You might ask boys - if you've already done two 1+ hour episodes on Live Aid at 40, what more could you possibly have left for a third? The only thing we left out of episodes 1 & 2 were first hand accounts from the front or back of the stage that day, something we weren't privy to at the time due to the fact that we were 12 years old. So we enlisted two folks who there that day to help tell the real story - MTV VJ Alan Hunter and longtime Eric Clapton guitar tech Lee Dickson. Alan was one of...
Jul 13, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 242
Welcome to Part 2 of our deep dive into Live Aid as it turns 40. In Part 1 we spoke about the creation and buildup to the event on July 13, 2025 at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK in Philly. It was billed as a legendary fundraiser to support starving people in Africa organized by Bob Geldof which attracted some of the greatest artists of several generations. On our second installment, we break down the live acts throughout the day in the US and during the prime afternoon and evening times in t...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 241
Live Aid may have been the cultural event for Gen X'ers just as Woodstock was for their baby boomer parents. Bob Geldof had led a group of British pop artists to the charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? That inspired US artists to create We Are The World. Both singles were to aid millions of starving people in Africa who were suffering from severe drought and broken politics. The huge success of the songs lead Geldof to be even more ambitious in coordinating a dual continent live concert ...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Season 1Ep. 240
Longtime listeners know that The Wolf & Action Jackson hava a special place in their hearts for Rush, the Canadian power trio that went through many phases and sounds over their more than 4 decades together. To wrap up our 2nd year of First Concert Memories, our monthly sidecast about special moments in our lives that revolve around a live rock show, we welcomed our Pantheon Podcasts brother Brad Page. Brad grew up in greater Boston and tried to see Rush on the Permanent Waves Tour. However,...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 4 min
When Iron Maiden announced they'd be doing the Run For Your Lives Tour in 2025-26, The Wolf & Action Jackson knew they would have to go see a couple of shows. And when there were only European dates announced for 2025, they knew they needed to dust off their passports because there was no way they would be able to wait 2 years to see the boys on what could be their biggest and best (perhaps last?) greatest hits tour ever. So they chose Stockholm as their European venue because 1) They'd neve...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 239
Listeners of The Wolf know that despite the fact that The Wolf lived mere yards (or meters) from Abbey Road, he and Action Jackson aren't huge Beatles fans. While he did go through a Beatles stage in high school, it was really an education on how the band evolved and created some amazing music which is still enjoyed and studied today. However, thanks to a run of 60s rock related movies that ran on Cinemax one night in the 80s, The Wolf became very familiar with Help! as he recorded the movie on ...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 238
While the average rock fan may not know the name Nicky Hopkins, the average rock legend knows the name very well and most likely worked with him at some point. A classically trained pianist, Nicky Hopkins would go onto play with the greatest rock bands of all time - The Beatles, The Rollings Stones, The Who, The Kinks - and that was just the 1960s!! Finally, Nicky has been chosen for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame! Though he did have some solo releases, Nicky found himself most at h...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 235
Ritchie Blackmore is known as a guitar legend and as one of the more mercurial figures in rock. The Rock N Roll Hall Of Famer rose to power with Deep Purple and unleashed some of the most classic, hard rock riffs on the world, including the simple and ever-present Smoke On The Water. But Ritchie was known to be aloof, distant from his bandmates and would often fly into critical rages about their performance. After the departure of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover, he was dissatisfied with the musical...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 235
As The Wolf & Action Jackson grew up throughout the 1980s and their taste for guitar driven rock music grew, the legend of Jimi Hendrix always loomed large. A left-handed virtuoso who blew away all the other guitar gods of his generation, Hendrix remains a legend more than 50 years after his death. When the boys created First Concert Memories to help capture and share true rock n roll stories, they hoped that one day they'd have someone on to talk about the legendary Jimi Hendrix. Thanks to ...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 3 min
By 1975, Fleetwood Mac had already had many iterations and lineups. Started by veterans of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, early Fleetwood Mac were a blues based band with limited success on the US Billboard chart. By 1975, they had lost their main singer, lead guitarist and main songwriter in Bob Welch and remaining members Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were on the search for a spark. While working at Sunset Studios, they heard the debut album from a duo that was also a couple, Bu...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 235
By 1985, REM had carved out a following both in their home base of Athens, GA and at colleges and indie radio stations around the US. Their first two albums Murmur and Reckoning gave them a foothold as they learned how to craft songs and play live. But they were ready to take the next step so instead of retreating to North Carolina where they'd recorded their first two albums, they went to London to broaden their horizons and up their songwriting and recording game. Because REM had grown into a ...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 234
The Wolf & Action Jackson are so happy to be able to share the story of Night 2 of Metallica in Nashville on Saturday, May 3. While the first night of the No Repeat Weekend was great, including the opening acts Suicidal Tendencies and Pantera, Saturday, May 3, 2025 was a special night in the boys lives as friends, fans and concert goers. Though their seats were solid on Thursday Night, the setlist wasn't white hot and the surroundings went downhill as the night progressed. However, through w...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 233
Though The Wolf saw Metallica kickoff their 72 Seasons/No Repeat Weekend Tour in Amsterdam in 2023, Jackson was not able to join. In fact, Action Jackson hadn't seen Metallica live since 1993 when he, The Wolf and their buddies saw them in Naples during their sophomore year in college. As our show is on the same network, Patheon Podcasts, as The Metallica Report, we hoped we'd have the chance to see James, Lars, Kirk and Robert live together again one day. That day came on May 1 in Nashville as ...
May 08, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 232
We are happy to welcome our fellow Pantheon Podcast brother Jon Verno, host of Metal Mayhem ROC, to share his first EVER concert at the age of 13 - Ted Nugent live in Rochester, 1980. Hear Jon share what it was like as a brand new teenager to witness the sights, sounds and smells of his first ever live show and how it made an impression that has lasted to this day. Verno has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of shows over the years but you never forget your first. Nor do you forget the first time...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min
By 1985, Motley Crue were in a tough place. Though they'd achieved success, wealth and worldwide fame thanks to their first 2 albums Too Fast For Love and Shout At The Devil, the band were suffering from some setbacks. Vince Neil had driven his Ferrari while drinking and caused a crash that ended up killing his friend Razzle Dingley of Hanoi Rocks. As he worked to stay sober and navigate his legal issues, Nikki Sixx was deep into a heroin addiction that forced producer Tom Werman to get someone ...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 231
As long time listeners of the show know, The Wolf and Action Jackson were and remain huge fans of The Police. When they were 10, Synchronicity and Every Breath You Take ruled the albums and singles charts while being broadcast hourly on MTV. We'd thought we'd found the rock band we'd grow up with. However, lead singer and songwriter Sting had other plans. He'd grown tired to the infighting with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland and wanted to take his songwriting and good looks solo. Dream of the...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 230
Listeners of our show know of our love for Led Zeppelin and their iconic lead singer, Robert Plant. Already this year we've devoted 2 shows to Physical Graffiti as it turned 50, a show on The Firm's debut album featuring Jimmy Page and one on the documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin which is now available on streaming services. And though we've reviewed several classic Zeppelin albums, we've also gone track x track on Unledded, Robert's reunion with Jimmy Page in 1994, and his first two solo effort...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 229
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 fan...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 228
By 1980, Pete Townshend was 34 or 35, regarded as a true legend of rock music and a revered songwriter. He was one of the true pied pipers of rock n roll. The only problem was, there was no such thing as a middle-aged rock star. In 1978, the death of Keith Moon hit him hard and put in the question the future of The Who. Punk music was railing against old bands like The Who and while Pete was with them in spirit, he realized that they may have had a point. Meanwhile, Pete was battling alcohol and...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 227
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 ...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 7 min
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 I...
Mar 27, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 226
As long-time followers of our show are aware, The Wolf and Action Jackson are HUGE Led Zeppelin fans. When it was announced several years back that there would be a Led Zep documentary coming, we were psyched and knew that we'd not only have to go see it on the big screen but do a review on UAWIL. However, we we didn't know that director Bernard MacMahon had not only unearthed and cleaned up video of a performance by the band in Bath from 1969, but he also uncovered a never-before-heard audio in...
Mar 20, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 225
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...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 224
Bad Company hit the scene in 1974 in a big way. Signed to Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label and managed by Peter Grant, the supergroup composed of Paul Rodgers (Free), Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople), Boz Burrell (King Crimson) and Simon Kirke (Free) had a huge success with their self-titled debut which would go on to sell 5 million in the US. Many bands struggle to follow up a big debut with an equally good second effort but Bad Company weren't rookies and had made over a dozen albums individually. ...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 223
For The Wolf and Action Jackson, The Who in 1989 were coming back one last time to perform - something they hadn't done since the early 80s and had sworn off. The classic 60s artists were back in a big way and The Who were touring the US doing 40 songs a night from their brilliant catalog, from their solo albums and with a focus on their rock opera Tommy to start the show. That tour eluded our fearless hosts but not Farmer John, host of the Vinyl Relics podcast - a new member of Pantheon. John a...
Mar 01, 2025•1 hr 9 min
By the mid-70s, Jeff Beck was a bit of an enigma. He started out as a blues player in The Yardbirds replacing Eric Clapton and sharing the stage for few shows with Jimmy Page. Then he formed The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart as his lead singer and Ronnie Wood on the bass where the band tried to be more commercial. He created one of the great power trios with Beck, Bogert and Appice and while they were a strong live draw, they didn't get a lot of radio play. By 1975 Jeff, who was never one to ...
Feb 27, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 222
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 22...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 221
In 1985, Phil Collins could do no wrong. His album No Jacket Required would eventually hit the top spot in the US and the UK. He'd also have the top album and top song on both sides of the Atlantic. He won a Grammy for Against All Odds (which would hit #1), his duet with Philip Bailey, Easy Lover, was a smash hit around the world and hit duet with Marilyn Martin, Separate Lives, would also go to #1. And after a world tour to support his 25 million selling album No Jacket Required, he played Live...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 220
On Part 2 of our track x track review of Physical Graffiti as it turns 50, we review the 2nd LP/CD. While there is little in the world of rock music that can stand up to the first LP/CD, the second is more eclectic and shows the real breadth of all Led Zeppelin could do vs. more one dimensional bands at the time. In The Light is an epic that builds to joyous uplift. Sick Again shows Jimmy's slide skills were among the best of his generation while Bron-Yr-Aur shows the quieter acoustic side of Ji...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 219
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 bre...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min
