Michael's Record Collection

Episode 10: Ben Montgomery of Records Revisited

In this episode, we're doing things a little differently. Rather than interviewing a musician about an album they did, I'm talking to a fellow music lover with a podcast that discusses many albums. Ben Montgomery of the Records Revisited podcast joins me and I ask him about his show and then it kind of devolves into two guys discussing what music they like, how they got into music, how they listen, how they approach their music collections, and more. Ben was a great hang and I enjoyed finding a kindred spirit to talk music with, so I hope you'll find it interesting and fun as well. 

You can find Records Revisited at just about all the major podcast platforms, and you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 9: Rocket Scientists - 15 Years of Revolution Road

In this episode I'm joined by 2/3 of the band Rocket Scientists. Musicians Mark McCrite and Don Schiff (unfortunately Erik Norlander wasn't available) were kind enough to discuss the making of their 2006 double album Revolution Road, which is now 15 years old. This is one of my favorite Rocket Scientists records and I enjoyed hearing about how it was made and a little of the history involved. Sadly, it does involve some tragedy, as the band was set to work with talented musician and vocalist Shaun Guerin, who died in 2003. Mark and Don were gracious with their time and shed a lot of light on the story of this excellent album. 

Find out more about Rocket Scientists on their website.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

 

Episode 8: Secret Sphere - Lifeblood

For this show, I'm joined by Aldo Lonobile and Roberto Ramon Messina from Italian power metal masters, Secret Sphere. Aldo and Roberto talked to me about the band's new studio album (the band's ninth), Lifeblood. This is a fun, melodic, and at times progressive album that I really enjoyed. The guys told me a bit about the record, how it was made, their musical influences, signing with Frontiers Records, the metal scene in Italy, and more. 

Band members who were unable to appear on the show were Andy Buratto (bass), Gabriele Ciaccia (keyboards), and Marco Lazzarini (drums).

Learn more about Secret Sphere on their Facebook page or follow them on Instagram. 

I have to warn listeners that the sound quality is a little rough in a few spots, as Roberto's audio was feeding back, and that happened mainly a few times when Aldo was talking. I cleaned it up as best I could in editing but there are still some parts that are noisier than I'd like. Still, Aldo and Roberto provided a lot of interesting stories and good information so I wanted to publish it even if the audio isn't up to the quality standards I'd like.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 7: Dave Cousins - The Strawbs' / "Settlement"

Dave Cousins is the leader of the legendary band The Strawbs, who have been recording albums since the late 1960s. He's also, as it turns out, a delightful fellow with which to have a conversation. Dave joined me to discuss his band's latest release, "Settlement." The album was recorded remotely by the band during the pandemic lockdown and Dave talked about how he hasn't been able to go back to his own home due to his basement flooding, having to buy gear to record the album at home, and various lyrical and musical stories behind the songs. 

Find out more about The Strawbs here.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 6: Eternal Return - Once Only

In this episode of MRC, I jump into a musical genre a bit outside my usual comfort zone. Eternal Return is an interesting new post-rock/ambient/experimental project that entered my radar because of the involvement of Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin. The five musicians in Eternal Return all started the project while living in different countries and got together in Germany to record the album before the pandemic. 

The core of the group is the ambient duo Dogon (Paul Godwin and Miguel Noya), along with Edwin, Estonian guitarist Robert Jürjendal, and drummer Miguel Toro. I spoke with Paul, Robert, and Miguel Noya about the making of this record, its theme of nomadism, and their process. 

You can check them out on Spotify or other streaming services, and visit their Bandcamp site here.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 5: Billy Sherwood - Yes/Arc of Life

In Episode 5, musician/producer Billy Sherwood, probably best known for his work with progressive rock giants Yes, joined me to discuss his newest project, Arc of Life. Recorded before the pandemic, Arc of Life began with some simple writing sessions with Jon Davison while Yes was on tour and grew from there. Billy talks about the making of the record, being in Yes, serving as a good steward of Chris Squire's legacy in that band, and many other topics. 

Keep up with Arc of Life on their Facebook page.

Find out more about Billy on his Facebook page and his page on the YesWorld site.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 4: Lee Abraham - Harmony/Synchronicity

Welcome back to Michael's Record Collection! For Episode 4 I spoke to British musician Lee Abraham about the making of his eighth studio album, Harmony/Synchronicity. The album was put together while he was in lockdown for the pandemic. Lee is a great guitarist and bass player and has been a member of the storied British prog band Galahad. Generous with his time, as ever, Lee spoke about his recent AOR influences, writing and recording the album, the equipment he used, and more. He also broke some news here about his forthcoming ninth album.

Find out more about Lee on his website.

Order Lee's music here: progrock.co.uk - the home of Progressive Rock

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

 

Episode 3: Robert Berry on 3.2 and Keith Emerson

Robert Berry is a talented guy and he's worked with a lot of other talented musicians. His latest release is "Third Impression" under the moniker 3.2. The 3.2 project emerged out of the band 3 from the late 1980s when Berry connected with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer of ELP to record and release "To the Power of Three." The project was shelved for years until he convinced Emerson the time was right for a follow-up. Unfortunately, before all the recording had been completed, Emerson took his own life. 

In this interview, Berry talks in depth about working with Keith, why and how the second 3.2 release (and third of the trio including 3) came about, and working with Palmer. He even talks a bit about meeting and playing with Greg Kihn. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Enjoy Episode 3!

Episode 2: Randy George of The Neal Morse Band

Randy George is a terrific multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He may be best-known as the bassist in progressive rock supergroup The Neal Morse Band, but he's done a lot of other things. I spoke to Randy about he and his wife Pamela's Sweet Invention project, playing live during the pandemic, his christian prog rock band Ajalon (and whether we'll see another album from that band), meeting and recording with Neal Morse, the early sessions for the forthcoming fourth Neal Morse Band album, and a lot more.

Check out Sweet Invention and Randy's solo works on Spotify and Neal Morse's Waterfall streaming app. You can also listen to select Neal Morse solo (with Randy on bass) and Neal Morse Band music on public streaming or all of it on the Waterfall app with a paid subscription. You can watch my interview with Randy on YouTube or go there to check out Randy's episode of Neal's chat show Musicians Having Coffee & Talking About Stuff. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 1: Little Atlas - Wanderlust

In 2005, the Miami-based progressive rock quartet Little Atlas was one of South Florida's best bands and recorded what I believe to be their best album in a catalog full of great music. I interviewed lead vocalist and keyboard player Steve Katsikas and we were joined in mid-discussion by bassist Rik Bigai. The two musicians are great guys and talked me through the making of the 2005 album Wanderlust. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.