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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

00:39:40

1983 - August: The Fixx "Reach the Beach"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/12/27

While The Fixx had already experienced success on the charts with their debut album in 1982, their sophomore studio album entitled Reach the Beach would be this London New Wave group's most successful effort. This album was released in May 1983, and was heading up the charts in August.The Fixx was led by singer/songwriter Cyril Jon "Cy" Curnin on vocals. Other members of the band included Rupert Greenall on keyboards, Jamie West-Oram on guitar and Adam Woods on percussion. Bassist Alfie Agius was

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00:43:16

1971 - December: Led Zeppelin "IV"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/12/20

A case could be made that Led Zeppelin IV is the biggest heavy metal album of all time. However, "IV" isn't really the name of the album. The actual title was four symbols, one selected by each band member. The record company hated the idea for obvious reasons, but what they thought was "professional suicide" turned out to be the best selling album for the band and one of the top rated Rock albums of all time.The rollout of Led Zeppelin IV without a pronounceable title and without written

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00:33:43

1977 - April: The Clash "The Clash"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/12/13

The Clash got their start as a punk band, though they would move through elements of reggae, ska, funk, and new wave over time. The debut album eponymously titled The Clash would stay solidly in the punk movement which began trending the year before. Lead vocalist Pete Strummer and lead guitarist Mick Jones would write most of their original songs. Other personnel on this album included bassist Paul Simonon and drummers Topper Headon and Terry Chimes (listed as Tory Crimes).The debut album was

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00:44:44

1982 - October: Squeeze “Singles - 45 and Under”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/12/06

Squeeze came out of the mid-70's New Wave scene in the UK, but would cross genres into Rockabilly, R&B, and Psychedelia by the early 80's. In 1982 they released Singles - 45's and Under as a compilation album of their biggest hits. Squeeze was led by two singer songwriters, Chris Dilford (rhythm guitar and vocals) and Glenn Tilbrook (keyboards, lead guitar, vocals) who composed most of their material. At the time of the release of this “greatest hits” album, the band had broken up, leaving only

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00:45:43

Christmas Songs that Rock IV - A What the Riff Rabbit...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/11/29

Episode NotesYes indeed, folks, Christmas time is here again! We at What the Riff!?! want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and here are a few rocking songs of the season for you to put on your playlist.“Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)” by the RamonesThe founders of the punk movement offer this take on a Christmas song, with the rapid tempo and rough lyrics we've come to know and love as a classic Ramones style. Christmas is a time to be together with family, but some

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00:41:00

1977 - August: Billy Joel “The Stranger”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/11/22

By the time Billy Joel released The Stranger, his fifth studio album, he was at risk of being dropped by Columbia Records. His second album, Piano Man, had been a surprise success, but the follow-up third and fourth studio albums had met with disappointing commercial appeal. Joel had a solid band that had toured with him for his previous album, Turnstiles, and he wanted to keep that band for the next album. He first considered Beatles producer George Martin to be his producer for this album, but

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00:38:29

1994 - February: Green Day “Dookie”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/11/15

Although Dookie is the third studio album by Green Day, it is their first release on a major label. This may explain some of their seemingly overnight stardom. The trio consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong on vocals and lead, Mike Dirnt on bass and backing vocals, and Tre Cool on percussion, and they had been in the underground scene in the San Francisco Bay area since before 1988 (Tre Cool replaced original drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990). The band changed their original name from Sweet Baby to

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00:25:38

1967 - January: The Monkees "More of the Monkees"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/11/08

This second studio album from The Monkees was number 1 on the Billboard 200 for 18 weeks, displacing their debut album to get there. More of the Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum, was the first pop/rock album to be the best selling album of the year in the U.S. – and the third best-selling album of the 60’s.It is also the one that Monkee Michael Nesmith said was “probably the worst album in the history of the world."The Monkees were originally Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork,

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00:49:25

1988 - September: Metallica “...And Justice For All”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/11/01

Metallica got its start back in 1981, but their 1988 album ...And Justice for All would be the one to bring them mainstream success. Today Metallica has an international celebrity status as a founding band of thrash metal, but at the time they were much less well known and considered inaccessible to mainstream listeners. The band also saw a lineup change for this album, as their previous bassist Cliff Burton had been killed in a bus accident while on tour in Sweden. Newcomer Jason Newsted would

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00:38:17

1977 - January: KC & the Sunshine Band “Part 3”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/10/25

Alright, folks, break out your platform shoes and your dance clothes, because What the Riff is headed down to the club! KC and the Sunshine Band was playing in all the disco dance studios in 1977, but they were particularly prominent in the Miami market, near their home town of Hialeah, Florida. We're riffing on Part 3, unexpectedly the fourth studio album from the group (though there was a bit of a reset with their second album being self-titled and the first album having only moderate

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00:39:07

1974 - April: Paul McCartney and Wings "Band On the...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/10/18

Band on the Run would be the turning point for Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career. After completing two solo albums, McCarney formed Paul McCartney and Wings, with the Wings name being inspired by a time of prayer at the hospital while his wife Linda was having serious complications delivering their second child.Wings had already produced two albums which had met with mixed reviews. McCartney had picked an exotic locale of Lagos, Nigeria as the recording spot for "Band on the Run," and just

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00:45:17

1983 - March: Saga “Worlds Apart”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/10/11

Canadian prog rock band Saga released their fourth album Worlds Apart in September 1981, but it took some time to catch fire. By March 1983 their first single was peaking on the charts. Rupert Hine, producer for Canadian power trio Rush, also produced this album which was both a critical and commercial success. The band consisted of Steve Negus on percussion, Jim Gilmour on lead synthesizer, Ian Crichton on guitar, Jim Crichton on bass and keyboards, and Michael Sadler on lead vocals. Sadler

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00:42:28

1976 - June: Steve Miller Band “Fly Like an Eagle”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/10/04

Believe it or not, Fly Like an Eagle is the ninth studio album by the Steve Miller Band. Guitarist, lead singer, and founder Steve Miller got his start in Chicago playing the blues. He formed the Steve Miller Blues Band after moving to San Francisco in 1966, and shortened it to the Steve Miller Band not long after its formation. The band started with a psychedelic rock feel in their first albums, transitioning to a more straightforward rock sound with the 1973 album The Joker, and continuing

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00:39:01

1992 - October: Soup Dragons “Hotwired”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/09/27

A number of groups came out of the psychedelic pop scene in Northern England and Scotland in the late 80's including Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, Jesus and the Mary Chain, and The Soup Dragons. Their third album, Hotwired, was released in October 1992.The Soup Dragons got their name from a character in a 1970's UK children's television series called "Clangers," which consisted of short films about a family of mouse-like creatures that live on a small moon-like planet. They speak only in a

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00:36:12

1980 - December: REO Speedwagon “Hi Infidelity”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/09/20

Hi Infidelity would be the biggest selling rock album of 1981, and would be the high water mark for REO Speedwagon. The band at the time was Kevin Chronin on lead vocals, Gary Richrath on lead guitars, Neal Doughty on keyboards, Bruce Hall on bass, and Alan Gratzer on drums.REO Speedwagon started out in 1967, and the name comes from a 1915 truck called the REO Speed Wagon. Neal Doughty saw the name on the blackboard in his History of Transportation class as an electrical engineering major at the

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00:40:09

1975 - November: Queen “A Night At the Opera”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/09/13

Queen's fourth studio album is the one that would launch them into super stardom and bring them personal financial success as well. A Night at the Opera got its name from the Marx Brothers film, and many consider it to be the best album Queen ever made.The band lineup was Freddie Mercury on lead vocals, Brian May on guitar, John Deacon on bass, and Roger Taylor on drums. Backing vocals were performed by May and Taylor - John Deacon was the only band member who didn't sing.The first three Queen

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00:28:57

1966 - October: The Troggs "From Nowhere"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/09/06

The Troggs were a garage band from Andover, England who would come to be highly influential in the garage band genre of the 60's and the punk movement of the 70's. The name is a shortened version of troglodyte, a mythical cave dweller. The troggs wanted to create an earthy, raw feel in their music, and this inspired the name. Their debut album From Nowhere hit the stores in 1966.The Troggs were a quartet with Reg Presley on lead vocals, and Ronnie Bonds on drums. Reg and Ronnie had been

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00:41:55

1984 - September: Prince & The Revolution “Purple Rain”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/08/30

In the fall of 1984 there was nowhere you could go in the United States without hearing something off of Purple Rain, the album and the motion picture from Prince and The Revolution. This album was the sixth studio album by Prince, and the first to also bill the band, The Revolution (although the band was hinted at on the album 1999, being written backwards on the album cover). Prince would become a superstar with this album and film.Prince (aka Prince Rogers Nelson) was born into a musical

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00:36:05

1976 - July: Ramones “Ramones”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/08/23

The Ramones are considered the first true punk band by many. Despite never having a lot of commercial success, the band achieved immortality as the founders of a rock genre, and inspired a multitude of bands to follow. Their debut album, self titled as Ramones started it all in 1976. The album came out in February but we're featuring it in the summer of 1976 which is considered the "summer of punk."The Ramones got their name from Paul McCartney of The Beatles, who would check into hotels using

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00:46:23

1992 - September: Roger Waters “Amused to Death”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2021/08/16

Roger Waters is one of the best known rock celebrities, both as a founding member of Pink Floyd and as a solo artist after leaving the band. Amused to Death is his third solo album, and Waters considers it to be a continuation of The Wall. The name is inspired by the book "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman. The concept of the album is a television where the channels are continually being changed at random by an ape, and critiques the senseless obsession with T.V.Waters had been

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