Let It Roll EXTRA

Ed Ward and Nate Wilcox continue their discussion of Ed's book "⁠The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock⁠" with a look at 1967, the year of Monterey Pop, when the Beatles lost Brian Epstein and gained the Maharishi, Brian Wilson blew it and Otis Redding died.

Ed Ward and Nate Wilcox continue their discussion of Ed's book "⁠The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock⁠" with a look at rock & roll's second miracle year when America responded to the Beatles by blending folk and blues with rock & roll. They discuss how Michael Bloomfield electrified Bob D…

Ed Ward and Nate Wilcox kick off their discussion of Ed's book "⁠The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 2: 1964–1977: The Beatles, the Stones, and the Rise of Classic Rock⁠" with a look at The Beatles' conquest of America, the other British bands that followed in their wake and the American response headed up by Motown and James Brown.

Ed Ward and host Nate Wilcox fill in a gap in our discussion of his epic ⁠History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963,⁠ with a look at Bob Wills and Western Swing. We pick up the history of country music where we left off after the Carter Family & Jimmie Rodgers episode and carry on to the 1930s emergence of a distinctive genre in Texas: Western Swing and …

Ed Ward and host Nate Wilcox fill in a gap in our discussion of his epic ⁠History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963⁠ with a look at how African-American pop music transformed itself thru the swing era, the rise & fall of the blues queens, the thin line between jazz and blues, the first guitar heroes and the greatest American musical superstar you’ve prob…

Ed Ward and host Nate Wilcox fill in a gap in our discussion of his epic ⁠History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963⁠ by discussing the foundation of commercial country music and its first superstars, Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.

This episode is a prequel to last season that covers the period from 1920 to 1945. It’s a fun one as Ed Ward and Nate Wilcox talk rock and roll’s prehistory in the era of Victrolas, live radio, and swing bands. We talk about the first hit blues record, the first superstars of country music, and much more.

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward conclude their discussion of Ed’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠”History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ “⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with part two of 1963.

We’ll hear about about the Lebanese Restaurant that birthed surf music and saved Fender guitars, how Murray Wilson’s failed musical career laid the groundwork for his sons’ amazing success, how Columbia buried Bob Dylan’…

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠”History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ “⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with the first of two shows discussing 1963. This week we’ll be talking about how Berry Gordy perfected his Motown assembly line, Phil Spector and the wrecking crew, Roy Orbison’s operatic dramas, Patsy Cline’s final year, and how James Brown f…

Nate Wilcox and Ed Ward continue their discussion of Ed’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠”History of Rock & Roll 1920-1963⁠⁠⁠⁠ “⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a look at 1961 and 1962, years that are often written off as “the dark ages” of the first rock and roll era. As Ed Ward points out, “any time you’re a teenager is the best time for rock and roll!”