1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,640 Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts Andy, Don, and Dude. 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,440 I am a golden god. 3 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:16,880 Yes you are. 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:17,880 It's the Album Nerds podcast. 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:18,880 I'm Dude. 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:20,120 I got Andy and Don with me. 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,800 Andy, how the hell you doing my friend? 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:23,800 You know man, I'm doing great. 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,760 I got my glittered covered unitard on here. 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,600 Oh, there's nothing better. 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,840 Andy works out so folks you gotta understand this looks really good. 12 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,840 I've got some leg warmers and a slouchy cut sweatshirt down over my shoulder. 13 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,160 Don, how you doing? 14 00:00:45,160 --> 00:00:47,880 I wanna rock! 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,240 You're about to my friend. 16 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:50,240 Got you covered man. 17 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,480 Alright, so this is the Album Nerds podcast. 18 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:53,480 We love albums. 19 00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:54,480 The album format. 20 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:55,480 Talking about them. 21 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,120 Sharing them with everybody. 22 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,320 Loving the music. 23 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,080 We got a solid show for you today. 24 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:07,120 We're gonna be talking a little bit about the musical performers on Solid Gold, the 25 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,840 1980s music countdown show. 26 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,880 We're gonna talk about three albums from artists that performed on Solid Gold. 27 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:18,440 We're gonna do some shout outs and some album related items we're digging. 28 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,400 We're gonna spin the wheel of musical discovery to find out what we'll talk about next time. 29 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:29,960 But this week, that's what I'm talking about. 30 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:34,800 Solid Gold was an American syndicated music television series that debuted on September 31 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:39,280 13th, 1980 and ran until July 23rd, 1988. 32 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,160 It typically aired on Saturday evenings. 33 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:47,720 Like American Bandstand and Soul Train, Solid Gold focused on popular music of any given 34 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:48,720 week. 35 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,880 From mimed performances from stars at the time, the Solid Gold dancers would perform 36 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,720 routines choreographed to the week's featured songs. 37 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,760 Solid Gold had several different hosts over the years including Dionne Warwick, Marilyn 38 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:08,040 McCoo, Andy Gibb, Rex Smith, Rick Dees, Nina Blackwood, and Arsenio Hall. 39 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,760 Today each of us will present an album by an artist who performed on Solid Gold. 40 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,800 I love the name Marilyn McCoo. 41 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,120 It's so McCoo, you know? 42 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:20,480 I always liked that name. 43 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:25,440 Yeah, so Solid Gold, I watched it religiously for the countdown. 44 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:26,600 They would count down the top hits. 45 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:31,080 It was kind of like Casey's Top 40, but they'd have performers and when they didn't have 46 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,760 performers the Solid Gold dancers would do a routine. 47 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,840 Number 10, Lionel Richie all night long and then they'd dance around and they had props 48 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,840 and stuff. 49 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,160 I was waiting for the quote unquote live performances. 50 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:46,840 Gotcha. 51 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,240 So there were quite a few performers on this over the years, mostly in the pop space and 52 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,080 R&B space, but things got a little crazy once in a while. 53 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:55,640 How'd you guys do on this topic? 54 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:56,640 This is pretty fun. 55 00:02:56,640 --> 00:02:59,680 They had a surprisingly wide variety of artists on the show. 56 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,760 I was assuming it was going to be pop, but there was some stuff in some more extreme 57 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,760 genres and it was so funny watching these very wholesome hosts introduce acts like, 58 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:16,600 let's see here, the Plasmatics for a group I stumbled across, this very in your face 59 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,520 punk rock group from the early 80s. 60 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:25,280 Their record New Hope for the Wretched slash Metal Priestess was pretty enjoyable. 61 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,560 Also Adam and the Ants. 62 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:28,560 Kind of like them actually. 63 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,520 Yeah, the record Prince Charming from the early 80s was pretty fun. 64 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:37,840 I also listened to the Poynter Sisters and Billy Idol and Three Dog Night, which was 65 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,280 surprising that they were on the show, but it was a pretty cool mix. 66 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:46,360 I think mostly it was current stuff, but I think they'd have theme weeks where it was 67 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,720 like 60s bands or whatever. 68 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,600 Get my parents to watch, get the Boomers to watch the shows. 69 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:53,640 Yeah, that's what it felt like. 70 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,080 How'd you do, Don? 71 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:02,600 Well, I ended up exploring some albums from the new wave space that I hadn't spent much 72 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,020 time with before. 73 00:04:04,020 --> 00:04:08,400 Checked out an album from Berlin, Pleasure Victim, which has that Metro song on it that 74 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:09,400 I like. 75 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:10,400 Not bad. 76 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:15,240 I know a Flocka Seagull's debut album, which had like Iran and Space Age love song, but 77 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,960 I listened to the follow up called Listen, which was decent. 78 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:19,960 Also Uh-Huh. 79 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:20,960 Uh-Huh. 80 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:21,960 Uh-Huh. 81 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:26,000 Hunting High and Low, which of course has take on me. 82 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,800 How'd you like the rest of the record? 83 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:28,800 Not bad. 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,680 I knew a couple, I guess somehow those songs got into my psyche. 85 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,960 It's tough with an album like that if you come in not at the time. 86 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,080 I certainly did not hear that record at the time and then hearing it decades later, take 87 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:48,440 on me is so overpowering that it's hard to let the other stuff in. 88 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:54,720 If you listen to it in 1985, when it was new, perhaps some of those album tracks would click. 89 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,760 For me, Tears for Fear, songs from the Big Chair came to mind after I'd already made 90 00:04:58,760 --> 00:04:59,760 my pick. 91 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,800 I'll have to look for that another time. 92 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,840 One of my favorites from the 80s, Bon Jovi from their debut album, Billy Ocean. 93 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:11,080 I remember seeing Billy Ocean on Solid Gold. 94 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:15,440 That's what made me know who he was and want to go get his cassette tape. 95 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,520 Carpets Queen, never said. 96 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,200 Is Billy Ocean here? 97 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,280 And then Billy Idol, Adam and the Ants, Quiet Riot were other considerations for me. 98 00:05:27,280 --> 00:05:31,680 So there was a lot to consider, but we each made some really good choices, I think. 99 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:32,680 So why don't we get into it? 100 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:42,720 You choo choo choos me? 101 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,720 I'm Rick James, bitch. 102 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:50,040 Enjoy yourself. 103 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,040 That laugh. 104 00:05:52,040 --> 00:06:00,480 All right, we are in dude talking about Rick James and his 1981 album, Street Songs. 105 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:06,920 It's the fifth studio album for the singer-songwriter from Buffalo, New York, born James Ambrose 106 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,760 Johnson Jr. 107 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,680 Street Songs would go on to become James' most successful record, reaching number three 108 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:18,760 on the US pop charts and staying atop the R&B charts for over 20 weeks. 109 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:22,760 Let's play a little bit of that hit that he performed on Solid Gold. 110 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:23,760 This is Super Freak. 111 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:31,520 I really love to chase her every time we meet. 112 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:36,640 She's all right, she's all right. 113 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,600 That girl's all right with me. 114 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:39,600 Yeah. 115 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:40,600 Yeah, so that song was nominated for a Grammy. 116 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:41,600 It's been famously sampled. 117 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,000 MC Hammer, Nicki Minaj, and quite a few others. 118 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:51,320 So we're trying a new segment on the show this week called Nick Clickbait Headlines. 119 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:57,280 So my Clickbait headline for this record is Buffalo Funk and Roll Steals the Show. 120 00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:02,840 I love the fact that he refers to the band as a funk and roll group during the record 121 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:04,880 and I think that's very apropos. 122 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:06,680 Yeah, fancy, apropos. 123 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:12,200 All right, so this is a big funky, sexy record. 124 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:18,880 I think what drew me to it was I was just impressed by the band and how great they sound. 125 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,640 It's a loose groove that they get into on these tracks here, but it's very high energy. 126 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:29,040 It reminded me a lot of what James Brown and the famous Flames were doing back in the 60s 127 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,040 there. 128 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:31,720 Rick James' voice, really pretty strong. 129 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:32,720 He sounds good. 130 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:33,720 I mean, he's a young dude. 131 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,000 He hasn't gotten too deep into cocaine yet. 132 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:43,600 So I think his voice sounds really good and he brings the energy and just so much emotion 133 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,240 to every lyric on this record. 134 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,440 It's just like oozing with his personality. 135 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:49,800 For better or worse. 136 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:56,240 By this point, he had had enough success that I think the Motown, here's our Motown label 137 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,880 or a sub label of Motown, Gordy Records, I think. 138 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:06,320 But the sound, I think he had all of the toys available to him at this point for this record, 139 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:07,960 all that Motown had to offer. 140 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:08,960 Yeah, exactly. 141 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,400 It worked out pretty well for him in the end here. 142 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,980 So one of the things he does expertly well, I would say, is kind of mixing this large 143 00:08:16,980 --> 00:08:22,480 in life, kind of goofy persona that he has and mixing that in with some like legitimate 144 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:30,400 serious topics about just like urban life and dealing with Gramp and Buffalo and interacting 145 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,280 with the police and people in his neighborhood. 146 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:34,840 Let's play one of those tracks next. 147 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:35,840 This is called Mr. Policeman. 148 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:48,440 It's a disgrace, why every time you show your face, somebody dies man, somebody dies man. 149 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,440 Say la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la 150 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:56,560 Yeah, lyrically, it's a very direct song about interactions with the police. 151 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:00,960 But it's just kind of funny that you're talking about somebody dying at the hands of a police 152 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:05,960 officer and then it's la la la la la la la la la. 153 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,320 And so that happens a lot on this record. 154 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:14,280 I think there's a lot of serious themes, but it's lightened up with this kind of funky, 155 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:15,880 fun treatment. 156 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:21,040 So my clickbait headline is James brings funk to the 1980s. 157 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,640 So this is kind of a cool transitional record here. 158 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,800 I'm not sure I would just call it a funk album. 159 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,880 I think it borrows from a lot of things going on at the time. 160 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:36,680 I mean, you mentioned Motown, but I think there's even maybe a hint of New Wave in it. 161 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:42,000 Even that little keyboard part or whatever it is in Super Freak kind of sounds like the 162 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,200 Depeche Mode part or something. 163 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,280 Just for the listening audience, Don hears Depeche Mode in everything. 164 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:49,280 Raindrops. 165 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:50,280 Yep. 166 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,520 Car horns, he hears Depeche Mode. 167 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,040 But definitely a fun album. 168 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,080 I mean, we've listened to albums sort of in the funk universe. 169 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:04,380 We did the Chic record, the Barry White is sort of on the fringes of funk. 170 00:10:04,380 --> 00:10:06,960 This one is just much more loose. 171 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,880 Those albums were very polished and structured. 172 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:15,120 And here it's like James is just having a fun freak out or something. 173 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:16,120 Yeah. 174 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:22,280 So the record definitely deals with a lot of real life, harder hitting topics like that. 175 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:23,680 It's also a very sexy record. 176 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:25,440 It has a couple of ballads on here. 177 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:30,340 I think by the standout is Fire and Desire with Tina Marie. 178 00:10:30,340 --> 00:10:31,340 She saves that song. 179 00:10:31,340 --> 00:10:32,340 Oh my God. 180 00:10:32,340 --> 00:10:33,340 It's amazing. 181 00:10:33,340 --> 00:10:34,340 She crushes that song. 182 00:10:34,340 --> 00:10:36,480 I wasn't familiar with her, but man, she has a huge voice. 183 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:38,080 Go listen to her albums, man. 184 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,080 She can sing. 185 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:40,080 Yeah. 186 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:41,080 That was impressive. 187 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,440 It's kind of the apex of the record and they both really go for it. 188 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,980 I think another one of those songs here that kind of marries that sensuality with kind 189 00:10:48,980 --> 00:10:52,320 of like an urban feel is the second track on the record. 190 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,040 This is Ghetto That. 191 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,040 Yeah. 192 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,680 It does. 193 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:13,920 That's really good. 194 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:15,720 I think that's the best song on the album. 195 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:16,720 Yeah, that's good. 196 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,360 It sounds like Marvin Gaye, like with the strings. 197 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:25,680 Yeah, it kind of dips into that territory, but it's got Rick James silliness kind of 198 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:26,960 in it as well. 199 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:27,960 Yeah. 200 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:35,600 There's truth, of course, but the section there about playing tag with winos, it really 201 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,920 does paint the picture, but it does it in a way where it makes it less severe somehow, 202 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,320 even though when you really think about it, it is, but the words he chose were a way to 203 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,320 kind of- 204 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:48,320 It's more palatable. 205 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,680 ... get into it, I guess. 206 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:57,160 The section about learning how to make love or that he already, he was so good at it as 207 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:04,720 a part of his, as the story in the song, those moments are a little like, come on, for me 208 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:05,720 anyway. 209 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:06,720 He's a bit braggadocious. 210 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:07,720 Yes, he is very braggadocious. 211 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,760 I'm Rick James, bitch. 212 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:16,600 So, the clickbait headline that I came up with, Motown gets funked up, one man held 213 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:17,600 responsible. 214 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,040 I feel like he really brought that- 215 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,040 That sweet, that nasty. 216 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:23,040 Yeah. 217 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:24,840 That fucked up sweet. 218 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,840 Yes, he did give it to me. 219 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:33,420 I knew Super Freak as a kid, I'd heard it, but give it to me was on a Motown compilation 220 00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:39,240 cassette that I got from BMG or Columbia House, and that bass line there and the horns, I 221 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:44,040 really thought more of Rick James when I heard that, that there was more to his sound in 222 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,320 this album. 223 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:50,200 The thing is, it's got that mix of sex and social consciousness, which is fine, but sometimes 224 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:56,200 I feel like they're at odds with each other because they're sort of outlandish levels 225 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:57,200 for each. 226 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:03,640 The sex braggadocious stuff sometimes tarnishes the social consciousness stuff for me a little 227 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:09,400 bit and then I kind of have to reset sometimes between tracks or I'm like, okay, this is 228 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,680 the sillier stuff, okay, this is the more serious. 229 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:17,280 That was a bit of a challenge, like you mentioned Fire and Desire, when it starts and it's just 230 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:23,520 him singing, oh my God, it's like, oh gross, this is a disgusting representation of- 231 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:24,520 You know, baby. 232 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:25,520 Yeah. 233 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,400 He does love those little spoken word passages there that are- 234 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,560 It's like, oh man, this is disgusting, but she comes in and I'm like, oh, okay, we get 235 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:40,080 the female perspective on the same thing, then it felt very sexual assaulty when it 236 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:41,080 started. 237 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,760 It's also the 80s here, man, so it's a little different time period. 238 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:46,760 Yes. 239 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:52,080 I know that the attitudes and what was things that were said that were just accepted is 240 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:58,920 different, but the legend that is Rick James, I really think that a lot of bad stuff went 241 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:05,120 down with him because of drugs, including in my opinion, his production of the Eddie 242 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,720 Murphy single Party All The Time. 243 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:16,560 He's in the video, like in the studio mixing it and telling Eddie how to sing it, but some 244 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:21,760 bad stuff happened with him and I think that the Chappelle thing really did bring him back 245 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:27,840 into that and the Hammer sample brought him back into consciousness for people to discover 246 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:28,840 his music. 247 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:34,160 I remember before I saw the Chappelle show, but after it had premiered, I was at a bar, 248 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:38,120 went to the bathroom and on the speaker, Super Freak was on, you know, it happens, no big 249 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:43,880 deal, I'd heard the song, a guy at the urinal screams, I'm Rick James, bitch, right in my 250 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,560 face at the urinal next to me. 251 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:47,560 I just thought he was crazy. 252 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:52,760 I'm like, this dude is saying he's Rick James, but then they explained to me that it was 253 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,760 because of a TV show. 254 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,560 Yeah, that really blew up at the time. 255 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:58,560 Yes, it did. 256 00:14:58,560 --> 00:14:59,560 Yes, it did. 257 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:04,240 Well, I think looking back on this record now, he was a legit talent before all these 258 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,120 other things happened later in his career. 259 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,920 He wrote and produced this entire record. 260 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,440 There's a lot of really great gurus and you know, it's a weird mixture of personalities 261 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:18,200 and topics for sure, but there's something to it and I think it works really well. 262 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,560 This is probably the best example of his sound, I think. 263 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:26,760 It's something to behold, you know, it's very 80s, but it's cool. 264 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:31,400 Rick James Street Songs, check it out, bitch. 265 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:38,680 I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me. 266 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,740 If you're enjoying the show and we hope you are, do us a solid and leave a review on Apple 267 00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:45,880 podcasts or your favorite podcast app. 268 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,320 Maybe we made you laugh or you discovered an album you enjoy. 269 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:53,200 Leaving a review keeps the show going and helps other music fans find us. 270 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:54,200 I don't know. 271 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:59,640 We're living in a material world and I am a material girl or boy. 272 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:05,160 Okay, so Madonna, occasionally called the queen of pop, is that right? 273 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,440 I hope not. 274 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:16,440 She actually appeared on Solid Gold multiple times, but in 1984, she performed Like a Virgin. 275 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,640 Like a Virgin actually appears on the album, Like a Virgin, which is the second studio 276 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:26,840 album by Madonna, born Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City, Michigan in 1958. 277 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:28,520 Again, it's her second album. 278 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:34,760 She was really looking to make a smash and she chose Nile Rodgers to produce the album. 279 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,120 Here he comes again. 280 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,640 Yep, who had just worked with David Bowie on Let's Dance. 281 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,360 So let's hear that title track. 282 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:42,360 Here's Like a Virgin. 283 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:58,440 I remember it famously defeating Duran Duran Wild Boys on Friday Night Vagabond. 284 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:06,000 Like a Virgin was written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steenberg. 285 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,280 These guys have actually created a bunch of hits over the years. 286 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:17,240 True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, Eternal Flame by The Bengals, I Touch Myself by The Divinals. 287 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,840 Like much of the album, it features the members of Chic. 288 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:24,240 So Nile Rodgers on guitar, Bernard Edwards on bass, and Tony Thompson on drums. 289 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:29,640 So what I like about the lyrics of this song are that basically the implication is there 290 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,400 that she's not a virgin. 291 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,440 No, no, no, no, no. 292 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,520 She wore a white dress on the MTV Video Music Awards. 293 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:38,920 She clearly was a virgin. 294 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,400 Yeah, so I think that's, I don't know, there's something about that that I think is kind 295 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:44,640 of special. 296 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,520 And I think that sort of sets her apart from maybe some other female pop stars. 297 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:51,640 She's empowered here. 298 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:58,480 So my clickbait headline for the album is Female Pop Star Takes Charge of Her Sexuality. 299 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:04,440 So while there's a lot of songs about sex on this album, I feel like she's in charge. 300 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:06,280 She's not a passive sex object. 301 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:12,080 And it reminds me of, I think Tina Turner and Janet Jackson sort of come from a similar 302 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,080 perspective. 303 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:20,760 Madonna is the most powerful woman to ever walk the face of people. 304 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,080 Let's hear another cut on the album. 305 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,480 This is Material Girl. 306 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:40,880 Okay, so Material Girl was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans. 307 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:45,960 So one must consider the perspective of the songwriters here. 308 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:50,100 I think maybe it was just written about being a material girl, but I think the way Madonna 309 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:55,720 delivered it felt like she was railing against, like she was an individual and she did things 310 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:56,720 her own way. 311 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:01,880 So relying on some guy giving her a bunch of gifts, I think it was more a rant against 312 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,520 that kind of ideology if you're going to be a strong individual. 313 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:12,200 The clickbait headline I went for was Children of the 80s Wonder What a Virgin Is, Parents 314 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,760 Panic. 315 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,680 It was spicy in those days. 316 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:24,000 I had a sister that was very young, maybe three or four at the time, and she was wriggling 317 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:25,440 around singing like a virgin. 318 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,680 I'll tell you, that's disturbing. 319 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:28,680 That's a disturbing... 320 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:33,400 So many don't want to see. 321 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:38,760 It was so pervasive and I think it probably did make for a lot of uncomfortable conversations. 322 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:44,960 I remember at that time, Material Girl, the video, I remember pointing it out to my parents 323 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:50,880 of like, see, she's dressed like Marilyn Monroe and she's nice and this is about the good 324 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:51,880 things in life. 325 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,680 I mean, I was a little kid, I didn't know what I was talking about, but I remember thinking 326 00:19:54,680 --> 00:20:00,320 that that was the way to convince my parents that she wasn't dirty because I wanted to 327 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,640 listen to it. 328 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:08,080 I never actually heard the whole album until I was an adult a few years ago, actually, 329 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,280 and it's not super compelling. 330 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:11,440 The singles are great. 331 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:16,160 The filler is not super interesting to me, like shooby-doo, yikes. 332 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,160 Shooby-dooby-doo, no thank you. 333 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:24,360 Yeah, the end of this record falls off fast, I would say. 334 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:27,040 There's some weird scatting moments. 335 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,280 She got the job done here with Material Girl, Angel, Like A Virgin, Dress You Up. 336 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:35,820 Then on the subsequent album, True Blue, that's a much more complete record. 337 00:20:35,820 --> 00:20:39,360 She was much more involved in the production and the songwriting. 338 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:45,040 The vocals, she got to be a little more diverse in her vocal style on subsequent records. 339 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,880 So I think she, after this record, it was the Madonna show from that point forward. 340 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:51,880 All right, well, let's hear another one from the album. 341 00:20:51,880 --> 00:21:05,560 Here's Love Don't Live Here Anymore. 342 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,800 That's probably the best non-single on the record, I think. 343 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:11,160 That's vocal performance too. 344 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,360 Definitely the most emotion we get from Madonna on the record, in my opinion, on that track. 345 00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:18,360 Originally recorded by Rose Royce in 1978. 346 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:21,720 Yeah, I think her voice sounds great on that track. 347 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:25,160 The rest of the record, I struggle with sort of what she's going for with that sort of 348 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,520 more nasally kind of- 349 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:28,520 Betty Boopish. 350 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:33,320 Yeah, it's really so cute and adorable and young on this record. 351 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:35,440 It's a little hard for me to get behind. 352 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:40,360 I've heard it a lot of times, but my clickbait headline is, Niall Rodgers unleashed his chaos 353 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:44,440 on unsuspecting teens. 354 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,320 This was a huge deal. 355 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:54,200 I remember thinking of Madonna as very scandalous and sexy and just kind of almost revolutionary 356 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,480 at the time for young adults. 357 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,840 And this was the record that kind of put around the map, at least from an outsider's perspective. 358 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:06,760 But listening back to it as an adult, I wasn't as into it as I thought I would be. 359 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,680 Mostly comes down to her vocal performance for me. 360 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:10,120 I just get caught up on that. 361 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:12,160 She doesn't really sound like her true voice. 362 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,960 You really do get that later in her career and maybe there's flashes of it here. 363 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:21,880 I think the main thing holding this record together is the production and just how well 364 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,440 crafted the hits are. 365 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,880 These two-year-old girl and like a virgin especially just are so well composed and they 366 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:34,800 have such an infectious quality to them that still makes you smile and still makes you 367 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,480 dance around like an idiot even after all these years. 368 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:42,920 So not my favorite Madonna record, but I can definitely see why it's still kind of relevant 369 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:43,920 nowadays. 370 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,720 Yeah, I mean, there are some good songs on the previous record too, but yeah, this is 371 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:52,080 what allowed her to actually be the artist she wanted to be, to have the power to do 372 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:53,080 so. 373 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,080 So, okay. 374 00:22:54,080 --> 00:23:00,480 Well, if as Andy said you want to dance around the room like an idiot, check out Madonna's 375 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,600 Like a Virgin from 1984. 376 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,160 Excuse me. 377 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:12,320 I'd like to ask you a few questions. 378 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,360 Now Deep Questions by Don. 379 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:16,520 All right. 380 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:20,520 So we're talking about these pop music programs. 381 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,640 I just really feel like just something from the past, right? 382 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:29,160 So what other old school television programming shaped your childhood? 383 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:34,240 Yeah, for me, it's really two programs that were, I want to say were my childhood, but 384 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:39,120 they were a big part of who I was in the 80s. 385 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:42,520 He-Man, I just recently rewatched the series. 386 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:43,520 Oh really? 387 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:44,520 Wow. 388 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,800 It kind of blew my mind actually. 389 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,680 Very scantily clad people in that show. 390 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:50,680 Yeah. 391 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:56,800 Well, Skeletor is so like not threatening when, you know, it's like, I'm evil. 392 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,800 He's more like a jester in that show than like a villain. 393 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:02,800 It's very interesting. 394 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,320 Is he the same voice as Cobra Commander do you think? 395 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,320 I don't know. 396 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:07,320 It could be. 397 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:08,320 It might be. 398 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:09,320 They're very similar. 399 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:10,320 I don't know. 400 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:11,320 Never thought of that. 401 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:12,320 Yeah, the other show I was big into was G.I. Joe. 402 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:13,320 Sure. 403 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:17,400 He saw a lot of fights between my G.I. Joe and He-Man action figures. 404 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:23,320 Yeah, but He-Man had to win because you turn his upper body and it would spring out and 405 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:24,840 it's got a punching action. 406 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,040 It was like twice the size of the G.I. Joe characters. 407 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,960 Depends if you had the old school G.I. Joe that were like legit like two feet tall. 408 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:34,920 I had some of those from my dad. 409 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:35,920 Those are Barbie size. 410 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:36,920 Yeah. 411 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:37,920 Yeah. 412 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:42,920 So for me, when I think back on like the music shows, like Friday night videos, American 413 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:47,360 Bandstand, Solid Gold, those were my favorite things to learn about music because I was 414 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:48,760 always fascinated with it. 415 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:53,700 But after school specials, something that like lately I got caught in a rabbit hole 416 00:24:53,700 --> 00:24:54,700 on YouTube. 417 00:24:54,700 --> 00:24:58,360 Some of those ABC after school specials are posted up on there starring like Scott Baio. 418 00:24:58,360 --> 00:24:59,360 Stone. 419 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:00,360 Was the one called Stone? 420 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:07,160 Yes, where he's a good kid, but then he gets hooked into marijuana and it ruins his life 421 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,320 and he almost kills his brother. 422 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:16,000 And I got like a few months ago, I just was watching those like all the way through and 423 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,320 but they were basically little movies. 424 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:24,000 They were made for TV movies to teach youngsters about the dangers of drugs or being careful 425 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,160 with premarital sex. 426 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:31,560 There's one where this teacher is teaching about Nazi Germany and then ends up to for 427 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:37,280 a social experiment creating this club like called the movement or the wave, the wave. 428 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:41,280 And then the students all like start warring with each other and whatever. 429 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:43,040 And so they were pretty heady. 430 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:47,540 I mean, for kids, you'd watch this after Monday afternoon, there'd be an occasional after 431 00:25:47,540 --> 00:25:48,540 school special. 432 00:25:48,540 --> 00:25:50,720 They were hard hitting subjects. 433 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:55,260 So I think I appreciated those because they treated me like I was worthy of understanding 434 00:25:55,260 --> 00:25:57,120 the world around me and not just cartoons. 435 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:01,760 I think we had to read that wave book like an eighth grade or something like that. 436 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:06,380 So I mean, for me, I spent my childhood kind of watching MTV. 437 00:26:06,380 --> 00:26:12,000 And so that doesn't exist anymore. 438 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,800 But thinking back to watching television back in the day, Andy might not even be aware of 439 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:22,320 this, but the television networks or those channels, they would sign off like at a certain 440 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:23,880 point in the middle of the night. 441 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,340 So I remember like if I had a friend staying over or something, you'd try to stay up as 442 00:26:28,340 --> 00:26:29,340 late as you could. 443 00:26:29,340 --> 00:26:35,040 And so like one signpost was when the station would sign off and play the national anthem. 444 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:40,920 I remember getting up super early on Saturdays to watch cartoons and none of the channels 445 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:41,920 were on yet. 446 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,920 It would just be a screen going beep. 447 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:50,320 So I'd go on PBS and watch some yoga show, just anything because it was the only channel 448 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,480 that had anything on it. 449 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:56,920 What old school television programs shaped your childhood? 450 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:57,920 Let us know. 451 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,940 Hit us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram and threads. 452 00:27:01,940 --> 00:27:04,600 Also on Discord, AlbumNerds.com slash Discord. 453 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,520 With this week's number nine star, we're not going to take it. 454 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:09,520 Twisted Sister. 455 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:10,520 Yes! 456 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:11,520 Who was that? 457 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:12,520 That was Rick Dees. 458 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:13,520 That was pretty wild. 459 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:18,440 Is that where he was like eating his leg as he was introduced to the band? 460 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:19,920 I hit crazy Dees night. 461 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:25,780 Like I was really looking for something outside of the norm and I happened to find a list 462 00:27:25,780 --> 00:27:30,400 of quote unquote metal and hard rock acts that appeared on Solid Gold. 463 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:36,920 So Twisted Sister made perfect sense for me and their album Stay Hungry from May 10th, 464 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:37,920 1984. 465 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:42,280 Twisted Sister formed in 1972 from Hohokas, New Jersey. 466 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:43,280 Love saying that. 467 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:44,280 Hohokas. 468 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:50,760 So Twisted Sister's classic lineup, which was formed around 1982, had the members Dee 469 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:56,480 Snyder of course on lead vocals, Eddie Ojeda on lead guitar, JJ French on rhythm guitar, 470 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,320 Mark Mendoza on bass and AJ Pero on drums. 471 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:06,560 This was the lineup that started recording albums and their third was Stay Hungry. 472 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:13,960 Why don't we kick things off with the big hit song, We're Not Gonna Take It. 473 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:20,560 All right. 474 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:30,240 So Stay Hungry and We're Not Gonna Take It. 475 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:36,680 Man, was that ever the first probably fist pumping anthem that I ever at a young age 476 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,560 was trying to challenge my parents with to some degree. 477 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:44,680 I'm sure parents around the 80s were very appreciative of Dee Snyder providing this 478 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,640 father for all children of America. 479 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,800 The song We're Not Gonna Take It is pretty clear. 480 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:55,200 It conveys a message of self-empowerment, seizing control, you're phony and fake. 481 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:57,520 Don't make me be someone I'm not. 482 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:02,720 And we all appreciate that, especially when we're young, that idea that we can take control. 483 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:08,400 The clickbait headline that I came up with here, alleged bad influence sings about hell 484 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:09,920 and serial killers. 485 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:10,920 Allegedly. 486 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:18,680 The themes and lyrics can be interpreted in many ways and there's quite a few songs on 487 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,560 this album that seem one way and might be really about something else. 488 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:30,520 But the PMRC, the Parent Music Resource Center, a committee formed in 1985 by Tip Regor, they 489 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:35,320 were basically looking to take control over the access of children to music deemed to 490 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:40,880 have violent or drug related or sexual themes and Twisted Sister, specifically We're Not 491 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,120 Gonna Take It was on their list. 492 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,400 It's like the naughty 100 or something like that. 493 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,400 I can't, that's not, I don't think that's right. 494 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:49,400 I'm not sure. 495 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,800 Is it before the parental guidelines that it called the naughty 100? 496 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:53,800 Really? 497 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:54,800 Yeah, something like that. 498 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:55,800 What was it called, Don, do you remember? 499 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:56,800 That sounds right. 500 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,800 It's like the most wild list, but for music. 501 00:29:58,800 --> 00:29:59,800 Yeah. 502 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,280 No, the Filthy 15. 503 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:10,000 Yeah, so this Filthy 15 list, as I mentioned, included Twisted Sister, but it also had Madonna 504 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,560 dress you up from Like A Virgin was on the list. 505 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:18,840 Prince was on the list with Darling Nikki, which makes sense, I think. 506 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:24,840 Def Leppard, Cyndi Lauper, and then metal bands like Judas Priest and Wasp were on the 507 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:25,840 list as well. 508 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:32,440 But so yeah, indeed, this is what led to the parental guidance stickers on albums. 509 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,680 But yeah, Twisted Sister was sort of on trial. 510 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:40,920 Dee Snider appeared at some hearings and they go look it up on YouTube. 511 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,960 He said some pretty cool stuff. 512 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:45,520 He handled himself very well. 513 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:51,240 And so yeah, so that did eventually get resolved, allegedly. 514 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:56,520 So back to the album, there's songs about serial killers, there's songs about hell. 515 00:30:56,520 --> 00:31:02,600 And these themes, of course, are part of what made Heavy Metal of the 80s as it was on its 516 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,960 meteoric rise to popularity at this time. 517 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:11,460 Those were some of the tropes that were common, but Twisted Sister did a really good job of 518 00:31:11,460 --> 00:31:15,920 taking all of those and doing it effectively throughout the record. 519 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:23,940 And they kind of made a perfect amalgamation of those types of themes, but in clever and 520 00:31:23,940 --> 00:31:25,560 entertaining ways. 521 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:29,240 They even managed to make a song about going to hell with a lesson. 522 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:42,120 So let's check out a little bit of Burn in Hell. 523 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:49,840 Love that song. 524 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:54,320 It's a great song. 525 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:58,080 Surprisingly, I mean, maybe I shouldn't be surprised by how dark that song is. 526 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:02,240 At the age I was when I first heard this record, I was just like, oh my God. 527 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:07,080 I didn't really understand that it was about not making bad decisions so that you don't 528 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:08,080 go to hell, essentially. 529 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:09,080 Yeah. 530 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,440 It's really a positive message, but it paints it in this dark landscape. 531 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,040 I think it just sells to kids perfectly. 532 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:16,040 Yeah. 533 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,600 I couldn't understand it enough as a kid to then explain to my parents this was not a 534 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,680 bad thing, but they saw the title and that was it. 535 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:31,440 Yeah, well, I mean, you see the album cover of this record here with Dee Snider in a cage 536 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,600 eating someone's thigh bone or something. 537 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:39,240 You could definitely get the wrong message pretty easily, I would say, if you were a 538 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:40,240 parent. 539 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,480 But yeah, this record as a whole, I really came to enjoy quite a bit. 540 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:47,080 I was surprised at how substantial it felt to be listening to it now. 541 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:51,080 My clickbait headline is, local man found in Dee Snider's basement. 542 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,080 Okay, well fed. 543 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:58,080 This record is pretty wild. 544 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:02,800 There's a lot of graphic dark stuff happening here, especially the center of the record, 545 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:10,560 this horror terrier, short trilogy, eight-minute epic that talks about this character who's 546 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:12,760 kidnapping kids and keeping them in their basement. 547 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:13,760 It's creepy stuff, man. 548 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,560 And he really goes into detail about how it all transpire. 549 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,520 And I bought into it, man. 550 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:23,160 I was definitely captivated by the storytelling. 551 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:30,000 He reprises the role in 1998 film, Strangeland, which Dee Snider would act in as well. 552 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Playing Captain Howdy. 553 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,000 Captain Howdy, yeah. 554 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,640 Pretty dark stuff, kind of out of its time, I would say, in terms of the online aspect 555 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,000 kind of working into these songs here. 556 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,160 But yeah, I know the B-side I thought was really solid too. 557 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:48,240 Songs like Don't Let Me Down and SMF were particularly memorable. 558 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:52,760 That was a code I even got away with in Catholic school. 559 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,880 I would all say that and not get in trouble. 560 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,720 Yeah, it's not very thinly-veiled acronym there. 561 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:07,960 I think it is actually the name of the fan club, the sick motherfucking fans of Twisted 562 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:08,960 Sister. 563 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:09,960 Yeah, sounds right. 564 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:17,000 The one thing going back and listening to the version on Spotify is, it struck me as 565 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:18,520 the mixing. 566 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:19,520 There's a little low end. 567 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:23,560 The low end of this record feels important and it's got a real metal edge to it, but 568 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,240 you can hardly hear it on a lot of these tracks here. 569 00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:29,560 It's unfortunately just been mixed down to hardly anything. 570 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:35,000 But if you can get past that, I think this is a pretty enjoyable listen for me at least. 571 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:40,440 It's surprisingly good when it's so easy to dismiss albums of that era, especially the 572 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,800 get thrown into the hair metal bucket sometimes. 573 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,080 Yeah, this wasn't as hair medley as I thought it would be. 574 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,520 A lot of those trips are not here, thankfully. 575 00:34:49,520 --> 00:35:05,600 All right, so why don't we listen to a little bit of The Price. 576 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:11,280 The Price is I guess sort of like the one kind of melodic ballad on the album. 577 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:12,880 But it's not romantic. 578 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:13,880 That's the best part. 579 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:15,120 It's not a romantic ballad. 580 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:16,120 Yeah. 581 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:17,120 Well, it might be. 582 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:18,120 It could be. 583 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,600 Yeah, it seems to be about sort of like the consequences of getting what you want. 584 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:24,400 So I guess that could be fame or love or whatever. 585 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:29,720 And just shout out, I know we have some audience members in the Rochester, New York area. 586 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:33,060 The video for that song, which I remember because it was like the first time I saw them 587 00:35:33,060 --> 00:35:36,920 without makeup, the video was shot at the Rochester War Memorial. 588 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:37,920 Really? 589 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:38,920 Yeah. 590 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:43,800 They were opening for Iron Maiden on that tour, I guess, and they passed through Rochester. 591 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:50,000 Anyway, my clickbait headline for the album is The 80s Finds Its Kiss. 592 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:55,160 So I mean, even without the makeup, they are kiss-like in that they're sort of creating 593 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,160 these rock anthems. 594 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:01,480 But I would say the big difference is a lot of the kiss songs are about getting laid. 595 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:03,880 And I don't think any of these are. 596 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,280 These are about horror or rebellion and stuff like that. 597 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:11,680 So it's just a solid and I guess accessible rock album. 598 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:17,440 I mean, despite the makeup and all that stuff and kind of their scary look, it's just a 599 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:18,840 really accessible album. 600 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:25,000 I remember even when I was that age, and I mean, I was frightened by this kind of thing. 601 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,320 But for some reason, that album seemed sort of safe. 602 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:33,080 The funny videos for We're Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock, I think helped to make 603 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,440 it more superhero cartoony than scary. 604 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:40,560 But yeah, it's really just a charming little album. 605 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:44,400 That's exactly what they were shooting for, I'm sure. 606 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:48,380 It's accessible, but somehow it's not pandering. 607 00:36:48,380 --> 00:36:51,720 And I'm not really sure why it doesn't feel that way. 608 00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:53,520 No, it feels very authentic. 609 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:54,520 Yeah. 610 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:56,000 Yeah, I agree. 611 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Yeah. 612 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,000 All right. 613 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,520 So I encourage you to go watch the Solid Gold performance. 614 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,040 You can find on YouTube of Twisted Sister. 615 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:08,040 They are outlandish and silly and fun to watch. 616 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:10,600 It's not good quality, but the music is. 617 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,400 Go check out Twisted Sister, stay hungry if you haven't heard it before, or even if you 618 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:15,400 have. 619 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:19,600 What do you wanna do with your life? 620 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,600 Can you dig it? 621 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,600 Can you dig it? 622 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:26,600 All right. 623 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:33,880 Well, we spent the last week sort of immersing ourselves in the world of Solid Gold performances. 624 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:36,320 But what else have you been digging lately? 625 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:41,200 A handful of new release recommendations are out here. 626 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,720 First one is up from a three piece called Slift. 627 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:47,120 They're from France. 628 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:48,120 The album is called Illion. 629 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:49,120 Kind of experimental rock. 630 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:50,120 It's a pretty lengthy record. 631 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,120 It's in the vein of like the OCs, if you're familiar with them. 632 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:54,120 No. 633 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:55,120 The OCs, yeah. 634 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:56,120 Oh, wait. 635 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:57,120 The O-H-S-E-E-S. 636 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:04,120 Yes, I'm familiar with them. 637 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,120 Not the O period. 638 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:08,120 C period. 639 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:09,120 Not the Irish counties. 640 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,120 I was thinking about the show and stuff. 641 00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:13,120 California. 642 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:18,120 The other one I'll mention here is from like a power punk group here. 643 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:20,120 I believe this is their first record. 644 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,120 They're called Nick Deep. 645 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:26,880 Not my usual jam genre, but I think it's actually pretty well written. 646 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:30,720 But if you saw them here, that struck me as being pretty well polished. 647 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:32,240 So sticking with the neck deep. 648 00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:36,200 Are you sure that their name isn't Blink 183? 649 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:37,680 I was going to make that joke. 650 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,680 Very welcome to be. 651 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:40,680 Damn it. 652 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:43,280 Another punk rock group here called Green Day. 653 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:44,880 You may have heard of them. 654 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:45,880 Oh, yes. 655 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:46,880 Blink 181. 656 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:56,760 But yeah, they have kind of a return to form record out, I guess I would say. 657 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:57,760 The record is called Saviors. 658 00:38:57,760 --> 00:38:58,760 It just came out last week. 659 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:04,760 It's got quite a bit of buzz on the internet and streaming and things. 660 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:06,520 So that exists. 661 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:12,960 I can't believe that these dudes are like 50 and they sound like it so far, they really 662 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,880 sound like full of them and vigor. 663 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:21,000 Maybe they're taking their one a days like I am. 664 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:24,000 That's what we have to do. 665 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:30,160 So I was listening to another cool music podcast called Broken Record and there was a guy from 666 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:33,440 a band that I hadn't heard of called Future Islands. 667 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,240 Apparently, they're actually quite well known. 668 00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:36,800 I'm just out of touch. 669 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:39,360 They're out of time. 670 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:41,680 They're like a synth pop group. 671 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:45,160 So I figured I'd check them out and I'm kind of enjoying them. 672 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,400 Their latest album just came out. 673 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:50,640 It's called People Who Aren't There Anymore. 674 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:55,520 So I'm not sure I love them yet, but maybe it just takes a while to get used to synth 675 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:57,440 pop that doesn't come from England. 676 00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:58,440 Yeah, definitely. 677 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:01,440 I think they're pretty decent. 678 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,600 I feel like someone that you wouldn't enjoy. 679 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:07,160 So I wasn't surprised this came up on your list. 680 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:08,160 Where are they from? 681 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:09,160 Cleveland, I think. 682 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:10,760 I was hoping they were from Canada. 683 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,240 That would be an easier transition for you. 684 00:40:13,240 --> 00:40:21,120 Okay, so for me, I've been playing around with an old favorite, Judas Priest, their 685 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:23,240 new album Invincible Shield is... 686 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:27,360 Don't know why I love that name, but that's coming out March 8th, 2024. 687 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,080 It's their 19th album. 688 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,460 Supposedly, it's a bit more progressive than their last album, Firepower, which I love. 689 00:40:34,460 --> 00:40:36,840 Some touches of the 70s Priest albums. 690 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:37,840 So we'll see. 691 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:42,120 The singles that are available right now are Crown of Horns, Trial by Fire, and Panic 692 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:44,760 Attack, which I really enjoy that one. 693 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:45,760 Lots of guitar. 694 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:48,800 Ooh, feels like you could melt your headphones with that. 695 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:49,800 Yeah. 696 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:50,800 Yes. 697 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:51,800 Yeah, I know. 698 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:56,200 It's impressive stuff, for sure. 699 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:02,600 Also as far as me acquiring vinyl, on episode 153 of the Album Nerds podcast, we talked 700 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:06,480 about the Wu-Tang Clan, which I had never really explored or listened to. 701 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:10,600 I did pick up Enter the Wu-Tang 36 Chambers on vinyl. 702 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:16,160 It's due to that show and due to my appreciation of what they were doing at the time in that 703 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:17,160 space. 704 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:19,280 It was my first hip hop album on vinyl. 705 00:41:19,280 --> 00:41:23,240 I had stuff as a kid, like on cassette, DJ Jazzy, Jeff and the Fresh Prince and stuff, 706 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:28,520 but that was the first and I've added another since, and maybe I'll get into that on another 707 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:29,520 episode. 708 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:30,520 Congratulations, man. 709 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:33,560 Is that a double or is that a triple maybe? 710 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:35,160 It's a lengthy record. 711 00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:36,160 Just a two-sided... 712 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:37,160 Yeah. 713 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:38,160 Two chambers. 714 00:41:38,160 --> 00:41:39,160 Which is great. 715 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:40,160 Yeah. 716 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:41,160 Two chambers. 717 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:47,320 It's got the Shaolin Sword, side A, and I think the Wu-Tang Sword is side B. 718 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:48,320 Nice. 719 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:50,760 Well, what are you digging lately? 720 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:51,760 Let us know. 721 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:59,360 Hit us up on the socials, Facebook, Instagram and threads at Album Nerds. 722 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:03,520 It will be a discovery of extraordinary value. 723 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:11,520 Well, guys, as I'm sure you know, it's about this point in the show when I like to think 724 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:18,280 about the famed Scottish inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, who famously said, great discoveries 725 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:23,520 and improvements are invariably involved in the cooperation of many minds. 726 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:24,520 He stole that from me. 727 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:25,520 Uh-huh. 728 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,520 Somehow he did that. 729 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:33,400 Well, with that sort of group collaboration and discovery in mind, it is that we bring 730 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:45,080 out Wadbach and find out what we'll be listening to on next week's show. 731 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:48,200 February is often referred to as the month of love. 732 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:51,980 You will spend the next four episodes exploring themes of romance. 733 00:42:51,980 --> 00:42:56,240 You will start by discovering albums that can set that mood with a sensual serenade. 734 00:42:56,240 --> 00:43:02,440 Wow, so a little curve ball from the young and vivacious Wadbach. 735 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:07,280 So a theme of love and romance through the next four weeks. 736 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:12,280 We'll be focusing on those sensual serenades in the first week of that series. 737 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:16,840 So albums that are good for midnight connections. 738 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:17,840 Well said. 739 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:18,840 Well said. 740 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:19,840 Thank you. 741 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:24,760 Yeah, well, that should be nice, guys. 742 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:30,040 We can get into a good groove here, get a good rhythm established. 743 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:34,240 Hopefully it won't get too uncomfortable. 744 00:43:34,240 --> 00:43:36,240 No video feed during that discussion. 745 00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:40,880 Oh, I'm sure it'll get uncomfortable quicker than we think. 746 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:42,480 What's your favorite romantic album? 747 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:43,480 What else are you listening to? 748 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:44,480 Let us know. 749 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,400 Email us at podcast at albumnerds.com. 750 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:50,720 Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and threads at Album Nerds. 751 00:43:50,720 --> 00:43:54,160 Also, please subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast app. 752 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:58,680 And if you'd like to support the show, you can do so via PayPal at albumnerds.com slash 753 00:43:58,680 --> 00:43:59,680 support. 754 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,600 Thank you once again for joining us on the Album Nerds podcast. 755 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:07,680 We'll catch you next time with some sensual serenades and we'll try not to creep you out. 756 00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:09,680 Thanks for listening everybody. 757 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:10,680 See you next week. 758 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:16,760 Turn it down you say, but all I gotta say to you is time and time again I say no, no, 759 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:18,760 no, no. 760 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:20,760 Wow, Don. 761 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:25,040 I had to read the words because I, that's hard. 762 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:26,040 That was still good. 763 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:27,040 The tempo of that is still. 764 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:28,040 Yeah, hats off to Dee Snider. 765 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:50,920 He makes it seem easy.