Rock History Episodes

At the end of the 70s, Black Sabbath had lost their way.  The excess of the decade and the departure of Ozzy Osbourne left the future of the band in limbo.  However, after the addition of American powerhouse Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the band was reborn and came back with two classic albums - Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules.

At the end of the 70s, Black Sabbath had lost their way.  The excess of the decade and the departure of Ozzy Osbourne left the future of the band in limbo.  However, after the addition of American powerhouse Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the band was reborn and came back with two classic albums - Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules.  Here's a 2:30 preview of the episode which is released 18-Feb.

Recorded in 1983 at Hammersmith Odeon, Alchemy captures Dire Straits at their tightest and showcases the extraordinary talents of Mark Knopfler as a guitar hero.  They slow it down with classic tracks like Romeo & Juliet but rock out on Solid Rock.  They also stretch out some songs to give all band members a chance to shine, sometimes slowing things down only to build into a crescendo on Sultans of Swing.  This double live masterpiece offers the epitome of what Dire Straits offered as a live band thanks to the talent of Knopfler.

For the MTV Generation, the summer of 1983 can't be remembered without the sounds of Synchronicity by The Police.  The album vaulted The Police to international megastardom, sent Sting's stock soaring even higher, boosted MTV to greater cultural significance, and broke up the band for more than two decades.  We remember buying the cassette & LP and recall our first real encounters with rock n roll of our own.

Released in 1979, Led Zeppelin's In Through the Out Door doesn't usually make it to the top of most hard rockers fave album lists.  But The Wolf thinks this masterpiece has aged quite well and given us a glimpse into what might have been for a proggier, more democratic and experimental Led Zeppelin.  We go track by track and compare it to the rest of the catalog while relaying our personal experiences with LZ and seeing Jimmy Page & Robert Plant live.

Growing up in America during the early 80s, MTV was a cultural touchstone for a generation of kids.  In 1983, with the assistance of super producer Mutt Lange, Def Leppard released the chart-topping sensation Pyromania.  The classic claims 3 MTV video hits and a special place in the hearts of hard rockers everywhere.  38 years after its release and 30 years after the tragic loss of guitarist Steve Clark, we revisit this treasure.

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!

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.