The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast (Mac B.)

Pantheon CEO Christian Swain invites you to check out the Zero To Travel Show. Learn how everyday folks are making the leap to a life of travel! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Chris Slade has had an extraordinary career behind the drum kit. While most US rock fans remember him as the bald madman from Thunderstruck with AC/DC, he started his career in the 60s as part of Tom Jones band, The Squires. From there the luminaries he's played with include Olivia Newton-John, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Gary Numan, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Gary Moore, AC/DC, Asia, Michael Schenker and more. He's touring this year with his band, The Chris Slade Timeline, which includes songs from all the bands he's played with over the decades. Did you know he was asked to do a session with Dizzie Gilespie? He recalled playing with the Count Basie Orchestra, getting phone calls from David Gilmour and Jimmy Page within 2 hours of each other and how he put his signature on Thunderstruck. A warm chat with a charming Welshman covering 7 decades of rock! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! @SladeTimeline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By 1984, Bruce Springsteen had long been hailed by rock critics as the next great American bard for the working man. His ability to mix heavy lyrics about the struggles of everyday life with catchy pop/rock rhythms had elevated him to rock royalty status before he ever made his 7th album. Released June 4, 1984 as a follow up to the melancholy and personal Nebraska, Born in the USA reunited Bruce with the E. Street Band and The Boss brought 70 songs for the gang to work into what would become the biggest selling album of 1985. The result was a record that sold over 30 million copies worldwide, contained 7 top 10 singles in the US and won Springsteen his first grammy (Dancing in the Dark). While many of the tracks on the album can boast big sing-along choruses (Working On The Highway, Glory Days, Born in the USA), the subject matter of the song may not always be the kind you shout and pump your fist to. Bruce can take a song about Vietnam veterans not being treated fairly into a stadium anthem or a song about going to jail for getting involved with an underage girl into a rockabilly runner. But the deeper tracks Downbound Train and No Surrender may be among the best songs on the album despite more than half of the record being hits on the charts. While The Wolf and Action Jackson dive into these tracks as they turn 50, can they separate their emotions from hearing these songs as kids, remove the disdain for people who scream along to Born in the USA without understanding the song's meaning and try to be impartial despite the memories of moms loving Bruce as this time? It's a challenge... Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's great to welcome back our friend & HUGE Def Leppard fan Chris from My Rock n Roll Heaven & @rockthesetweets to our show to discuss seeing his favorite band live for the first time in 4 years. The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard & Motley Crue as alternating co-headliners was announced in 2019 but thanks to COVID, it was delayed until this year. Def Leppard took the downtime to record one of their best efforts in years - Diamond Star Halos. Though Action Jackson caught the show in Florida, which we discussed on UAWIL #84, rain cut everyone's sets short. So we asked Chris to offer his experience in Toronto to compare to Jackson's, plus we want his take on how the new material fits in with the classics. @rockthesetweets Be sure to visit www.rarevinyl.com or www.eil.com and use code podcast to earn 10% off every purchase you make.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carl Palmer achieved status as a legend with the progressive rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer in the 1970s. But the 1980s were a time of change for rock music thanks to corporate rock radio & MTV in America. Proggers had to change their signature 15 minute songs to more radio friendly 4 minute tunes while maintaining their extraordinary musicianship. Carl found huge success in 1982 with the debut album Asia which would be the #1 selling album in the US that year. With slick videos and catchy choruses, Asia rose to popularity quickly. Mastermind David Geffen quickly got them into the studio for the 1983 followup Alpha & booked a historic live satellite broadcast for MTV in Tokyo - Asia in Asia.  Out June 10 as a deluxe box set, we chatted to Carl about his heady times with Asia in the early 80s, all the work leading up to the show December 6, 1983 at the Budokan, John Wetton's departure & return to the band and many fond memories along the way. Asia will be touring the US to celebrate their 40th anniversary and we talk about further future plans for the band. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 2nd episode of our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, we welcome Van Halen superfan Greg Renoff to talk about the night he saw Van Halen on the 1984 Tour. This night would change Greg's life as he would go on to literally write the book on Van Halen with Van Halen Rising and his latest Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. You can hear Greg's enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of Van Halen throughout our chat as we do our best to work the standard 20 questions we ask of every guest on FCM. The Wolf & Action Jackson anxiously awaited this episode as though they did eventually see Van Halen on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour together in 1991, what really turned them onto Van Halen as impressionable youths was seeing the boys on MTV in 1984. Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher were in heavy rotation on MTV that summer and the world had caught Van Halen fever. But we were too young to understand that you could see a band you saw on MTV on tour and had no idea how to go about getting to a concert (we were 10). However, a young Greg Renoff scored a ticket and got his mom to drop him off in the family truckster so he could witness Van Halen at the peak of their power on what is considered by most to be the best tour they ever did. A fun chat with one of the world's foremost experts on Van Halen, Greg Renoff! Visit Greg on Twitter (X) and order an autographed Ted Templeman book! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Wall is one of rock music's greatest writers. From Kerrang! to Classic Rock and publications all around the world, Mick has been telling stories about the rock musicians we all love for decades and has written more than 20 books on legendary acts like Jimi Hendrixx, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Guns N Roses, Iron Maiden & more. Recently he decided to take on the task of one of the most successful US rock bands in history, the Eagles. The band have always been portrayed as country/rock superstars who were victims of great success, excess and infighting. Mick has a way of moving past all that to distill the real story of the band in the times in which they were formed, rose to the top and disintegrated in Life In The Fast Lane. The book is a great read and Mick offers some context of the Los Angeles the guys came out of - a post 60s, post Manson time where the American Dream was hanging on by a thread. Mick also spoke with us about some of the other superstars he's written about over the years like James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich (Metallica), Axl Rose (Guns N Roses), Steve Clark (Def Leppard) and more. Though some have found his take on certain artists to be harsh, Mick approaches his work not as a fan but as a writer whose only concern is that of the voyage of the reader. Mick Wall is one of the world’s best-known rock writers and the author of over 25 internationally bestselling biographies and ghosted memoirs, including definitive titles on Led Zeppelin (When Giants Walked the Earth), Metallica (Enter Night), AC/DC (Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be), Black Sabbath (Symptom of the Universe), Lou Reed, The Doors (Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre), Foo Fighters, Lemmy and Guns N’ Roses (Last of the Giants). During his long career in the music business, Mick worked with Dire Straits, Thin Lizzy, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Black Sabbath, The Damned, Willie Nelson, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, Motörhead, and many more. He lives in England. Order Mick Wall's Life In The Fast Lane Via Amazon or Diversion Books Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stone Temple Pilots helped define the grunge-ridden days of the 1990s with their big downtuned riffs and lyrics soaked in heroin resin. Riding the wave from Seattle, their debut album Core sold over 8 million copies in the US alone. The record company couldn't wait to get more STP out into the market so in November 1993 they released the live Unplugged album featuring the new song Big Empty. Vocalist/lyricist Scott Weiland was a charismatic and troubled performer, writing lyrics about fear, self-loathing and ruined relationships built on his addiction to heroin. But STP were more than just a grunge band as Dean and Robert De Leo wrote great songs full of melody and cool changes in tempo and delivery. Purple, their second effort, included songs like Interstate Love Song and Vaseline scored high on the charts and while some of the songs were definitely grungy (Meatplow), they showed they can deliver a straight-ahead rockers (Unglued) and lighter songs with heavy themes. The album went to #1 in the US and would go on to sell over 6 million copies. While the UK were enthralled with the Cool Britannia acts like Oasis, Blur and The Verve, hard rock and grunge bands took over the US and Stone Temple Pilots were among the most successful. But were they really a grunge band? Did Weiland have talent beyond the creativity that flowed from his narcotic visions? Were they a band of the time or of all time? The Wolf and Action Jackson tackle those questions and relive some grungy days in the dorm with Purple as it turns 30. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf spent 3+ years just a stone's throw from Abbey Road in NW London, just six blocks from the studio that goes by the same name. The studio was EMI for decades until it was renamed in the 1970s after the final album recorded by The Beatles (Let It Be was released later but those sessions took place earlier and at different studios). After throwing out exotic locales for the album cover, George Harrison suggested they walk across the street and the most iconic album cover was born. The boys may not be the world's biggest Beatles fans but to love rock n roll, one must have an appreciation for them. The Wolf remained largely unfamiliar with Abbey Road until he realized he had to pick up a copy if he was going to walk down that street everyday for 3 years. As it turns 55, the boys go track x track, discuss the famous cover and dive into the state of The Beatles in their final days. Paul was trying to manage the band since the death of Brian Epstein and still deliver the goods in the studio. John was getting deeper into heroin and Yoko Ono. George was growing up and saving some of his best for his debut solo album. And Ringo just wanted the boys to stop fighting in meetings all the time. But George brought the goods with Something and Here Comes The Sun. John offered up Come Together and the pre-heavy metal I Want You (She's So Heavy). Paul put together some of his and John's best new melodies for the epic medley on the 2nd side. And dear Ringo gave us Octopus's Garden, a place he'd rather be than haggling with the band all the time. We dive deep into each song, where each member of the band was at the time and where they were going. This may not be our favorite album but it is an important document of a band that had had enough but could still bring the most amazing harmonies to life. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As children of the MTV generation, The Wolf & Action Jackson grew up listening to and watching videos from Men At Work. The band from Down Under had some big hits and their first two albums, Business As Usual & Cargo, sold more than 20 million copies around the world. However, the quickly disappeared from the scene and it left us wondering where they went. In 2015, a documentary about their frontman and lead songwriter Colin Hay emerged, Waiting For My Real Life, which told the story of the rise and fall of the band but also delved into Colin's struggle with alcohol, relocation to LA and finding redemption as an acoustic storyteller. Upon seeing this documentary, The Wolf desperately wanted a chance to see this troubadour live where Colin regales his fans with stories, keeps them laughing and delivers both Men At Work classics and personal tunes from his solo catalog. The Wolf shares with Jackson Colin's stories on Paul McCartney inviting himself to dinner at Colin's house, overcoming alcoholism, moving from Scotland to Australia, losing friends & loved ones and using those moments to weave funny and heartfelt stories. Hear which of his classic songs he mistakenly sang the second verse twice on (the crowd loved it!) and get to know some of his beautiful, personal solo songs with which you might be less familiar. It was a great night out - don't miss him if you have the chance to see him play! www.colinhay.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rudolf Schenker founded Scorpions as a teenager in Germany in 1965. With the British Invasion in full swing, he wanted to become a guitarist who wrote great songs, not a gunslinger ripping off the fastest licks he could. He built his repertoire over time and his band toured relentlessly to build an audience. By 1984, hard rock was all the rage and MTV ruled the world helping bands like Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot & other hard rock & metal bands find a larger audience. That's where The Wolf & Action Jackson first saw the Scorpions deliver their heavy riffs on their all-time classic Rock You Like A Hurricane. As the album that birthed that tune and others, Love At First Sting, turns 40 we thought we'd give it our track by track treatment. Despite singer Klaus Meine's struggle with vocal surgery, he delivered some of his best work with the band on tracks like Still Loving You, Coming Home and Big City Nights. Love At First Sting went triple platinum in the US and allowed the band to tour the world for more than 18 months including many arenas and stadiums n the USA. It's the album that allows them to keep touring and they have a Vegas residency this spring where they will celebrate the album's 40th. Hear us analyze the tracks, dig into the English-as-a-second language lyrics, admire the riffs and celebrate the videos that defined the hard rock generations. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have vivid memories of our first rock concerts. You know the ones - when you're young, full of anticipation with no knowledge or understanding of the assault on your senses that a great rock show brings. These are the moments we capture on First Concert Memories and for episode 21, we have none other than Brian Slagel. Yes metalheads, THE Brian Slagel who founded Metal Blade Records more than 40 years ago. The first man to put a Metallica song on a commercially available tape. That's how we know Brian. But on this episode, he's taking us back to when he was a 16 year old KISS fan, hoping to get to see his heroes live for the first time. Thankfully, his neighbor Carl Graves (a performer and musician in his own right who would tour with Oingo Boingo in the 80s & 90s) told Brian's mother that he'd take him to the show and make sure he got home safe. So Brian saw his first ever concert - KISS on the Alive! Tour on February 24, 1976. A teenage Brian was blown away by the pyro, the fire and blood spitting demon, the loudness of the Marshall stacks and the spectacle that a KISS concert in 1976 offered. Brian also tells us about getting to know the original members of KISS on a personal basis, which band he's seen over 300x and his killer new podcast - The 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal. It's a fantastic time with a metal legend!! MetalBlade.com Check out Brian's 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal Podcast Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yardbirds have an unparalleled legacy in the hallowed halls of rock n roll as they were one of the original British Invasion groups that brought the blues to the forefront of the rock scene in the 60s. The Wolf & Action Jackson became enamoured with them as teens in the 80s as the 60s had a big cultural renaissance and new CD box sets like Eric Clapton's Crossroads (which we cover in-depth on UAWIL 33 & 34). While the band is best known for their 3 famous guitarists - Clapton, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page - the entire band deserves credit as top notch musicians and performers and Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja, Keith Relf and Jim McCarty are all members of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame with their lead guitar members. We are so proud to welcome Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds to talk about his single Breath of the Wind which is available for digital download on September 15. Jim wrote the song for his late wife, Lizzie, and goes on to tell us about working mediums to help him see the end of life differently. We talk about playing with his band, how his lovely voice is a better fit for acoustic music than the raucous sounds he made with The Yardbirds, how he still enjoys playing live and some choice stories from the 1960s. It's a dream come true for 2 teenage rock fans who geeked out on The Yardbirds when they met 30+ years ago to interview this true gentleman and genuine rock legend. Visit JimMcCarty.com & buy Breath of the Wind wherever you purchase digital music Visit DemonMusicGroup.co.uk to learn more @demonmusicgroup Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week The Wolf and Action Jackson discuss how the rock n roll world and 2020 were affected by Covid-19.  We also take time to honor and discuss those we've lost this year, with special time dedicated to Neil Peart of Rush (see our last podcast for the Eddie Van Halen Tribute show) and we go over some gift ideas for the holidays.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The passing of Charlie Watts marks the end of an era lasting nearly 60 years for rock music and the Rolling Stones. We honor the dapper, gentlemanly, quiet rock of the Stones and offer a review of the band's last album of the 1960's, Let it Bleed. Powered by Gimme Shelter, Can't Always Get What You Want & Midnight Rambler it was album that changed the direction of the Stones and marked the end of the 60s. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2021 was an odd and difficult year for so many around the world. Live music returned a bit in the UK but not to the extent we all wished. The Wolf & Action Jackson take the opportunity to reflect on their favorite releases, their best (and worst) episodes, to say thanks to all the guests, friends & fans of the podcast and to talk about what they look forward to in 2022.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Ozzy Osbourne's 3rd solo album Bark at the Moon turns 40, we look back on what was a very pivotal time in the life of Ozzy and his wife/manager Sharon. After the tragic death of Randy Rhoads, they soldiered on with Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) and bought some time with the live Speak of the Devil album. But Ozzy needed not only a new gunslinger to replace Rhoads virtuosity, he also needed a new writing partner. Enter Jake E. Lee from Mickey Ratt (which would evolve into Ratt) who could write songs and deliver blistering solos. And MTV was eagerly awaiting the first videos from the former Black Sabbath madman. On the home front, Ozzy is battling substance abuse, Sharon is at odds with her father/super-manager Don Arden, their is infidelity and while they have legal problems and bad press, they start having kids. Plus the band seems to always be in flux as Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot) has left to be replaced by Bob Daisley who had written and recorded on the first two Ozzy solo albums. And while Tommy Aldridge plays on the album, Carmine Appice appears in the Bark at the Moon video. While some of the songs like the title track and Rock N Roll Rebel would be hailed as classic Ozzy, the 2nd UK single So Tired is an interesting choice for a heavy metal singer but the video is classic MTV and classic Ozzy. Released November 15, 1983 in the US and December 2, 1983 in the UK, we celebrate its 40th by going track x track, video x video and offstage drama from this triple platinum seller. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Houses of the Holy saw Led Zeppelin grow as a band more than any of their previous 4 albums. After the enormous success of Led Zeppelin IV, the boys used some of their winnings to build home studios which allowed them to flesh more ideas and come to the studio with more robust ideas. John Paul Jones really stretched out the most showing his ability to play funk (The Crunge), arrange string sections (Rain Song), or take us on an epic ominous ride (No Quarter). Jimmy Page provides the killer riffs with the softer acoustic bits, Robert Plant adds his trademark lyrics and vocals while John Bonham hammers those drums to give everyone the space they need to shine. Joining us for the 2nd time is House of the Dragon creator/executive producer/head writer Ryan Condal. Ryan is an old school metal head whose passion for rock music is only eclipsed by his passion for writing and you'll hear plenty of literary references and big words we don't often hear on a show of our ilk. We discuss the majesty of Zeppelin, go track by track, discuss the Hypnosis cover and the songs that didn't make the cut but ended up on other albums. Ryan provides no hints on upcoming House of the Dragon spoilers but we had a great time talking about this legendary album which turns 50 on March 28, 2023. Where is that confounded bridge? Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up on last week's 2023 in Review Part 1: Albums, Authors & Podcasters, now we're focused on the concerts that we covered on the show (and the ones we didn't), the artists & legends we interviewed and reveal our Top 10 Ugly American Werewolf in London episodes of 2023. Thought The Wolf had to leave Amsterdam for his homeland early in 2023, he didn't sell all the concert tickets he bought. He made a trip back in April to see Metallica on the first 2 nights of their No Repeat Weekend Tour. And The Wolf met up in Amsterdam with Action Jackson over the summer to take him to his first ever Iron Maiden concert. It was so great they went to see the boys again in Antwerp and then enjoyed some unexpected encounters at the hotel. Plus our host took The Wolfcub to see KISS one last time. We love talking with the talented musicians who make the rock music we love and we were honored to host an array of great guests from up and coming artists like Jimmy Maddon to legends like Terry Reid and Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds. Talking to Steve Kilbey of The Church was a treat and getting to know rockers in their prime like Scott Holiday of Rival Sons and Oliver Wakeman who we'll be seeing for years to come And stay tuned as we unveil our Top 10 episodes (by download) for 2023. It was a great year for The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast and we thank everyone for listening. Here's looking forward to a killer 2024! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf & Action Jackson discuss their favorite all-time band, Rush. The Canadian trio displayed a level of talent and intelligence rarely found in the world of rock n roll. On the one year anniversary of the passing of legendary drummer & lyricist Neil Peart, the boys reminisce about camping out for Rush tickets, the first time they saw them on the Roll the Bones Tour and explore their own discovery of the different eras of Rush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1978, Cheap Trick were much like their friends from KISS - they were working hard on the road, putting on great live shows but their studio albums weren't making much of a dent in the charts. However, thanks to opening for bands that were doing well in Japan, Cheap Trick amassed a nice following there and earned a #1 hit with the studio version of I Want You To Want Me (which didn't chart in the US). So the band decided to release a live album in Japan only to reward their fans in The Land of the Rising Sun. However, thanks to I Want You To Want Me's inclusion as a b-side from a single on their 3rd album Heaven Tonight and imports of At Budokan coming from Japan to the US, they released the live album worldwide and the rest is history. The live versions of tracks like Ain't That A Shame, Surrender and I Want You To Want Me are the quintessential versions of those tunes on US rock radio. Plus, Cheap Trick set up their next album for success as it included songs that would be included on Dream Police. For kids growing up in the late 70s, Cheap Trick At Budokan was in the air, on the turntables and sung along to everyday. This was a fun one to go back and give a listen as you can hear some of the punk influence on their riffs while maintaining that pure rock sound that helped get them into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. But make no mistake, without this album we wouldn't be talking about them today. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KISS was so important to your hosts, The Wolf & Action Jackson, as part of the foundation of their love of rock n roll, live music and their friendship. That's why they invited Tom & Zeus from Shout It Out Loudcast to come on the premier episode of First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast, and talk about the first time they saw KISS. For FCM 4, we welcome back Sonny "Hollywood" Pooni of Grown Up Rock Podcast and The Album Review Crew to talk about the first time he ever saw legendary KISS lead guitarist Ace Frehley play live. The Wolf and Action saw Ace as a solo act in the 1990s but Sonny saw him as a co-headliner with Y&T in 1987 and he shares with us how important it was to him to see Ace. Sonny go into KISS during the Asylum era and then learned that KISS used to have makeup and had different members of the band. From there he picked up Ace's first solo effort (aside from the 1978 KISS solo albums) Frehley's Comet and it furthered endeared him to Ace's style. Ace famously has had bouts with drugs and alcohol and Sonny relates a story of seeing Ace fall off the stage as well as why the band was so much better with Tod Howarth than in later years without him. If you've seen Ace recently, odds are you were disappointed as he seems a shell of his former self. That's why we wanted to share some memories from when Ace was still in strong form and delivering solid live shows. Sonny is opinionated and you'll hear all his takes on Ace, the shows he has seen and he even provided a bootleg recording of the show which is an FCM first! All Ace Frehley and KISS fans will love this one! Visit Sonny on Twitter (X) and listen to Growin Up Rock wherever you get your podcasts! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By 1981, The Police had 3 hit records and the respect of their peers and the music industry. But meddling from the record company caused Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers to retreat to Canada and the isle of Montserrat to record their 4th album Ghost in the Machine. Producer Hugh Padgham had them work in separate rooms to get their sounds but it also may have been to keep them from each others throats as the band were known for fighting over their studio parts. Sting had developed into the lead songwriter and wrote the big singles Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Invisible Sun and Spirits in the Material World as he had all their previous hits. But he sought to incorporate synthesizers, piano, horns and some of the reggae influences from their punk/ska peers and their island surroundings. Of course Stewart and Andy had to push back on some of his ideas but you can't deny the results as it was their biggest selling album to that point and was the predecessor to their biggest record of all time, Synchronicity. Special thanks to Paul Stephenson of Vintage Rock Pod for the inspiration as his recent interview with Stewart Copeland gave us the idea to review this wonderful album. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Want to win front row seats to Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in the US? Enter here to win tickets and a chance to be on a Pantheon Podcast: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/nickmason Get tickets here: https://www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 29, 2023 in Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam saw the first 2nd night (if that makes sense) of Metallica's M72 World Tour - No Repeat Weekend where you get two totally different setlists and 2 different opening acts. On Episode 127 we talked about how the setlist was so killer, there was no way the 2nd night would be as good - but it was still awesome. We talked about how Kirk's sound was off Night 1 - but it was better on Night 2. We talked about our disappointment with the opening acts we saw on Night 1 - but were blown away by who we saw on Night 2 (I wasn't a huge Floor Jansen fan before I walked in there but I sure was when I walked out). James, Lars, Kirk and Robert came back for more and delivered in a big way. Hear about the setlist highlights and which songs and spots I believe they'll be switching around as the tour progresses. How was Night 2 better than Night 1? How was it disappointing? We take you on the journey for my last few hours of my whirlwind 72 hour trek to Amsterdam to see Metallica! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Church got big exposure in America thanks to Under the Milky Way off of Starfish, their first record with Arista. Most in the US don't know the band beyond that song but Starfish is bookended by two great records - Heyday and Gold Afternoon Fix. We dive deep into Starfish and the deluxe edition for b-sides while looking at their entire catalog. Starfish introduced us to a band that has made great records for more than 40 years. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the demise of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant almost called it quits as a performer. It was actually Phil Collins, who knew something about going solo after being part of a big rock band, who encouraged him and actually played drums on his first album. Robert didn't want to go back to the big machine that was Zeppelin, but he did want to write songs, collaborate with musicians and play live. However, he didn't want to tour until he had enough material to do a headline show without dipping into the Led Zep catalog. So it wasn't until his second solo record, The Principle of Moments released July 11, 1983, that he had the solo catalog that would allow him to take his new songs and band out tour. Though his first album, Picture at 11 (which we reviewed on UAWIL #105), had singles and MTV videos, they didn't capture the public's imagination. But thanks to a concept video by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis fame, Big Log was a hit and showed the world that Robert was capable of more than just screeching along to Jimmy Page's insane guitar riffs. In The Mood also hit the charts and allowed Robert to show more of his vocal talents. The videos are a bit odd but that was early MTV and we go track x track, video x video and recall fond memories of this album from the early 80s. Hear UAWIL 105: Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prior to Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest had solidified their stature as a heavy metal act around the world but not so much in the US. Though 1980's British Steel gave them some chart success in the UK & other parts of the world, big success in the States still eluded them. Thanks to You've Got Another Thing Comin', Priest was able to get on MTV and graduate to headlining arena shows in North America. We examine this heavy metal classic as it turns 40, the Wolf relives seeing them in the front row, how this record holds up today & the legacy of Judas Priest.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ronnie James Dio was a legend in the heavy metal community. He first hit the road in the 50s but evolved into a metal god in the 70s with Elf and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. That led to taking over the vocal duties in Black Sabbath on two epic albums in the early 80s, Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules. But Ronnie grew disillusioned with being a hired hand or replacement and decided to form his own band with Vinnie Appice from Sabbath, rock veteran Jimmy Bain and young hotshot Vivian Campbell (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Def Leppard). On May 25, 1983 they released their debut, Holy Diver, which is considered by fans and critics alike as a heavy metal masterpiece. With epic songs like Holy Diver, radio friendly hits like Rainbow in the Dark and a couple of odd early MTV videos, this album is legendary. Ronnie passed away in May of 2010 and we miss him, his talent and generosity towards his fans. So we look back at his legacy through 1983's Holy Diver track x track. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's possible that Aerosmith is the greatest American rock band of all time. And in our opinion, their best album was 1975's Toys In The Attic which is still their biggest selling original record with over 9 million sold in the US. As it turns 50 we decided to dive deep into what makes this album so great and why it endures to this day as a hard rock classic. Yes, it has singles that were popular in their day and are still staples on classic rock radio in Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way. But the title track is a killer way to start a rockin album and is an Aerosmith signature. You See Me Cryin' allows the Bad Boys from Boston to show their tender side (and incorporate strings), Round And Round shows a harder Aerosmith, and Big Ten Inch Record shows off the tongue-in-cheek lyrics that have made the band famous (though that one is a cover, it's classic Steven Tyler). The boys had been touring hard and were really firing on all cylinders. The previous year's Get Your Wings had been well received and had a killer cover of Train Kept A Rollin which was one of their live staples. But what made this album different from the previous two is that when they went to the Record Plant in New York City to record Toys, they didn't have any songs ready. They'd honed the songs from the previous albums live before heading into record them but this time they started from scratch with a few ideas they'd been noodling on. Joe Perry came up with the riff to Walk This Way on stage in Hawaii. Tom Hamilton had the Sweet Emotion bits for years before he worked with Steven Tyler to mold them into an all time classic. Brad Whitford got a co-write on Round And Round and Joe Perry really established himself as one of the killer guitar slingers of his generation. As it turns 50, we celebrate Aerosmith's greatest album - Toys In The Attic! Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We at The Wolf love hard rock, heavy metal, prog rock, classic rock and 80s MTV. While Bryan Adams may match a couple of those categories, we can't say that he was one of our very favorites. Because we were bombarded with him from 1983-86 on US radio and MTV and because girls seemed to like him (maybe his music too), he just didn't do it for us. However, his 5th album released in 1984, Reckless, boasts hit after hit like Heaven, Summer of '69, Run To You, Somebody, and It's Only Love. So as it turns 40 on November 5, we thought it would be a good idea to bring in friend to the show and Canadian rock guru Chris from My Rock N Roll Heaven to give us his perspective. 1984 not only saw the release of Reckless but the launch of Canadian MTV-type station Much Music which not only played videos but had to play a certain percentage of Canadian artists. That helped propel the album to become the first diamond selling album (1,000,000 in sales for Canada) in Canada by a Canadian artist. Aided in the songwriting by Jim Vallance and backed up on guitar by long time collaborator Keith Scott, Bryan had huge success in his home country, in the US and around the globe. The videos all had a theme and featured the same actor (Lysette Anthony) which helped create an image for Adams in the US. We go track x track and enlist Chris's Canadian perspective to see why this album was so popular and how it stands the test of time. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REM were the darlings of the alternative/college rock scene in the 1980s. The quartet from Athens, GA blended folk, rock & country to create a unique sound while touring relentlessly to build their fan base. By 1987, it was time for them to step up & with the help of Scott Lit, who would go on to produce all their big albums of the rest of the 80s & 90s, evolved their sound to attract a much larger audience. Some diehards may have resisted but this record put REM on a much bigger stage. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1978 was an interesting time for music. Bigger 70s acts like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath & Deep Purple were breaking up or having issues. Punk was the hottest thing in the music industry. New wave was on the horizon as was the real game changer in 1981, MTV. Bands that would forge their way to superstardom in the 80s via MTV released their debuts in 1978 - Van Halen, Dire Straits, The Cars and The Police. WIth a young songwriting genius on the bass in Sting, a sturdy veteran of the road & the studio in Andy Summers and an intellectual drumsmith in Stewart Copeland, they were too good to be just another punk band. So they blended reggae, punk, and rock with relatable lyrics and built the foundation on which their sound would grow and take them to immense success. The subjects of the 10 songs on Outlandos D'Amour vary from prostitution (Roxanne), suicide (Can't Stand Losing You), fame (Peanuts) and even a blow-up sex doll (Be My Girl - Sally). And yet it all comes together as a fresh sound that is still identifiable to The Police. These three make a lot of noise but it's mostly upbeat, jump up and down fun, especially on the crescendo building (and The Wolf's personal favorite) So Lonely. The album went platinum in the US & UK (and Canada, France, Australia, etc) and gave The Police the foothold they needed to eventually become the biggest band in the world in 1983 with Synchronicity. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curt Angeledes has been a Rolling Stones fan since 1963 and has seen the band over 100 times. But in the mid-70s, he started to bring his camera into shows capturing the band over the years, evading security and selling prints to get to the next show. His book Go For Broke, Vol. 1 chronicles more than 40 years of Stones tours through his lens & captures some incredible moments. Mac B & Action Jackson interview him on his extraordinary life. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The old adage is that you have your whole life to write your first album and then a few months to write your second. And while some bands may come out of the gate with a HUGE, classic, multi platinum debut album, there is no guarantee that the next will live up to the first one. Sometimes a band will take a big step forward but sometimes the "Sophomore Slump" takes effect and exposes that the band wasn't that great to begin with. And some do very well and are incredibly popular despite the fact that they really aren't that good and don't stand the test of time. The Wolf and Action Jackson have endeavored to come up with 5 2nd albums they love and 3 2nd albums they hate. Now the boys aren't telling you these are the 5 best or 3 worst 2nd albums of all time - these are the 2nd albums that we love and hate, respectively. Some of our loves are cult albums that barely made it to gold and some of our hates are among the biggest selling albums of all time. We think both lists will get you talking and hopefully even make you laugh at points. And for those who say well if you hate it just don't listen, for the most part we would have loved to not listen but they've been forced down our throats for decades. Would Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Metallica or The Police make your favorites? What about Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, KISS or The Cult? All have made our lists but you'll have to listen to learn whether they fall on the Love or Hate side of the ledger. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keith Richards made Talk is Cheap in 1988 as a response to Mick Jagger's efforts as a solo artist and the sniping the two had engaged in via the press in the mid-80s. But the Glimmer Twins made up, recorded Steel Wheels in 1989 and launched one of the biggest tours in rock history, reestablishing the Stones as a viable touring act. However, Keith didn't want to give up this fabulous band he'd created with Steve Jordan (now in the Stones), Charlie Drayton, Ivan Neville, Waddy Wachtel, Sarah Dash and Bobby Keys. So while the Stones paused before Voodoo Lounge, Keith & the X-Pensive Wynos released Main Offender. Wicked As It Seems was a bit of a hit on rock radio and inspired Mick to work with Keith to create Love Is Strong off Voodoo Lounge. It's a great album and the band did tour to support it. We're reviewing the 30th anniversary edition which includes a live performance from England in 1993. Truth be told this one has been on the shelf for a while as the 30th anniversary edition was released in March 2022 but we've been busy with interviews, live concert reviews and lots of fun stuff. So ahead of its official anniversary on October 19, we offer our review of Main Offender 30th Anniversary Edition. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Want to win front row seats to Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in the US? Enter here to win tickets and a chance to be on a Pantheon Podcast: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/nickmason We'll be at the Indianapolis show Friday, October 14, Get tickets here: https://www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil Young is a man of conviction who isn't afraid to take on governments & corporations. But he has that platform because of all the amazing music he's made over the decades. We look back on Harvest, his 1972 classic which catapulted him to stardom as a solo artist, and Harvest Moon, his reflection on Harvest 20 years later. Playing with the same cast of characters, Harvest Moon is a great bookend to Harvest which is often overlooked after the monster success of Harvest in 1972. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're proud to have a sponsor like RareVinyl.com to not only support our show but to offer our listeners the high quality records, CDs, singles, programs, etc they crave. With over 250,000 items in stock the collection is overwhelming and the quality is incredible.  But how do they find all these treasures? Through their crack team of Record Buyers who sift through record collections to unearth the true treasures the hardcore fan can't live without. Sometimes an overlooked 7 inch record can be worth $1,000 and sometimes the highest selling records of all time aren't worth much at all. Mike Wenban, Record Buyer at RareVinyl.com joins us to share how you can identify those rare and hard to find records which drive collectors wild. Be sure to visit www.rarevinyl.com or www.eil.com and use code podcast to earn 10% off every purchase you make.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early 1970s were full of triumph and tragedy for Eric Clapton. The Guitar God who had bounced from band to band - The Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith - finally went solo with mixed results. However, in 1971 Clapton struck gold on both sides of the Atlantic with Layla and his buddies in Derek & the Dominos. However, friend and guitarist Duane Allman died tragically in a car accident in late 1971 and while Clapton mourned his friend and longed for the love of his good buddy George Harrison's wife Patti, Clapton slipped deep into a heroin addiction. Once Eric came out of his fog, he knew he needed to get back to making music and needed a hit or else he might be written off as an over the hill (at 29) junkie. So he gathered some of his buddies from the Layla sessions, took up residence at a certain address in Miami and put together a million selling record with a #1 US hit with I Shot The Sheriff. You see the many faces of Clapton on here from the blues (I Can't Hold Out), to reggae (I Shot The Sheriff), to gospel (Give Me Strength). Opener Motherless Children is a tour de force with the slide guitar and the closer, Mainline Florida, features Clapton showing off his skills with the talk box. If this album hadn't sold so well, who knows what may have become of Eric and if we'd have been treated to all the amazing music he's given us over the last 50 years. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynyrd Skynyrd emerged from Jacksonville, Florida and became titans of the Southern Rock scene. Battling their way up from adversity, the rowdy & rough-and-tumble bunch finally signed with MCA and released their debut album Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd in August of 1973. It went double platinum and saw them open The Who's Quadrophenia Tour which helped them get exposure to a larger audience. It was the foundation for the bands epic run of success until a horrible tragedy in 1977 derailed the bands trajectory and the lives of the members. Ronnie Van Zant may not have been the most talented singer in the world but he was a menacing front man who doesn't get the credit he deserves for his poignant lyrics that everyone can relate to. Though the band would eventually be known for their 3 guitar attack, Ed King would play bass on this album before Leon Wilkeson rejoined the band in 1973 and then Ed fell in with fellow gunslingers Allen Collins and Gary Rossington. Ed even helped write a song at the end of sessions for the first album which would wind up on Second Helping and would become the biggest hit they ever had, Sweet Home Alabama. But the record did feature Gimme Three Steps, Tuesdays Gone, Simple Man and the epic Free Bird. What a debut! We go track x track to celebrate its 50th! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in the 80s in the US meant being awestruck and beholden to MTV. Seeing artists from all over the world bring their music, color and performances to the small screen opened up the world to those trying to navigate the suburbs. For our generation, Duran Duran was as close as we got to the 2nd coming of The Beatles with their fashion, sound and innovative videos. To wrap up an amazing summer concert series at Hyde Park in London which included two Rolling Stones shows for The Wolf, he took The Wolf Cub so she could dance to her favorite 80s tunes. A little warmer than the first two weekends, we navigated the sun, the groups of moms on a night out and those nostalgic for the heyday of their youth. Hear about Nile Rodgers jumping on stage for a couple of songs, how Nick Rhodes may have misfired A View To A Kill a song early, about the lovely and talented Anna Ross and Rachael O'Connor and how we made our escape. It was a colorful and fun night in London! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fleetwood Mac have to be about the most interesting rock band in the history of the genre. Born out of 60s blues with the legendary John Mayall, transformed into the ultimate California Cool blockbuster band of the 70s, evolving into pop & MTV stars in the 80s and then reclaiming their thrones in the late 90s and 2000s, the tale of this band is worth telling. That's why we invited seasoned rock writer Mark Blake on to discuss his fabulous new book Dreams - The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac. Mark not only details all the lineup changes and different chart successes of the band but also takes us backstage to witness all the many relationships and broken hearts within the band. Not just written as a narrative, the book has small, easy to digest sections about the different incarnations of the band and the stories behind the songs and albums. He offers bios of every person who ever played in the Mac, even those that were there a short time or had a small influence on their sound. And of course, Mark details the intrigue of the personal relationships and hookups of the band which are unique in the world of rock n roll. He shines some light on some things we knew a little bit about and shows that the bonds and commitment to the band are so deep that no matter who gets kicked out or is broken hearted, the band continues on. A great read and perfect companion for listening to the amazing catalog of Fleetwood Mac as you can learn the history while enjoying the music. Available on Amazon and any quality book store. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prior to 1988, Metallica hadn't made a video for MTV & couldn't get on rock radio. The release of One changed that but it was the release of 1991's Metallica (The Black Album) that forever changed their fate & fortunes. With 5 hit singles & a 2.5 year worldwide tour, Metallica usurped Guns n Roses as the biggest band in the world and never looked back. We recall seeing them on that tour, our memories of the album and what it means to us today. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Signals was Rush's follow up to their biggest selling album Moving Pictures but it was not Moving Pictures II. Off the success of Moving Pictures and the tour, Rush were emboldened to further experiment with technology to evolve their sound to the 80s. Drummer & Lyricist Neil Peart started to draw inspiration from his own journey and the plight of those in the world around him. Geddy and Alex even chipped in on some lyrics. But not all fans love the synthesizers and technology from the last great power trio - many fans are turned off by their 80s output. This was a time of experimentation and new directions for the band which would define their 80s sound. Subdivisions examines the plight of the suburban teenager, New World Man as the man at the height of his power, Losing It as an old man past his prime - quite a journey from Neil Peart.  Released September 9. 1982, we hold this record in high esteem within the Rush catalog and this is our review for the 40th Anniversary of Signals - Rush.   Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%!Want to win front row seats to Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in the US? Enter here to win tickets and a chance to be on a Pantheon Podcast: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/nickmason Get tickets here: https://www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic caused the cancellation and postponement of rock shows all over the world for 2 years. Thankfully live music is returning and this week we review a couple of shows that prove it's back in a big way. After taking his family to see the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park for their 202nd London concert (but first without Charlie Watts), The Wold decided to return solo for the 203rd Stones show in town. Action Jackson took his son to The Stadium Tour in Jacksonville, FL which had been delayed 2 years. It was the first time he'd seen Motley Crue and the first time in 30 years he'd seen Def Leppard. In fact, it had been almost 30 years since he'd seen a concert in a stadium so it was a big night for him & Action III. We're so glad to have live music back and to share our experiences with our listeners. We reviewed the first Stones gig in Hyde Park on UAWIL 83 so while we point out the differences in the setlist & experience, we give Action a chance to tell us all about his first stadium show in decades.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the MTV Generation, the summer of 1983 can't be remembered without the sounds of Synchronicity by The Police. The album vaulted The Police to international megastardom, sent Sting's stock soaring even higher, boosted MTV to greater cultural significance, and broke up the band for more than two decades. We remember buying the cassette & LP and recall our first real encounters with rock n roll of our own. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bruce Springsteen is one of the all time great rock n rollers. From humble beginnings in New Jersey to selling out stadiums around the world for decades, The Boss is still out there delivering an amazing performance every night. On First Concert Memories 12, the monthly sidecast from your friends at The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we bring in our Pantheon Podcasts brother Jesse Jackson (not that Jesse Jackson) to talk about the first time he saw Springsteen live after 9/11. While the setlist was heavy on material from The Rising, Jesse was enthralled by Bruce's powerful live show and his ability to command the audience. While the rest of the folks in his party were confused and annoyed by all the new songs/deep cuts, Jesse loved it so much that he's seen Bruce 20 times and created the Setlusting Bruce Podcast which now boasts over 1,000 episodes!! He's an authority on the greatness of Bruce Springsteen and here we review the first time he saw The Boss live and how it changed his life (for the better). Learn more about Jesse and his podcast: https://www.patreon.com/setlustingbruce https://www.facebook.com/SetLustingBruce/ Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iron Maiden came off the World Slavery Tour in need of a rest & used their time off to experiment with the latest guitar synth technology. Somewhere in Time incorporated those new sounds with the classic Maiden gallup as Adrian Smith took a step forward in his writing. The new video The Writing on the Wall harkens back to the epic cover & cyborg Eddie on this mid 80s classic. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mel Gaynor is well respected around the world for his talents as a drummer. Besides being on the skins for Simple Minds as they took off to global superstardom, he has worked with legends like Elton John, Tina Turner, Lou Reed, Jackson Browne, Robert Palmer, Meat Loaf and many more. But Mel can do more than keep the beat and he's releasing his first solo album, Come With Me (out May 3rd), which showcases his songwriting & arranging talents as well as his strong, masculine vocals. Mel shows his range between folk songs (Run, the 1st single out now), funk (Dangerous), country (Still Waters) and rock (Keep On Believing) while also delivering poignant versions of Wicked Game and his buddy Robert Palmer's Addicted To Love (which features Robert's vocals). Mel gives us his background growing up in London during the 60s and 70s, how he got started in the business, working with metal band Samson alongside future Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson and more. Plus, he gives a couple of Simple Minds fans the chance to ask some fanboy questions about making videos, playing at Live Aid and the story behind their #1 hit Don't You Forget About Me. Visit Mel's site, buy Come With Me and stay up on where to see him live at www.melgaynor.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early 1982, Van Halen was finishing up a tour of the US that included opening for The Rolling Stones for some stadium shows. After 5 straight years of touring and 4 consecutive platinum records, the members of Van Halen were looking forward to a much deserved vacation. But to make sure folks didn't forget about them, they released a cover of the Roy Orbison classic Oh, Pretty Woman. The song raced up the charts and then Warner Brothers demanded an album to go with the hit single. So Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen took 12 days to record the rest of what would be Diver Down. Though the album is maligned by critics and fans as being short (31 minutes) and chock full of covers (5) it was a huge success for the band selling over 4 million copies in the US and setting them up for their megahit 1984. You still get some guitar heroics on songs like Hang Em High, Cathedral and The Full Bug but they also throw in some funny ones like Big Bad Bill and Happy Trails. It may not be anyone's favorite Van Halen record but it's an important piece of their catalog that is 40 years old and we had fun revisiting it. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In thinking about what we wanted to do for our 151st episode, we wanted to talk about an album which we knew very well. In realizing that we rarely do live albums, we thought about the live albums that have influenced us and that we've listened to the most. For The Wolf, that would be 1989's A Show of Hands by Rush - their 3rd live album chronicling their 80s techno-pop stage. Many hardcore Rush and rock fans don't have much nice to say about 80s era Rush as the mid-range usually occupied by Alex Lifeson's guitar was all but consumed by keyboards. Even legendary drummer Neil Peart had MIDI triggers on his drum kit to make more experimental noises. But A Show of Hands does show arena Rush moving from strength to strength with Geddy Lee's plodding bass, Neil's brilliant bombastic, Ales's flourishes and lyrics that had become more timely and more timeless. Covering the albums Signals, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure and Hold Your Fire (with a couple of older ones thrown in) this highlights a Rush era that may not be everyone's favorite but an important time in their history. And one The Wolf & Action Jackson hold in high esteem. Released January 9, 1989, they actually released several singles which charted in the US and this wrapped up the 80s techno phase before moving back towards the power trio sound with Presto. One of our favorites - enjoy! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Cregan may not be a household name in the US but he has recorded over 50 gold and platinum records in his career. Best known for his days as a guitarist and songwriter with Rod Stewart, Jim joined us to talk about his new charity single and to relive some moments from his stellar career. Jim works with AngelForce USA, a non-profit dedicating to serving US veterans who may be at risk of suicide. He and his band, Cregan & Co., have reworked an old Johnny Mathis tune A Child is Born which is available to download with all the proceeds going to AngelForce USA. We talk a bit about how he came to work with this noble cause and the tune itself. We then dive into crazy days & nights in the studio and on the road with Rod the Mod. He first joined Stewart on the Foot Loose & Fancy Free album and was a part of his touring & recording band into the 90s, including the MTV Unplugged performance that included Ronnie Wood. Hear Jim recount stories about Hollywood A-list parties, speaking on the phone to Britt Ekland and working hard to avoid having your door kicked in by the Sex Police. Jim has the gift of gab and some extraordinary stories to go with it! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the third edition of our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, we welcome back good friend to the show Neil Poole from the glorious Def Lep Pod. Neil's passion and knowledge for all things Def Leppard made him an easy choice to give us the lowdown on the first time he ever saw his favorite band on the Adrenalize Tour in 1992 in Birmingham, England. The Wolf & Action Jackson saw the band for the first time just months later on the same tour in Orlando with a slightly adjusted setlist but the show was amazing. Neil has told us for years that it's tough being a Def Leppard fan in the UK as they are not as beloved as they are in the US. We relive the night he took a 2+ hour bus ride with his older brother from Liverpool to Birmingham to witness his beloved Leppards live. This was the second tour performed by the boys in the round but the first time they performed in the round in the UK (according to Neil) as arenas in the 1980s weren't necessarily equipped to handle all the gear Def Leppard requires to put on their extraordinary show. From guitar solos, levitating drum kits, crowd sing-alongs and a killer setlist this was Def Leppard at the height of their power in the UK and Neil shares his memories from this special moment in his life. Visit Neil on Twitter (X) and listen to Def Lep Pod wherever you get your podcasts! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

KISS is one of the most legendary bands in the history of rock n roll. From their iconic makeup to their bombastic stage shows to the marketing and licensing of every product under the sun, KISS has been a part of popular culture for half a century. The self-titled debut album, KISS, didn't grab everyone's attention out of the gate, however. While they had some killer riffs supplied by original guitarist Ace Frehley, some funky bass from Gene Simmons, swinging drumming from Peter Criss and superstar vocals from Paul Stanley, the band were still forming their sound and identity. In fact, the sales of the album were so slow that Casablanca Records chief Neil Bogart cajoled the band into recording a 50s cover, Kissin Time, which he thought would help boost sales as a single. Even though Kissin Time was added to every copy of KISS after the first 100,000 or so, it didn't help generate more sales. But their reputation as a great live band had KISS winning fans around the nation. And while KISS wouldn't capture that live sound until ALIVE! a couple of years later, this album has some great tracks which are still KISS classics today like Deuce, Strutter, Cold Gin and Black Diamond. We give it our usual track x track evaluation and throw in lots of KISS tidbits. As a special bonus, we have included a clip from Space Ace himself, Ace Frehley. As Ace recently spoke with Paul Stephenson of VRP Rocks (a good friend of Ugly American Werewolf in London), Paul asked Ace a question from The Wolf about the timing of his new solo release 10,000 Volts and how it's coming out almost 50 years to the day from the release of KISS. Ace may not answer the question we asked but it's amazing that Paul asked if for us and the audio is included somewhere in the episode - you'll have to listen to hear from Ace!! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10% off 250,000 items! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf and Action Jackson dive deep into the recently rereleased and remastered Pink Floyd masterpiece, The Delicate Sound of Thunder. After a long break and breakup, Pink Floyd returned in the late 80s with a new album and the biggest tour the world had ever seen. We remember it's effect on us as teenagers through the live album and film, the Delicate Sound of Thunder, learn more about the musicians on the tour and discuss it's importance in the Floyd legacy.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian/English singer Paul Rodgers is an incredible, bluesy rock vocalist who has sold over 125 million records around the world. And yet, he is not well known by the general public nor has he been up for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Starting with Free in the 60s, Bad Company, The Firm, Queen and solo, Paul Rodgers has an extraordinary body of work which we celebrate on this episode. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's hard to believe 2024 is coming to an end and that The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast is now in its 5th year of broadcasting our love for rock music into the world!! 2024 was an amazing year for the show which boasts the most episodes we've ever done in a year (64) and an amazing array of album reviews, concert reviews, and extraordinary guests. As we have in the past, we've broken it down into 2 shows - Part 1 is about all the albums we've reviewed and all the authors and podcasters who came on our show. Part 2 (out next week) looks back on the live concerts & movies we discussed and the 15 artists & legends we welcomed on the show. We tend to cover albums near a major anniversary (25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, etc) with the newest celebrating its 20th (American Idiot by Green Day) and several turning 55 (Abbey Road by The Beatles, Blind Faith debut, In The Court Of The Crimson King). We may review a double diamond selling classic one week and cult favorite that maybe scratched its way to gold status. But we reflect on all of them and then make our personal Top 5 lists of the albums we reviewed that we liked best. We also welcomed authors who've written some amazing books like Mark Blake and Mick Wall to share some stories along with podcasters who share our passion and knowledge for rock music. Our monthly First Concert Memories series gives people the chance to share special nights in their rock n roll journey that made them fans! Like Markus "The Darkus" Goldman of WMMR and The Imbalanced History of Rock Podcast sharing his experience with U2 Live at Red Rocks in 1983. Or Brian Colburn of My Weekly Mixtape talking about seeing Blues Traveler in NYC just months after 9/11 and finding the crowd was ready for some healing and good times. It was an amazing year on The Wolf and this is just Part 1!! Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We at The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast created our monthly sidecast, First Concert Memories, to give people a chance to share their passion for live music and how one particular rock show had a big impact on their life. FCM #8 is a glowing example of how a rock n roll show can regenerate and restore your passion for life after dark times. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Brian Colburn, a radio & podcast professional and host of My Weekly Mixtape, was commuting into New York City from New Jersey. While entering the LIncoln Tunnel, passengers were told that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers and they would be rerouted back to their origin point. By the time they were back in New Jersey, both towers had crumbled. Like everyone in greater NYC, around the country and the world, Brian experienced a range of emotions and it took a long time to process that horror. However, on December 16, 2001, Brian saw that Blues Traveler, a New Jersey band he'd never seen live, were coming to the Roseland Ballroom that night. He called his buddies and within a couple of hours they were at the show. Hear Brian describe the feeling in the crowd as people tried to understand if it was OK to smile again, gather in a crowd and sing and dance to music you love. You'll get goosebumps as he describes John Popper playing the Star-Spangled Banner. You'll smile when you hear about Michael Franti joining Blues Traveler for a Bob Marley classic and Brian's encounter with him in the parking lot. And you'll tear up when you hear about the first responders who were honored on stage that night. This is why we created this podcast and we think you'll love Brian's story. Check out Brian's podcast at www.myweeklymixtape.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live music has returned to London! The Wolf had the honor of seeing Steve and his extraordinary band live at the London Palladium after almost 2 years without live music. Along with some new & classic solo material, the band played the live Genesis classic Seconds Out start to finish including the epic Supper's Ready. Action interviews the Wolf on a special night out in London. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 200th episode we wanted to bring in a guest that rock fans would be excited about but someone The Wolf and Action Jackson really admire. After hosting amazing guests on our 50th (Ryan Condal, House of the Dragon), 100th (live review of Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets after interviewing Guy Pratt and Gary Kemp on ep 96), and 150th (Steve Kilbey of The Church) we needed someone special to commemorate this milestone. As luck would have it, legendary guitarist and member of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Steve Howe (Yes, Asia) is releasing his latest solo album, Guitarscape, on September 27 and made himself available to us. As we tried hard not to be complete fanboys, we asked Steve to walk us through how he started building the bones of the album in 2019 thanks to a new Novatron that he'd acquired. We speak with Steve about the different textures of the album from acoustics (Spring Rhyme) to his signature hollow body electrics (Distillations, Passing Thoughts) to his brand new pedal steel (Equinox, Steel Breeze). With his son Dylan on the drums, Steve has put together a colorful palette of textures using his many talents and toys. We also manage to work in some questions about touring with Yes in the US with Deep Purple; however, when we interviewed him the tour was yet to begin, at the time of the release of this episode the tour had concluded. It sounds like there will be more new Yes music and future tours which is wonderful to hear. And, of course, we managed to squeeze in an Asia question because as long time listeners will tell you, it all comes back to Asia. The bottomline is we think you'll love our chat with Steve Howe and encourage you to pick up Guitarscape September 27. And thanks to everyone who's supported us through the first 200 episodes - we have much more in store so stay tuned. If you keep listening, we'll keep doing the show! www.yesofficial.com Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of the 70s, Black Sabbath had lost their way. The excess of the decade and the departure of Ozzy Osbourne left the future of the band in limbo. However, after the addition of American powerhouse Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the band was reborn and came back with two classic albums - Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules.  Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the overwhelming success of Part 1, we've launched a preview for Part 2 of our 2 part show on the great Steve Hackett & Genesis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of the 70s, Black Sabbath had lost their way.  The excess of the decade and the departure of Ozzy Osbourne left the future of the band in limbo.  However, after the addition of American powerhouse Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the band was reborn and came back with two classic albums - Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules.  Here's a 2:30 preview of the episode which is released 18-Feb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Downes was a key part of two monumental moments on MTV. As a member of The Buggles, he was in the first video ever played on MTV in August 1981 with Video Killed the Radio Star. In 1983, he and his fellow Asia bandmates were part of the first live satellite broadcast of a concert on cable TV. As the current keyboardist in YES, he's about to embark on a tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Close to the Edge and they will play in it its entirety. Just before our interview, we learned of the tragic passing of long time YES drummer Alan White and we discuss Geoff's friendship with Alan, what Close to the Edge meant to him as a college student and why he's looking forward to the tour. We also discuss the Asia in Asia box set being released June 10 which captures that amazing moment in time from December 1983 when Asia were bounced off of satellites around the globe to entertain the MTV generation. After our interview, The Wolf & Action Jackson will review Close to the Edge ahead of The Wolf seeing them play it live in Royal Albert Hall in London on June 21.   @asiageoff Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf & Action Jackson may not have caught onto Oasis when they broke out in the 90s but thankfully it happened later. 2005's Don't Believe the Truth is the best of their albums in this century with the best lineup the band ever had. From the sing-alongs like Lyla & Let There Be Love, rockers Mucky Fingers & Turn Up the Sun & the eclectic The Importance of Being Idle, this record isn't given the credit it is due. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billy Idol sold his hedonistic act & lifestyle to MTV in the 80s and it was a match made in heaven. Thanks to Billy's snarling sexuality and his mix of hard rock with new wave thanks to longtime collaborator Steve Stevens, Billy used the fledgling cable channel as not a springboard but a rocketship to superstardom. He'd already received attention and airplay thanks to White Wedding and with 4 singles off of Rebel Yell Billy's star rose to great heights in the US. However, in his home country of the UK, Billy didn't enjoy the same success. Maybe due to no MTV or perhaps the fact that the English public saw him as a punk and wouldn't consider him as a pop/rock singer, this album only achieved silver status in England while going double platinum in the US. The singles Rebel Yell (names after a chance encounter with The Rolling Stones), Eyes Without a Face (named after a French horror film), Flesh for Fantasy (also swiped from an old movie) and Catch My Fall, Billy had 4 charting singles and 4 videos that we talk about in-depth on the show. This was the album that allows him to still tour & perform to this day and while some of the songs sound like they were recorded in 1983, some are timeless relics of the cassette era. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wolf & Action Jackson took some time to reflect at the end of 2022 on all the great episodes, guests, concerts and artists we featured on the show this year. With 29 albums reviewed, 10 podcaster/writer guests, 12 concerts reviewed and 9 artist interviews we covered a lot of ground! On Part 1, we look back at the talented podcasters and writers who guested on our show and reminisce about all the concerts we reviewed after a COVID concert drought. We welcomed some our fellow Pantheon Podcasts hosts this year to talk about some of our favorite albums. We look back at speaking with Tom & Zeus of Shout It Out Loudcasts, Christy Alexander Halberg of Rock Is Lit, Martin Popoff of History in 5 Songs, Paul of Vintage Rock Pod and Pantheon Founder Christian Swain of Rock n Roll Archeology. We also welcomed some of our favorites from around the world like Neil of Def Lep Pod, Sonny "Hollywood" Pooni of Growin Up Rock, Chris of My Rock n Roll Heaven, rock journalist Anne Estella and RareVinyl.com Record Buyer Mike Wenban. Like so many of you, we were psyched to have live music back in our lives in 2022! Some tickets we'd had for two and half years, some were bought the week of the show. Hear The Wolf talk about seeing Simple Minds at Wembley Arena, Sting at the Palladium, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Yes and Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp at Royal Albert Hall and The Rolling Stones and Duran Duran at Hyde Park. And hear Jackson talk about finally getting to see The Cult again after lockdown, along with The Stadium Tour. Not to mention, the first concert our hosts saw together in 28 years in Indianapolis.  Part 2 is on the artists we welcomed to the show in 2022, be sure to subscribe and download! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By 1987 Aerosmith had gone from 70s rock gods to broken up & broke to reunited while clean & sober. The band and Geffen records desperately wanted a hit after 1984's overlooked Done With Mirrors. Rock n Roll Hall of Famer John Kalodner suggested the band work with outside writers to generate some hits. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were reluctant at first but Desmond Child, Jim Vallance and Holly Knight helped get them on the charts with Dude Looks Like a Lady, Rag Doll and the megahit Angel. Buoyed by their collaboration with Run DMC the year prior, the band went on to incredible success with over 5 million sold in the US. That success would only grow in the coming years with Pump and Get a Grip and Permanent Vacation was their big comeback record. MTV blasted their videos night and day which would continue through the next several albums as well. It's fun to look back on this one as it changed Aerosmith's trajectory and is the cornerstone of the greatest comeback in rock. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Van Halen were about the biggest hard rock band in the world around 1988. The headlined the Monsters of Rock Tour over Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken & Kingdom Come and had big hits with their 2nd album featuring Sammy Hagar, OU812. On the heels of 5150 which followed the departure of David Lee Roth, Van Halen seemed poised for bigger and better things. But OU812 sold about half of what 5150 sold in the US, even though OU812 is a little harder than its predecessor. Were they listening to critics who felt 5150 was too heavy on the synths? Were they worried Diamond Dave was getting more praise for his solo efforts? For us personally, this album came at a time in our lives when we were discovering the first Van Halen album and all the heaviness and guitar mastery of their original release. Plus, we had fond memories of big MTV hits like Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher from 1984 when we were just getting into music. So Van Halen had the street cred for heavy duty guitar rock but the pop stardom from MTV. Though we were excited to hear 5150 and love tracks like Mine All Mine and AFU (Naturally Wired) the big hits like When It's Love, Feels So Good and Finish What You Started aren't among our all time VH favorites. How do we rank it in the Pantheon of Van Halen records? Have a listen and find out! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U2 released Songs of Surrender, a new compilation of some of their best songs stripped down and reworked, on St. Patrick's Day 2023. We knew that was coming but what was a bit of a surprise was on the same day they released a documentary/performance via Disney+. Titled Bono & The Edge - A Sort of Homecoming with David Letterman, it captures the legendary singer & guitarist without their bandmates (Larry Mullen, Jr. was recovering from an injury, Adam Clayton was making a film) in Dublin discussing how some of their biggest and best songs came to be, how they've reworked them and even how they've updated them. David Letterman serves as the narrator/interviewer and is very Dave, not only when speaking with Bono & The Edge but with Dubliners, Irish citizens, and performers. We're generally not in favor of reworking or changing classic tunes but the band have found an amazing balance between staying true to the original while stripping it down to it's essentialness. The boys give Dave and the viewer a better understanding of what it means to be Irish, how Dublin has evolved in the last 50 years and where the band find themselves now. The real treat is the two performances - one at The Rotunda which was once a hospital (where Bono was born) and one at McDaids Pub whis is more than 200 years old. To watch them perform in both these settings with friends like Glen Hansard in an intimate setting is special and that's why we did this episode on this very special show. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1971 was a tumultuous time for The Doors as Jim Morrison faced legal troubles, battled substance abuse, and their longtime producer walked out. But out of that they created what might be their best album showing their ability to play blues, pop, psychedelic and classic Doors music. It would prove to be their last record and we go in depth while also measuring the impact of the 1991 Oliver Stone movie and Action's visit to Jim's grave. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the 13th edition of the monthly sidecast from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we relive a special night in the life of Gerry Schramm. As the co-host of the Something For Nothing Rush Fancast, Gerry is devotee of Rush for 4 decades. But Gerry didn't hear them on the radio and explore their catalog or have a friend share their record collection with him to find Rush. Instead, one one night in New Jersey in 1986, Gerry and his high school friend and future co-host Steve had an extra ticket and needed a ride to a concert at The Meadowlands that night. And Gerry was up for anything. So together they embarked on the first of more than 25 Rush shows for Gerry - the one that would hook him immediately that night and deeply for life. Hear from teenage Gerry how the set built from hit to hidden gem and the level of musicianship blew him away. Learn what it's like to behold a solo from The Professor Neil Peart himself and marvel at the fact that no one is leaving during the drum solo. It was the Power Windows Tour and one of the best setlists The Wolf has ever seen, himself a four decade Rush fan who never had the chance to catch the Power Windows Tour. The Wolf and Action Jackson reminisce about camping out for tickets to their first Rush show and all the memories that friends make with live rock n roll! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ugly American Werewolf in London Podcast hosted by Mac B. and Gary Action Jackson from just off Abbey Road in London presents: The Eddie Van Halen Tribute. After the recent passing of the guitar legend, the boys remember seeing Eddie live, finding his music via MTV and the back catalog prior to 1984 and pay homage to one of the true greats. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the early 90s, Aerosmith were back on top of the world after a crossover collaboration with Run DMC and two hit records in the late 80s. But in the 70s, Aerosmith hit the scene with an amazing hard, bluesy sound that was all over the radio and concert venues. Excess led to their demise but Pandora's Box captured all that incredible music on a 3 disc set that is absolutely amazing. We review our experience discovering hidden gems along with their greatest hits and analyze how they made the biggest comeback in rock history. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1987 in lined up perfectly for Whitesnake in North America. MTV was pushing bands like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Def Leppard and hard rock was all over the charts. Bring in a seasoned veteran like David Coverdale, A&R legend John Kalodner and the muscle of David Geffen and you get 10 million copies sold in North America! With fiery guitar magic from John Sykes, Coverdales sometimes rasping yet smooth vocals made this a juggernaut. But did you know Coverdale fired everyone and brought a whole new all star team for the tour? The videos were epic and featured perhaps the greatest video vixen of all time, Tawny Kitaen. The trilogy of Still of the Night, Here I Go Again (#1 US) and Is This Love (#2 US) videos are the stuff rock n roll dreams of the 80s were made of. To walk through this 80s classic we've enlisted Sonny "Hollywood" Pooni of Growin' Up Rock Podcast and Album Review Crew with Tom & Zeus of Shout It Out Loudcast. Sonny knows his stuff, bought the record the first day it came out, saw Whitesnake on that tour and more. We reminisce and crack wise with Sonny on a record that we all lived through in the 80s.   Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners of the show know that the point of The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast is to keep rock alive by sharing memories of bands, albums, live concerts and artist interviews. But the best way to indoctrinate the next generation away from the ubiquity of Taylor Swift is to take them to non-Taylor live shows. The Wolf Cub developed a love for the Toto classic Africa after The Wolf played it for her a couple of times. As it's become one of her go to songs throughout the years, The Wolf promised his sweet daughter that if the opportunity came to see them live, he would take her. Low and behold, Toto are opening for Journey as they continue to celebrate their more than 50 years in rock on an arena tour that would come to The Wolf Cub's home town. So as a dutiful parent, The Wolf took her and The She-Wolf out for a night of fond rock n roll memories. But who is left in these bands from their heydays? Did they play all the right songs? Which band sounded better? Which of these bands did the family say they'd go see again and which did they say thank you and goodnight after this show? Hear all about it through the eyes of a nine-year-old who has attended some big concerts (Rolling Stones, Duran Duran, KISS 3x, Chicago, America, Peter Frampton) and from the more seasoned perspective of her doting father. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metallica have always been trailblazers in the world of heavy metal and performance. Over the last 4+decades they have entertained audiences around the world and sit on the throne as The Kings of Metal. Though at this point in their career they could coast as a nostalgia act and just play the hits, they are not resting on their laurels. On the heels of the release of their 72 Seasons album, their 11th and finest in decades (in my opinion) they have embarked on the ambitious M72 World Tour - No Repeat Weekend. Over the next 2 years, Metallica will go to a city in Europe or North American for 2 nights and won't repeat the same song - that's over 4 hours of live music! They kicked off the tour in Amsterdam in Johan Cruyff Arena April 27 & 29 and The Wolf was there to see them both. We started this podcast when The Wolf was an expat living in London, taking in all things to do with British rock history and culture. Then he moved to Amsterdam which has a robust concert schedule and when Metallica announced they'd be kicking off their world tour there, he was in! Despite the fact that he was forced to move back to the US this spring, he made a pilgrimage back to Amsterdam so he could share the first two nights of this extraordinary tour with his listeners. The setlist was phenomenal, the stage and production were fantastic and it was great to hear the new material blend so well with the classics. Subscribe below and don't miss Part 2 out next week! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here on First Concert Memories, the monthly sidecast from your friends at The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we endeavor to bring you stories from guests about the first time they saw a particular band and how that impacted their life. For FCM 9, we're joined by dear friend of the show Amanda Lehmann as she relates going to see Rainbow in 1980 as she was still a wee lass. Amanda has grown up to be an extraordinary singer and guitar player and you have to know that seeing a legend like Ritchie Blackmore when she was just 12 had a profound effect on her musical journey and career. We've hosted her on the show before (Eps 61 & 70) and seen her play live with Steve Hackett in the UK and so enjoyed hearing her tell the tale of this important night in her young life. Not only do we dive into the live performance by a star-studded band (Ritchie on guitar, Roger Glover on bass, Cozey Powell on drums, Don Airey on keys, Graham Bonnet on vocals) but we talk about her journey on the train, through town and up to the front of the stage to see her heroes in action. Hear Amanda talk about seeing Graham Bonnet with short hair, a Hawaiian shirt and shades and about returning to that same venue to play with Steve Hackett on his recent live release decades later. It's a full circle journey with Amanda Lehmann, one that we think you'll enjoy as much as we did. Check out Amanda's upcoming shows and activity at www.amandalehmann.co.uk Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%!! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 150th episode (and thanks to all of our loyal listeners in the UK, the Netherlands, the US and around the world for helping us get this far) we are pleased to welcome a singer/songwriter who we grew up watching on MTV with his band The Church - Steve Kilbey. For more than 40 years Steve's led Australian psychedelic rock band The Church and has returned to the US to promote their latest record, The Hypnogogue, which Steve admits could be their 25th or 36th record - it's hard to add them all up. The Church rose to prominence in the US in 1988 thanks to MTV's 120 Minutes and college radio as their album Starfish received exposure thanks to the hit Under The Milky Way. But the band had already seen success in their home country with songs like The Unguarded Moment and Tantalized and we discuss the difficulty Steve has in curating a setlist which is satisfactory to him, the band and their fans. Steve pulls no punches talking about the business, his "too cool" attitude when doing TV interviews back in the day, his reluctance to release live albums and regales us with stories including one when two fans broke into the dressing room to demand he play one more song. Steve is an incredible songwriter and a very genuine person and you'll hear the joy The Wolf & Action Jackson had spending a little time talking with him. Thanks to everyone for listening, subscribing and downloading The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast! We appreciate you, share your love of rock music and want to hear from you on what we can do to make the next 150 episodes as good as they can be!! See The Church live on the Hypnogogue Tour, visit www.thechurchband.net for tour dates Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Swain co-founded Pantheon Podcasts because he's a lifelong fan of rock music and wanted to do everything in his power to help keep rock music alive and well. As that's exactly why we started our main show, The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, and why we joined Pantheon in 2022. As a musician himself, Christian has always been drawn to the power of a live rock show - the power of which is unrivaled in the artistic world. Christian grew up in LA, getting into punk rock and Kick Out The Jams by the MC5 was an anthem to him growing up and helped guide him in his life and career. After Christian had the chance to interview founding member Wayne Kramer on his show, The Rock N Roll Archeologist, he then had the opportunity to finally see his idol live in San Francisco. But what also made the opportunity so cool is that Kramer was touring in 2018 with an all-star band dubbed the MC50 to celebrate 50 years of the MC5. So Kim Thayill (Soundgarden), Billy Gould (Faith No More) and others toured with Wayne to honor their catalog. And the show was so live that Christian couldn't help but get caught up in the mosh pit and celebrate like a teenager. He shares his story of that night with us here. However, Christian is also the CEO of Pantheon Media and Pantheon is raising money to help grow the world's #1 music podcast company. He gives listeners a breakdown of how they can support their favorite podcasts and invest in Pantheon with minimal money down. It's an exciting opportunity for music fans, you can learn more here: https://www.startengine.com/offering/pantheonmedia Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kill Em All, the debut album from heavy metal heroes Metallica, was released July 25, 1983 but not to much fanfare. They didn't have the budget (or desire) to make videos and their sound was so loud and aggressive, you never heard them on rock radio back then. MTV was happy with bands like Men at Work and Duran Duran to be beamed to the suburbs which simply weren't ready for the thrash that Metallica brought with them. The album only sold about 60,000 copies the first year it was out. But it was the start of something which wouldn't be realized until almost a decade later. To help us better understand the significance of Kill Em All and the rise of thrash, we've enlisted Jay Scott - our Pantheon Podcasts brother from The Hook Rocks and The Zeppelin Chronicles with Shout It Out Loudcast. Jay has been listening to Metallica since the beginning and theorizes that this album was the death of glam rock even though at the time it went completely unnoticed. We go track by track and Jay talks about the night he road his bike to a bowling alley at midnight for a chance to gaze upon the boys from Metallica. It may have started slow out of the gates but this album is the foundation for what is now the biggest band in the world. Check out The Hook Rocks Podcast Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Dire Straits were a solid band that had radio hits since their first album was released in 1978, there was nothing to portend the outrageous fortune they would find in 1985 with Brothers in Arms. Their previous album, Love Over Gold, failed to go platinum in the US or produce any big radio hits. Twisting By The Pool from their 1983 EP was catchy but also kitschy and made some wonder if they were trying to parody the oldies instead of creating an homage. While the live album Alchemy was fantastic, it was not a huge seller. Lead singer, lead guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler had success in the studio with Steely Dan and Bob Dylan, produced some great movie soundtracks and wrote songs for others like Private Dancer for Tina Turner. But he hadn't made a Dire Straits album that captured the public's imagination. Until they made Brothers In Arms in 1985.... Mark brought in a young keyboard player named Guy Fletcher to give his songs more texture and eventually brought in legendary session drummer Omar Hakim to lay down all the drum parts. The result was an album that hit #1 around the world selling more than 4.5 million in the UK, 9 million in the US and 30 million around the world. The single Money For Nothing topped the charts around the world and featured Sting singing the famous line I Want My MTV. Of course at the time MTV played videos by artists who wrote music and played instruments and between Sting's catchphrase and the cutting edge (at the time) computer animation, it went into heavy rotation and would be heralded as one of the greatest videos for years. But the sound was so crisp on this album it was used to sell CD players in stores and was the first record to sell more on CD than on LP, thanks in large part to recording on digital tape and Knopfler's never ending search for quality sound. Songs like Your Latest Trick and Why Worry may be mellow but you can hear every note. Walk Of Life was fun, upbeat track that featured 2 different videos for the US and UK markets. And while the second side of the album might not have featured the big hits as the first side, Knopfler's lyrics take on more serious notions like war, life and death. the final and title track brought up visions of pain from the Falklands War that had affected so many in the UK and Argentina and is seen as a respectful tribute to those who fought (and often played at military funerals0. You can't tell the story of MTV, the 1980s or Dire Straits without this album and we dug in for an in-depth conversation about its impact at the time and how it sound today. Plus, we have a little audio from Guy Fletcher talking about Dolby Atmos mixes for the upcoming 40th anniversary edition which will include a concert from the Live in 85 tour. This was a big one and we treat it accordingly. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Motley Crue followed the platinum success of their debut record Too Fast For Love with 1983's Shout At The Devil. With a provocative title and a cover featuring a pentagram, The Crue were courting controversy in an attempt to gain fame and grow their teenage fanbase. Never known for their musicianship or lyric writing prowess, their sophomore effort helped define a sleazy LA sound that may have eventually been perfected by Guns N Roses. Thanks to their outrageous looks, stage show and attitudes, Motley were able to get airtime on MTV, opening act slots with bands like KISS and Ozzy Oxbourne and get invited to play big festivals. Looks That Kill became a hit on the radio and it helped buoy the album to over 5 million in sales worldwide. But does it stand the test of time? Hearing the album as a teenager in the 80s is a different experience than hearing it 40 years later and between the simple song structures, the purile yet x-rated lyrics and overall lack of prowess with their instruments, sonically this might not be a classic for the ages. However, thanks to the imagery, the attitude and pure punch of the Mick Mars riffs and Tommy Lee's drumming, this will always hold a place in the hard rock pantheon of albums and is what helped propel Motley Crue to the worldwide success they still enjoy today. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bruce Dickinson is a true polymath & renaissance man. After his one man show was delayed due to his contracting COVID, he returned to the stage in London & The Wolf was fortunate enough to see him. We continue our reviews of classic records turning 50 with the extraordinary Who's Next. Pieced together from Pete Townshends attempt at the concept album Lifehouse, Who's Next stands as one of the true triumphs of rock history with Baba O'Reilly, Won't Get Fooled Again, Bargain, Going Mobile and more from a truly talented band who had come into their own. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a grueling 100+ date tour to support their Piece Of Mind album, no one would blame the boys in Iron Maiden for taking some well deserved time off. Instead, after 3 weeks off they went back to start writing and rehearsing for their next album, Powerslave, which would prove to be HUGELY important in breaking them in the US, South America and all around the world. Thanks to having the same lineup as the last album for the first time and a work ethic driven by Iron Maiden's eternal leader Steve Harris, the boys produced an album with the imagery and songs that would propel them to global superstardom. Derek Riggs artwork was at its finest for the Egyptian themed cover and would also be the backdrop of the incredible stage setup of one of the most epic tours ever. On almost 200 dates in 11 months covering 28 countries including going behind the Iron Curtain, the tour nearly broke every member of the band at some point. However, with radio friendly hits like Aces High and 2 Minutes 2 Midnight, Maiden got on the UK charts. But it was their proggy epics like the title track and Rime Of The Ancient Mariner that solidified IM as a unique act in the heavy metal world. Plus, Maiden would record their timeless live album and home video Live After Death at the Long Beach Arena in California on this tour which introduced millions to the band around the world. As it turns 40, The Wolf & Action Jackson go track x track and relive some fond memories from Powerslave. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we heard an advance copy of Rival Sons new album Darkfighter, we were instant fans of the band and desperately wanted to speak to someone about this rocking new record. We were happily obliged by Founder/Guitarist/Songwriter Scott Holiday - Mr. Fuzzlord himself!! Scott joined us from the road in the US ahead of a schedule that will take Rival Sons to Europe, onto some huge festival stages and back to the US in the fall. Scott was generous with his time and spirit, talking about his influences, the equipment he uses to get that fuzzy sound, writing this album (and it's companion follow-up record LIghtbringer, listen to learn when we'll hear that) and opening for some of the biggest bands in the world like Black Sabbath, KISS, Aerosmith & more. For you classic rock fans who don't know any bands if they didn't record before 1995, I guarantee you'll love this record. It's like they took everything from the 70s & 80s that we love, blended it together to make something new and it kicks @ss! Scott, who like us is a member of the MTV generation, even talked in-depth about the fun videos they made for their first three singles Nobody Wants To Die, Rapture & Bird In The Hand which portray the boys as a band of outlaws in Tarantino fashion. Every listen of this record unlocks something we didn't notice before and endears us to these guys style. Rock isn't dead as long as bands like Rival Sons are still out there making killer new music and playing it live. Listen to our fun conversation with Scott which could have gone on for hours and order Darkfighter, you won't be disappointed: https://rivalsons.lnk.to/darkfighter Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's Part 2 of our incredibly popular episode on guitar legend Steve Hackett and his time in and out of Genesis. The Wolf and Action Jackson also talk a little bit about live stream concerts and the recent Liam Gallagher Down By the River stream. By exploring 70s era Genesis and Steve Hackett throughout the years, we hope this opens the door for some folks to discover or re-explore this extraordinary progressive rock catalog. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock N Roll Hall of Famer Guy Fletcher joins UAWIL in a very special episode where we talk the charity single he produced, his days in Dire Straits, on the road and in the studio with Mark Knopfler and more. Going Home has for decades been the theme song to the movie Local Hero, which Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame not only composed but was the tune with which he always closed his shows. When the idea of rerecording the song for the benefit of Teenage Cancer Trust (UK) and Teenage Cancer America came about, he jumped on board. And that spurred other legends to take part as well like Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Duane Eddy, Steve Cropper, Peter Frampton, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Ringo Starr, Sting and many, many more. Over 60 artists and legends participated and it was Guy's job to put it all together. We talk with him about putting this amazing charity single together and the cover which evokes Sgt. Peppers as it was done by the same artist, Sir Peter Blake. Guy also relayed some stories of his decades long career in Roxy Music, Dire Straits, working with Mark Knopfler on his many solo albums and tours and on working in a true gem of a recording studio, British Grove. Though Mark Knopfler was ready to walk away from the Straits in the 90s so he could have more freedom, he kept Guy around as Mr. Fletcher is in-sync with Mark's musical wavelengths and can assimilate the great amount of information that Mark creates. He served as Musical Director of Mark's solo band and shared some stories of life on the road with Mark. Guy is a brilliant producer who told us a bit about his high hopes for the future of Atmos mixing and what makes British Grove such a special place to record music. He even relates a story about Mark's desire to make an album with Jeff Beck which sadly never had the chance to materialize. It was a true honor and a lot of fun to welcome Guy Fletcher to The Wolf!! Watch and download Going Home - Guitar Heroes Version Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1978, Gerry Rafferty was finally freed from his old record contract with his old band Stealers Wheel, which spawned the big hit Stuck In The Middle With You (which you may remember from a certain scene in Reservoir Dogs). After several years of commuting from his home in Scotland to London to deal with his legal issues, he was finally ready to offer up his first solo album in 7 years, City to City. The success he found was big and unexpected with the single Baker Street topping the charts all around the world. But this easy listening gem was not without its fair share of controversy. For years saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft claimed he'd written the iconic bit, something Gerry vehemently denied. Also, the song was kept from the top of the Billboard chart thanks to an arrangement by Andy Gibb's management to keep his song at #1. The follow up single Right Down The Line was also a big hit and helped City to City sell over 5 million copies worldwide. Gerry never again found success like he did with this record and we honor his achievement after 45 years by reviewing this classic track by track. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the producers of The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we bring you a new sidecast featuring special guests answering 20 questions about the first time they saw their favorite band live! And what better way to kickoff this new show than with the guys from the #1 rated KISS podcast on the planet, Tom & Zeus from Shout It Out Loudcast. We talk to our Pantheon Podcast brothers for the first time in more than a year to walk through the first time they saw KISS live. What makes this one special is that we get to talk about 3 different shows from 3 different tours! Tom saw KISS on the Hot In The Shade Tour in 1990, The Wolf & Action Jackson saw the Revenge Tour in 1992 and Zeus (with Tom, of course) so the Alive Worldwide reunion tour in 1996. Hear us share stories on our favorite moments, who we went with, biggest disappointments, setlists, and more. We had a blast talking KISS live and had to leave a few funny parts on the cutting room floor but we think you'll love the stories and fun we share on our 1st episode of First Concert Memories! Check out Shout It Out Louidcast Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 24, 1974, the world were introduced to new "supergroup" on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song record label with the self-titled debut of Bad Company. Sporting a world-class lineup of Paul Rodgers (Free) on vocals, Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople) on guitar, Boz Burrell (King Crimson) on bass and Simon Kirke (Free) on drums, Bad Company were seasoned veterans of the studio and the road. After becoming disenchanted with their previous bands, the guys got together to form a straight ahead hard rock act that was built for American rock radio and to play live. And while the record went gold in their home of the UK, Bad Company (1974) is 5x platinum in the US. Paul Rodgers provides can go from singing with raw power on Rock Steady to the sweet Seagull to the soulful lament in Ready For Your Love. Ralphs big guitar riffs would help define what 70s hard rock was and the rhythm section of Burrell and Kirke were steady and creative. Though only two songs were released as official singles (Can't Get Enough & Movin' On), US rock radio fans have become familiar with the entire album thanks to DJs digging into this record for half a century. The Wolf & Action Jackson had a fun time going down memory lane with this one! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10%! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By 1980, Judas Priest were ready to take on all the world! Fresh off their classic live album Unleashed In The East, Priest were ready to conquer America and the world with a more pop sound. Priest hit the charts with songs like Living After Midnight and Breaking The Law and offered new anthems to the teenage set with United and Metal Gods. But they stayed true to their heavy metal roots with songs like Rapid Fire and Steeler. Rob Halford shows off his chops and range on songs like The Rage as Ian Hill offers up a fun and memorable bass line. While we don't see much of the dueling solos between KK Downing and Glenn Tipton as would come to be familiar with on most of their 80s and latter day albums, they each show off their individual styles here while doing what's best for the songs. And the addition of Dave Holland on the drums solidified the classic 80s Priest lineup that would help them conquer the US and the world. They also forayed into making videos with the help of Julien Temple, much to the delight of Beavis & Butthead. This album helped propel Judas Priest and heavy metal onto a bigger stage and laid the foundation for the band's success in the 1980s and beyond. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1974, The Rolling Stones were once again searching for their identity. After hugely successful tours in 1972 and 1973 thanks to the overwhelming critical and commercial success of 1972's Exile on Main Street, the band were mired in problems of their own making. Mick Jagger was bothered by wife (and now mother of his child Jade) Bianca trying to tame him from his lothario lifestyle. Keith Richards was diving deeper into his heroin addiction. Mick Taylor was becoming disillusioned with his role in the band as he was contributing and writing songs but never given credit (or royalties). 1973's Goats Head Soup is a fan favorite but was derided by critics for not being as good as Exile. Apparently the Stones were going to a half live, half covers album that eventually gave way to more interesting original materlal (Ain't Too Proud To Beg still made the album and was the 2nd single). Disenchanted with married life, being hounded by press and law enforcement helped create It's Only Rock N Roll - an ode to their lives as huge stars in the public eye. The title track is a classic both for the name and the story of Mick wondering what is enough for the fans and press. They come strong with killer Keith riffs (If You Can't Rock Me, Dance Little Sister), dirty roadhouse rockers (Short And Curlies) and forays into reggae, country, gospel and soul with the usual R&B sensibilities that make the Stones the Stones. Of course, we were a bit put off that there is no Keith song on the album (the last time that would happen) but you know he had something to do with Fingerprint File, a song about running from the FBI and all manner of police. With Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston lending their talents on the keys, Ronnie Wood and David Bowie making brief appearances and the boys experimenting a bit, this ends up being a fun Stones record to explore. It might not be chock full of radio hits but get to see the Stones going down paths they don't always go with surprising delight. Not the best or worst of the Mick Taylor era and one we're glad we researched and heard. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We conjured up First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast to talk about the first time our guests saw a particular band, to share some passion about the rock n roll we all love. And Stephanie Myers is so passionate about Meat Loaf that she wears a necklace made of his guitar string. Host of the Songfacts Podcast and co-host of Stephanie & Stephanie Talk Tunes Podcast, she is a vivid storyteller and a Meat Loaf Superfan who's seen him live 13 times! As The Wolf & Action Jackson are not Meat Loaf know-it-alls, it was so much fun to have a few laughs with Stephanie and learn from her deep well of knowledge on her favorite artist. Stephanie reveals how she got into Meat Loaf as a 12 year old as Bat Out Of Hell II was all over the radio, MTV, VH1 and radios all over the world. We'll get into the theatrics of the show and the special song he sang that night in Houston on August 3, 1994. But we'll also hear from Stephanie about how she had to cajole and bargain with her parents over many months to make her dream of seeing Meat Loaf live come true. We share some laughs and stories with Stephanie on a fun episode of First Concert Memories! Visit Stephanie at https://linktr.ee/Stephaniestalktunes Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch and use code 10OFF2023 to save 10% during the holidays! Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Swain is the Founder & CEO of Pantheon Podcasts - a network of music podcasts preserving the legacy of rock n roll and all its many sub-genres. We chat with Christian about being a musician in LA in the 1980s hanging out at The Roxy, The Rainbow and the Whiskey-a-go-go. We talk why certain bands make it and other don't, the role record companies play in those successes and failures and why it's important to interview the original creators of the music we love. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Want to win front row seats to Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in the US? Enter here to win tickets and a chance to be on a Pantheon Podcast: https://pantheonpodcasts.com/nickmason Get tickets here: https://www.thesaucerfulofsecrets.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YES came out of the 60s and forged their own identity through extraordinary musicianship, intricate songs and fantastic artwork. While some hits have kept them on classic rock for decades, the different eras and lineups over the last 50 years have created a catalog like none other. So whether you like the 20 minute epics, the uber popular Owner of a Lonely Heart or don't know much about the band, our examination will peel back some layers and appreciate this special group. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iron Maiden are one of the biggest bands in the world, touring the planet in their own customized 747 flown by lead singer Bruce Dickinson. But in 1983, Maiden were still forging their way, trying to solidify their lineup and making their name through relentless touring. After the success of Number of the Beast, the band wanted to take things to the next level and with the addition of Nicko McBrain on drums they finally had their classic lineup set which is still intact today. Thanks to Nicko on the skins, the confidence and power of vocalist Bruce Dickinson, the sci-fi lyrics and extraordinary bass of leader Steve Harris and the frantic guitar licks of Dave Murray & Adrian Smith, Iron Maiden had the lineup that would set them on a course for global superstardom. Piece of Mind would be the first of 5 legendary albums from this lineup in the 1980s and the 5 of them would reunite in 2000 (along with 3rd guitarist Janick Gers) to reclaim their thrones as the ultimate heavy metal band. They're still going today and The Wolf & Action Jackson will be catching their Future Past Tour in Europe this summer. From Nicko's incredible drum work on Where Eagles Dare to Bruce's haunting vocals on Revelations to the ultimate Maiden runner with The Trooper, this album showcases the talent of all in the band. For once, they actually received airplay on US radio and The Trooper charted (unlike the 1st single The Flight of Icarus). Despite no love from MTV, the album went platinum in the US and the fans turned out in droves for their 130+ date tour. We go track by track, think about it in comparison to the other Iron Maiden albums we've reviewed over the years (#14 Live After Death, #38 Somewhere in Time, #39 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, #65 Number of the Beast, #66 Fear of the Dark, plus #48 review of Bruce Dickinson speaking tour) and discuss how this was the real beginning of the band we love. Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Twitter Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now this debate could stir some controversy... Just like sports teams, bands pickup new members to replace folks who don't fit in musically, quit, develop substance issues, don't jibe socially or even die. Eventually, most bands replace members at some point in their careers. But which are the best free agent pickups of all time? Which non-original members made the biggest contribution to a band in terms of developing their sound, their success, and their legacy? The Wolf & Action Jackson each choose their ten best rock band additions of all time and why. Now we had to put in the parameter that the band had to release at least one album without free agent pick. Many bands had members that didn't work out before they put out a record that would find a replacement that made the lineup successful. For each pick we discuss that musician, the member they replaced, the first album they appeared on and that free agent's legacy in the band. And what would the band's legacy be without this person? Is Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden the best free agent vocalist? What about Ronnie James Dio, Brian Johnson, Sammy Hagar or Steve Perry? What about guitarists like Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones, Phil Collen of Def Leppard or Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden? Which of these changed the fortunes of legendary bands forever? Listen and then let us know your Top 10 Rock Free Agents! Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Ugly American Werewolf in London Store - Get your Wolf merch! Visit RareVinyl.com and use the NEW code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices