Archive for category: Beard’s Blog

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Eddie Money- Can’t Hold Back

The late Eddie Money's sojourn with his most popular album "Can't Hold Back" took him from the top of the charts with "Take Me Home Tonight" back to the hospital where his drug overdose six years earlier had paralyzed his leg. "The first time I heard 'Take Me Home Tonight' on the radio I was doing the dishes in rehab," Eddie tells us incredulously. "I said to myself, 'What's wrong with this picture?' "
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David Bowie- Hunky Dory- David Bowie, Mick Ronson

"Hunky Dory", David Bowie's December 1971 fourth album, hard to believe when reading all of the revisionist raves now, that "Hunky Dory"  was a commercial flop, so much so that it failed to even make the Billboard Top 200 sales chart. The late great David Bowie joined me here In the Studio  for the tale, as did his original wingman, guitarist Mick Ronson, for the scoop on "Changes","Andy Warhol", and "Life on Mars?"
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Traffic- Low Spark of High Heeled Boys- Steve Winwood,the late Jim Capaldi

Not always considered a Progressive Rock band, nevertheless the title song to Traffic's most popular album, November 1971's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" fits easily high atop any list of the most popular and creative songs of the Progressive Rock era..In my classic rock interview In the Studio prior to Jim Capaldi's death in 2005 from cancer, it is clearly evident how much Steve Winwood and Capaldi loved woodwind player ChrisWood, and each other. 
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Queen- A Day at the Races @50- Brian May, Roger Taylor

Queen songwriter/ singer/ world-class guitarist Brian May and drummer/singer/songwriter Roger Taylor tell the story of the first five Queen albums including "A Day at the Races"  in this wonderful classic rock interview 50th anniversary tribute to the late great Freddie Mercury. -Redbeard
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Eagles- Hotel California 50th- Don Henley, Joe Walsh,the late Glenn Frey

"Hotel California" by The Eagles... impressive combination of cinematic vision, songcraft, and high tech production seemed to be coming from a place in the near future to which the rest of rock would have to catch up...Joe Walsh, Don Henley, & the late Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey are my guests In the Studio for "Hotel CA" .
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YES- Fragile- Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman

The remarkably durable breakthrough fourth album by progressive rockers YES has turned out to be anything but "Fragile"... YES co-founder Jon Anderson is joined In the Studio by keyboard innovator Rick Wakeman who joined the band to make "Fragile".
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U2- Achtung Baby @35- Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen jr

U2 drummer Larry Mullen jr blurted out in my In The Studio classic rock interview regarding "Achtung Baby" that the Dublin-based quartet nearly broke up in the Berlin recording studio after reconvening following "Rattle and Hum"...
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Genesis- We Can’t Dance 35th- Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins

On the eve of their first North American concert tour in decades, Genesis triumvirate Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Phil Collins  reconvened here In the Studio to reprise the world premiere broadcast which I hosted and produced with them in November 1991 for "We Can't Dance" .
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Led Zeppelin IV @55- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Legendary wrestler-turned-Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant had an appropriately out-sized role in the Led Zeppelin "4" story as told here In the Studio by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin IV fifty-fifth anniversary.
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Todd Rundgren- Best pt 1

...In part one of this classic rock interview I make the case that no one waiting in the wings of the Rock Hall has done more for rock music over the last half century, in more ways, than Todd Rundgren.