Music Commentary Episodes

We pick up where we left off discussing Eric Clapton's career defining box set Crossroads. We're in the Derek & the Dominoes era, talking about Layla, Eric's 70s output, some of his struggles and his resurrection in the 80s.  The Wolf remembers his first Clapton show from 1990 in the 3rd row which forever changed his life and from which he keeps a souvenir.

Here's our trailer with a preview of UAWIL #34 on Eric Clapton - Crossroads Part 2.  Check out all past episodes on .  Subscribe & download on , , or anywhere you get your podcasts.  And follow us on Twitter or .  Let us know which band or album you want us to review!!

Eric Clapton's career is unparalleled in rock history. He's played with so many amazing musicians and put out an extraordinary catalog of music.  In 1988, he released his career encompassing Crossroads 4CD box set which was a huge seller and made an irreversible imprint on a young Ugly American Werewolf.  After a review of EURO 2020, we dive into this treasure trove and explore Clapton's first decade of music on Part 1 of 2 on Crossroads.

Canadian/English singer Paul Rodgers is an incredible, bluesy rock vocalist who has sold over 125 million records around the world.  And yet, he is not well known by the general public nor has he been up for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.  Starting with Free in the 60s, Bad Company, The Firm, Queen and solo, Paul Rodgers has an extraordinary body of work which we celebrate on this episode.

By the early 90s, Aerosmith were back on top of the world after a crossover collaboration with Run DMC and two hit records in the late 80s.  But in the 70s, Aerosmith hit the scene with an amazing hard, bluesy sound that was all over the radio and concert venues.  Excess led to their demise but Pandora's Box captured all that incredible music on a 3 disc set that is absolutely amazing.  We review our experience discovering hidden gems along with their greatest hits and analyze how they made the biggest comeback in rock history.

Here's a 5 minute preview of UAWIL #24 on Aerosmith's box set Pandora's box.  We preview the 1991 set and how it helped us appreciate Aerosmith in the 70s and early 80s.  And we explain why we were gone for a week due to a ring of the door bell, an overexcited dog, a full glass of water and a laptop.

MTV played a significant role in the lives of American youths in the early 1980s. It was no different for the Wolf or Action Jackson as this new format opened up a world of culture we wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to.  Duran Duran, with their new wave fashion, pin-up looks and funky pop songs took the video genre to a whole new level and secured their place in pop culture.

Keith Richards is one of the legendary icons of rock n roll. Everyone knows him as a guitar god, for having written so many great Stones songs and as a raconteur. But his solo albums, though few and under appreciated, offer some of his best work as a singer and writer. We dissect 1988's Talk is Cheap & 1992's Main Offender while exploring songs he sang on Stones albums and recalling a fun time in our lives.

Released in 1976, KISS Alive! changed the fortunes of KISS and transitioned them from a strong opening act to an international headliner. This success forced the band to come up with the goods in the studio and they were up to the task with Destroyer, Rock & Roll Over and Love Gun. These records gave us songs that would strengthen KISS's hold on the public and allow them to tour for decades.  Alive II captures the best songs from the catalog with the band at the height of their powers before success and excess changed the band forever. It's overlooked vs. Alive! but stands on it's own and the test of time.

In 1989, The Rolling Stones hadn't toured for 8 years, they're past few records didn't sell well and Mick & Keith were fighting and releasing solo records. But Steel Wheels put the Stones back on top of the world, set them up for an enormous tour and gave them the chance to continue their careers for several more decades.  We talk all about it this week on the Wolf!

As we conclude our 2 part episode on Rush and pay our respects to Neil Peart, we review some of the concerts we saw over the years from the Roll the Bones Tour to the final R40 Tour.  We compare them to other live bands of their era and contemplate our favorite moments, albums and eras on our very favorite live band.

The Wolf & Action Jackson discuss their favorite all-time band, Rush. The Canadian trio displayed a level of talent and intelligence rarely found in the world of rock n roll. On the one year anniversary of the passing of legendary drummer & lyricist Neil Peart, the boys reminisce about camping out for Rush tickets, the first time they saw them on the Roll the Bones Tour and explore their own discovery of the different eras of Rush.

The Wolf & Action Jackson discuss their favorite all-time band, Rush. The Canadian trio displayed a level of talent and intelligence rarely found in the world of rock n roll. On the one year anniversary of the passing of legendary drummer & lyricist Neil Peart, the boys reminisce about camping out for Rush tickets, the first time they saw them on the Roll the Bones Tour and explore their own discovery of the different eras of Rush.

Here's Part 2 of our incredibly popular episode on guitar legend Steve Hackett and his time in and out of Genesis.  The Wolf and Action Jackson also talk a little bit about live stream concerts and the recent Liam Gallagher Down By the River stream.  By exploring 70s era Genesis and Steve Hackett throughout the years, we hope this opens the door for some folks to discover or re-explore this extraordinary progressive rock catalog.

After the overwhelming success of Part 1, we've launched a preview for Part 2 of our 2 part show on the great Steve Hackett & Genesis

This week, The Wolf and Action Jackson take a close look at the career of Steve Hackett - a legendary guitarist, former member of Genesis and Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductee who is criminally underrated.  We have so much to cover that we've made it a two-parter - this is part one where we also discuss artists selling their publishing, what's up in rock news and more!

Here's a preview of our 2 part episode exploring Steve Hackett, his days in Genesis and as a solo artist

The 1981 animated classic, Heavy Metal, was a groundbreaking film supported with one of the all-time greatest soundtracks - not only for the heavyweights who played on it but for the way the tunes were incorporated into the film and score by Elmer Bernstein.  The Wolf and Action Jackson talk about how they found the flick and the album, shows coming up and fond memories from back in the day (how about a Blue Oyster Cult show that almost didn't happen??)

This week The Wolf and Action Jackson discuss how the rock n roll world and 2020 were affected by Covid-19.   We also take time to honor and discuss those we've lost this year, with special time dedicated to Neil Peart of Rush (see our last podcast for the Eddie Van Halen Tribute show) and we go over some gift ideas for the holidays.

The Ugly American Werewolf in London Podcast hosted by Mac B. and Gary Action Jackson from just off Abbey Road in London presents: The Eddie Van Halen Tribute.  After the recent passing of the guitar legend, the boys remember seeing Eddie live, finding his music via MTV and the back catalog prior to 1984 and pay homage to one of the true greats.