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What the Riff?!?

What the Riff?!?

著者: Rob Marbury Wayne Rowan Bruce Fricks and Brian Dickhute
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Every week, “WHAT THE RIFF?!?” takes a look at a ROCK AND ROLL album that debuted or peaked on the U.S. Billboard charts during a random month between 1965-1995. Four friends discuss the artists and 4 tracks from the album as it plays in the background. Then we riff on 4 “staff picks” of other artists that were also in the charts during that month and year. You’ll hear some familiar tunes as well as some deeper cuts and entertainment tracks as we share a little look into the culture and happenings of that day— having fun recalling that “old time rock and roll.” We hope to bring back memories for you — and we encourage you to find and purchase the tracks and albums from iTunes, Spotify or your other favorite music service. You’ll find each episode with a short blog on this site. Please subscribe so you don’t miss any release! We also invite you to follow us and learn more about us @whattheriffpodcast on Facebook.What the Riff ©2024 世界 社会科学 音楽
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  • 1970 - April: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young "Deja Vu"
    2025/07/07
    We covered the self-titled debut album from Crosby, Stills & Nash in episode 137. Deja Vu is considered the second Crosby, Stills & Nash album, but it is actually the first album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, with Canadian songwriter Neil Young turning the trio into a quartet.While the album continues to feature the signature harmonies associated with Crosby, Stills & Nash, it has a harder, more rocking edge to it. Some of this is undoubtedly due to the addition of Neil Young to the album, but it also reflects the challenges the group members were facing. Both Stephen Stills and Graham Nash had gone through break-ups in their relationships, and David Crosby tragically had lost his girlfriend Christine Hinton in a car accident.The album was highly anticipated, generating $2 million in pre-sales before its release. It became a gold record only 14 days after release, and was on the Billboard 200 album chart for 88 weeks. Contemporary critics provided mixed reviews, but the album has only grown in stature over time, with many reviews considering it amongst the top albums ever produced. Deja Vu was inducted into the Grammy Hall of fame in 2012.After its release, each of the principal members of the group would record solo albums, and the success of Deja Vu contributed to the individual success of these four solo projects.Crosby, Stills & Nash (and sometimes Young) would continue to produce albums over the decades with their last collaboration occurring in 2015. The death of David Crosby in 2023 ended the possibility of full reunions.Wayne brings us this soft rock singer-songwriter live album for this week's podcast. Carry OnThe opening track to the album was penned by Stephen Stills who also provides lead vocals. It is a medley of two songs edited together with a jam session connector, and came together surprisingly fast during a time when most songs were taking a long time to finish. The lyrics encourage the band members to keep going through times of struggle in relationships both within and outside the band.Teach Your ChildrenGraham Nash wrote this song in 1968 when he was with The Hollies, but had not recorded it with that group at the time. Nash has associated the song with a photograph exhibit showing a child playing with a toy hand grenade, and the lyrics encourage parents to be careful in how they teach their children. Neil Young does not play on this song, but the steel guitar is provided by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. WoodstockUnlike the other tracks on this album, this song was not written by any of the band members, but was penned by Joni Mitchell. Mitchell had not attended the Woodstock festival, but was inspired to write this song told from the perspective of a concert goer after hearing her then-boyfriend Graham Nash relay the account. It has become a signature song for the group and a staple of the 60's counter-culture. Our HouseGraham Nash wrote this song as a description of a day spent with then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell and her two cats in their Laurel Canyon home. The song was written in an hour on Mitchel's piano. It went to number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the motion Picture "Patton"This epic starring George C. Scott was playing in the theaters in 1970. It won seven Academy awards, including Best Picture. STAFF PICKS:Let It Be by The BeatlesLynch starts the staff picks with a song inspired by a dream. Paul McCartney's mother, Mary Patricia McCartney, died of cancer with Paul was 14. In the dream, his mother encourages her son by saying, "It's all right, just let it be." This single and title song from the final Beatles album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 before topping those charts.Cecilia by Simon & GarfunkelRob brings us the third single from the fifth and final album by Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It was developed in a late night jam when the duo and friends were banging on a piano bench and recording the sound with a tape recorder. The lyrics depict the heartbreak of a boy delivered from Cecilia his unfaithful lover.The Rapper by The JaggerzBruce features the most successful single from the band whose guitarist and primary songwriter would go on to be Donny Iris. The song is a warning to the ladies not to be taken in by a smooth talking man telling them lies. It went to number 2 on the charts.Superlungs My Supergirl by Terry ReidWayne's closes out the staff picks with a cover originally written by Donovan about a 14-year old groupie. Terry Reid was Jimmy Page's first pick to be lead singer of Led Zeppelin, but was unavailable at the time due to his touring schedule with Cream and the Rolling Stones. Reid would acquire the nickname of Superlungs. NOVELTY TRACK:Pineapple and the Monkey by The FacesThis instrumental from The Faces debut album takes us out for this week. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of ...
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    34 分
  • 1970 - June: The Beatles "Let It Be"
    2025/06/30
    By the time The Beatles released their twelfth and final studio album, Let It Be, the ban had already broken up. Their official break-up was in April 1970, and this album was released in May.Much of the recording dates back over a year, and a project that Paul McCartney developed in an attempt to save the band. The Beatles went into the studio in January 1969 to begin an album, document the development on film, and showcase the band as they return both to a simpler rock 'n' roll style and to live performance. They started in Twickenham Film Studios, but quickly began fighting. George Harrison left the group, only returning after they agreed to returning to Apple Studios and to bringing keyboardist Billy Preston in to assist in the process.Originally entitled "Get Back," the album was delayed multiple times as the group considered aligning with potential televised performances, and eventually postponing the release in favor of the studio album "Abbey Road." As the demise of the group became more clear, Engineer Glyn Johns and producer Phil Spector were brought in to turn the pieces from the "Get Back" sessions into a complete album.These sessions were also the ones which included the final Beatles live performance, the "Rooftop Concert" recorded from the roof of Apple Studios on the afternoon of January 30, 1969. This concert proceeded for 42 minutes until the police arrived and instructed the group to turn the sound down.Contemporary reviews of the album were more negative than previous Beatles albums, but those critiques have been revised upwards over time.Bruce presents this album marking the end of an era for this week's podcast.Two of UsPaul McCartney wrote most of this song which is credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. The original idea was inspired by McCartney's travel adventures with Linda Eastman (to whom he was married in March 1969), but it took on more meaning as a gesture of affection to John Lennon after the group broke up. I Me MineOne of the few non Lennon-McCartney songs on the album, this track was written by George Harrison. It was their last new track recorded before their official break-up in April 1970. The lyrics are a cry against the self-centeredness of mankind. The Beatles recorded it in January 1970, by which time Lennon has privately left the group, so the three remaining members recorded it. I've Got a FeelingThis song is actually a medley of two unfinished songs. Paul McCartney wrote "I've Got a Feeling," and John Lennon wrote "Everybody Had a Hard Year." and the two were put together. This was recorded during the Beatles' rooftop concert in January 1969 with Billy Preston on electric piano.Get BackThe concluding song from the album is unusual. because almost every moment of the song's development was recorded from the first riff to final mixing. The concluding quip from John Lennon regarding hope that "we passed the audition," was taken from the Rooftop Concert and worked in by Phil Spector. It was originally released as a single a year before in April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:"Burning Bridges" (Main theme from the action comedy film Kelly's Heroes)This World War II comedy stars Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas revolves around a gold heist as the war draws to a close. STAFF PICKS:Question by The Moody BluesLynch brings us a song in multiple movements. The frantic phase represents the question of why we must go to war, while the more subdued section represents love and peace. Guitarist Justin Hayward wrote this song as a mashup of two unfinished songs which came together after observing the anxiety young US fans were experiencing regarding the draft and the Vietnam War.Proper Stranger by The Guess WhoRob features a deeper cut from the Canadian band off their "American Woman" album. The lyrics depict the feelings of being alone in a big city where "Nobody knows my face or knows my name. Nobody knows where I'm going or how I came. Lost and found, no one claimed me. Alone with a million others."50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain by by Ten Years AfterWayne takes us on another deep cut. This one is a psychedelic journey with the group that gets its name from their being founded ten years after Elvis's start. We noticed the similarity between this song and the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," with which it shares a similar chord progression.Baby Hold On by The Grass RootsBruce closes the staff picks with a group that was big from 1965-1985. The Grass Roots originated in 1965 as a project between the duo P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. This song went to number 35 and was included on their compilation album, "More Golden Grass," released in the fall of 1970. INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Genesis by Tangerine DreamWe close out this week's podcast with an early industrial track from the future jazz fusion giants. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust ...
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    40 分
  • 1972 - January: America "America"
    2025/06/23
    Surprisingly, America was formed in London. The trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek met in London where their fathers were stationed at the United States Air Force base at RAF South Ruislip. The three attended London Central High School and began playing together on borrowed acoustic guitars. The name came from the Americana jukebox in the mess hall, and a desire to distinguish themselves from the British musicians around them who were trying to sound more American.America is also their self-titled debut album released in the States in January 1972. The album originally was released without “A Horse With No Name,” but when that single garnered significant commercial success it was added to a re-release of the album in early 1972. The re-released album would top the US album charts and produce two top-10 singles.The band would be a force in the folk-rock and soft rock genres for a generation. With close harmonies similar to Crosby, Stills & Nash, and complex acoustic guitar arrangements, their first seven albums would be in the top 50 on the album charts, though this first debut would be their lone chart topper to date. Their compilation album “History: America's Greatest Hits” was released at the end of 1975.America produced albums of original material up through 2015. In 1977 Dan Peek left the group to pursue music in the Contemporary Christian genre. Speculation regarding a reunion of the original members continued through the years until Peeks death in 2011.Rob brings us a great debut folk rock album in this week's podcast.RiversideThe lead off track is a good example of the original America sound. It has a laid back message: I don't want to take anything from you, and I don't want you to take anything from me. It is a “live and let live” message using a metaphor of life on two sides of the river.A Horse with No NameThis is the track that put the band on the map. Originally entitled “Desert Song” the track takes inspiration from a Salvador Dali painting and an M.C. Escher painting. Writer Dewey Bunnell created lyrics loosely based on his travels as a child with family through the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Three RosesBunnell paints a picture of both a quiet life and romantic uncertainty in this song inspired by his girlfriend, soon to be wife. “Three roses were bought with you in mind.” Dan Peek takes lead vocal duties on this one with subdued but complex chords and harmonies.I Need YouThe second single from the album was written by Gerry Beckley when he was 16 years old. Beckley also takes lead vocals on this ballad which went to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can sense the similarity to bands like the Beatles and Alan Parsons in this track. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Main theme from the television series “Emergency!”This first responder action series focused on Squad 51 in Los Angeles saw its debut in January 1972. STAFF PICKS:Family Affair by Sly & the Family StoneBruce begins the staff picks with the most successful hit from Sly & the Family Stone. This song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the R&B Singles chart for five. This track is a little different for the group, as the guitars are toned down, and the electric piano (with Billy Preston on keyboard) is brought up. The lyrics talk about the ways a family can go wrong.Roundabout by YesLynch brings us a song written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe. The song originated from a trip the group took in Scotland in which they encountered a number of roundabouts. The line, “in and around the lake” came from one of the lochs they passed. This opening track from Fragile was drastically edited to produce a single coming in at 3:27 rather than the over 8-minute original. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, the group's highest charting single until 1983's “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”Doctor My Eyes by Jackson BrowneWayne's staff pick is a single off Browne's debut and self-titled album. The lyrics discuss the feeling that the singer is becoming jaded about life by seeing all the wrong in the world, and now being unable to cry about it. David Crosby and Graham Nash provide backing vocals to this song which went to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Misty Mountain Hop by Led ZeppelinRob features a song which was the B-side to Zeppelin's “Black Dog.” The lyrics take their inspiration from the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as the “Legalize Pot Rally” held in Hyde Park in July 1968. It appeared on the massive Led Zeppelin IV album. As Rob says, it is a “mixture of stoner idealism and Tolkien nerdery.” COMEDY TRACK:Pigeon Song by AmericaWe exit with a little double dipping, and with gratefulness that none of us is a pigeon named Fred. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. ...
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    33 分

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