Michael's Record Collection

Episode 150: Phil Keaggy of Cosmic Cathedral Discusses "Deep Water"

My guest for this episode is legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy. Phil has joined forces with Neal Morse, ex-Genesis drummer Chester Thompson, and noted session bassist Byron House to form a new prog rock supergroup called Cosmic Cathedral. The band's debut album, Deep Water, drops April 25 from Inside Out Music. Phil was kind enough to tell me how the project came about, the making of the record, his musical beginnings and more. Cosmic Cathedral rocks, swings, grooves, and is full of all the proggy goodness you'd expect from a project involving Neal Morse.

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. 

Episode 149: Steve Babb of Glass Hammer - Rogue

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. 

Episode 148: Dave Kerzner on New Genesis Lamb Tribute

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. 

Episode 147: Grackle Interview - All That Matters

For this episode, I'm joined by three members of Grackle, a Louisville, Kentucky-based indie/progressive rock band that defies simple classification, with elements of prog, alt-rock, jazz, classical, folk, classic rock, and more. Primary songwriter Steve Katsikas (vocals, keyboards, saxophone, etc.) along with backing vocalist Jennifer Lauletta and drummer Jeff Gard stopped by for a discussion of the band's recently released third album, All That Matters, which sees Grackle take a big step forward in development in songwriting and finding themselves as a band. Big thanks to the three musicians for the chat. Check out Grackle's website at grackleband.com, follow them on Facebook, and sample their music at grackleband.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. 

Episode 146: Peter Nicholls and Mike Holmes of IQ on "Dominion"

My guests for this episode are the principal writers for the British progressive rock band IQ, Peter Nicholls (lyrics) and Mike Holmes (music). The lead singer and guitarist, respectively, along with their bandmates are set to release the band's 13th album, Dominion, on Giant Electric Pea Records on March 28. The two discussed the album's music, lyrics, and writing process, their musical backgrounds, Peter's fake-it-til-you-make-it approach to becoming one of the most unique voices in progressive rock, and more. 

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. 

Episode 145: Kevin J. Anderson Part 2 - Rush, Neil Peart, and Clockwork Angels

It's Part 2 of my interview with bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson! In this episode, Kevin discusses how he found out he was going to write the novelization for Rush's Clockwork Angels album, working with Neil Peart on the books, his friendship with Neil, his love of Rush's music, and his thoughts on the Clockwork Angels album. Visit wordfire.com for more information on Kevin's work.

Get in on Kevin's Terra Incognita and Roswell Six Kickstarter here.

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. 

Episode 144: Kevin J. Anderson Part 1 - Terra Incognita and Roswell Six Kickstarter

My guest for this episode is New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, who is firing up a new Kickstarter (see URL below) today to reissue his outstanding Terra Incognita trilogy in special hardcover and bespoke editions. What does this have to do with my record collection? All three of Kevin's novels in the trilogy have a companion album of original progressive rock songs performed by an all-star cast, helping to bring the story to life. The "band" name is Roswell Six, and only two of the albums came out while the books were being released. The third album has finally been completed and may be the best of the bunch. In this first part of my interview with Kevin, he discusses how he became a fan of progressive and what we now call classic rock, the Terra Incognita kickstarter, how he brought his novel/album idea to fruition, why the third album wasn't originally made, how that eventually became a reality, and more. Part 2 will drop next week, in which Kevin discusses his love of Rush, collaborating with Neil Peart on the Clockwork Angels steampunk novels, his love for the Clockwork Angels album, and more. Visit wordfire.com for more information on Kevin's work.

Get in on Kevin's Terra Incognita and Roswell Six Kickstarter here.

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. 

Episode 143: Jonas Reingold Discusses New Karmakanic Album "Transmutation"

Current Steve Hackett bassist and ex-Flower King Jonas Reingold is back with the sixth Karmakanic album, Transmutation. The new album sees Karmakanic as less of a band and more of a collective of musicians, featuring a new lead vocalist in John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, Arena, It Bites, Kino, Frost*). Jonas was kind enough to tell me about the making of Transmutation, his musical background, joining the Flower Kings and Steve Hackett's band, being in Los Angeles to mix the record during the height of the wildfires, and much more. Check out mor on Karmakanic at jonasreingold.se.

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. 

Episode 142: Riverside's Michal Lapaj Discusses Live ID

My guest for this episode is Riverside keyboardist Michal Lapaj! The excellent Polish heavy prog rockers toured extensively for the outstanding 2023 album ID.Entity, and that has resulted in the recent release of a new live album, Live ID. Michal talks about the tour, a bit about the making of the live album and ID. Entity, the loss of guitarist Piotr Grudzinski, his musical beginnings, how he ended up in Riverside, and more. You can learn more about the band at riversideband.pl. 

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. 

Episode 141: John Boegehold of Pattern-Seeking Animals on "Friend of All Creatures"

My guest for this episode is composer and multi-instrumentalist John Boegehold of Pattern-Seeking Animals! The band is releasing its fifth studio album on Feb. 14 titled Friend of All Creatures. The album features all the prog rock goodness you've come to expect in a melodic and accessible package. In addition to the making of the record, John talks about his musical past, his approach to writing, and much more. Learn more about the band at www.psanimals1.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.