Rock Of Ages

Wow an episode released on schedule! On our second St Patrick’s special we take a look at an Irish band known for their dual guitar sound, their Celtic character studies, and sharing a name with a famous Irish-hater. Will the theater kids like this better than Lizzie? Let’s find out by diving into Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”!

Sorry if the episode is out a week late again, but hey at least I got it out! In 1969, three ex-guitarists from mid-60s folk rock acts that had some chart success banded together to form a supergroup destined to top the charts. And that they did! They just need Neil Young and they'd be a decent group! Ok I'm joking with that one. Let's just talk about the eponymous debut by Crosby, Sti...

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.  We recorded this episode on Sunday, March 5, but it only took me until now to edit and upload it, mostly due to personal problems I’d rather not get into. But enough of that, it’s our second Stephen Sondheim episode! And we honor the legendary late Broadway composer by discussing one of his most popular works. Let’s dive into “Into...

Tarkus sweep, baby! In 1971, supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer released their most popular studio album, though not necessarily their best by any stretch. Not just me saying this, also the theater kids. But hey, the giant mecha armadillo tank is still dope 52 years later. Let's talk about "Tarkus"!

This episode is dedicated to Chris Schaffer of Schaffrillas Productions (1997-2023), a special guest of three episodes on this podcast, and whose humor and heart meant the world to us all. The first episode he was on was for Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”, so I thought it would be good for us to review another one of The Boss’ albums. Released in 1980, this sprawling double album may not be per...

I know we originally said we were gonna do the soundtrack to the rock-comedy film “Walk Hard” for Romi’s birthday episode, but in light of recent events. It almost seems in poor taste. So we thought it’d be nice to retreat to a simpler, more lush sound brought to us by one of the great names in Muppet history. Let’s talk about Jerry Nelson’s “Truro Daydreams”!

As I mentioned in the description of our latest bonus episode, this will probably be our last episode for a while. We’ll still upload episodes, just more sporadically. There’s just too many things happening in our individual lives right now and we find it best to take a break and recuperate to take care of these things. You’ve all been a wonderful audience and we’ll see you guys soon.  But be...

Literally just an episode of me and Romi talking about the lore of the classic 80s TV show 'Fraggle Rock'. I should also take this time to note that episodes will be coming out less frequently now due to personal problems and other priorities. We hope you understand and we want y'all to know that y'all are the best listeners we could ask for!

Probably not the most recognizable album we have or will cover on this podcast, but it’s importance towards heavier rock can’t be overstated. During his exile from the US, The Killer toured with a Scouse band known as the Nashville Teens and in Spring 1964, they played a legendary show at the Beatles’ old haunt. Will the theater kids enjoy this or will it just bring back Stooges flashbacks for the...

It's been a long and bumpy ride, but we finally made it to episode 100! And to celebrate, I decided we should do one of the biggest albums of all time. Not necessarily in popularity but in scale. After years of being known as 'The Quiet Beatle', he rises from the ashes of his broken band to record one of the greatest albums of the 1970s, and the greatest solo album; by any Beatle or anyone. It eve...

Our second to last episode before triple digits! And we start off the year with Paul McCartney’s self titled debut album, an album in which he did all the instruments and production himself! I’m hopeful he put thought, effort and time into his first opus. Let’s look at “McCartney”! Ingredients for Lentil Soup: 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 cup carrots, cho...

Year 2/? has concluded for Rock of Ages, and while there were some dark spots where it didn’t seem likely we would continue, we persevered and are pushing episode 100! So let’s once again look at this past years statistics and analytics as well as our top and bottom 5 albums we looked at this year, and our album predictions for 2023!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our great listeners! Our final album for this year is a lil Christmas classic featuring a seminal classic artist with several wonderful songs on the belt. And John Denver. Jokes aside, the soundtrack to this 1979 Christmas Special is pretty nice. Let's talk about John Denver & the Muppets' "A Christmas Together"!

Two years before their breakthrough success with “Rumours”, this British-American blues band revamped its sound to a more West Coast oriented yacht pop sound. And it could just be the giant sack of crack in Lindsey Buckingham’s pocket, but it works! Let’s talk about the second self titled album of Fleetwood Mac!  Also, this episode is dedicated to the memory of the band’s wonderful keyboardis...

Hi I was gonna publish this yesterday, but I got tired and decided to edit this after waiting a day. Anywayyy I don't really have a good writeup here since it's like 4 in the morning while I write this. So.......it's Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! Yay?

Former British R&B group The Moody Blues were commissioned by their record label to do a rock cover of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony. Instead, they used this opportunity to reinvent themselves and create a pop/rock/classical amalgamation that after fifty years still sounds stunning. Let’s talk about The Moodies’ “Days of Future Passed”!

The debut album by The Police showcased a rough around the edges new wave band with similar reggae tendencies to The Clash, and with their second album they streamlined their sound with pop sensibilities; all for the better, say the consensus. But what about the theater kids? Let’s hear what they have to say about “Reggatta de Blanc”!

One of the most famous musicals to come out of the turn of the century, well as one of the most famous jukebox musicals, this one’s infamous for how popular it is, and how most the songs don’t have to do with the plot. And the movie is no different. Let’s talk Mamma Mia!

I mean what is there to say about this album, let alone this band? It sports what is perhaps the greatest pop song ever known to humanity, and everything else slaps too! Which I’m sure can be said for every ABBA album. Let’s talk about “Arrival”!

You may be thinking the 2002 Spielberg film starring Leo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks about a young con artist who conned millions of dollars before his 19th birthday is a strange thing to adapt to musical form.  That’s it.

The Who’s third album is a concept album paying tribute to the pirate radio stations that played their music while others snubbed it. It manages to be one of the finest collection of pop rock songs of the psychedelic era. And we’re all for it! Get a can of Heinz Baked Beans and be ready for an epic birthday party story. This is “The Who Sell Out”!

Before they were known as the pinnacle of cheesy 80s dad bands, Genesis began its life as a prog band, with Peter Gabriel as its rambunctious leader with a plethora of costume changes. On their third album, the band recruited Steve Hackett on guitar and Phil Collins on drums. The resulting lineup proceeded to make one of the hardest prog albums of its time. Let’s talk about Genesis, “Nursery Cryme...

The piano man’s 5th album, and his first full masterpiece, was maligned by critics at the time. Regardless, it was a best seller and turned Billy Joel into a household name. And 45 years later, this album still serves as a perfect marriage between sensible pop, catchy rock and even the pretensions expected from musical theater. Let’s talk about Billy Joel’s “The Stranger”!

If anyone's wondering why we're doing the movie soundtrack version of Grease instead of the actual recording, just remember we did Chicago with the movie soundtrack and no one complained then! Also this episode is dedicated to the memory of Olivia Newton-John, a soulful person who had a soulful voice! And sorry my mic isn't working this episode. But hey, let just talk about Grease!

First off I’d like to gravely apologize for the recent episodes being dropped super late as opposed to our usual Sunday schedule. It’s been hard to find a concrete day to record episodes as of late, and a key member of our team dropped out, all which resulted in 19 nervous breakdowns on my part. I know that was a joke, but truthfully this summer has taken its toll on me. Still, we’ll all stride al...