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What the Riff?!?

What the Riff?!?

Von: Rob Marbury Wayne Rowan Bruce Fricks and Brian Dickhute
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 Every week, “WHAT THE RIFF?!?” takes a look at a ROCK AND ROLL album that debuted or peaked on the U.S. Billboard charts during a random month between 1965-1995. Four friends discuss the artists and 4 tracks from the album as it plays in the background. Then we riff on 4 “staff picks” of other artists that were also in the charts during that month and year. You’ll hear some familiar tunes as well as some deeper cuts and entertainment tracks as we share a little look into the culture and happenings of that day— having fun recalling that “old time rock and roll.” We hope to bring back memories for you — and we encourage you to find and purchase the tracks and albums from iTunes, Spotify or your other favorite music service. You’ll find each episode with a short blog on this site. Please subscribe so you don’t miss any release! We also invite you to follow us and learn more about us @whattheriffpodcast on Facebook.What the Riff ©2024 Musik Sozialwissenschaften Welt
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  • 1972 - January: America "America"

    1972 - January: America "America"
    Jun 23 2025
    Surprisingly, America was formed in London. The trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek met in London where their fathers were stationed at the United States Air Force base at RAF South Ruislip. The three attended London Central High School and began playing together on borrowed acoustic guitars. The name came from the Americana jukebox in the mess hall, and a desire to distinguish themselves from the British musicians around them who were trying to sound more American.America is also their self-titled debut album released in the States in January 1972. The album originally was released without “A Horse With No Name,” but when that single garnered significant commercial success it was added to a re-release of the album in early 1972. The re-released album would top the US album charts and produce two top-10 singles.The band would be a force in the folk-rock and soft rock genres for a generation. With close harmonies similar to Crosby, Stills & Nash, and complex acoustic guitar arrangements, their first seven albums would be in the top 50 on the album charts, though this first debut would be their lone chart topper to date. Their compilation album “History: America's Greatest Hits” was released at the end of 1975.America produced albums of original material up through 2015. In 1977 Dan Peek left the group to pursue music in the Contemporary Christian genre. Speculation regarding a reunion of the original members continued through the years until Peeks death in 2011.Rob brings us a great debut folk rock album in this week's podcast.RiversideThe lead off track is a good example of the original America sound. It has a laid back message: I don't want to take anything from you, and I don't want you to take anything from me. It is a “live and let live” message using a metaphor of life on two sides of the river.A Horse with No NameThis is the track that put the band on the map. Originally entitled “Desert Song” the track takes inspiration from a Salvador Dali painting and an M.C. Escher painting. Writer Dewey Bunnell created lyrics loosely based on his travels as a child with family through the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. Three RosesBunnell paints a picture of both a quiet life and romantic uncertainty in this song inspired by his girlfriend, soon to be wife. “Three roses were bought with you in mind.” Dan Peek takes lead vocal duties on this one with subdued but complex chords and harmonies.I Need YouThe second single from the album was written by Gerry Beckley when he was 16 years old. Beckley also takes lead vocals on this ballad which went to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can sense the similarity to bands like the Beatles and Alan Parsons in this track. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Main theme from the television series “Emergency!”This first responder action series focused on Squad 51 in Los Angeles saw its debut in January 1972. STAFF PICKS:Family Affair by Sly & the Family StoneBruce begins the staff picks with the most successful hit from Sly & the Family Stone. This song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the R&B Singles chart for five. This track is a little different for the group, as the guitars are toned down, and the electric piano (with Billy Preston on keyboard) is brought up. The lyrics talk about the ways a family can go wrong.Roundabout by YesLynch brings us a song written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe. The song originated from a trip the group took in Scotland in which they encountered a number of roundabouts. The line, “in and around the lake” came from one of the lochs they passed. This opening track from Fragile was drastically edited to produce a single coming in at 3:27 rather than the over 8-minute original. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, the group's highest charting single until 1983's “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”Doctor My Eyes by Jackson BrowneWayne's staff pick is a single off Browne's debut and self-titled album. The lyrics discuss the feeling that the singer is becoming jaded about life by seeing all the wrong in the world, and now being unable to cry about it. David Crosby and Graham Nash provide backing vocals to this song which went to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Misty Mountain Hop by Led ZeppelinRob features a song which was the B-side to Zeppelin's “Black Dog.” The lyrics take their inspiration from the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as the “Legalize Pot Rally” held in Hyde Park in July 1968. It appeared on the massive Led Zeppelin IV album. As Rob says, it is a “mixture of stoner idealism and Tolkien nerdery.” COMEDY TRACK:Pigeon Song by AmericaWe exit with a little double dipping, and with gratefulness that none of us is a pigeon named Fred. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. ...
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    33 Min.
  • 1966 - February: The Sonics "Boom"

    1966 - February: The Sonics "Boom"
    Jun 16 2025
    Before the grunge movement of the 90's, and before the punk movement of the 70's, there was the garage band phenomenon of the 60's. One of the forerunners of both punk and grunge from this garage band period is Tacoma Washington's The Sonics. Their classic lineup consisted of Rob Lind on harmonica, vocals, and sax, Gerry Roslie on organ, piano, and lead vocals, Larry Parypa on lead guitar and vocals, Andy Parypa on bass, and Bob Bennett on drums. The Sonics had a fast, hard-edged sound similar to The Kinks, and performed with a speed that would inspire punk rock.Boom is their second studio album from the band, released in February 1966. As with many songs from the mid-60's, all the songs are short. But with a non to the future punk movement, many songs are even shorter, clocking in at just over 2 minutes. The Sonics take their name from Boeing, the aviation company also based in Tacoma. The name of the album is likely a play on words for the "sonic boom," the thunderous sound produced by an aircraft exceeding the speed of sound. The music on this album is energetic and abrasive, and while some fuzzy guitar distortion is included the overall feel is raw with little extra production.The classic lineup would fall apart by 1968, with members leaving to join other bands, attend college, or in saxophonist Rob Linds' case - become a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. Gerry Roslie would be the sole remaining original member with new members jumping in and out of the band until 1980. Wayne brings us this forerunner of punk and grunge for this week's podcast. CinderellaThe lead-off song from the album was an original piece written by Gerry Roslie. The lyrics relay a boy meeting a girl at a bar, having a great time drinking and dancing, and just when things start to get going well, the girl is gone by midnight. He's Waitin'This song starts the B-side of the album, and was also a Gerry Roslie original. This "boy loses girl" song is not a happy one! The lyrics reflect the boy's thoughts on being burned by a girl. Now he is telling her that Satan is waiting for her. "It's too late, you lied, now you will fry." Louie, LouieRichard Berry wrote and performed this song in 1957 with The Pharaohs, and covers of this song are common with garage bands. The Sonics' version is quite fast, and modifies the pronunciation from "Lou-ee Lou-ee" to "Lou-eye Lou-way" in the chorus. It is hard to separate this song from the thoughts of fraternity parties and the comedy movie "Animal House." Shot DownThe song that closes out the album laments about striking out when approaching a girl. "I play a guitar. I even drive a brand new car. Big man in town, I've been shot down." ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:Theme from the motion picture "The Rare Breed"This western starred James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara and was one of the first films scored by the now-legendary composer John Williams. STAFF PICKS:Crying Time by Ray CharlesBruce leads off the staff picks with the lead single and starting track to Ray Charles' album of the same name. The song was originally performed by Buck Owens in 1964, and Charles kept the country feel while taking the cover to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. He won the Grammy Awards in 1967 for Best R&B Recording and Best R&B Solo Performance for this track.It's a Man's Man's Man's World by James BrownLynch brings us a song that takes its name as a play on the name of a 1963 comedy film, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." The minor key track has lyrics decrying the chauvinism of society where all the work of modern civilization are attributed to men, but it would all "mean nothing without a woman or a girl." Brown recorded the song in only two takes, and it would become a staple of his live shows for the rest of his career.Secret Agent Man by Johnny RiversRob features a surf rock song originally developed as the opening intro to the U.S. spy television series "Secret Agent," which aired from 1964 to 1966. The ditty became popular, and Rivers developed it into a full single. The song would go to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming both a signature song for Rivers and a rock standard for future bands and shows.Lies by The KnickerbockersWayne's closes out the staff picks with a song from an American band deliberately trying to mimic the sound of a British Invasion song. The trio harmonies definitely give it a Beatles quality. As you might expect from the band name, the Knickerbockers got their start in New Jersey as a garage band. The track came together in about a half hour. COMEDY TRACK:The One on the Right is On the Left by Johnny CashThis comedy song about a band with incompatible political leanings amongst its members takes us out for this week's podcast. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is ...
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    29 Min.
  • 1990 - June: Poison "Flesh & Blood"

    1990 - June: Poison "Flesh & Blood"
    Jun 9 2025
    Flesh & Blood, the third studio album by Poison, finds the group at the top of their form. The team of Bret Michaels on lead vocals, C.C. DeVille on lead guitar, Bobby Doll on bass, and Rikki Rockett on drums had been quite successful in the glam metal genre of the mid-80's, and had developed a reputation for a "work hard, play hard" mentality. While they had a legendary stage presence, they also were plagued with fights both within and outside of the band. A number of lawsuits in various cities were predicated on Michaels' tendency to get into fights at parties and other events. Despite these issues - or perhaps because of them - their reputation only grew over time. Flesh & Blood is an album that is more challenging musically than the earlier ones. The band is toning down their glam metal persona and taking on more serious lyrical themes. Songs cover a wide range from sex and motorcycles, to struggles with long term relationships, to frustration with the struggles seen in society. The band would drop the excessive makeup of their earlier career, and found the songs on a more blues-oriented rock. More piano work is included, with keyboardist John Webster contributing to the album sessions.The result was a success, reaching triple platinum status by 1991. The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 3 on the UK albums chart. This album would be a kind of high water mark for the group, as the industry was moving away from the metal sound of the late 80's and into the grunge sound of the mid-1990's. However, the group would go on to record and tour into the new millennium, and Bret Michaels would become both a solo act and a celebrity with his MTV reality show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels."Lynch brings us a look at a somewhat more mature Poison on this week's for today's podcast. Unskinny BopNot every song has deep or significant lyrics. This hit single from the album started as a nonsense lyric, a placeholder that stuck. The catchy repetition would make it a crowd favorite at concerts, and it was a top 10, going to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.Valley of Lost SoulsA deeper cut, this song lyrics talk about the life of a rock artist struggling to make it in a place without compassion. It is a slower piece, but definitely not a ballad. Life Goes OnC.C. DeVille brought the original draft of this song to the band. The lyrics were inspired by a girlfriend of DeVille who was shot and killed in a California bar fight, and describe the quest for light at the end of a dark period in life.Something to Believe InThis ballad was the second single released from the album, and went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bret Michaels dedicated this song to his friend and bodyguard James Kimo Maano who had died previously. The lyrics reflect the frustration in the failures of society, from poverty, to the treatment of Vietnam veterans, to the hypocrisy of televangelists. ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:You're In the Doghouse Now by Brenda Lee (from the motion picture “Dick Tracy”)This action movie based on the comic series from the 1930's starred Warren Beatty in the title role, along with Al Pacino and Madonna. STAFF PICKS:Ball and Chain by Social DistortionWayne kicks off the staff picks with a more alternative rock song penned by a punk rock band from their third and self-titled album. The lyrics describe a hard luck story of a man who can't escape his difficulties. It could be about a relationship, a rut in life, or about any vice that holds you down.Way Down Now by World PartyRob's staff pick is the first single from World Party's second studio album, "Goodbye Jumbo." If you hear echoes of "Sympathy for the Devil," that is deliberate - though the song is much more upbeat. It reached number 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. World Party is primarily a one-man project from multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger from the Waterboys.Tie Dye on the Highway by Robert PlantBruce brings us a song off plant's fifth studio album "Manic Nirvana." The spoken line, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000." is from Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm Collective, delivered at the Woodstock festival in 1969 announcing the intention to provide free breakfast to the crowd. Kool Thing by Sonic YouthLynch closes out the staff picks with a song critical of the over-the-top masculinity of LL Cool J. It was the first single from their sixth studio album, "Goo." The track never mentions LL Cool J personally, but references a number of his works. Chuck D. of Public Enemy provides the spoken vocals to the song.INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:Mildred Pierce by Sonic YouthWe double up on Sonic Youth as we end today's podcast with their instrumental based on a 1945 film noir starring Joan Crawford. Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the...
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    42 Min.

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