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   Number 1: [EP 410] “What If You Woke Up a Rock Star?” with Charles Harvey

   What if you woke up one day as a rock star—but couldn’t play guitar? Author Charles Harvey joins Booked On Rock to discuss his novel Xylene X Band: A Fictionalized Chapter in the History of X Band, a story that mixes rock and roll, identity, ambition, relationships, and the pressures that come with success. The novel follows brilliant but troubled guitarist Joe Ecks, whose life takes an extraordinary turn when he wakes up believing he is Mike Smith—a Harvard graduate who knows nothing about being a rock star and, most importantly, doesn’t know how to play guitar.Charles reveals how a recurring nightmare about being handed a guitar and told to go onstage inspired the original story. We also explore one of the book’s central ideas: being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be happy doing it. Along the way, we discuss the psychology of Joe and Mike, the effect the transformation has on Joe’s wife Angie and the members of X Band, creativity versus technical talent, the darker side of the music business, ambition, success, and what happens when the career everyone thinks you should want becomes the very thing making you miserable.It’s a rock-and-roll story with a Twilight Zone-style premise, but underneath it is a question almost anyone can relate to: Are you living the life that actually makes you happy—or simply the life you’re good at?Purchase a copy of Xylene X Band: A Fictionalized Chapter in the History of X BandVisit the Xylene X Band Website----------🎧 Listen Ad-Free on PatreonSupport Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass.Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCKhttps://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCKBooked On Rock is part of The Boneless Podcasting Network BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: [email protected] The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

   September 03, 2026·35min
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   Number 2: [EP 409] Paul McCartney & Wings: Why 'London Town' Deserves Another Listen with Luca Perasi

   Paul McCartney and Wings entered one of their most adventurous periods with 'London Town', the atmospheric 1978 album featuring “With a Little Luck,” “London Town,” “I’m Carrying,” “Girlfriend,” and “Morse Moose and the Grey Goose.”Author Luca Perasi joins Booked On Rock to reveal how Wings recorded aboard a boat in the Virgin Islands, why Paul McCartney began incorporating synthesizers and electronic textures, and how his creative partnership with Denny Laine shaped the album. Luca also discusses the departures of Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English, the making and phenomenal success of “Mull of Kintyre,” and the unreleased fan favorite “Waterspout.” Was Wings still a genuine band—or had it become a vehicle for McCartney’s musical vision? Did contemporary critics underestimate the album? And does London Town deserve a more prominent place in the Wings catalogue?Luca’s book, Wings: London Town—The Story of an Adventurous Album, takes readers inside the songs, sessions and unusual circumstances behind one of McCartney’s most atmospheric and overlooked records. Purchase a copy of Wings: London Town. The Story of an Adventurous Album Visit L.I.L.Y. Publishing's website ----------🎧 Listen Ad-Free on PatreonSupport Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass.Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCKhttps://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCKBooked On Rock is part of The Boneless Podcasting Network BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: [email protected] The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

   September 01, 2026·46min
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   Number 3: [EP 412] Metallica: “Nobody Ever Figured They’d Get As Big As They Did” with Martin Popoff

   Metallica’s journey from underground thrash pioneers to the biggest metal band in the world is one of the most remarkable stories in rock history. In this episode of Booked On Rock, acclaimed rock author and historian Martin Popoff returns to discuss his new book, Metallica: Album by Album, and take a critical look at the records that defined—and sometimes divided—the band’s audience.We go album by album through Metallica’s career, from the raw aggression of Kill ’Em All and the breakthrough songwriting of Ride the Lightning to Master of Puppets, …And Justice for All, and the massive commercial transformation of 1991’s Metallica (The Black Album). Martin explains why he prefers Ride the Lightning to Master of Puppets, questions whether the Black Album deserves its towering reputation, and discusses how Cliff Burton’s death changed the band’s story.We also tackle the controversial Load and Reload era, Bob Rock’s influence, the much-maligned St. Anger, Metallica’s return to thrash on Death Magnetic, and the band’s later work on Hardwired… to Self-Destruct and 72 Seasons. Martin offers his takes on Lars Ulrich’s drumming, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield’s extraordinary riff writing, Metallica’s willingness to change, and whether some of those changes crossed the line into “selling out.”Plus, Martin reveals his picks for Metallica’s best and worst albums, most underrated and overrated records, best post-Black Album material, and the five songs he’d give someone discovering Metallica for the first time.If you’re a Metallica fan—or simply fascinated by how four musicians took thrash metal from the underground to stadiums around the world—this is a deep dive into more than four decades of Metallica history. Purchase a copy of Metallica: Album by AlbumVisit Martin Popoff's website----------🎧 Listen/Watch Ad-Free on PatreonSupport Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass.Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCKhttps://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCKBooked On Rock is part of The Boneless Podcasting Network BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: [email protected] The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

   September 08, 2026·1h 2min
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   Number 4: [EP 411] Paul Weller: The Ever-Changing Man with Kevin Sedelmeier

   Paul Weller has spent more than four decades refusing to stand still. From his rise with The Jam and the musical experimentation of The Style Council to an acclaimed solo career, Weller has continually reinvented his sound while remaining rooted in soul, R&B, mod culture, rock, and classic British songwriting.Author Kevin Sedelmeier joins Booked On Rock to discuss his book Paul Weller: Song by Song, exploring the stories, influences, and creative choices behind Weller’s solo catalog. We trace his remarkable comeback from having no record deal in the early ’90s through Wild Wood, Stanley Road, Heavy Soul, 22 Dreams, Wake Up the Nation, True Meanings, 66, Find El Dorado, and more. Kevin discusses Weller’s songwriting process, his willingness to experiment, the impact of sobriety and collaboration on his later work, and why he has never been interested in becoming a nostalgia act.We also explore the mystery of why Paul Weller never achieved the same level of success in America that he did in the UK, including the infamous moment when Jay Leno introduced him as “Peter Weller” on The Tonight Show. Ultimately, it’s the story of an artist who keeps asking the same question: What’s next?Purchase a copy of Paul Weller: Song by SongVisit Kevin Sedelmeier's website----------🎧 Listen/Watch Ad-Free on PatreonSupport Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass.Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCKhttps://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCKBooked On Rock is part of The Boneless Podcasting Network BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: [email protected] The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

   September 05, 2026·1h 6min
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   Number 5: [EP 407] Eagles: Inside the Chaotic Making of Hotel California with Sean Egan

   The Eagles’ Hotel California remains one of the most successful and mysterious albums in rock history—but its polished sound concealed a chaotic creative process. Rock historian Sean Egan, author of Eagles and Hotel California: 50 Years, reveals how Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and Randy Meisner created a defining album of the 1970s while wrestling with rivalry, perfectionism, cocaine, fame, and growing tension within the band.We explore the stories behind “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “New Kid in Town,” “Wasted Time,” and “The Last Resort,” including how the title track evolved from Don Felder’s instrumental demo into a timeless rock epic. Egan also discusses the unrealized Hotel California movie, the power struggle within the Eagles, and how extraordinary success ultimately helped pull the band apart.Purchase a copy of Eagles and Hotel California: 50 YearsVisit Sean Egan's website----------🎧 Listen Ad-Free on PatreonSupport Booked On Rock and get every new episode completely commercial-free with the Backstage Pass.Join here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BookedOnRock🛒 Old Glory - Iconic music and sports fan merch💰 Get 15% OFF | Promo Code: BOOKEDONROCKhttps://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCKBooked On Rock is part of The Boneless Podcasting Network BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: [email protected] The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

   August 23, 2026·47min
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