From Jam Band Roots to Arena Rock Titans: Diving into Journey's 50-Year Odyssey with Ultimate Classic Rock Editor, Nick DeRiso

Between 1978 and 1986, Journey ruled the airwaves. Multi-platinum albums, chart-topping singles, and packed arenas were their norm. But then, silence. A decade went by with little to no band activity. In 1996, Journey roared back with "Trial By Fire," boasting a #1 Adult Contemporary hit in "When You Love a Woman." However, touring plans were delayed by Steve Perry's hip injury. Undeterred, Journey replaced Perry with Steve Augeri, navigating a new era -- one that, surprisingly, saw another frontman change with Arnel Pineda taking the mic after Augeri's vocal struggles.

In this episode of Planet LP, host Ted Asregadoo welcomes author Nick DeRiso to dissect his deep dive into Journey's history: Journey: Worlds Apart (Time Passages). DeRiso unveils the band's origins as a Santana spin-off, where their early records leaned more towards jam band vibes than the arena rock they'd become known for. He also delves into the post-Perry period, exploring how Journey has kept the music alive for a whopping 50 years.

Celebrate the grand finale of 2023 with episode 91 from Planet LP! Join your host, Ted Asregadoo, and Popdose writer Keith Creighton as they take a retrospective glance at the year's standout albums. Keith recently unveiled his curated list, "An Aging Hipster's Top 50 Albums of 2023," on Popdose. However, as Ted unveils his picks, it becomes evident that their musical tastes are diverse and unique.

Ted and Keith bring insightful commentary about the following artists as they countdown their top albums of 2023:

Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo welcomes the founders of Popdose, Jeff Giles and Jason Hare to talk about holiday music. Jeff and Jason were the brains behind a long-running series on Popdose called Mellowmas. If you've ever watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, you'll love Jeff and Jason's snarky take on some of the worst Christmas and holiday-themed music released. The series ran for about 10 years and almost extinguished the love Jeff had for Christmas music. But, Jason seemingly never tires of it.

In the first segment, the guys talk about the genesis of Mellowmas, how it migrated from their blogs to Popdose, how it evolved, and why they decided to end the series. The series got so popular that they had two theme songs written for it. One was by Alan O'Day, whose big hit, "Undercover Angel" went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. The other theme song was written by fellow Popdose writer and all-around creative genius, Terje Fjelde. Ted also surprises Jeff and Jason with an AI-generated audiobook reading of a portion of Mellowmas post with Jeff as Santa Claus and Jason as Fin, a vaguely Irish-accented fella. Finally, what "Mellowmas" would be complete without a painfully extended version of "Wonderful Christmastime" and bleating sheep in the holiday classic, "Silent Night."

Segment two is about unironically loving certain holiday songs. The guys each feature five of their favorites that they don't get tired of. And look here's a playlist of them!

Geddy Lee, the vocalist and bassist for the iconic progressive rock band Rush, shares his life story in his memoir "My Effin' Life." From his childhood in Toronto, where he faced bullying and found solace in music, to his lifelong musical partnership with guitarist Alex Lifeson (Alex Lifeson), Lee recounts his journey with honesty and humor.

Lee's memoir delves into his early life as Gershon Weinrib, the son of Holocaust survivors. He describes his struggles in school and his eventual decision to drop out to pursue his dream of becoming a rock musician. Along the way, he meets Lifeson, and together they form Rush, a band that would go on to achieve legendary status.

The memoir also touches on the passing of Neil Peart, Rush's drummer, who died in 2020. Lee reflects on their friendship and the profound impact Peart had on his life and music.

Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo, a longtime Rush fan, provides a detailed and personal review of Lee's memoir, offering insights and anecdotes that resonate with fellow Rush enthusiasts.

Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo and Popdose writer Keith Creighton are inching closer to the end of the year with the November New Music Report. This episode is jam-packed with some stellar music recommendations just in time for the holidays.

Segment One:  The Big Album

It’s Prince! Known at various times as The Purple One, Christopher, His Royal Badness, The Artist, or Jamie Starr, Prince was at the top of his game between 1980 and 1987 with an impressive music output that few in the music world could match. Why? Because of The Vault. A prolific writer, Prince vaulted roughly 8,000 songs. 

In 1991, after a series of lackluster albums, Prince released “Diamonds and Pearls” with his new backing band, the New Power Generation. The result was his fifth (and final) #1 hit in the US with “Cream,” a #3 hit with the title track, and two top 20 hits with “Gett Off” and Money Don’t Matter 2 Night.” Overall, “Diamonds and Pearls” was an absolute commercial success for Prince.  

On October 27, 2023, Sony released a super deluxe version with three CDs of vaulted tracks, a double live album, a remaster of the original record, and a disc with singles and different mixes. That’s a lot of music, and Ted and Keith break it all down into digestible bits to highlight what's brilliant about the super deluxe edition, what's good, and what misses the mark.  

Segment Two: New Music Releases 

The Transcanada Highwaymen’s “Explosive Hits Vol #1 is mostly a carefully curated album of cover songs popular in the 1970s. These are Mellow and Radio Gold songs sung by a supergroup consisting of Moe Berry from The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy from Sloan, Craig Morthey from Odds, and Steven Page formerly of the Barenaked Ladies, but has gone on to a fantastic solo career. Featured songs include their cover of Andy Kim’s “Rock Me Gently, and “Which Way You Goin’ Billy” by The Poppy Family. Samples of both songs are embedded in this episode. 

Lol Tolhurst (former drummer from The Cure), Budgie (from Siouxsie & The Banshees), and producer Jackknife Lee have created a cinematic mindscrew of an album entitled “Los Angles.” 

Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark are back with what will likely be the final album of their career, and boy what a way to go out!  Nowhere on the record are songs that sound like their biggest US hit, “If You Leave.” Rather, as Keith says, this is a soundtrack for the end of the world. Ted compares “Bauhaus Staircase” to Tears for Fears’ “The Tipping Point” for its strength, its familiarity at times, and the satisfying way it’s all put together. 

Duran Duran is back with Dance Macabre, a Halloween-theme mashup of covers, updated obscure deep cuts, and some originals. Also, guitarist Andy Taylor returns to the group, and so does the drummer of 17 years with the band, Warren Cuccrullo. 

If you want to go on a journey with a musician who is a bit of an acquired taste, give Christian Kjellvander a try. “Hold Your Love Still” may not be for everyone, but once you become familiar with Kjellvander’s voice, you’ll find this record mesmerizing — as you will hear. 

Nat Jay’s latest EP, “Turns Out It’s Not The End” is one of Keith’s favorites this year. Comparing her to an outlier star to Taylor Swift’s galaxy-consuming supernova, Jay’s song “Something More” could have been included in the new Hunger Games soundtrack — and you’ll be able to hear why. 

Shplang! has been on the music scene for almost three decades, and is part of the International Pop Overthrow scene. Their latest song, “Understood” is featured in this episode. 

Segment Three: Stream It Before You Buy It

Quick hit recommendations.<

In the November 2023 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, there's a big takedown of rock music by the current generation of music writers who work for the publication. The editor, Noah Shachtman, writers Latonia Davis, Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, and Althea Legaspi all call out co-founder of Rolling Stone Jann Wenner for his stupid comments in the New York Times about women and black folks not being articulate or philosophers of rock worthy of inclusion in his book, The Masters: Conversations with Dylan, Lennon, Jagger, Townshend, Garcia, Bono, and Springsteen. Words like "problematic," "accountable," "boys' club," and "exclusion" were peppered into the criticism of Wenner.

The writers are correct.

Rock music from the 60s to the 2000s has been an exclusive club that favored straight white men by elevating their creations as worthy of attention to the exclusion of others. We live in a world where we can't cleanse the past like a Maoist cultural revolution. But even with 99 problems of rock music, there's no denying the cultural significance of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles in the history of rock.

Both bands have released new to newish music into the world this year, and "Planet LP" host Ted Asregadoo offers up his views not only on rock music but also on The Rolling Stones and The Beatles' latest releases. He also brings in his family to react to the song "Now and Then" — and the results of this roundtable of sorts are mixed.

Popdose writer Keith Creighton pops in for a visit with Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo to talk about new music releases for October. But that's not all! In the first segment, Ted and Keith chat about Taylor Swift's new concert film and how her deal with AMC has been a one woman stimulus program for the movie industry.

In the second segment, the discussion turns to new music by the likes of:

Volk

Nat Jay

Your Future Ghost

Laura Jane Grace

The Jack Rubies

boygenius

The Rolling Stones

Chris Shiflett

Duff McKagan

Guji (Download the EP from Bandcamp while you can).

As well as quick-hit mentions of Kylie Minogue, Paul Rodgers, The Replacements, Talking Heads, and Devo!

In this episode of the Planet LP podcast, host Ted Asreagdoo and Popdose writer Keith Creighton are joined by Robin Taylor Zander (RTZ), known for his work as a rhythm guitarist in the legendary rock band Cheap Trick. The conversation revolves around Robin's highly anticipated first solo album, "The Distance," which was released in April 2023. Produced by the acclaimed Jack Douglas, the album has garnered positive reviews from music critics.

During the discussion, Robin shares insights into the creative process behind "The Distance," revealing that many of the songs were written years ago. He also delves into the profound influence his father, Robin Wayne Zander (co-founder and lead singer of Cheap Trick), had on his lifelong passion for music.

Join us as we explore the captivating journey of Robin Taylor Zander, his musical heritage, and his experience of crafting the album, "The Distance."

The conversation continues between Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo and Popdose writer Keith Creighton about new music releases for September 2023. This is part two of the New Music Report and in this episode, Ted and Keith talk about the latest releases from the following:

The Coral

Nation of Language

Robin Taylor Zander

Andy Taylor (from Duran Duran)

Demi Lovato

The Who

Fences

Trans-Canada Highwaymen

Also, some deep talk about Rolling Stone magazine and how sometimes the music industry is summed up by Andy Taylor's album title: "Man's a Wolf to Man."

The new releases have come so fast and furious that we need two episodes to talk about them. Popdose writer Keith Creighton is back with the Popdose New Music Report for September. Keith and Planet LP host Ted Asregadoo not only discusses new music, but also talk about the MTV Video Music Awards, the generational nature of pop music, and issues former Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner has with musicians who don't fit his definition of "masters" of their craft.

The second segment is all about new music and big reissues! Featured artists include:

Orbis Max

Dolph Chaney

Marvin Gaye

Maren Morris

Olivia Rodrigo

Madison Beer

Cindy Wilson

Steven Wilson

Best Ex

K. Flay

The Pretenders

Playlist from Episode 83 on Apple Music: