Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The ALBUMREVIEW.net podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 99: Shayan Regan Returns! - Artist/Musician | 17 Aug 2026 | 01:34:45 | |
Artist/Musician Shayan Regan joins Greg on the Podcast for episode #99. He was my guest on episode #34, and he’s celebrating the release of his most recent album, Zero Hour : Genesis, which dropped back on February 20th of this year, 2026. | |||
| Episode 98: Tedeschi Trucks Band - Future Soul | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:27:55 | |
Derek Trucks is the nephew of Butch Trucks, drummer for The Allman Brothers Band. Derek began hanging around and jamming with the Allman Brothers in 1993 when he was 13 years old. He later joined the band in 1999. It was clear to anyone and everyone around him that Derek had a special talent with the guitar. Playing his first performance at age 11, Derek embraced the blues and would many times play the guitar using a slide, which gives the guitar a more unique sound common with the traditional blues style. | |||
| Episode 97: Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad | 08 Apr 2026 | 00:29:55 | |
The album that made me open my eyes back to Bruce Springsteen was an album that I feel many diehard fans rarely talk about that album is 1995’s, The Ghost of Tom Joad. The Ghost of Tom Joad is Springsteen’s eleventh studio album. It was recorded between March and September 1995 and released on November 21, 1995, by Columbia Records. This was only Bruce’s second mostly acoustic album after 1982’s Nebraska. Interestingly enough, it was his first studio album to fail to reach the top ten in the US in over two decades, and this is reason number 700 why I love it so much. The album was released on November 21st, 1995, which happened to also be the night Bruce performed his first full solo acoustic concert since the early 1970s. In a solo show, there’s just one man, one guitar and the audience. As Bruce later writes in his book, “What’s drawn forth is the emotional nucleus of your song. If your song is written well, it will stand in its skeleton form. Unlike Born in the USA, this album was naked”. | |||
| Episode 96: Greig Watts - Author, Songwriting Award Winner & Coach | 23 Feb 2026 | 01:26:58 | |
Joining me for episode #96, is author and professional songwriting coach, Greig Watts. Greig joins me from the UK and in this episode he and I talk about how songwriters, producers and recording artists can actually get their songs out there in the world – either being noticed by the industry or perhaps selling the rights to another artist.
Greig also has a book which we will talk about his book titled, KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE - A Songwriter’s Guide to Overcoming Rejection, Finding Success and Enjoying the Journey Along the Way.
Greig’s book is not an instructional guide on how to write songs, it’s more a manual for musicians and songwriters to get their music heard, noticed and possibly purchased! We talk about the rejection he faced growing up in the 80s and 90’s in Surrey, England and how he eventually changed his entire approach and process to become a Eurovision songwriting award winner several times!
For listeners in the U.S., Eurovision is a premier, annual competition for original songs, submitted by songwriters representing European nations that has been around since 1956.
I’d also like to take a second to talk about this podcast. believe it or not over 50% of the people that listen are not subscribed to this podcast on their preferred platform. So I encourage you to hit the subscribe button now. This will help me get more of my dream guests to continue entertaining you.
So, kick back, grab your pen and paper to take notes!! Please enjoy episode #96, my conversation with songwriting coach, Greig Watts. Let’s do this… | |||
| Episode 95: Kevin Banks - Author and Art Director | 14 Jan 2026 | 01:39:11 | |
Joining me for episode #95, is author Kevin Banks. Kevin was a guest on a previous episode of the ALBUMREVIEW.NET podcast, episode # 44 which was titled Rapid Fire Roundtable. Kevin was part of a 3-person roundtable where we answer rapid fire questions about music. The episode was titled, “Does Music Today suck?”
Kevin Banks is an Art Director and Author. He returns to Podcast to talk about his newly published book titled Sloane – The Art School Underworld of 80s NYC. Kevin’s book is about his experience living at 356 West 34th Street during his years as a college student at The School of Visual Arts in the mid 1980s. And not only does Kevin share some CRAZY stories about what happened in that building but he also did a fine job tying music into the story, or stories I would say.
In this episode, Kevin and I will talk about the grueling process of writing the book, what it was like growing up in his home town outside of Boston, and why those experiences might have been the catalyst to the outrageous events he experienced and participated in during his time at Sloane.
Pick up Kevin Banks’ book, Sloane – The Art School Underworld of 80s NYC, on Amazon and on his website, https://claymoregoboom.com/. | |||
| Episode 94: Will Thomas - Guitar Virtuoso | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:20:08 | |
William Thomas hails from Toulouse, France. He is a producer, guitarist and composer. Will recently graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a degree in contemporary writing and production with a conducting minor. At Berklee, he founded his band, The William Thomas Orchestra, which is compiled of five members
The William Thomas Orchestra released their first album in 2023, titled, Boston The Hard Way, and most recently a single on September 30th , 2025 titled Lost My Beagle Today. This is the song that caught my attention. Will submitted his music to me and I was floored. It not only had tenacity, and an almost jokingly playful first few minutes, but William’s guitar talent shines during this song, especially in his solo.
In this episode, Will and I will talk about his life growing up in France, his move to the US and attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music, his band and his future!
So, pour your brandy into your tea or coffee, light that fire in the fireplace and get ready to be taken on our journey with this one. This is guitarist producer and composer, William Thomas. Let’s do this… | |||
| Episode 93: Rob Bach - Indie Music Album Distributor | 17 Nov 2025 | 01:18:11 | |
Joining me for episode #93, is Music Media Company owner Rob Bach. Rob is the owner of Spinney Media, a company he founded that helps musicians and labels sell more physical albums. Spinney Media clients sign up, subscribe, and send in their vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and Spinney Media does the rest. Musicians and labels keep 100% of their earnings!
Rob has been in the music industry for most of his career. He led reverse logistics, internal help desk, and troubleshooting teams at Amazon in its early years. More recently, he served as COO at CD Baby. He is now founder and CEO of Spinney Media as well as an operations and management consultant with Spinney Group LLC.
In this episode, Rob and I dive QUITE DEEP into the music industry. We discuss the launch of Spinney Media, what it means to help artists earn their fair share, and we also discuss the challenges of building a business, especially one like Rob’s. | |||
| Episode 92: Sarah Degrave - ADHD Coach, Actor, Musician | 21 Oct 2025 | 01:27:09 | |
For episode #92, we are taking a LEFT TURN. Yes, this is exciting. We continue to grow and morph. For this episode, I welcome Sarah Degrave, a professional Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or ADHD) Coach, a Creative Coach, and professional theatre artist (among other things). Sarah’s training includes courses with ADD Coach Academy, MentorCoach, Academy for Coaching Excellence, and she combines her knowledge of creative brain wiring and effective coaching tools with her professional experience in the arts to provide a unique approach to helping her clients. Sarah and I discuss her consulting services and we also talk about the positive effects music has on people with this neurodevelopmental disorder. And this episode really hits home for me. I was diagnosed with what was then just known as ADD in 1986. I can remember my mom telling me to go to the school nurse every day after lunch and take a pill. That pill was Ritalin. I spent another 12 years on this medication, not really knowing much about this disorder except that I “had a problem and I couldn’t pay attention”. So I internalized a lot of the negative connotations attached to it. So whether you suffer or know someone who suffers from ADHD, sit back and enjoy this episode, my conversation with ADHD Coach, Sarah Degrave. | |||
| Episode 91: Radiohead - OK Computer (re release with musical clips) | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:31:19 | |
Episode #91 will be covering an album we previously reviewed in 2021. Many consider this album among those that are in the hall of fame. Well, in all fairness, this band was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. And I am VERY PROUD to say, as a father, I took my son to see this band for his very first concert experience. He gets to tell this to his grandkids decades from now! That HIS dad was cool and took him to THIS!
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| Episode 90: Anna Kristina - Musician/Vocalist, Zepparella | 25 Aug 2025 | 01:27:51 | |
For episode # 90, we complete the Zepparella circle!! I am so delighted to have this guest on the show. She is the lead singer of the FEMALE Led Zeppelin Tribute project, Zepparella, Anna Kristina.
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| Episode 89: Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:29:39 | |
In light of Ozzy Osbourne’s recent passing on Tuesday July 22, 2025, I felt compelled to re-release this album review I did in 2020 of Ozzy’s original band, Black Sabbath and their self-titled debut album. I feel as if over the last few years, the music world has been losing more and more legends. Re-releasing this review (with music clips this time) is my tribute to Ozzy. Thank you for 48 years of entertaining me with great music, Ozzy. I’m so glad I was able to see your solo band AND Black Sabbath in concert. I will always remember you as the guy my parents were most afraid of when I was a kid, and your patch was on the back of everyone’s jean jacket. At least you got your sendoff concert in Birmingham, UK two weeks before your you passed on. What an event. Wish I was there. Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album was produced by Roger Bain at Regent Sound Studios in London. Released on February 13th, 1970, it was recorded in ONE DAY! The band was fresh off changing their name from Earth to Black Sabbath. Their debut album is considered by many as the first heavy metal album. This is debatable as bands like Led Zeppelin, King Crimson and Deep Purple have also been defined as heavy metal’s “first”. But all you need to do is turn on this album and listen to the opening track, also titled, Black Sabbath. After a thunder and rain introduction (with some bells tolling), the opening riff of this song, belongs in the Hall of Fame. This was PRE AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” and PRE-Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. Remember that. If there was a hall of fame for evil, dirty, angry, creepy, scary riffs, this would be at the very top.
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| Episode 88: Bob Marley & The Wailers - Babylon By Bus | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:25:19 | |
Since it is summer as I review this, I felt compelled to pay homage to my college days a little. I know what you’re thinking, how do college and summer correlate? Did you go to Summer School, Greg? No, I did not. However, I loved the movie! You know the one with Mark Harmon? That film just turned 38 years old, by the way, on July 22nd of this year! It was my freshman year at college, over 600 miles away from my hometown, my parents and the friends I grew up with, where my musical world opened even more so than when I was in high school. I have vivid memories, for about the first three months of college of the sounds of Bob Marley and The Wailers being blared from not only every dorm window, but every rooftop and every evening at the numerous parties I had the opportunity to attend. Although I was familiar with Mr. Marley, it would not be until I heard 1978’s Babylon By Bus in the late summer/fall of 1995, that my musical tastes would soon expand. Babylon By Bus is one of SEVEN Live albums released by Bob Marley & The Wailers, and I believe is their strongest. It was recorded during a run of shows (not consecutively) in either 1975, 1976, and 1977, mostly at Pavilion de Paris in, of course, Paris, France. Back in those days, studio and live albums were usually recorded quickly and released within a few months, in some cases even weeks! Bob Marley’s label, Tuff Gong, was able to get the album mixed and released within five months. The album was available to the public on November 10th, 1978. By this point, the band had recorded and put out ten studio albums, and the success from their previous live album in 1975, simply titled, “LIVE”, encouraged the band’s record company to capitalize off the current wave of achievement Bob Marley was a part of during the late 70s. | |||
| Episode 87: Colin Hart - Singer/Songwriter Solo Artist | 01 Jul 2025 | 01:12:14 | |
I was leaving a concert last month in beautiful Portsmouth, NH. A friend of mine and I walked from our hotel, about a mile into downtown to see Zepparella, a band who's members have been on previous episodes. On the walk back to our hotel, it started raining, heavily. We had to dive for cover in a nearby bar. As we entered, we see this guy singing a 90s grunge cover with nothing but his microphone and an acoustic guitar. Throughout the show, I became more impressed not only by his song choice, but by his voice.
Fast forward a few weeks later - here we are!! In this episode Colin and I talk about everything from being a local touring musician, writing songs, recording his own songs and we also share stories of how losing loved ones … the pain that it has caused and how we live through that pain to attack another day! | |||
| Episode 86: Gretchen Menn - Musician/Guitar Player Zepparella | 17 Jun 2025 | 01:18:11 | |
For episode #86, I welcome an absolute guitar virtuoso and an even better human being, Gretchen Menn. Gretchen is the lead guitar player for the Led Zeppelin Tribute Project, Zepparella. She also has recorded several solo albums and has a strong presence, (no pun intended) on YouTube where she has over 44K subscribers and over 80 instructional videos – breaking down how to learn different songs written by great rock n’ roll and classical artists.
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| Episode 85: Andy Frye - Author, Music and Sports Writer | 20 May 2025 | 01:22:25 | |
Returning to the AlbumReview.Net podcast is sportswriter, music writer and book author Andy Frye. Andy was a guest back in 2022 on Episode #39 and I’m delighted to have him back again! Andy is currently a sportswriter for Forbes and has previously written for Rolling Stone, ESPN, and other publications. During our last conversation, we discussed in detail his book, 90 Days in The Nineties, which was released in the summer of 2022. Andy has interviewed professional athletes such as Tom Brady, Venus Williams, Rory McIlroy, Shaquille O’Neal, and musicians such as Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains and Noel Gallagher from Oasis to name a few. He is also a DJ at CHIRP Radio in Chicago, currently on as DJ MDash every Friday from 12pm – 3pm Central. Andy’s book, 90 Days in The Nineties, which is strongly recommend picking up a copy, is in works being optioned as a Movie. We’ll get into that today as well! Because Andy is a long time resident of Chicago and an advocate for the local music scene, he and I are going to talk about some artists and bands from Chicago such as Ratboys, Neptune's Core, Pinksqueeze, Friko, Fig Dish and many others that you MUST PUT ON YOUR RADAR!! | |||
| Episode 84: The Cranberries - No Need to Argue | 29 Apr 2025 | 00:36:34 | |
Many of you reading (or listening to) this immediately equate The Cranberries to lead singer Dolores O’Riordan’s distinctive accent as she belts out lyrics from the track Zombie, (Zaaa-haaa-aaam-bi!) And that is precisely why I chose to review this album. I’ve picked up on the many decades of poking or ribbing by friends when it comes to Dolores’ voice. What many don’t realize, The Cranberries second studio album, No Need to Argue, is a masterpiece. Not only did it sell 17 million copies and reach #6 on the US Billboard Top 200 in 1994 and 1995, but it has also stood the test of time. I’m not certain whether awards or accolades can really define an album as being great. But I think for many who did and many who did not grow up during the 1980s and 90s, it’s an album that was overlooked. The band originally started in 1989. Prior to O’Riordan joining, lead singer Niall Quinn joined brothers Mike and Noel Hogan to form, The Cranberry Saw Us (or “The Cranberry Sauce” if you say it fast) along with drummer Fergal Lawler. It was during their early days, before obtaining a record contract, they submitted a demo tape to several record companies. When one of the tapes was returned addressed to “The Cranberries” the band reconsidered the name and decided to change it. | |||
| Episode 83: Rush - Presto | 09 Apr 2025 | 01:26:37 | |
Joining Greg on episode #83 is Alon Ferency. Alon is a Rabbi, a Creativity Consultant, Counselor and Coach. He is also a cross-country bicyclist, Peace Corps volunteer, author, concert producer, chaplain, and like Greg, a HUGE fan of the Canadian Rock Trio, Rush. Alon reached out to Greg a few months ago. The two had a great introduction and bonded quickly over their love for Rush, and agreed to review one of the band's albums together. Because this album is Alon’s favorite from the band, the ALBUMREVIEW.NET Podcast is pleased to share with you today this review of Rush’s thirteenth studio album, 1989’s Presto. | |||
| Episode 82: Holly West Returns - Bassist for Dead Groove and Zepparella | 21 Mar 2025 | 01:06:12 | |
Holly West joins Greg for Interview #2. Holly is the bassist and leader singer for the LA Rock Band, Dead Groove. She is also the bass player for the Led Zeppelin Power Tribute Group, Zepparella.
In this episode Holly and Greg talk about Dead Groove’s new EP, Rubicon, set to be released on March 21st 2025. This includes how her band prepped, wrote, recorded and produced this album.
To celebrate the release, Dead Groove are performing at the legendary Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on Sunday March 23, opening for Doug Pinnick and his band King’s X.
So turn the volume up, as we are also going to include some song clips from the band’s new EP. | |||
| Episode 81: Album Fight - Ramones vs The Clash w/ special guest Pete A. Turner | 03 Mar 2025 | 02:10:18 | |
Special Guest Pete A. Turner joins Greg Potters to talk about his life as an Army Combat Spy. They also engage in an ALBUM FIGHT, pitting two infamous punk albums against each other: The Ramones self-titled 1976 debut vs The Clash’s, 1979 album, London Calling Pete is also a former Army Combat spy, with 70 months of military service and over 1000 combat patrols. His daily missions took him off-camp to find the people, information and secrets that enabled commanders to win. Pete's journey evolved from counterintelligence roles in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Germany, and Iraq, which eventually led to creating the Break It Down Podcast. Our hope is after listening to this episode, you’ll either be inspired to pick up one of these albums OR…… go back and listen to each again and appreciate. | |||
| Episode 80: Sarah Seltzer - Author & Music Aficionado | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:51:07 | |
Joining Greg in Episode #80 is author, writer and music aficionado, Sarah Seltzer. Sarah hails from New York City where she lives with her family. Her publications include writing pieces for the New York Times, Glamour, Cosmopolitan Jezebel and TIME. Sarah is currently the executive editor for Lilith Magazine. She is also the author of a recent Novel titled, The Singer Sisters – a heartening story of a female musician in the 1990s who although very talented, struggles to break out of the shadows of her famous mother, also a musician, who dominated the folk music scene in the 1960s. The Singer Sisters winds and turns, covering many topics such as betrayal, deceit and unequivocal female strength. And as a BONUS, later in this show, Sarah and I are also going to talk about our love for Bob Dylan, especially his 100%, pure masterpiece, 1975’s Blood on The Tracks, which as of January 20th of this year (2025) celebrates its FIFTIETH anniversary. Another reason why we have to talk about this groundbreaking album. | |||
| Episode 79: Sean Neumann - Interview with the Bassist for Chicago based rock band, Ratboys | 19 Dec 2024 | 00:47:48 | |
In this episode, I am joined by writer, journalist and bass player for the Chicago Quartet, Ratboys, Sean Neumann.
I’m very pleased to welcome Sean on the podcast. Sean is a member of a rock band that I have been gripped by for the past 6 months. I’m relatively new to their music, but in the past 6 months, I have certainly gotten up to speed with their wide music catalog.
Ratboys are a energetic, enthusiastic, well conceived rock band that has toured the world. Sean and the band recently finished a tour supporting their 2023 album release, The Window.
In this episode, Sean and I talk about what it’s like to be a touring musician with the popular band, Ratboys. We also talk about Sean’s journalism career. When he’s not touring, Sean is also a writer and journalist for People Magazine. Before joining PEOPLE, Sean worked as a freelance reporter for a number of publications, including Rolling Stone, VICE, ESPN, The New York Times, and more. No need to sit back during this episode folks. Sit straight up, as you are going to want to pay attention and listen to this conversation. SO without further adieu…please enjoy this conversation with Ratboys bassist, Sean Neumann. | |||
| Episode 78: Christopher Thiel - Drummer from The Aura & Ovation | 10 Dec 2024 | 01:00:42 | |
Episode #78 - This is a conversation with music clips included. In this episode Greg talks with a musician and the drummer from The Aura & Ovation, Christopher Thiel. Greg met in San Diego, CA four weeks ago. While stopping off quickly at a grocery store, this guest saw Greg's ALBUMREVIEW shirt and asked if he would take a listen to his band. What a treat!
"I was delighted by his courage, and indeed I did take a listen. For the remainder of my weeklong trip through San Diego and Los Angeles, this person’s band was the soundtrack of my trip.
So today’s episode in many ways is special. It’s special because I got to meet Christopher Thiel. Chris is young man, musician, father, hard worker, lover of the California beach and an exceptional drummer. Chris’ band, The Aura and Ovation, or AO as he called it a few times, is a band from San Diego that you must hear.
I know you will enjoy this conversation, as Chris is an incredibly honest, thoughtful, and talented musician, and a part of getting together with him was to talk about his desire to rekindle that fire he had with his band. Aura and Ovation have not recorded or played together in several years. And it’s my intention to help Chris by helping him to tell his story to the masses. And one day soon, perhaps be able to witness an Aura and Ovation reunion show. After hearing their music, I think many of you will agree". | |||
| Episode 77: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream | 12 Nov 2024 | 00:36:48 | |
In this episode, we are going back to 1993. The Seattle grunge scene was in full swing. Most bands of that era were releasing their 2nd and 3rd albums. But in this mix, was a quartet from Chicago, Illinois who fit in somewhat with the early 90s grunge scene, although they were based out of a different city. A city, mind you, that has birthed SEVERAL amazing musicians and bands such as “Chicago”, Wilco, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Ministry, Earth Wind & Fire, Freddy Jones Band, Veruca Salt and many more.
But unlike these groups I just mentioned, this band was different. And on July 27th 1993 Smashing Pumpkins released their 2nd studio album, one that I consider a masterpiece and today, Siamese Dream. I’m going to take you back to remind you just how masterful this album was, or still is!
I’m going to take you beyond the hits which were Cherub Rock, Today, and Disarm, and give you the full experience of what the back half of this classic record was like.
So grab your favorite libation, sit back or enjoy your drive or walk right now and check out my review of Smashing Pumpkins 1993 release, Siamese Dream. Grip it and rip it.. | |||
| Episode 76: Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley Returns | 08 Oct 2024 | 01:19:17 | |
For this episode, #76, I am pleased to welcome back, Ivan "Funkboy" Bodley to the podcast. Ivan was a guest back on Episode #20 where we talked a lot about his book, “Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star”. If you want to hear a deeper dive into the book – go back to Episode #20 and check it out.
In this episode Ivan and I talk about his recent performance with none other than Sir Paul McCartney. Plus, we talk about his friendship and jam sessions with Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, G.E. Smith, Andrew Watt, Chris Robinson, Jimmy Fallon, and many more!
Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Ivan has lived in: New Orleans, Los Angeles, London, Boston, and is now based in New York City. Ivan has a BA in Psychology from Tulane University, where he was Musical Director of college radio station WTUL, New Orleans. He was also a publicist with Epic Records/Sony Music.
Ivan, is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music and inductee into the NY Blues Hall of Fame. He has traveled to over 30 countries and played to audiences of up to 82,000 people in performance settings ranging from jazz duos to 150-member symphony orchestras. He also recently finished up a multi month performance as the bass player in the band for "Tommy", the Broadway Rock Opera originally written and performed by The Who.
But over the last 25+ years, Ivan has been a “Working Class Rock Star” as is the name of his book, “Am I Famous Yet? Memoir of a Working-Class Rock Star”, and I am so grateful to have him back on the show.
Ivan and I also discuss his upcoming gig with Wayne Newton, tips on how he stays healthy and in shape with his rigorous touring schedule, and life on the road as a working class musician. **Want to be a guest on The ALBUMREVIEW.net podcast? Send Greg Potters a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/albumreviewpodcast | |||
| Episode 75: Ratboys - The Window | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:49:47 | |
The world is so huge you’re constantly stepping on new bands every week! When I heard the band name, Ratboys, I immediately thought it was an underground 70s punk band out of either New York or London that I’d never heard of. But with a touch of a smart phone generated icon, the track, Black Earth, WI, played through the car stereo, and that was all I needed. I proceeded to go back the next morning and listen to the Ratboys album, The Window in its entirety. To say I am in deep infatuation with this record, would be an understatement. The band you’ve likely never heard of, Ratboys was formed in 2010 by lead singer and guitarist Julia Steiner along with lead guitarist Dave Sagan. Steiner and Sagan were attending Notre Dame University when they met. After the realization that they liked a lot of the same music, they formed a duo, playing together on acoustic guitars. After a few years writing and recording with an initial drummer and bass player, current bassist, Sean Neumann joined them in 2016. Marcus Nuccio joined them a year later in 2017 on drums. Originally, Steiner and Sagan named themselves Ratboy. The name originated from a nickname lead singer Julia Steiner was given in high school. To this day, she is not sure why or where the name came from. A group of her friends were giving each other nicknames, and Julia’s seemed to be the only one that stuck. In 2011, the band would change the name to Ratboys, plural, after stating they were getting strange, threatening emails from an artist in upstate New York, claiming to own the band name “Ratboy”. Rather than ignore or fight, they added the “s” and carried on. 12 years after releasing their first piece of music as a two piece, an EP titled, Ratboy EP, the quartet released their fifth studio album, The Window on August 25th, 2023. The album was produced by Death Cab for Cutie band member, Chris Walla, in Seattle, Washington at Chris’ studio, Hall of Justice. This was the first album the group would record completely on analog tape, as opposed to digital…..the OLD SCHOOL WAY! | |||
| Episode 74: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:23:48 | |
Kind of Blue was released on August 17th 1959. I wrote a review of this album back in 2020. For this episode, we will give you a deeper dive into the album along with adding some atmosphere and musical clips.
Some of you may notice ALBUMREVIEW.NET is collection of reviews from different genres. In addition to the collection we have presented, we also admire the Jazz music genre very much.
Produced by Irving Townsend, and featuring saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Kind of Blue holds up 65 years later as the most influential jazz album in the genre's history. | |||
| Episode 73: Angela Petrilli - LA Based Guitar Virtuoso/Singer/Songwriter | 23 Jul 2024 | 01:23:52 | |
For this episode, I welcome a very special guest to the podcast. Los Angeles based guitar virtuoso, Angela Petrilli.
I met Angela while attending a Zepparella show. Zepparrella is a California based female Led Zeppelin tribute project. Angela was filling in at the particular gig for guitarist Gretchen Menn and I was lucky enough to watch her shred on her guitar and give her best Jimmy Page performance that night.
But when she’s not touring the country with Zepparella, Angela has a band of her own, Angela Petrilli and The Players. Formerly a member of the band, Roses and Cigarettes, Angela also is the spokesperson for Fishman Guitar Products, she has over 120K subscribers to her YouTube page.
Featured in Guitar Player Magazine July 2023 (issue with Dave Gilmour on the cover mind you!), Rolling Stone Magazine and the CBS Morning News, Angela is a dynamic guitar player. And she’s here to talk with me today in this episode about a lot of things. Touring with her band Angela Petrilli and the Players, their most recent 5 song EP, “The Voices”, losing her former bandmate to a horrible disease and how she dealt with all that. PLUS, in typical Angela style, you will hear her talk positively about how she values her friends, her family and her time here on earth. Her positive vibes are definitely contagious.
So sit back and relax or stand up and SHOUT and enjoy, with music tracks included, my interview with Musician Angela Petrilli | |||
| Episode 72: Pearl Jam - Dark Matter | 18 Jun 2024 | 00:45:52 | |
Dark Matter is Pearl Jam’s twelfth studio album. Released on April 19, 2024, it was produced by Andrew Watt through Pearl Jam’s own private record label Monkeywrench Records with help from major label, Republic Records. Andrew Watt was a completely different producer than who Pearl Jam was used to. Watt helped the band focus on the music more, and less of the production. He was also much younger than the band members at age 33, and the first producer since recording their first album, Ten, to really challenge them.
Listening to this album over and over and over has brought me so much joy. It has made me want to be a hard-core Pearl Jam fan again.
Dark Matter is the strongest Pearl Jam album since 1994’s Vitalogy.
Listen and find out for yourself.
Listen to more episodes at https://www.albumreview.net/podcast | |||
| Episode 71: On the Edge of Leaving - Respite (Interview and Album Review) | 27 May 2024 | 01:12:02 | |
Joining Greg on episode #71 are Hakon and Reuben from the Norwegian band, On the Edge of Leaving. Hakon and Reuben released their 2nd piece of music, an EP, titled, “Respite” in February 2024. After hearing the first song on the record, 1992, I was hooked and had to have them on the show. And what drew me to these guys were many things, one in particular is the fact they were previously a “black metal band” called Draug. But in the summer of 2023, they locked themselves in a studio in Drammen, Norway and recorded Respite as a new band called On the Edge of Leaving. And to say this music would be a complete left turn from their metal past, would be a drastic understatement. But their music spoke to me. Its acoustic foundation relaxed me, and it also made me want to listen to the lyrics and ask what the meaning behind all of it is. | |||
| Episode 70: Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols | 30 Apr 2024 | 00:19:40 | |
I can remember being a thirteen-year old walking through Cambridge and Boston. Moving from Record store to Record store, I was obsessed with discovering new music. In those days, I was most attracted to album covers. The artwork played a crucial part in my decision-making process whether I would buy the album or not. Most thirteen-year old kids do not have a lot of money to their name. Therefore, I had to be careful with my choices. I picked this album out of a bin at a small, underground record store in Harvard Square, asked the store owner if it was any good (he just nodded) and that was all I needed. | |||
| Episode 69: Steve Cooper - Podcasting Extraordinaire | 09 Apr 2024 | 01:17:46 | |
Joining Greg on this episode is Podcaster Steve Cooper. Steve is a former stand up comedian turned very successful podcaster. He currently hosts Coopertalk which is his podcast. Steve has recorded over 990 episodes, which is not an easy accomplishment, and has hosted countless guests ranging from musicians Mick Mars from Motley Crue, Tommy Stinson from The Replacements, blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Corey Glover from Living Color, Rachel Bolan and Snake Sabo from Skid Row, George Lynch from Dokken, Colin Hay from Men at Work, Joe Satriani from well, if you don’t know who Joe is, you have some learning to do!!! I mention these few guests as they are musicians and resonate more with me and most of the people who listen to the ALBUMREVIEW.NET podcast, but he’s also interviewed actors such as Tom Arnold and Steven Bauer, who is one of my favorite characters in Scarface, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and my favorite Skateboarding film from the 80s, Gleaming the Cube. The list goes on and on. And we don’t have enough time to talk about all of them unfortunately. What drew me to Steve was mostly his energy, and his story. And that story, we will talk about on this episode. | |||
| Episode 68: Lisa Czarina Michaud - Author and Music Lover | 19 Mar 2024 | 01:19:46 | |
Lisa Czarina Michaud is an Italian American writer based in France. Her work has appeared in The Huffington Post, xojane, Narrtively, Bonjour Paris and other publications. She holds four evaluations at The Evergreen State College, and she joins us here today as she has written her first novel, titled, Slanted and Disenchanted.
I had the opportunity to meet Lisa prior to this interview and read her book. When you are reading her book, you feel like you’re sitting down with Lisa, listening to her tell you a story. Slanted and Disenchanted is a novel set in 1999 and follows the main characters, Carla and Pete through the new millennium and into 2001. Carla and Pete are both what you would consider “disenchanted”, have multiple family issues and have a drive to play music. When they get together and form a band, the two learn more about each other and eventually themselves. Set to a fantastic mention of songs from the 90s and early 2000s, music plays a big role in Slanted & Disenchanted and is arguably the 3rd character in Lisa’s Novel.
Lisa and I talk about her book and also go deep into our challenges growing up and how we handled our own family issues. So sit back and listen to this interview with author Lisa Czarina Michaud. | |||
| Episode 67: The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion | 13 Feb 2024 | 00:48:55 | |
Mr. Crowe’s Garden was formed in 1984 at Walton High School in Marietta, GA by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson. The brothers were fans of what was then called “Indy” music or “College Radio”. Influenced by bands like R.E.M., a staple in the 80s Georgia college radio scene, the Robinson brothers also had a taste for 70s blues and rock n’ roll, specifically The Rolling Stones.
The band would moonlight in New York City on and off for the next 5 years, playing small venues, eventually graduating to play CBGB’s, once considered THE chief music club from its opening in 1973, until its demise and eventual closing in 2006 (RIP CBGB!) In 1989, the band would secure a record contract from Def American Records, and soon change their name to The Black Crowes.
After the commercial success of Shake Your Money Maker in 1990 and 91, it was time to record their second album. By this time, the band had sold over 5 million copies of Shake Your Money Maker. They’d developed a little confidence, and many would also say cockiness.
Their next record was going to be a true blues rock n’ roll album. Yes, “Money Maker” was bluesy, but this time around, the band had money, they had fame, and they had a desire to make the record they really wanted to make. So, in late 1991 they entered the studio to record their sophomore effort, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.
Listen to more episodes at https://www.albumreview.net/podcast | |||
| Episode 66: Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic | 16 Jan 2024 | 00:25:32 | |
Their third studio album, "Toys in the Attic" is Aerosmith's strongest. Released on April 8, 1975, “Toys” demonstrates the beginning of American Hard Rock. Take southern blues, mix it with the Rolling Stones, speed up the tempo – you have the definition of Aerosmith. They did not have the “soft rock” label like the Eagles or the “black magic” blues and heavy metal label like Led Zeppelin. Aerosmith was stripped down, hard rock at a faster speed. In the 70’s, all five members of the band had everyone’s attention. By the 90’s Tyler and lead guitarist, Joe Perry became the faces of the group. | |||
| Episode 65: Metallica - Master of Puppets (re-release with musical clips) | 22 Dec 2023 | 00:26:16 | |
Before the release of their third studio album, Metallica was an up-and-coming thrash band playing hard and fast metal music for fans to swing their necks, bang their heads, and throw up their fists in a repetitive motion. When they released Master of Puppets in 1986, the band pushed the limits of musicianship. Master brought heavy metal and thrash metal to the forefront, requiring technical musicians outside the genre to pay attention and admit this band knew how to play their instruments well. | |||
| Episode 64: Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been | 07 Dec 2023 | 01:24:40 | |
This is a review Dinosaur Jr.’s 5th album, 1993’s Where You Been.
I felt as though this album review needed to have Jack as a guest. He not only recommended this album but also rated it one of his favorites. I first heard this band, and this album in 1993 and have been hooked ever since. | |||
| Episode 63: Patty Griffin - Living with Ghosts | 27 Nov 2023 | 00:29:40 | |
WARNING: This review is very emotional. I don't recommend listening to this while you're working out! | |||
| Episode 62: Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger | 26 Oct 2023 | 00:37:52 | |
Produced by Terry Date, their producer for their previous album, Louder Than Love, Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden's third studio album, was originally scheduled for release on September 24th, 1991. The record company, A&M pushed it back to October 8th, 1991, due to “production issues”. Many who follow ’90s “grunge”, and many who’ve listened to my podcasts, know this time period consisted of album releases that would change the landscape of music forever. | |||
| Episode 61: Holly West - Bassist for Zepparella and Dead Groove Band | 16 Oct 2023 | 01:40:18 | |
Greg interviews bass player, songwriter, and vocalist Holly West. Holly plays bass for the California-based Led Zeppelin Power Tribute Project, Zepparella. She is also the bass player and lead singer for the California-based, Hard Rock band, Dead Groove.
In this episode, Holly and Greg talk about life on the road as a traveling musician. We also get her take on the music industry and what it’s like being a musician working in Los Angeles. We are also lucky to have Holly give us a detailed breakdown of the writing and recording of her second band, Dead Groove Band, and their self-titled, debut album released in March of 2023. | |||
| Episode 60: Pretenders - Self Titled Debut | 25 Sep 2023 | 00:33:32 | |
This is an album review of the Pretenders debut, self-titled album.
The band, Pretenders was formed in the UK in 1978. American musician Chrissy Hynde left the US and started playing the music club circuits in London. This album will get you moving, smiling, and throwing fists in the air and give you the listener a history lesson of punk music and where it came from. The fact they’re doing it today is a testament to music that stands the test of time. | |||
| Episode 59: AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You've Got It) | 04 Sep 2023 | 01:49:24 | |
I remember first hearing AC/DC’s music when I was 10 or 11 years old. The Stephen King horror movie Maximum Overdrive had come out. Every song on the soundtrack was an AC/DC song.
Joining me for Episode #59 is Rob Kassees. Rob hosts a weekly podcast called "1001 Album Complaints" where together with friends and fellow musicians, Rob discusses each album from the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” list. The guys also throw in some humor which makes this podcast very entertaining.
You can check out more of the podcast here: https://linktr.ee/thechopunlimited In this episode, Rob and I review AC/DC’s first live album, If You Want Blood (You've Got It), which the band released in 1978. This is an album Rob recommended that I’d never heard before. Now that I have…….I NEED to share it with you.
GET READY!
Listen to this and other episodes at https://www.albumreview.net/podcast | |||
| Episode 58: The Band - The Last Waltz (RE-RELEASE w/ Musical Clips) | 16 Aug 2023 | 00:34:21 | |
In light of Robbie Robertson's passing at age 80 on August 9, 2023, I wanted to RE - release Episode 17, our review of The Last Waltz - the famed live concert film and live album by the Canadian 60s and 70s musical powerhouse, The Band. | |||
| Episode 57: George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (Part 2 of 2) | 14 Aug 2023 | 01:04:06 | |
This is Part 2 of a 2-part review. In this episode, Clementine Moss from Zepparella joins Greg again for an in-depth, descriptive, and emotional review of George Harrison’s 1970, debut solo album, All Things Must Pass. Clem was a recent guest on episode #51 of the podcast. She is a founding member and the drummer for the West Coast-based, Led Zeppelin powerhouse tribute project, Zepparella. Clem is also a spiritual counselor and an author. She recently published a book, From Bonham to Buddha and Back. You can check this out and pick up a copy of your own at either clementinemoss.com or clemthegreat.com.
So whether you’re a Beatles fan or not, All Things Must Pass changed my perception of not only George Harrison but of music. So sit back (or keep up that good pace if you’re doing some exercise or washing the dishes right now) and enjoy Part 2 of this 2-Part review of George Harrison’s, All Things Must Pass. | |||
| Episode 56: George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (Part 1 of 2) | 26 Jul 2023 | 01:10:48 | |
In this episode, Clementine Moss from Zepparella joins Greg again for an in-depth, descriptive and emotional review of George Harrison’s 1970, debut solo album, All Things Must Pass. This is Part 1 of a 2 part review. Clem was a recent guest on episode #51 of the podcast. She is a founding member and the drummer for the West Coast based, Led Zeppelin powerhouse tribute project, Zepparella. Clem is also a spiritual counselor and an author. She recently published a book, From Bonham to Buddha and Back. You can check this out and pick up a copy of your own at either clementinemoss.com or clemthegreat.com.
So whether you’re a Beatles fan or not, All Things Must Pass changed my perception of not only George Harrison but of music. So sit back (or keep up that good pace if you’re doing some exercise or washing the dishes right now) and enjoy Part 1 of this 2 Part review of George Harrison’s, All Things Must Pass. | |||
| Episode 55: The Who - Who's Next | 21 Jun 2023 | 00:32:40 | |
For this episode, Greg dives into Who's Next. Who's Next is The Who's fifth studio album. Released in 1971, Who's Next is a collection of songs guitarist Pete Townshend, originally wrote for a Rock Opera he titled, Lifehouse. Eventually, Townshend scrapped the project and along with producer Glyn Johns, took 8 of the Lifehouse songs and re-recorded them. The collection would subsequently be Who's Next, which today is considered one of the greatest rock albums of all time. | |||
| Episode 54: Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique | 12 Jun 2023 | 00:21:24 | |
Coming off huge commercial success, Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys had big shoes to fill. They were entering the studio to record their sophomore record, which many bands fail to achieve the same success as the first. | |||
| Episode 53: Rush - Roll the Bones | 06 Jun 2023 | 02:03:34 | |
Rush, the trio who got their start in Ontario, Canada in the late 1960s, were coming off a successful world tour for their 1989 album, Presto. The band enjoyed the Presto tour so much that when it was completed in mid-1990, they cut their vacation time short to start writing and recording their next album, their 14th studio album, 1991's Roll the Bones. | |||
| Episode 52: Starting Your Business From Scratch - Interview with James Feudo | 19 May 2023 | 00:50:59 | |
James Feudo is the founder and president of JVF Solutions. JVF Solutions is the premiere website design and development company for small, mid, and large business owners. James Feudo has 20+ years of experience in software engineering and web development. Nowadays people stumble across Web Designers on social media. These businesses have marketing backgrounds, but do they really know how to answer that most important question:
Is your website making you money or costing you money?
Is your website bringing in actual business?
If you’re working for your business website rather than it working for you, James Feudo and JVF Solutions can convert your web traffic into clients. With their team of experts, they will help design or redesign your website to attract more visitors, keep them engaged, and convert them into customers. James offers a complimentary 30-minute consultation and reviews your site with you to uncover areas of improvement in order to perform better.
James joins Greg on the Podcast to discuss what it means to start your own business. What are some of the challenges and what are the key things you should pay attention to? | |||
| Episode 51: Clementine Moss - Drummer for Female Led Zeppelin Powerhouse, Zepparella | 21 Apr 2023 | 01:51:17 | |
Joining Greg for episode #51 is Clementine Moss. Clem is an Author, spiritual counselor, and drummer for the Led Zeppelin powerhouse Zepparella.
Clem lets down her guard and gets emotional as we discuss the beauty of life and the ugliness that life can throw at you. Support Clem - Get a copy of her book here | |||
| Episode 50: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja vu | 03 Mar 2023 | 00:50:28 | |
This is EPISODE #50! An album review including song clips of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1970 classic, "Deja vu".
51 years later, in May of 2021, Rhino Entertainment Company remixed and re-released the album. Still, like my Beatles Revolver remix review, the reissued box set of Déjà vu includes 4 CDs and 1 Vinyl LP containing 38 bonus tracks, delivering nearly two-and-a-half hours of music that includes demos, and outtakes. Alternate takes – most of which (29 to be specific) are previously unreleased. | |||