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A rock music standard is the “sad song”.  Most commonly these revolve around “love”, but not always!  Sometimes they can just be talking about a sad situation. This episode, we look at a grab bag of sad songs and artists who cover “sad” from a range of viewpoints. Keep your tissues close by!!    In “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” we celebrate Australians Johnny Young and Glenn A Baker and jump to the left for the wonderful Tim Curry.    In “Rock News”, Jeff discovers a documentary about the early photo shoot for a very young Kate Bush that shows a little more than acceptable for those times but would not be an issue these days.  Sad Song Playlist It’s a wild ride!   References:  Johnny Young, Glenn A. Baker, Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pennywise the Clown, Stephen King’s “It”, Kate Bush, Gered Mankowitz, 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, Elastica, Lou Reed, Berlin, Puff the Magic Dragon, Peter, Paul & Mary, Peter Yarrow, Love Hurts, Nazareth, Yesterday, The Beatles , Paul McCartney, Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen, Without You, Nilsson, Peter Ham, Tom Evans, Badfinger, Leader of the Pack, The Shangri-Las, Hurt, Johnny Cash, Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails, Mark Romanek, 2003 MTV Music Video Awards, Justin Timberlake, All I Want is You, U2, Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton, Seasons in the Sun, Jacques Brel, Terry Jacks, Creep, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, The Needle and the Damage Done, Neil Young, Danny Whitten, REM, Michael Stipe, Half a World Away, Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming, Elliott Smith, Waltz #2, The Smiths, Morrissey, “I Know it’s Over”, “How Soon is Now”  Johnny Cash - “Hurt”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI  Kate Bush Album Recreation Tags:  The best Rock music podcast, the saddest songs ever, opinionated bastards    Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

Over the last 6 years, we’ve often cited Roxy Music amongst our favourite bands, albums or songs.  We’ve talked about their albums - covers, lyrics, and so on – and included them amongst “Deep Cuts” that you need to know about. Although Bowie was the first artist we obsessed over in our early teens, Roxy Music was the most important. This episode, we’d like to talk about how, in many ways, Roxy Music was a perfect answer to the world in the 70’s and a major influence on so much that came later.  In “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, we celebrate Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who died 25 August 2026.  Not rock, you say?  Well, she played Glastonbury in 2014, and told Elvis he couldn’t cover her song, “I Will Always Love You”. Not bad by any standards!  Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is “One World” by John Martyn, a fascinating mix of folk, blues, rock and jazz produced by Chris Blackwell.   Definitely one of the most interesting albums you’ll ever hear.  We liked it.  Another great episode!    Playlist – all the music & artists we talked about in this episode    References:  John Martyn, One World, Chris Blackwell, Island Records, Echoplex, Nick Drake, Paul Kossoff, Dolly Parton, “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You”, Glastonbury, Elvis Presley, “Here You Come Again”, “After The Goldrush”, Bryan Ferry, Graham Simpson, Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera, Paul Thompson, Brian Eno, Eddie Jobson, Curved Air,  The Angels, Angel City, “On Some Faraway Beach”, David Sheppard, Clarence Clemons, Concrete Blonde, “Bloodletting”, “Caroline”, “Joey”, “Tomorrow, Wendy”, Bob Dylan, “A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall”, “Oblique Strategies”, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”, Rainbow Theatre, Bowie, “Virginia Plain”, The BoB Medley, “Roxy Music”, “For Your Pleasure”, “In Every Dream Home a Heartache", John Lydon, “The Bogus Man”, “Street Life”, Colombia, “Stranded”, “Amazona”, “Over You”, Flesh and Blood, Hipgnosis, “More than This”, Yanick Etienne, “Avalon”, Toyah Wilcox, Robert Fripp, “Remake/Remodel”, “Julia”, Pavlov's Dog  Sunday Roast Sunday Roast – Fripp/Wilcox - “Nevermind”  Dolly, Linda & Emmylou - After the Goldrush  Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

We’ve talked about how people don’t listen to the lyrics before using a song – for advertising, a political rally, or a special event.  That's how we end up with Volvo using a song about drug abuse and transvestism to promote their cars, or couples using a song about obsession and stalking as they recite their wedding vows, or Iggy Pop’s ode to his heroin addiction to promote a luxury ocean cruise, to name but a few!  We look at these and other examples of “Didn't you listen to the lyrics first?!”     Our Album you Must Listen to Before You Die is Cafe Bleu, by Style Council, in Paul Weller’s first outing after leaving The Jam.  What a wonderful album!!    There’s lots more, including Pavlov’s Dog, The Smiths, Bon Jovi, Paul Simon, and heaps more!!    Enjoy!  References:  Pavlov’s Dog, Abbie Steiling, “Berlin”, Pampered Menial, Globite, The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead, Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet, Paul Simon, Graceland, Google Gemini, Café Bleu, The Style Council, Paul Weller, Robert Dimery, “A Town Called Malice”, Tracey Thorn, Everything but the Girl, “You’re the Best Thing”, The Jam, “Walk on the Wild Side”, "Lust for Life", Iggy Pop, Ray Manzarek, Johnny Yen, “Trainspotting”, The Supremes, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, Phil Collins, "Help!", The Beatles, Ford Lincoln-Mercury, "Revolution", The Beatles, Nike, John Lennon, "Perfect Day", Lou Reed, AT&T, BBC, heroin, "London Calling", The Clash, 2012 London Olympic Games, Political Campaigns & Rallies, ”Born in the U.S.A.", Bruce Springsteen, Ronald Reagan, "Fortunate Son", Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Rockin' in the Free World", Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, "Pink Houses", John Mellencamp, The American Dream, "Every Breath You Take", The Police, Trudy Styler, obsession, Sting, Stewart Copepland, "One", U2, Bono, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Amanda, "Brown Sugar", The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers, "Imagine", John Lennon, Steely Dan, “Only a Fool Would Say That”, Macarena, Los Del Río, YMCA, Village People  Playlist – Misused Songs  Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

The second half of our look at 1976 - a banner year for music.  This time, the boys look at more of their favourites of the “Class of ‘76” and plug in a dynamite playlist to go with it!   The conclusion of a romp through one of music’s finest years! We know you’re going to love it.    References: Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life, “Isn’t she lovely”, “Sir Duke”, Andy Williams, R&B, Rhythm & Blues, The Eagles, Hotel California, “Life in the Fast Lane”, “New Kid in Town”, “Victim of Love”, Joe Walsh, Led Zeppelin, “Presence”, “The Song Remains the Same”, Achilles Last Stand,  Moroccan influence, “Nobody’s Fault but Mine”, “For your life”, “Candy Store Rock”, Peter Grant, The Ramones, The Ramones, “Beat on the Brat”, “Blitzkrieg Bop”, “I Wanna be your Boyfriend”, Spin magazine, Rolling Stone, "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Music from the Penguin Cafe, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Simon Jeffes, Station to Station, David Bowie, The Thin White Duke, Kether, Malkuth, “Golden Years”, “TVC15”, Howzat, Sherbet, Hurstville Civic Centre, Bo Diddley, Cold Chisel, “Summer Love”, The Doors, High Voltage, AC/DC, “T.N.T.”, “It’s a Long Way to the Top”, “High Voltage”, “Can I Sit Next to you Girl?”, Daceyville Police Boys Club, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, “Jailbreak”, Ol' 55, Take It Greasy, "On the Prowl", Frankie J Holden (FJ), Wilbur Wilde, Supernaut, “I like it both ways”, Ian “Molly” Meldrum, Alan Parsons Project, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Billy Joel, Turnstiles, Bob Dylan, Hard Rain, Bryan Ferry, Let's Stick Together, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), A New World Record, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Genesis, A Trick of the Tail, Jeff Beck, Wired, Jethro Tull, Too Old to Rock ’n’ Roll: Too Young to Die, Joe Walsh, You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind, Linda Ronstadt, Hasten Down the Wind, Lou Reed, Coney Island Baby, Pavlov’s Dog, At the Sound of the Bell, Queen, A Day at the Races, Rod Stewart, A Night on the Town, Steely Dan, The Royal Scam, Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle, Warren Zevon, ABBA, Arrival, Wings, Wings Over America    Playlist - The music & artists we discussed during this episode Flutist Reacts to Jethro Tull Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

1976 was a banner year for music.  Some of the greatest albums of all time were released that year, and Mick & Jeff were there as it happened. This episode, they look at their favourites of the “Class of ‘76” - what was great (and what wasn’t!) & why.    In Rock News, the boys check out who’s touring, and what aged care arrangements are in place!  Their “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, which brought African street music to Western radios and stereos.    A wide-ranging romp through one of music’s finest years!  We think you'll love it.      References:  1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Robert Dimery, The Eagles, Las Vegas Sphere, Journey, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Kansas, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner, Yes, Graceland, Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, South Africa cultural sanctions, Los Lobos, Steve Berlin, The Rolling Stones, Black and Blue,  Jagger/Richards, The Glimmer Twins, Ron Wood, Harvey Mandel, Wayne Perkins, Billy Preston, “Do You Love Me?”, “I’m Black & Blue from The Rolling Stones”, The Modern Lovers, “The Modern Lovers”, John Cale, “Roadrunner”, “Pablo Picasso”, “Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers”, Joan Armatrading, “Joan Armatrading”, “Down to Zero”, “Love and Affection”, Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention), Kenney Jones (Faces), Boz Scaggs, State Theatre Sydney, Silk Degrees, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, David Hungate, Toto, “What Can I Say?”, “Lowdown”, “Lido Shuffle”, Peter Frampton, Frampton Comes Alive!, "Show Me the Way", "Baby, I Love Your Way", "Do You Feel Like We Do?”, George Harrison , talk box, Boston, “Boston”, Tom Scholz, "More than a feeling”, Fleetwood Mac, “Rumours”, Lindsey Buckingham, Bob Welch, Mick Fleetwood, “Buckingham Nicks”, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, “Desire”, “Blood on the Tracks”, “Hurricane”, “Mozambique”, “Joey”, Rolling Thunder Revue, Emmylou Harris, violinist Scarlett Rivera, guitarist Dave Mason, “Hard Rain”, The Saints, (I'm) Stranded, Bob Geldof, Nick Cave, Fatal Records, EMI, Ed Kuepper, “Also Sprach the King of Euro-Disco", “Thus Spake Zarathustra”,   Playlist (all the artists and music we talk about in this episode) The Queen of Pub Choirs Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

This episode’s a bit schizophrenic!  Firstly, we look at Kate Bush, whose first single “Wuthering Heights” was released against the wishes of her record company – too long and too weird, they said.  We all know how wrong they were, don’t we?  Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is "Junkyard" by The Birthday Party, a band who embodied chaotic, confrontational music.  This is as far as you can get from Kate Bush! As you can guess, Mick loves them!  Knockin’ on Heaven's Door looks at Mike Vernon, Denis Locorriere (of Dr Hook fame), and members of Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Motorhead.    Enjoy!    References:  Kate Bush, Dennis Locorriere, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, "Sylvia's Mother", “The Cover of 'Rolling Stone', Ray Sawyer, Shel Silverstein, abortion, Mike Vernon, David Bowie, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (featuring Eric Clapton), Fleetwood Mac, “Albatross”, Bo Diddley, Storyteller.  The Complete anthology 1964-1990, Rod Stewart, David Clayton-Thomas, Carl Georg Viktor "Jojje" Wadenius, Phil Campbell, Lemmy, Hawkwind, Robert Dimery, The Birthday Party, Junkyard, Tony Cohen, Nick Launay, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Rat Fink, Nick Cave, Bad Seeds, “The Firstborn is Dead”, “Tupelo”, “From Her to Eternity”, “Mutiny in Heaven”, Caulfield Grammar School, Mick Harvey, Phill Calvert, Rowland S. Howard, "Big-Jesus-Trash-Can", "She's Hit", "6" Gold Blade", Tracy Pew, Midnight Oil, “Half Deaf and Completely Mad”, Tony Cohen, David Gilmour, EMI, Ricky Hopper, "The Kick Inside”, KT Bush Band, Andrew Powell, Emily Brontë, Lindsay Kemp, Lionheart, Stuart Elliott, Cockney Rebel, Fear of Flying, Before the Dawn, “Kite”, “The Man with the Child in his Eyes”, “James and the Cold Gun”, "Wuthering Heights", “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”, Hounds of Love, "Running Up That Hill", "Cloudbusting", Stranger Things, Aerial, "Bertie", 50 Words for Snow, Peter Gabriel, “Games without Frontiers”, “Don’t Give Up”      Playlist - All the music and artists we talked about in this episode   Kate Bush Interview    Kate Bush Intro - 1978  Kate Bush with David Gilmour   Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

This episode we look at the phenomena of hugely successful artists refusing to play the songs that made them!  First among these is Radiohead, whose “Creep” launched them onto the world stage.  Others include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Madonna.    Our Album You Must Hear Before You Die is The Stranglers’ 1977 debut, the excellent “Rattus Norvegicus”, yet another punk record from the mid-70s. Mick loves this album for its energy and refusal to bow down to supposed “punk” rules.  We also look at some of the highlights of The Stranglers’ outrageous career to this day.   In Rock News, Jeff examines the success (or otherwise) of a Quebec band called Angine de Poitrine, known for their complex, “microtonal” compositions and absurdist public image, featuring oversized papier-mâché masks and black-and-white polka-dotted costumes. Imagine!  Jeff also has a look at this year's inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including Iron Maiden, Phil Collins, and Joy Division, and our Rod Stewart moment looks at his relaxed attitude towards death.   Plenty there for everyone!    References:  1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, Robert Dimery, The Stranglers, Rattus Norvegicus, Hugh Cornwell, JJ Burnel, sexism & misogyny, “(Get a) Grip (on yourself)”, “Peaches”, “Down in the Sewer”, Deep Purple, “Strange Kind of Woman”, ice cream van, "Golden Brown", harpsichord, Battersea Park Big Top Festival strippers, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway, Pablo Honey, Electioneering, Just, “Rolling Stone’s 250 Greatest Guitarists of all Time”, “OK Computer”, Nick Cave, “Creep”, “Pavlov’s Dog”, “Julia”, AC/DC, “It’s a Long Way to the Top”, Bon Scott, Pat Benatar, “Hit me with your Best Shot”, Beastie Boys, “Fight for Your Right (to Party)”, Billy Joel , “Tell Her About It”, Weird Al Jankovic, “Eat It”, Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar”, Madonna, Dylan, “Hurricane”, Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven", Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven”, George Harrison, "My Sweet Lord", "He's So Fine"    Playlist (all the music & artists we referred to in this episode)  Angine de Potrine  Hugh Cornwell  Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

In the mid-70's, one of our most outrageous bands burst out of Melbourne ready to shock a relatively conservative Australian society.  With wild costumes & makeup, songs touching on drugs, sexuality and masturbation, and Red’s four-letter word chants, what's not for teenagers to love?  We certainly did!  Mick just got a new book covering the life of American guitarist Dick Wagner.  With a career that included some of our favourite artists and music, including Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Kiss and Peter Gabriel, he thinks this book could fuel a new episode sometime soon.  Our Album you Must Hear Before You Die is “Oxygene” by Jean-Michel Jarre.  Very much at one end of our taste spectrum, this album really sorts the “listeners” from the “headbangers.”  We know you’ll really enjoy this episode!  References:  Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner, “Not Only Women Bleed”, Globite, Countdown, "Michael”, Antoine Fuqua, John Logan, Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, “1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die”, Robert Dimery, Skyhooks, Graham “Shirley” Strachan, Greg Macainsh, Red Symons, Freddie Strauks, Bob “Bongo” Starkie, White cowboy suit, “Polaroid in Concert”, concert at Dawes Point, “Living in the 70’s”, “Smut”, "whipping the dripping”, "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed", Double Jay, “Ego is not a Dirty Word”, “Shirl’s Neighbourhood”, Our House, The Party Boys, helicopter crash, “Hey Hey, It’s Saturday”, “Red Faces”, APRA    Playlist - all the music and artists we talk about in this episode “Michael” - Trailer    Paris expresses her views on the movie.    Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

One of NZ’s best-ever band exports is Split Enz.  Formed in the 70’s, Split Enz’ intelligent pop music made them one of our top bands for over a decade, and still beloved today. We look at how they got started and some highlights of their career and recordings.   We also talk about our annual trip to Bali, where we discovered a local band that played Pink Floyd's  “Wish You Were Here” (yes, really!!)  Radiohead's “Creep”, Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and a stack of other songs straight from our episode playlists. Yep, sure surprised us!    Our “Album You must Hear Before You Die” is Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s self-titled album from 1976 – an experience for an open mind!      References:  Bali, Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”, Johnny Cash, “Ring of Fire”, The Bee Gees, “To Love Somebody”, Nick Cave & Shane McGowan, “What a Wonderful World”, Radiohead, “Creep”, “Love is all around us”, The Troggs, “Love Actually”, Bill Nighy, Jonny Greenwood, Michael’s Bar in Legian,  “Wedding songs, and other disasters”, New Zealand, Auckland, Split Enz, Coachella 26, David Lee Roth, Teddy Swims, Justin Bieber, Robert Dimery, 1001 Albums you must hear before you die, ”Penguin Cafe Orchestra”, Simon Jeffes, Steve Nye, Eno, Obscure, “Music For a Found Harmonium”, “The Sound of Someone you Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter”, 101ers, Joe Strummer, Malcolm McLaren, Sid Vicious, "My Way", The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle, Tim Finn, Phil Judd, APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, Finn Brothers, Crowded House, Neil Finn, Paul Hester, “The Mullanes”,  Countdown, Michael Jackson, MTV, “Mental Notes”, Phil Manzanera, “Second Thoughts”, “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”, “The Swingers”, “Counting the Beat”, ENZSO, “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”, Aotearoa”, Māori, Falklands crisis, The Wiggles, “Wiggly Version”, REM      Playlist – all the music & artists we talked about in this episode  Send us a message, so we know what you're thinking!

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

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

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

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

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

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