A teenage summertime love affair with a foreign exchange student was the inspiration for this song by Wishbone Ash. Though overlooked in the US, Wishbone Ash reached #3 on the UK charts with the album "Argus", which features "Blowin' Free". Wishbone Ash's twin lead guitar sound would inspire many band that followed.

Introducing a new segment of the podcast - "Creation & Evolution", where we explore songs that travelled a long & winding road before they reached their final version. In this episode, we trace the history of a song that started from a phone call with Farrah Fawcett and ended up as Gladys Knight's biggest hit.

Everybody knows "Baker Street"-- even if you don't know the artist's name or the song title, you probably know that sax riff. But there's more to Gerry Rafferty than "Baker Street" (or "Stuck In The Middle", for that matter). Here's an incredibly moving song that's every bit as good as his biggest hits.

Jeff Beck was the guitar player's guitar player. Ask the great guitar players who they thought was the best, and chances are they'll name Jeff Beck. His playing was in a state of perpetual reinvention, always evolving & improving. No mere technician, he was a master of emotion. When Jeff passed away in 2023, we lost a musical giant. On this, our 150th episode, we pay tribute to Jeff by looking back at his 50+ year career, highlighting some of his finest moments.

You may not know her name, but I guarantee you've heard her voice. When acts as diverse as Graham Nash, Peter Gabriel and KLF are in need of a soulful vocal, PP Arnold has been a top choice. Her voice has graced dozens of songs & albums for over 50 years, though she's never had a hit under her own name in the US. On this episode, we take a breif look at her career and examine a great lost track, featuring Eric Clapton and the Derek & The Dominos band, recorded in 1970 but didn't see the light of day until 47 years later.

"Dead End Street" marked a shift in Ray Davies' songwriting. His songs began to take on a more UK-specific focus. And if not political, it was at least more socially pointed, as he sings about an out-of-work, impoverished couple who wonder, "What are we living for?" 50+ years on, many still ask that same question.

Television came out of the CBGB's scene in New York (in fact, they were the first rock band to play the legendary club), but they never fit the "Punk" or "New Wave" label. They were unique, which is why their debut album "Marquee Moon" sounds timeless, as fresh today as the day it was released in 1977. Fronted by two great guitarists-- the mercurial Richard Lloyd and the enigmatic Tom Verlaine, who also provided unorthodox vocals and most of the songwriting-- Television would influence generations of bands that followed. Though they never achieved commercial success, "Marquee Moon" regularly appears on virtually every "Greatest Albums Of All Time" list. On this episode, we explore the track that opens the album, "See No Evil".

It's never a recipe for making great art when you're under pressure to deliver an album to a rival record label due to contractual obligations... though Jimi Hendrix was never satisfied with the result, the Band Of Gypsys album became a very influential album and remains a favorite among Jimi fans and guitar players of all stripes. On this episode, we journey back to New Years 1970 to explore "Message of Love" from this legendary album.

This year's Bonus Holiday Episode features a lost Soul classic: Clarence Reid's "Winter Man". We'll just kick back and listen to this vintage soul nugget, as well as saying thanks to all of you for listening. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Spirit had big ambitions for their 4th album, "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus", but when the album was released, it didn't fare well on the charts, and even received some bad reviews. In the end, though, the band was proven right. "Twelve Dreams…" would go on to become their best-selling album, and critical opinion of the album has shifted so much that it's often included on "Best Albums of the 1970's" lists. On this episode, we explore one of the signature tracks from this album, "Mr. Skin".

Pete Townshend’s 3rd solo album was a divisive record; many critics called it pretentious, over-thought, and an "ambitious failure". But in contains at least two Townshend masterpieces, including “The Sea Refuses No River”, a song with deep spiritual meaning to Townshend. This episode, we explore this eloquent, graceful classic.

When it comes to boundaries, Fanny faced them all: racial, gender & sexual discrimination were all obstacles that stood in their way. Fanny may be forgotten by many today, but they were one of the most important all-female bands in rock history, paving the way for groups like The Go-Go's, Bangles, and The Runaways. It's time to acknowledge the groundbreaking history made by these 4 women and the great music they left behind.

Vinyl records have made quite a comeback in recent years, entrancing new listeners and old fans all over again. "In The Groove" is a brand-new book, hot off the press, that's a celebration of the vinyl record and the artwork & technology that surround it, as well as the record stores and dedicated fans that have built a community around buying, collecting and listening to them. On this episode, I'm joined by the man who put the book together, Dennis Pernu, to discuss this beautiful tome that should be on every fan's bookshelf.

Welcome to our 2nd Annual Halloween episode! This time we're exploring the gory details of "D.O.A." by Bloodrock, one of the most gruesome songs to ever make the charts. In predictable fashion, a song almost designed to get banned from radio & freak out your parents in the '70's, the song became a Top 40 hit.

Bettye LaVette is the epitome of perseverance. She cut her first record in 1962 at the age of 16, but it took over 40 years before she received the recognition and respect she deserved. In between, she weathered every injustice that the music business threw at her. But she never gave up, she never stopped working, she never stopped singing... in fact, she just got better. Bettye is more than just a singer; she's an interpreter who can transform any song into something new & special. On this episode, we focus on a track from her 2007 album "The Scene of the Crime", and trace the path that brought her to this album-- one of my all-time favorites.

Keyboardist Barry Andrews was out and new guitarist Dave Gregory came onboard for XTC's 3rd album, "Drums And Wires", as the band's sound palette expanded. Written & sung by bassist Colin Moulding, "Making Plans For Nigel" became XTC's first big hit. This episode, we explore the production, performance and the origin of this XTC classic.

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Bill Nelson combined Prog Rock, Glam and Art Rock into the unique sound that was Be-Bop Deluxe. They were musically adventurous, but always maintained a strong sense of melody and a memorable hook or two, as evidenced by this track from their 3rd album "Sunburst Finish", released in 1976. Let's explore the "Sleep That Burns".

In the late 1980's, Paul McCartney took a shot at writing some songs with Elvis Costello. The ultimate result was a set of 15 songs, some of them never seeing the light of day until years later. But "Back On My Feet" was the first song that was released, buried as a B-side on the "Once Upon A Long Ago" single. It deserved better. Here, we explore the song in detail and shine a light on this overlooked gem.

Black Sabbath were at a standstill when it came time to make their 5th album. The ideas just weren't coming to guitarist Tony Iommi, and without his massive guitar riffs… well, there just wasn't any Black Sabbath. Weeks were wasted in the studio until he stumbled onto the riff that became "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", and then they were off to the races. That song became the opening cut from the album that would bear its name; and the song that would bring that album to a close is "Spiral Architect", one of the most epic songs the band ever produced. On this episode, we explore the making of this album along with an examination of one of their most ambitious tracks, "Spiral Architect".

Queen were at the top of their game and weren’t resting on their laurels when they released “Somebody To Love” as a single in 1976. Building on the layered vocals they pioneered on “Bohemian Rhapsody” the year before, “Somebody To Love” was inspired by Freddie’s love for Aretha Franklin. On this episode, we examine the various elements of this outstanding track.

Never heard of Starbelly? You should have. But it's not your fault. There was a bit of a resurgence of "power pop" bands in the late-90's/early 2000's that generated a lot of GREAT albums, but for some inexplicable reason, not much commercial breakthrough (Fountains Of Wayne being one of the few exceptions). Starbelly's debut album "Lemon Fresh" was simply brilliant, and it's one of my favorite records. On this episode, we dive into "This Time", the song that opens this album, along with a special guest to tell the story-- Cliff Hillis, Starbelly guitarist & vocalist who played on this album.

On this episode, we pay a little tribute to the great Tina Turner, with an exploration of the song she wrote about her humble beginnings in a little town called Nutbush, TN. Join us on a journey down Highway 19 to visit “Nutbush City Limits”.

When The Shazam tumbled out of Nashville in 1994, they should've landed as one of the biggest rock bands in America. Instead, they merely left us with 5 fantastic albums of hard-rocking power pop that lodged them on my list of all-time favorite bands. If you've never heard them before, here's your chance to discover their greatness with a song called "On The Airwaves" - officially certified one of the Coolest Songs In The World.

Gary Moore was never a household name, but among guitar players, he was a legend. He reinvented himself multiple times over his 40-year career: first as a hard-rocker with Thin Lizzy, then a jazzy prog-rocker with Colosseum in the 70’s; pioneering a modern heavy-metal sound in the 80’s, and playing the blues in the ‘90’s. On this episode, we delve into a track from his 1987 Celtic-flavored hard rock album, “Wild Frontier”.

Thin Lizzy is known for their hard rockin’ songs and their trailblazing twin guitar sound, but vocalist/bassist/songwriter Phil Lynott had an ear for melody, a way with words, and could write a damn fine pop song when he wanted. “Dancing In The Moonlight” has everything you want in a great Thin Lizzy song: fantastic guitar playing, wonderful lyrics, and Lynott’s one-of-a-kind voice—he could sound tough as nails, but sensitive & vulnerable, too. Let’s give this one a spin.