The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll

It's time to break the Summer vacation doldrums with 5 Favorites, the podcast that acts like a game show! This time, we move forward from our 1970s Bass Players episode and dig into the 1980s answers to some of the same questions raised in our previous dive! FInd all of our episodes here!!! Thanks to Crooked Eye Brewery for their constant support!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

This is the original copy for the previous release of this episode on 12/26/21: "This episode is the story of a lost live album by the great Johnny & June Carter Cash, recorded shortly after the legendary Folsom Prison Live album. The contrast in energy of these two nights is stark, and part of the discussion. The mood the night of the show was appropriately laid back for San Francisco. The Carous...

Originally released as episode #138 on 10/7/21, now tweaked and remastered for Summer Vacay 2024! "Coming together out of the fertile environment of Adelphi University and its college radio station, Public Enemy burst forth with a wall of power, a collective that changed Hip-Hop and helped forge an unholy alliance with Metal! Their song, "Fight The Power" played an actual role in Spike Lee's "Do T...

This is a first-ever repeat of this original episode of the podcast! Released as #134 on 9/6/21! It has been remastered, but is otherwise as it was originally released, now, as episode #360. Our original episode notes: At the end of "Jim Morrison: 50 Years Gone" episode, Markus dropped a paper bomb in the form of The Doors, and Jim Morrison's FBI files! Weeks later, he and Ray were back in the stu...

Another previously, never-repeated episode for Week #2 of our #SummerVacation2024! Here's the original copy for the episode's first release in 2021: "In 2020 the Covid Pandemic took from us, Frederick Nathaniel "Toots" Hibbert. The man who coined the term Reggay, Toots was Reggae with soul. His depth, power, warmth and continual positive messages really influenced many musicians. Songs like "Press...

Vacation for the Imbalanced History team means 5 classic, never-before-repeated, episodes from 2021, through the month of July!!! When Markus and Ray first talked to Steve Hackett, he and his wife Jo were in Covid lockdown, early in the pandemic. The reality of Covid is part of the discussion, but we've edited the original discussion, for current purposes. Still, the story of how this amazing albu...

Before our July Summer vacation, a really great talk with author Daniel Rachel (Like Some Forgotten Dream, Don't Look Back In Anger, Walls Come Tumbling Down) to discuss his latest book, Too Much Too Young: The 2-Tone Records Story! The music of Ska was the next big thing in London, and in Coventry, where many of the bands percolated in a vacuum. They were less effected by outside trends, and crea...

From his family roots to his dual career paths, taken simultaneously, Markus and Ray take the ride with you, musically, and historically! From London to L.A., we talk about his musical life, and all the twists and turns it took. Due to the risk of a 2+ hourlong episode, much of Rod Stewart's personal story is pretty much left out. So, it's football and booze, and The Faces, and an amazing solo car...

Sometimes when you do interviews, the discussion expands beyond the movie or book the subject came to promote. That's what happened when Markus & Ray talked with author Steven Gaines. But Gaines isn't just any Rock author, having been Alice Cooper's biographer & regular golf partner, writing books and penning columns, and interviewing all of The Beatles for his book, The Love You Make. All You Nee...

Someone had the idea to start a meme, in tribute if you will, to the elders. All genres, all artists, all that matters! Healthy discussions (lookin' at you, Facebook friends!) are a good thing, but try to be kind! What's cool is the variety of amazing artists, well past full retirement age, who've decided that playing on the back porch is "for old folks!" So they go on: recording albums, playing l...

"Summer, it turns me upside down! Summer, summer, summer!! It's like a merry-go-round!!!" Ahhhh, whatever it means to you, Summer is in the air! The Boys hit us with their most seasonal faves as we celebrate Memorial Day in the U.S. It's also the unofficial start of the Summer season in a lotta places! These albums, right here? They make the season GO!!!! Listen to all or any any of our episodes,...

When Markus told Ray about his love of Traffic, it sparked a conversation that spills into this episode. Proving we all have our own path, Markus notes When The Eagle Flies as his favorite, while Ray prefers Low Spark... That led to discussion of Blind Faith, a 1969 side project, which the Boys discuss as well. It's a different-angle perspective and an exploration of an amazing musical trek that d...

Even if your podcast guest is an old friend, you never know what might come up, or what you might learn! That's the case with Philly native (and killer drummer) Johnny Dee (Doro, Tyketto, Britny Fox, Waysted) who beams in from Germany, just as festival season is getting started! The Imbalanced Boys discuss his early days in the bands, leading up to Britny Fox, the days of the "Dirty Jersey" scene,...

When the Imbalanced Boys were 25 episodes into this podcast, they made the move to Pantheon! The occasion fell on the same day as Bruce Springsteen's 70th birthday, so it was a natural to feature his story. In the 325 episodes since then, Markus & Ray have covered so many topics and artists, with many more to come! 350 down! 350 to go? Time will tell... Explore all 350 eps right here on our web si...

To understand the story of Joy Division, and how they became New Order requires some patience, and much 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 Joy Division carries on today. The full story unfolds...

This episode delves into the world of Steely Dan, with a passion for their music and the times, one of the Imbalanced Brothers has more "prime exposure" to the band, but both of them show their understanding and love for the band, the boys, and their music! Sure, it's a story about Donald and Walter, but it's also a look inside the studio sessions, and more! If you want to add to the conversation,...

When former co-workers, now podcasters, get together to discuss their podcasts, the conversation is wide-ranging and filled with discussion of radio past, and future. We discuss infusing artists, new and old, into the podcasts we host, our overall experiences as podcasters, and of course, THE MUSIC! It's a fun visit with an old friend, and now, top-ranked fellow podcast host! Thanks, Buzz! Here's...

This is a re-release of our #ProfilesInTheBlues episode, Bessie & The Wolf! Originally released 9/27/21: "Profiles In The Blues is a new umbrella concept on the podcast! In the initial episode, the Imbalanced Brothers delve deeper into the subjects of Bessie Smith, The Empress Of The Blues, (who's been mentioned before), and Chester Burnett's alter ego, Howlin' Wolf! Both were amazing forces of mu...

When you think of bass players in the 1970's, so many names pop into your head, right? Well, Markus and Ray had the same thing happen. Sorting through, sifting their grey matter, they've whittled it down to their 5 Favorites, but also both of them have long lists of "honorable mentions," in this episode! (Go figure...) Listen, then post your faves on our social media pages, or email them to: imbal...

Often in studying Rock & Roll History, we find various points of view on the same subject, or event. It's the nature of things. But given a chance to talk with someone "who was there" is always great for the Imbalanced Boys. Suzi Ronson's friendship with Angie Bowie, and her entry into David's universe is part of the story, but with her attention to detail, she paints, more than tells, the tales i...

The Imbalanced History started, as many podcasts do, with a trailer in March 2019. 10 days later, Markus and Ray released their first actual episode, A Case For The Beatles. As the podcast evolved, and began musical illustration of episodes, they went back and "re-imagined" this fun ep. Now remastered for its 5th anniversary since release. Here's the original intro: "Since joining Pantheon, we hav...

It's always fun when Annie Haslam stops by to visit on the podcast! This week, The Imbalanced Boys get some news about a new release! Keep up on details on the Renaissance web site! They also discuss Annie's upcoming show, opening for Rick Wakeman on his final solo tour on 3/23/24! Of course there's always some Renaissance history to discuss, including the band's history with Hipgnosis! Philly leg...

Game Changers, in the eyes of the Imbalanced Brothers, are the albums, people, events, and things that changed the game, the music business, or how we view the whole damn thing! Nothing happens in a vacuum, and the rise and trajectory of Van Halen is no different. They had great managers, and label people guiding them on their way, and a major early supporter in Gene Simmons! Friends and family, a...

No joke! The Imbalanced History podcast has evolved and grown in the last 300 or so episodes since we originally released this week's episode on June 11, 2019! It's been "enhanced" and expanded in some spots from the original release. We all felt that Zeppelin deserved the effort. Hope we succeeded, and that you like it half as much as you seem to have enjoyed Led Zeppelin: Descended From The Gods...

The 1970s was an extremely fertile time for music, in general, but especially for all flavors of Rock. Much as here in the 21st century, the influence of women on music of all genres was over-the-top. That impact was felt, maybe most of all, by Rock music. In previous decades, much of the music being made by women was written for them, fabricated in Pop music factories, but in the '70s that change...