The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll

David Cross discusses his time inside and out of King Crimson, including his various solo outings and some Crimson-adjacent projects! Starting with the highly-influential Larks' Tongues In Aspic, he was part of the band in the mid-'70s, before finding his way to the long solo road, that he has been riding since. The conversation is informative, and funnier than the Boys expected! Enjoy some time w...

This episode starts with a grunge.com article about albums released in '74, and turning 50, but The Imbalanced Boys realized there was much more to 1974 than the writer covered. How can you fail to include Rock n' Roll Animal by Lou Reed, as an example. So, Markus and Ray dive into that rabbit hole in the second half of this week's podcast. Starting with Joni Mitchell's Court And Spark, and rollin...

We looked into an article on Louder Sound that talked about the longest runs on the Billboard album chart. That chart started as a Top 10 in the 1950s, expanding through to 1967 when it became the Billboard 200! That's name most of us know. This adventure just might include the most artists not previously profiled in one of our episodes: Lana Del Rey, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Adele. A...

Jim Gordon was a kid who loved to play drums. Where would that love take him? Basically, everywhere! His inventive, musical percussion style created an incredible demand for his services. Having Jim on drums could change the fate of a recording project, and often did! The success and impact of Gordon's playing was legendary, long before the June 1983 murder of his mother, Osa. The voices "won" fol...

Sometimes you hear a song you've known for forever, and one part jumps out of the speakers at you. That's the spark for this week's adventure into The Land Of The One Hit Wonders!!! Turns out THAT guy was Ian Bairnson! That sparks a discussion of his work after being a member of Pilot. His time recording with The Alan Parsons Project and Kate Bush, and his touring work are in this episode as well....

Our friend David Uosikkinen, and his friends in The Hooters, had one helluva 2023: A new album, Rockin' & Swing, a major U.S. Summer tour for the first time in decades, and an expanded Euro tour! Then, word was, that David was the subject of a new documentary. The guys discuss The Heart Of The Beat with him, and the rest of the year that was 2023! Also in this episode? Word on the return of In The...

As you'll find out in this week's episode, 2023 has been quite a year for the Rock 'n Roll world, the arts, and for The Imbalanced Brothers! The guys talk about their year in episodes, marking a number of special guests along the way. They dig into the email bin at imbalancedhistory@gmail.com for listener interactions, opinions and ideas from you! That includes this article on The Jaggerz that lis...

Almost every user gets a Spotify wrap-up for the year. Markus & Ray were already leaning towards this episode, originally released on February 6th. Then the year-end wrap-up hit the inbox, and it was a done deal. Funny thing is, The Imbalanced Boys both loved that ep, and were surprised to see it react so well immediately, despite the continued popularity of the band. Coming just months after the...

The Imbalanced Boys have covered 5 Fave Rock n' Roll Christmas songs, as well as 5 Fave Heavy Metal Xmas songs, (and a couple other related passes) a few times in their nearly 5 years as a podcast! Nothing beats listening to nouveau holiday favorites, mixed with classics, at the holidays! You might be surprised, if you've enjoyed their Xmas treats before, at what is (and isn't) a part of this year...

Actually, it's that rare occasion when a planned episode doesn't work out, and you have to make a move! We remembered how much fun it was making the May 2022 episode about the film, Under The Volcano, which is awesome if you have not seen it. Later we'd do a follow-up episode, interviewing an interesting guy who wrote a book on the studio. More on that later! So, here we are flashing back to our 3...

Toby Amies is an instinctive documentarian who has created an amazing modern telling of the last half century in the lives of a band whose 19 members created a legacy that is unique in Rock history. Steady at the helm of King Crimson through the decades and all of the changes is Robert Fripp. The role of each player in the current is explored, as well conversations with former members, the survivo...

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, the Imbalanced Boys take stock of what they're thankful for, including the 1980 smash hit by William DeVaughn. There's more to his story, as they discovered, and share in this episode. They also take stock of what they're personally thankful for this holiday season! So make yourself some turkey leftovers and dig into this tasty holiday offering! Catch up on all...

We're havin' a Christmas party this week on the Imbalanced History channel! Our guest is producer Jim Salamone, who's done so much more than run his Cambridge Studios. One of his great adventures involves working with, and later making a holiday album with, the late Teddy Pendergrass. Jim talks about his own amazing path as a musician, writer, studio innovator, producer, studio owner and more! He...

Generally speaking, when Markus & Ray do an episode of 5 Favorites the narrower the category, the easier it is for them to match answers. (Unlike some recent 5 Fave episodes!) It's one silly part of the game when the Imbalanced Boys take the "road to Vegas!" As is often the case, the guy's Honorable Mentions are lengthy here. Digging into the timeframe of the '70s, and narrowing the parameters to...

We all know the groove, well, if you've ever heard/felt that groove... Big, phat and raging... There are so many elements that go into feeling, much less defining, Stoner Rock. It's one of those things that you might not be able to tightly define the parameters of, but when you hear it, you know it. And so this brings our Imbalanced hosts around to a discussion, looking back at the roots of what b...

Don't get your knickers in a twist, this is no "ultimate list" of anything, just Markus and Ray celebrating the bands that make the scary sounds that make our hair stand up, and make our ears take notice. It's a judgment free zone this time of year, it's all just spooky fun and an excuse to get candy! If you feel the need to participate, drop us a line at imbalancedhistory@gmail.com, or post your...

The great thing about any episode of 5 Favorites is that there are no wrong answers! Markus and Ray both have a well-established love of all things guitar and Rock, so the potential at the outset is there for a real Imbalanced conflict! All the eras, all the players...so many to chose from! The one, sure thing is that there will be ROCK! Our money is on a draw, and a long, long pair of honorable m...

Can anyone help us identify ALL of the members of this increasingly infamous I Hear Dead People illustration. The original, and the basis for this episode's discussion, is from a flickr post, entitled, "Eu ouco gente morta...o tempo todo!" Since then, we have seen it in other posts, including in English labelled as "I hear dead people, and they're still the best!" But that use of the illustration...

Earlier this year, we had Denny Laine (Moody Blues, Wings) on the podcast, as our guest, before he embarked on his Songs & Stories Tour. In recent days we have seen messages like this on his page: "He had a setback this morning and was sent to the emergency room for tests for an infection, pneumonia. Denny is strong and is fighting every day and working hard to return home after his rehabilitation...

The city of Newcastle Upon Tyne has through the last sixty years presented its musical face to the world. Among the groups to draw early attention to the place was The Animals. Raw, and full of powerful, dark energy, this band re-invented so many songs for young ears. From "The House Of The Rising Sun" through their initial run, they were among those young musicians fueling this thing called The B...

The era leading to the '70s music explosion, set the stage for what came next! Top 40 singles by artists you barely knew, exploding out of your radio, and getting wedged in your brain! Catchy, quirky, sometimes downright annoying, these songs were huge for the artists and producers who recorded them! Also, they were pretty large for the kids consuming all of those records, by artists never to be h...

There's so much to the history of Rush, and in this new episode, the Imbalanced Brothers talk about each of their paths to becoming fans. They also discuss fate and the band's formation, among other things. After listening, we already anticipate deeper dives into each member, as Markus & Ray continue on their imbalanced path! It's not an all-encompassing deep-dive history of the band, but we hope...

Not one, but two sets of brothers formed a band in Ohio! That should have been the world's first warning that the plot to de-evolve EVERYTHING was hatching right there in Akron. In the pocket with Punk, era-wise, but markedly different from, well...everybody else, their mission required shunning norms! That was likely the case long before they donned their classic Devo yellow jumpsuits and plastic...

Connecting with David Cousins of The Strawbs for this episode was a different experience for both of the Imbalanced Brothers. Ray was a fan of the band from the 1970s, when Markus was still a younger kid! So they each approached this interview, and the new album, differently. The result is a very exciting take on a classic band making their way back up the UK charts with The Magic Of It All, how t...

There's no doubt about it, the story told by author Scott Shea in his book, All The Leaves Are Brown: How The Mamas And The Papas Came Together And Broke Apart is a wild, drug and sex-soaked tale that generated a ton of questions from the Imbalanced Boys. Scott joins Markus and Ray this week to talk about the band, the characters in their tale, the Folk scene that led to the band, the story of Mon...