The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

By the mid-70s, Jeff Beck was a bit of an enigma. He started out as a blues player in The Yardbirds replacing Eric Clapton and sharing the stage for few shows with Jimmy Page. Then he formed The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart as his lead singer and Ronnie Wood on the bass where the band tried to be more commercial. He created one of the great power trios with Beck, Bogert and Appice and while they were a strong live draw, they didn't get a lot of radio play. By 1975 Jeff, who was never one to stay still musically, decided to put together his first Jeff Beck album. Instead of blues and hard rock based riffs he melded with Max Middleton on piano who helped write the songs, Phil Chen on the bass, and Richard Bailey to create some jazzy jams that allowed everyone to shine.

However, he also had help from heavyweights George Martin, who produced the album as he did The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder, who wrote a couple of songs for Jeff including the sublime Cause We Ended As Lovers. It may have originally been a bittersweet song for his wife Syreeta but Jeff makes it his own by laying emotional guitar over over the mellow notes. And Jeff shows off his jazzy abilities on songs like Constipated Duck (great title), space funk on AIR blower, frenetic playing on Scatterbrain and one of his real signatures, Freeway Jam. Many of these became live staples of his for decades and the album not only went to #4 in the US but sold platinum despite the fact that there are no vocals on the album. With room to explore, Jeff led this group on a fun, experimental and tight journey to create a guitar masterpiece which is more jazz than rock.

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By 1985, Eric Clapton's storied career seemed to be flaming out. The Rock God status he'd attained in the 60s with The Yardbirds and Cream and maintained as a solo artist in the 70s had started to wane thanks to inconsistent records, drugs and alcohol. His previous record, Money and Cigarettes, lacked hits and failed to go gold - his first for Warner Brothers. Needing a success in the days of MTV and synthesizers, he turned to Phil Collins who had the magic touch at this time (listen to UAWIL 220 on No Jacket Required). And though they had fun in Montserrat recording the album, all was not well.

Eric was slowly but surely breaking up with Pattie Hanson - his wife, the inspiration for Layla and former wife of George Harrison. You can hear his lament on songs like Just Like A Prisoner and the title track. Despite the emotion he may have put into the tracks, Warner Bros weren't happy. So they teamed him up with one of their songwriters, Jerry Lynn Williams, and Van Halen producer Ted Templeman to craft a couple of hits in LA. The single Forever Man did top the mainstream rock charts in the US and helped the album go platinum. But Clapton seems uneasy with some of the synthesizer work and the songs written by others. Nonetheless, this record did bring him some needed success and attention which would lead to bigger achievements in the late 80s, the early 90s and beyond. Released March 11, 1985, we thought this one is an interesting inflection point in Clapton's catalog and worthy of a look as it turns 40.

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In 1985, Phil Collins could do no wrong. His album No Jacket Required would eventually hit the top spot in the US and the UK. He'd also have the top album and top song on both sides of the Atlantic. He won a Grammy for Against All Odds (which would hit #1), his duet with Philip Bailey, Easy Lover, was a smash hit around the world and hit duet with Marilyn Martin, Separate Lives, would also go to #1. And after a world tour to support his 25 million selling album No Jacket Required, he played Live Aid in London with Sting and then jumped the Concorde to make it to the US and played RFK with Eric Clapton and a reunited Led Zeppelin. Plus he was on Miami Vice. The man was unstoppable.

As No Jacket Required turns 40, we decided to analyze it track by track. Though Collins proved he could navigate the mid-80s recording styles without getting too cheesy on tracks like Sussudio and Inside Out, there are others that aren't great given the strength of the hits like Only You and I Know and I Don't Wanna Know. The album would sell over 12 million in the US alone thanks to hits like Sussudio and the video for Take Me Home not only gave him clout as a bonafide international star but also kept the album selling well into 1986. Phil has received a lot of backlash in latter days due to the fact that he was everywhere in the 80s - chart topping with every Genesis album, every solo record, every duet or movie soundtrack song, every tour, every TV appearance, every music video. Does he deserve the criticism he gets or did he just make the most of his opportunities he was given? We debate that and more on this surely to be divisive episode.

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On Part 2 of our track x track review of Physical Graffiti as it turns 50, we review the 2nd LP/CD. While there is little in the world of rock music that can stand up to the first LP/CD, the second is more eclectic and shows the real breadth of all Led Zeppelin could do vs. more one dimensional bands at the time. In The Light is an epic that builds to joyous uplift. Sick Again shows Jimmy's slide skills were among the best of his generation while Bron-Yr-Aur shows the quieter acoustic side of Jimmy and great change of pace which leads to a bittersweet Down By The Seaside. Lyrically the boys get a little political with Night Flight, remember relationships from their youth Ten Years Gone and illuminate the LA groupie scene on Sick Again.

Because they needed at least 25 minutes of material after their 1974 recording session at Headley Grange (where they recorded part Led Zeppelin IV), they dusted off and cleaned up some songs from previous recording sessions. Some were acoustic numbers that Jimmy electrified like Down By The Seaside and Ten Years Gone. All the songs give all four members of the band a chance to shine and they even enjoy a roadhouse jam with Ian Stewart on Boogie With Stu.

The second disc on Physical Graffiti may not be the best. Many of the tracks would never make it on a single album. But double albums have deep tracks and the ones where the boys get away from their heavy riffs and blues based badassery are cool outliers in the Zeppelin catalog. And the heavy riffs from Jimmy Page are amazing. We love it!

HAPPY 50TH PHYSICAL GRAFFITI!

#physicalgraffiti50

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Though there has been lots of timeless music made over the years, punk music was the most tied to a certain time as any genre. The enormous explosion that was The Sex Pistols, the band who embodied the punk genre more than any other band, ended just as quickly in early 1978. After a media hyped tour of the US, where Malcolm McLaren had them play small venues in the midwest to encourage outrage, the band had been through enough and were done. Johnny Rotten announced on stage that the band was breaking up and a year later Sid Vicious died. For several generations since, The Pistols are mythic figures with one album, legends of chaos and a few video clips.

But in 1978 Amy Linden, veteran rock writer and co-host of the Immaletyoufinish Podcast, was a 19 year old living the dream in San Francisco. She'd wanted to see The Sex Pistols at the Winterland Ballroom January 14, 1978 but tickets sold out instantly. Fortunately the night before an industry player hooked her up with tickets and she not only went to the show but even hit the backstage after party.

Amy, who's written about, lived with and survived punk bands for decades, talks about the immediacy of the show and how mesmerizing Johnny Rotten was to behold in all his nasty glory. We dive into the performance and atmosphere but we let Amy guide us through parts of her cool life. Her first Pistols show was their last and it changed her life forever. Great stories from a badass punk rock chick!

Hear Amy weekly on the IMMALETYOUFINISH Podcast

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1975, Led Zeppelin were at the height of their rock god power. They'd made 5 albums that sold off the charts, especially in the US where they enjoyed the fruits of their labors on the Sunset Strip. They were a top touring act that could fill arenas and stadiums with four of the best individual musicians in any band. They founded Swan Song Records to not only handle their own records but even signed acts like Bad Company and Detective to the label. So after some time off they headed back to Headley Grange where they'd recorded for Led Zeppelin III & IV in early 1974 to lay down some tracks.

The results were among the heaviest, funkiest, longest, most epic and groovy songs in the Zeppelin catalog. But because they made more than 1 LP's worth of material, they decided to dust off a few tunes from previous sessions, rework them and fit them all into what would be Zeppelin's only double album, Physical Graffiti. The first album to ship platinum in the US, it would eventually go 16x platinum (but only 2x platinum in the UK). Hitting #1 on both sides of the Atlantic, it's too epic for just one episode. So we've divided into LP/CD one on this episode and UAWIL 219 will go in depth on LP/CD 2.

The first disc of Physical Graffiti is an extraordinary album on its own. From the riff & groove of Custard Pie, maybe the best opening track on an LZ album, to the epic and otherworldly Kashmir the boys flex and stretch like they hadn't before. Jimmy Page is at his best laying down killer slide on In My Time Of Dying, riffing out on The Rover and leading the boys in jams on Trampled Under Foot. John Paul Jones is killer on the bass and the clavinet which give different textures to the tunes. John Bonham is at his thunderous best while his mate Robert Plant still had the range and emotion that made him a legend.

Going track x track and watching some old Zeppelin footage from Earls Court 1975 and Knebworth 1979 reminds us that we missed one of the greatest bands to walk the Earth and they should be celebrated. Part 2 will be episode 218 out soon!

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Vision Quest was released in theaters February 15, 1985. Based on a book that was hot in the young adult space, it featured a young Matthew Modine as Loudon Swain - a high school wrestler from Spokane, Washington who is looking to accomplish something big in his life. While the movie had limited appeal beyond teenagers (it only grossed $13 million), cable TV and video rental stores gave the movie continued life among teenagers for many years. A big reason it continued to draw 80s teens and carry such strong nostalgia today is the soundtrack. Put together by John Kalodner for Geffen Records, it featured some of the hottest pop and rock artists of the day and sold over 1 million copies in the US.

Madonna, who was hot off her Like A Virgin Tour, contributes two songs - the unreleased as a single in the US Gambler and mega hit Crazy For You - and she had a cameo in the film singing them both. Journey offered Only The Young from the Frontiers sessions and the video, like Crazy For You, featured scenes from the film, helping the singles sell big numbers. Those two songs along with Red Rider's Lunatic Fringe set the tone for the film and make the songs and movie so intertwined. Some songs from bands like The Style Council, Don Henley and Dio might be overlooked as background music to certain scenes, songs like Change by John Waite (written by the legend Holly Knight) and Lunatic Fringe really keep you energized and engaged in Loudon's quest to drop 22 pounds and beat the unbeatable Shute on the wrestling mat. You have the tender Crazy For You for the romantic scenes, Journey for the training scenes and lots of rock and pop royalty. Even great songs by Berlin, Quarterflash and REO Speedwagon were left off the soundtrack but appear in the movie, including some solid work by Tangerine Dream.

Maybe we like this film because as two former teenage boys, we could relate to what this guy was going through. But we continue to like the soundtrack because it had killer songs (with a couple of clunkers) that stand the test of time and play a huge role in the film.

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Jimmy Page was in rough shape by the end of Led Zeppelin. His addictions had ravaged his body and he didn't contribute nearly as much to 1979's In Through The Out Door as he did all previous Zeppelin records. After the death of John Bonham, Jimmy fulfilled his obligations to release Coda, provided the soundtrack to Death Wish 2 as a favor to his neighbor and embarked on a brief fundraiser tour with lots of legends - The ARMS Tour. But he hadn't been very creative and wasn't keeping himself in match shape. After spending some time with his Swan Song brother Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), he concocted a plan to put together a new supergroup for the 80s. WIth Rodgers handling vocal and primary songwriter duties, Jimmy also enlisted Chris Slade (Tom Jones, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, AC/DC, UAWIL #91 guest) and "The Fretless Monster" Tony Franklin who he worked with on Roy Harper's album Whatever Happened to Jugula?

This powerful lineup was to be the vehicle that would rejuvenate Jimmy Page and put him back on the road to superstardom. However, Page's contributions weren't what fans had come to expect from the guitar hero and it seemed that Jimmy was a bit out of place in a world dominated by MTV. Single Radioactive was an AOR hit and showcased a bit of what the band could do, ultimately helping their self-titled debut to gold status in the US. But most of the album is uneven and Page isn't showing up with the killer solos that were his calling card. However, Tony Franklin is an absolute monster on this record, filling in the gaps that Page leaves between his flourishes and playing well off the ever steady Slade. While Rodgers vocals are as strong as ever, his songwriting doesn't quite live up to the standard of his previous bands. It was a solid debut which led to a strong sophomore effort in Mean Business (1986) but because it celebrates it's 40th on February 11, 2025, we thought we'd take a hard look at The Firm and why it didn't hit the heights we all hoped it would

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Van Halen is one of the most legendary rock acts in history. With 2 diamond selling records (Van Halen, 1984) the band was popular enough to withstand switching out a charismatic lead singer in the mid-eighties and go on to have even bigger success on the charts (all 4 Sammy Hagar led Van Halen albums went to #1 in the US). After For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge spawned several big hits, a huge tour and a killer live album, fans were anxious to see what the boys would come up with next. However, after the influence of grunge (blech) had taken hold of the industry and the band did it's best to move forward through adversity (the death of their manager and Eddie's struggle with alcohol and his attempt at sobriety among other things) things were not all well in the Van Halen camp. And it bleeds into their 10th album and final with Sammy Hagar (and for the most part Michael Anthony) Balance.

From the offputting cover, the heavy themed lyrics and one quarter of the tracks being instrumentals, this album is not very popular with the diehards. Having a big international hit with Can't Stop Lovin' You was big for the band but was perceived as a bit soft to the hard rock fans and passe even to big fans of the Sammy years. Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) is Sammy's take on Kurt Cobain taking his own life and is heavier than most Van Halen fare. While there are some standouts like Aftershock and moments of greatness that harken back to the heyday of Van Halen, it feels more like a band trying to come to grips with themselves in a post-grunge, sober Eddie Van Halen world. At the time, we had moved on from Van Halen and figured if we really wanted to check it out one day, it would be there. As it turns 30 on January 24, 2025, we thought it would be a good time to take the opportunity to explore Balance, see if the reservations we had on the album 3 decades ago were justified and if there are any songs we're sorry we missed out on. How do feel about it having listened to it? You'll have to listen to find out.

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February 14, 1975 saw the release of the second album by Canadian power trio Rush, Fly By Night. But it was the debut of Neil Peart with the band - a well read and empathetic man who would go on to be hailed as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. Not only would his attention to detail but his relentless challenging of himself pushed Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson to continue to grow. Neil also took over as the lyricist for the band mixing in pieces from the many books that kept him fascinated. From Ayn Rand to JRR Tolkien, Neil injects his literary phrases into hard driving and otherworldly riffs that are signature to Rush.

Songs like Anthem and Fly By Night are as rock solid 50 years later as the day they were released and Neil's lyrics of wanderlust and yearning for a unique life continue to offer hope. By-Tor and the Snow Dog saw Rush starting to grapple with the more progressive rock they admired coming from Yes and is the start of the concepts that would drive them to greatness on 2112 and Hemispheres. Though Alex Lifeson's guitar is fierce throughout the rockers, he also breaks out nylon for Making Memories, Rivendell and In The End - we even get to hear a little slide from Lerxst! The final 3 tracks may not be the most memorable in the catalog but it shows the boys were still willing to experiment, never to be pigeon-holed.

For Rush fans, this is a classic.

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