This is ALBUM CLASH: CIVIL WAR!! 

Yes, yes, I know it’s a few hours late again - really really sorry about that - things are somewhat hectic here at Clash towers at the moment.

Anyway, we start a new clash this week, and it’s the final clash in our ‘Civil War’ season, but with a slight twist as we take a look at a band who evolved into another band following the death of one of their founder members. Yes, you guessed it (or you probably just read the episode title) - it’s Joy Division vs New Order.

First up it’s Joy Division with their 1979 debut ‘Unknown Pleasures’ - an album which, while not a huge success on it’s release, has gone on to become one of the most influential albums of all time (with one of the most influential album covers of all time).

As ever we have a helluva lot to get through in today’s pod, some of it light hearted and whimsical, some of it much less so as we talk about the tragic death of frontman Ian Curtis. We also talk about the brilliance of Martin Hannet’s production, and how Joy Division were influenced by what came before (there’s a lot of Iggy Pop references in today’s pod) and also how they influenced not only their peers but continue to have an influence on bands in the 21st century.

In this week’s ‘can’t get you out of my head’ Kev tells us how he was earwormed with an early 90s pop banger by scrolling through Twitter (yes, it’s called Twitter and always will be), while Tim reveals how he serenades his dog in the course of her daily ablutions… 

Also this week:

***If you like what you've heard in this show, why not subscribe to the pod? You can also listen to our entire back catalogue (and with two weeks to wait between new episodes you frankly have no excuse not to). PLEASE tell your mates to check us out. Alternatively, if you think we're shite, tell your enemies to listen - we honestly don't care as long as we get those sweet sweet clicks. Finally, if you are so inclined, we would be incredibly grateful if you could give us a (preferably 5-star) rating and leave a review on whichever platform you get your pods. It makes it easier for others to find us and it means a hell of a lot. Thanks for listening!***

***Check out our ‘can’t get you out of my head’ playlist:

Youtube Music: https://t.co/xHKWgpcadA

Spotify: https://t.co/8Exejzv2rg

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter (@Clashalbum), Instagram (@Clahsalbum), Threads (@Clashalbum) or send us an email ([email protected]).***

This is ALBUM CLASH: CIVIL WAR!! 

We start a new clash this week as we welcome into the world of Album Clash everyone’s favourite diminutive folkster (well, everyone apart from Art Garfunkel anyway), Paul Simon. Entering the ring of death are two of Paul Simon’s most renowned solo albums, first up being his first album following the dissolution of folk’s most famous duo, his self titled effort from 1972.

As you, our loyal audience, have come to expect there’s a lot for us to cram into a little over 80 minutes, not least of all what brought about the end of Simon and Garfunkel, and how the seeds of the long-lasting and rancorous breakup were sown several years previously…

We also talk about the bold musical choices Paul Simon made in recording an album that would clearly signal his evolution from the Simon and Garfunkel days while at the same time retaining the essence of his folk roots, how those choices would pay off with both critical and commercial success, and how this album would set the template for his experimentation with musical influences from across the globe (which we will very much come back to in our next pod…).

In this week’s ‘can’t get you out of my head’ Tim and Kev both explain how they’ve been annoying their loved ones through the medium of appropriated pop songs.

Also this week:

***If you like what you've heard in this show, why not subscribe to the pod? You can also listen to our entire back catalogue (and with two weeks to wait between new episodes you frankly have no excuse not to). PLEASE tell your mates to check us out. Alternatively, if you think we're shite, tell your enemies to listen - we honestly don't care as long as we get those sweet sweet clicks. Finally, if you are so inclined, we would be incredibly grateful if you could give us a (preferably 5-star) rating and leave a review on whichever platform you get your pods. It makes it easier for others to find us and it means a hell of a lot. Thanks for listening!***

***Check out our ‘can’t get you out of my head’ playlist:

Youtube Music: https://t.co/xHKWgpcadA

Spotify: https://t.co/8Exejzv2rg

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter (@Clashalbum), Instagram (@Clahsalbum) or send us an email ([email protected]).***

Welcome to Album Clash! We start a new instalment in our 'ALBUM CLASH: CIVIL WAR' season this week, and we get into full on Dad rock mode by taking in the masters of chunky riffs, driving rhythms and gravelly vocals, AC/DC. And what a fascinating couple of albums we’ve picked, as we pit Bon Scott’s final appearance on ‘Highway to Hell’ with Brian Johnson’s debut on one of the most successful albums of all time, ‘Back in Black’.

First up it’s ‘Highway to Hell’, the 1979 album that would prove to be the band’s breakthrough and the album that would provide the platform for what was to come next. And in going through the album we learn about how an enforced change in the studio led to some family difficulty but also provided the impetus for the band to become one of the most well-drilled, cohesive units in rock. We also, of course, have the story of the tragic circumstances which led to AC/DC’s search for a new vocalist.

In ‘can’t get you out of my head’ Tim explains how an act of dog grooming led him to earworm himself with a 70s disco smoocher, before Kev makes a heartfelt and thought out tribute to a recently departed legend of the British Indie scene. Sort of…

Also this week we have all the usual nonsense and self-indulgent whimsy, including:

This. Is. ALBUM CLASH!!!

***If you like what you've heard in this show, why not subscribe to the pod? You can also listen to our entire back catalogue (and with two weeks to wait between new episodes you frankly have no excuse not to). PLEASE tell your mates to check us out. Alternatively, if you think we're shite, tell your enemies to listen - we honestly don't care as long as we get those sweet sweet clicks. Finally, if you are so inclined, we would be incredibly grateful if you could give us a (preferably 5-star) rating and leave a review on whichever platform you get your pods. It makes it easier for others to find us and it means a hell of a lot. Thanks for listening!***

***Check out our ‘can’t get you out of my head’ playlist:

Youtube Music: https://t.co/xHKWgpcadA

Spotify: https://t.co/8Exejzv2rg

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter (@Clashalbum), Instagram (@Clahsalbum) or send us an email ([email protected]).***

Welcome to Album Clash! We start a new season this week, and what a blessed relief it is to not have had to deliberately listen to terrible music. We are taking things in a slightly different direction for the next few pods, because instead of pitting two albums by different artists against each other we have decided that two albums by one legendary artist will go head to head inside the ring of death. And the name for this new season? Kev suggested ‘Clash of the Titans’ but Tim, not at all concerned that that name might infringe on the title of a much more popular podcast, proposed the infinitely better ‘ALBUM CLASH: CIVIL WAR!’

And what a way to start our civil war season, as we go through the disintegration of the most successful band of all time by plotting our way through the Beatles’ final two albums, ‘Let it Be’ and ‘Abbey Road’.

First up it’s ‘Let it Be’ - yes, we know it was released last but it was recorded first so it makes more sense this way - and, as will be no surprise whatsoever, it’s something of a long pod this week. Although to be fair we do manage to pretty much get through the entirety of the ‘Get Back’ documentary in a little over 90 minutes, so frankly I think we deserve a little credit.

Yep, there’s loads or us to get into, as we talk about how Paul McCartney’s idea to help the band rediscover the joys of playing together after the claustrophobia of the White Album sessions was to bring everyone together to write, rehearse record and perform a full album in less than three weeks. All while being recorded by a team of documentary film makers. Hmm, can’t think why that didn’t work, can you?

You know the story, but it’s worth re-telling because frankly it’s utter madness. From suggestions of playing to a live audience in the Libyan desert, to George Harrison deciding Yoko sitting on his amp was the final straw, to the guys decamping to the roof of the Apple Corps headquarters on Savile Row for their final ever public performance. It’s absolutely fascinating. And that’s before we even get to the story of who gets the producer credit for the album…

We also have another instalment of ‘can’t get you out of my head’, in which Kev utters a random agglomeration of words that may or may not be an actual song, before Tim pays tribute to a sadly departed legend.

Also also this week:

This. Is. ALBUM CLASH!!!

***If you like what you've heard in this show, why not subscribe to the pod? You can also listen to our entire back catalogue (and with two weeks to wait between new episodes you frankly have no excuse not to). PLEASE tell your mates to check us out. Alternatively, if you think we're shite, tell your enemies to listen - we honestly don't care as long as we get those sweet sweet clicks. Finally, if you are so inclined, we would be incredibly grateful if you could give us a (preferably 5-star) rating and leave a review on whichever platform you get your pods. It makes it easier for others to find us and it means a hell of a lot. Thanks for listening!***

***Check out our ‘can’t get you out of my head’ playlist:

Youtube Music: https://t.co/xHKWgpcadA

Spotify: https://t.co/8Exejzv2rg

Enjoy!

Find us on Twitter (@Clashalbum), Instagram (@Clahsalbum) or send us an email ([email protected]).***