Jethro Tull, Skyhooks, Supertramp, Paul Stanley Check out the playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dDhPsTg9rHQr8NQHBtDOC?si=izzXIvASQeqjJ0dSnSRxbw_____________________________We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Nick Cave is highly respected as a singer, songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. We talk about his early work up to what many fans regard as perhaps THE definitive Nick Cave song, “The Mercy Seat” - the confused, pleading thoughts of a man on death row, about to go to the electric chair. Mick's seen him perform the song many times with controlled intensity, building over the song’s five minutes or so. Like much of Cave’s work, it’s an ensemble song, and Cave's turn at 1993 "The Big Day Out" was a highlight. Johnny Cash covered "The Mercy Seat" in 2000, performing it simply, making it his own without losing Cave from the song. "It doesn't matter what anyone says,' remarked Cave, 'Johnny Cash recorded my song." References: Warren Zevon, Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, REM, The Tigerlilies, music on soundtracksRecommended Listeninghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xmxAl9O6hhGtjZZSl5b2F?si=m0CwSTpdRSqBd91TPWw1ww______________________________________________________________________We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739https://www.instagram.com/mick_and_the_phatman/[email protected] us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Queen had just released “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 1976, with a ground-breaking film clip, and the question was, “Can they play the clip live?”. Well, they not only did it, but they blew everyone's socks off! Mick and the Phatman were there and recall one of the best concerts ever seen in Australia. From Freddy Mercury appearing in silhouette, to a leap straight into a perfect recreation of the "rock" part of the song they showed 5,000 awestruck Aussies how it was done! References: Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, Sugar, Copper Blue, Bob Mould, Husker Du, ABBA, Toto, Frenzal Rhomb and a show with Bo Diddley, Sherbet and Cold Chisel all on the one bill. Recommended Listeninghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SgQ8O8iKIHe7YsrxPf7EH?si=kHe8R9zWTXu8lYGYit6npw_______________________________________________________________________________________We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739mickandthephatman@gmail.comSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

This podcast is two guys born and bred in suburban Australia, whose opinions about music have been shaped by lots of concerts and shows, and rock music since their early teens. They discuss music and artists that made it into their collections in a fun, conversational style. References: Queen, Bowie and Lou Reed, Cold Chisel, The Angels, Mi-Sex. Recommended Listeninghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Vs2C9AsXFIZpEV4jJUvEw?si=icX1OzM7QsaY9PqG8mkHLgBooks:I’m Your Man - Sylvie Simmons (Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers)Web sites:Klaus Voorman artworks: www.voormann.comCarol Kaye: www.carolkaye.comPolaroid in Concert reference (AC/DC & Skyhooks): http://www.ac-dc.net/archive/acdc_tour_history.php?date_id=140We’d love to know what you think of the podcast, what you’d like to hear us talk about, ask questions, or even let us know if we got something wrong!!Contact us:https://www.facebook.com/Mick-and-the-Phatman-Talking-Music-104246385065739mickandthephatman@gmail.comSend us a message, so we know what you're thinking!