Episodes

Solo Projects, John UBP Producer Solo Projects, John UBP Producer

Ep. 71 | Imagine (1971) 50th Anniversary Part 2

Imagine the "Imagine" album has more songs than just "Imagine"...

The landmark record just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and in this week's deep dish Part 2, Tony & T.J. examine eight more excellent Lennon songs, plus another that remains controversial for those of us who don't think the only thing Paul ever did was "Yesterday". Along the way, the Flux Diddlers™ manage to find the time to address topics they won't dare touch on Sirius/XM's (uniformly excellent) The Beatles Channel, including:

🐶 Is "The Floppy Show" the Des Moines area's greatest contribution to popular culture?

💿 Was Wes Anderson's most unfortunate misstep leaving 80s hitmakers Level 42 off of the "Rushmore" soundtrack?

🍆 Did Chicago Bulls center Luc Longley - a.k.a. "The Australian Olajuwon" - inspire a phallic, early 90s reggae classic?

EPISODE LINKS:

  • Boyz II Men once paid tribute to John and Paul when they sang, "It's so hard to say goodbye...to yesterday". We hope you'll pay tribute to us by downloading and listening to this episode, and please consider us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, mall record store FYE, or wherever you get your podcasts.

  • And leave us your thoughts and comments on Insta if you're semi-old and Facebook if you're as old as hell like we are.

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Solo Projects, John UBP Producer Solo Projects, John UBP Producer

Ep. 70 | Imagine (1971) 50th Anniversary Part 1

Most casual John Lennon fans pick “Sometime In NYC” as their favorite solo album (hashtag Attica State). But for us die-hards, "Imagine" ranks as either #1 or #2.

This week, Tony & T.J. consider this seminal record on its 50th anniversary, looking at the album’s history and the immense staying power of its title track. (You “It’s So Hard” fans will have to wait until Part 2, next week!)

Along the way, the Fab Two™, with Producer Casey’s expertise, also examine these hard-hitting Lennon topics:

  • How a 1981 episode of “WKRP In Cincinnati” artfully referenced Lennon to presage today’s cuckoo crazy culture wars

  • Which Chicago expressway has more hits on the Billboard charts #MattBusby

  • Why cruise ship Elvis impersonators rely so heavily on arrhythmic hippy hippy hip shaking and incoherent mumbling

All this and more, now with a very 1987-y “Digitally Remastered” banner added to the front cover!

 

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Solo Projects, George UBP Producer Solo Projects, George UBP Producer

Ep. 69 | All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition Part 2

Like the Dark Horse, we too love dig! And this week T.J. & Tony love digging thru the demos and “party record” from the 8-LP All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Box Set, prompting Frankie Crisp-like musings such as:

  • What would be the tube fare to get to Badfinger’s old neighborhood?

  • Does Pete Rose’s pudding basin haircut deserve to be in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame?

  • How come the Untitled Beatles Podcast didn’t receive a Friar Park Gnome Civil War Chess Set?

Plus T.J. scores pajama points with the estates of Adler and Ross! Oh, and don’t invite Tony to “drum” for your outdoor acoustic guitar jam. Isn’t it a pity this couldn’t be a 3-parter?

Brought to you by The Pope and General Motors.

 

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Solo Projects, George UBP Producer Solo Projects, George UBP Producer

Ep. 68 | All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition Part 1

George Harrison’s absolute masterpiece (no, not “Gone Troppo”) has been remixed at last, in a deluxe boxed set, and myriad configurations. (Why save for retirement when you can own the #DeluxeGnomeEdition for only $1K?) Regardless of how you listen, it’s clear that the new 50th anniversary edition of “All Things Must Pass” sparkles and shines like never before. To our ears, it’s the definitive way to hear this essential record. 

In Part One of our Deep Dish on this long-awaited reissue, Tony & T.J. delve into this gorgeous package - ahem, #DingDongDingDong - and the stunning Paul Hicks remix of the original triple album. Is this the greatest Beatles-related boxed set to date? We’ll address that and more, including: 

  • What if Apple had signed Jackson Browne instead of James Taylor - OR DID THEY?

  • Is the computerized soundtrack to the Journey video game better than actual Journey songs?

  • Do some songs just sound better when heard from your neighbor’s apartment? (Related: Shut Up, Little Man!)

Part Two arrives next week, where we’ll get into albums four through eight; assuming Tony hasn’t scratched them while DJ’ing in the L.A. club scene. 

EPISODE LINKS

  • As Don (Not-Knotts) Adams once said in, obviously, his best-known TV role, “Don’t just stand there, Check It Out!” Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

  • And while you’re at it ,please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, let us know how you feel about this reissue on our Facebook page, and for the love of G-d please send us your spam!

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Solo Projects, Ringo UBP Producer Solo Projects, Ringo UBP Producer

Ep. 65 | Ringo Starr’s “Old Wave” (1983)

Commonly regarded (by no one) as one of the greatest post-Beatles solo projects of all time, this week T.J. and Tony finally dish deep upon Ringo Starr’s 1983 masterpiece, “Old Wave.” True to its title, Ringo and Joe Walsh teamed up to make a mid-70s record that was so hot, it wasn’t even originally released in the U.S.

Thankfully, in 2021, this rarity can be easily found on the internet to stream. Which is great news for fans, not so great news for T.J.’s side hustle selling bootleg burned German import CDs out of his trunk at the Lincoln Mall in Matteson.

Between tracks, the guys take a couple detours to revisit:

  • Paul’s passion for South Side slugger Frank Thomas

  • Eazy-E’s oft-overlooked cameo with the All-Starr Band

  • And great, miscellaneous moments in WKRP history

And, in what we have to assume is another first in podcast history, we may just take a quick pause to enjoy two full minutes of Chicagoland’s WGBO Super 66, originally broadcast in January, 1986.

We don’t want to overhype this episode or anything, but let's just say it beats sleep.

 

EPISODE LINKS

  • Are you more of a “Closer to Fine” person, or a “Closer to Free” person? Come argue with us on Facebook.

  • Do us a solid and help spread the word about our show! Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find us.

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Beatles Films, Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer Beatles Films, Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer

Ep. 64 | McCartney 3,2,1 (2021) Part 3

What type of Macca apprecionado are you… a “Live and Let Die”-harder, a casual “Maybe I’m Amazed” fair-weather type, or an ironically distanced, “Check My Machine” troll?

In this, the final installment of our “McCartney 3,2,1” deep dish, T.J. and Tony discuss episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Rick Rubin’s “Hulu and chill” with Sir Paul, covering both his modern standards and less-celebrated obscurities.

Chock-full of Beatle conspiracies and high noon standoffs, this episode will have you wondering:

  • Which hit 80s sitcom theme did Julian Lennon secretly sing?

  • How much did T.J. pay for a Spanish copy of McCartney’s Unplugged LP at Sound Warehouse in June of 1991?

  • Did Hulu use AI to make Paul sing “Got My Mind Set On You”?

Polish your anvil and set your Moogs to fab, this episode is worthy of the Sledge-O-Matic!

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Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer

Ep. 59 | Deep Dish: RAM (1971) 50th Anniversary Part 2

Our RAM 50th Anniversary Deep Dish Part 2 is finally here! Whether remastered, half speed mastered, mono mastered, or mastered-mastered, RAM is top-flight Macca and and a near-perfect listen. Tony and T.J. pick-up with Paul’s first U.S. #1 single (no, not “Back in Brazil”) and take us through the Archive Collection bonus tracks. They also find time to address:

  • Tony’s love of the lovely, long haired lady, Linda McCartney

  • Why nothing inspires confidence quite like 1980’s deodorant commercials

  • And which is better: Damn Yankees, the baseball musical, or Damn Yankees, the Nugent-fronted “supergroup”?

If you love this record (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love this episode. We believe that we can’t be wrong!

EPISODE LINKS

  • Spend some more time with the music in this week's episode—check out our Pandora playlist

  • Which solo Macca track do you think should've replaced 3 Legs on the album? Come argue with us on Facebook!

  • Help the show and help other fellow RAMheads (RAMrods? RAMsters? Lindalytes?) find our fine podcast! Please rate and review wherever you listen.

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Beatles Songs, Beatlesverse, Solo Projects UBP Producer Beatles Songs, Beatlesverse, Solo Projects UBP Producer

Ep. 58 | Black Music and The Beatles

Hey it's Juneteenth! In honor of the holiday, let's take a minute to reflect on the Black artists who inspired, wrote, or originally recorded SO MUCH of the Beatles' music we know and love. T.J and Tony pick some of their favorite songs that the Beatles covered, including some of the lesser-known originals.

There's a ton of great music throughout the show. We loved getting to dig into some groundbreaking R&B artists we already knew a little bit about—and some we're just getting to know for the first time—and we hope you do too.

"I was given back my body in the 1950s by Black music. I appreciate it, and I’ll never stop acknowledging it – Black music is my life." John Lennon, JET Magazine, October 1972

EPISODE LINKS:

  • If you haven't been checking out our Pandora playlists, this week's is one you're definitely going to want to tune into.

  • Who are some of your favorite Black artists covered by the Beatles? What'd we leave out? Share your favorites on our Facebook page.

  • As always, if you like the show, it helps A TON if you can leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen.

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Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer

Ep. 57 | Deep Dish: RAM (1971) 50th Anniversary Part 1

1970-71 was a prolific period for Beatles solo releases, and so last month we were blessed with yet another 50th anniversary edition of an iconic album: Paul and Linda McCartney's RAM. Tony and T.J. use the occasion to deep dish their favorite solo Paul work. And while they're at it:

  • T.J. and Tony reminisce about their old radio days and the technological marvel of audio cartridges

  • Tony does his best Magic Alex impression, explaining the technological marvel of half-speed mastering.

  • And the guys debate whether "Too Many People" can knock off "Motor of Love" and "Ou Est Le Soleil" for the top spot on the all-time greatest solo Paul charts

As usual, there's a lot of great music to talk about, so this one's going to be a two-parter. And also as usual, there might be a little bit of salty language. Though T.J. insists he's just saying "piece of cake."

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Solo Projects, John UBP Producer Solo Projects, John UBP Producer

Ep. 55 | Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Collection Part 1

This week, the guys finally get to dig into the COVID-delayed 51st anniversary edition of what is arguably the greatest post-Beatles Fab Four solo album: John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (1970).

The Ultimate Collection contains far more than can be covered in a single podcast, so in Part 1, T.J. and Tony tackle the first two discs of the sprawling boxed set, including the Ultimate Mix collection of the original album tracks, as well as the Ultimate Mix outtakes.

The long-awaited compilation may be exhaustive, but does it include any of the long rumoured (and some might say fictional) rarities like:

  • An alternate take of Remember with Paul on bass

  • The lost O’Jays contribution to Fiddler on the Roof

  • Or the Jeff Lynne + Threetles “My Mummy’s Dead”

Tune in to find out!

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