In a break with the regular show format, I’m bringing you a great conversation with legendary guitarist and bandleader Jimmy Vivino, backstage at the Conan, where he leads the Basic Cable Band. We taped this after our podcast on the classic ‘Super Session’ album (episode 122 of this show).

We talk about the origins and evolution of the Max Weinberg Seven (while Springsteen’s E Street Band were on hiatus) and its transformation into the Basic Cable Band, how he’s helped fellow “music head” Conan O’Brien develop as a guitarist during their 23 years of friendship, if he and Conan ever compete for rare guitars, how he looks back on the tumultuous split with NBC and how it reflects the changes in the music business.

We also chat about country music’s transformation into ‘AOR Rock’ and his concerns about the future of rock’n’roll, Jimmy tells a great Bill Monroe story from via Sam Bush, we discuss why music fans won’t let artists evolve, and why acoustic guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel makes him want to get a job at Starbucks.

Listen in the player above or download the episode by clicking here.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here or in other podcasting apps by copying/pasting our RSS feed -http://myfavoritealbum.libsyn.com/rss My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music. Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at [email protected].