What the Riff Next Gen

The Doobie Brothers were already a commercial success by the time their fourth studio album, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, was released in 1974.  This iteration of The Doobie Brothers features mainstream rock and roll with a folk harmony bent, and the vocals of singer-songwriters Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons.  Tim Porter is on bass, and "Little" John Hartman and Michael Hossack round ou...

Depeche Mode made a decision to minimize their pre-production work when they created their seventh studio album.  It must have worked, becauce Violator would become their breakthrough international album.  Keyboardist Andy Fletcher, keyboardist and vocalist Martin Gore, also keyboardist and drum machinist Alan Wilder, and lead man Dave Gahan had previously hit the charts with their 1984 single “Pe...

Their self-titled debut album and its breakthrough single “No Rain” put Blind Melon on the charts. A little alternative, a little hippie throwback, and maybe a little southern rock, Blind Melon is headed by frontman Shannon Hoon. Born in Indianapolis, Hoon was practically born a rock star, with the vocal chops and (unfortunately) the lifestyle to match. Hoon moved to Los Angeles where he formed th...

In 1966 The Rolling Stones were not the giants that they would come to be in the rock world, but their third album, Aftermath would start their transformation. While their two previous albums had consisted of a significant volume of cover songs (much like the Beatles' early work), Aftermath would be the first album with all original material, primarily written by Mick Jagger and/or Keith Richards,...

Even though he was at the top of his game Stevie Wonder almost retired to work with handicapped children in Ghana before this album was made. Instead, he signed what was then the largest recording deal in history, and released what many consider the best of his classic era — the double album Songs in the Key of Life. This album was released in late September, debuted at number 1 (the first artist...

Lots of music was coming out of Detroit in the 60's, and one of the high energy groups coming out of the Michigan rock scene was Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. The group had crossover appeal with a little soul, a little funk, and a lot of energy. Breakout...!!! was their second album, and was indeed a breakout for this Motor City band. Mitch Ryder (stage name for William Sherille Levise, Jr...

After doing well with their 1980 self-titled album, Canadian rock band Loverboy would head into the stratosphere with their second studio album entitled Get Lucky. Benefiting from a photogenic lead singer (Mike Reno) clad in read leather pants, Loverboy would ride the MTV wave to the top of the rock and pop charts. Loverboy was founded in 1979 by front man Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean, who me...

In its second album, Pink Floyd would begin its transition from a psychedelic 60's era band to what would become an icon of the rock genre. A Saucerful of Secrets is a strange album, and the only one in which Pink Floyd would consider themselves to be a five piece band. Frontman Syd Barrett had begun his slide into insanity, and was too unstable for the band to rely on him for concerts and recordi...

Despite the fact that he was a household name by 1989, Full Moon Fever is the debut solo album by Tom Petty, since his other albums were as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was a little straining on the members of the Heartbreakers, but everyone but drummer Stan Lynch contributed to Full Moon Fever. It was even recorded in Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell's garage studio. Members of the Tra...

When you're looking at revolution-focused rock of the late 60's, you have to put MC5 near the top of the pantheon. Their debut album, Kick Out the Jams, was also a live album, and captures the rage and the energy that would inspire the garage band and punk movement in the years to come. MC5 stands for "the Motor City Five," and was frontman Rob Tyner, lead guitarist Wayne Kramer, rhythm guitarist...

As Diamond Dave would say, "I heard you missed us - we're back!" Back with David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, and Alex and Eddie Van Halen, this time delving into their second studio album, conveniently entitled Van Halen II. Hot on the heels of their debut album released less than a year prior, Van Halen hit the studios for this second album a week after completing their world tour, and wrapped it...

Cream was the original rock supergroup. Drummer Ginger Baker, Bassist Jack Bruce, and guitarist Eric Clapton were already recognized for their individual talent, and the name of the group would reflect their status as “the cream of the crop.” DIsraeli Gears is their second studio album, and was the album that would propel them to fame in the United States. Cream was considered not only a supergrou...

Rock legend Neil Peart passed on January 7th 2020 after a battle with brain cancer. Peart affected all of us in a significant way through his work as percussionist and lyricist for the rock band Rush, and we wanted to take a moment to say what his life and work meant to us as we play three songs - “Fly By Night” (from Peart's first album with the band), “The Spirit of Radio” (a great example of bo...

It is unusual for a band's debut album to be a serious hit, but Appetite for Destruction was such a success that it catapulted Guns N' Roses to celebrity status seemingly overnight. The emphasis is on “seemingly,” because it would actually take several months to catch on. Seven months after the album was released it had only sold 200,000 albums. MTV wouldn't play GNR because of their overt focus o...

Heart hailed from and played in the Seattle area, but recorded this debut single in Vancouver, Canada. Dreamboat Annie appeared in Canada in the summer of 1975 and debuted in America on Valentine's Day 1976. In a male-oriented rock world the unusual sound of a female-fronted rock ensemble would both draw appeal and create friction that would drive a wedge between the group and their original Mushr...

The fifth studio album by the Eagles would become their biggest commercial success (not counting Greatest Hits (1971-1975), another monster album in its own right). Hotel California has been certified 26x platinum, and virtually every track was played on rock stations, not just the singles "New Kid in Town", "Life in the Fast Lane" and the title track, "Hotel California." This album was recorded a...

In a What the Riff first, we are reviewing an album by a fictional band this week! In March, a mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner hit the theatres about English heavy metal band Spinal Tap. The soundtrack from that movie, This Is Spinal Tap, would produce...well...perhaps not hits per se, but a lot of fun songs that are actually quite good for those of us who don't take things too seriously. It s...

When we did our Rock-and-Roll Christmas "rabbit hole" episode last year we realized that there are just too many Rocking Christmas songs to be held in a single podcast. So we're coming back to you this year with another selection of Christmas songs that rock! “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” by- Ronnie James Dio  This selection from the former Rainbow and Black Sabbath front man puts a metal twist o...

There are a handful of albums that have never lost their popularity, but just get stronger over time, and The Joshua Tree would certainly be one of these giant albums. The fifth studio album by U2 would see the group coming back from the experimental feel of their previous album, The Unforgettable Fire, and taking on a more conventional approach. The Joshua Tree took the theme of "America" as the...

We return to one of the true giants of the rock era as we take a dive into Led Zeppelin's debut album, known as Led Zeppelin 1. Band members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham recorded this album prior to securing a recording contract. It was recorded in 36 hours at a cost of 2,100 pounds. Founder and guitarist Jimmy Page produced the album. The tracks are a mix of old blues...

New Zealander Neil Finn founded the indie rock band Crowded House with Austrailian drummer Paul Hester and Australian bassist Nick Seymour. For their third studio album Woodface, Neil's older brother and Split Enz alumnus Tim Finn would join the band. In fact, much of the material recorded for Woodface was originally intended for a Finn brothers album, and made it onto the this album after Capitol...

Berkeley, California's Counting Crows seemed to become overnight sensations with their debut album August and Everything After. Lead man and pianist Adam Duritz and guitarist David Bryson came out of a group called The Himalayans, originally starting as a duet. Over time they formed the group, adding keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, guitarists Dan Vickrey and David Immergluck, bassist Millard Power...

Huey Lewis and keyboardist Sean Hopper started their career with a jazz-funk band called Clover in San Francisco in 1972. After spending some time in the UK and working with Thin Lizzy, Lewis joined with Hopper and members of another San Francisco band called Soundhole to become "Huey Lewis & The American Express." The name was changed to Huey Lewis & The News when Chrysalis records brough...

One of the most famous of the British "mod" groups, Small Faces was founded by Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (although Winston had been replaced by Ian McLagan by this album). Small Faces was solidly in the psychedelic rock category. Small Faces toured with The Who, a group also known as a "mod" group. The name comes from the fact that all the members were under 5' 9...

The actual title of David Bowie's fifth studio album is The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This influential album from the highly creative David Bowie would become the standard bearer of early 70's glam rock. This genre was outrageous, decadent, and a departure from the heavier, revolutionary political tone of late 70's rock music. Bowie created a character named Ziggy...