Episodes
Ep. 25 | Deep Dish: Revolver LP
It's time to serve up a deep dish of The Beatles most colorful LP with a b/w cover.
In this episode, TJ and Tony talk ADT, LSD, Geoff Emerick recording techniques, and the Alan Civil War. Plus diversions into the goth Lennon & McCartney, Rupert the Bear, The Frogs, and the Soul Train Scramble Board.
Revolver's track-by-track musings come augmented with enough collector scum needle drops to power a small, fab village, including a sample of their favorite punching bag, 60s Capitol Records honcho Dave Dexter.
Turn off your mind, relax and float tangentially.
Ep. 24 | Fab Political Songs
It's election month in the US and the Untitled Beatles Podcast is cautiously optimistic.
After paying lip service to the recently released John Lennon Gimme Some Truth Ultimate Mixes, TJ and Tony delve into the political songs of The Beatles and their solo work, with the occasional zoom glitch and personal political view expressed. Q-flakes beware!
Plus, TJ opens up about his Marshall Crenshaw support circle, and at long last one of the UBP off-topic tangents spawns an important social justice movement. Lookin' at you, U2...
Ep. 22 | Favourite Beatles Singles
The 45 rpm single is a many-splendored thing. A souped-up hot rod, a calming salve, a flop on the plug-side, a bullet on the flip. Of the 22 singles in the official Beatles canon, TJ and Tony each pick their three favorite, with a few honorable mentions and curiosities addressed.
Also, Tony teases a new musical, TJ tests the waters of Kennedy jokes in the 21st century, and there are enough Gen X references to power a small city.*
*built on rock n roll
Plus all your favorite schtickbits (comedy fishsticks)...repeated!
Ep. 21 | Deep Dish: John Lennon Anthology Part 2
In this thrilling conclusion, TJ and Tony dive deep and goofy into discs 3 and 4 of the John Lennon Anthology, in honor of what would have been his 80th birthday.
Special diversions into Cats! ("now and forever") and klezmer Beatle music loom. Plus TJ and Tony pour gasoline on the Q-Beatle Bernard Purdie conspiracy theory. Also in this week's edition of Star Maps to Star Homes, TJ reveals the precise location of Webster's Chicago brownstone.
Yes, these episodes have been getting longer - due in part to a slew of tasty, unYouTube-able needle drops - and also John Lennon is worth it. Happy 80th, wherever you are!
Ep. 20 | Deep Dish: John Lennon Anthology Part 1
In honor of what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday, TJ and Tony explore the out-of-print John Lennon Anthology.
While combing thru the first two discs, they opine about Rolling Stone's new and improved Top 500 albums of all time, explore the quirks of 1's and 3's vs. 2's and 4's, and disagree about a popular 80s sitcom theme. Also, they finally (reluctantly) get around to addressing Lennon's most controversial single.
Plus shout outs to Nicky Hopkins, The Cyrkle, and Uncle Floyd.
It's the first of a two-parter if you believe the clickbait at the end.
Ep. 19 | Rutlemania!
TJ and Tony praise the comedic and musical genius of The Rutles, with about a trailer’s worth of spoilers. This episode is chockful of chuckles (and chug-a-lugs) honoring Eric Idle and Neil Innes’ pre-fab spamsterpiece.
Along the way, they talk Chainsaw & Dave, autographed long boxes, and the merits of Grease 2. Plus, TJ pinpoints the moment Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band “jumped the sharrk.”
And it’s the debut of TJ & Tony’s Fife & Jam Band, The Fools on Hill.
Occasional glitches brought to you by Zoom (free account).
Ep. 18 | Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005)
TJ and Tony explore Macca’s very solo Nigel Godrich produced 2005 album, including B-sides, his collaboration with George Michael and the BBC special filmed live at Abbey Road.
Scattered throughout, Tony talks of teenage revenge against Joe Piscopo, TJ pops off on John Popper, and several cultural clashes are addressed: Huddle House vs. Luby's Cafeteria, Fannie May Meltaways vs. Frango Mints, and Condos vs. Bongs.
Plus, TJ and Tony talk Beatles-as-travel-anxiety-salve, and are peer-pressured into divulging their top 3 Macca solo records...at least their favorites on that particular day.
Ep. 17 | Love LP and All Together Now DVD
In this episode of Pizza Talk, TJ and Tony get acrobatically off-topic trying to discuss The Beatles collaboration with Cirque de Soleil. It contains 101 local Chicago references.
We think this episode will sell a lot of tickets for the Vegas show.
Ep. 16 | Star Club Tapes
Pills, Punk, and Knuckle-Dusters!
This week TJ and Tony zip, zap and zop through the long out-of-print collection of lo-fi recordings of the Fab Four in Hamburg.
Also, TJ tries out both his sexy voice and his creepy voice (it’s two different voices) while Tony dogs on Ferris Bueller. And they accidentally do a Harold...we think.
Get out your Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder and bootleg this episode. It could be worth something someday!
Ep. 15 | Beatle Bottoms
Clickbait: Are TJ and Tony in a Beatles cult? The answer may dumbfound you!!
In this Labor Day Spectacular (not that spectacular really) TJ and Tony comb the floor of the Sea of Holes in search of the least fab Beatles songs. Listen for adjectives like "treacly" and "loathsome"(!).
Also included are hot takes on R.E.M. vs Bare Naked Ladies, and a very brief tribute to short form improv.
Meanwhile, TJ discloses one of his "Beatle nightmares" while Tony wears out his “Beatle bag.”
Fact cheque: "It’s All Too Much" was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios and "Baby, You’re A Rich Man" at Olympic Sound Studios.
Neither TJ nor Tony can remember what a clavioline is.
Listen to the Beatle Bottoms playlist here.