Mick and the PhatMan Talking Music Mick and the Phatman

This episode looks at Johnny Cash’s “The American Recordings”, a series of 6 albums released on American Records between 1994 and 2010.  By 1994, when he signed to Rick Rubin’s American Records, it looked like Cash’s career was all but done. However, Rubin had other ideas and, over the next 10 years, worked with Cash to produce some of the most memorable work of his career. 
Part of this process involved Cash covering songs by some of the greatest artists of the late 20th Century - U2, Nine Inch Nails, Nick Cave, Tom Petty and Leonard Cohen.  He’s not performing the songs in his usual country style, but simply as Johnny Cash.  It’s a great story, with a fabulous playlist! 


Jeff's found 5 bands you would not believe exist, including Mac Sabbath, a parody of Black Sabbath with lyrics about fast food, and Shat, a band that is offensive in every possible way, whose lead singer’s costumes are draped with dildoes!
 
 Our "Album you must listen to before you die" is “Arrival” by Abba.  Reviewers weren’t convinced.  Neither is Jeff.  Have a listen and see what Mick thought.


 References: Winny Puhh, The Residents, Mac Sabbath, Shat, TISM, Taylor Swift, Tortured Poets Department, Abba, Arrival, American Records, Rick Rubin, Def Jam, Shel Silverstein, “A Boy Named Sue”, “Solitary Man”, The Highwaymen, The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, June Carter Cash, “Bitter Tears”, “Ballad of Ira Hayes”, Bruce Springsteen, “Highway Patrolman”, U2, Zooropa, “The Wanderer”, “Personal Jesus”, “The Mercy Seat”,  “Streets of Laredo”, John Cale  
 
Johnny Cash American Recordings – Full albums 
Johnny Cash – Our episode playlist 
Discogs’ listing of all 6 covers 
Interview with Rick Rubin re “Hurt”  
Ten Bands you Won't Believe Exist

“Songs for Drella”, Lou Reed & John Cale’s marvelous 1990 posthumous tribute to Andy Warhol, offers an intensely personal view of Warhol with songs and playing that rank among the finest in either man’s career. Their first collaboration since The Velvet Underground, nearly 20 years earlier, led to both artists vowing never to work with the other again. 
Our album today, suggested by listener Nick Farmer, is “El-Rayo-X" (1981) by multi-instrumentalist David Lindley. We hadn’t come across this album before, and we both agree it’s a lot of fun - mainly reggae-influenced beat, but clearly Californian.   Lindley sounds familiar, probably because of his presence on albums by so many others we love – Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt to name but a few. 
In the segment, Lunacy, Legends and Lies we look at how Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi only stopped setting drummer Bill Ward on fire after Bill’s mum called Tony a "barmy bastard" who should "grow up", and recount how, in 1989, Slash ran naked and bleeding through a resort hotel after a hallucination.  
This episode has lots of stuff you may not have known before, and isn’t that the fun of it? 
References:  The Factory, Banksy, Bowie, “Andy Warhol”, “15 minutes of fame”, Metallica, Master of Puppets, Stone Temple Pilots, MTV Unplugged, Valerie Solanis, Nico, “Waiting for the Man”, White Light/White Heat, “Words for the Dying“, Dylan Thomas, “New York”, The Church of St. Anne's Brooklyn, “Berlin”, Czechoslovakia, viola, “Fragments of a Rainy Season”, “Hallelujah” 
 
Our email: MickandthePhatman@Gmail.com 
 
Songs for Drella – Album

El-Rayo-x – David Lindley 
Werewolves of London - David Lindley; Late Night with Jules Holland 
Song for Drella – The Movie 
Fragments of a Rainy Season – John Cale

Nobody Like You Video
Interview Part 2

We all know that rock and pop stars live in a different universe to us mere mortals.  Many make strange demands for things that must be provided before they’ll perform a show. 
 
Today, we look at stars’ demands – whether extreme or reasonable, or blindingly hilarious!  You won’t believe some of them.   
 
In Jeff's Rock News, Keith Richards has covered Lou Reed’s, “Waiting for the Man”, U2 has played a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, an unheard Jimi Hendrix song has been included in a time capsule placed on the moon, Deep Purple has released a 50th Anniversary video for “Smoke on the Water” featuring dragons and John Fogarty's Australian tour is cancelled.   
 
Our “Album You Must Listen to Before You Die” is Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark’s “1981 debut, Architecture and Morality.  We didn’t think much of it! 
 
It’s fun episode.  Enjoy. 
 
 
References:  Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Architecture and Morality, Keith Richards, The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed, U2 Sphere Residency, Odysseus Moon lander, Space Blue, Deep Purple, Smoke On The Water, Machine Head, Dweezil Zappa, John Fogarty, tour demands, tour riders, Rock mythology, Rose Tattoo, Canterbury Leagues Club, Angry Anderson, “Paper fucking towels!”, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Grace Jones, Metallica, Guns’n’Roses, Justin Bieber, Eminem, Peter Gabriel, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Iggy and The Stooges, Bob Hope impersonator, Van Halen, brown M&Ms, The Foo Fighters, Weird Al Yankovic 

Bob Mould is the founding member of Husker Du, one of the most influential guitar bands of the 80’s.  Husker Du’s wall-of-sound guitar approach was as influential as REM in creating alternative rock, and created an environment which allowed Nirvana, The Pixies and The Foo Fighters to succeed. 

In the early-90's, Sugar, Bob’s next band, built on that with a thrash/melodic collection of songs, particularly on “Copper Blue”.  Since then, Bob’s kept the flame alive for guitar-based rock with a solo career that is still giving us marvellous albums like 2012’s “Silver Age” and 2020’s “Blue Hearts”. 

Mick saw Mould in Sydney on his Copper Blue 20th Anniversary tour, and it still ranks as one of the best he’s seen.  

Our “Album you Must Hear before you Die” is Joan Armatrading’s self-titled 1976 gem.  Unusually, both Mick and Jeff love this album.   

In “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, the boys salute Melanie Safka, who has passed away after a career that stretched from being one of only 3 female acts at Woodstock to duetting with Miley Cyrus (it’s great!).  

They also wonder why “Death by Shooting” is a major category of death for rappers!? 

The playlist is pretty damn good, too!! 

Enjoy.  


Episode playlist


Dead Rappers
Bob Mould; What's In My Bag
Melanie Live Netherlands

Have you ever NOT bought an album based on a poor review?  You’re not the only one!  Would it shock you to learn that the critics likely know less than you about music? 
 
This episode, we look at how often (supposed) expert critics got it so wrong with some of the best albums of our time.  Victims of such poor efforts include Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and The Beatles! 
 
We also start a new segment we think we’ll call, “The Crazy World of the Rock Gods”, where we look at things rock stars have done that are so absurd, you couldn't possibly make them up! 
 
Enjoy. 
 
   
References: Billy Idol, Keith Moon, James Brown, Rolling Stone, Led Zeppelin, “Abbey Road”, The Beatles, “Something”, George Harrison, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”, AC/DC, “High Voltage”, “Ram”, Paul McCartney, “Exile on Main St.”, The Rolling Stones, “Low”, David Bowie, “Harvest”, Neil Young, “Blood on the Tracks”, Bob Dylan, “Never Mind the Bοllocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols”, Sex Pistols, “Pretty Vacant”, “Bad”, Michael Jackson, “The Kick Inside”, Kate Bush, The Velvet Underground and Nico


Playlist - Brilliant albums Badly Reviewed

This week, we talk about successful artists who blew it all with dumb decisions.  Youth, fame and amazing amounts of money – what could go wrong? 
 
Our “Album You Must Hear Before You Die” is the wonderful Aladdin Sane, by David Bowie. The cover artwork, featuring a lightning bolt across his face is one of the best-known images in rock, while the album marks Bowie’s tougher, heavier attempt to conquer America.   
 
In Rock News, we hear about Gene Simmons, The Eagles, Iron Maiden, Journey, Judas Priest, Kansa, Lynard Skynyrd and ZZ Top, and raise the age-old question, “Why can’t the members of KISS just get along?” 
 
Enjoy 
 
 
References:  David Bowie, “Aladdin Sane”, Ken Scott, The Jean Genie, Globite bag, George Best, MC Hammer, David Crosby, TLC, 50 Cent, Lauryn Hill, Fugees, “Killing Me Softly”, Meat Loaf, “Bat Out of Hell”, Ted Nugent, Billy Joel, Leif Garrett, Willie Nelson, Mick Fleetwood, Harry Nilsson, Michael Jackson, Peter Green, Bill Nighy, Billy Mack, Love Actually, Warren Zevon 
Episode Playlist - Fame is no guarantee against stupidity

Nickelback album ranking