Michael's Record Collection – Details, episodes & analysis

After the heavy, guitar-driven science fiction epic Arise (2023), Glass Hammer returns with the band's most accessible album yet. Co-founder Steve Babb returns to Michael's Record Collection to discuss the brand new album Rogue, the most human of all Glass Hammer's concept albums. Drenched in keyboards, Rogue shares connective tissue with some of Glass Hammer's most beloved albums, with hints of Genesis and Yes mixed with dream pop, space rock, and 80s synth pop influences. Steve was kind enough to share the stories behind the concept and the music with me. Find out more about the band at glasshammer.com or order their music at glasshammer.bandcamp.com.

Please hit the like button and/or leave a rating/review wherever you consume this podcast. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like it on Facebook, and follow on Instagram and/or TikTok. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

I'd love to have your support for this independent podcast. You can become a patron of this show by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and at some levels you can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more. 

My guest for this episode is repeat offender Dave Kerzner, making his third appearance on the show. In his first, we discussed one of his all-time favorite albums, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis. That was a few years ago and he hinted about a Lamb tribute album in the works featuring performers such as Francis Dunnery (It Bites), Nick D'Virgilio (Big Big Train), Billy Sherwood (Yes), Steve Rothery (Marillion), and others. That album is now a reality, with the recent release of Sonic Elements' IT - A 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis. Dave was kind enough to tell me the hows and whys of the new album, which was obviously a painstaking labor of love. It's well crafted, honors the source material, and includes a few pleasant surprises. Find out more about Dave's work at davekerznermusic.com and sonicelements.bandcamp.com.

Please hit the like button and/or leave a rating/review wherever you consume this podcast. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like it on Facebook, and follow on Instagram and/or TikTok. I'm also on Bluesky now as well. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

I'd love to have your support for this independent podcast. You can become a patron of this show by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and at some levels you can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more. 

Progressive rock master Neal Morse is a prolific and qualitative force in modern prog and he's back on the show to talk about a brand new band project called Neal Morse & the Resonance. The band will drop its debut album, No Hill for a Climber, Nov. 8 on Inside Out Music. Neal discusses the other band members, making the album and writing the songs, his recent solo acoustic tour, an exciting new collaboration with Chester Thompson and Phil Keaggy coming soon, and more. Learn more about Neal and order the new album at nealmorse.com.

Please hit the like button and/or leave a rating/review wherever you consume this podcast. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like it on Facebook, and follow on Instagram and/or TikTok. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

I'd love to have your support for this independent podcast. You can become a patron of this show by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and at some levels you can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more. 

Lana Lane has just released her first album in a decade with the outstanding new Neptune Blue. The queen of symphonic and melodic rock has taken a little of the complexity out and made more or less an album-oriented rock album that is accessible enough for the masses but with enough technical musical flourishes by her excellent contributing musicians to satisfy the progressive rock fans. I spoke with Lana about the making of this record, some of her guest vocal work, having her first vinyl release, her background, and more. 

Find out more about Lana and her work at her website. 

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

Author Annie Zaleski literally wrote the book on the seminal 1982 album Rio by Duran Duran. An album that began with sluggish U.S. sales turned into an iconic juggernaut on the strength of its songs, heavy rotation of hit singles on MTV, and the talent and sheer willpower of the five young men who made the record. Annie talked about how she got started as a writer, how she fell for Duran Duran's music, how she ultimately came to write about Rio for 33-1/3 Books, and what she learned along the way. We had a great conversation about the album, too. 

You can learn more about Annie's work and order her book (including signed copies!) at her website or you can order it on Amazon or other major online retailers.

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

Michael Sadler has one of the most unique voices in music. His work with Saga has been stellar through the years and he pops up periodically on releases by other artists. His newest endeavor is joining a band called ProgJect: the Ultimate Progressive Rock Experience. ProgJect pays homage to the progressive rock masters and the five-piece group is set to hit the road across the U.S., bringing prog rock to the people. It's God's work, really. I spoke with Michael about how he got involved with ProgJect, whether we might see a recording from the band soon, and his approach to carrying the mantle of legends like Jon Anderson, Phil Collins, Greg Lake and others...all in the same set! We also spoke about Saga's 40-year-old classic Worlds Apart album, his solo release Clear, some of his collaborations with other artists, and more. 

Find out more about ProgJect at their website and keep up with the latest Saga news at Sagagen.com.

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

Pat Francis from the excellent Rock Solid podcast is like the godfather of music podcasters. His show is in its 11th year and is going strong with its best guests ever. Pat's show has a rotating format. One week it's an interview, the next it's a roundtable between Pat and his friends discussing an album track by track. This week, I was delighted to welcome Pat to this show to talk about Rock Solid, hunting down autographs after concerts, and (most importantly) about our shared love for Cheap Trick's essential live classic album, At Budokan. 

Find out more about Pat's show at rocksolidpodcast.com and follow his Twitter!

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

It's the first annual Michael's Record Collection awards! For this episode, you're stuck with just me (no guests) as I walk through the songs and albums that stood out to me over the 2021 calendar year. Play along at home and tell me what I got right and wrong. I have a list of albums and songs below in case you want to check out any you're not familiar with, so if you don't want to be spoiled about the podcast, stop reading after the next two paragraphs.

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

Albums discussed in this episode:

• Plush - Plush
• Mason Hill - Against the Wall
• Wildstreet - III
• CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
• Inglorious - Heroine
• Chantel McGregor - Shed Sessions Volume One and Volume Two
• Laura Meade - The Most Dangerous Woman in America
• Leslie Hunt - Ascend (EP) / Descend (EP)
• Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey Buckingham
• John Mayer - Sob Rock
• Dennis DeYoung - 26 East Vol. 2
• Night Ranger - ATBPO
• ABBA - Voyage
• Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight
• Dee Snider - Leave a Scar
• Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
• Lifesigns - Altitude 
• Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
• The Neal Morse Band - Innocence & Danger
• Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH
• The Connells - Steadman's Wake
• Apollo Junction — All In
• Black Diamonds — No-Tell Hotel
• Blackberry Smoke — You Hear Georgia
• Chrissie Hynde — Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan
• David Crosby — For Free
• Dec Burke — Life in Two Dimensions
• Dirty Honey — Dirty Honey (EP)
• Duran Duran — Future Past
• The Dust Coda — Mojo Skyline
• Garbage — No Gods No Masters
• Gary Kemp — INSOLO
• Gary Numan — Intruder
• Greta Van Fleet — The Battle at Garden’s Gate
• Halsey — If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
• Inglorious — We Will Ride
• Jackson Browne — Downhill from Everywhere
• Land of Gypsies — Land of Gypsies
• The Livesays — Not What I Bargained For
• Micky Dolenz — Dolenz Sings Nesmith
• Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
• Rachel Flowers — Bigger on the Inside
• Samantha Fish — Faster
• Secret Sphere — Lifeblood
• Steve Hackett — Surrender of Silence
• Steven Wilson — The Future Bites
• Styx — Crash of the Crown
• Toad the Wet Sprocket — Starting Now
• Velvet Insane — Rock ‘n’ Roll Glitter Suit
• VOLA — Witness
• Walter Egan — Fascination

Individual tracks discussed in this episode:

• Billy Idol - "Bitter Taste"
• Tears for Fears - "The Tipping Point"
• Men Without Hats - "No Friends of Mine"
• D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings - "Julia"
• Steven Wilson - "12 Things I Forgot"

Terry Ilous isn't exactly a household name but he's an artist that has had some success across multiple genres. He fronted his band XYZ in the late 1980s and early 90s, spent more than eight years as Jack Russell's successor as the lead singer of Great White, and has done a lot of Latin-influenced and Flamenco-type music as well. Terry's new project, Land of Gypsies, released its self-titled debut album Dec. 10 and it pays tribute to some of the great bands of the 70s, such as Bad Company, Humble Pie, and early Foreigner and Whitesnake. Terry was gracious enough to talk to me about the making of Land of Gypsies, his time in Great White, the status of XYZ (new music coming?!?), some of his solo work, and more. 

You can learn more about Terry at his website and you can order Land of Gypsies from Amazon or Frontiers Music or on the digital services.

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.

I'm changing things up a little for this episode as instead of discussing a new or classic album, I enlisted Matt Wardlaw from Ultimate Classic Rock to compare notes on our recent experiences seeing Genesis on The Last Domino? Tour. Genesis is my all-time favorite band, so there was never a question of whether I was going to see them, so much as a question of where and how often. Matt and I saw them about a week apart in different cities but in similarly located seats. We broke down the setlist, the performance, our Genesis origin stories, and more. I hope you enjoy this special Michael's Concert Ticket Collection episode! Big thanks to Matt for his time.

You can follow Matt on Twitter at @MattWardlaw or find his work at UltimateClassicRock.com. 

Reminder: You can support independent podcasting by becoming a Michael's Record Collection Patreon subscriber starting at only $2 per month (50 cents an episode...or less!) at the MRC Patreon page. Supporter benefits escalate at each level, providing more value the more you support the show. For example, you will know about interviews in advance and some levels can submit questions for the artists, come on the show to co-host, enter prize drawings, and more.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music or the Goodpods app if you consume this podcast on those platforms. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up at michaelsrecordcollection.substack.com. Follow MRC on Twitter (@MikesRecords), like us on Facebook, and check us out on Instagram. Have questions or comments or want to suggest a topic? Hit me up at michaelsrecordcollection@gmail.com.