Loading...

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

music music commentary

All Episodes

00:36:09

1989 - April: Tom Petty "Full Moon Fever"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/02/03

Despite the fact that he was a household name by 1989, Full Moon Fever is the debut solo album by Tom Petty, since his other albums were as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was a little straining on the members of the Heartbreakers, but everyone but drummer Stan Lynch contributed to Full Moon Fever. It was even recorded in Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell's garage studio. Members of the Traveling Wilburys participated as well (except for Bob Dylan), and Jeff Lynne (ELO) produced it along with

en-us

00:32:14

1969 - February: MC5 "Kick Out the Jams"

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/01/27

When you're looking at revolution-focused rock of the late 60's, you have to put MC5 near the top of the pantheon. Their debut album, Kick Out the Jams, was also a live album, and captures the rage and the energy that would inspire the garage band and punk movement in the years to come. MC5 stands for "the Motor City Five," and was frontman Rob Tyner, lead guitarist Wayne Kramer, rhythm guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and Dennis Thompson on drums. This is a raw "punch in the

en-us

00:37:11

1979 - April: Van Halen “Van Halen II”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/01/20

As Diamond Dave would say, "I heard you missed us - we're back!" Back with David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, and Alex and Eddie Van Halen, this time delving into their second studio album, conveniently entitled Van Halen II. Hot on the heels of their debut album released less than a year prior, Van Halen hit the studios for this second album a week after completing their world tour, and wrapped it up within a week.The big hit from this album was "Dance the Night Away," Van Halen's first top 20 hit,

en-us

00:28:59

1967 - November: Cream “Disraeli Gears”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/01/13

Cream was the original rock supergroup. Drummer Ginger Baker, Bassist Jack Bruce, and guitarist Eric Clapton were already recognized for their individual talent, and the name of the group would reflect their status as “the cream of the crop.” DIsraeli Gears is their second studio album, and was the album that would propel them to fame in the United States.Cream was considered not only a supergroup, but was a proto-progressive band, a jam band, and perhaps an early heavy metal band due to their

en-us

00:11:29

What The Riff Remembers Neil Peart

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/01/11

Rock legend Neil Peart passed on January 7th 2020 after a battle with brain cancer. Peart affected all of us in a significant way through his work as percussionist and lyricist for the rock band Rush, and we wanted to take a moment to say what his life and work meant to us as we play three songs - “Fly By Night” (from Peart's first album with the band), “The Spirit of Radio” (a great example of both his expertise on drums and his quality of lyrics), and “Closer to the Heart” (a hope-filled

en-us

00:42:18

1987 - July: Guns N' Roses “Appetite for Destruction”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2020/01/06

It is unusual for a band's debut album to be a serious hit, but Appetite for Destruction was such a success that it catapulted Guns N' Roses to celebrity status seemingly overnight. The emphasis is on “seemingly,” because it would actually take several months to catch on. Seven months after the album was released it had only sold 200,000 albums. MTV wouldn't play GNR because of their overt focus on sex and drugs. They finally were played on an episode of “Headbangers Ball” at 4:00 a.m. on the East

en-us

00:43:24

1976 - February: Heart “Dreamboat Annie”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/12/30

Heart hailed from and played in the Seattle area, but recorded this debut single in Vancouver, Canada. Dreamboat Annie appeared in Canada in the summer of 1975 and debuted in America on Valentine's Day 1976. In a male-oriented rock world the unusual sound of a female-fronted rock ensemble would both draw appeal and create friction that would drive a wedge between the group and their original Mushroom Studios label and propel them on to further success. Heart would go on to be almost a celebrity

en-us

00:49:06

1976 - December: Eagles “Hotel California”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/12/23

The fifth studio album by the Eagles would become their biggest commercial success (not counting Greatest Hits (1971-1975), another monster album in its own right). Hotel California has been certified 26x platinum, and virtually every track was played on rock stations, not just the singles "New Kid in Town", "Life in the Fast Lane" and the title track, "Hotel California."This album was recorded after Bernie Leadon had left the group. This multi-instrumental founder was a strong country influence,

en-us

00:36:52

1984 - March: Spinal Tap “This is Spinal Tap”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/12/16

In a What the Riff first, we are reviewing an album by a fictional band this week! In March, a mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner hit the theatres about English heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The soundtrack from that movie, This Is Spinal Tap, would produce...well...perhaps not hits per se, but a lot of fun songs that are actually quite good for those of us who don't take things too seriously. It started out as a sketch on a TV show, but the actors who play the band members actually play their own

en-us

00:50:17

Christmas Songs that Rock (II)

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/12/09

When we did our Rock-and-Roll Christmas "rabbit hole" episode last year we realized that there are just too many Rocking Christmas songs to be held in a single podcast. So we're coming back to you this year with another selection of Christmas songs that rock!“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” by- Ronnie James Dio This selection from the former Rainbow and Black Sabbath front man puts a metal twist on a 16th century carol.“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” by The Barenaked Ladies A more mellow take on the

en-us

00:45:59

1987 - March: U2 “The Joshua Tree”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/12/02

There are a handful of albums that have never lost their popularity, but just get stronger over time, and The Joshua Tree would certainly be one of these giant albums. The fifth studio album by U2 would see the group coming back from the experimental feel of their previous album, The Unforgettable Fire, and taking on a more conventional approach. The Joshua Tree took the theme of "America" as the band had been spending significant time on tour in the country, and Bono was reading American novelists

en-us

00:37:58

1969 - January: Led Zeppelin “Led Zeppelin 1”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/11/25

We return to one of the true giants of the rock era as we take a dive into Led Zeppelin's debut album, known as Led Zeppelin 1. Band members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham recorded this album prior to securing a recording contract. It was recorded in 36 hours at a cost of 2,100 pounds. Founder and guitarist Jimmy Page produced the album.The tracks are a mix of old blues songs and original material, and feature both Page's stirring guitar riffs and Plant's soaring vocals

en-us

00:39:56

1991-July: Crowded House “Woodface”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/11/18

New Zealander Neil Finn founded the indie rock band Crowded House with Austrailian drummer Paul Hester and Australian bassist Nick Seymour. For their third studio album Woodface, Neil's older brother and Split Enz alumnus Tim Finn would join the band. In fact, much of the material recorded for Woodface was originally intended for a Finn brothers album, and made it onto the this album after Capitol Records passed on many of the new songs that were originally intended for the album.Neil Finn has

en-us

00:42:02

1993 - September: Counting Crows "August and...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/11/11

Berkeley, California's Counting Crows seemed to become overnight sensations with their debut album August and Everything After. Lead man and pianist Adam Duritz and guitarist David Bryson came out of a group called The Himalayans, originally starting as a duet. Over time they formed the group, adding keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, guitarists Dan Vickrey and David Immergluck, bassist Millard Powers, and percussionist Jim Bogios. In a time when grunge was on the ascendancy, the Counting Crows drew

en-us

00:36:17

1986 - August: Huey Lewis and the News “Fore!”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/11/04

Huey Lewis and keyboardist Sean Hopper started their career with a jazz-funk band called Clover in San Francisco in 1972. After spending some time in the UK and working with Thin Lizzy, Lewis joined with Hopper and members of another San Francisco band called Soundhole to become "Huey Lewis & The American Express." The name was changed to Huey Lewis & The News when Chrysalis records brought up concerns about trademark infringement from the credit card company.Fore! is the fourth studio album from

en-us

00:27:38

1968 - January: Small Faces “There Are But Four...

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/10/28

One of the most famous of the British "mod" groups, Small Faces was founded by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (although Winston had been replaced by Ian McLagan by this album). Small Faces was solidly in the psychedelic rock category. Small Faces toured with The Who, a group also known as a "mod" group. The name comes from the fact that all the members were under 5' 9". There Are But Four Small Faces was an international alternative to their eponymous second album

en-us

00:35:49

1972 - June: David Bowie “Ziggy Stardust”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/10/21

The actual title of David Bowie's fifth studio album is The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This influential album from the highly creative David Bowie would become the standard bearer of early 70's glam rock. This genre was outrageous, decadent, and a departure from the heavier, revolutionary political tone of late 70's rock music. Bowie created a character named Ziggy Stardust - an androgynous, bisexual rock star channeling aliens to save the earth from destruction which

en-us

00:36:54

1986 - October: Drivin' N Cryin' “Scarred but Smarter”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/10/14

Athens, Georgia may have been known as the music hotbed during the middle 80's, but Drivin' N Cryin' out of nearby Atlanta was benefitting from the Georgia focus as well. Scarred But Smarter was their debut album created on a shoestring budget, with songs that reflect the sound of the Athens scene (where the album was recorded), but with lyrical depth and variety. After several down years, Drivin' N Cryin' is on the upswing again, and you can catch them on tour today.We are thrilled to have Eric Von

en-us

00:44:34

1983 - October: Genesis “Genesis”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/10/07

Most bands make their first album the eponymous one, but Genesis waited until their twelfth studio album to name it Genesis. This one continues the trend toward pop that started with "Abacab" and "Three Sides Live," but maintains the prog rock and art rock connections of their roots. By this time Genesis consisted of Mike Rutherford on keyboards, Tony Banks on guitar, and Phil Collins on drums and lead vocals. Collins would become a celebrity shortly after this album was released.Folks, there's

en-us

00:33:44

1973 - July: ZZ Top “Tres Hombres”

What the Riff Next Gen ·

2019/09/30

Yes, those bearded wonders, the trio of ZZ Top would find their breakthrough hit in LaGrange off their third album entitled Tres Hombres. With Billy Gibbons on guitar, Dusty Hill on bass, and Frank Beard (ironically the only member without a beard) on drums, ZZ Top would begin their climb to stardom via Texas blues/rock with this album. ZZ Top started in 1969 in Houston, Texas and are still playing together today after 50 years.We hope you enjoy this treat from the Texas blues trio as much as we

en-us

410 results

Similar Podcasts

The Austin Young Show

Revolver Podcasts, Austin Young

Typical Tuesday Night || A Taylor Swift Podcast

Karli + Jess

Norah Jones Is Playing Along

iHeartPodcasts

Rose-Colored Headphones

Ralph Mangeno and Michael Stohrer

Rockin" the Suburbs

Rockin" the Suburbs