The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

We at The Wolf love the all-time classic British rock stars that helped found the movement of and continue to carry the torch of classic blues based rock n roll. We've spent countless hours (and dollars/pounds/euros/etc) to buy records, concert tickets, videos and books to learn more about the artists that brought rock music to the masses. This week, we speak with someone who'd met and/or worked with most all of them over the years, guitar tech Lee Dickson. Though born in Glasgow, he eventually made his way to London and started working in live music production. At the end of the 70s he ended up working with Eric Clapton who then picked Lee up as part of his crew where he eventually became Eric's guitar tech and was for nearly 30 years. Hear the stories of going to Japan with George Harrison and why George called Lee "Wanker" in his signed tour book - a story he's never shared before! Listen to Lee talk about working with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgerts for the ARMS concerts. Feel the emotion when you hear him get choked up talking about the late great Ronnie Lane or doing concerts for sick children. Do you want to know about Live Aid? The Crossroads Festivals? Playing the White House with Lenny Kravitz? Working on the Rush soundtrack? Just listen up, you'll hear about all of that and more on this deliciously classic episode! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We conjured up First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast to talk about the first time our guests saw a particular band, to share some passion about the rock n roll we all love. And Stephanie Myers is so passionate about Meat Loaf that she wears a necklace made of his guitar string. Host of the Songfacts Podcast and co-host of Stephanie & Stephanie Talk Tunes Podcast, she is a vivid storyteller and a Meat Loaf Superfan who's seen him live 13 times! As The Wolf & Action Jackson are not Meat Loaf know-it-alls, it was so much fun to have a few laughs with Stephanie and learn from her deep well of knowledge on her favorite artist. Stephanie reveals how she got into Meat Loaf as a 12 year old as Bat Out Of Hell II was all over the radio, MTV, VH1 and radios all over the world. We'll get into the theatrics of the show and the special song he sang that night in Houston on August 3, 1994. But we'll also hear from Stephanie about how she had to cajole and bargain with her parents over many months to make her dream of seeing Meat Loaf live come true. We share some laughs and stories with Stephanie on a fun episode of First Concert Memories! Visit Stephanie at https://linktr.ee/Stephaniestalktunes Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KISS is one of the most legendary bands in the history of rock n roll. From their iconic makeup to their bombastic stage shows to the marketing and licensing of every product under the sun, KISS has been a part of popular culture for half a century. The self-titled debut album, KISS, didn't grab everyone's attention out of the gate, however. While they had some killer riffs supplied by original guitarist Ace Frehley, some funky bass from Gene Simmons, swinging drumming from Peter Criss and superstar vocals from Paul Stanley, the band were still forming their sound and identity. In fact, the sales of the album were so slow that Casablanca Records chief Neil Bogart cajoled the band into recording a 50s cover, Kissin Time, which he thought would help boost sales as a single. Even though Kissin Time was added to every copy of KISS after the first 100,000 or so, it didn't help generate more sales. But their reputation as a great live band had KISS winning fans around the nation. And while KISS wouldn't capture that live sound until ALIVE! a couple of years later, this album has some great tracks which are still KISS classics today like Deuce, Strutter, Cold Gin and Black Diamond. We give it our usual track x track evaluation and throw in lots of KISS tidbits. As a special bonus, we have included a clip from Space Ace himself, Ace Frehley. As Ace recently spoke with Paul Stephenson of VRP Rocks (a good friend of Ugly American Werewolf in London), Paul asked Ace a question from The Wolf about the timing of his new solo release 10,000 Volts and how it's coming out almost 50 years to the day from the release of KISS. Ace may not answer the question we asked but it's amazing that Paul asked if for us and the audio is included somewhere in the episode - you'll have to listen to hear from Ace!! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10% off 250,000 items! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On UAWIL, we regularly talk about albums and bands that are big on one side of the Atlantic but for some reason never have great success on the other side of the pond. One glaring example is Simple Minds who have dozens of hits and many gold & platinum albums in the UK, Europe and around the world but never had huge success in the US. Most US fans know Don't You Forget About Me from The Breakfast Club soundtrack as it went to #1 in the US in early 1985. But because that song wasn't on a Simple Minds album until the 90s and because prior to that they received little to no airplay in the US, many fans see them as a one hit wonder and don't realize the extraordinary career Simple Minds have had with over 60 million records sold worldwide. As it turns 40 on February 6, 1984, Sparkle in the Rain was a bit of a transition from the techno pop band of New Gold Dream 81/82/83/84 to a band that were going places. Simple MInds were playing bigger venues, becoming friendly (and competitive) with U2 and wanted to make a bigger sound. They enlisted Steve Lillywhite (after he produced U2's War) to lead them to more radio-friendly, stadium enhancing tunes. In the end, it's a bit of a mixed bag with takes on fame (Up On The Catwalk), war (East at Easter), rebellion (The Kick Inside of Me) and UK chart climbers like Waterfront and Speed Your Love to Me. Vocalist Jim Kerr delivers an amazing performance but sometimes the lyrics are a bit opaque. Charlie Burchill is a brilliant guitarist but you can't always make out what he's doing as Mick MacNeil's keyboards play a prominent role. The addition of Mel Gaynor from London gave them a big boost and the album hit #1 in New Zealand and the UK where it went platinum. But still, the US had limited knowledge of the band until the Breakfast Club hit a year later. So we go track x track to try to understand why the US didn't pick up on this one and if that had something to do with why they never became huge there like they did in Europe. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10% off 250,000 items! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Pretenders broke out of London in 1979 and enjoyed success on both sides of the pond with hits like Brass in Pocket, Talk of the Town and Message of Love. But in 1982 the band were embroiled with problems from guitarist James Honeyman-Scott's deadly overdose to the sacking of bassist Pete Farndon due to drug use to Chrissie's pregnancy with Ray Davies and the dissolution of their relationship. However, Chrissie Hynde (songwriter, lead singer, guitarist) and Martin Chambers (drummer) forged ahead to somehow make what might be their best album in 1984's Learning to Crawl. In 1982, with the help of some pros, they released the single Back on the Chain Gang, a worldwide hit, backed with My City Was Gone which was a radio favorite in the US. After taking some time off to have daughter Natalie Rae Hynde, Chrissie led Chambers, guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster into the studio to record an album that would go platinum in the US and gold in the UK. From the heartfelt Show Me, to the soulful The Thin Line Between Love And Hate, to the country Thumbelina and the holiday classic 2000 Miles, this album really showcases how Chrissie's talent allows them to explore many genres. Released January 13, 1984, we celebrate Learning to Crawl by The Pretenders as it turns 40! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10% off 250,000 items! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After rushing through their 5th album Diver Down, Van Halen wanted to return with an original album that would establish them as the preeminent hard rock band in the USA. Eddie Van Halen had completed his home 5150 studio which would allow him to develop ideas and work out the synthesizer sounds that he was experimenting with but which had also been shot down by lead singer David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman. But Eddie was ready to mix his guitar heroics with the new age sounds that were popular at the time. By mixing Eddie's musicianship with Dave's showmanship and throwing in some MTV, Van Halen became the biggest band in the world! The videos for Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher were all over MTV that summer and even won them some video awards. But trouble was brewing in the Van Halen camp as not everyone was on the same page. Despite it reaching the highest chart position ever for the band at that time (#2 US) and eventually going on to be a diamond seller (10 million+), Dave would leave the band at the end of the year. But for two 10 year old boys from the suburbs, the magic of 1984 still lives to this day! We go track by track as we celebrate its 40th anniversary! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our 6th edition of our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, we welcome our friend Markus "The Darkus" Goldman from 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia and The Imbalanced History of Rock n Roll Podcast to talk about an epic night in the history of rock music. On June 5, 1983, an up and coming back from Ireland had decided to film their concert at the Red Rock Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado just north of Denver. However, heavy rains and storms were expected and members of the management and crew didn't think it was a good idea for that day. Many ticket holders were convinced to stay home and the band had to go on the radio to implore folks to come to the show. The show was delayed and opening act The Alarm didn't even play due to the weather. But in the end, the show went on, it was filmed and it changed the fortunes of the band for for millions of members of the MTV generation. Yes, it was U2 that played that night, recording the entire show that would eventually end up on MTV Saturday nights and form part of the live album Under A Blood Red Sky. But the video for Sunday Bloody Sunday would get into heavy rotation on MTV, showing Bono waving a white flag with bonfires atop the natural mountain formation. It made for an otherworldly scene that helped propel U2 to superstar status in the US and set them up to become legends. Hear Markus talk about braving the elements, having security keep him from being crushed against the barrier, his favorite moments and many remarkable memories of a teenager seeing U2 in that incredible setting. Listen to Markus on https://imbalancedhistory.com/Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up on last week's 2023 in Review Part 1: Albums, Authors & Podcasters, now we're focused on the concerts that we covered on the show (and the ones we didn't), the artists & legends we interviewed and reveal our Top 10 Ugly American Werewolf in London episodes of 2023. Thought The Wolf had to leave Amsterdam for his homeland early in 2023, he didn't sell all the concert tickets he bought. He made a trip back in April to see Metallica on the first 2 nights of their No Repeat Weekend Tour. And The Wolf met up in Amsterdam with Action Jackson over the summer to take him to his first ever Iron Maiden concert. It was so great they went to see the boys again in Antwerp and then enjoyed some unexpected encounters at the hotel. Plus our host took The Wolfcub to see KISS one last time. We love talking with the talented musicians who make the rock music we love and we were honored to host an array of great guests from up and coming artists like Jimmy Maddon to legends like Terry Reid and Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds. Talking to Steve Kilbey of The Church was a treat and getting to know rockers in their prime like Scott Holiday of Rival Sons and Oliver Wakeman who we'll be seeing for years to come And stay tuned as we unveil our Top 10 episodes (by download) for 2023. It was a great year for The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast and we thank everyone for listening. Here's looking forward to a killer 2024! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2023 was quite a year for The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast! We offered 52 episodes of the show, celebrated our 3 year anniversary, launched a new sidecast First Concert Memories, reviewed 32 albums, hosted 15 authors & podcasters, interviewed 8 artists & legends and reviewed 5 epic concerts from Europe and the USA. Plus your host, The Wolf, returned to America after 4 years away and his co-host & partner in crime, Gary "Action" Jackson welcomed him home! Phew! How can we summarize that all in one show? We can't. So we're breaking it up into two different episodes. This first review will focus on the albums we reviewed and the authors/journalists/podcasters we welcomed to the show. Some epic albums celebrated big milestones like Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stone Goats Head Soup turned 50. Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind, Yes' 90125, U2's War and the debut albums of Metallica & Dio hit 40. We'll walk you through them and give shout outs to all our amazing guests like legendary rock writers Mick Wall, Greg Renoff and Martin Popoff, superstar podcast hosts like Renee & Stef from The Metallica Report and Tom & Zeus from Shout It Out Loudcast and we'll introduce you to all the amazing guests who took part in our monthly sidecast First Concert Memories. Join us for this fun trip down memory lane! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year around the holidays, sometimes even before Thanksgiving these days, you start to hear them. The age old songs to ring in the season at the end of the year. I'm talking about Christmas songs - some of which are hundreds of years old and some have become popular in our lifetimes. In stores, in schools, in offices, in the air you'll be hearing songs in every language to celebrate. And rock n roll has it's own classics in the genre - a great many legends and once hot bands have done their best to come up with an original (or original re-working of) song that will get them on the radio between November and January every year. Some are true classics, sung by legends. Some are catchy tunes from your favorite acts. Do you prefer John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over) or Paul McCartney's A Wonderful Christmas Time? Do you prefer classics from the early age of rock n roll from Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or The Beach Boys? The Wolf and Action Jackson are children of the MTV generation and in the 80s artists collaborated for a cause through Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas and the A Very Special Christmas albums. Each of the boys will walk through 10 up to their very favorite rockin Christmas classic and might give each other a hard time for some of them. But isn't that what the holidays are all about (It's time, for the airing of the greivances!) We wish everyone Happy Holidays from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast and thank you for making us part of your lives in 2023. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Crimson emerged from the UK in the late 60's with their debut album In The Court of the Crimson King, viewed by many as a prog rock masterpiece. However, right after the album was released, we saw the first of many defections from the band. Over half a century, some of the most proficient musicians on the planet have played with King Crimson, led all the while by the mercurial Robert Fripp. To capture the spirit of the band and to endeavor to find answers as to why there has been so much turnover of band members (19 total members over the years), director Toby Amies (The Man Whose Mind Exploded) took on the task of getting to know the band members during what might just be their final tour. With stints in radio, record labels and MTV on both sides of the pond, Toby Amies has had a fascinating career. He took on the challenge of learning the ins and outs of the members of the band, why they choose to play in King Crimson and what is Robert Fripp's role in guiding this band for over half a century. While Robert will tell the reason for infighting and defections don't lie with him, Toby gets the stories of all the surviving members of King Crimson, current and former, to investigate what makes this band what it is. Not everyone gets King Crimson and their blend of rock, jazz, classical and experimental muisc but once they do, they are hooked true-believers. Toby endeavors to find out why and delivers a compelling film full of human drama, emotion, heartbreak, humor and music. Find how to watch In The Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson at 50 Visit www.tobyamies.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We first met Christy Alexander Hallberg a couple of years ago while she was promoting her rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page. Since then we've become friends and she now hosts her own podcast, Rock Is Lit, about rock n roll fiction books. So we had to have her on First Concert Memories to talk about the first (and to this point, only) time she saw Jimmy play live when he teamed back up with Robert Plant on the 1998 Walking into Clarksdale Tour. The Wolf & Action Jackson saw Page & Plant together in Orlando in 1995 on the Un-Ledded Tour with an orchestra which was incredible. But for this tour, it was a much more stripped down, Led Zeppelin-ish band set up and Christy shares all her memories with us. From getting n the car to make the 2 and half hour drive to Virginia Beach to the drive home with the windows open as some over-served frat boys puked on her shoes, we relive the sights, the sounds, and unfortunately the smells of that fateful night in 1998 At that point she hadn't been to England on her quest for all things Page and Led Zeppelin which would inspire her novel years later. And a quick note to Jimmy Page - why is there no live album or DVD from this tour? You haven't been touring or putting out new music over the last decade, why don't you release a special commemorative box set for this tour? It's the last tour you guys ever did together or will ever do.....or is it? Check out Rock is Lit Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, one assumed that Paul McCartney was always universally loved because of his work in The Beatles, his 70s solo work and that with Wings, and his positive peace & love attitude. However, in 1973 Paul found himself in a bit of turmoil. Though he'd enjoyed some success as a solo artist, particularly in the US, Paul was being criticized for the adult contemporary nature of his music vs. the output of the other Beatles and the harder rocking music of the day. He was skewered in the British press after he released Leave Ireland to the Irish on the heels of Bloody Sunday in 1972 and had lost several members of Wings over being treated as hired hands and the presence of Linda in the band despite her lack of musical ability. However, Paul forged ahead with Linda and Denny Laine to create Band on the Run, released on December 5, 1973 in the US (November 30, 1973 in the UK). The title track is one of redemption and freedom inspired by George Harrison during their ongoing Apple Corps meetings and negotiations. Jet is an upbeat song that climbed the charts around the world despite it being about his dog and getting to know Linda's father. Songs like Bluebird, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Let Me Roll It and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five became AM and classic rock radio staples in the US where the album not only went to #1 but sold more than 3 million copies. As the album that gave Paul back his credibility with the critics and allowed Paul and Wings to continue through the end of the 70s turns 50, we give it our classic track by track treatment. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fans of our show know that The Wolf and Action Jackson have a special place in their hearts for 80s prog/pop rock band Asia. While we've spoken with keyboardist Geoff Downes (UAWIL 79) and drummer Carl Palmer (UAWIL 80), we never had the opportunity to speak with singer/bassist John Wetton as he passed away before we started our show. However, there have been many celebrations of John's life and works in 2023 and to tell us more about the kind of person John Wetton was, we've enlisted the great Oliver Wakeman to offer some stories about the man himself. Oliver toured with Yes during 2009-2011 and during that time, befriended John Wetton as Asia was touring with Yes. Despite Oliver being a generation younger and the fact that John had worked with his father Rick, John took Oliver under his wing and they formed a bond that had a big impact on Oliver (and John too). Oliver relates some stories of his time with John including watching him play every night, how John checked in on him as he slated to transition out of Yes and one time John joined Oliver and his band to play Heat of the Moment. Oliver will also give us some tidbits about music he's working on, including his plan to play songs he wrote with Yes on From A Page live this spring at Winters End Festival. Oliver is helping to promote the new box set John Wetton: An Extraordinary Life which is out November 24 around the world - an 8 disc set of his solo albums with bonus tracks and discs full of rarities, unreleased gems and live cuts (more information below). We had a great time chatting with Oliver and hope you'll enjoy our conversation about John, Yes, prog music and more! Oliver Wakeman Website - https://www.oliverwakeman.co.uk/ Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com John Wetton: An Extraordinary Life - On 24th November the first in a series of box sets commemorating the life and music of one of the UK`s most extraordinary and prolific musicians, John Wetton, will be released. The An Extraordinary Life box set contains 8 newly remastered CDs, featuring the six solo albums Wetton released between 1980 and 2011. Each album now includes special bonus tracks. Additionally, two further discs are included which feature a gold mine of rare, live and unreleased material from the vaults, compiled by John`s archivist, Rick Nelson. Check out trailer for the box set here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EE0HFoq2Ck Housed in a sumptuous 12 by 12 box, this set includes a 64-page book with an introduction by legendary artist, Roger Dean and contains comprehensive sleeve notes by Nick Shilton, author of Wetton's biography, An Extraordinary Life, published earlier this year. The book also features a raft of photographs taken from the Wetton archive and has been designed by John's long-time friend, Michael Inns. This whole project has been lovingly crafted and compiled with the full blessing of John`s son Dylan and his wife Lisa and is endorsed by the Wetton estate. With a career spanning more than four decades, John Wetton`s rich baritone voice and accomplished bass playing has adorned many recordings. In this ‘An Extraordinary Life where his extensive solo career is captured for posterity all in one sumptuous box set, making this a fitting tribute to one of the UK most loved and respected artists. An Extraordinary Life DISC 1: Caught in The Crossfire (1980) DISC 2: Battle Lines (1994) DISC 3: Arkangel (1997) DISC 4: Welcome to Heaven (2000) DISC 5: Rock of Faith (2003) DISC 6: Raised in Captivity (2011) DISC 7: New Live and Unreleased Tracks DISC 8: New Live and Unreleased Tracks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ozzy Osbourne's 3rd solo album Bark at the Moon turns 40, we look back on what was a very pivotal time in the life of Ozzy and his wife/manager Sharon. After the tragic death of Randy Rhoads, they soldiered on with Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) and bought some time with the live Speak of the Devil album. But Ozzy needed not only a new gunslinger to replace Rhoads virtuosity, he also needed a new writing partner. Enter Jake E. Lee from Mickey Ratt (which would evolve into Ratt) who could write songs and deliver blistering solos. And MTV was eagerly awaiting the first videos from the former Black Sabbath madman. On the home front, Ozzy is battling substance abuse, Sharon is at odds with her father/super-manager Don Arden, their is infidelity and while they have legal problems and bad press, they start having kids. Plus the band seems to always be in flux as Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot) has left to be replaced by Bob Daisley who had written and recorded on the first two Ozzy solo albums. And while Tommy Aldridge plays on the album, Carmine Appice appears in the Bark at the Moon video. While some of the songs like the title track and Rock N Roll Rebel would be hailed as classic Ozzy, the 2nd UK single So Tired is an interesting choice for a heavy metal singer but the video is classic MTV and classic Ozzy. Released November 15, 1983 in the US and December 2, 1983 in the UK, we celebrate its 40th by going track x track, video x video and offstage drama from this triple platinum seller. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billy Idol sold his hedonistic act & lifestyle to MTV in the 80s and it was a match made in heaven. Thanks to Billy's snarling sexuality and his mix of hard rock with new wave thanks to longtime collaborator Steve Stevens, Billy used the fledgling cable channel as not a springboard but a rocketship to superstardom. He'd already received attention and airplay thanks to White Wedding and with 4 singles off of Rebel Yell Billy's star rose to great heights in the US. However, in his home country of the UK, Billy didn't enjoy the same success. Maybe due to no MTV or perhaps the fact that the English public saw him as a punk and wouldn't consider him as a pop/rock singer, this album only achieved silver status in England while going double platinum in the US. The singles Rebel Yell (names after a chance encounter with The Rolling Stones), Eyes Without a Face (named after a French horror film), Flesh for Fantasy (also swiped from an old movie) and Catch My Fall, Billy had 4 charting singles and 4 videos that we talk about in-depth on the show. This was the album that allows him to still tour & perform to this day and while some of the songs sound like they were recorded in 1983, some are timeless relics of the cassette era. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you become a father, you do things for your kids - even things you once said you'd never do again. That's exactly what The Wolf did when he took the Wolfcub to see KISS on their interminable End Of The Road Tour for the third time in five years. He wanted her to have the experience of a KISS live show with all its bombast, pyrotechnics and visual overload. Though she saw them twice in 2019 (Louisville and London) she was a bit young and couldn't make it through the whole show. And though they had tickets to see them in Amsterdam, they moved back to the US before they could attend. So while The Wolf once said in the early 2000's "I've seen KISS 6x, I'm not seeing them live ever again" he has relented 3x so his beloved Wolfcub could see first hand what a KISS live show was all about. Action Jackson asks The Wolf about all the details seasoned KISS fans expect like the Demon spitting blood, fire and flying through the air. Seeing Starchild up close on the b-stage was the highlight for our young KISS fan! And for The Wolf, he has checked this box enough - though happy he had the chance to experience the show with his favorite rock fan, he's ready to close the book on KISS live. Or is he... Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KISS was so important to your hosts, The Wolf & Action Jackson, as part of the foundation of their love of rock n roll, live music and their friendship. That's why they invited Tom & Zeus from Shout It Out Loudcast to come on the premier episode of First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast, and talk about the first time they saw KISS. For FCM 4, we welcome back Sonny "Hollywood" Pooni of Grown Up Rock Podcast and The Album Review Crew to talk about the first time he ever saw legendary KISS lead guitarist Ace Frehley play live. The Wolf and Action saw Ace as a solo act in the 1990s but Sonny saw him as a co-headliner with Y&T in 1987 and he shares with us how important it was to him to see Ace. Sonny go into KISS during the Asylum era and then learned that KISS used to have makeup and had different members of the band. From there he picked up Ace's first solo effort (aside from the 1978 KISS solo albums) Frehley's Comet and it furthered endeared him to Ace's style. Ace famously has had bouts with drugs and alcohol and Sonny relates a story of seeing Ace fall off the stage as well as why the band was so much better with Tod Howarth than in later years without him. If you've seen Ace recently, odds are you were disappointed as he seems a shell of his former self. That's why we wanted to share some memories from when Ace was still in strong form and delivering solid live shows. Sonny is opinionated and you'll hear all his takes on Ace, the shows he has seen and he even provided a bootleg recording of the show which is an FCM first! All Ace Frehley and KISS fans will love this one! Visit Sonny on Twitter (X) and listen to Growin Up Rock wherever you get your podcasts! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were alive in 1983, you knew who Michael Jackson was. Not because of his fame growing up as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, not because you loved his diamond selling disco smash Off The Wall but because you lived through the time that saw the release of Thriller. Unleashed on November 19, 1982, Thriller would go onto to become the biggest selling album of all time thanks to a familiar star on the rise, the dissolution of disco & punk, the advent of MTV and some of the most captivating dance moves ever witnessed. The convergence of MTV, Michael's extraordinary talent, Quincy Jones leadership and pop culture becoming a bigger part of life, you'll never see the spotlight so bright on any one ever again. Thriller spawned 7 Top 10 singles in the US, all of which went platinum, 2 (Billie Jean & Thriller) went diamond on their own. The album sold over 100 million units and is triple diamond (30+ million units sold) in the US alone. Michael had really come into his own as a singer and songwriter and Quincy Jones helped gather many extraordinary performers (Eddie Van Halen, David Foster, Toto) to contribute to this amazingly produced record. But you had to see the videos for Billie Jean (light up steps), Beat It (gang fight), and Thriller which had world premier that included a behind the scenes film, the first of its kind. Everytime Michael was on tv, whether we was moonwalking on the Motown 25 Anniversary show or accepting 8 grammys with his shades on, it was appointment television. So to celebrate the Halloween season as this album hits another milestone, we go track x track and talk about how the album made its impression on us and the world in the 1980s. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In thinking about what we wanted to do for our 151st episode, we wanted to talk about an album which we knew very well. In realizing that we rarely do live albums, we thought about the live albums that have influenced us and that we've listened to the most. For The Wolf, that would be 1989's A Show of Hands by Rush - their 3rd live album chronicling their 80s techno-pop stage. Many hardcore Rush and rock fans don't have much nice to say about 80s era Rush as the mid-range usually occupied by Alex Lifeson's guitar was all but consumed by keyboards. Even legendary drummer Neil Peart had MIDI triggers on his drum kit to make more experimental noises. But A Show of Hands does show arena Rush moving from strength to strength with Geddy Lee's plodding bass, Neil's brilliant bombastic, Ales's flourishes and lyrics that had become more timely and more timeless. Covering the albums Signals, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure and Hold Your Fire (with a couple of older ones thrown in) this highlights a Rush era that may not be everyone's favorite but an important time in their history. And one The Wolf & Action Jackson hold in high esteem. Released January 9, 1989, they actually released several singles which charted in the US and this wrapped up the 80s techno phase before moving back towards the power trio sound with Presto. One of our favorites - enjoy! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 150th episode (and thanks to all of our loyal listeners in the UK, the Netherlands, the US and around the world for helping us get this far) we are pleased to welcome a singer/songwriter who we grew up watching on MTV with his band The Church - Steve Kilbey. For more than 40 years Steve's led Australian psychedelic rock band The Church and has returned to the US to promote their latest record, The Hypnogogue, which Steve admits could be their 25th or 36th record - it's hard to add them all up. The Church rose to prominence in the US in 1988 thanks to MTV's 120 Minutes and college radio as their album Starfish received exposure thanks to the hit Under The Milky Way. But the band had already seen success in their home country with songs like The Unguarded Moment and Tantalized and we discuss the difficulty Steve has in curating a setlist which is satisfactory to him, the band and their fans. Steve pulls no punches talking about the business, his "too cool" attitude when doing TV interviews back in the day, his reluctance to release live albums and regales us with stories including one when two fans broke into the dressing room to demand he play one more song. Steve is an incredible songwriter and a very genuine person and you'll hear the joy The Wolf & Action Jackson had spending a little time talking with him. Thanks to everyone for listening, subscribing and downloading The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast! We appreciate you, share your love of rock music and want to hear from you on what we can do to make the next 150 episodes as good as they can be!! See The Church live on the Hypnogogue Tour, visit www.thechurchband.net for tour dates Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf and Action Jackson thirst for knowledge about rock n roll. The bands, the musicians, the albums, the songs, the studios, the history - we want to know it all!! But no one knows everything, we all have blind spots. So as a way to further our own knowledge and understanding of rock music, we've developed a new, somewhat regular segment we call On First Listen. Here we take an album that we've never listened to and give it our usual track x track evaluation. Everyone has albums that they've always been curious about or have seen on Top 50 lists or had a friend swear is the best kept secret on the planet but for whatever reason, you've never heard it. We kick off this new series with 1973's Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Our heroes were late to the prog landscape and when they first got into music via MTV in the 1980s, Genesis and Yes were pop bands, not prog rock giants. The boys didn't really come to appreciate progressive rock until later in life. However, Carl Palmer (the Palmer in Emerson, Lake & Palmer) they had familiarity with through his work in Asia and he was a guest on UAWIL #80. But the The Wolf & Action had never listened to the album Carl called his favorite in ELP, Brain Salad Surgery. They were familiar with the cover by HR Giger (Alien) but didn't see the hidden pictures from the original work of art. Nor did they know the meaning of Brain Salad Surgery (we get into it). And though they knew their song that started, "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends" they had no idea what the name of the song was (Karn Evil 9 First Impression Part 2 doesn't exactly roll off the tongue). Despite all that it is considered one of the true prog masterpieces of all time. So the boys set out to explore what Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer were up to in 1973. Will it become an instant favorite? Or will it be something they appreciate but never listen to again? You'll have to listen to find out what they think about ELP's 1973 classic. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the third edition of our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, we welcome back good friend to the show Neil Poole from the glorious Def Lep Pod. Neil's passion and knowledge for all things Def Leppard made him an easy choice to give us the lowdown on the first time he ever saw his favorite band on the Adrenalize Tour in 1992 in Birmingham, England. The Wolf & Action Jackson saw the band for the first time just months later on the same tour in Orlando with a slightly adjusted setlist but the show was amazing. Neil has told us for years that it's tough being a Def Leppard fan in the UK as they are not as beloved as they are in the US. We relive the night he took a 2+ hour bus ride with his older brother from Liverpool to Birmingham to witness his beloved Leppards live. This was the second tour performed by the boys in the round but the first time they performed in the round in the UK (according to Neil) as arenas in the 1980s weren't necessarily equipped to handle all the gear Def Leppard requires to put on their extraordinary show. From guitar solos, levitating drum kits, crowd sing-alongs and a killer setlist this was Def Leppard at the height of their power in the UK and Neil shares his memories from this special moment in his life. Visit Neil on Twitter (X) and listen to Def Lep Pod wherever you get your podcasts! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 25, 1988 saw the release of Traveling Wilburys Volume 1, the debut of a supergroup that no one saw coming. Born out of an idea that George Harrison and Jeff Lynne shared as they worked on his hit album Cloud Nine, they decided they'd like to make music with friends and people they admired. Jeff wanted to work with Roy Orbison and George wanted to work with Bob Dylan. After enlisting the help of new buddy Tom Petty, they set about putting together the most high-powered supergroup of all-time. They all took turns writing, singing lead and playing guitar and the results were strong - more than 3 million in US sales and a grammy nomination for album of the year. The harmonies between all their voices are something to behold and while some songs give most everyone a chance to sing lead (Handle With Care, End of the Line) others are showcases for their individual styles like like Roy Orbison on Not Alone Anymore and Tweeter and the Monkey Man for Bob Dylan. You can really sense the joy coming from George Harrison as he had been jaded with the music industry and was happy to be part of something special again. Roy was completely chuffed to be back on top of the charts (#3 US, #16 UK, #1 Canada, #1 Australia) but unfortunately he would pass away mere weeks after the album was released. This collaboration helped revive the careers of all these legends and they would continue to work together on each others projects immediately after this. It may not be our typical musical style but as this record turns 35, it was fun to reflect and take a listen to what true rock legends can accomplish by working together and having a bit of fun. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To hardcore fans of Yes, 1983's 90125 was a big departure from their progressive rock sound of the 1970s. But for the MTV generation, it was our first introduction to Yes and the immense talent within the band. Driven by new member Trevor Rabin as the guitarist, sometime lead vocalist & dominant songwriter and former lead singer Trevor Horn as producer, Yes went in a more commercial and pop direction. Anchored by the return of singer Jon Anderson, stalwart Chris Squire on bass, long time drummer Alan White and returning member Tony Kaye on keyboards, they sold more than 3 million copies in the US and were all over MTV thanks to Owner of a Lonely Heart. But what did the progressive rock Yes fans think about 90125? Was it too far a departure from their prog rock roots? Was the guitar too heavy compared to the picking of Steve Howe? UK fans didn't embrace this album like the US fans did and now Yes, led by Steve Howe who was in supergroup Asia during the recording of 90125, don't play songs from this record. Owner of a Lonely Heart hit #1 in the US but ony #28 in the UK and the rest of the videos were seen more in the US than England. We go track by track, review all the videos and talk about the politics and lineup changes that are very much a part of the legacy of Yes as 90125 turns 40 November 11, 2023. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 10 years olds in 1983, Genesis self-titled album was our introduction to the band with singles & MTV videos like Mama, That's All & Illegal Alien. We had no awareness of the band as prog superstars in the 1970s with Peter Gabriel & Steve Hackett and would only learn of that incarnation later in life. Phil Collins solo career was also on a huge upward swing after the release of Face Value (1980) and Hello I Must Be Going (1982). When Phil, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks reconvened Genesis the band was gaining momentum from all sides and since they decided for the first time to credit all music to everyone equally, they felt the eponymous title made sense for a record they collaborated on together with fewer self-penned ideas coming in. But where does it stand in their legacy? They've eschewed the lengthy prog songs they wrote in the 70s for shorter, more pop friendly melodies. While Phil Collins singing and drumming were both strong on this album, are all these songs discernible from what he was doing in his solo career? Were they trading success for the ubiquity that would follow with Collins next solo release No Jacket Required (25 million sold) and their 1986 record Invisible Touch (over 15 million sold)? And what were they thinking with Illegal Alien? Would the adult contemporary/middle-of-the-roadness of this album define their sound and the image of Phil as a solo artist? We dive into all that as Genesis (1983) turns 40 on October 3. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yardbirds have an unparalleled legacy in the hallowed halls of rock n roll as they were one of the original British Invasion groups that brought the blues to the forefront of the rock scene in the 60s. The Wolf & Action Jackson became enamoured with them as teens in the 80s as the 60s had a big cultural renaissance and new CD box sets like Eric Clapton's Crossroads (which we cover in-depth on UAWIL 33 & 34). While the band is best known for their 3 famous guitarists - Clapton, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page - the entire band deserves credit as top notch musicians and performers and Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja, Keith Relf and Jim McCarty are all members of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame with their lead guitar members. We are so proud to welcome Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds to talk about his single Breath of the Wind which is available for digital download on September 15. Jim wrote the song for his late wife, Lizzie, and goes on to tell us about working mediums to help him see the end of life differently. We talk about playing with his band, how his lovely voice is a better fit for acoustic music than the raucous sounds he made with The Yardbirds, how he still enjoys playing live and some choice stories from the 1960s. It's a dream come true for 2 teenage rock fans who geeked out on The Yardbirds when they met 30+ years ago to interview this true gentleman and genuine rock legend. Visit JimMcCarty.com & buy Breath of the Wind wherever you purchase digital music Visit DemonMusicGroup.co.uk to learn more @demonmusicgroup Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 2nd episode of our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, we welcome Van Halen superfan Greg Renoff to talk about the night he saw Van Halen on the 1984 Tour. This night would change Greg's life as he would go on to literally write the book on Van Halen with Van Halen Rising and his latest Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. You can hear Greg's enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of Van Halen throughout our chat as we do our best to work the standard 20 questions we ask of every guest on FCM. The Wolf & Action Jackson anxiously awaited this episode as though they did eventually see Van Halen on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour together in 1991, what really turned them onto Van Halen as impressionable youths was seeing the boys on MTV in 1984. Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher were in heavy rotation on MTV that summer and the world had caught Van Halen fever. But we were too young to understand that you could see a band you saw on MTV on tour and had no idea how to go about getting to a concert (we were 10). However, a young Greg Renoff scored a ticket and got his mom to drop him off in the family truckster so he could witness Van Halen at the peak of their power on what is considered by most to be the best tour they ever did. A fun chat with one of the world's foremost experts on Van Halen, Greg Renoff! Visit Greg on Twitter (X) and order an autographed Ted Templeman book! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now this debate could stir some controversy... Just like sports teams, bands pickup new members to replace folks who don't fit in musically, quit, develop substance issues, don't jibe socially or even die. Eventually, most bands replace members at some point in their careers. But which are the best free agent pickups of all time? Which non-original members made the biggest contribution to a band in terms of developing their sound, their success, and their legacy? The Wolf & Action Jackson each choose their ten best rock band additions of all time and why. Now we had to put in the parameter that the band had to release at least one album without free agent pick. Many bands had members that didn't work out before they put out a record that would find a replacement that made the lineup successful. For each pick we discuss that musician, the member they replaced, the first album they appeared on and that free agent's legacy in the band. And what would the band's legacy be without this person? Is Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden the best free agent vocalist? What about Ronnie James Dio, Brian Johnson, Sammy Hagar or Steve Perry? What about guitarists like Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones, Phil Collen of Def Leppard or Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden? Which of these changed the fortunes of legendary bands forever? Listen and then let us know your Top 10 Rock Free Agents! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1978 was an interesting time for music. Bigger 70s acts like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath & Deep Purple were breaking up or having issues. Punk was the hottest thing in the music industry. New wave was on the horizon as was the real game changer in 1981, MTV. Bands that would forge their way to superstardom in the 80s via MTV released their debuts in 1978 - Van Halen, Dire Straits, The Cars and The Police. WIth a young songwriting genius on the bass in Sting, a sturdy veteran of the road & the studio in Andy Summers and an intellectual drumsmith in Stewart Copeland, they were too good to be just another punk band. So they blended reggae, punk, and rock with relatable lyrics and built the foundation on which their sound would grow and take them to immense success. The subjects of the 10 songs on Outlandos D'Amour vary from prostitution (Roxanne), suicide (Can't Stand Losing You), fame (Peanuts) and even a blow-up sex doll (Be My Girl - Sally). And yet it all comes together as a fresh sound that is still identifiable to The Police. These three make a lot of noise but it's mostly upbeat, jump up and down fun, especially on the crescendo building (and The Wolf's personal favorite) So Lonely. The album went platinum in the US & UK (and Canada, France, Australia, etc) and gave The Police the foothold they needed to eventually become the biggest band in the world in 1983 with Synchronicity. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Titans of Metal and true global road warriors Metallica have greenlighted a new podcast from their camp that will provide weekly updates on the band - The Metallica Report. Hosted by Steffan Chirazi, who has worked with & around the band for decades, the writer/editor of So What! and Renee Richardson, a legend of San Francisco rock radio and the Director of Philanthropy at the All Within My Hands Foundation, these two bring you behind the scenes of the biggest band in the World! Not only will you hear from the crew, the band, and fans but you can submit your questions and Metallica stories to the show so Renne & Steffan can get you the answers. We welcome Renee and Steffan to the Pantheon Podcast family and hear in their words why their relationship with Metallica is so special, the amazing people they work with and the lives they touch through AWMH. Hear about views from the Snakepit of the M72 World Tour (and check out UAWIL 127 & 128 from Amsterdam on Nights 1 & 2 of the tour) and make sure to get your movie tickets for the global simulcast to 2,500 screens across the globe on August 18 & 20. You really got a sense of the Metallica Family that these two speak about that exists between the band, the fans and everyone who works hard to keep this band on top. This is a must listen show for Metallica fans - subscribe, download & tell em The Wolf sent ya! Visit Metallica.com to learn more about The Metallica Report Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rolling Stones were on the run in 1973. Still tax exiles from England, the Stones went from Europe to the Caribbean to the United States to record and mix the album. Mick Jagger & Keith RIchards were still peeved over Allen Klein taking half their royalties but were now on Rolling Stone records (thanks to Ahmet Ertegun) and had a primo publishing deal. However, not all was right in Rolling Stones land as Mick Taylor was growing dissatisfied with his roll (and income) with the band, producer Jimmy Miller was slowly becoming deeply entrenched in his addiction and Keith was as well while Mick Jagger was trying to live up to his reputation as a lothario and jetset rock superstar. Though Goats Head Soup did contain worldwide hit Angie and Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), there were some more experimental songs on the album like Winter, odd jams like Can You Hear The Music and the non-radio friendly tale of groupies, Star Star. Bill Wyman doesn't play much bass on the record as Keith and Mick Taylor take turns, Mick Jagger plays some guitar as well as piano as do Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart. It's tough to follow Exile on Main Street and this one is a little different but to help walk us through it is Marc of the Performance Anxiety Podcast. Our Pantheon Podcasts brother helps us go track x track and tackle the unreleased tracks from the Deluxe Edition, including Scarlett featuring the one and only Jimmy Page. Listen to Performance Anxiety Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motley Crue followed the platinum success of their debut record Too Fast For Love with 1983's Shout At The Devil. With a provocative title and a cover featuring a pentagram, The Crue were courting controversy in an attempt to gain fame and grow their teenage fanbase. Never known for their musicianship or lyric writing prowess, their sophomore effort helped define a sleazy LA sound that may have eventually been perfected by Guns N Roses. Thanks to their outrageous looks, stage show and attitudes, Motley were able to get airtime on MTV, opening act slots with bands like KISS and Ozzy Oxbourne and get invited to play big festivals. Looks That Kill became a hit on the radio and it helped buoy the album to over 5 million in sales worldwide. But does it stand the test of time? Hearing the album as a teenager in the 80s is a different experience than hearing it 40 years later and between the simple song structures, the purile yet x-rated lyrics and overall lack of prowess with their instruments, sonically this might not be a classic for the ages. However, thanks to the imagery, the attitude and pure punch of the Mick Mars riffs and Tommy Lee's drumming, this will always hold a place in the hard rock pantheon of albums and is what helped propel Motley Crue to the worldwide success they still enjoy today. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the producers of The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we bring you a new sidecast featuring special guests answering 20 questions about the first time they saw their favorite band live! And what better way to kickoff this new show than with the guys from the #1 rated KISS podcast on the planet, Tom & Zeus from Shout It Out Loudcast. We talk to our Pantheon Podcast brothers for the first time in more than a year to walk through the first time they saw KISS live. What makes this one special is that we get to talk about 3 different shows from 3 different tours! Tom saw KISS on the Hot In The Shade Tour in 1990, The Wolf & Action Jackson saw the Revenge Tour in 1992 and Zeus (with Tom, of course) so the Alive Worldwide reunion tour in 1996. Hear us share stories on our favorite moments, who we went with, biggest disappointments, setlists, and more. We had a blast talking KISS live and had to leave a few funny parts on the cutting room floor but we think you'll love the stories and fun we share on our 1st episode of First Concert Memories! Check out Shout It Out Louidcast Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf was living in Amsterdam and received news that Iron Maiden were coming to town. Immediately I bought tickets and invited Action Jackson to come in for a visit as he's never seen Maiden live. I also picked up Antwerp tickets as....well, why not? Tragically, The Wolf had to move back to the USA prior to the shows in July. However, the boys were resolute and made their way to Europe to see the greatest live show on Earth - Iron Maiden. The fact that they're doing the Days of Future Past Tour focusing not only on the new Senjutsu album but our favorite IM record ever, Somewhere in Time, this was the chance of a lifetime for your intrepid hosts to see an amazing show together. To help walk through some of the amazing memories we made, we've enlisted Steve from Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone Podcast. Steve's deep knowledge and passion for Maiden dates back before the The Wolf & Action even knew each other and he asks the questions Iron Maiden fans want to hear. Besides the performance, setlist, appearances by Eddie (the shootout with Bruce was brilliant) and other details of the show, the boys share a very special encounter (or three) back at the hotel after the show. It was a magical couple of days in Europe for your hosts, making amazing memories that we share with you here. Check out Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kill Em All, the debut album from heavy metal heroes Metallica, was released July 25, 1983 but not to much fanfare. They didn't have the budget (or desire) to make videos and their sound was so loud and aggressive, you never heard them on rock radio back then. MTV was happy with bands like Men at Work and Duran Duran to be beamed to the suburbs which simply weren't ready for the thrash that Metallica brought with them. The album only sold about 60,000 copies the first year it was out. But it was the start of something which wouldn't be realized until almost a decade later. To help us better understand the significance of Kill Em All and the rise of thrash, we've enlisted Jay Scott - our Pantheon Podcasts brother from The Hook Rocks and The Zeppelin Chronicles with Shout It Out Loudcast. Jay has been listening to Metallica since the beginning and theorizes that this album was the death of glam rock even though at the time it went completely unnoticed. We go track by track and Jay talks about the night he road his bike to a bowling alley at midnight for a chance to gaze upon the boys from Metallica. It may have started slow out of the gates but this album is the foundation for what is now the biggest band in the world. Check out The Hook Rocks Podcast Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin Popoff may be the most prolific rock writer in the world with over 115 books to his name. Unlike other writers who prefer to delve into the gossip and tabloid portions of a bands history, Martin focuses on the music and the albums that we all love as rock fans. His latest, AC/DC at 50, is a beautiful coffee table book that features photos of the band on stage, in the studio, rare album covers and memories from their decades of dominance as the world's premier hard rock band. Martin tells 50 different stories throughout AC/DC's career that were important, inflection points or at a time when the band needed a hand. Brothers Malcolm & Angus Young may be private people but they've built a legacy that Martin has distilled to 50 points in time that you can read all the way through or pick and choose which stories you want to learn more about today. Martin even includes some personal history with the band like riding home on his bike from the record store with Let There Be Rock tied to the back. What are his favorite 3 AC/DC albums? What does he think their legacy is? We have a fun chat with Martin and he even indulges our questions about an article he recently wrote for Goldmine on supergroups. Order AC/DC at 50 from Martin Popoff or wherever you get your books Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynyrd Skynyrd emerged from Jacksonville, Florida and became titans of the Southern Rock scene. Battling their way up from adversity, the rowdy & rough-and-tumble bunch finally signed with MCA and released their debut album Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd in August of 1973. It went double platinum and saw them open The Who's Quadrophenia Tour which helped them get exposure to a larger audience. It was the foundation for the bands epic run of success until a horrible tragedy in 1977 derailed the bands trajectory and the lives of the members. Ronnie Van Zant may not have been the most talented singer in the world but he was a menacing front man who doesn't get the credit he deserves for his poignant lyrics that everyone can relate to. Though the band would eventually be known for their 3 guitar attack, Ed King would play bass on this album before Leon Wilkeson rejoined the band in 1973 and then Ed fell in with fellow gunslingers Allen Collins and Gary Rossington. Ed even helped write a song at the end of sessions for the first album which would wind up on Second Helping and would become the biggest hit they ever had, Sweet Home Alabama. But the record did feature Gimme Three Steps, Tuesdays Gone, Simple Man and the epic Free Bird. What a debut! We go track x track to celebrate its 50th! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the demise of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant almost called it quits as a performer. It was actually Phil Collins, who knew something about going solo after being part of a big rock band, who encouraged him and actually played drums on his first album. Robert didn't want to go back to the big machine that was Zeppelin, but he did want to write songs, collaborate with musicians and play live. However, he didn't want to tour until he had enough material to do a headline show without dipping into the Led Zep catalog. So it wasn't until his second solo record, The Principle of Moments released July 11, 1983, that he had the solo catalog that would allow him to take his new songs and band out tour. Though his first album, Picture at 11 (which we reviewed on UAWIL #105), had singles and MTV videos, they didn't capture the public's imagination. But thanks to a concept video by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis fame, Big Log was a hit and showed the world that Robert was capable of more than just screeching along to Jimmy Page's insane guitar riffs. In The Mood also hit the charts and allowed Robert to show more of his vocal talents. The videos are a bit odd but that was early MTV and we go track x track, video x video and recall fond memories of this album from the early 80s. Hear UAWIL 105: Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Wall is one of rock music's greatest writers. From Kerrang! to Classic Rock and publications all around the world, Mick has been telling stories about the rock musicians we all love for decades and has written more than 20 books on legendary acts like Jimi Hendrixx, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden & more. Recently he decided to take on the task of one of the most successful US rock bands in history, the Eagles. The band have always been portrayed as country/rock superstars who were victims of great success, excess and infighting. Mick has a way of moving past all that to distill the real story of the band in the times in which they were formed, rose to the top and disintegrated in Life In The Fast Lane. The book is a great read and Mick offers some context of the Los Angeles the guys came out of - a post 60s, post Manson time where the American Dream was hanging on by a thread. Mick also spoke with us about some of the other superstars he's written about over the years like James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Axl Rose (Guns N Roses), Steve Clark (Def Leppard) and more. Though some have found his take on certain artists to be harsh, Mick approaches his work not as a fan but as a writer whose only concern is that of the voyage of the reader. Mick Wall is one of the world’s best-known rock writers and the author of over 25 internationally bestselling biographies and ghosted memoirs, including definitive titles on Led Zeppelin (When Giants Walked the Earth), Metallica (Enter Night), AC/DC (Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be), Black Sabbath (Symptom of the Universe), Lou Reed, The Doors (Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre), Foo Fighters, Lemmy and Guns N’ Roses (Last of the Giants). During his long career in the music business, Mick worked with Dire Straits, Thin Lizzy, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Black Sabbath, The Damned, Willie Nelson, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, Motörhead, and many more. He lives in England. Order Mick Wall's Life In The Fast Lane Via Amazon or Diversion Books Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1982 saw the birth of the 80s first supergroup with Asia made of prog legends John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep, UK), Steve Howe (Yes), Geoff Downes (Buggles, Yes) and Carl Palmer (ELP). They achieved great success with their eponymous first album thanks to the worldwide sensation Heat of the Moment and some Godley & Creme videos that ruled MTV. Asia was the #1 selling record in the US that year and to capitalize on that momentum, the band were rushed back to the studio to crank out a follow up for 1983. While 1983's Alpha did contain some of the magic from the first record, the band were disappointed in the process and the end result. Despite a big budget video with an Indiana Jones theme and a radio hit in Don't Cry, Alpha didn't achieve the same success as it's predecessor. However, Geffen pushed the band forward and coordinated the first ever live satellite concert on MTV with the historic Asia in Asia event broadcast from Japan in December, 1983 with VJ Mark Goodman hosting. Last year we were fortunate enough to speak with both Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes about their time in Asia and the stage and setup for that historic concert. It may not quite have the same magic of the first album but it still holds a special place in our hearts so listen with an open mind and hear from the musicians that made the album and history via MTV. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tormato is an album that only hardcore Yes fans seem to know about. Without huge hit singles and a non-Roger Dean cover that many people do not like (including famously some of the members of the band), their 1978 offering often flies under the radar. But thanks to Kevin Mulryne, co-host of The Yes Music Podcast and author of the book Yes - The Tormato Story you can learn the most extraordinary details that went into the making of this album. From working with Hipgnosis on the cover, working at Advision studios to only move to RAC, the equipment the band used, the extra tracks that didn't make the album, to never before seen images from those sessions this book is a real treasure. Even rock fans who aren't that into Yes will be blown away by the detail Kevin has included through his extensive research from members of the band to their crew and all sorts of folks in the Yes orbit. Did you know they used a rotating stage on that tour? Did you know it went platinum in the US but you couldn't get it on CD until 1989? Though Don't Kill The Whale was a minor hit, the odd songs like Arriving UFO and Circus of Heaven make this one a bit different. And with rare epics like On The Silent Wings of Freedom, Onward or the baroque Madrigal, Tormato serves up some buried treasure which Kevin has helped to unearth. The book is a fantastic read and our conversation with Kevin was even more informative. Order his book Yes - The Tormato Story below: YesMusicPodcast.com - Order Yes - The Tormato Story Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terry Reid began performing and touring as a professional at 15 in the UK. As a teenager he opened for The Rolling Stones, Cream and Jethro Tull. He was offered the lead singer spot in Deep Purple from Ritchie Blackmore and introduced Robert Plant to Jimmy Page. He's worked and played with so many people over the years but he's been gigging out with George Kapitanelis and his New Jersey based Cosmic American Derelicts for 15 years. These two have a kinship beyond playing music together (ie a shared love of westerns) and we have a great conversation with them about their new album Bergenfield Blues. Besides diving into some of the blues meets country with a bit of southern rock we liked on Bergenfield Blues, we got to hear some road stories from Terry and George. From playing Madison Square Garden to getting a call from John Lennon to sitting in the studio with George Michael, Terry giddily shares some fond memories from over half a century in the rock world. TerryReid.com - See him at Ronnie Scott's June 20 in London CosmicAmericanDerelicts.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we heard an advance copy of Rival Sons new album Darkfighter, we were instant fans of the band and desperately wanted to speak to someone about this rocking new record. We were happily obliged by Founder/Guitarist/Songwriter Scott Holiday - Mr. Fuzzlord himself!! Scott joined us from the road in the US ahead of a schedule that will take Rival Sons to Europe, onto some huge festival stages and back to the US in the fall. Scott was generous with his time and spirit, talking about his influences, the equipment he uses to get that fuzzy sound, writing this album (and it's companion follow-up record LIghtbringer, listen to learn when we'll hear that) and opening for some of the biggest bands in the world like Black Sabbath, KISS, Aerosmith & more. For you classic rock fans who don't know any bands if they didn't record before 1995, I guarantee you'll love this record. It's like they took everything from the 70s & 80s that we love, blended it together to make something new and it kicks @ss! Scott, who like us is a member of the MTV generation, even talked in-depth about the fun videos they made for their first three singles Nobody Wants To Die, Rapture & Bird In The Hand which portray the boys as a band of outlaws in Tarantino fashion. Every listen of this record unlocks something we didn't notice before and endears us to these guys style. Rock isn't dead as long as bands like Rival Sons are still out there making killer new music and playing it live. Listen to our fun conversation with Scott which could have gone on for hours and order Darkfighter, you won't be disappointed: https://rivalsons.lnk.to/darkfighter Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ronnie James Dio was a legend in the heavy metal community. He first hit the road in the 50s but evolved into a metal god in the 70s with Elf and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. That led to taking over the vocal duties in Black Sabbath on two epic albums in the early 80s, Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules. But Ronnie grew disillusioned with being a hired hand or replacement and decided to form his own band with Vinnie Appice from Sabbath, rock veteran Jimmy Bain and young hotshot Vivian Campbell (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Def Leppard). On May 25, 1983 they released their debut, Holy Diver, which is considered by fans and critics alike as a heavy metal masterpiece. With epic songs like Holy Diver, radio friendly hits like Rainbow in the Dark and a couple of odd early MTV videos, this album is legendary. Ronnie passed away in May of 2010 and we miss him, his talent and generosity towards his fans. So we look back at his legacy through 1983's Holy Diver track x track. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 29, 2023 in Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam saw the first 2nd night (if that makes sense) of Metallica's M72 World Tour - No Repeat Weekend where you get two totally different setlists and 2 different opening acts. On Episode 127 we talked about how the setlist was so killer, there was no way the 2nd night would be as good - but it was still awesome. We talked about how Kirk's sound was off Night 1 - but it was better on Night 2. We talked about our disappointment with the opening acts we saw on Night 1 - but were blown away by who we saw on Night 2 (I wasn't a huge Floor Jansen fan before I walked in there but I sure was when I walked out). James, Lars, Kirk and Robert came back for more and delivered in a big way. Hear about the setlist highlights and which songs and spots I believe they'll be switching around as the tour progresses. How was Night 2 better than Night 1? How was it disappointing? We take you on the journey for my last few hours of my whirlwind 72 hour trek to Amsterdam to see Metallica! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metallica have always been trailblazers in the world of heavy metal and performance. Over the last 4+decades they have entertained audiences around the world and sit on the throne as The Kings of Metal. Though at this point in their career they could coast as a nostalgia act and just play the hits, they are not resting on their laurels. On the heels of the release of their 72 Seasons album, their 11th and finest in decades (in my opinion) they have embarked on the ambitious M72 World Tour - No Repeat Weekend. Over the next 2 years, Metallica will go to a city in Europe or North American for 2 nights and won't repeat the same song - that's over 4 hours of live music! They kicked off the tour in Amsterdam in Johan Cruyff Arena April 27 & 29 and The Wolf was there to see them both. We started this podcast when The Wolf was an expat living in London, taking in all things to do with British rock history and culture. Then he moved to Amsterdam which has a robust concert schedule and when Metallica announced they'd be kicking off their world tour there, he was in! Despite the fact that he was forced to move back to the US this spring, he made a pilgrimage back to Amsterdam so he could share the first two nights of this extraordinary tour with his listeners. The setlist was phenomenal, the stage and production were fantastic and it was great to hear the new material blend so well with the classics. Subscribe below and don't miss Part 2 out next week! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Men at Work hit the big time in 1983 thanks to some great tunes and quirky videos which were all over MTV. Their first album, 1981's Business As Usual, sold over 15 million copies thanks to hits like Who Can It Be Now? and Down Under. But thanks to disinterent from the record company, the band were slow to break in the US. Finally, after worldwide success outside of the US, the album was finally released and, thanks to the programmers on MTV, they skyrocketed to massive success earning a Grammy for best new artist and selling 6 million copies in the US alone. Their follow up, Cargo, was supposed to come out in 1982 but as their songs from Business As Usual were still on the US chart, they delayed the release of Cargo until April 29, 1983. With songs written and sung by Colin Hay and fun videos featuring the band like Dt Heckyl & Mr. Jive, Overkill and It's A Mistake, Men at Work solidified their spot as global pop sensations. But it wasn't meant to last as this was the last album with the original lineup as Men at Work fatigue set in by 1984. We explore the songs, the videos, and the legacy of Colin and the boys after the breakup in this fun episode. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1978, the US saw the debut of one of the greatest guitar heroes of all time, Eddie Van Halen, However, across the pond another guitar god was releasing his first record as well - Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. With his folksy songwriting, authentic vocal style and masterful, finger-picking guitar style, Dire Straits 1978 debut showed us what this little band from the north of England were made of. Not as flashy as a Van Halen or maybe as intricate as a Steve Howe but every bit as passionate, Mark Knopfler established himself as one of the premier guitar players of his generation. Whether picking on his Fender Stratocaster or the steel acoustic Old National, Knopfler creates country, folk and rock soundscapes with inspired guitar work and a storytelling style that is very relatable. You may not be able to hear this album and think that in 7 short years they'd have a worldwide success in Brothers in Arms but you can see the foundational talent that would allow them to grow into that kind of achievement. What kind of characters do you see walking around London? A drunken old sailor? A snobby watitess? A ten pence band with a million pound name? Knopfler's rich stories create images that transport you to another time and place yet allow you to relate to them on a very personal level. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Van Halen were about the biggest hard rock band in the world around 1988. The headlined the Monsters of Rock Tour over Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken & Kingdom Come and had big hits with their 2nd album featuring Sammy Hagar, OU812. On the heels of 5150 which followed the departure of David Lee Roth, Van Halen seemed poised for bigger and better things. But OU812 sold about half of what 5150 sold in the US, even though OU812 is a little harder than its predecessor. Were they listening to critics who felt 5150 was too heavy on the synths? Were they worried Diamond Dave was getting more praise for his solo efforts? For us personally, this album came at a time in our lives when we were discovering the first Van Halen album and all the heaviness and guitar mastery of their original release. Plus, we had fond memories of big MTV hits like Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher from 1984 when we were just getting into music. So Van Halen had the street cred for heavy duty guitar rock but the pop stardom from MTV. Though we were excited to hear 5150 and love tracks like Mine All Mine and AFU (Naturally Wired) the big hits like When It's Love, Feels So Good and Finish What You Started aren't among our all time VH favorites. How do we rank it in the Pantheon of Van Halen records? Have a listen and find out! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices