It seems almost unfathomable, but this past week would’ve been George Harrison’s 78th birthday, almost 20 years after his body exited the material world. In honor of that melancholy milestone, Tony & T.J. do a deep dish into his last album of new material, 2002’s Brainwashed; much of which was recorded as George knew he was dying. It’s a poignant, beautiful record, which gets its proper due here, but of course doesn’t stop the Untitled Duo from their usual insane diversions; including, but n...
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 42
This week, Tony and TJ hop in their time machine to revisit some of the earliest proto-Beatles (pre-Ringo!) recordings: The Decca Auditions. Never officially released—you can find them all on YouTube, or if you're lucky, a Japanese import CD—these tapes capture the band at their most raw. Things to look forward to: The guys get... a little punchy The Fab Three get a little nervous for the big audition Poor Pete Best gets the Charlie Brown treatment (why's everybody always pickin' on him?) Tony g...
Feb 20, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Love is in the air, and for Tony, TJ, and the Fab Four, it's more than just holding hands. This Valentine's Day, the guys present some of their favorite Beatles love songs. Not the 1977 Love Songs compilation; not the 2006 Cirque du Soleil soundtrack. They cut straight to the good stuff. We're talking: Romantic and carnal love (content warning: the F word gets some action here) Freudian mother-lover mashups Chili dogs outside the Tastee Freez And just maybe an unexpected wild card or two LINKS: ...
Feb 13, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 40
The gang continues its exploration of the early U.S. Capitol Records releases, this week covering the covers-heavy Beatles' Second Album. Tony owns up to his early underestimation of this classic TJ goes to bat for his official Fifth Beatle Bryan Adams brings his piano to your mom's porch And we think we've maybe stumbled upon the next great (grown-ups only) classic rock radio format, just in case this whole podcast thing doesn't pan out Apologies in advance to the City of Sacramento, and those ...
Feb 06, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 39
For this week's show, Tony and TJ blast their current favorite Fab Four solo tracks into the side of a mountain for everyone to see and hear. It's a long and meandering drive to the Black Hills of South Dakota, but along the way: We learn about Tony's irrational love for a wailin' saxophone and his irrational fear of a pie in the face TJ reveals just how too-much he knows about ill-conceived sitcom spin-offs And we make a pit stop for a taste of George Harrison's favorite Indian carryout. Hear t...
Jan 30, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 38
This week TJ and Tony dust off their "Sneak Previews" sweaters to review the cult classic Caveman, starring Ringo Starr. Is this difficult-to-stream comedy superior to A Hard Day's Night? Is this hard-to-watch romp more enjoyable than Two Virgins? Is it better than a stag film shown in a small room at Beatlefest 81? In this spoiler-laden assessment, the Tangential Two wax nostalgic about the golden era of NBC's Thursday night line-up, Ribbie and Roobarb, and a pre-Fox television landscape. Meanw...
Jan 23, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 37
As a bonus podcast, we have an excerpt from Twitch & Shout on the Chicago4Real Twitch Channel, in which TJ and Tony acknowledge the passing of legendary murderer and record producer Phil Spector. They discuss his connection to the Fab Four and the complications of assessing the artistic work of a convicted killer. Plus an excerpt from I Dream of Jeannie! This was originally broadcast on January 18, 2021.
Jan 19, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 36
To brighten up this winter of discontent, the Untitled Beatles Podcast resurrects a buried American classic, the Fab Four's Capitol debut Meet The Beatles. TJ and Tony will get geeky and soapboxy about mixes and pressings (as everyone knows "T" stands for "Mono") while expressing their love for this unstreamable masterpiece. Meanwhile, TJ confuses Porgy and Bess with Toto, and Tony confuses a Music Man tune with a groan-inducing improv warm up game. Plus a few Star Wars references fall off the t...
Jan 16, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Is the latest in the McCartney trilogy his best? Only the Untitled Beatles Podcast knows... While TJ's fractured arm continues to mend, he and Tony have the rare treat of reviewing a brand new album from a living Beatle, 2020's McCartney III. They touch on life during "Rockdown," friendly differences in musical taste (Black Keys vs. Blues Explosion), and speculate about members of Wings as Fat Albert characters. For Chicagophiles, TJ’s “Angry Chicago Jagoff” character makes a return, and they pa...
Jan 09, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 34
While TJ mends a newly fractured arm, the Untitled Beatles Podcast explores Sir Paul’s strangest record, 1980’s McCartney II. What this episode lacks in live piano accompaniment, it makes up for in analog synthesizers and bonehead needle drops, as TJ and Tony do battle over "Temporary Secretary," "On The Way," and "Front Parlour." Other bouts include TLC vs En Vogue and ET vs M&Ms. By the end of this unnecessary special edition, you'll know which kind of retail sandwich this album most resem...
Jan 02, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 33
The first in a series of the Untitled Beatles Podcast’s exploration of the “McCartney” albums kicks off with the cute one’s 1970 solo debut. TJ and Tony make a case for its greatness and its weakness in the context of other solo Beatle ventures that year while revealing which Breakfast Club members they most identified with. Also, what if Lady Madonna and The Fool On The Hill had made it? Meanwhile a random Joe Jackson reference unwittingly unlocks a turbulent used car memory for Tony in the Cal...
Dec 27, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Picking up where they left off, the Tangential Two cherry pick their favorite moments and quirks from Revolver to Let It Be, and including Past Masters. Spoiler: Tony likes it when Beatles scream and lions supposedly roar. Along the way they reveal "Beatle insiders" shorthand, explore deep Brady Bunch, and connect the “ying” and yang of cruise ship spas and rodeo rap-rock. Plus more fun needle drops and Beatle drips. This podcast originally came with a 24-page full color picture book, but is now...
Dec 19, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 31
From squeaky bass drum pedals to orgasmic yeahs, TJ and Tony divulge their favorite moments and quirks from the Beatles recorded catalog, covering Please, Please Me to Rubber Soul. Along the way, TJ tells us what life was like when Benson was on television while Tony ponders what we may hear on future Beatle reissues. Hopefully this episode will secure the Untitled Beatles Podcast a slot on MeTV Radio...or at least make their bone phones ring.
Dec 12, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 30
A bonus podcast recorded on the 40th anniversary of John Lennon's death. Broadcasted live on Chicago 4 Real on twitch , TJ and Tony celebrate John Winston Ono Lennon, with lots of visual references you will just have to Imagine. Heads up: Audio is as is and Tony comes in loud. Long live Long John
Dec 10, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 29
It's the 50th anniversary of TJ and Tony's favorite solo Beatle LP, John Lennon's 1970 LP Plastic Ono Band. While we wait for the Ultimate Mixes, the tangential two discuss the minutiae of this deceptively simple record. Like classic male improvisers, TJ and Tony honor Lennon’s most personal, open wound of an album by deflecting from their own emotions with bits and pop culture references to Huey Lewis, Chuck Biscuits, backward baseball caps, and Toni Basil. Meanwhile, Tony confuses Curly Sue wi...
Dec 05, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 28
It's part two of TJ and Tony's deep dish on George Harrison's greatest solo set, All Things Must Pass. Everyone's favorite "B+ Beatles fans" celebrate sides 3-6, while dawging on Allen and Betty Klein & Company, because their perfunkt had a three on it. Like an unnecessary LP of general jamming, Tony reveals his favorite minor league baseball player name and why Anne Murray terrified him as a child. You're welcome for the pepperoni!
Nov 28, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 27
George Harrison's six-sided, 2/3 masterpiece All Things Must Pass is celebrated in true Untitled Beatles Podcast fashion, with fun facts, recycled bits and enough giggles to fill a superfluous third LP. In the first of a two-part series, TJ and Tony discuss the quiet Beatle's greatest work, even though Phil Spector's production gives Tony a "wah wah." Fab tangents include record stores, grocery stores and dollar stores. Plus, TJ revives an old favorite from his time at Harand Camp. Settle in for...
Nov 21, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 26
It's time to serve up a deep dish of The Beatles most colorful LP with a b/w cover. In this episode, TJ and Tony talk ADT, LSD, Geoff Emerick recording techniques, and the Alan Civil War. Plus diversions into the goth Lennon & McCartney, Rupert the Bear, The Frogs, and the Soul Train Scramble Board. Revolver's track-by-track musings come augmented with enough collector scum needle drops to power a small, fab village, including a sample of their favorite punching bag, 60s Capitol Records honc...
Nov 14, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 25
It's election month in the US and the Untitled Beatles Podcast is cautiously optimistic. After paying lip service to the recently released John Lennon Gimme Some Truth Ultimate Mixes, TJ and Tony delve into the political songs of The Beatles and their solo work, with the occasional zoom glitch and personal political view expressed. Q-flakes beware! Plus, TJ opens up about his Marshall Crenshaw support circle, and at long last one of the UBP off-topic tangents spawns an important social justice m...
Nov 07, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 24
The 45 rpm single is a many-splendored thing. A souped-up hot rod, a calming salve, a flop on the plug-side, a bullet on the flip. Of the 22 singles in the official Beatles canon, TJ and Tony each pick their three favorite, with a few honorable mentions and curiosities addressed. Also, Tony teases a new musical, TJ tests the waters of Kennedy jokes in the 21st century, and there are enough Gen X references to power a small city.* *built on rock n roll Plus all your favorite schtickbits (comedy f...
Oct 24, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 22
In this thrilling conclusion, TJ and Tony dive deep and goofy into discs 3 and 4 of the John Lennon Anthology, in honor of what would have been his 80th birthday. Special diversions into Cats! ("now and forever") and klezmer Beatle music loom. Plus TJ and Tony pour gasoline on the Q-Beatle Bernard Purdie conspiracy theory. Also in this week's edition of Star Maps to Star Homes, TJ reveals the precise location of Webster's Chicago brownstone. Yes, these episodes have been getting longer - due in ...
Oct 17, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In honor of what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday, TJ and Tony explore the out-of-print John Lennon Anthology. While combing thru the first two discs, they opine about Rolling Stone's new and improved Top 500 albums of all time, explore the quirks of 1's and 3's vs. 2's and 4's, and disagree about a popular 80s sitcom theme. Also, they finally (reluctantly) get around to addressing Lennon's most controversial single. Plus shout outs to Nicky Hopkins, The Cyrkle, and Uncle Floyd. It's ...
Oct 10, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 20
TJ and Tony praise the comedic and musical genius of The Rutles, with about a trailer’s worth of spoilers. This episode is chockful of chuckles (and chug-a-lugs) honoring Eric Idle and Neil Innes’ pre-fab spamsterpiece. Along the way, they talk Chainsaw & Dave, autographed long boxes, and the merits of Grease 2. Plus, TJ pinpoints the moment Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band “jumped the sharrk.” And it’s the debut of TJ & Tony’s Fife & Jam Band, The Fools on Hill. Occasional glitches brou...
Oct 03, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 19
TJ and Tony explore Macca’s very solo Nigel Godrich produced 2005 album, including B-sides, his collaboration with George Michael and the BBC special filmed live at Abbey Road. Scattered throughout, Tony talks of teenage revenge against Joe Piscopo, TJ pops off on John Popper, and several cultural clashes are addressed: Huddle House vs. Luby's Cafeteria, Fannie May Meltaways vs. Frango Mints, and Condos vs. Bongs. Plus, TJ and Tony talk Beatles-as-travel-anxiety-salve, and are peer-pressured int...
Sep 26, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode of Pizza Talk, TJ and Tony get acrobatically off-topic trying to discuss The Beatles collaboration with Cirque de Soleil. It contains 101 local Chicago references. We think this episode will sell a lot of tickets for the Vegas show.
Sep 19, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Pills, Punk, and Knuckle-Dusters! This week TJ and Tony zip, zap and zop through the long out-of-print collection of lo-fi recordings of the Fab Four in Hamburg. Also, TJ tries out both his sexy voice and his creepy voice (it’s two different voices) while Tony dogs on Ferris Bueller. And they accidentally do a Harold...we think. Get out your Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder and bootleg this episode. It could be worth something someday!
Sep 12, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
For the 55th anniversary of the Help! album, TJ and Tony go track by track, offering hot takes on Maureen Cleave and a cautionary tale for prospective buyers of the Back to the Future III soundtrack. While Tony provides eagle-eared recording trivia yet fails to discern the difference between the Hofner and Hohner musical instrument companies, TJ speaks to the wonders of a new miracle drug called NUJV. They also ponder the placement of Matchbox 20 on the Mt. Rushmore of Rock while doing their bes...
Aug 29, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This week TJ and Tony grapple with the permutations of the Fab Thirteen post-breakup compilations - from the "Red & Blue" LPs to the Tomorrow Never Knows iTunes cash grab. TJ takes his case for "Please Please Me" appearing on a greatest hits album to the Supreme Court, while Tony throws down the gauntlet on the "so good" Neil Diamond phenomenon. Plus, ramblings on gas station pizza, the true origins of the fajita and that band LinkedIn Park. Fact cheque: The Outback Steakhouse douchebags wer...
Aug 22, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Why listen to a cover of The Beatles when The Beatles version is often the best? Because freedom! TJ and Tony delve into the endless jackpot of Beatle covers, including favorites, flops, and curios. They were unable to review all of them, but they did get to 136 of them. Also, Tony auditions for a rock zine and TJ settles an old score with Judd from Latin school. Please pardon the zoom-related glitches, some occasional sweetening was required. As a token of our appreciation, the Untitled Beatles...
Aug 15, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 12
After a brief tease of their other hit podcast “Talkin’ Prov,” TJ and Tony delve into their favorite solo John Lennon songs. During which, Tony explores therapy for his relationship with Catholicism, and TJ ponders the whereabouts of Vanessa Williams. Attention linguists: In this episode TJ coins the word “bagpack” while Tony employs the adjective “CD-shaped.” Plus, TJ and Tony swap “getting dosed” stories. Facked cheque: John Cage beat everyone to the silent punch with “4’33”” in 1952....
Aug 08, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 11
