OK, so we’ve got a thing for the cowbell. Or maybe that was just Phil. In any case, the under-appreciated cowbell gets the most love it’s had since Christopher Walken’s fever.

We talked about:

* the history and distinctive sound of the cowbell

* the heyday of the cowbell in 70s rock

* syncopated vs. straight rhythms

* the Song Talk Radio outtro music (written and performed by our very own Phil Emery!)

* an interesting 5 minutes on the cowbell, courtesy of NPR’s All Things Considered

Listen to the show:

The example songs:

Other songs that feature the cowbell: