Michael's Record Collection

Episode 57: Nazareth Bassist Pete Agnew

Rock and roll doesn't get much more old school than Scottish legends Nazareth. The band is still going more than 50 years since releasing their first album. Their 25th album, Surviving the Law, is coming out in mid-April, and bassist and founding member Pete Agnew was kind enough to tell me how this fresh new take on the Nazareth sound has come about. Pete and I also spoke about his introduction to music, switching from guitar to bass out of necessity, and (of course) that classic album Hair of the Dog. 

You can learn more about Nazareth at the band's official website (https://www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/website/) or their Facebook page, and you can order Surviving the Law on colored vinyl or cassette from the Frontiers Music webstore.

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.

Episode 56: Robin McAuley - Black Swan’s ”Generation Mind”

Legendary Irish rock vocalist Robin McAuley has been a busy guy and the former McAuley Schenker Group frontman is about to have his second release with his newest band, Black Swan, drop in early April. Robin and I spoke in depth about the new Generation Mind album, his background, having his first hit song with a "Stairway to Heaven" cover, joining M.S.G., his successful Las Vegas show ("Raiding the Rock Vault"), and even a new upcoming solo album. It was great catching up with Robin and the new album flat out rocks. Learn more about Black Swan on their Facebook page. 

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.

Episode 55: Oliver Wakeman - Collaborations, Yes, and More

I caught up with composer and keyboard maestro Oliver Wakeman this week to discuss the release of his newest box set, Collaborations. This three-CD set contains new reissues (with bonus tracks) of his The 3 ages of Magick collaboration with Steve Howe and his Ravens & Lullabies album with Gordon Giltrap. There's also a disc of previously unreleased live material with Giltrap and vocalist Paul Manzi (Sweet, ex-Arena). We also spoke about his background, coming from a family of famous keyboard players, his time in Yes and The Strawbs, his solo work, and much more.

Learn more about Oliver's music at his YouTube channel or at OliverWakeman.co.uk. 

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.

Episode 54: August Zadra - Guiding Star

Dennis DeYoung's guitarist August Zadra has been in the music business a long time. Aside from playing with the legendary Styx front man for the last 12 years, August has been in several tribute bands and has played with some of the greats in rock music. Now he's put together his first solo project under the name Zadra and released his first album, Guiding Star. I spoke with August about this excellent, melodic, AOR album, as well as his influences, how he met Dennis, working with Jeff Scott Soto, and much more. 

Check out August's Facebook page. You can order Guiding Star digitally from most online outlets and the CD is available on Amazon. The exclusive white vinyl version of Guiding Star is available only at the Frontiers online store (and you can save 10% on orders by signing up for their email newsletter when you visit).

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.

Episode 53: Journey - Escape

This week's show is a little different. I'm discussing Journey's iconic 1981 "Escape" album with David Rohe and we're giving out song rankings from the album. Dave was the very first Michael's Record Collection Patreon supporter and I've known him for many years. We had a great time dissecting a classic record from the early 80s track by track and then ranking the songs to see how our lists compared. 

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.

Episode 52: Kevin Gilbert’s ”The Shaming of the True” with Wayne Perez

This week's show discusses a criminally unknown album by a criminally unknown artist. Kevin Gilbert may not be a name you recognize but you've likely heard his work. If you don't know his bands Giraffe or Toy Matinee, you may be familiar with Sheryl Crow's debut album, on which Kevin co-wrote the majority of the songs and played multiple instruments. Kevin passed away at the young age of 29 in 1996 and his posthumous classic The Shaming of the True is an album worth owning. Here to talk me through the story behind it (and its impending vinyl release) is Wayne Perez, archivist for the estate of Kevin Gilbert and host of You Are Here: A Kevin Gilbert Podcast, on YouTube.

Learn more about Kevin Gilbert at KevinGilbert.com and the official Kevin Gilbert Facebook page, and check out You Are Here at the official Kevin Gilbert YouTube channel.

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.

Episode 51: John Payne Celebrates Asia, Aqua

It's never easy to replace a popular band's original lead singer and it's twice as hard when that singer is John Wetton. But that's what John Payne did, carving out his own niche as the lead singer and bassist of Asia through the 1990s and beyond, appearing on eight studio records with the band. John is hitting the road with Asia Featuring John Payne to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album and the 30th anniversary of his first release with the band, Aqua. I spoke with John about joining Asia and the making of Aqua. We also spoke about the awkwardness of having two touring bands flying the Asia banner, some of his other recording projects (such as GPS and the Dukes of Orient), and he revealed the name of his next upcoming endeavor. 

Learn more about John and the upcoming Asia Featuring John Payne tour at the band's 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.

Episode 50: Legendary Drummer Carmine Appice

The one and only Carmine Appice is this week's guest! Carmine has been a force with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Murder, King Kobra, and several other bands and side projects and he's played with nearly every big name in rock music. I spoke with Carmine about a historic new release. A recording of the first ever Cactus concert was unearthed and released as The Birth of Cactus - 1970. It's a terrific document of the band's first live appearance. We also spoke about his work with other artists, such as Rick Derringer, Pink Floyd, Paul Stanley, and more. 

Find out more about Cactus at the band's official 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.

Episode 49: Lana Lane - Neptune Blue

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.

Episode 48:Talking Duran Duran’s Rio with Author Annie Zaleski

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.