Author Chris Sutton returns to the podcast. He’s here to talk about his latest book Sparks 1969 to 1979: Every Album, Every Song . It’s part of Sonicbond’s On Track series. Beginning as a five-man band, the duo of Ron and Russell Mael retained the name and spent much of the seventies working with a succession of sidemen and collaborators. They ended the seventies on a high note with the collaboration with Italian composer and producer Giorgio Moroder for top 20 UK hit “No. 1 In Heaven”. Many who...
Nov 03, 2024•55 min
Author Suzanne Mattaboni is this episode’s guest. She recently released the second edition of her novel, Once In a Lifetime , a coming-of-age story set in the mid-1980s against a backdrop of vibrant music and art. The main character, an ambitious, new wave-influenced art student from Long Island who’s dying to kick-start her career—and her love life for that matter. She’s saving to get overseas to London, where the excitement of the post-punk era is coming to a head. To save for the trip, artsy ...
Oct 30, 2024•24 min
Pete Prown is the author of The Ultimate Book of Blues Guitar Legends: The Players and Guitars That Shaped the Music . It features over 150 of the genre’s greatest players and performers from the prewar era to present. From blues pioneers like Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Memphis Minnie to today’s hottest guitar slingers like Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr., and Samantha Fish, Prown presents his subjects by blues-defining eras and subgenres, including: early ...
Oct 24, 2024•45 min
Robert Lawson is the author of the brand-new book Solidarity Forever: The Art and Soul of Stevie Van Zandt . As soon as he heard Van Zandt's debut solo album Men Without Women in early 1983, Robert was completely devoted to every note. He first met Van Zandt backstage on his Voice Of America solo tour in 1984, and has kept in touch with him ever since. He's now doing a serious deep dive to definitively document the musical career of the great Stevie Van Zandt. From his early days in New Jersey b...
Oct 18, 2024•53 min
Back in June, I had author David Cain on to tell us about his book Infinite Dead: A Daily Guide to Grateful Dead Concert Performances Volume 2: July . I wanted to have him back on to talk about the first volume, which covers all the Dead shows during October. David made some time to come back on and I’m so glad he did. Very few bands deserve an in-depth look at a band’s live show, the Grateful Dead is at the top of that list. Infinite Dead is a new, groundbreaking guide to Grateful Dead concerts...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 9 min
James Romag is the author of J. Geils Band: Every Album, Every Song . Part of Sonicbond’s On Track... series of books, it's a comprehensive overview of every track on Geils' 11 studio albums, with a look at their official live releases and a rundown of the musicians' projects beyond the band. Jim and I talk about the book and get into the classic albums including Full House , Bloodshot , Love Stinks , and the massively successful Freeze-Frame, along with the classic tracks recorded by the band i...
Oct 12, 2024•59 min
Chris MacDonald is a first-time guest to the podcast. He’s the author of the new book Days and Days: A Story about Sunderland's Leatherface and the Ties That Bind . Days and Days weaves together two stories. One is a tale of friendship and self-discovery that occurs during a backpacking adventure through England, Scotland, and Ireland. The other celebrates the highly influential yet underestimated UK band Leatherface, a group that The Guardian called “the greatest British punk band of the modern...
Oct 11, 2024•37 min
This episode's guest is veteran musician and author Elliott Murphy, who has released a new book titled Elliott Murphy’s Rock Dreams . I ask Elliott about his amazing body of work, his experiences working with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, and Mick Taylor, and his most recent book Elliott Murphy’s Rock Dreams . Elliott started posting his dreams on Facebook intermittently during the last few years. The response was overwhelming. Eventually, fans wanted to see Elliott’s nocturnal ad...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Returning to the podcast is Jesse Fink, the author of the 2013 bestseller The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC , and the highly acclaimed 2017 book Bon: The Last Highway . He’s just released a follow-up to that book titled Bon: Notes From The Highway . Fink’s B on: The Last Highway became an international sensation and is now recognized as the definitive biography of Bon Scott. Fans have been clamoring for more to the Bon Scott story and with B on: Notes from the Highway, he explores in grea...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 20 min
This episode’s guests are Tom & Zeus, hosts of the Shout It Out Loudcast, and authors of the book Raise Your Glasses: A Celebration of 50 Years of KISS Songs by Celebrities, Musicians, and Fans. Notable contributors like former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick, wrestler/musician/podcaster Chris Jericho, legendary songwriter Desmond Child, and many more come together to provide exclusive insights into every track that has shaped the legendary band's illustrious career. It also includes exclusive s...
Oct 03, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Brad Tolinski and Jaan Uhelszki are the authors of MC5 An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band. It’s an oral biography of the proto-punk Detroit rockers MC5. Centered around a series of interviews with MC5, their manager, and their inner circle—many of whom are no longer with us—that Tolinski and Uhelszki inherited from CREEM Magazine founding staffer and Mojo's US editor Ben Edmonds before his death, this book presents a genuinely candid, funny, and moving portrait of rock’s most un...
Sep 28, 2024•1 hr 6 min
It’s another chapter in The Dialogue Series - A chill ‘n chat with authors, fellow podcasters, musicians, and more. This episode's guest is singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Arwen Lewis. Arwen is the granddaughter of Academy Award-winning actress Loretta Young and the daughter of Peter Lewis, a founding member of the band Moby Grape. Her 2015 self-titled debut featured her interpretations of her father’s songs and in 2023 she released the EP 'Under The Stars', which she produced and wrote....
Sep 26, 2024•34 min
It’s another chapter in The Dialogue Series - A chill ‘n chat with authors, fellow podcasters, musicians, and more. Our guest is Songfacts founder and owner Carl Wiser. If you love classic rock trivia and love finding out the stories behind your favorite classic rock songs and bands, you probably know about the website Songfacts.com. Songfacts is a music-oriented website that gives you the stories behind songs and lyrics, how and when they were recorded, and so much more. You can search by categ...
Sep 22, 2024•1 hr
Kenneth Womack and Kenneth L. Campbell are the authors of the new book Bruce Songs: The Music of Bruce Springsteen, Album-by-Album, Song-by-Song. It’s an in-depth exploration of Bruce Springsteen's musical legacy. Covering Springsteen's entire discography, from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. to Only the Strong Survive, this unique book combines historical context, literary analysis, and meticulous research. Detailed analyses of each album, essays on their historical significance, and a chronol...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Daniel Bukszpan is making his second appearance on the podcast. He’s here to talk about his brand new book Rush at 50 . A beautifully produced, photo-packed celebration of the beloved rock trio, Rush at 50 examines the history of the Canadian rockers through the lens of 50 milestone events. Daniel covers everything down through the decades including: The band’s formation by bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in suburban Toronto and their early gigs and tours opening for the likes of Ki...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 16 min
This episode’s guest is author Janet Bostic-Williams. She, along with Selwynn Milborrow, have just released a new novel titled Operation Gratitude: Kill Colonel Tom Parker . Here’s the description of the book: How far would you go to protect someone you love who cannot see the life or death danger they are facing? Elvis Presley is beloved worldwide, but none are as devoted as Liz Phillips. He communicates with her through his music and movies, and she knows in her soul that he is pleading with h...
Sep 14, 2024•24 min
Martin Popoff returns! He’s got an updated version of his book Iron Maiden: Album By Album . Martin pays tribute to Iron Maiden’s discography through a series of in-depth, frank, and fascinating conversations about all of the legendary heavy metal band’s studio albums. Inside, Popoff gathers together metal journalists, authors, and musicians, who offer insights, opinions, and anecdotes about every release including the early albums with lead singer Paul Di’Anno, the songwriting of founder and ba...
Sep 10, 2024•41 min
Sean Kelly & Mark Walton are this episode’s guests. Sean is the author of White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story , the authorized biography of the Continental Drifters due September 27th. Mark is the band’s bassist and founding member. The book follows ten disparate musicians from humble beginnings at a dive bar residency in Los Angeles through lineup changes, addiction, marriages, divorces, and industry letdowns. The Continental Drifters, composed of members of The Bang...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 13 min
A first time guest to the podcast is Dan Spencer. He has over 10 years of music coaching experience and is the author of several books. He’s appeared as a music expert on NBC, CBS, and FOX. He’s currently coaching students, recording, producing songs, talking about music on The Best Music Podcast and Sirius XM Radio, and writing more books. He’s here to talk about his most recent book The 14 Unshakable Laws of Learning Music: How to Master Any Instrument and Singing in 5 Minutes a Day. Purchase ...
Aug 31, 2024•52 min
This episode's guest is author, comedian, and musician Aug Stone. The audio version of his fictional comedy book from 2023 The Ballad Of Buttery Cake Ass has just been released. It's the story of two music obsessives who embark on a hilarious quest to track down Buttery Cake Ass' Live In Hungaria, an album as legendary as it is obscure. Their pursuit of one of the greatest bands ever unknown takes them down many a bizarre path teeming with grand ideas and grander egos in this ode to record shopp...
Aug 29, 2024•39 min
Author Tim Durling is back, this time to talk about his brand new book LET IT BE YOUR GUIDE: The Kansas Album Review. Kansas rose to fame by the mid-70s with hit singles “Carry On Wayward Son”, “Dust In The Wind”, and “Point Of Know Return”. They produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one platinum studio album, and a platinum-selling live double album. With the help of no less than 30 Kansas super fans, Tim guides readers through the body of work created by a band that has been ...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Our guest is Steve Moriarty, former drummer of the band The Gits and author of the new book Mia Zapata and The Gits: A Story of Art, Rock, and Revolution. The Gits, led by their charismatic frontwoman Mia Zapata, formed in Ohio before joining the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the early 90s. They were on the brink of international stardom when, on July 7, 1993, just days before their third US tour, Mia was brutally murdered. Her death came as a shock to the Seattle music scene and eventually ...
Aug 13, 2024•49 min
Stephen Lambe is the author of a brand new book part of Sonicbond’s Rock Classic series titled Yes 90125 . Against the odds, 90125 became Yes’ best-selling album after its release in November of 1983. Featuring new interviews with several of the key players, including singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Trevor Rabin, this book traces the complicated story of the album from its 1981 demos to the conclusion of Yes’ massive world tour in 1985. It's a deep-dive discussion of one of the biggest albums ...
Aug 10, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Aaron J. Sams is the author of the brand new book U2: Song By Song . Over forty years since their formation, U2 is one of the biggest bands in rock history with an estimated 175 million records sold worldwide. They’ve earned more Grammy Awards than any other band with 22. This book guides the reader through the band’s 15 studio albums (eight of them number one), and over seventy singles, including several hits along the way and there are many. Of the 84 singles released, U2 has two number-one si...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Rock & roll journalist, author, and photographer Michael Goldberg is back on the podcast. He’s got a brand new book titled Jukebox: 1967-2023 Photographs . Michael is best known as a writer, but for over 50 years he’s also been photographing musicians and the photos in Jukebox are drawn from the thousands he’s taken over the years. Included are photos of the Sex Pistols, Devo, the Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Jim Morrison, Lou Reed, Janis Joplin, Muddy Waters, Patti Smith, the Who, Neil Young, ...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Our guest is veteran music publisher and industry expert Randall Wixen, who has just released the fifth edition of his book The Plain and Simple Guide To Music Publishing. Music publishing is one of the most complex parts of the music business, and yet it can be the most lucrative area of income for musicians. Wixen presents a clear, concise approach on how music publishing works today. The book includes a foreword by Tom Petty, among the many who put their trust in Wixen with their music catalo...
Jul 26, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Andrew Darlington is the author of the brand new book The Small Faces and The Faces: Every Album, Every Song . They started out as a mod fourpiece with Steve Marriott on lead vocals. With hit singles including “Itchycoo Park”, “Lazy Sunday”, “All Or Nothing”, and “Tin Soldier”, they evolved into one of the UK’s most successful bands by the end of the 60s. After Marriott left the band to form Humble Pie, the remaining members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones joined forces with singer Ro...
Jul 21, 2024•58 min
Preston Frazier is the author of the new book Toto: The Band, Not The Dog! A fan of Toto since he was in high school, Frazier has followed Toto across multiple states to see them play live. He’s interviewed past and present members as well as Toto sidemen and has written about the band extensively. This book is a journey through every studio album in Toto’s catalog, uncovering the stories behind the music, the evolution of their sound, and the critical and commercial successes that have cemented...
Jul 19, 2024•46 min
Author Tim Durling is back! Last time, we talked about his book UNSPOOLED: An Adventure in 8-Tracks [Episode 205]. This time, we get into Tim’s book DOWN FOR THE COUNT: The Y&T Album Review . It’s an album-by-album look at the recorded studio output of one of hard rock’s best-kept secrets – Y&T who originated in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene in the mid-70s. Tim calls Y&T one of hard rock’s best-kept secrets and explains why in this episode! Purchase a copy of DOWN FOR THE CO...
Jul 13, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Author Tim Durling is a first-time guest and he’s here to talk about a few of his recent books. In this episode, we’ll cover his book UNSPOOLED: An Adventure in 8-Tracks . It’s a guided tour through the eyes of a collector. Whether it’s vinyl, CD, cassettes, reel-to-reel, or yes, 8-track tapes – you’ll enjoy this in-depth deep dive into the crazy world of collection. If you love trivia and the obscure minutia of rock and roll music, you’re gonna enjoy this. Tim reveals what is the only box set w...
Jul 10, 2024•48 min
