The UCR Podcast

Mike joins Matt to look back at Dream Theater's epic A Change of Seasons which is marking its 30th anniversary (but as you'll find out, it goes back even further than that). They also discuss the band's latest album, Parasomnia and a number of other topics including past tours / dream outings with Yes and separately, Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Dream Theater is currently on the road...

Former Styx vocalist and songwriter Dennis DeYoung is with Matt to discuss the history of two key Styx albums, 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces of Eight. Dennis shares a lot of stories including his recollections of hearing songs like "Renegade" and "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" and his own compositions including "The Grand Illusion," "Pieces of Eight" and "I'm O.K." Dennis continues...

Jerry Cantrell is with Matt for the latest episode of the podcast to discuss the last miles of his I Want Blood tour which kicked off August 16th while offering a preview of what's next. They also discuss the early days of Alice in Chains including milestones like the Clash of the Titans tour and some later highlights, including the SAP EP and MTV Unplugged.

Long before he joined Yes, guitarist Steve Howe had already developed a great love for Bob Dylan's music. A few decades later, he found himself recording 1999's Portraits of Bob Dylan. With the album being reissued alongside 2001's Natural Timbre on CD -- and for the first time, vinyl -- Steve joins Matt to discuss the experience crafting his versions of both Dylan fan favorites and deeper cuts. T...

The legendary Rob Halford is with Matt to discuss Judas Priest's upcoming tour with Alice Cooper and Corrosion of Conformity. They also get into the story of Rob's experience fronting Black Sabbath and why he has infinite respect for Ozzy. The Metal God shares the tales behind the creation of albums like Nostradamus and Turbo and why Painkiller is still all killer no filler 35 years after its rele...

Let's play two today with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, who joined us for separate conversations. Warren shares details regarding his upcoming digital release, The Whisper Sessions (which is out September 12), plus tales about the Allman Brothers Band jamming with Bruce Willis, the 30th anniversary of Gov't Mule and a special release that Jerry Garcia fans can look forward to. Speaking of Garcia...

UCR's Gary Graff and Jeff Giles are back with Matt and this time, the destination is the '80s! Gary tells us about his new book, 501 Essential Albums of the '80s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide, which provided us with a lot to talk about and discuss. Among the topics, the rise of musically star-studded soundtracks in the decade and how that became such a thing, guilty pleasures, controversial al...

For more than 25 years, Lawrence Gowan has been part of Styx, but in conversation, one quickly discovers that he's also a big music fan. The keyboardist and vocalist tells Matt all about their new album, Circling From Above. They also discuss concept albums and how Styx strives to write music these days that honors the many different layers of the band's sound over the years. Gowan details some of...

Music fans and the hard rock and heavy metal community are mourning the loss of Ozzy Osbourne, but also celebrating his incredible legacy. UCR's Gary Graff joins Matt to share his memories, from Ozzy encounters to covering Ozzfest and beyond. They also discuss the impact that Ozzy and Black Sabbath had on music and how the band created and shaped an important path for the groups and musicians that...

Steve Cohen has been working with Billy Joel since 1974. He joins Matt to discuss his role as one of the Executive Producers for Billy Joel: And So it Goes, the new documentary from HBO that made its debut today. Steve shares the story behind the doc, which was directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin. He also digs into his own personal history with Billy with some stories from their years on the...

You've probably heard Steve Stevens' musical work in a lot of different places. From the world-famous theme for the blockbuster Top Gun movie in the '80s to his '90s adventures with Motley Crue's Vince Neil and beyond. But you've definitely heard a few of the many massive hit songs he crafted in collaboration with Billy Idol. The pair's newest concoction is Idol's Dream Into It album, which was re...

Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers are here to share stories from across their career, including the tale of their legendary Doobie Liner airplane from the '70s. In separate interviews, the pair discuss the group's newest album, Walk This Road, their first with McDonald since 1980. They also discuss songwriting, their history with Mavis Staples, Mick Fleetwood and Jimmy Bu...

Chuck Armstrong has returned from attending Back to the Beginning in Birmingham this past weekend. The Loudwire Nights host and friend of UCR joins Matt to share his experience seeing Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath take the stage one last time. He also discusses some of his other favorite moments from the incredible day of music which also featured performances from Metallica, Steven Tyler of Aer...

Guitarist, songwriter and producer Neil Giraldo found a winning partnership with Pat Benatar. In today's podcast, he details how their dedication and determination paid off with major success despite the music industry challenges they encountered along the way. Neil also tells Matt the story behind his Three Chord Bourbon and why he remains incredibly inspired and involved with music.

Though legendary AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott has been gone since 1980, his legacy continues to grow. This year would have been his 79th birthday and his estate will mark that milestone with the Second Annual Official Bon Scott Birthday Bash on Wednesday, July 9 at the Bowery Electric in NYC. John Jackson from the Bon Scott Estate joins Matt to chat about the unique character that Bon was. Jackson tal...

We celebrate Episode 50 of the podcast by welcoming in Judas Priest co-founder and guitarist K.K. Downing and his longtime collaborator Tim "Ripper" Owens. In separate conversations, the pair talk about the new version of "Never Satisfied" they recorded to honor the recent 50th anniversary of Judas Priest's 1974 debut album, Rocka Rolla. Downing looks back at the band's early days (and even prior...

Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven has a new book, Sound N' Fury: Rock N' Roll Stories. It features no shortage of adventures with Guns N' Roses (of course!), Motley Crue, Rolling Stones, Elton John, Great White, Aerosmith, Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and many more. Alan joins Matt for a colorful conversation to share some of his stories.

If you were listening to the radio in 1995, "You Oughta Know" was impossible to miss, thanks to the unfiltered lyrics written by Alanis Morissette. It was the opening moment of what became an amazing journey, as fans explored and absorbed the whole of her third album, Jagged Little Pill. Three decades later, author Selena Fragassi joins Matt to discuss her new book, Alanis: Thirty Years of Jagged...

Matt was back on the road again (slight apologies for the pun) to check out this weekend's tribute to REO Speedwagon in Champaign, Illinois, which featured REO alumni Bruce Hall, Neal Doughty, Alan Gratzer, Terry Luttrell, Mike Murphy, Steve Scorfina and additional special guests. After writing some words for UCR about the experience, Matt jumps in here to share some further thoughts and informati...

UCR's Jeff Giles and Matt Wardlaw look back at Brian Wilson's incredible career and share some of their own Brian/Beach Boys memories. They also dig into some of the various albums, books and films they've enjoyed over the years as fans, while also looking at things like how Brian forced his fellow artists to up their game.

On the eve of an REO Speedwagon concert retrospective event featuring special guests and former members, Alan Gratzer, Neal Doughty and Bruce Hall join Matt to talk about what fans can expect at the State Farm Center in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois, Saturday, June 14. It's a conversation that comes fully loaded with a lot of tales about the early days and the fame that eventually followed...

He's worked with Sammy Hagar, Meat Loaf, Scorpions and more. But you may know James Michael best as the vocalist for Sixx:A.M. He joins Matt to talk about both sides of his unexpected career and why he's now retired from the music business. He also shares the story behind the new Sixx:A.M. vinyl and streaming release, Prayers for the Damned & Blessed.

Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder had a big task coming up with a song to follow the success of "Hotel California." He tells Matt why it took a bit longer for fans to hear it. They also discuss The Vault, Don's new album celebrating his 50 years in the industry and his encounters with Jimmy Page, Elton John and more.

Legendary former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is with Matt to talk about a variety of subjects, including The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, 50 years later. He also details the creation of "Supper's Ready," the transition from Peter Gabriel to Phil Collins and how they got a surprising assist from Yes vocalist Jon Anderson.

Authors Nate Jackson and Daniel Kohn join Matt to discuss their incredible new book, Tearing Down the Orange Curtain - How Punk Rock Brought Orange County to the World. Through exhaustive research and numerous interviews, they've documented the Orange County scene and the people, bands and artists who made it happen. You'll learn the stories behind the rise of groups like Social Distortion, Offspr...