Michael's Record Collection

Episode 47: Saga Frontman Michael Sadler Discusses ProgJect

Michael Sadler has one of the most unique voices in music. His work with Saga has been stellar through the years and he pops up periodically on releases by other artists. His newest endeavor is joining a band called ProgJect: the Ultimate Progressive Rock Experience. ProgJect pays homage to the progressive rock masters and the five-piece group is set to hit the road across the U.S., bringing prog rock to the people. It's God's work, really. I spoke with Michael about how he got involved with ProgJect, whether we might see a recording from the band soon, and his approach to carrying the mantle of legends like Jon Anderson, Phil Collins, Greg Lake and others...all in the same set! We also spoke about Saga's 40-year-old classic Worlds Apart album, his solo release Clear, some of his collaborations with other artists, and more. 

Find out more about ProgJect at their website and keep up with the latest Saga news at Sagagen.com.

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 46: Talking Cheap Trick at Budokan with Pat Francis

Pat Francis from the excellent Rock Solid podcast is like the godfather of music podcasters. His show is in its 11th year and is going strong with its best guests ever. Pat's show has a rotating format. One week it's an interview, the next it's a roundtable between Pat and his friends discussing an album track by track. This week, I was delighted to welcome Pat to this show to talk about Rock Solid, hunting down autographs after concerts, and (most importantly) about our shared love for Cheap Trick's essential live classic album, At Budokan. 

Find out more about Pat's show at rocksolidpodcast.com and follow his Twitter!

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 45: Best Songs and Albums of 2021

It's the first annual Michael's Record Collection awards! For this episode, you're stuck with just me (no guests) as I walk through the songs and albums that stood out to me over the 2021 calendar year. Play along at home and tell me what I got right and wrong. I have a list of albums and songs below in case you want to check out any you're not familiar with, so if you don't want to be spoiled about the podcast, stop reading after the next two paragraphs.

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.

Albums discussed in this episode:

• Plush - Plush
• Mason Hill - Against the Wall
• Wildstreet - III
• CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
• Inglorious - Heroine
• Chantel McGregor - Shed Sessions Volume One and Volume Two
• Laura Meade - The Most Dangerous Woman in America
• Leslie Hunt - Ascend (EP) / Descend (EP)
• Lindsey Buckingham - Lindsey Buckingham
• John Mayer - Sob Rock
• Dennis DeYoung - 26 East Vol. 2
• Night Ranger - ATBPO
• ABBA - Voyage
• Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight
• Dee Snider - Leave a Scar
• Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
• Lifesigns - Altitude 
• Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
• The Neal Morse Band - Innocence & Danger
• Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH
• The Connells - Steadman's Wake
• Apollo Junction — All In
• Black Diamonds — No-Tell Hotel
• Blackberry Smoke — You Hear Georgia
• Chrissie Hynde — Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan
• David Crosby — For Free
• Dec Burke — Life in Two Dimensions
• Dirty Honey — Dirty Honey (EP)
• Duran Duran — Future Past
• The Dust Coda — Mojo Skyline
• Garbage — No Gods No Masters
• Gary Kemp — INSOLO
• Gary Numan — Intruder
• Greta Van Fleet — The Battle at Garden’s Gate
• Halsey — If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
• Inglorious — We Will Ride
• Jackson Browne — Downhill from Everywhere
• Land of Gypsies — Land of Gypsies
• The Livesays — Not What I Bargained For
• Micky Dolenz — Dolenz Sings Nesmith
• Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
• Rachel Flowers — Bigger on the Inside
• Samantha Fish — Faster
• Secret Sphere — Lifeblood
• Steve Hackett — Surrender of Silence
• Steven Wilson — The Future Bites
• Styx — Crash of the Crown
• Toad the Wet Sprocket — Starting Now
• Velvet Insane — Rock ‘n’ Roll Glitter Suit
• VOLA — Witness
• Walter Egan — Fascination

Individual tracks discussed in this episode:

• Billy Idol - "Bitter Taste"
• Tears for Fears - "The Tipping Point"
• Men Without Hats - "No Friends of Mine"
• D'Virgilio, Morse & Jennings - "Julia"
• Steven Wilson - "12 Things I Forgot"

Episode 44: Terry Ilous - Land of Gypsies

Terry Ilous isn't exactly a household name but he's an artist that has had some success across multiple genres. He fronted his band XYZ in the late 1980s and early 90s, spent more than eight years as Jack Russell's successor as the lead singer of Great White, and has done a lot of Latin-influenced and Flamenco-type music as well. Terry's new project, Land of Gypsies, released its self-titled debut album Dec. 10 and it pays tribute to some of the great bands of the 70s, such as Bad Company, Humble Pie, and early Foreigner and Whitesnake. Terry was gracious enough to talk to me about the making of Land of Gypsies, his time in Great White, the status of XYZ (new music coming?!?), some of his solo work, and more. 

You can learn more about Terry at his website and you can order Land of Gypsies from Amazon or Frontiers Music or on the digital services.

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 43: Genesis - The Last Domino Tour with Matt Wardlaw

I'm changing things up a little for this episode as instead of discussing a new or classic album, I enlisted Matt Wardlaw from Ultimate Classic Rock to compare notes on our recent experiences seeing Genesis on The Last Domino? Tour. Genesis is my all-time favorite band, so there was never a question of whether I was going to see them, so much as a question of where and how often. Matt and I saw them about a week apart in different cities but in similarly located seats. We broke down the setlist, the performance, our Genesis origin stories, and more. I hope you enjoy this special Michael's Concert Ticket Collection episode! Big thanks to Matt for his time.

You can follow Matt on Twitter at @MattWardlaw or find his work at UltimateClassicRock.com. 

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 42: Vinnie Moore of UFO Plays Pink Floyd

Vinnie Moore is a guitar master. He's carved out a great career for himself as a solo artist, a guest musician, and as a guitarist in the legendary hard rock band UFO since 2003. Vinnie recently joined a group of well-known musicians who took part in a great tribute record called Animals Reimagined - A Tribute to Pink Floyd. Playing on the album's best track, "Dogs," Vinnie was joined by ex-Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet, ex-King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, Kasim Sulton from Utopia, and Dream Theater keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess. I spoke with Vinnie about his involvement in the project, his background in music, playing on Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid record and the ensuing tour, performing with the legendary Peter Frampton, joining UFO, his solo career, and more.

Find out more about Vinnie and his music at vinniemoore.com. (He has a new solo album coming soon!)

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 41: Chuck Wright on New Solo Album, Quiet Riot, Giuffria & More

Bassist and composer Chuck Wright may not have a name you instantly recognize, but you've heard his music before. Chuck was in Quiet Riot and played and sang on some of that band's biggest hits and albums. He was also in the band Giuffria, which had a major hit single in the mid-80s called "Call to the Heart." He's played with everyone from Alice Cooper to Gregg Allman to John Waite to Eddie Money, as well as members of Guns N'Roses, Dream Theater, KISS, Skid Row, and Mr. Big. Now Chuck has a new solo project called Chuck Wright's Sheltering Sky, with a debut album scheduled for early 2022 and a new single out right now. "Army of Me" is a Bjork cover, which is unexpected, but it's great. Chuck spoke with me about the single, the album, the 30+ guest musicians he enlisted, his time in Quiet Riot and Giuffria, and so much more.

Check out Chuck's work and get updates on the new album at ChuckWright.com. 

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 40: Talking The Cars - Heartbeat City with Brian Colburn

It's a bonus episode of MRC this week. It's Thanksgiving week and I'm thankful to all the supportive folks out there who have downloaded Michael's Record Collection, streamed my videos on YouTube, subscribed to the MRC newsletter on Substack, and supported the show on Patreon. I'm also thankful to have met some great friends along the way while doing this show. One of those is Brian Colburn, a New Jersey musician who also happens to co-host the excellent Playlist Wars podcast. You may recall I had his podcasting partner Gomez on Episode 22 to discuss his show as well as Meteora by Linkin Park. Brian told me about his musical origin story, his own music, and then we discuss the fantastic 1984 album Heartbeat City by The Cars.

Check out Brian's music on Spotify or on his Bandcamp page and you can see a video of him singing Tom Petty's "Yer So Bad" with Hot Day at the Zoo at https://t.co/lhLSJIzqHV?amp=1. And find out more about Playlist Wars here.

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 39: Leslie Hunt - Ascend and Descend

Chicago-area singer/songwriter Leslie Hunt isn't a household name, but she should be. The lead singer of progressive rockers District 97 and a top 10 finisher on the women's side in Season 6 of American Idol, Hunt is a talented musician and writer with a fantastic voice. She's released two seven-song EPs this year, Ascend and Descend. They're companion releases but each have their own sound. Both are filled with short, catchy songs that reward repeat listens. Leslie was kind enough to spend some time with me, telling me about her background, how she hooked up with District 97, and we took a deep dive into Ascend and Descend.

You can find out more about Leslie Hunt and buy all of her music at LeslieHuntMusic.com. 

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 will 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.

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 38: Talking Def Leppard - Pyromania with Def Lep Pod

Neil Poole hosts the excellent Def Lep Pod, a podcast that takes a deep dive into the music of Def Leppard in a humorous way. Neil treats Def Leppard's music with the utmost respect but each episode is a fun adventure through some aspect of the band's music, whether that's a song, an album, or a chat with a guest. I asked Neil about the origins of his Def Leppard fandom and his show and then we embark on a discussion of my favorite of the band's albums, Pyromania. 

You can find Def Lep Pod wherever podcasts are offered, and you can follow him on social media: Def Lep Pod Neil on Facebook or @DefLepPod on Twitter.

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 will 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.

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.