The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

The Rolling Stones made a huge impression on The Wolf & Action Jackson as teenagers and their music has been the backbone of their rock n roll journey for decades. We first saw them on Steel Wheels as teenagers and have explored every chapter of their catalog like rock n roll archeologists.  Though I vowed not to chase after the Stones anymore years ago, the opportunity to see them in Hyde Park wh...

YES marks the 50th anniversary of their legendary Close To The Edge album by performing it live in its entirety. After waiting more than 2 and a half years, I arrived at Royal Albert Hall in London to soak in the atmosphere of progressive rock greatness. Just weeks before the start of the tour, drummer Alan White died suddenly which shook the band & its fans to the core. YES has chosen to soldier...

Chris Slade has had an extraordinary career behind the drum kit. While most US rock fans remember him as the bald madman from Thunderstruck with AC/DC, he started his career in the 60s as part of Tom Jones band, The Squires. From there the luminaries he's played with include Olivia Newton-John, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Gary Numan, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Gary Moore, AC/DC, Asia,...

Carl Palmer achieved status as a legend with the progressive rock trio Emerson, Lake & Palmer in the 1970s. But the 1980s were a time of change for rock music thanks to corporate rock radio & MTV in America. Proggers had to change their signature 15 minute songs to more radio friendly 4 minute tunes while maintaining their extraordinary musicianship. Carl found huge success in 1982 with the debut...

Geoff Downes was a key part of two monumental moments on MTV. As a member of The Buggles, he was in the first video ever played on MTV in August 1981 with Video Killed the Radio Star. In 1983, he and his fellow Asia bandmates were part of the first live satellite broadcast of a concert on cable TV. As the current keyboardist in YES, he's about to embark on a tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary...

In the 90s, Oasis took over popular culture and rock music in the UK. As the country moved out of Thatcherism and into a new era of Cool Britainnia, the Gallagher Brothers, Noel & Liam, led the way with their Beatles-esque string of hit singles and albums. However, in the US they never quite got the traction they assumed was inevitable to rule North America as well as England. Why is that? Was it...

In 1984, MTV was the key to any bands success in the US. The Cars had a stellar debut in 1978 but while they continued to have hit singles, they hadn't been able to live up to the promise of their first album. The went to London to record their fifth album, Heartbeat City, with producer Mutt Lange who was on a hot streak with Highway to Hell, Back in Black, Foreigner 4, and Pyromania. Ric Ocasek w...

Tom & Zeus have the #1 KISS podcast on the planet in Shout It Out Loudcast. Not only do they have deep knowledge and undeniable passion for KISS but they're also hilarious and we never miss an episode. So this week we had our Pantheon Podcasts brothers on to talk KISS's 1992 album, Revenge. The first without Eric Carr behind the drums, the first for Eric Singer, and the first time in a decade they...

Pink Floyd helped create progressive rock music in the 1960s and started out playing clubs in London with elaborate light shows. In the 1970s they became one of the biggest bands in the world with platinum records and record breaking tours. Nick Mason, the only member of Pink Floyd to never leave the group, has convened with some friends to revisit the pre-Dark Side of the Moon catalog and breathe...

Over the last 2 years live music has been absent from our lives and it's been hard. With COVID restrictions lifting, bands are getting back out on the road and we're as psyched as anyone for that. The Wolf held his Sting tickets for over 2 years before finally being able to see him at the London Palladium where he delivered a classic performance. Action Jackson caught his favorite hard rock band o...

Most Americans only know Simple Minds by one song from one movie - Don't Your Forget About Me from The Breakfast Club. But in the UK, Europe and most of the English speaking world, Simple Minds are icons of a generation and writers of dozens of hits. The Wolf was fortunate enough to see Simple Minds the 1st night of their 40th Anniversary tour at Wembley Arena in London and was blown away by the c...

Deborah Bonham & Peter Bullick have been making music together for decades. Whether live with Paul Rodgers, in the studio or out on the road these two have lived, loved & lost enough to finally be ready to release an amazing blues album. Culled from classic blues tracks and more modern song given a blues treatment, Bonham Bullick is out April 29. I get Deborah & Peter to talk about their musical o...

After 3 years of The Wolf living in London, Action Jackson finally got to make it over for a visit. We took the opportunity to take a guided tour of some of London's more historic rock spots and we had a blast. Lee from rocktours.co.uk was our super knowledgeable host who showed us, Savile Row where The Beatles last played, homes of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin Swan Song offices, the...

To wrap up Women's History Month we interview two different women who are making their mark in rock music. First up we welcome back Amanda Lehmann - a talented musician, singer & songwriter who's toured with Steve Hackett and returns to the show to talk her latest single, One Last Spin. Action Jackson & The Wolf also get to ask her about playing with Asia front man John Wetton and her time in a He...

When Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, he assumed that would be the end of the band. However, David Gilmour had other ideas. Teaming up with Nick Mason, The Wall producer Bob Ezrin, once exiled member Rick Wright and a cast of talented musicians, Gilmour revived Pink Floyd with A Momentary Lapse of reason. Derided by critics and Waters, who thwarted them with lawsuits, this 1987 release is true to Pin...

In 1972, Deep Purple wanted to come off the road and settle into an atmosphere that would allow them to stretch out creatively and better capture their live sound. They headed to Lake Geneva, Switzerland to take residence in a casino right after Frank Zappa played one more gig there. The rest is rock n roll lore captured in the all time classic Smoke on the Water. Containing other radio staples li...

The Wolf & Action Jackson grew up worshipping Jimmy Page. So did Christy Alexander Hallberg and that love of Jimmy and his music, especially during his days in Led Zeppelin, inspired her novel Searching for Jimmy Page. Set in North Caroliina in 1988, we follow the story of teenage Luna who is coming to grips with her identity. Of course 1988 marked the release of Jimmy's only real solo record, Out...

Iron Maiden are the greatest heavy metal band on the planet. But in 1992 the wheels were coming off a bit. 1990's No Prayer for the Dying missed the mark as they switched out guitarist Adrian Smith for Jannick Gers. Bruce Dickinson was ready to leave the band for a solo career and it seemed they may have run out of steam. Credit them for trying new things, like a power ballad, but this shows a ban...

In 1982, Iron Maiden introduced the world to their new singer Bruce Dickinson and that propelled them to superstardom. His powerful and operatic vocals, spot on songwriting and command of the stage changed Maiden from a power punk band to the heavy metal heavyweights they are today. Action Jackson talks about seeing Bruce perform his one man show live in Jacksonville before we dive into this class...

In the late 80s & early 90s, Tom Petty was huge thanks to a stint with The Traveling Wilburys, solo success with Full Moon Fever, reuniting with the Heartbreakers & a huge greatest hits album. But in 1982 he had been busy fighting record companies & the music business while trying to keep his band together. Though Long After Dark spawned one radio/MTV hit in You Got Lucky, the album is very overlo...

Guns N Roses became the biggest, most dangerous band in the world thanks to raw guitar power & raunchy lyrics. Their debut, Appetite for Destruction, set them on the path to superstardom but it didn't catch fire out of the gate. It was a bit of a slow burn & needed a kickstart from MTV. But once the world heard Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O Mine & Paradise City they skyrocketed up the chart...

Neil Young is a man of conviction who isn't afraid to take on governments & corporations. But he has that platform because of all the amazing music he's made over the decades. We look back on Harvest, his 1972 classic which catapulted him to stardom as a solo artist, and Harvest Moon, his reflection on Harvest 20 years later. Playing with the same cast of characters, Harvest Moon is a great booken...

As a show on classic rock we don't often encounter or review new music. We've been turned onto Steve Hackett in recent years & through discovering his music, we've been introduced to Amanda Lehmann as she has toured & recorded with Steve for years. Her album Innocence & Illusion showcases her talent as a songwriter, singer & guitar player across genres and was one of our top albums of 2021. A deli...

By 1969 The Beatles hadn't toured in 2+ years & had recorded separately using multi-tracks to create their legendary sound. Always ambitious, they decided to write, record & perform live a new album in 2.5 weeks in early 1969 & create a documentary on the process. Peter Jackson pieced together an amazing documentary from the footage showing breakups, hangers on and some extraordinary songwriting &...

1972 was a tough time for the Rolling Stones. They'd broken with their management, were forced to leave the UK as tax exiles & Keith was in the middle of his decade long heroin battle. But relocating to Nice allowed them to create the album by which all other Stones albums are measured. Rock, blues, country, gospel & soul elements are weaved throughout this masterpiece thanks to slick slide guitar...