What the Riff Next Gen

When you explore the music of The Yardbirds you are really observing the evolution of what would become hard rock.  This group started in 1963 and over its time would engage the talents of three of the greatest guitarists of the rock world:  Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.  Additional musicians in the group through 1968 were Keith Relf on vocals and harmonica, Jim McCarty on drums, Chris Dreja on rhythm guitar, and Paul Samwell-Smith on bass.  The group was founded in the blues, but over time would explore psychedelic rock, pop rock, and hard rock, with instrumental jams being a signature sound throughout their tenure.
Having a Rave Up, also known as "Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds," is their second American album, and showcases two of their virtuoso guitarists.  The album has one side of studio recordings in which Jeff Beck is the guitarist.  Side two is a compilation of live performances featuring Eric Clapton on guitar.  During a time when most songs were expected to run about three minutes, the Yardbirds would extend these out in live performances to six or seven minutes with instrumental jams known as "rave ups."  The combination of studio and live work is an excellent introduction to The Yardbirds, as the band's strength was in their live performances.  Their studio efforts would improve with the experimentation of Jeff Beck.
Jimmy Page would become their guitarist in mid-1966 until their split-up in mid-1968.  He would form a group as "The New Yardbirds" shortly thereafter, which would be renamed shortly thereafter to Led Zeppelin.
Rob brings us this study in the origins of rock for this week's podcast. 
Heart Full of Soul
This song was the first single released by The Yardbirds after Jeff Beck joined the group.  It was written by Graham Gouldman, who would later be the co-lead singer and bassist of 10cc.  The band wanted to include a sitar in the instrumentation for this song, but when things didn't work out for that, Beck experimented with his guitar to duplicate the eastern sound of the sitar instead.
You're a Better Man than I
The opening song from the album is also known as "Mister, You're a Better Man than I."  It was written by brothers Mike and Brian Hugg, and is an attempt at a more folk rock song.  The socially conscious lyrics take aim at the hypocrisy of society and politics, stating that you shouldn't judge a person based on superficial appearances or education.
Smokestack Lightning
The live opener to side two is a cover of an old blues song recorded by American blues artist Howlin' Wolf in 1956.  The inspiration for the title came from watching trains go by at night and seeing the sparks come out of the smokestack.
The Train Kept a-Rollin'
While Aerosmith's cover may be more famous, this jump blues piece was originally performed by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951.  The Yardbirds played this song during their first American tour in 1965, and Sam Phillips recorded it for them in Memphis later that year.  It closes out side 1 of the album.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Main theme from the television action comedy "Batman"
This campy superhero show premiered this month.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright by The Wonder Who?
Bruce begins the staff picks with a disguise group.  The Four Seasons used the name "The Wonder Who?" for four records released from 1965 to 1967, including this one.  Frankie Valli wasn't happy with his vocals on this song, and he recorded it with a "joke" falsetto voice while trying to break the tension in the studio.  
All Your Love by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
Lynch brings us a blues song originally recorded by American blues musician Otis Rush in 1958.  Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter John Mayall led this group, which included Eric Clapton on guitar and John McVie on bass.  This single is the lead-off track to the debut album "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton," also known as "The Beano Album" because Clapton is reading a children's comic called "The Beano" on the front cover.
My Generation by the Who
Wayne's staff pick is the hit that started the trajectory for the Who.  Guitarist Pete Townshend wrote this song about young rebellion.  Roger Daltrey incorporates a stutter in his vocals to sound like a British mod on speed.  While this song would reach number 2 on the UK charts, it topped out at number 74 on the US charts.
Day Tripper by the Beatles
Rob features a well known song from the Beatles, recorded during the "Rubber Soul" album sessions but not included on the album itself.  It was released as a double A-side single along with "We Can Work it Out" during a time when the Beatles were under pressure to release a single in time for the 1965 Christmas season.  
 
COMEDY TRACK:
The Lurch by Ted Cassidy
Ted Cassidy played Lurch on "The Addams Family," and also performed this novelty song.  
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Neil Diamond is one of the best-selling singer-songwriters of all time.  In August 1972 he performed a series of 10 sold-out shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.  Recordings from this concert would be released as a live double-album entitled Hot August Night later that year in December.  
Neil Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York, the child of a Jewish family.  At the age of 16 he was inspired by seeing folk singer Pete Seeger perform at a camp for Jewish children in upstate New York, and received his first guitar shortly thereafter.  This would set the direction of Diamond's career, starting with both taking guitar lessons and writing songs.  
After some time barely scraping by as a songwriter, Diamond began to find some success by the mid-60's, most prominently with several songs for The Monkees, including the big hit, "I'm A Believer."  Diamond moved to Los Angeles in 1969, where he recorded some of his bigger solo hits, including the iconic "Sweet Caroline."
Many consider "Hot August Night" to be Neil Diamond's best work, capturing the artist at his prime and at the top of his game.  It went to number 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and was number 12 for the 1973 year-end chart.  It was number 1 in Australia for 29 weeks in 1973 and 1974, and remains one of the highest selling albums in that country. 
Neil Diamond retired from touring in 2018 toward the end of his "50 Year Anniversary World Tour" after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.  However, Diamond did not retire from music, and continued writing and developing new projects.
Wayne brings us this soft rock singer-songwriter live album for this week's podcast.
 
Kentucky Woman
This song is a bonus track on the CD, and many will recognize this song from the remake performed by Deep Purple.  It was written in 1967 and went to number 22 on the charts after its release.  It appeared on the compilation album, "Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits" released in 1968 on Bang records after Diamond left that label.
Cherry Cherry
The inspiration for this song was an early relationship with a significantly older woman.  This was Diamond's first hit, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The most familiar studio version of this song was released in mid 1966 on Bang records, and was the final track on Diamond's debut studio album, "The Feel of Neil Diamond."
Song Sung Blue
This song was originally released on Diamond's eighth studio album, "Moods."  It was his second number 1 song in the United States, and his last solo #1 song in America to date.  The musical inspiration for the song is Mozart's Piano Concerto #21, second movement.  The lyrics reflect on the power of music to heal when a sad mood is poured into a song. 
Cracklin' Rosie
Originally released in 1970, this song topped the charts and sold over 1 million copies.  The studio version appeared on "Tap Root Manuscript," Diamond's sixth studio album, and was recorded with instrumentation provided by session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. While the lyrics suggest that Rosie is a prostitute, there are tales that it actually refers to a cheap sparkling wine from Canada called "Crackling Rosè."  
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Theme from the animated series "Josie and the Pussycats"
The animated series "Josie and the Pussycats" and "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space" concluded its run this month.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Ventura Highway by America
Rob leads off the staff picks with a song inspired by a drive that vocalist and writer Dewey Bunnell took in 1963 on the Pacific Coast.  While his father was changing a flat tire, he and his brother stood on the side of the road near a road sign for Ventura, watching shapes in the clouds, inspiring the lyrics "alligator lizards in the air."
Superstition by Stevie Wonder
Lynch brings us the lead single from Wonder's fifteenth studio album "Talking Book."  It's lyrics mention many popular superstitions and their negative consequences.  Stevie Wonder collaborated with Jeff Beck on the demo for this song, and Beck would include his version of "Superstition" on his "Beck, Bogert & Appice" album.
Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu by Johnny Rivers
Bruce features the song originally recorded in 1957 by Huey "Piano" Smith.  The original version went to number 52 on the pop charts, but the version we all know went to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Rivers was a member of the Wrecking Crew, and several musicians from that session group played on this single. 
It Never Rains in Southern California by Albert Hammond
Wayne's closes out the staff picks with a storytelling song about a performer off to make it big.  He fails in his efforts, but wants to hide the failure from those he left behind.  Members of the Wrecking Crew also provide instrumentation on this song that went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
 
NOVELTY TRACK:
Crazy Horses by The Osmonds
This surprisingly heavy performance from the Osmonds takes us out for this week. 
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Aretha Franklin got her start at an early age in Gospel music.  As the granddaughter of Gospel great Mahalia Jackson and the daughter of a prominent Baptist preacher, Franklin was heard on her father's "gospel caravan" tours at the age of twelve.  By the time she became an adult in 1960 she had decided that she wanted to go into more pop music, and moved to New York for this purpose.  She signed a deal with Columbia Records, in 1960, but her career would not really take off until moving to Atlantic Records in 1966.  By 1968 she was considered by many to be the most successful singer in the nation, and already crowned the "Queen of Soul."
Franklin toured outside the US for the first time in late April 1968 through May 1968.  She performed in Paris on May 7, 1968, and this concert would be released as the live album Aretha in Paris in the fall of 1968.  It was Franklin's second live album, and the first for Atlantic Records where most of her hits were recorded.
Some have criticized the backing band as not up to the task of supporting Franklin.  However, this album captures Franklin at the top of her game at a time when she was cranking out some of the biggest hits of her career.  It would be difficult for any supporting band to keep up, particularly one assembled for an overseas tour.  Regardless, this is a great album to explore as a snapshot of Aretha Franklin at the height of success.
Lynch brings us a high energy live soul album from the Queen of Soul in her prime for today's podcast.
 
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
This Rolling Stones cover is the lead-off track to the album and to the concert.  The Stones had released this song in 1965, and it had become their first number 1 song in the States.  Franklin takes the tempo up for this cover.
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote this song for Franklin based on an idea from producer Jerry Wexler.  It originally appeared on Franklin's album "Lady Soul", and went to number 8 on the U.S. charts.  It would make history when it hit the UK charts a week after Franklin's death in 2018, 51 years after the single was first released. 
(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
The original single for this live song was released on the "Lady Soul" album, and reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This song was written by Franklin and her then-husband Teddy White. The studio version of this song utilized the talents of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who were flown in from Alabama to record in a New York City studio.
Chain of Fools
Songwriter Don Covay wrote this song in his youth, and presented it to producer Jerry Wexler as a song for Otis Redding.  Wexler decided to have Franklin record it instead of Redding.  It was a big hit, taking the number 1 slot on the R&B charts for four weeks, number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and delivering Franklin a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Theme from the television comedy show “Laugh In”
This sketch comedy show would capture a lot of American counter-culture of the time from Tiny Tim to "sock it to me!"
 
STAFF PICKS:
Ride My See Saw by the Moody Blues
Wayne kicks off the staff picks with a psychedelic song from the second Moody Blues album, "In Search of the Lost Chord."  The song is about leaving school and finding that the world isn't what you thought it would be.  On the album, the song is preceded by a spoken word introduction called "Departure."
Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley
Rob's staff pick is a storytelling song written by Tom T. Hall about a widow named Mrs. Johnson and her tangle with the PTA.  When her teenage daughter received a note from the Harper Valley PTA criticizing the way she is living, Mrs. Johnson attends the next meeting and reveals some indiscretions of the other PTA members.
Light My Fire by Jose Feliciano
Bruce features an acoustic cover of the Doors hit single with a Latin twist.  Jose Feliciano is best known for the Christmas song "Feliz Navidad," but this Puerto Rican artist also had a hit with this cover that peaked at number 3 on in late summer 1968.  His album "Feliciano!" is a selection of acoustic cover songs, and his most successful one.  He won "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" at the 1969 Grammy Awards for this cover.
Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield
Lynch closes out the staff picks with a song that writers John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins wrote with Aretha Franklin in mind.  When Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler heard it, he thought it would be a good fit for Dusty Springfield who was recording her "Dusty in Memphis" album at the time.  
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
And I Love Her by Jose Feliciano
We double up on the Latin acoustic stylings of Feliciano as this Beatles cover takes us out of this week's podcast.  
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Many mark the start of the singer-songwriter genre to have begun when Carole King released her second studio album, the iconic Tapestry. As would be expected from a singer-songwriter, all of the songs on the album were either written or co-written by King.  Tapestry is considered one of the greatest albums of all time in the soft rock genre.
Born Carol Joan Klein in Manhattan, King began piano lessons at four years of age.  Her upbringing included friendship with Paul Simon and dating Neil Sedaka.  In the 50's at the age of 17 she met and married Jerry Goffin with whom she would team up on songwriting through the 60's - King writing the music and Goffin writing the lyrics.  They had several successful songs during the 60's including "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (The Monkees), "I'm Into Something Good" (Herman's Hermits), and "Up On the Roof" (the Drifters).  King and Goffin divorced by 1968, and King moved to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles to re-start her recording career.
Tapestry features both new and old songs of Carole King's catalog.  Several new friends from the Laurel Canyon area appear on the album, including James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.  Fellow songwriter Toni Stern co-wrote two of the songs, including the hit "It's Too Late."
The album was a hit, spending 313 weeks on the Billboard Charts (second only to "Dark Side of the Moon" in time on the chart).  It also was a critical success, taking the Grammy for Album of the Year at the 1972 Grammy awards.  
King announced her retirement from music in May 2012, but has done a few things since then, including a live performance of Tapestry in Hyde Park in 2016.  
Friend of the show Greg Lyon sits in for Wayne while Bruce presents this soft rock album for this week's podcast.
Tapestry
The title track to the album is a look back on life as a colorful combination of threads woven into a picture or pattern, but not one intended to last.  This is a deeper cut which was not released as a single.
Where You Lead
Several songs became hits for other artists while the album was still on the charts, including this one.  Barbara Streisand recorded this song for her 1971 album, and it reached number 40.  The song takes its inspiration from the book of Ruth in the Bible.  It was also the theme song for the television series "Gilmore Girls."  Toni Stern collaborated with King to write this song.  
You've Got a Friend
This is another song which became a hit for another artist.  James Taylor did this on his 1971 album, "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon," making it to number 1 on the US charts.  The two albums were being produced concurrently, and Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Danny Kortchmar perform on both King's version and on Taylor's version.  King has said the song is a response to the line in James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" which says "I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."  
So Far Away
James Taylor is on acoustic guitar for this piece, and King is on piano.  It went to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was on the charts in September 1971.  It starts with a focus on the physical distance between lovers, then moves on to emotional distance. 
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Main theme from the serial Danger Island (from the television series “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour”) 
This live action 10-minute adventure short appeared as a part of "The Banana Splits Adventure Hour," which concluded this month.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
Lynch leads off the staff picks with Withers' breakthrough single from his debut album, "Just As I Am."  The inspiration for this song was the 1962 film "Days of Wine and Roses," which portrays two characters who were alcoholics.  The idea is that someone may not be right for you, but you miss them regardless.  
Signs by Five Man Electrical Band
"And the sign said 'long haired freaky people need not apply!"  Rob brings us a signature song from a Canadian band.  The song originally appeared as a B-side to a less successful song called "Hello Melinda Goodbye," but became successful on its own.  Frontman Les Emerson wrote this song after seeing so many billboards in Los Angeles which obscured the natural scenery.
Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get by The Dramatics
Greg features the title song from the debut album of R&B group The Dramatics.  This song contrasting the fakeness of people with the authenticity of the singer went to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B chart.  It fuses a Motown feel with a Latin undertone.
Thin Line Between Love and Hate by The Persuaders
Bruce brings us a cautionary tale about a guy who comes home late at night, finding his girl smiling and ready to cook him some dinner.  He learns his lesson when he wakes up in the hospital, beaten to within an inch of his life.  This song by a New York R&B group made it to number 15 on the US charts. 
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
The Rock by Atomic Rooster
We close out with an instrumental from a British rock band originally co-formed by prog rock organist Vincent Crane and percussionist Carl Palmer.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

U2 released a part-live, part studio album in October 1988 called Rattle and Hum.  This album accompanied a filmed “Rockumentary” of the band which was filmed in Denver and Arizona.  Originally intended to be entitled  “U2 in the Americas,” the album and film instead take their name from lyrics in the song “Bullet the Blue Sky’ from their album “The Joshua Tree.” 
Studio sessions for Rattle and Hum included time at Sun Studio in Memphis, and include collaborations with other musicians including Bob Dylan and B.B. King.  The intent of Rattle and Hum was to explore more American blues rock, and folk, and roots music of the 50's and 60's, and includes both original and cover songs.  
Critics were divided on the album at the time of its release.  Some felt that U2 was not celebrating blues rock and artists as much as they were attempting to insert themselves into higher echelons of rock celebrity.  Over time the criticisms of egotism would fade, as U2 has indeed proven to be a major force in the Rock pantheon.  In retrospect, both Bono and The Edge have found Rattle and Hum to be a bit of a side excursion for the band, more of a “scrapbook” than a true direction.  The new direction of U2 would be set beginning with their next studio album, “Achtung Baby” in 1991.  
Regardless, Rattle and Hum is a great album, well worth a listen.  The collaboration with other artists is worth special attention, as is its examination of the way that modern rock finds its roots in the delta blues.
Friend of the show Greg Lyon sits in for Wayne, while Rob brings us this hybrid album for today's podcast.
Angel of Harlem
The second single from the album is an original studio release which was written as an homage to Billie Holiday.  Songwriting took place during the tour for ”The Joshua Tree,” and the lyrics take inspiration form various landmarks around New York City.  The track reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the UK Singles chart.  
When Love Comes to Town
Recorded in Sun Studios, this U2 original song features collaboration with blues guitarist B.B. King. Live performances included B.B. King and his band during the “Lovetown Tour” in 1989.  U2 would discontinue playing the song in concert over time, but revived it in 2015 as a tribute to B.B. King after his death.  King plays lead on this song written by The Edge, who takes on rhythm guitar for this track.
All Along the Watchtower
This live cover is of a song written by Bob Dylan and made famous by Jimi Hendrix.  The lyrics are of a conversation between a joker and a thief, and several lines echo lines of scripture from the book of Isaiah in the Bible.  U2 performed this live cover in San Francisco at the “Save The Yuppie Free Concert.”  Some of the lyrics were altered, which irritated Dylan. 
Pride (In the Name of Love)
A live version of the studio song from the 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire, this was recorded in Denver.  The popularity of this song can be heard in the audience call-and-response.  The lyrics were inspired by elements of the civil rights movement, particularly the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Iko Iko by The Belle Stars (from the motion picture “Rain Man”)
Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman turned in stellar performances in this dramatic film exploring autism.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Kiss by Art of Noise featuring Tom Jones
Bruce leads off the staff picks with a cover of a Prince song performed by an unusual pairing of art rock group the Art of Noise with Vegas crooner Tom Jones.  This became the biggest hit for the Art of Noise to that point, reaching number 5 on the UK charts and number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.  
She Drives Me Crazy by Fine Young Cannibals
Lynch brings us the most successful single from the British pop trio, off their second and final album, “The Raw & the Cooked.” The band formed from two previous bands, one Ska, and one Punk.  The track was composed at Prince's Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Great White
Greg features a rocker.  Great White covered a song originally written and performed by Ian Hunter in 1975.  This song went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Great White had a more blues-oriented sound than many of the hair metal bands of the late 80's.  Lead singer Jack Russell passed after a battle with Lewy body dementia in August 2024.
What I Am by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Rob closes out the staff picks with the signature song off Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' debut album, "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars."  The inspiration for the song was Brickell's frustration with the dogma exhibited in a world religions class in college.  Brickell would meet her husband and fellow musician, Paul Simon, when she performed this song on Saturday Night Live.
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Sunset Road by Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
This jazz fusion piece with an unusual banjo lead was on the group's debut album, and takes us out for this episode.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Every Picture Tells a Story is a great name for Rod Stewart's third solo studio album.  The songs consist of solid storytelling, using mixture of original  and cover tracks to paint a mosaic of life, love, and loss.  This album would mark the transition of Stewart from a solid rock vocalist to an A-list performer.  Every Picture Tells a Story hit the top of the album charts in both the US and the UK, and its blend of rock, blues, and folk music would have a staying power over the decades. Supposedly the album was compiled on a shoestring budget, and consists of a number of songs paired with extended jams.
Stewart compiled this album during his tenure as front man for the Faces, and all five members of that group appear on the album.  Because of contractual obligations at the time, the personnel listing on each track is a bit vague, but it is possible that all five members were on the recording of "(I Know) I'm Losing You."  
The first single released from the album was "Reason to Believe," which was a cover of Tim Hardin's 1966 song.  But the B-side of that album would be the one that would cause Rod Stewart to become a breakthrough success.  That song, written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, was "Maggie May."  The album would top the charts, and would be a noticeable success on the year-end charts of the Billboard 200 albums in 1971 (#35) and 1972 (#65), while taking the number 2 spot for the UK album charts in 1971.  Not bad for a soccer player who wasn't able to go pro!
Rob brings us the bluesy album for this week's podcast. 
(I Know) I'm Losing You
This Motown hit originally recorded by The Temptations in 1966 is a lament of a relationship going bad.  Stewart's cover went to number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Motown rock group Rare Earth had a cover of this song a year earlier in 1970.  Rod Stewart has several members of the Faces playing on this track.
That's Alright/Amazing Grace
Another outstanding cover, this one is of the debut single from Elvis Presley in 1954.  However, the original goes back to blues singer Arthur Crudup in 1946.  But even that long time period is dwarfed by the pairing of the traditional hymn "Amazing Grace" which dates back to 1772.  This deep cut shows some of the diversity of the album.  
Every Picture Tells a Story
The lead-off and title track to the album was an original co-written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood.  The lyrics are told from the perspective of a musician on tour who finds adventure with women in multiple cities before returning home to think back on his travels.  The lyrics are more free-form in this song, not following a consistent pattern of rhymes.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Main theme from the television comedy "Green Acres"
This sit-com featuring city dwellers who move to the country went off the air this month in 1971.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Don't Pull Your Love by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
Bruce starts out the staff picks with a song often attributed to Elvis Presley.  After performing with the T-Bones and having an instrumental hit with the song "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" based on a popular jingle from an Alka-Seltzer TV commercial, this group went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Don't Pull Your Love."
It's Too Late by Carole King
Lynch brings us a song with music by Carole King and lyrics penned by songwriter Toni Stern.  This breakup song is considered to be a feminist song by many, given that the woman is breaking up with the man.  Stern completed the lyrics in a single day after her breakup with fellow singer songwriter James Taylor.  This track would top the Billboard Hot 100, and would win the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972.
Charity Ball by Fanny
Wayne's staff pick is the single release and title track from Fanny's second studio album.  Fanny was one of the first all-female rock bands playing their own instruments, and the first to record an entire album.  They got their start in Sacramento after sisters June and Jean Millington (guitar and bass) moved there from the Philippines.  The group was completed with Nickey Barclay on keyboards and Alice de Buhr on drums.
If Not for You by Olivia Newton John
Rob features a cover originally penned by Bob Dylan.  Olivia Newton John would make this her first international release and her breakthrough song.  Her cover closely follows George Harrison's cover, including prominent use of the slide guitar.  Olivia Newton John took this track to number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and to number 7 on the UK singles chart.
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Milky Way by Weather Report
This Avant-garde jazz instrumental takes us out of this week's podcast.  
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Guns N' Roses had established themselves as top tier Rock artists in the mid through late 80's, and it had been three years without an album release by the time we rolled around to 1991.  The band got its start in 1985 when members of the band L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose decided to combine.  They released their debut album, "Appetite for Destruction" in 1987, which originally received disappointing sales, but which built over the next year to mainstream success.  Their second album, "G N" R Lies" was a short album released at the end of 1988 which combined an earlier E.P. with some acoustic tracks.
The anticipation for Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II was incredibly high by the time these albums dropped simultaneously in September 1991.  Over 500,000 copies of the albums were sold in the first two hours of their release.  With each album having a run time of over 70 minutes, the quantity of material dwarfs that of their previous 33-minute album.  
Use Your Illusion I is generally considered the heavier rocking album of the two, as guitarist Izzy Stradlin contributed more of the songwriting to that album than to Use Your Illusion II.
Many speculate that the two albums were recorded and released simultaneously because the band was on the verge of falling apart at any time, and it was important to get the material out quickly before the band "blew up."  Whether this was true or not, the band certainly did have their share of problems staying together.  They would release an album of punk covers in 1993 called "The Spaghetti Incident?" before much of the band - including Slash and Izzy Stradlin - would depart.  
Lynch brings us a double helping of Guns N' Roses with these simultaneously-released albums for today's podcast.
 
November Rain
Axl Rose wrote this epic symphonic power ballad which appears on the "Use Your Illusion I" album.  Clocking in at 8:57, it was the longest song to enter the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, peaking at number 3.  The song was divisive, with most of the band not wanting to pursue it, and with both Slash and bassist Duff McKagan particularly opposed to the drift towards symphonic pieces.
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
This Bob Dylan cover had been performed by the group before landing on the "Use Your Illusion II" album.  The 1987 "Welcome to the Jungle" 12" single had a live version of this song on its B-side, and a studio version of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" was released on the soundtrack to the film "Days of Thunder" in 1990.  
You Could Be Mine
This track was originally used in the soundtrack for the mega-hit movie "Terminator 2:  Judgment Day."  It was the first single released from "Use Your Illusion II," and came out in June 1991.  The video features an Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 Terminator sent from the future to kill the band members.  At the end of the video the Terminator concludes that killing the band would be a "waste of ammo."
Don't Cry
This power ballad appears on both "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" in slightly different versions with different lyrics.  This song reached number 8 on the UK charts and number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 US chart.  Stradlin and Rose wrote the song back in March 1985, and Axl Rose claims that it was the first song ever written for Guns N' Roses.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Theme from the motion picture “The Addams Family”
This catchy riff from the cartoon television sitcom of the 60's also appeared in the dark comedy motion picture of the same name, which came out in 1991.
 
STAFF PICKS:
The Only One I Know by The Charlatans UK
Wayne kicks off the staff picks with the Manchester sound.  This song is the one that truly started the career of the band, including their use of the Hammond organ as a central part of the sound.  The organ riff in this song was heavily inspired by Deep Purple's 1968 song, "Hush."  The lyrics reflect the feelings a guy has for a girl, while the girl might or might not know that the guy exists.
Why Should I Cry for You? by Sting
Bruce brings us a track from Sting's third album, "The Soul Cages."  Sting encountered writers block after the death of his father in 1987, and this is the song that broke through that block.  Sting had a difficult relationship with his father, and the lyrics of the song articulate the struggles he had with the grieving process, along with images from his childhood home of Newcastle.  
Texarkana by R.E.M.
Rob features an unusual song from the Athens group, because front man Michael Stipe is not singing lead on it.  Bassist Mike Mills takes lead singing lyrics on this song for which he was the primary songwriter and lyricist.  It went to number 4 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart despite not being released as a single.
Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Lynch closes out the staff picks with a story about Eddie, a rocker who moves to L.A., gets a girlfriend, and lands an album.  He always has with high hopes the record company "don't hear a single."  The video starred a young Johnny Depp as Eddie, Faye Dunaway as Eddie's manager, and Petty as a roadie named Bart, reporter, and tattoo artist. 
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Trademark by Eric Johnson
This instrumental piece from guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson was the fourth single released from his second studio album "Ah Via Musicom." 
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Neil Young's most successful solo album is also considered his signature album.  Harvest was Young's fourth solo studio album, and it topped the Billboard 200 chart in the US for two weeks while also spawning two top 40 singles.  
Young grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and began playing and songwriting there in several groups.  His first success as a songwriter came for a song he wrote for The Guess Who which made it to the top 40 in Canada.  He was in the Mynah Birds, a Toronto group fronted by a young Rick James.  The Mynah Birds were attempting to get signed by Motown when James was arrested for being AWOL from the Navy reserves. Shortly after this, Neil Young and bassist Bruce Palmer sold the group's equipment, bought a hearse, and used it to move to Los Angeles.  He then worked as a session musician and a member of Buffalo Springfield before striking out on his own solo work while also joining Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Harvest was written after an acoustic tour the previous year, a tour prompted by a back injury Young sustained that required him to play sitting down for an extended time.  The album contains significant acoustic elements, as several tracks he played on that tour would appear on the album.  Many of the lyrics are related to Young's growing relationship with actress Carrie Snodgress.  Young was a success before recording this album, and was able to bring in a number of session musicians on several tracks including Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Surprisingly, the album met mixed reviews when released, though over time the critics' assessments would turn much more positive.  The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015.
Wayne brings us this California country-tinged album for this week's podcast.
 
Heart of Gold
One of the tracks that arose from Neil Young's acoustic tour, this song topped the charts in the United States and Canada, and went to number 10 in the UK.  Despite its success, Young had mixed feelings about the popularity he gained from the song.  Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor provided backing vocals on this track.  The lyrics talk about a man who may be overthinking life, searching for something just beyond his grasp.
Old Man
The origin of this song was an encounter that Neil Young had with the caretaker of the Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased in 1970.  The old caretaker was not pleased with the young (literally) hippie-looking Young purchasing the place, and this song's lyrics talk about how the two of them were not that different.
Alabama
A continuation of a diatribe from Young's “Southern Man,” this track condemns the racism of the white people in Alabama specifically, and the southern United States in general.  Neil Young would eventually come to see the lyrics as too accusatory, and too easy to misconstrue as a general condemnation of all Southerners.
The Needle and the Damage Done
The inspiration for this song was a number of musicians whom Young had observed as they fell apart due to heroin addiction.  More specifically, Young wrote this song about bandmate Danny Whitten, whom Young had to let go from his tour due to his heroin use. Whitten would die of an overdose shortly thereafter.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Cabaret by Liza Minnelli (from the motion picture “Cabaret”)
Minnelli stars in this period musical drama based on the Broadway show, set in Germany before World War II.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon
Rob leads off the staff picks with a one of the earlier rock songs with reggae influences.  The song was written in response to a Jimmy Cliff song in which a mother receives a letter that her son had been killed in battle in Vietnam.  It was also inspired by Simon's loss of his dog.  The title was inspired by a menu item in a Chinese restaurant in New York - chicken and eggs - entitled “Mother and Child Reunion.”
I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) by the New Seekers
Bruce brings us a hit song which originally appeared as a commercial jingle.  Coca-Cola produced an ad called “hilltop” featuring young people of various races coming together over a Coke.  The success prompted a rewrite of the jingle into a full-length song, dropping the product references.  It became a big hit for both the New Seekers who recorded the radio jingle, and the Hillside Singers who recorded the television commercial.
Let's Stay Together by Al Green
Lynch features the song which hit the top of the US singles charts, and was named number one R&B song on the Billboard Year-end chart for 1972.  It has been covered by a number of artists, with Tina Turner being the most prominent.  It was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. 
Do You Know What I Mean by Lee Michaels
Wayne's closes out the staff picks with a song about a girl that a guy lost to his best friend after taking her for granted.  It reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Lee Michaels came out of the San Francisco music scene, originally as a surf band before moving into a more "blue eyed soul" direction.  Van Halen opened for Lee Michaels at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1977.
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Joy (feat. Tom Parker) by Apollo 100
This jazz instrumental covers the baroque chorale "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J.S. Bach. 
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Nothing Like the Sun, or as it is written on the album, "...Nothing Like the Sun,"  is the second solo studio album by former Police bassist and front man Sting.  The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnet number 130 which contains the lines, "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun."  Sting was met on the street one evening, who asked him, "How beautiful is the moon?"  Sting responded with this line from the sonnet.  
Two events play a lot of influence on this album.  First, Sting's mother died in 1986, inspiring the lyrics to the opening track, "Lazarus Heart."  Second Sting joined the Conspiracy of Hope tour for Amnesty International, and through this tour was exposed to victims of government oppression in Latin America.  He was particularly moved by people in Chile for whom loved ones had "disappeared" in government actions, and wrote "They Dance Alone" as a description of the mourners who would dance the traditional Cueca by themselves with a picture of their loved ones pinned to their clothes.
Sting's first solo album leaned into jazz.  This second album continues to have a jazz influence but reaches across a number of other genres including reggae, funk, acoustic rock, soft rock, and world music.  He brought in a number of solid musicians into the recording sessions including Gil Evans, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Branford Marsalis, and even his fellow Police alumnus Andy Summers
Sting would continue to further success after this album, which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.  In the UK, ...Nothing Like the Sun debuted and peaked at number 1 on the UK albums chart.
Bruce presents this adult contemporary album for this week's podcast.
 
Be Still My Beating Heart
This second single from the album went to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics are quite mature, describing the head telling the heart to settle down in the midst of an intense romance.  The title was likely inspired by a 19th Century poem from Mary Elizabeth Coleridge.  Andy Summers is playing guitar on this track.  
Little Wing
Most of this album is original music written by Sting, but this one is a deeper cut and a cover.  Jimi Hendrix wrote "Little Wing" in 1967, and it appears on his "Axis" album.  Gil Evans did a jazz arrangement of this piece in 1974, and provided this arrangement and backing with his orchestra for this cover.  Sting's version runs just over 5 minutes, giving it a run time just over double that of the original Hendrix version.  
Rock Steady
Another deep cut, this song is Stings humorous look at a couple who have volunteered to join a cruise, and later find out that they are joining Noah on the Ark.  "Life may be tough, but we're sailing with the Lord."  
Fragile
This is the fourth single from the album, and is a gorgeous acoustic piece.  This anti-war song was likely inspired by Sting's work with Amnesty International.
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
That's Amore by Dean Martin (from the motion picture “Moonstruck”) 
This romance comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage delivered a Best Actress Oscar to Cher and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Olympia Dukakis. 
 
STAFF PICKS:
The Promise by When In Rome
Rob starts this week's staff picks with the only hit from a British new wave trio.  This track went to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a popular song to play at weddings later on.  It gained a revival in popularity when it was used in the soundtrack to "Napoleon Dynamite" in 2004.  
Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison
Lynch brings us a cover of a song originally written by Rudy Clark and recorded by James Ray in 1962.  It is off Harrison's comeback album, "Cloud Nine."  Harrison worked with Jeff Lynne on the album because he wanted a producer who wouldn't be intimidated by working with a Beatle.  The teamwork went well, and the two would go on to form "The Traveling Wilburys" supergroup shortly thereafter.
Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by Aerosmith
Wayne features one of many hits from Aerosmith's monster "Permanent Vacation" album.  The lyrics tell the tale of a man finding out that the "girl" he has bee pursuing at a club was a man dressed up as a woman.  The idea for the song came from Motley Crue singer Vince Neil being mistaken frequently for a woman with long blonde hair.
Mission by Rush
Bruce closes out the staff picks with a song which arose from a conversation between Neal Peart and Geddy Lee about the perception people have that the rich and famous have easier lives.  The lyrics reflect how every life has its own difficulties, and perhaps those who are highly successful would often wish for a more plain and settled life at times.  
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Bailando/Aquatic Park by Carlos Santana
Guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana takes us out this week with a track from his solo album, "Blues for Salvador."
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

1990 is an odd time for a hard rock band from the late 70's to make a comeback.  Hair metal was declining rapidly, and music that would form the grunge movement was percolating up in the pacific northwest.  But that is exactly what AC/DC did with their album The Razors Edge.  The album reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 4 on the UK albums chart, and it would become AC/DC's third highest selling album behind “Back in Black” and “High Voltage.”
After concluding their 1988 world tour the band had some changes and interruptions.  Drummer Simon Wright left the group to join Dio, and was replaced by Chris Slade who would be with the group until 1994.  Front man and songwriter Brian Johnson took some time off to finalize his divorce, which left brothers Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar and backing vocals) and Angus Young (lead guitar) to write all the songs for the album.  They would continue to be the songwriters for the band through 2020.
Critical reviews of the album were mixed, with negative comments revolving around the idea that this album was nothing new for the band. With the benefit of hindsight it may be that the consistency with AC/DC's previous works is actually a strength of the album.  In a period of big shifts in rock music, AC/DC provided a point of stability and a return to hard rock origins.
Friend of the show Julie Doran joins us to bring us this high energy hard rock masterpiece with Rob. 
Are You Ready
The anthem that leads of side 2 of the album reached number 16 on the US charts, and became the band's only number 1 hit in New Zealand.  It is used in a number of sports events and is also familiar as the official theme for WWE SmackDown on Fox.
Thunderstruck
The lead off track and lead single to the album is a signature song for the band.  It started as a "little trick" Angus Young played on guitar, and Malcolm built the rhythm guitar behind that riff.  It has been performed in almost every live show the band has performed since its release. 
Moneytalks
This track reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first top 40 hit for AC/DC since Back in Black in 1981.  Interestingly, the song has not been performed live since the band toured The Razors Edge.   Part of the appeal of AC/DC on this album could have been the downturn in the economy at the time, striking a cord with blue collar employment struggles.  If so, money really does talk!
The Razors Edge
While this song is the title track it was not released as a single.  This dark track talks about the fine line between success and failure, good and evil, life and death.  "You're running out of lives, and here comes the razor's edge."
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Mel Torme (from the motion picture "Home Alone")
This Christmas classic saw its debut from Judy Garland in the motion picture "Meet Me in St. Louis".  Mel Torme's version was used in the Christmas movie "Home Alone" which was in theaters in 1990.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Keep On Loving Me Baby by Colin James
Wayne starts out the staff picks with a Canadian blues singer-songwriter.  This cover from James' second album, Sudden Stop, is a high energy cover of a tune originally written by Otis Rush in 1958.  James benefitted from the blues revival of the time, as well as the soon-to-come swing revival in the early- to mid-90's.
Chain of Fools by Little Caesar
Lynch brings us another cover originally performed by Aretha Franklin and written by Don Covay in 1967.  Little Caesar is a hard rock band formed in the late 80's which had a short career before problems with their label, and the eclipsing of hard rock by grunge contributed to their decline.  This cover from their debut single was their most memorable
Diabolic Tastemaker by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Bruce's staff pick is a deep cut off the Daddies' debut album "Ferociously Stoned."  This horn-heavy track first appeared on their 1989 demo tape before it was added to their album.  The band  at the time was an amalgam of punk, funk, jazz, ska, and swing at the time, thought future albums would move heavily towards swing.
If You Needed Somebody by Bad Company 
Julie features the second single off Bad Company's ninth studio album, Holy Water.  It was their first top 40 hit since “Rock and Roll Fantasy” back in 1979.  The rock ballad hails from BadCo's days with Brian Howe as the front man, as Paul Rodgers had left the group in 1982 and was performing solo at the time.  
Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction 
Rob finishes off the staff picks with the third single from Ritual de lo Habitual, and the biggest single, topping the Billboard Modern Rock charts for four weeks.  The dog barking is Perry Farrell's pet Annie, who was brought to the studio.  The barking was not planned, but the coincidence was included on the track.
 
COMEDY TRACK:
Do the Bartman by The Simpsons
Bart Simpson closes us out this week with this lost epic.  
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

By the mid-70's the Beach Boys appeared to be a band that had been left behind.  Sales had been only moderate for their previous albums, and the band was struggling to determine their direction musically.  In the summer of 1973 the movie "American Graffiti" featured several Beach Boys songs, creating nostalgia for the earlier surfing music.
Between the revived interest sparked by "American Graffiti" and the success of the Beatles "Red" and "Blue" compilation albums, the Beach Boys released a collection of hits from their early 60's catalogue called Endless Summer.  This featured songs from their Capitol Records days, 1962-1965.  It was a near-instant success reaching the top of the charts in the United States four months after its release, and becoming their second number 1 album on the US charts.  
After the success of Endless Summer, the Beach Boys would reposition themselves as an oldies act, continuing in this vein for many years.  Brian Wilson would pen one further Beach Boys studio album in 1977 which would meet with meager sales.  Afterwards the band would focus on their classics until seeing a resurgence in the late 80's generated from another popular film, Tom Cruise's "Cocktail" 
Wayne brings us this surfin' themed compilation for this week's podcast.
 
Catch A Wave
A true surfing song, this tune is about being on a surfboard, waiting for the right wave to come along.  This song was originally released on the 1963 album "Surfer Girl," and a rewritten version was recorded by Jan and Dean as "Sidewalk Surfin."
Little Deuce Coupe
This track is about a 1932-vintage Ford model 18 hot rod used in drag racing on the streets of California.  "American Graffiti" had featured the deuce coupe prominently, along with the Beach Boys song.  The lyrics were written by local radio DJ Roger Christian.
Shut Down
Another song about drag racing, "shut down" means you are about to beat the person in the race.  The phrase "tach it up" may have lost some meaning in the era of automatic transmission, but the tachometer would run high for a drag race.  The song is told from the perspective of the driver of a 1963 Corvette Sting Ray in a race against a 1962 Dodge Dart.
Fun, Fun, Fun
The inspiration for this song was a story the Beach Boys heard during a radio interview.  The station owner described his daughter "borrowing" his 1963 Thunderbird to go to a drive-in hamburger shop.  The opening riffs were inspired by Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode."  
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Uptown Saturday Night by Dobie Gray (from the motion picture “Uptown Saturday Night”)
Sidney Poitier starred in and directed this action comedy which co-starred Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte, Richard Pryor, and Flip Wilson.
 
STAFF PICKS:
The Joker by the Steve Miller Band
Lynch leads off the staff picks with a well known song from Steve Miller.  The names in the first line reference several of Miller's previous songs, as well as the made-up word "pompatus."  It barely cracked the top 40 in the US, hitting 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Miller borrowed some lyrics from the song "Lovey Dovey" when he talks about wanting to "shake your tree."
The Air that I Breathe by the Hollies
Rob brings us a slow burning but iconic ballad that the Hollies covered.  The original was from Albert Hammond, and previously covered by Phil Everly.  The Hollies version was the most successful, going to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Alan Parsons was the engineer on this song.
Hollywood Swinging by Kool & the Gang
Bruce's staff pick is the first number 1 R&B Single from Kool & the Gang.  It was a crossover hit as well, going to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Rick Westfield is the keyboardist for it and sings lead.  The song is a true story of the keyboardist wanting to become "a bad piano-playing man" with the group. 
Rock and Roll Heaven by The Righteous Brothers
Wayne's features an ode to the rock stars who had died at an early age. This song is another example of a song that was covered, and did better than the original.  Climax performed this song in 1973 but did not chart, while the Righteous Brothers took it to the top 10 in the United States.  Lyric would be added in the years to come as more rock stars passed.
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Chameleon by Herbie Hancock
This jazz funk instrumental track closes out the podcast for the week. 
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Folks, we're stretching a bit on this one.  Lynch noticed that Roger Waters performed "The Wall" at the Berlin wall in this month, and used that as an excuse to feature A Momentary Lapse of Reason, which was the latest studio album by Pink Floyd. Since that originally came out in 1987, we're asking you to squint a bit to see it's relevance to the summer of 1990.  That being said...
A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the first Pink Floyd album released after bassist and primary songwriter Roger Waters left the band.  Waters had expected that Pink Floyd would simply disband, and was surprised when David Gilmour and Nick Mason decided to continue without him.  Acrimony and lawsuits appeared, but in the end a Water-less Pink Floyd continued on.
Unlike many prior Pink Floyd albums, this one is not playing off a single concept.  Instead, it is a more traditional collection of songs.  Gilmour presented the album as a return to earlier Pink Floyd material, which was perhaps a reaction to common critiques of their previous album "The Final Cut" as a Roger Waters solo effort masquerading as a Pink Floyd album.  There are a number of well-known session musicians that participated in the making of this album.
The album was a commercial success, debuting at number 3 on both the US and UK albums charts.  The US tour was the most successful of the year, selling out almost every venue it played in the States.  Roger Water's lawsuits would be overcome, and a settlement was reached between Waters and the band by the end of 1987.
Lynch brings us this Pink Floyd reboot album for today's podcast and we’re joined by guest host Julie Doran joins us on this episode.
 
On the Turning Away
This power ballad was co-written by Gilmour and British experimental composer Anthony Moore.  It is an anti-war song, one of the more political Pink Floyd songs written since the departure of Waters. It begins with a solemn Gilmour vocal supported by understated keyboards, then builds to an almost orchestral conclusion.  
Learning to Fly
A surprisingly upbeat song for the group, the inspiration for this first single is David Gilmour's experience learning to fly airplanes.  At the time he would do practice flights in the mornings and work in the studio in the afternoons.  It is also a metaphor for the band coming back together after splitting with Roger Waters.
One Slip
The fourth US single discusses the long-term consequences of a one-night stand, and contains the lyrics that would become the title to the album as a whole.  Gilmour co-wrote this song with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera.  Fans of bassist Tony Levin may recognize his work on a Chapman Stick in the instrumentation for this track. 
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Real Wild Child by Iggy Pop (from the motion picture “Problem Child”)
This dark comedy starring John Ritter follows the trials of Ben Healy Jr. as he adopts a less-than-model child from a questionable adoption agency.  
 
STAFF PICKS:
Stop by Jane's Addiction
Wayne leads off the staff picks with a college radio hit off the "Ritual De Lo Habitual" album.  Lead singer Perry Farrell warns about apathy towards environmental disaster, telling people to turn off the smokestacks.  "And the water will run, come a day, the water will run, no man will stand for things he had done."
Brave New World by Michael Penn
Rob brings us a jangly deeper cut with a song with rapid fire lyrics off Penn's "March" album.  The song reflects confusion in where the singer is going, perhaps making a commentary on society as it heads into a "brave new world."  "This may not be my best day, but this ain't no golden age.  You looked pretty on the freeway.  Let's drive into the brave new world."
Give It Up by Hothouse Flowers
Bruce features a s song from an Irish group off their second album, "Home."  This song that went to number 2 on the US Modern Rock chart is summed up in the lyrics, "Well, this song's inspired by a good man and his tune doing good for others, sing 'Amazing Grace' for you." 
Rub You the Right Way by Johnny Gill
Julie's staff pick is an upbeat hip hop song, and Gill's first single after he left New Edition earlier in the year.  Despite the lyrics, Gill was the son of a minister and got his start in gospel music.  He signed with Motown as a teenager.  Gill had become very accustomed to performing live, and had a difficult time switching to studio work.  
Blue Sky Mine by Midnight Oil
Lynch closes out the staff picks with the first single off Midnight Oil's seventh studio album.  The inspiration for the song was the experience of workers in the Wittenoom asbestos mines in western Australia, where they contracted a variety of asbestos-related diseases.  The "blue" in the title refers to "blue asbestos," a form of the mineral considered most hazardous.
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Erotic Nightmares by Steve Vai
Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai carries us out of this week's podcast.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The Young Rascals were one of the early groups which would define the genre of "blue eyed soul."  For a period of two to three years, this group would generate hit after hit.  Their third album, Groovin', would close out the era in which they were known as “The Young Rascals,” because follow-up albums would see them using simply the name "The Rascals."  
Felix Cavaliere was a classically trained pianist, and joined a band called the Starliters, where he met David Brigati and his younger brother Eddie.  Cavaliere convinced Eddie Brigati and guitarist Gene Cornish to leave the Starliters and form a band, recruiting jazz drummer Dino Danilli to flesh out the band.  They called themselves "Them" until they found out that a group out of the UK was already using that name (Van Morrison's band).  They settled on "The Young Rascals" when comedian Soupy Sales used them as his back-up band when he toured the college circuit in 1965.
Much of this album is a collection of singles rather than a cohesive piece of music.  Eight of the eleven songs are either A-side or B-side single releases.
The Rascals moved into a more psychedelic direction after this album, and they would be largely done by the early 70's.  They were early inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving that honor in 1997.
Bruce presents this soulful album for this week's podcast.
Groovin'
This signature song from the group almost didn't make it as a single.  Atlantic Records pushed back on this track because it was very different from the sound of their other songs, having a more Latin influence.  The inspiration for the lyrics was Cavaliere's girlfriend Adrienne Buccheri.  He only got to see her on Sundays because he was so occupied with the group, music, and touring on other days. 
You Better Run
Many listeners who grew up in the 80's will be more familiar with Pat Benatar's cover of this song than the Young Rascals' original.  It was released a year before the album as a single, in May 1966.  The song has more of a garage band feel than other songs on the album.
A Girl Like You
This is the lead-off song for the album, and went to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Upbeat, feel good, this is the opening song of new love.  It starts off subdued with piano and vocals, then builds into the horns and percussion.  
If You Knew
This song was released as the B-side to the single "I've Been Lonely Too Long" from their previous album called Collections.  It is the only song on the album to be listed as written by all member of the band.  Most songs were written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati. 
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel (from the motion picture “The Graduate”) 
Dustin Hoffman's got his breakthrough role in this coming of age film. 
 
STAFF PICKS:
Green Tambourine by the Lemon Pipers
Rob leads off the staff picks with the best known song from a short-lived Ohio band.  Unfortunately the success of this song would cause the record company to pigeonhole the group into doing more songs in the psychedelic genre.  The group was unenthusiastic about this direction, and would leave the label in 1969, dissolving shortly thereafter.
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream
Lynch brings us a signature song from the original supergroup.  The song arose out of a bass riff that Jack Bruce created after seeing Jimi Hendrix for the first time.  Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton take turns with vocals while Ginger Baker utilizes a tribal beat on percussion.
I Can See for Miles by The Who
Wayne features the only single from the Who album “The Who Sell Out.“  Although it went to number 9 on the US charts, guitarist and writer Pete Townshend expected it to do much better.  The Who made use of the studio as an instrument on this heavier, psychedelic song, using techniques similar to the Beach Boys and the Beatles at the time.
I Second That Emotion by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Bruce closes out the staff picks with a song that originated from a trip Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland took to a Detroit department store in search of a gift for Robinson's wife Claudette.  When Robinson told the salesman of a set of pearls, "I sure hope she likes them," Cleveland accidentally said "I second that emotion," rather than "I second that motion."  The two laughed about it and wrote this song which would go to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.  
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Hip Hug-Her by Booker T. & the M.G.'s
We close out with a funky instrumental which was on the charts at the time.  
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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

When it comes to hair metal of the mid to late 80's, no band discussion would be complete without bringing Poison into the mix.  The band consisted of front man Bret Michaels, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett on drums.  Poison is a band out of Pennsylvania.  Originally named Paris when formed in 1980, the band drew a good following in local bars in Pennsylvania, but decided opportunities would be greater in Los Angeles.  The band moved there in 1983 and changed their name to Poison.  They attracted a lot of attention with their stage show, and saw surprising success with their debut album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In," released in 1986.
However, Poison's most successful release would be their second studio album, Open Up and Say... Ah!, released in April 1988.  It would sport four hit singles, including their sole number 1 single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."  The album itself would hit number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.  It would also stir controversy with its cover, a picture of a demonic female with an extremely long tongue.  An alternate cover was designed to address concerns which showed only the eyes of the model.
Poison would see further success in the late 80's and early 90's, though their popularity would wane as the grunge movement took over music in the 90's.  However, Poison has seen a resurgence of popularity as a "classic" band, and front man Bret Michaels has achieved success both as a celebrity personality and as a solo artist.
Lynch brings us this glam rock album for today's podcast, and friend of the show Mike Fernandez joins us in Bruce's absence.
 
Fallen Angel
While the lyrics describe a young girl moving from Ohio to Los Angeles to try to make it as an actress, the song is really more autobiographical of the path the band took from Pennsylvania.  This second single from the album went to number 16 on the Hot 100.
Nothin' But a Good Time"
The first single from the album reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is one of their best known songs.  It was built off a guitar riff by C.C. DeVille and a chorus penned by Michaels.  DeVille was largely selected for the band based on his cool riffs and party attitude.
Your Mama Don't Dance
Poison take the 1972 Loggins and Messina song and makes it their own in this fourth single released from the album.  The song's lyrics highlighting the generation gap of the 50's and 60's between parents and their rebellious teenagers was a perfect fit for Poison's image.
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
This ballad is Poison's sole number 1 hit.  The inspiration for it came when Bret Michaels called his girlfriend from a laundromat and heard a male voice in the background.  He was crushed, but went back into the laundromat and wrote the song right then. 
 
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Pump Up the Volume by MARRS (from the motion picture “My Stepmother Is an Alien”)
This comedy starring Dan Aykroyd, Jon Lovitz, and Kim Bassinger may have been a flop, but the song was quite popular.
 
STAFF PICKS:
Mystify by INXS
Rob leads off the staff picks with the fifth and final single from the "Kick" album.  Backed by a honky tonk-style piano and prominent finger-snapping, the song starts with a bluesy riff followed by a more straightforward rock sound.  INXS originally was comprised of three Farriss brothers, but they were down to Andrew and Tim Farriss by this time.  
I'm an Adult Now by Pursuit of Happiness
Wayne's staff pick is a hidden gem from Canada.  This humorous single alternates between spoken verses and a sung chorus that capture the worries that plague the singer as he deals with becoming an adult and embracing adult problems.  It peaked at number 6 on the alternative music charts.   
Wild Wild West by Escape Club
Mike brings us an English band with a song written by eight different people, including Stevie Wonder and Bootsy Collins.  This song has the distinction of being the only British band to have a number 1 hit in the US without charting in the UK.  "Headin' for the nineties, living in the wild, wild west."
Where Is My Mind by Pixies
Lynch closes out with a signature song from the Pixies.  The inspiration for this grunge song began with an underwater diving experience, and the lyrics convey disconnection.  The Pixies were reintroduced to fans after this song appeared in "Fight Club."
 
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Silhouette by Kenny G.
Bruce sneaks a soft sax piece from Kenny G. onto the playlist to exit this week's podcast.  
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.