Well Disguised

Call it the "Best of 2021." Or the top 5 or the favorite 5 or whatever you must, but on Episode 33 of Well Disguised Brian Colburn of Playlist Wars fame joins me to go over our favorite records of the year. Hope you enjoy the banter and arguments in what will probably be a divisive episode, but I suppose that's what makes these things fun, right?(Mini-spoiler--I never once discuss the covers record from Monster Magnet. I still don't have my head wrapped around it, to be honest.)If you want to keep up with all things Playlist Wars, follow the link here: https://playlistwarspodcast.com/Get a taste of Brian's music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/76HzgAP3A7X9dlMDnZft9ZAs always, thanks for listening!

In 1996, Deep Purple released their first record with Steve Morse on guitar, meaning Ritchie Blackmore was gone, this time for good. What does that album mean? To me, it sounds like being middle-aged. I explain why on this episode.You hear me discuss the delightful Deep Purple Podcast on this episode. You can find those guys here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://deeppurplepodcast.com/

I won't claim this is a "deep dive" or some expert breakdown of what makes Mississippi Bones one of the most fantastic bands I've stumbled across in recent years. And that's because it isn't. This is just Dave and I telling how we did get into the band, the twists and turns as we talked about doing this episode, and just basically geeking out about a group that really scratches that itch. Bands like Mississippi Bones still make me inordinately happy. Look, just about all my favorite rock stars are millionaires and senior citizens too, but bands like this keep me going. Maybe even help keep me young.Lots of show notes here:Mississippi Bones Bandcamp page: https://mississippibones.bandcamp.com/Mississippi Bones merch: https://mississippibones.storenvy.com/productsMississippi Bones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mississippibonesMuzzleland Press, where Jonathan Raab is editor: https://www.muzzlelandpress.com/Buy "The Hillbilly Moonshine Massacre" here (I really need one of those affiliate deals): https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Moonshine-Massacre-Jonathan-Raab-ebook/dp/B015L4DC1I/ref=pd_sim_1/140-4273967-8404026?pd_rd_w=kfiGx&pf_rd_p=bc5856f7-ca30-40b6-8d37-7814a2494e00&pf_rd_r=K17SAY0CN40AJDAF3QY6&pd_rd_r=259263a5-1da2-44d8-b506-61dcff8ccb31&pd_rd_wg=0Hrtz&pd_rd_i=B015L4DC1I&psc=1The Adventure Zone is a Maximum Fun podcast you can listen to wherever, but check it out here: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/adventure-zone/?_sort=date_ascNorth by South, the excellent music podcast hosted by Ry (Sabbath Bloody Podcast) and Clay (Skynyrd Reconsydyrd) is here: https://anchor.fm/northbysouthpodThis is all Ry's fault.

Glenn Hughes--bassist, singer, rocker, Hall of Famer, soul man, and cool guy--got some of the attention he deserved in 2016 when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of Deep Purple. But that overshadows what I consider to be his real accomplishment...no one had a better decade from 2010-2019 than Glenn Hughes. With Black Country Communion, California Breed, and the awesome solo record "Resonate" Glenn was the most powerful force in rock as he entered his 60s. Listen as I explain why.

Who Wants To Rock?My friend and frequent collaborator Dave returns to discuss my favorite band, Clutch. It only took 29 episodes to get to the best band on the planet!Here's the format: I divided up Clutch's 12 studio albums, assigned them randomly, and then Dave and I picked our favorite song from each, leaving us with one playlist. It's probably a good way to introduce Clutch to the unfamiliar and something tp argue about for the dedicated Gearhead.Hope you enjoy! Also, while I usually release every other Tuesday, I'm going to take an episode off. See you again in August.As promised in the episode (and sorry for the muddy audio within), here's a link to the Spotify playlist from the episode. Let me know what you think!https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1pYZGFYC4mZIb8qzZhTfnU?si=fb9b98d55bb346b7

When Huey Lewis and the News prepped "Sports" they needed to sell records. It was to be the band's third release and without moving some product, the band might have had to dissolve and find something else to do. So, rather than write a killer album, the band chose to write killer songs, all aimed at radio with the hopes at least one would break through. Of course, five of them did and "Sports" is one of the biggest records of all time. What other records share this ? That is what this episode of Well Disguised is about. (It's also about how pop stars today are all young but many of the hitmakers of the 80s were relatively middle-aged, but that part is less well developed.)During the episode I reference a video where Terence Trent D'Arby fronted INXS. You can find that here:https://youtu.be/SIbkTKJDiC0

This is not your typical "Satanic Panic" story about rock and heavy metal. Instead, I'm asking a different question. The history of heavy music is littered with stories about witchcraft, Devil worship, demons, hexes, seances, mysterious happenings and other such phenomena. And these aren't random nobodies who have talked about this stuff, but instead some of the biggest rock stars on the planet. Which begs the question--if you believe the black magic, might you also be more likely to believe in God as well?The audio from Dave Mustaine's ABC interview was pulled from here: https://youtu.be/FwDbiajBEbkSimilarly, Ronnie James Dio's interview is here: https://youtu.be/U8Ln5GW-3asMonster Magnet's "All Shook Out" is from the 2000 record "God Says No." Enjoy on the official YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/kRw-DFLyHkg

So you're probably a fan of something. Maybe you even think you're a fanatic. But have you run a massive fan community about it? And even more to the point, have you ever broken genuinely newsworthy stories about the object of your fanaticism, even if those stories are negative? (And when sometimes those negative stories were specifically leaked by one faction to make another faction look bad?)Chris Ko has. He became the "Aerofanatic" after meeting Aerosmith on an old MTV show called "Fanatic." He took his fifteen minutes of fame from interviewing Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, and Tom Hamilton (Joey Kramer was absent) and turned it into a fan community that did what most fansites do...but also dished the dirt about band conflicts, drug abuse, and more. You don't have to be an Aerosmith fan to be into this story (although it doesn't hurt), because ultimately it's about a guy who went to a level beyond what anyone expected and became an inadvertent journalist in the process.______The bulk of Chris's appearance on "Fanatic" is on YouTube and can be found here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz53Uud4G0sAlso, visit the Aerofanatic community on Facebook here:https://www.facebook.com/aerofanatic

20 years ago this month, Chuck Klosterman released his first book, Fargo Rock City. It was a watershed moment for pop culture. For Chuck personally, it launched his career as he became one of the foremost pop culture critics and thought leaders in the world. For those of us smart and semi-smart types who sometimes wondered why we loved this often juvenile music, it might as well have been a Holy script. It's not a coincidence that the subtitle for his most famous book, "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto" inspired the subtitle for this podcast. Chuck was gracious enough to speak to me about the impact "Fargo Rock City" had on his career, how he feels about that music today, his interview with Jimmy Page, what it's like to listen to Black Sabbath and Kanye West at basically the same time, and several other topics. I'm ecstatic to release this episode and hope you all enjoy it. Thank you Chuck so much for coming on Well Disguised.You're smart enough to find Fargo Rock City on your own, but here's one way:https://www.amazon.com/Fargo-Rock-City-Odyssey-Dakota/dp/0743406567Also, if you want to read the interview with Jimmy Page we discuss, here's a link:https://www.gq.com/story/jimmy-page-led-zeppelin-men-of-the-year-klostermanOn the show I brought up Chuck's podcast with Chris Ryan. It's available here:https://open.spotify.com/show/05WvFFL01hKJ3PjqW0hgLR

Ever wonder if the world would have been a better place if The Wildhearts had taken over the scene in 1993 or so? Just me? Regardless, to have had a shot it probably would have helped if all their best songs didn't include dirty words--how could you market a song like "Loveshit" into global success? Of course, the truth is, The Wildhearts were real, and they didn't care about things like "marketing" and "decency." On this episode I talk about their wonderful debut record "Earth vs The Wildhearts."

Don't listen to this bonus/companion edition of Well Disguised until you've listened to the podcast it's about! I guested on Playlist Wars on their latest episode (out today, April 27, 2021) about the Rolling Stones, and as usual, I just had one more thought I wanted to make, so this episode is that thought. Thanks so much to Brian and Gomez for having me on. I had a blast--I just wanted to wrap the show up with one point I didn't have the wits to make at the time. Thanks--back with a regular episode next week!

Last Tuesday (April 13, 2020), one of the great live performances in rock history got a proper release--Lynyrd Skynyrd / Live at Knebworth. This mesmerizing performance, punctuated by the closing anthem of "Free Bird," is essential listening for any fan of the genre. On this episode, I tell you why. I also tell you why Nickelback is now classic rock, but that's a relatively minor part of the show, so don't hold it against me.

On this episode of Well Disguised you will hear my interview with Doug Brod, former editor-in-chief of SPIN magazine and author of the book "They Just Seem A Little Weird--How KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz Remade Rock and Roll." Are Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley nice guys? Is Steven Tyler the most talented member of these four bands? What effect did Tom Petersson leaving Cheap Trick have on the band? And...who are Starz?! You'll get it all in this thoroughly enjoyable conversation--I loved it and hope you will too. Buy Doug's book!

I don't like Greta Van Fleet, but I want to. On this episode I get into my feelings about the semi-controversial band.

My buddy Dave returns for the third time, this time to discuss Alice Cooper's new record "Detroit Stories." Dave is a little more positive about it than I am but you can unpack our thoughts on Alice's tribute to all manner of Detroit music on this episode. Plus, I ambush Dave with a show idea on a certain Jethro Tull record, we discuss Avatar some more in the context of streaming concerts, and other silliness. Thanks so much for checking out Well Disguised!

Buckcherry had such a fiery arc to their early career. The debut was reasonably big and "Time Bomb" was better sonically...and then it almost fell apart. On this episode I talk about how fantastic their early comeback "15" is as the high water mark of their career to date. 

Geoff Edgers is the national arts reporter for the Washington Post and the author of "Walk this Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever." He graciously agreed to talk to me about the book and all the fabulous characters involved. I hope you'll enjoy our chat and maybe learn a few things you didn't know about this important event in our cultural history.

Wasn't "Antenna," ZZ Top's 10th studio album, supposed to be a return to form? On this episode I argue that it is and it isn't; that is, that while Billy Gibbons on guitar did get back to those early ZZ Top records, the production and especially the drum sound are right out of the 1980s factory. It's not bad per se, but maybe not the match of either previous era. (And if you're wondering why I never mention "Deguello" despite it being my favorite ZZ Top album, it's because I wasn't confident I could ever get the pronunciation right. "Tres Hombres" was tough enough.)  I hit on new releases that have piqued my interest too.

No one would reasonably question that. at least from a commercial standpoint, the Black Crowes saw their fortunes falter upon the release of their third album "Amorica." On this episode of Well Disguised I confront and reconsider my longstanding belief that they deserved as much for this album, why those of us who are fans of something frequently love something different than the "mainstream" fans, and talk a lot about the Crowes without mentioning marijuana or Kate Hudson. Thank you for listening and be sure to rate/review/subscribe. (Sorry but I gotta ask.)

Perhaps it's a little early, but I'm ready to wrap up 2020. I look back at the music I listened to the most, my favorite albums and podcasts of the year, and even air a grievance or two. (If you go to a show in 2021, would it kill you to stand up for a couple hours?)