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PODCAST

What the Riff Next Gen

Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch

Every episode of “WHAT THE RIFF NEXT GEN” brings a ROCK AND ROLL album that debuted on the U.S. Billboard charts during a random month between 1995 and 2005. Four Classic Rock fans discuss the artist and 4 tracks from the album as it plays in the background. Then we riff on 3 additional “staff picks” of other artists that were also on the charts during that month and year. You’ll hear Classic Rock bands that were still producing new work, as well as some newer Alternative and Grunge bands that were

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All Episodes

00:42:59

1975 - June: War "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/02/20

Defining a genre for the group War is a difficult process. There are elements of Latin, R&B, funk, soul, and rock mixed in. Some call it progressive soul. War came from Long Beach, California in 1969, and began as a backing band for Deacon Jones. The band was originally led by Eric Burden of the Animals and were known as Eric Burden and War for their first tow albums, then as War after Burden left the group. Their seventh studio album, Why Can't We Be Friends? would continue a tradition of

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00:37:13

1991 - March: Drivin' N' Cryin' "Fly Me Courageous"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/02/13

Drivin' N' Cryin' hit the peak of their commercial success with this fourth studio album, Fly Me Courageous. It was released in January at the same time as the start of the Persian Gulf War, and they benefitted from patriotic associations the title song received. The album peaked at 90 on the Billboard 200 album chart.The band at the time included Buren Fowler on guitar, Kevin Kinney on guitar and vocals, Tim Nielson on bass and backing vocals, and Jeff Sullivan on percussion. The album was

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00:40:36

1989 - January: Skid Row "Skid Row"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/02/06

Hair band Skid Row hails from Tom's River, New Jersay. The band was formed in 1986 by bassist Rachel Boland and guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo, and rounded out with guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso. Lead vocalist Sebastian Bach was recruited after being seen as a wedding singer at the age of 18 well before Adam Sandler would reveal this as a potential career option and path to love and fame. Sabo was a high school friend of Jon Bon Jovi, and the two made a pact that if one was sucessful

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00:43:45

1980 - January: Pink Floyd “The Wall”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/01/30

Pink Floyd would score another big hit and some mainstream crossover success with their eleventh studio album, The Wall. Originally conceived by bassist Roger Waters, The Wall explores the self-isolation of a cynical rock star named Pink, and portrays events in his life from the loss of his father, to childhood trauma, to the pressures of rock stardom as bricks forming the wall. Parts of the story are autobiographical from Waters, and parts naturally are based on former front man Syd Barrett. The

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00:36:09

1970 - September: Black Sabbath “Paranoid”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/01/23

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Paranoid, the second studio album by Black Sabbath, to be the number one of its "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time." Originally known by the name Earth, the band took the name Black Sabbath from a 1963 horror film starring Boris Karloff. The band members were Bill Ward on percussion, Geezer Butler on bass, Tony Iommi on guitar, and Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. It was originally a heavy blues band from Birmingham, England, but took on a darker complexion with lyrics

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00:28:24

1966 - December: Sam & Dave “Double Dynamite”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/01/16

Sam Moore and Dave Prater were known as Sam & Dave, a huge soul act from the late 60's. They were known as The Sultans of Sweat, The Dynamic Duo, and Double Dynamite. This album is their second studio album out of Stax Records, also called Double Dynamite.Sam & Dave are considered one of the greatest live acts out of the 60's, and a lot of musicians cite their influence on their work, including some you would expect like Al Green and Michael Jackson. There are also a lot of musicians who were

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00:40:35

1978 - May: U.K. "U.K."

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/01/09

The supergroup U.K. was founded by former King Crimson percussionist Bill Bruford (also a former founder of Yes) and bassist and vocalist John Wetton (also a former member of Uriah Heep, and Roxy Music). After failing to reform King Crimson, each of the two brought in a musician they thought would work well in the group. Wetton brought in Eddie Jobson, violinist and keyboardist from Frank Zappa's band. Bruford brought in Allan Holdsworth on guitars (who had worked on Bruford's prior solo project

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00:31:01

1969 - July: The Easy Rider Motion Picture Soundtrack

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2023/01/02

The cult classic film Easy Rider was released this month. A landmark counter culture movie, the film traces the journey of Wyatt and Billy as they make their way on motorcycles from a successful drug deal in Los Angeles to the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern wrote the film, and it stars Fonda, Hopper, and Jack Nicholson. Dennis Hopper directed the movie. Originally the plan was for Crosby, Stills & Nash to do all the songs on the soundtrack

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00:38:16

1974 - March: Gordon Lightfoot “Sundown”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/12/26

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot would see his commercial success zenith with this tenth studio album, Sundown. Lightfoot got his start in music at an early age, singing in the choir at St. Paul's United Church in Orillia, Ontario as a child. As a young man he lived in California for a short period, studying jazz composition and writing jingles to support himself, but he soon chose to return to his native Canada and never left. Gordon Lightfoot would inspire many artists - Bob Dylan

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00:40:30

1984 - December: Foreigner "Agent Provocateur"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/12/19

Foreigner took some significant time between their fourth and fifth studio albums. Agent Provocateur was released in December of 1984 and made it to number 5 on the US charts. Interestingly it hit number 1 in the UK, the only Foreigner album to do so. It had a balance of heavier rock songs and lighter ballads, allowing the group to appeal to both male and female fans.At the time, Foreigner consisted of Lou Gramm on lead vocals and percussion, Mick Jones on guitars and keyboards, Rick Wills on

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00:37:57

1994 - August: “The Crow: Original Motion Picture...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/12/12

The superhero movie “The Crow,” released in 1994, will forever be known for two events. First, the tragic death of lead actor Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, during production of the film would cast a pall over the movie from then on. Second, the outstanding music of The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack would result in a chart-topping album. This soundtrack is a veritable who's who of alternative rock at the time, including artists like The Cure, Violent Femmes, Nine Inch Nails, and Stone

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00:28:45

1968 - April: The Monkees "The Birds, The Bees &...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/12/05

1968 was a year of disappointments for the Monkees. During this year their television series was cancelled, their first motion picture effort failed at the box office, and band member Peter Tork would leave the group at the end of the year. Despite all this they would still find success in their fifth studio album, The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees. This album would chart at number 3 in the United States and would sell over a million copies.Members Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and

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00:44:36

Christmas Songs that Rock V: A What the Riff Rabbit...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/11/28

We at What the Riff!?! hope that y'all have a great Christmas — we hope these songs make your season a little more merry and bright.“Deck the Halls” by Twisted SisterThis classic carol was probably not originally envisioned to be quite as rocking as this, but Dee Snyder and Twisted Sister took it up a notch! This is the sixth and last Twisted Sister studio album they would produce, and we’re sure they donned their gay apparel for this final outing. “Skynyrd Family” by Lynyrd SkynyrdSome southern

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00:39:49

1973 - March: Pink Floyd "The Dark Side of the Moon"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/11/21

Arguably the biggest album of the entire rock era, Pink Floyd's eighth studio album would propel them to superstardom. The Dark Side of the Moon is one of the most acclaimed records in history, and it is commercially unmatched in its longevity. It topped the US Billboard Top LP's and Tape chart, and charted for 962 weeks in total!Pink Floyd at this time was David Gilmour on guitar and vocals, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, Richard Wright on keyboards, and Nick Mason on percussion.The Dark Side

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00:38:43

1981 - January: the Who "Face Dances"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/11/14

Face Dances is the ninth studio album from the Who, and the first release after the death of drummer Keith Moon three years earlier. During those three years the Who would release the film Quadrophenia and the concert retrospective film The Kids Are Alright. Front man Roger Daltry would try out acting, and Pete Townshend would release his second solo studio album. When the group got back together for Face Dances, Phil Collins expressed an interest in joining the band. However, Kenny Jones (Small

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00:43:58

1978 - October: Styx “Pieces of Eight”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/11/07

Styx released their eighth studio album, Pieces of Eight, after achieving breakthrough success with 1977's “The Grand Illusion.” This album would also achieve significant critical and commercial success with this album. Two singles would break into the top 40, and one would land just outside it at number 41. All of these were written and sung by Tommy Shaw who had joined the group for the Equinox album in 1975. In addition to guitarist and lead singer Tommy Shaw, other members of the band were

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00:34:46

1981 - December: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/10/31

I Love Rock 'n Roll is the first album by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and the second solo album by Joan Jett. Born as Joan Marie Larkin, Joan Jett got her start in the music industry as a teenager when her family moved to the Los Angeles area and divorced shortly thereafter. She was a founding member of the all-girl band The Runaways at the age of 16.Jett began her solo career in England in 1979, where she recorded songs with some of the members of the Sex Pistols. Later that year she returned

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00:51:25

Rocking Halloween - A What the Riff Rabbit Hole

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/10/24

Our Christmas Rabbit Hole Episodes rank among the highest. This special episode features classic rock songs and theme songs which feature a spooky theme. We hope you enjoy this first “Halloween” special from What The Riff?!?Theme from the television series “The Walking Dead” This post-apocalyptic zombie series ran for 11 seasons, from 2010 until 2022. It was based on a comic book of the same name and sparked multiple spin-offs. The minor key and strings set the mood well for this horror

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00:43:37

1989 - August: Bad English “Bad English”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/10/17

Bad English is a supergroup composed of members of Journey and The Babys. From The Babys comes John Waite on lead vocals, Rick Phillips on bass, and Jonathan Cain on keyboards. From Journey comes Neal Schon in lead guitar, and Jonathan Cain, the common thread between the two groups. Deen Castronovo is on drums and would later join Journey. The band was initially formed by Cain, Schon, and Waite. The name Bad English comes from a term in the game of pool. John Waite missed a shot, and Jonathan

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00:42:19

1972 - April: Deep Purple “Machine Head”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2022/10/10

Machine Head is the sixth and most commercially successful studio album Deep Purple ever produced. The band was coming off a two-year tour, and wanted to capture a sound closer to their live shows on the next studio effort. They booked the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio for the recording and booked time at the Montreux Casino. However, just before their studio time was to begin, a fire was started during a concert for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and the casino burned to the ground

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