Let It Roll

"Let it Roll" is a podcast about the history of popular music from the 19th Century to the 21st. Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.

Music History
Music Commentary
Music Interviews
351
The Jim Morrison Biography That Kicked Off The ...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Shelly Sorensen and Christian Swain of The Rock N Roll Librarian to discuss one of the first best-selling rock biographies “No One Here Gets Out Alive” which titillated millions with its insider's account of the rise and fall of Jim Morrison and the Doors. Visit our sponsor Adam & Eve for 50% off almost any item, get tons of free gifts AND receive free shipping. Just go to adamandeve.com and type “LIRPOD” at checkout. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
62 min
352
Irving Berlin Defined American Music
Nate welcomes author James Kaplan to discuss his book “Irving Berlin: New York Genius.” James tells Nate about the legendary song-writer’s 50 year career from “Alexander’s Rag-Time Band” to "Annie Get Your Gun." This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
353
Politics Boxed Merle Haggard Out Of Crossover S...
Today host Nate Wilcox welcomes author David Cantwell to discuss Merle Haggard and his book “The Running Kind.” Nate and David grapple with the factors that made Haggard one of the great country superstars but prevented him from crossing over to a pop audience the way Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson or Dolly Parton did. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
52 min
354
Bing Crosby's Swing Brought Him Superstardom
Host Nate Wilcox talks to Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins about Bing Crosby's jazz credentials, his rise to fame with Paul Whiteman, his conquest of radio, early days in Hollywood and mastery of the microphone. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
355
The Devil, Daniel Johnston and Documentary Film
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes back Jeff Feuerzeig the director of “The Devil and Daniel Johnston”, to discuss the late singer-songwriter and Austin, Texas legend, the line between genius and madness, the lo-fi movement and the making of one of the all-time great rock documentaries. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
62 min
356
Buck Owens Conquered the Country Music Business
Host Nate Wilcox interviews Randy Poe, the man who edited Buck Owens' autobiography. They discuss Buck's golden run of great country hits in the 1960s, his incredible business acumen, his place in the Okie diaspora and more. Part of The Pantheon Podcast Network.
59 min
357
We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The Tour Bus: RJ...
Nate and Justin interview James Brown biographer R.J. Smith about his involvement in the creation of Mike Judge's Tales from the Tour Bus Check out all the great Podcasts over on Pantheon.
31 min
358
Pop Music's Past Is Crowding Out Its Present
Host Nate Wilcox and Simon Reynolds look at "Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past" almost a decade after publication of Reynolds' "Retromania." Part of The Pantheon Podcast Network.
58 min
359
Betty Davis: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers Betty Davis, muse of Miles Davis and a funk queen in her own right. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
41 min
360
Morris Day: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The ...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers Morris Day, leader of The Time and rival to Prince himself. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
35 min
361
James Brown: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers The Godfather of Funk, James Brown. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
46 min
362
Bootsy Collins: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From ...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers funk bassist Bootsy Collins. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
40 min
363
Rick James: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From The ...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode covers the two-parter on punk funk king Rick James. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
47 min
364
George Clinton: We Dig Mike Judge's Tales From ...
Hosts Nate Wilcox and Justin Bankston discuss Mike Judge's brilliant Tales from the Tour Bus season 2: Funk. This episode features legendary P-Funk leader George Clinton. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
37 min
365
The History of Music is Subversive, Not Respect...
Ted Gioia returns to discuss his latest book ”Music: A Subversive History.” Ted and Nate discuss the tension between the social outsiders who’ve always been the source of musical innovation and the mainstream academicians who borrow their ideas.
56 min
366
Grunge Exploded Out of Seattle and Fell Back to...
Host Nate Wilcox and grunge oral historian Mark Yarm discuss the incredible rise and brutal fall of grunge, the blend of punk and metal that finally put alternative rock on the top of the charts. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
71 min
367
Emperor Moguls of Rap: Dr Dre, Diddy and Jay-Z
Forbes senior Editor Zack O’Malley Greenburg joins host Nate Wilcox to discuss his book “3 Kings: Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Hip-Hop's Multibillion-Dollar Rise.” They talk about how hip hop’s 90’s boom produced three of the wealthiest music entrepreneurs since Barry Gordy. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
52 min
368
America Awaited the Beatles
Host Nathan Wilcox speaks to cultural historian and "Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America" author Jonathan Gould about the America the Beatles found in 1964 and the whys and hows of their nearly instant mass popularity. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
73 min
369
Electronic Music From the Avant Garde to Top of...
Today, music historian David Stubbs joins Nate to discuss his book “Future Sounds: The Story of Electronic Music from Stockhausen to Skrillex.” The discussion ranges from the first conceptual beginnings of electronic music in the European avant-garde to Stevie Wonder’s pioneering use of synths in the 70s to the conquest of the music world by EDM in the 21st Century. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
62 min
370
The Tragic Legend of Little Willie John
The most gifted of the original generation of soul singers, covered by Elvis and the Beatles, Little Willie John couldn't get out of his own way. Host Nate Wilcox gets the tragic tale from biographer Susan Whitall. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
65 min
371
The Rise & Fall of Phil Spector
In our first ever two hour episode, host Nate Wilcox interviews Mick Brown to get the story of Phil Spector, a man who had reached the pinnacle of the music world by age 23, went on to produce the Beatles and is now rotting in prison. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
121 min
372
Rod Stewart & the Faces: A Complicated Alliance
An interview with Andy Neill author of "Had Me A Real Good Time: The Faces Before During and After"
61 min
373
The Songs Jazz is Built On
In this episode, host Nate Wilcox and jazz enthusiast Ted Gioia review the quintessential artists and records in American jazz music and discuss the dynamic evolution of jazz with respect to other genres.
58 min
374
The Rolling Stones Road to Altamont
In this episode, author Stanley Booth and Nate Wilcox discuss Booth's experience with the Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour in the U.S., including their infamous concert at Altamont.
57 min
375
The Indie Underground of the 80's from Black Fl...
In this episode, Nate and author Michael Azerrad discuss hardcore punk and its popularity in the U.S. despite the genre's famed indifference to mass appeal and commercial success; this and other elements of the '80s underground indie scene are detailed in Azerrad's book, "Our Band Could Be Your Life".
56 min