The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Author Ben Merlis traces the Beastie Boys' wild leap from young hardcore punks to rap's first number-one album, revealing the rare records, recordings and scrapped ideas behind Licensed to Ill.

Pick up "Licensed To Ill at 40" book here

Topics Include:

• How a short 2017 article landed Ben Merlis this book deal
• Why the Beasties' punk-to-rap story fits Ben's two obsessions perfectly
• The process of writing the book
• Pollywog Stew: an unknown pressing run
• How a Black Flag show sparked the Beastie Boys' hardcore beginnings
• The Upper Broadway loft where they formed, demoed and played first
• Lucky, well-connected teens, and why young genres are meritocracies
• Scrapping an EP, crank-calling Carvel, and stumbling into Cookie Puss
• Downtown dance-punk, and sets that switched from hardcore to rapping
• Def Jam's surprising origins as Rick Rubin's punk label
• Meeting Rubin over a bubble machine; Kate Schellenbach gets pushed out
• Rubin, Dr. Dre, Hurricane: were the Beastie Boys' DJs really members?
• Rock Hard & Beastie Groove
• Def Jam's collectible burgundy-sleeve era, and how to spot them
• British Airways steals Beastie Revolution and pays out $40,000
• The settlement money buys an 808 instead of a Rickenbacker
• No band cooperation, then a surprise interview with Mike D
• The grief behind the jokes: losing parents young
• Counting the White Castle references on License to Ill
• Opening for Madonna at $500 a night with fifteen minutes' material
• Recording Licensed to Ill, and pinning down its real release date
• Fight for Your Right: written last-minute on Palladium cocktail napkins
• MTV, race and radio: how they scored rap's first number one
• The album's shockingly offensive working title, and why CBS killed it
• The crashing-plane cover, Led Zeppelin worship and uncleared samples
• A runaway tour, alienated fans and a messy split from Def Jam
• Rubin blocks their movie, royalties stop, and lawsuits follow
• Legacy: everything dope and whack about the 80s in one album
• Rare pressings: tour show vinyl, blank Spanish LP, "Licensed to Kill"
• French seven-inch box sets, Peruvian covers and a Japanese laserdisc

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing shares stories from the Bleach era, Love Buzz single & other collectables, getting knocked out by Chris's bass and digging through his rare vinyl.

Topics Include:

• Chad's prized find: an original Australian Dirty Deeds from a rummage sale
• Hunting a Bill Evans record, and why jazz demands clean vinyl
• Dad played LA jazz bass; Mom once sang with Chet Baker
• How jazz quietly shaped his "drummer for the song" philosophy
• Describing his drumming style in one word: adaptive
• Nirvana's only instruction when he joined: powerful but simple
• Coming from a math rock band with 13-part songs
• The one time Kurt openly praised his drumming: In Bloom
• How "About a Girl" got its name from Chad
• Kurt finishing Bleach lyrics in a notebook while driving to the studio
• Shelved songs, lost tapes, and Chad's forgotten cassette in the box set
• Owning Love Buzz single #3; Kurt had #1, Chris #2
• His blank-label Bleach test pressing, housed in a homemade cover
• Nate authenticates Chad's Australian Waterfront blue vinyl live on air
• The ultra-rare purple Waterfront pressing and why most were destroyed
• Swirled Sub Pop variants, and why he's never played some
• Knocked out by Chris's bass at the Bleach cover photo show
• Tracy Marander's undeveloped rolls of never-seen Nirvana photos
• Sub Pop steering early decisions while the band went along
• Packed European shows: the moment they realized something big was happening
• The Blew EP and its gynecologist-chair cover he never chose
• Hiding under the drum riser with Kurt as bottles flew
• Stuck alone in a broken Manchester elevator for half an hour
• His European tour posters, including the coveted Lush show poster
• Could his beat-up distortion pedal be Kurt's missing Astoria pedal?
• A gifted Mustang, his kit at MoPOP, and heirlooms for his kids
• Smart Studios sessions, and Dave Grohl keeping his drum parts
• Here She Comes Now, Sappy, and becoming a Nirvana fan afterward
• MS, a childhood leg injury, and a memoir about 73 moves

The wonderful photo by Rosetta Greek

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

From teenage Flaming Lips flyers to Nirvana and Soundgarden posters and record covers galore, Coop shares art-creation stories and the chaos of his record collection.

Grab one of Coop's "Poster Boy" books here!

Topics Include:

• Introduces Poster Boy, his massive new career-spanning art book
• Kickstarter (via Zoop) already blew past $40k raised
• Coop admits he's "too much" of a record collector
• Closing in on 10,000 records, out of shelf space
• 3,000-4,000 are 45s he actively spins as a DJ
• Recalls chasing UK punk records early in his Discogs days
• Loves Jamaican 45s for their rough, charming pressings
• Tells story of scoring a stash of 60s garage 45s
• Traces another haul to a Miami DJ's Jamaica trips
• Confesses completist streak for The Fall, Guided by Voices
• Owns up to buying every Bandcamp vinyl color variant
• Prefers Bandcamp since money goes straight to the band
• Talks Austin's record fair and reconnecting with old LA dealers
• Describes current obsession hunting weird beatnik novelty 45s
• Buys mostly on vibes and wild, bizarre label artwork
• Explains how he broke into art through poster connections
• Credits Greg Shaw and Long Gone John's Sympathy label
• Became a top poster artist alongside Frank Kozik
• Poster work opened the door to major record covers
• Tells the wild origin story of the Lords of Acid cover
• Discusses keeping Discogs updated for his family's future
• Shares recent grails: a Beefheart 45, rare beatnik pressing
• Explains his (mostly) organized system for shelving and DJ crates
• Talks trading doubles, then wraps with a final Poster Boy plug

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Laura Jane Grace opens up about tours and donating gear to the Punk Rock Museum, her massive vinyl obsession, the wild story behind her first Against Me! record and more.

Topics Include:

• Nate and Laura Jane Grace preview her Punk Rock Museum dates
• She's donating her amp, guitar, and clothes, mostly for storage space
• Museum's jam room lets visitors actually play donated instruments
• Her photo greets everyone entering the Punk Rock Museum
• Favorite museum artifact: Joe Strummer's last bag of weed
• LJG is an avid vinyl collector who abandoned CDs entirely
• Her collection fills Ikea shelves plus boxes of seven-inches
• She now collects complete artist discographies, especially posthumously
• Bowie's late career shows the appeal of complete discographies
• She's donating a rare, flawed first-pressing Against Me record
• Physical vinyl feels more meaningful to her than streaming stats
• Reinventing Axl Rose has hundreds of variants; she's wary of the trend
• Axl Rose has never publicly acknowledged their tribute record
• She loves browsing new-arrival shelves during unhurried store visits
• Their first pressed record had accidental distortion, but still sold
• Touring made scheduling test pressings a constant headache
• Warner Brothers surprisingly gave White Crosses back to the band
• Her label, Total Treble, drew lessons from mentor Fat Mike
• She worries algorithm-driven social media and AI hurt musicians
• Her teenage son's DIY punk scene offers genuine hope
• She discusses redemption debates and a German venue's IDF controversy
• She closes by naming favorite record stores worldwide

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Punk in the Park founder Cameron Collins breaks his silence on a $250 political donation that split the punk scene - and reveals plans to bring the festival back.

Topics Include:

• Punk in the Park traces roots back to pandemic
• Prior fests: Punk in Drublic, Sobroso, Scallywag festivals
• Live Nation courtship briefly paused earlier festival branding
• Punk in the Park debuted, drawing thousands nightly
• Cameron explains his hands-on promoter and producer role
• His punk awakening: hearing the Ramones as a kid
• Punk rock's meaning: distrust, self-reliance, misfit belonging
• Cameron opens up about his $250 Trump donation
• Donation explained as protest against Biden running again
• He admits regret, calling it a costly mistake
• Initial backlash was mild, mostly online chatter
• Dropkick Murphys' onstage denouncement escalated the controversy
• Cameron feels singled out versus other political donors
• He highlights years of charity and community giving
• Bands say they're paid and treated better here
• Festivals act as touring anchors for national routes
• Headliners reportedly earn more at fests than clubs
• Cameron's booking philosophy: all viewpoints get a stage
• Hard line drawn: Nazis and hate groups banned
• He booked a singer after his own separate cancellation
• He acknowledges marginalized fans' real safety concerns
• New Silverado festival branches into psychobilly and Americana
• Silverado revives a legendary Southern California festival site
• Cameron pushes for dialogue over reflexive cancel culture
• He shares a cross-political friendship with a fellow musician
• Conversation turns to America's deepening political polarization
• Cameron argues both parties ultimately serve the same interests
• He champions smaller government and personal freedom
• Cameron confirms plans to relaunch the festival by 2027

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Bass legend Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc) reflects on Fripp, John Lennon, near-misses with Zappa, Pink Floyd, and life on the road.

new Stick Men album "Let's Thrak Again" available here

Topics Include:

• Scheduling chaos / Ron Carter
• Stickmen's "Let's Thrack Again" reworks a King Crimson rhythm concept
• Tony defines "thracking" — playing five against seven simultaneously
• Robert Fripp names complex King Crimson riffs with odd phrases
• Tony rarely forgets bass parts, even decades later
• Simple transitions, not hard parts, cause live disasters
• Upcoming Beat tour features Zappa alumni, except Tony
• Tony's first NYC band included ex-Mothers of Invention members
• Peter Gabriel froze onstage during a hostile Zappa co-bill
• Tony regrets missing a Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell session
• He also turned down touring with Pink Floyd
• David Gilmour flew in unannounced for a Les Paul tribute
• Radio Registry once dispatched interchangeable NYC session bassists fast
• Tony preferred live touring over endless studio session work
• He's a self-described "road dog" still touring at his age
• Off-stage, Tony writes memoirs, poetry, and takes photographs
• He owns many basses but doesn't consider himself a collector
• Discipline started as a side project before becoming King Crimson
• Tony chose the Chapman stick over bass in that first rehearsal
• Fripp lets players interpret parts; Gabriel invents wild new techniques
• Peter Gabriel suggested cymbals on fingers, inspiring "funk fingers"
• Tony isn't certain whether "Blood of Eden" used fretless bass
• He senses a song's emotion before lyrics are finished
• Tony learned King Crimson disbanded from a stranger at the opera
• He never actually felt Thrak function as a "double trio"
• No Australian dates planned yet, though he'd love to visit
• King Crimson's future depends entirely on Robert Fripp's instincts
• Aging has slowed his technical dexterity, but not memory
• He recalls John Lennon's advice: "don't play too many notes"

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Chad Kassem of Analogue Productions, Acoustic Sounds, QPR breaks down vinyl's post-COVID boom and bust, the fragile global supply chain behind every record, and his new Vinyl Summit celebration.

Extended version of interview at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Topics Include:

• Nate welcomes back Chad Kassem to discuss vinyl and Vinyl Summit
• Chad recalls moving to Kansas in 1984 as CDs launched
• He rebuilt his collection, going against the CD trend
• Vinyl grew slowly for decades before COVID hit
• Chad bought his pressing plant and presses starting 2010-2011
• CD had a 30-year lifespan; Chad always believed vinyl would survive
• COVID caused explosive demand, "gasoline on fire" growth
• Overbuying during the boom led to storage and inventory problems
• Chad had to borrow millions for the first time post-COVID
• Uneven state shutdown rules gave some competitors unfair advantages
• Post-COVID growth normalized back to its long-term slow trend
• Chad discusses his own taste: blues, jazz, rock from the 50s-70s
• Younger collectors now chase 90s titles like Alice in Chains
• Collecting interest shifts as older genres' fans age out
• Comparison to toy collecting trends fading with generations
• Rising interest in audiophile pressings like UHQR and One-Steps
• Chad explains why quality mastering and pressing both matter equally
• Originals aren't always better than modern remasters, and vice versa
• Small improvements across many steps add up to great records
• UHQR picks focus on undisputed classic albums Chad genuinely loves
• Kind of Blue UHQR sold nearly 40,000 copies combined
• Debate over pressing records at 33 vs 45 RPM speeds
• Vinyl compound and material costs rising, but slower than expected
• SACDs, reel-to-reel, and cassettes seeing renewed collector interest
• Only one lacquer manufacturer remains, a major industry vulnerability
• Skilled cutter-head repair techs are extremely rare and aging
• Chad discusses fragile supply chain: lacquers, tape, cutter heads
• Vinyl Summit announced: October 15-18, Salina, Kansas, 40th anniversary
• Event replaces old Blues Masters concerts, adds vinyl-industry access
• Details shared: tickets, guests, and proximity to Austin Record Fair

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

The Damned's Captain Sensible talks vinyl rarities, back catalogue, scented records, chasing the "perfect album," and what may be their final Australia and New Zealand tour dates.

Topics Include:

• Captain Sensible is a record nerd - Still plays childhood favorites: Groundhogs, Pretty Things, Moody Blues, loves Bee Gees' first album
• Grew up around his dad's pub singing, informally musical
• Paper round savings meant records played obsessively, analyzed deeply
• Cites Shane Fenton's "I'm a Moody Guy" as formative
• Joe Meek's Telstar and tiny Holloway Road studio praised
• Recalls magical Motown Hitsville USA studio tour in Detroit
• "Sonar Deceit" track was band's Motown tribute song
• Lyric inspired by marine biologist's whale-stranding sonar theory
• Describes uncanny ability to instantly recall and replay songs
• Hosted radio challenge replaying requested songs live for charity
• New Rose confirmed as first UK punk single release
• Stiff Records signed them with a bribe of cheeseburgers
• Beating the Sex Pistols to release still amuses him
• Sydney Opera House gig ironic given past band bannings
• Royal Albert Hall sent rejection letters into the 1980s
• Mentions unlikely celebrity fans, including Australia's prime minister
• Recalls Barney Bubbles' art department and album cover mishap
• First pressing's mismatched back cover became a collector's item
• Says he collects 60s psych, not punk records himself
• Discusses Brian James tribute covers album made after his death
• Five reunion shows almost didn't happen, no live release planned
• Loves live show chaos, unpredictability, and Rat Scabies' drumming
• Confirms no hidden unreleased Damned tracks remain in vaults
• Notes band rarely controls or profits from its own catalog
• Explains "Strawberries" album concept and its scented vinyl insert
• Describes love of vinyl artwork, liner notes, and physical ritual
• Talks pursuit of first editions and test pressings today
• Names rare Cowsills albums as his current collecting holy grail
• Tells story of Sid Barrett nearly producing their second album
• Recalls haunted, sleepless sessions recording Machine Gun Etiquette
• Reflects on creative bond and offstage humor with Dave Vanian
• Closes with tour dates, S.F. Sorrow recommendation, and one-step vinyl talk

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Rhino Records co-founder Richard Foos reveals how a scrappy record shop invented reissue culture, chasing master tapes, getting arrested for selling bootleg records, memories of Frank Zappa, Darby Crash and more.

Topics Include:

• Foos discusses being called originator of reissue culture, credits early employee's phrase.
• Started as a Los Angeles record shop in 1973.
• Recalls how scarce and cheap rare records were before collecting culture existed.
• Describes hunting records at warehouses, swap meets, and Salvation Army stores.
• Notes punk rock's DIY ethos sparked broader music fandom and collecting.
• Rhino's shop became a punk hangout; Darby Crash was banned for chaos.
• Explains how punk bands pressed 45s since albums were too costly.
• James Brown's out-of-print catalog became Rhino's breakthrough first major reissue.
• Details licensing process: major labels' passive licensing departments simply approved requests.
• Rhino insisted on original master tapes, never secondary sources or stampers.
• Engineer Bill Englott restored recordings purely, never altering original mixes.
• Some projects stalled without usable masters, like a punk box set.
• Nuggets compilation missed "96 Tears" for years due to licensing issues.
• Foos explains Rhino's sequencing philosophy: welcoming newcomers, not strict chronology.
• Doo-wop box set, initially unpopular internally, became Rhino's best-selling release.
• Discusses 20-25 year nostalgia cycles driving collectibility of past decades' music.
• Notes scarce 2000s vinyl pressings now make that era highly collectible.
• Rhino focused on best listening experience over rarities for rarity's sake.
• Foos recounts pre-Rhino bootlegging ties and friendship with bootleg artist Bill Stout.
• Reveals he was arrested for selling bootlegs during a warehouse sale.
• Discusses how record labels misunderstood fandom, limiting artist output and bootlegs.
• Reflects on vinyl's spiritual appeal despite many records never being played.
• Compares cassette-era scarcity to streaming's shifting availability of licensed content.
• Predicts streaming remains the future, praises YouTube's vast musical accessibility.
• Doubts catalog values will keep rising, questions which artists endure historically.
• Criticizes a post-Rhino "L.A. Nuggets" box set for prioritizing rarity over listenability.
• Recalls Kinky Friedman rejecting a hits compilation over disliking his originals.
• Explains publishing hurdles licensing music for Freaks and Geeks and WKRP DVDs.
• Describes working with Frank Zappa on Beat the Boots and elaborate packaging.
• Shares current work: Shout Factory, wife's Narrative Method, and a new podcast.

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

John McCrea of CAKE discusses their elusive catalogue on vinyl, rarities of the band, upcoming Australian tour, new recordings, record nerdery and more.

Tickets & info on CAKE's Australian tour is here

Topics Include:

• John McCrae discusses collecting records, revisiting old favorites like Perez Prado
• He describes "chasing goosebumps" — the feeling of rediscovering great music
• Shares vivid teenage memory seeing Led Zeppelin at Knebworth, England
• Recalls dancing to washing machine rinse cycles as a toddler
• Names early formative records: Beatles, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie
• His parents played accordion and folk guitar, shaping his musicality
• Discusses his dad's Eastern European minor-key accordion versus polka music
• Talks about "Rancho Seco," his first recorded song, a protest track
• Song addressed a nuclear plant illegally releasing radioactive steam locally
• Connects Dylan influence and poets to his built-in social justice streak
• Reflects on growing up near Sacramento, Berkeley, and Nevada City, California
• Compares old Bay Area culture to today's flashier Silicon Valley wealth
• Describes Cake's early '90s formation, self-financed four-song EP release
• EP funded through show earnings and merch, later expanded into album
• Album got European distribution and unexpected early popularity in France
• "Rock and Roll Lifestyle" got college radio play before wider fame
• Cake signed to Capricorn Records, a small Southern rock label
• East Bay Ray advised McCrea to fight for keeping album masters
• McCrae says most bands don't retain their masters like Cake did
• Vinyl of Cake albums historically hard to find, tied up licensing
• Discusses 2014 box set now reselling for $700–$1,000 secondhand
• New Cake album is finished, awaiting mixing, targeted early 2027
• Explains he avoids forced album themes, focuses song by song
• Reflects on why Cake albums come infrequently, citing family, industry fatigue
• Criticizes modern music industry as increasingly exploitative and financially unsustainable
• Explains reduced touring due to travel dislike and environmental concerns
• Considers eco-friendly vinyl options and shifting kids' preference toward CDs
• Discusses Cake's DIY visual identity, homemade posters, and lino-cut aesthetic
• Talks rare live vinyl pressings, including $300 Crystal Palace release
• Wraps up promoting Cake's Australian tour dates and Sydney ticket sales

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

• Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
• Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot
• Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon
• Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide