The History of Heavy Podcast

Michael Huntsman
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Music History
  • Updated Weekly

A show that traces the chronology of extreme, loud and extremely loud music song by song. From The Kinks to Kiss, The Beatles to Black Sabbath, Miles Davis to Motörhead we dive deep into the circumstances, influences and popular culture that made each of these tracks seem so intense and groundbreaking when they were released. Your co-hosts Michael Huntsman and "Big Daddy" Dave Lieberman take you on a journey from the late 50's to present day that promises to blow your hair back and piss off your neighbors.

  1. 4d ago

    EP56: Lou Reed "Metal Music Machine, Pt.4"

    RCA Records had to halt distribution of Metal Machine Music just weeks after its release in 1975, due to customer complaints about its cacophonous, atonal noise . It was so widely derided that it damaged Reed's reputation for years to come and it still sits firmly on many Worst Albums of All-Time lists. However, now with decades of hindsight and hundreds of experimental musicians inspired by his fearlessness behind us, its impact is undeniable. Traces of these structureless, rhythmless "songs" can be found in artists as far reaching as Sonic Youth, Einstürzende Neubauten, PiL, and William Basinski. But does that make it any good?       HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62     HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1     HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy     @historyofheavy

    53 min

  2. Jun 3

    EP55: Miles Davis "Prelude (Part 1)"

    Miles Davis is one of the most important and influential musicians in music history. He was an extremely talented trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He was at the forefront of the bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, avant-garde jazz and fusion movements. He helped discover and develop massive talents including John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter. But what were Miles' contributions to "heavy?" What was heavy about his style, and his approach? What was sonically heavy about his music and what heavy artists did he influence across genres? We attempt to unpack it all.          RIP Sonny Rollins RIP Rob Base     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62     HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1     HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy     @historyofheavy

    53 min

  3. May 21

    EP54: Rush "Anthem"

    Are Rush an incredibly talented, highly influential, prog-rock institution with decades of infectious adult-contemporary hard rock pop hits under their belts or self-indulgent, unlistenable obnoxious nerds? Yes.    -    RIP Neil Peart   -   Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading   -   "Anthem" live (but actually lip-synched)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oEQuzHp5I0     "Oh Canada!" playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6NtrLUVPhcMafoDqmAcUqK?si=18889bcb73474c75     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62     HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1     HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy     @historyofheavy

    57 min

  4. May 7

    EP53: Hawkwind "Motorhead"

    UK Space Rock pioneers, Hawkwind formed in 1969 and as of April 2025 have released 37 studio albums. Most significant to this podcast are the three released from 1972-1975 (Dorm Fasol Latido, Hall of the Mountain Grill and Warrior on the Edge of Time) in that they all include one Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister on bass. Lemmy was kicked out of the band for amphetamine-fuled "erratic behavior" in 1975 but not before he penned one last song for the band, "Motorhead," which became the b-side to the "Kings of Speed" single. He would take that song to much larger significance with his next project but this episode explores what the man brought to Hawkwind and how their music in general fits into our on-going chronology of heavy.     The Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride for prostate Cancer Awareness - SUPPORT DAVE! https://gentlemansride.com/fundraiser/dave-lieberman   Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading This Episode's Song: "Motorhead" by Hawkwind (1975) https://open.spotify.com/track/353xOwAdKAtXeIRVD65PhZ?si=81731de6bc1749db   "Motörhead" by Motörhead (1977) https://open.spotify.com/track/2iZYdnXBFW4r54HhQKanlg?si=fddaf3430d2b445d   "8 Miles High" by Hüsker Dü https://open.spotify.com/track/2LXPIpt45CJ2dorhMNCE0F?si=9678cb04fe474169   The Pink Fairies  https://open.spotify.com/artist/45BIdHR6MPeNr1aNT10GJE?si=0v0wRmEXShK9qNsQzZ2VXQ   The Hall of the Mountain Grill - Hawkwind studio album  https://open.spotify.com/album/0CIh8QCK9o0mKyzzNWzjUZ?si=KVafJkQGRjmKXQCDTpvAAQ   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    48 min

  5. Apr 30

    EP52: AC/DC "She's Got Balls"

    *]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:220b126c-e849-44f5-97e3-8947cfe50e23-139" data-testid= "conversation-turn-2" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> AC/DC are undeniable. Their high-energy boogie-pub-rock sound is so infectious that it transcends genre. Owing a significant debt to both the blues and Chuck Berry, but somehow wholly unique, they brought a hard-nosed, working-class sensibility, along with a wry sense of humor, to a hard-partying sound made them one of a kind and cemented them as the greatest hard rock band of all time. If you don't like AC/DC you have shite taste in music.    Recommended Listening, Watching & Reading manhuntsman - Nowheresville  https://open.spotify.com/album/69GPmTCKId18frlVAKFlhb?si=VwzJHp4gQSmApu1aFEI96g   Slayer - Alexander Palace 2012 Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EempRYtv1duQrEH3f6oWJ?si=ad062d0836034fae   AC/DC Songs with Balls Big Balls (1976) https://open.spotify.com/track/1Qvghv6QpCSB3RiycaDiWz?si=dad95394a3b744db   She's Got Balls (1975) https://open.spotify.com/track/2KmSnPWWCIsEomVsKnbE1a?si=6deed116d7f94a7d   Ballbreaker (1995) https://open.spotify.com/track/1TJX5KxBVqwqPPUPH16MFL?si=ac43a21bae2145fe   Snowballed (1981) https://open.spotify.com/track/1is13OusVjtwAvLx5PcxcZ?si=3da5e6871614467f   Got You by the Balls (1990) https://open.spotify.com/track/1i0hnGnt14GL713mmOgJHh?si=5654c2ac979544a3   Play Ball (2014) https://open.spotify.com/track/3fpzBeEHvuXKOl7QeVe1iz?si=48be58bfc96642fa   HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    48 min

  6. Apr 14

    EP51: Foghat "Honey Hush"

    Perhaps no band better exemplifies the 1970's than the "velvet thunder" of Foghat. Their first three albums, released between 1973 and 1975, along with their 1977 Live album are perfect time capsules of the era and are preserved in sonic ember as representations of the sound that would become known as 70's Arena Rock. Sadly the developing sounds of heavy metal and punk would largely designate Foghat as irrelevant and even later genres of loud music also failed to give the band any due credit while heaping endless praise on their 70's peers including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Aerosmith. On this episode we offer them some long overdue appreciation.

    50 min

  7. Mar 26

    EP50: KISS "Watchin' You"

    The History of Heavy  EP50: KISS - "Watchin' You"   In addition to being a global merchandising corporation, KISS occasionally found time to write and record some songs. The heavier among them were mostly written by co-founder, bassist and all around douchey guy Gene Simmons. This one comes from their second LP, Hotter Than Hell and in spite all of the pyrotechnics, greasepaint and silly costumes, it's a jam.     HHP Spotify Playlist  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qkURdYib8hLz8s20D9yTC?si=1526168526854a62   HHP on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@the.history.of.hea?_t=ZP-8z7me40bcbu&_r=1   HHP Instagram https://instagram.com/the_history_of_heavy   @historyofheavy

    56 min

  8. Mar 19

    EP49: Faust "Krautrock"

    The youth in West Germany circa the early 1970's had significantly more reason to be pissed off than the British or American punks of the late seventies. They were lacking direction and inspiration in a country that was still in the shadow of its Nazi-led government barely two decades removed. They had no interest in the dominant traditions of German folk or American pop and sought to create something new. What they came up with was a propulsive, groove-laden, hypnotic sound that leaned heavily into repetition, extended improvisation, and early synthesizers, while avoiding hard rock's bombast or progs showy musicianship. Hamburg's Faust were early merchants of the sound and the lead track from their forth album, appropriately titled, Faust iV was named for the genre that they would help create and go on to inspire hundreds of musicians that would give birth to multiple, subsequent genres including  ambient, techno, post-punk, new-age, and post-rock.

    44 min
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About

A show that traces the chronology of extreme, loud and extremely loud music song by song. From The Kinks to Kiss, The Beatles to Black Sabbath, Miles Davis to Motörhead we dive deep into the circumstances, influences and popular culture that made each of these tracks seem so intense and groundbreaking when they were released. Your co-hosts Michael Huntsman and "Big Daddy" Dave Lieberman take you on a journey from the late 50's to present day that promises to blow your hair back and piss off your neighbors.

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