Welcome to My Weekly Mixtape, a podcast that
takes the classic mixtape approach to building
a modern playlist. I'm your host, Brian Colburn.
And in case you haven't read the news on the
social media accounts at My Weekly Mixtape, I
have announced that this and next week's episode
is going to wind down this run of My Weekly Mixtape
for now. This has been 150 incredible episodes,
but a lot's gone down over the last year. As
a lot of you know, I've talked about it on the
show. I had heart surgery one year ago in July,
and unfortunately this year lost my father to
pancreatic cancer. And with that, I'm going to
take a little time to spend the first round of
holidays in the fall with my family. navigating
the new normal, if it will. I'm not saying that
my weekly mixtape is going away forever, but
for the fall, we are gonna press pause for now.
But I wanted to celebrate with two really awesome
episodes. And this week, we are talking about
The Perfect Album. Now, what is The Perfect Album?
To everybody, it's a completely... different
answer. And that's what I love about this exercise.
So over the last year, I've asked pretty much
every guest I've had on the show what they consider
to be a perfect album. Now, I'm not saying it
needs to be your favorite album of all time,
just an album that you consider to be perfect
from start to finish. So for example, My favorite
album of all time is The Car Self -Titled. If
you don't know that already, you probably haven't
listened to the show yet. Welcome to your first
episode. But I talk about that all the time.
It is my favorite album of all time. But when
I think about an album that I consider to be
perfect from start to finish, Counting Crows,
August, and Everything After comes to mind. Rage
Against the Machines, Self -Titled comes to mind.
Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill comes
to mind. There are so many albums that could
be perfect. to each and every listener. And that's
what this exercise is. So we're going to start
and I'm just going to go alphabetical by band
because in this type of episode, really the sky's
the limit. So we're going to start with Don Jameson,
host of the Rockstrap podcast and his choice
for the perfect album. Wow. Perfect. A perfect
album. Jeez. That's tough, because I'm trying
to I'm trying to give something that, you know,
most people who are going to be listening to
this have heard. Obviously, I think Destroyer
is as perfect an album as you can get. But well,
you know, I think in fact, I know I said this
on that metal show because it somehow went into
their Wikipedia page for this album. A perfect
album to me is ACDC Power Ridge. Nice. So, yeah.
And for a while it was on the Wikipedia page
for the album that I had stated that on that
metal show. So I'm going to back up my words
from back then and say that album to me, there's
from note one to the last note, there's just.
There's nothing wrong. There's nothing bad. There's
nothing boring. There's nothing typical. That
album is absolutely perfect from beginning to
end. Shocked that Rock and Roll Damnation was
not a staple in ACDC set lists from the day it
was released. To me, it's one of their most powerful
album openers. And that's against songs like
Hell's Bells, Thunderstruck. For those about
to rock, we salute you. It is an amazing album
opener and the entire album is incredible. Easily
their most underrated album too, on top of everything
else. Yeah. Well, I did. The good thing was with,
you know, with Brian, he was always open to doing,
you know, the Bond material. In fact, he would.
He pushed for it. And, you know, I know they
did one tour where they did a bunch of songs
off Powerage. And, you know, I just think that's
cool because there are singers who refuse or
begrudgingly sing the other person's material,
Sammy Hagar being one of them. You know, he never
really wanted to do the Dave stuff, which is
fine. I don't have anything against Sammy for
that. But I love that Brian Johnson. was really
instrumental in keeping The Bond stuff in the
set and mixing it up a little bit with stuff.
And they're doing it on this tour as well, which
is cool. So but I agree with you that album and
Rock and Roll Damnation just kicking off riff
raff. Oh, my God. It doesn't end. It's just beginning
and Sin City, you know, Bond, you know, Sin City.
Like you could picture Bond rolling into the
casino with a girl on on both his arms with a
bottle of champagne and, you know, rolling those
dice. And, you know, it just gets seared into
your brain. It's always a pleasure talking music
with Don. Check out Rockstrap wherever you find
your favorite podcasts. He is hysterical. He's
also out doing his comedy thing on the road.
Keep an eye on him and keep up with what he's
got going on. Awesome human being and incredibly
funny dude, knowledgeable about music to the
umpteenth degree. Up next, C .J. Pierce of Drowning
Pool gives his choice for the perfect album.
That's a tough one, man. There's so many. Oh,
my God. There's a lot of them. One of them that
I did listen to consistently, especially certain
parts of my life and still to this day. I mean,
Alice in Chains, Dirt, to me, front to back is
great. I know that's, you know, there's just
something about that. Fucking amazing album,
man. Yeah, it's a great record, man. It's front
to back. And we have a handful of albums out
here in the front. I do have the PA in the living
room and a record player. And on Sundays, you
know. Not every Sunday, but we try to pick an
album. And with the family, we're going to listen
to an old record, old school. You're going to
sit down with Daddy for an hour, and we're going
to listen to this thing front to back with everything
else just to keep that tradition going. Because
it's something, again, like with Tool, turn the
cameras off. Sit there and just pay attention,
absorb the whole band and the music and this
whole record, and then get on with the rest of
your day. So we still kind of, I don't know why
I pick Sundays. It's like Sunday music day. But
it's like we'll go through and put albums on.
So I'm getting started getting a bigger collection
now. um between my wife and i but i still love
putting on the record player dude and playing
it through i have um two power amps and everything's
analog that i'm going through because i'm a purist
when it comes down to the album stuff so i want
to i want to hear it and feel it so you are literally
describing my friday nights growing up my parents
would turn the tv off my dad would open up the
bin underneath the record player and he'd be
like brian pick an album And I would go through
and just look at the album cover and be like,
what's this? And that's how I got my music education
between the Cars, Huey Lewis. Huey Lewis is great,
dude. Yeah, I still do that, man. That's just
something about that. Just getting in that zone
and listen to the whole thing. Well, parenting,
C .J. Pierce is doing it right. I think I'm doing
it. I'm trying my best. And if you haven't checked
out my episode with C .J., go back and check
out his perfect concert set list in the archives.
Really fun conversation. Be sure to check that
out. But up next, we have Patreon mixtaper Philip
Bergman with his pick for the perfect album.
You know, Brian, one of these days I'm going
to have a normal answer for you for these questions.
I feel like one of these days I'm just going
to be able to say, oh yeah, this ACDC record
or this Tom Petty record, I'll just, it'll be
something that just is something that everyone
else is like, oh yeah, that's a good one instead.
I guess I'm going to go with another head tilter
here. But for me on a personal level, I have
to go with the Avenue Q soundtrack. I mean, there
was a time, there was a few years there where,
I mean, the weight of existence just felt so
daunting. And I would just put the CD on of the
soundtrack and I would just use it as medicine,
basically, to just cheer me up and just kind
of help me. go to bed without a feeling of existential
dread and it even got to the point where uh when
my then girlfriend would call me up on the phone
and she would hear what do you do with a ba in
english in the background she'd be like what's
wrong philip what's wrong because she knew something
was wrong with me if it's not just the comedy
numbers yeah the comedy numbers are great too
and it's mostly comedy numbers and even my girlfriend
in canada or i'm not wearing underpants today
just hilarious tracks but even the big love ballad
there's a fine fine line it is kind of that you
can feel it in your heart because even if i mean
it's a song about chasing love pointlessly but
i think with so many fluid things in life there's
such a fine fine line about many things in life
they there's a joke here there's a thin line
between being weird and being insane. And I like
to use that line as a jump rope. There's that
joke. But yeah, to just cheer me up. Every song
on the album just was another dose of medicine
to help me feel better. And I still love that
song, even when I'm not feeling depressed. I
still love listening to that soundtrack. And
once in a while, I listen to it now. I feel like
I'm in the mood to start some shenanigans. So
I have to go with the Avenue Q soundtrack. I've
had the pleasure of having Philip on the show
several times to talk about Weird Al Yankovic
as well as Summer Golden Oldies and Doo -Wop.
He's been a huge supporter of my podcasting journey
all the way back from Toon Styles through Playlist
Wars and now on My Weekly Mixtape. I'm so grateful
for the support you give the show and for your
friendship and always the amazing musical conversations
we've had together. Philip, thank you so much
for being a part of the My Weekly Mixtape canon.
Up next, we've got my friends Jim and Lindsey
Butler of the Children of the 80s podcasts with
their choices for the perfect album. Oh, no.
Oh, you have. You have. You need to ask Jim first.
Make Jim go first. Jim, I am not going to argue
with her. How would you like to answer this one
first? I would probably. Go License to Ill by
the Beastie Boys. Oh, that was too easy. You
answered it too fast. I would probably go with
that because it was such a monumental album that
we had as kids. I think my brother got it for
either his birthday or Christmas. And as soon
as he got it, we ripped it open and we went downstairs
to our room and we listened to that thing probably
a hundred times over the next month. No skips.
We didn't skip anything. As I get older now,
there might be one or two that I skip. But for
the most part, it starts out just perfect. It
ends perfect. It was the first time, other than
Run DMC, that I had heard rock and rap combined.
And I'm like, wait a minute, you can do that?
Like, I kind of got Run DMC and Aerosmith because
it seemed almost like the same song. But then,
you know, to hear a lot of their Led Zeppelin
guitars going along with just rap or hip hop,
I was just blown away. And so to me... I would
say Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys. From
the cover art to every single song, it is almost,
if not perfect. Was that enough time, Lindsay,
for you to come up with one? I'm like, now you're
already coming back to me. It's going to have
to be a Foo Fighters album for me. I can't think
of a bad Foo Fighters album. I don't know off
the top of my head. Well, can I pick their greatest
hits? Can I go with that, Foo Fighters? There's
no rules in this answer. If you consider that
to be a perfect album. I think that no doubt
there is not a song on that album that I don't
love. The greatest hits takes all the good that's
out there and puts it into one. And if you're
an 80s nut, be sure to check out All Things Children
of the 80s wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
I was on there to do a Weird Al episode, had
a lot of fun. Jim and Lindsey were on My Weekly
Mixtape to talk about 80s music videos. We had
a fantastic conversation. Keep up with all the
amazing things they're doing over there. And
thank you to them for being on the show and part
of the My Weekly Mixtape universe. But up next,
Tim Foreman of Switchfoot talks about his choice.
for the perfect album abbey road every song is
perfect not in just that it's a perfect song
but that it's telling a story that album gives
you everything you want you know from kind of
this moody mysterious track one come together
kind of these bright psychedelic moments followed
by this you know grand three or four song kind
of seamless medley multiple Guitar solos, surprises,
just no rules on that album. I can't imagine
hearing that for the first time when it came
out because there was nothing like it. No one's
done anything like it since. Be sure to check
out Switchfoot's latest single, Last Man Standing,
which they did with... the one and only Buddy
Guy. We did a song dive episode on that earlier
this year. Be sure to give that one a listen.
Awesome stuff going on there. And up next, we
have Zach Derby of the Neat Cast with his choice
for the perfect album. Oh, gosh. So there's a
couple, but the one that immediately comes to
mind, Boston. Oh, nice. An absolute classic.
Debut album, cover to cover, just I'm a New England
boy. That is classic rock. Oh, my God. Just everything
about that first Boston album is just zinger
after zinger after zinger. Just everything is
just put out there. I think that's one of the
best albums, not even a debut album, just best
albums, period. Now, Zach is somebody that I
am so grateful to have actually met now outside
of the podcasting universe. And my family have
gotten together several times over the last couple
of years. Amazing family, amazing human being.
Be sure to check out what's going on over at
the neat cast. They have an incredible thing
going on over there. And I'm grateful for the
podcasting relationship we've had over the years,
as well as for his friendship. So I appreciate
that. And it looks like up next, we've got a
twofer and that being from Chris Voss of the
record company who gives two choices for what
he thinks are perfect albums. Well, I'll chicken
out and say two, because one's a live record
and one's studio record. Fair enough. The live
record would be Hendrix Band of Gypsies. Nice.
No question. Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies at
Fillmore. Starts with Who Knows, goes into Machine
Gun. That's Side A. You know, two songs for Side
A, and the back half is more of the Funky Party,
but it's still, it's just three piece, and he's
playing out of his mind. Just absolutely out
of his mind, breaking every rule. built guitar
playing afterward. Eddie Van Halen, for instance,
said his favorite solo is Machine Gun off of
that record. So if you're a fan of metal and
stuff, it's like, that's how deep that stuff
goes. It's the intersection of the blues meets
psychedelia at the exact moment where it just
kind of shot up. You could kind of hear a little
bit of what eventually became Black Sabbath and
all this other stuff and Zeppelin, all that stuff.
So that's the live record. And then the other
record, it's not exactly what I would call one
nobody's heard about, but I think Dark Side of
the Moon is absolute perfection. I only put that
on when I'm really ready to go for the whole
ride. That's an album I won't listen to unless
I'm going to listen to the whole album. It's
been a while since I've listened to the whole
album. Just had some really beautiful experiences
with that album on in the background or just
with that album. And what's funny is that when
I first was a fan of music, you know, I didn't
really I'm not going to say I didn't like Pink
Floyd, but I didn't get them to the point that
they were anywhere near what I just said. I just
didn't have that. You know, I'm a dairy farm
kid in the middle of hadn't barely ever drank,
never took a toke of weed, didn't know nothing.
And then, you know, it was kind of like when
I went to I ended up going to college in Milwaukee
because my mom made a deal with me. that because
i wanted to go move to chicago and start playing
professionally right away she said if you go
to school i'll never say another word but you
should go to school so i owed her that she's
a great mother so and she was right it was the
right thing to do i still formed bands in college
and had a great time so it didn't cost me nothing
but it was in college you know probably elevated
uh that album came on and uh it just Words, words
fail me on that one. It's just when you get to,
by the time you hear that last note, you know,
it's just forget about it. Be sure to check out
the ultimate record company playlist episode
in the archives. They are one of my favorite
bands that I feel like should be selling out
arenas and they are just on it. Every album is
fantastic from the first to the fourth. You are
going to love the record company. Be sure to
check out what they've got going on. And up next,
Jim Laughlin of Moe gives his choice or choices
for the perfect album. Judas Priest, Screaming
for Vengeance. Ooh. And I've said this since
I was in eighth grade. There's not a bad song.
There's not a lift the needle song on that record.
There've always been. Oh. That and the first
three Metallica albums. I mean. Again, those
are songs, the records that I can just listen
to and not, you know. When I lived at home, when
I was in high school, my stereo was actually
in the other room. The speakers were in my room.
Stereo was in the other room. Those records I
never had to touch. If we were all hanging out
in my room, those records played. They didn't,
nothing. got touched there was tons of other
records where everyone someone was like ah dude
skip this you know like you know no one wants
to hear this one but screaming for vengeance
was the first record that that hit me like though
i realized like holy cow like everything on this
album is amazing i love every song on this record
i can you know listen to it over and over and
over and not feel a need to skip a track and
like i said and then and then I heard the first
three Metallica and those like, if we're talking
perfect records, those three records are perfect.
Like absolutely perfect. I have to follow up
though. If you don't mind my first ever Metallica
album that I bought with my own money was the
vinyl of injustice for all. And that is album
number four. So I have to ask, do you not love
justice? I love justice. My only critique of
Injustice for All was after hearing the first
three records, you had to sonically adjust to
how Metallica now sounded in the studio. I love
the record. The songs are amazing on the record,
but there was like an adjustment to it. It was,
you know, you heard like Blackened and Dire's
Eve and those songs like slammed and I was like,
oh my God. But there was still, there was just
this little tweak that you had to make and accept.
with that record and i personally am a fan of
all the records i i love saint anger i know people
like ah um i don't mind the sound of the snare
drum insane anger to me it was lars like trying
to do something different and you know when you
have a fan base that metallica has and are still
willing to change how you sound that's bold there's
not a lot of bands that are willing to do that
They don't want to mess up a good thing and all
that stuff and everything. But if you just listen
to the first three Metallica albums from Kill
Em All to Ride the Lightning, there's a small
adjustment, but it's instantly accepted because
you realize that there was more money in Injustice
For All. But Injustice For All and Master of
Puppets just sound so good, both of them. They
didn't miss a beat going from one record to the
next. It was amazing, and they just kept getting
better and better and better. It was incredible
because I have one of the first, I have an original
pressing of Kill Em All. Nice, from Megaforce.
Yes, I have the Megaforce record. It has no sleeve,
it has no lyrics, just a clear, that clear plastic
around the record. That's it. So I've been listening
to them since what I consider close to day one.
I've seen them in a small club with Cliff playing
and I've been around Metallica for my whole life.
And those first three records will always be
just, like I said, they're perfect. There's very
few records that can contend with those three
out of anybody that's ever recorded an album.
But Scream of Your Vengeance just hit me hard.
I heard it before that stuff, so it holds even
a very special place. Jim has been a three Peter
on my weekly mixtape, joining me to talk all
things Mo way back in the early stages of the
show. He also came on to do an album dive for
circle of giants, as well as to build his own
ultimate concert set list. Huge fan of Mo will
always be a fan of these guys. Jim is the bees
knees. What a great dude. Awesome taste in music.
Thank you for all the great conversations, Jim.
And love the fact that we're talking Judas Priest
and Metallica in the same breath. Amazing. Up
next on the Perfect Album episode, we have Doug
Aldrich of the Dead Daisies. Led Zeppelin Physical
Graffiti for me is perfect because it covers
everything. It's got everything you could possibly
want from amazing songs and amazing guitar playing,
different moods. You can trip out on it, but
you can also get, you know, it's like super heavy
and it covers the best of Led Zeppelin to me.
So a lot of people would say like other favorite
album would be Zeppelin four or Zeppelin three.
A lot of people, it's a sleeper album, Zeppelin
three, but a lot of people love that album. There
was a little competition. What was their favorite
album? One, two or three. And a lot of people
would, I picked two because Led Zeppelin two.
Yep. that was my first album that I got from
Zeppelin and I love it. And it's got a lot of
great songs on it, but Zeppelin three also has
got like amazing songs and a lot of different
styles to it. So people, a lot of people love
that, but for me, physical graffiti would be
it. Be sure to check out the album dive episode
that we did on the dead daisies looking for trouble.
We go deep into the blues with Doug, incredibly
fun blues album. Great. Listen, be sure to check
that out. And while we're on the topic of Led
Zeppelin, let's turn it over to Paul Jackson
of Blackberry Smoke with his choice for the perfect
album. Oh, God. That comes with so many different
things. Like maybe there's a guitar record I
like. Maybe there's a vocal record I like. You
know, oh, God, that is hard. That's tough. That's
a mean question. Oh, my God. Because we talk
about this all the time. Like Brandon and I are
listening to a record and we're going like every
band has their dark side of the moon, which is
their beginning to end. Nothing wrong with it.
Everything. So it's hard. And I'll start thinking
about Van Halen and Ozzy and stuff in my head.
God. I'll accept one because it was fresh out
of the box. I'm trying to remember because my
head's spinning with all this music. Trying to.
Thinking most of the songs on it. Just the riffs,
the sound. It didn't take a lot of equipment
to make that record. Small amps with a microphone
on it. And it sounds ginormous when you listen
to it. I'm going to go with that one. I mean,
come on, it's Led Zeppelin. But that's a tough
question. Obviously, what can I say? Blackberry
Smoke, one of my favorite live bands out there
right now. Southern Rock, they are really carrying
the torch. Incredible group. Be sure to check
them out when they're on the road. They're always
on the road. So there's really no excuse to not
see some Blackberry Smoke live. And I appreciate
him coming on the show to be a part of the ultimate
Blackberry Smoke playlist. Be sure to check that
episode out. But up next, friend of the show
and Patreon mixtaper, Chad LaMassa chimes in
with his choice. for the perfect album. The perfect
album selection was a little tough for me. I
guess for me, a perfect album is a no -skip album
and just one that I can just go back to over
and over and over. There are so many to choose
from. The Violent Femmes debut album, pretty
much anything by Emily Wolfe or ZZ Ward or Weakened
Friends. But the one I'm going with is Nine Inch
Nails' Pretty Hate Machine. That was the first
album that really showed me that artists could
be writing from my heart, if that makes sense.
I kind of found that album a little bit late.
It came out in 89 and I didn't really find it
until sometime in 1990. Anyway, in college, I
was going through a breakup and one song in particular
on that album just really was exactly everything
that I was going through in that breakup. that's
my selection chad has been a huge supporter of
my weekly mixtape since he first discovered the
show and even going back and checking out all
the playlist wars episodes is a huge part of
the show's discord channel had some great musical
conversations with him over the years appreciate
all those discussions and your friendship man
thank you so much for being a part of the my
weekly mixtape community it means the world to
me but i do have to say You're not alone with
your love for Nine Inch Nails because up next
is Barry Kirch of Shinedown's choice for the
perfect album. I mean, I could go with the cliche
answer of Beach Boys Pet Sounds because it is.
It's a perfect record. But for me, in my world,
a perfect record is Nine Inch Nails' Downward
Spiral. From front to back. Life -changing, formative
for me. That was 1994. That was the year I graduated
high school and went to college. But there is
not a bad song on there. The king of industrial,
in my opinion. And again, that's all him. That's
his writing, his thing. And that record doesn't
have a bad moment on it. And it was so different
and so ahead of its time that that's a perfect
record. That, hell, Disintegration from the Cure
is a perfect record. There's not a ton of perfect
records out there, but there's a few. Those are
the two that pop into my mind right out the bat.
And obviously fans of Shinedown know that they've
got The Killing Fields, which is out now. And
oh yeah, remember when Barry was on the show,
he talked about that song being forthcoming as
well as their singles 365 and Dance Kid Dance.
You could check all them out on the ultimate
Shinedown playlist episode that we did earlier
this year. One of the highlights of this series
run. Appreciate Barry coming on the show and
talking all things Shinedown with me. and looking
forward to what the band is going to be bringing
to the table with Shinedown 8. Up next, it's
my boy Jay Sweet, all the way back since the
TuneStyles days. Day one, him and I have been
podcasting together now over seven years, and
I'm sure there's going to be more to say down
the road in the future, whenever that may be,
but here's Jay Sweet's choice for the perfect
album. Wow, that's a great question. Oh, boy.
Oh, wow. Which I was just thinking about that
the other day. Like, I mean, I got that is a
really great question. I love stumping people
with this one because believe it or not, it's
an easy question. Yes. But when you think about
perfection, it's so subjective. It really makes
this a tough question. Yeah, absolutely. And
it could vary depending on what genre or what.
decade you want to go with or what year even
you could break it down that granularly um yeah
but you've stalled long enough all right let's
go oh uh all right gun to my head pearl jams
10 oh nice every song on that album fits you
know exactly what you're getting it's a pure
pearl jam album and they set you up and they
never let you down all the way through that record
And I have to ask, because you and I are also
audiophiles a little bit, which mix do you prefer,
the original 1991 mix or the remix that Brendan
O 'Brien did? Oh, I like the original just for
the nostalgia feeling of it. Jay, always appreciate
your friendship and the many, many, many musical
conversations we've had over the years. I'm sure
there's many, many, many more to come. So I appreciate
your friendship and being a part of the My Weekly
Mixtape. canon for so many shows you have definitely
earned your board shorts my friend thank you
so so much and up next one of my closest friends
on the planet bob spears chiming in with his
choice for the perfect album there's a few examples
i'm trying to pick which one would be the best
answer my goodness okay so really when you think
about what would be the best possible full album.
You have to think of a record that you just can't
really imagine listening to a single song and
not hearing the very next song. A good example
would be, say, The Beatles' Abbey Road, just
simply because of the medley at the back end.
You can't start Golden Slumbers and not go all
the way through till the end or Her Majesty.
And that's pretty close, but I would say probably
the most perfect album, the one that you just
kind of have to listen to beginning to end. is
it's it's it's kind of a cliche answer i hate
to tell you but it's dark side of the moon really
that just whole record it just all flows together
when you hear the one end of one song you want
to hear the next even when if the album breaks
from side a to side b you there's that pause
and then you have to hear money come in it's
just perfect as far as the record goes it sounds
good the engineering is amazing musicianship
is good the lyrics are good the album cover is
even good It's iconic. So you can't go wrong
with that record at all. So yeah, it's an easy
answer. Unfortunately, I wish I could have gotten
something a little deeper, but sometimes the
greats are the greats for a reason. And that's
it. Absolutely undeniable. Love the choice. Love
the pick. And with that, we are going to move
on to my friend and musician and fellow podcaster
and all around incredible human being, Sean Faust.
He is up next with his choice. For the perfect
album. That's tough. Because I mean. I'm sure
I've been vocal about my favorite albums. Through
the years. On multiple episodes of this show.
But an album that's perfect. Even those albums
that are my favorites. That are my top fives.
They still have like a song. That I could always
skip. But an album that's perfect from front
to end. It's the first CD I ever owned. It is
Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche. Nice. This
just might be the album that really truly opened
the gateway to prog rock for me. Now, I was already
a huge Floyd fan at this time, but where Floyd
embodies prog rock in the ethereal, spacey, and
just arrangement way, when you think of prog
rock, you think of shredding. You think of like
Yes or Rush or Dream Theater. I could have gone
with Scenes from a Memory, but no. This is probably
my favorite concept album of all time as well.
And I know I'm probably pissing off a lot of
people with that one because there is The Wall.
There is Scenes from a Memory. There's Them from
King Diamond. I mean, what the hell? These are
all great albums. However, man, Operation Mindcrime
from beginning to end tells... It's so compelling
to just listen to. I don't want to ruin it for
those of you who haven't heard it. Go... Listen
to it, put on headphones, just immerse yourself
into this. This is Queensryche challenging themselves
to do something a little bit outside the box
from what they had been doing with the EP and
the two albums before that. And this just, man,
I can't even finish a sentence thinking about
this album. But Operation Mindcrime is definitely
that perfect album for me. Sean's been on many
episodes of My Weekly Mixtape, so be sure to
go back and check out all those episodes. The
most recent one we did was the Ultimate Fish
playlist, so be sure to check that one out, as
well as all of Sean's music. He performs throughout
New Jersey, as well as with Slippery When Wet
New Jersey, which is the ultimate Bon Jovi tribute
in this area. Be sure to check him out. Check
out his originals. Check out his music. Check
out all the things he's trying to do over there.
SeanFaustMusic .com. Appreciate your friendship,
man, and being a part of the show. Now up next
is an album that in the world of My Weekly Mixtape
couldn't be more perfect. As Sean and this next
guest both joined me for the Trios episode of
My Weekly Mixtape. And Sean and this gentleman,
that being Jason Whistle, host of It's Not That
Bad and There Can Only Be One, really are on
the same page musically. And I think nothing
speaks to that more than Jason's pick for the
perfect album. So Brian has tasked me here with
coming up with something I consider to be a perfect
album. And that's going to be hard, right? Because
it's got to be the flow all the way through front
to back. No skips whatsoever. All killer. No
filler. And I had to think about it, right? Because
there are some albums where I've actually called
them perfect albums on the show. And I'm like,
but what was really, to me, a perfect album?
And I have to go back a ways. And I'm going with
a live album for this. Now, anyone who has listened
to the episodes that I've been on on my weekly
mixtape will know that I'm a massive Queensryche
fan. So it comes as no surprise when I say that
I'm picking Queensryche's Operation Live Crime.
Now, follow me along with this one. This was
one of those albums that I would put on at night
and just try to sleep to because I'm a weight
noise sleeper. But I found myself gravitating
towards live albums because I always had this
dream. of being on stage. And the live albums
at least helped me kind of envision that and
get into that dream state as I was trying to
get to sleep. It helped that I also had the VHS.
Yeah, I said VHS copy of Operation Live Crime.
And this was the first time I had ever seen Queensryche
on tour. It was the Empire tour. I saw them at
the Lansdowne Park. In Ottawa, Ontario, Warrior
Soul was opening and I completely dated myself.
But that show really showed to me what you could
do with an entire album front to back. And the
fact that it was a concept album, they had the
video screens, the whole works like this really,
really captivated me because it tapped into my
TV production background. It tapped into my music
background. It tapped into my wish to be a musician
background. So really. The fact that they pulled
off this concept album so perfectly live and
the live sound on the album is so good, too,
that you can't really go wrong with anything
about Queensryche's Operation Live Crime. Obviously,
back to back Operation Mind Crime and Operation
Live Crime is absolutely awesome. I can't wait
for the two of them to hear this on the episode
and get a laugh because neither one of them knew
what they picked for this one. That being said,
I want to thank Jason for his friendship and
being a driving force at the beginning of my
weekly mixtape. When I talked to him about the
idea, he was like, hey, let's hop on and record
an episode. And that episode became episode one,
the ultimate opening guitar riffs. So Jason,
I can't say enough. To thank you for your friendship
and all the help you've done over the show. Some
incredible discussions and fun episodes all throughout
the My Weekly Mixtape catalog. So go back and
check it out. But more importantly, Jay is kicking
ass over at It's Not That Bad and There Can Only
Be One. So much going on over there. One of my
favorite music podcasts as well as movie podcasts.
Jason's an all -around great guy. Hell of a guest.
And I cannot wait to hear what he's got coming
up in the future. And who knows? Chances are
I'll be popping over on each of those shows to
drop by and say hey every now and then. So, Jay,
thank you again, my friend. Up next, John Laurie
of Tantric and Smile Empty Soul chimes in with
his choice for the perfect album. Also a tough
question. Give me one second to think about this.
Perfect record from front to back. I'm going
to go with, there's a Reliant K record that is
so seamless from the start to the finish with
songs woven between that all interlock in such
a great way. I'm going to go with Reliant K's
Mm -hmm. So it's M -H -M -M, I think is how they're
spelling it. But yeah, that's what I'm going
with. John has also been a guest many times on
the show with his last appearance being the ultimate
cowbell anthems playlist. So be sure to check
that one out as well as all things in the tantric
and smile empty soul universe. He's always on
the road. He creates some of the best funniest
content over on Instagram. Be sure to follow
him at John's drum studio. That's J O N S drum
studio over on Instagram. It's worth the follow.
Trust me when I say that. Up next is country
musician Carrie Cunningham and her choice for
the perfect album. You know what? As you're talking,
I was like, oh no, this is going to be so hard.
But I think I have an answer. It is Raising Sand
by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. Ooh. It is
so good. It is so good and is so left of center
that... every time you hear it it's and and again
they're all covers but they are the way that
allison krauss and robert plant made them and
their voices together the different instrumentation
how one song goes to the next song that album
as a whole i think is my top favorite album from
start to finish I had the pleasure of speaking
with Carrie twice on my weekly mixtape. First,
for the Ultimate Female Country Artists playlist,
as well as the Ultimate 90s Country Artists playlist.
I appreciate both of her appearances on the show.
Incredible conversation, great insight into the
genre, and she's a hell of a singer and a hell
of a musician. So be sure to check out her music
at CarrieLive .com. Coming up next, Cody Hanson
of Hinder with his choice, I would say the first
Third Eye Blind record or the first one, you
know, the one that's got, you know, Jumper and
So Much Armed Life and all those on it. So that
one is one for me. And then the first Thornley
record. Wow. Yeah, that's one that most people
actually that I know haven't even heard or heard
of. I've heard of it and I've heard it. Yeah,
man, that's a great album from start to finish.
I love everything about it. I think the songs
are great. I think the guitar tones are incredible,
which is weird because they're all like all digitally
done, you know, but it was the way they stacked
them and layered them. And it was kind of a new
thing at the time. And so I just I just think
the whole thing is really, really cool. Hinder
is out now supporting their brand new album Back
to Life, which is an album dive episode of My
Weekly Mixtape. And you go back in the archives
and check that out. Bring Me Back to Life, one
of my favorite songs of 2025. It's really struck
a chord with me on so many levels. Incredible
song. Great to see these guys still at it and
kicking ass and taking names. Be sure to catch
them when they roll through the area. Really
fun episode if you haven't heard that one yet.
Up next, Sylvan and Jesse at the Perfectly Good
Podcast with each of their choices for the perfect
album. Many. Which is to say that we are very
blessed to live in a time where music is available
to us and also that we have lived in a time that
albums were an art form that musicians cared
about crafting as a complete work. I don't know
if we're going to lose that in the coming years.
I certainly hope not. But as you were suggesting
that, I think one that I just have to put out
there is Tom Petty's Wallflowers. It is so perfect
in the rise and the fall. And I think it was
the album that he was trying to make for many
years. And I will also say that one of the first
times that I started chatting with a woman named
Nancy Stanley Hyatt, it was talking about how
much I miss Tom Petty after he died and how that
album affected me. So it is just a. Absolutely
exquisite piece of writing and performance. And
I could listen to it no matter what mood I'm
in. Now, Jesse, the same question to you. Now,
I know you host a show called Setlusting Bruce.
So I'll be curious to see if you go with a Bruce
Springsteen album or not. You know, I was waiting
for you to ask my favorite John Hyatt album,
and that would be Stolen Moments. But no, this
is a cliche, but. In 77, when I discovered Endless
Summer, which was an 8 -track, which was a collection
of Beach Boys hits, I discovered and loved the
Beach Boys. And when I bought Pet Sounds, I said,
what is this? I have no idea. What is this? I
don't get this. There's instrumentals. This isn't
a Beach Boy album. And I often talk about that.
It's, I think, what a lot of people, when they
pick up Nebraska. from Bruce Springsteen. They
go, wait a minute, this isn't The River. But
push comes to shove when people ask me, what
is your favorite album? I usually say Pet Sounds,
and it's an album that I listen to probably a
couple of times a year, and usually just in the
dark with headphones on, just enjoying this journey
that Brian Wilson took us on. I am so happy that
we finally got Tom Petty into the discussion.
I would have been really upset if that didn't
come up. My favorite Tom Petty album ever. Perfect
album. Obviously, glad that it made the list.
No denying Pet Sounds either. Sylvan and Jesse,
perfectly good podcast. If you're a John Hyatt
fan, you need to check out what they're doing
over there. Going song by song through one of
the greatest songwriters of all time's catalog.
please check it out. And also Jesse has set lusting
Bruce for all of your Bruce Springsteen needs
two incredible podcasts, two incredible people.
And it was my pleasure to be a guest on the let
it ride episode of perfectly good podcast. And
Sylvan and Jesse were a guest on my episode,
the ultimate John Hyatt playlist, which we had
such a great time doing. And hopefully. If and
when the show comes back for a second run, we
are going to do a volume two of that because
it just has to be done. John Hyatt is one of
the greats. But here we are, folks, the last
choice of the night. One of the episodes this
year that I was so excited to put out, the 30th
anniversary of the presidents of the United States
of America. That album dive is back in the archives.
And I had a chance to speak with Chris Ballew.
lead singer of the presidents of the United States
of America, about that 30th anniversary. And
it was definitely a highlight of this year for
me. So here is his choice for the perfect album.
Well, the album that pops into my head when you
describe that is Skylarking by XTC. Ooh. Yeah.
Now, that album is kind of like a Sgt. Pepper's.
You're flowing and going through all these different
atmospheres and textures and themes and stories.
And the whole story about how Todd Rundgren and
XTC put that album together and how Todd Rundgren
saw the songs as a cycle and kind of arranged
them into this sort of narrative arc of like
a metaphor for life, like being born, growing
up, getting romantic with somebody, having a...
babies dying um yeah that is that album is a
full -on trip that uh i back when it came out
i could not listen to it enough i listened to
it over and over and over and over but it's another
one that's like there's no sharp edges it's all
it's just taking care of you and it's very attentive
to the listeners needs uh if you if you need
harmony there it is and harmony melody story
production it's an excellent record. So that's
it. That's, that's probably the only record other
than Sergeant Pepper's that I feel like there's
just no dead air, no dead space. And as you can
see, the perfect album runs the map from person
to person. There are no right or wrong answers
to this question, but. My God, what an incredible
list of albums. We had ACDC's Powerage from Don
Jameson, Alice in Chains' Dirt from C .J. Pierce
of Drowning Pool, the Avenue Q soundtrack from
Patreon mixtaper Philip Bergman, Beastie Boys'
License to Ill and Foo Fighters' Greatest Hits
from Jim and Lindsey Butler of Children of the
80s, the Beatles' Abbey Road from Tim Foreman
of Switchfoot, Boston's self -titled album from
Zach Derby of the Neat Cast, Jimi Hendrix's Band
of Gypsies and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the
Moon from Chris Voss of The Record Company. Judas
Priest's Screaming for Vengeance and Metallica's
first three albums from Jim Laughlin of Mo. Led
Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti from Doug Aldrich
of The Dead Daisies. Led Zeppelin's Zeppelin
One from Paul Jackson of Blackberry Smoke. Nine
Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine from Patreon
mixtape or Chad LaMassa. Nine Inch Nails' The
Downward Spiral from Barry Kirch of Shinedown.
Pearl Jam's 10 from Jay Sweet. Pink Floyd's Dark
Side of the Moon. Second time for that from friend
of the show, Bob Spear. Queensryche's Operation
Mindcrime from Sean Faust. Queensryche's Operation
Livecrime from Jason Whistle. Host of It's Not
That Bad and There Can Only Be One. Reliant K's
Mm -Hmm from John Laurie of Tantric and Smile
Empty Soul. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising
Sand from Carrie Cunningham. Third Eye Blind
and Thornley from Cody Hanson of Hinder, Tom
Petty's Wildflowers and the Beach Boys Pet Sounds
from Sylvan and Jesse over at Perfectly Good
Podcast, and XTC's Skylarking from Chris Ballew
of the Presidents of the United States of America.
You can find all of these albums on all the streaming
sites as well as in all of your favorite independent
music stores. I would prefer you do the latter,
but listen to these albums. And get this music
into your ear holes. You'll be thankful you did.
My name is Brian Colburn. There is one episode
left of my weekly mixtape, and that is coming
up next week. I appreciate the love and support
that you have shown this show for the last 150
episodes. And next week is going to be a huge
celebration of all things music as we talk about
the songs that made you and me. fall in love
with music i'm really excited to go down that
road with you and also it's a little bittersweet
because i'm gonna miss having these conversations
with you all each and every week but Never say
never. I didn't say we're hitting the stop button.
We're only pressing pause for now. But with that,
you can find My Weekly Mixtape on almost all
the social media haunts at My Weekly Mixtape.
You can also head to myweeklymixtape .com to
check out the full catalog of My Weekly Mixtape
episodes. And if you like what you're hearing
on the show, why not send me an email at myweeklymixtape
at gmail .com. I'd love to hear from you. This
has been such an incredible ride, and I am so
excited to celebrate 150 amazing episodes with
you all next week as we press pause on my weekly
mixtape. But I thank you for listening to the
perfect album with me today. And until next time,
enjoy the tunes.