Pod of Thunder

For their annual 4th of July extravaganza, the guys analyze a Nick pick from the Listener Submission List: “Real American” by Rick Derringer from the 1985 World Wrestling Federation release The Wrestling Album! Was Hulk Hogan’s iconic theme song a raging Rock & Roll Boner for everyone on the panel, or did someone smash its face into a turnbuckle? And who won this year’s Song or Fireworks Kit c...

The guys analyze a Chris pick from the Listener Submission List: “Be My Lover” from the 1971 Alice Cooper album Killer! This song is near and dear to the Gunslinger's heart, as his college band covered it with great success. Did the Jones Brothers share in his sentimental joy by offering up some Sweet Surrenders, or did the classic-rock-hating duo ruin his night with a couple crotch kicks? Listen...

Ben Stikeleather, owner and operator of Rowyco Kustoms guitar finishes, joins the show to help the guys analyze “Dirty Movies” from the 1981 Van Halen album Fair Warning! The client list of Ben’s company includes Paul Stanley and Nikki Sixx, and like most rockers his and Chris L.’s age, he’s also huge VH fan. As is “kustomary” for first-time guests, Ben was given the privilege of picking the song,...

The guys analyze an Andy pick from the Listener Submission List: “Shake Hands with Beef” from the 1997 Primus release Brown Album! This is the second time something from Les and Ler has received the POT treatment, with ALB making the selection in both instances. Did the difference in drumming from Herb to Brain skew the voting, or was the band’s inherent weirdness the ultimate deciding factor for...

The guys analyze a Nick pick from the Listener Submission List: “Miss You” from the 1978 Rolling Stones album Some Girls! This is the third song from the British rock icons (not including covers by KISS and Streetheart) to receive the POT treatment. Did it please the panel like a party with some Puerto Rican girls and a case of wine, or did someone mess and fool around during the voting? Listen an...

The guys analyze a Chris pick from the Listener Submission List: “You Can’t Bring Me Down” from the 1990 Suicidal Tendencies album Lights… Camera… Revolution! The episode was recorded on the birthday of a POTron who submitted this song, so in a rare display of goodwill from the Gunslinger, he hand-picked it from the list. Did the pleasantries end when the discussion started, or was this opening sa...

The guys analyze an Andy pick from the Listener Submission List: “Take Me to the Top” from the 1981 Loverboy album Get Lucky! During the live chat as the episode unfolded, some participants were unhappy with the selection, claiming that three songs by Mike Reno and company in six and a half years is too much. Others even went so far as to straight-up disparage the band. Was this aggression toward...

Mama Jones returns to the show for her traditional Day After Mother's Day appearance to help the guys analyze “Just a Girl” from the 1995 No Doubt album Tragic Kingdom! Almost exactly 24 hours after the band began its residency at Sphere in Las Vegas, this was the original Chris J.’s first random pull from the Listener Submission List. Was it another occurrence of POT serendipity, or were some she...

The guys analyze a Nick pick from the Listener Submission List: “Bleed” from Collective Soul’s 1995 self-titled second album! A slew of huge rock radio hits came from this release, but this song wasn’t one of them. Did this deep cut cause the panel to hemorrhage Sweet Surrenders, or did multiple crotch kicks clot up the proceedings? Listen and find out! Become a Pod of Thunder POTron: patreon.com/...

The guys analyze a Chris pick: the Philip Bailey/Phil Collins collab “Easy Lover” from the Earth, Wind & Fire singer’s 1984 solo album Chinese Wall! The Gunslinger was in a rare jovial mood, so he abandoned the Listener Submission List after a single pull and hand-picked what he believes is one of the greatest pop singles of all time. Did the Jones Brothers share his glee or torpedo it? What o...

The guys analyze an Andy pick from the Listener Submission List: “Sex Type Thing” from the 1992 Stone Temple Pilots album Core! For the 13th anniversary of POT’s premier episode, ALB selected something by Nick’s all-time favorite band. Were crotch kicks even possible here, or did someone on the panel agree with early-’90s critics who felt the material on STP’s debut release was too derivative, and...

US Air Guitar champion Georgia Lunch returns to the show to help the guys analyze “Bang Go the Bells” from Babylon A.D.’s self-titled 1989 debut album! Georgia selected this one independent of the Listener Submission List, having passed on that privilege during her first POT appearance, and both the band and song were new discoveries for Andy, Nick and Chris. Were they drawn in or taken aback by t...

The guys analyze a Nick pick from the Listener Submission List: “Burn Up the Night” from the 1982 Chubby Checker album The Change Has Come! The fellas were somewhat shocked to see a song by this artist on the list, as they were by the discovery that he released anything aside from “The Twist” and “Let’s Twist Again” in the ’60s and the Fat Boys collab in the ’80s. Did it end up being a colossal di...

Fozzy and Kuarantine frontman Chris Jericho makes his 51st appearance on POT as he helps the guys analyze a song he selected off the Listener Submission List: “On and On” from the 1985 Raven album Stay Hard! The trio was hugely influential as a member of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal before signing with Atlantic Records in pursuit of more mainstream success. Did this cut (and accompanying vi...

The guys analyze a Chris pick from the Listener Submission List: “Hard Rock Knockers” from Peter Criss’ self-titled 2025 solo album! POThead Chris Comarato submitted the song and returned to the show to help the fellas dissect the Catman’s incredible ditty about jiggling jubblies. Did anyone on the panel do the unthinkable and find fault with it? Did they commit an act of heresy and fail to play t...

The guys analyze an Andy pick from the Listener Submission List: the title track from the 2005 Glenn Hughes solo album Soul Mover! Featuring Dave Navarro and Chad Smith, who were briefly bandmates in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this one had all the ingredients (on paper, anyway) for a potent power-trio workout. But was the song itself good enough to earn some Sweet Surrenders and the coveted Rock &...

Making his gala 50th appearance on POT, Fozzy and Kuarantine frontman Chris Jericho sits in with the fellas to analyze a song he chose: “Spellbound” from the 1984 Triumph album Thunder Seven! Interest in the Canadian trio has been rekindled recently, with a long-awaited reunion tour scheduled to start later this year. Did that ensure Rock & Roll Boner status for the leadoff track from the band...

The fellas conclude another FebLOUary, a special month of shows devoted to artists who exemplify the romantic, passionate, lustful vibe of the inimitable Lou Rawls! This week, first-time guest and long-time listener Chris Comarato was bestowed with the honor of selecting a song by the man himself to close things out: the title track from the 1979 Lou Rawls album Let Me Be Good to You! A native of...

The fellas continue another FebLOUary, a special month of shows devoted to artists who exemplify the romantic, passionate, lustful vibe of the inimitable Lou Rawls! This week, they analyze a pick by returning guest Tommy Lombardozzi: “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” from Carl Carlton’s self-titled 1981 album! This is a slam-dunk Rock & Roll Boner Classic, right? Especially...

The fellas continue another FebLOUary, a special month of shows devoted to artists who exemplify the romantic, passionate, lustful vibe of the inimitable Lou Rawls! This week, they analyze a Nick pick: “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body” from the 1974 Elvis Presley album Good Times! Longtime listener Anthony Mezler joins the panel as well, as POT discusses a song by The King for the first time. Did they...

The fellas commence another FebLOUary, a special month of shows devoted to artists who exemplify the romantic, passionate, lustful vibe of the inimitable Lou Rawls! This week, they analyze a pick from a returning guest, Chris L.’s buddy Mike Abene: “You Take My Heart Away” from Bill Conti’s 1976 soundtrack album for the motion picture Rocky! Making his 49th POT appearance, Chris Jericho also joins...

The guys analyze an Andy pick from the Listener Submission List: “Blown” from the 1992 Warrior Soul album Salutations from the Ghetto Nation! ALB was in the mood for a certain vibe for this episode, so he rolled the dice and went with a song that he (and as it turned out, Nick) had never heard before. Did he find what he was looking for, or was his evening ruined? Did Chris try to sway any opinion...

The guys analyze a Nick pick from the Listener Submission List: the title track from the 1986 Black ’N Blue album Nasty Nasty! This one is loaded with KISS connections, from Gene Simmons sitting in the producer’s chair and Tommy Thayer filling the lead guitar slot to several familiar-sounding riffs from throughout the KISS catalog. Did that mean automatic approval from the Boners, or was the song...

The guys analyze a Chris pick from the Listener Submission List: the title track from the 1984 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble album Couldn’t Stand the Weather! The Gunslinger is a self-proclaimed guitar nerd who has also gone on record as someone who doesn’t particularly like “the blues.” Which way did he lean on the immortal SRV? How did the Jones Brothers react to a song neither of them h...

To celebrate Christmas week, the guys analyze “Shake Up Christmas” from the 2015 Train album Christmas in Tahoe! The impetus for this selection was Andy’s purported appreciation for the San Francisco band and its lead singer, Pat Monahan. Were ALB’s feelings revealed to be genuine, or were they exposed as bullshit? Did this track inspire Nick and Chris to hop on board the Train train, or did their...