The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll

When we heard about the book, The Mighty WMMR, we wanted to read it! Once we did, we wanted to have its author, and old friend, Erin Riley come on to talk about the hazy heyday from the station's Marconi inception through the 1980s, into the '90s! Powerhouse isn't too strong a word.

Erin discusses how she came to write this book, and

Her book is an incredible read about this iconic radio station, and it's selling well! Get it at your local bookstore, or hit it here for an Amazon link!

In 1982, the world first saw and heard Urgh! A Music War, which was a culmination of planning and filming in 1980, capturing an incredible point in time for music! Spurred on by the Copeland brothers, Derek Burbidge, Michael White and Lyndall Hobbs organized the bands with tour plans, and cool venues in multiple cities.

The format was one band, then another, and another, battle of the bands-style! The list of the bands is astounding!

Looking back, not only were the bands amazing, but the film and audio quality, especially for 1980, was spectacular!

Don Powell was in the drum seat for Slade from before the beginning, thinking of The In-Betweens, until his retirement in 2020! This week he shares his role, both in the band and the scene, as they added a bit more Rock to the Rock & Roll of the era!

Don walks us through the years, from Ambrose Slade, through the decades as Slade, sharing quite a few fun tales along the way! There's also some interesting comparative discussion of record company "policies" in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere. Some interesting characters are "in there," Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, Clem Cattini, and their manager/producer Chaz Chandler (The Animals), among others!

Find this and all of our episodes on our LibSyn page, right here!

Markus and Ray love them some Neanderpaul, as in radio great Paul Marshall! It's been a while since they've heard from Paul, with his unique wit and outlook! He checks in from Arizona...we think...

Hit us up for direct contact 411 at imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

This week, we are part of an episode exchange with our dear friend Buzz Knight, and his Award-Winning Takin' A Walk podcast! For our part, we are thrilled to present Buzz's recent amazing talk with Hip Hop maestro, Grandmaster Flash!

Enjoy their conversational "walk" as they discuss life, and its effects on the music, and in no small way, Buzz and he discuss how Flash personally discovered music and records (a superb tale in this episode), and all about the essence of our youth!

For our part, we "traded" a really amazing interview that Markus & Ray just did with Don Powell, drummer of the band, Slade! Our episode from that interview will drop here in a couple weeks.

Check out Buzz Knight Media's family of podcasts, right here: Buzz Knight Media

Having seen him play with Stick Men, and heard his playing with King Crimson, it was great to spend time with Pat discussing those two bands he has been a part of. He and the Imbalanced Ones also talk about his other projects and this episode's surprises: his first big band (you know their songs), and the identity of Mastelefto, a friend who turned into a social media identity among Pat's fans!

Find out more about Pat, and his projects, on his web site: https://www.patmastelotto.com/

Author Peter Richardson (No Simple Highway/Savage Journey) comes to visit to discuss his newest book, Brand New Beat, The Wild Rise Of Rolling Stone Magazine! He gives the Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll an outline of the book, then "fills it in" with their questions, and some great insights on the era and, of course, on the birth of Rolling Stone.

Thanks to Peter for filling in so many missing parts of the overall story about the magazine, but also the vibrant telling of the tales within his book!

Join us for a taste (careful the punch is spiked) of San Francisco, just as it all was happening, in real time: the scene, the music, the magazine!

The concept of a form of Rock as unfettered by convention as Progressive Rock going Pop might seem counterintuitive. Perhaps impossible...

But through the decades, varied forces have worked to capture the fanbase of bands who play in this sonic area. Sometimes with mixed results.

This week, the Imbalanced Boy are joined by their friend and co-worker, Zack Morse! He works as an audio wizard by day, and a caped crimefighter by night! He also spends a considerable amount of time in the realm of Progressive Rock, leading to his visit. Enjoy this fun cosmic ride!

Keep up with all of our episodes on our website!

And via LibSyn's IHORNR page!

In their first new release of the Fall, Markus and Ray introduce a new "Imbalanced" concept, Lost Albums! Being one of the most famous of "the lost," The Beatles' Hey Jude is this episode's topic. Starting life under a different title, The Imbalanced Ones will discuss that, and the many other factors that led to this being lost (and rare) in the long run.

The guys "rediscover" this record, song by song, with quite a few fun surprises along the way!

Reach out via email: imbalancedhistory@gmail.com & hit our web site for all of our episodes!

When Folk went Electric, a lot credit goes to Roger McGuinn and the Byrds! They also were among the first to move to Laurel Canyon along with the Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, members of Buffalo Springfield and a lot more. There was a lot of magic being created in those hills.

This was the time of The British Invasion, but the Canyon gave Americans, and Brits alike, a place to hang.

Dig in and enjoy the lifestyle, the sounds and the magic of Laurel Canyon.

There's a documentary, Echo In The Canyon, hosted by Jakob Dylan, which highlights the impact of that time period in Rock & Roll, as well as the place's significance in music, culture and art. This episode was completely inspired by seeing the documentary on Netflix.

When we dug into major bands who combined longevity and the same lineup, few have even come close to that band from H-Town, ZZ Top! Formed in 1969, their brand of Texas Boogie has a legacy all it's own, even as the form it takes has changed. They celebrate their Lone Star influences, while blazing a trail that's pure ZZ!!!

Add your voice on email: imalancedhistory@gmail.com

And check out all of our episodes on our web site: ImbalancedHistory.com

This week's release is dedicated to ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, who passed this past week...rest in peace!

Chrissie Hynde and her fellow Pretenders set out on paths that brought them together for an amazing, but all too short run, in their original form. We explore the sad stories about Jimmy and Pete passing, and how Chrissie and drummer Martin Chambers have carried on through the decades. We seem to learn new things about people, who we have followed for years, on a weekly basis. This episode is no exception!

Get all of our episodes on our web site: Imbalanced History!

Email us: imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

From his early days as the name and face of the band, through a 50-year solo career, Alice Cooper has evoked a certain response! His fans have stayed with him, adding new generations, well into the 21st Century!

But in the early days, there was hell... From the parents and some critics who just never got it. By the time the band split up, Alice knew he had to go forward, leading to Ray's very first concert.

The Imbalanced Brothers go digging deep in the story with some surprising results! Tell us about your Alice experiences via email: imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

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To understand the story of Joy Division, and how they became New Order requires some patience, and more. The "why?" in the equation is also discussed, including the lack of support in the area of mental health in that era. The suicide of Ian Curtis might have crashed most bands, but the survivors carried on with a New Order! The impact of both bands carries on today.

The full story unfolds in this episode: joy, pain, recovery, fortitude and incredible music!

Tom Taylor wrote an article about Ian Curtis's final days for Far Out Magazine here!

Check out all of our episodes here!

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The Doors were a groundbreaking band that changed the rules in so many ways. They made their mark, burned brightly, then faded after Jim Morrison's death. This week The Imbalanced Brothers talk about the spark, the era, and the ways the band's legacy continues in the 21st century!

"Ladies and gentlemen, from Venice Beach, California... THE DOORS!!!"

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He was a complex man who struggled with demons while always trying to do what was right, in his own way. Along the road, he and June created amazing music, crossing all kinds of musical barriers, and real ones, to become beloved American icons!

This week, the Imbalanced Ones delve into, and reveal, their love for The Man In Black! Find all of their Imbalanced History episodes here, on the Imbalanced History web site!

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There were many bands that were part of that first wave of Punk Rock, but slovenly and pointed, The Sex Pistols, cracked the egg, and opened the door a bit, including for many other bands, some who were already working at it.

An integral part of both Markus' and Ray's musical paths, the guys highlight the band's role for them, and try to show their current relevance!

Hit 'em with your feedback at imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

All episodes always available at: https://imbalancedhistory.com/

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Markus and Ray welcome Jon Wiederhorn back to discuss, Dreaming Japanese, the story of Marty Friedman of Megadeth and so much more, which he co-wrote! We discuss Marty's life, told amazingly in the book, and his bold career moves, as well as his long-time associations!

Jon informs on Marty's first person telling of his life story! Out now, get it for yourself or the Mega-fan in your life!!! Support your local book store!!!

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One of the most interesting, and truly independent bands of our times, They Might Be Giants are the subject of this week's episode. Markus recently had the opportunity to speak with John F. of the band.

While the discussion is more current, the discussion includes his take on their multi-decade/seriously-layered legacy!

Hit us with your TMBG stories: imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

All of our episodes are here: Imbalanced History Central!!!

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This week, The Imbalanced Brothers dig into the story of Tony Burrows, British singer of note, who put together an amazing run of hits in the 1970s!

He had considerable help, so Markus & Ray delve into the whole scenario! Their recollection of these hit songs, and the artists to whom they were attributed, comes from being kids who grew up with 45s in the house.

Add your two cents (which was actually a thing in the '70s) via email: imbalancedhistory@gmail.com

Dig into all of the Imbalanced History episodes right here: Imbalanced History Central

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