Episodes

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Ep. 53 | Deep Dish: U.S. Rubber Soul (1965) Part 1

Hey hey! It's our birthday, and we're gonna have a good time. And amazingly, T.J. managed to do an entire year's worth of podcasts before finally cutting loose on his all-time favorite version of his all-time favorite album: the Capitol Records U.S. edition of Rubber SoulDave Dexter helps the Fab Four find their inner folksters, and, not to spoil the podcast or anything: TONY AND T.J. ENTHUSIASTICALLY APPROVE.

In Part 1 of their deep dish, the guys remember how they first discovered Rubber Soul, compare and contrast the U.S. and British releases, and dig into the first few tracks. But there's so much good stuff to talk about, we'll have to finish out the album in Part 2 next week.

As always, we got a little distracted along the way, making sure to cover crucial tangents like:

  • What are our least favorite words for "excrement"?

  • Which Buffalo reigns supreme: Buffalo Springfield, Buffalo Stance, or Dabney Coleman's early 80s sitcom Buffalo Bill?

  • Where does Norwegian Wood sit among the all-time great pyromaniac songs?

Really, we can't believe we've been at this for a whole year (or that we still haven't come up with a title for the podcast). We couldn't do it without this wonderful community of Fab Four fanatics. Thanks for coming along on this long and meandering road, and here's to another trip around the sun!

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Ep. 52 | Live in Melbourne (1964)

This week T.J. and Tony follow the Fab Four "under the equator" (as they say) for their ripping June 1964 concert in Melbourne, Australia. It's the rare show that captures the Beatles in peak performance shape, and in high quality audio and video. The guys go through track-by-track, and also find time to cover:

  • Their favorite early 2000s post-grunge band

  • Their least favorite 80s NBC TV theme

  • The breakfast menu at the Taco Bell in Plymouth, Wisconsin

  • and more!

So pack your bags; we’re heading for Australia! Insert Men At Work joke here.

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Ep. 51 | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) Part 2

Dust off your mellotrons! It's the long-awaited, thrilling conclusion of last week's deep dish into MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. Picking up where they left off—on Side 2 of the Capitol US LP—Tony and T.J. tease apart some of the Fab Four's most iconic songs, including...

  • Strawberry Fields

  • Baby You're a Rich Man (the Fat Boys version)

  • All You Need is Love (the Beat Bugs version)

  • Shirley's Wild Accordion

...and so much more! So pack your bags, buckle up, and let us take you down through some of the grooviest tunes in the Beatles canon.


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Ep. 50 | Magical Mystery Tour (1967) Part 1

ROLL UP! T.J. and Tony have been waiting over 50 episodes to take you away on a journey into the psychedelic 1967 Beatles classic "Magical Mystery Tour." The album, not the movie. Well, half of the U.K. EP and half of the U.S. LP. Because that's how we roll up.

Along the way, you just might learn:

  • Which does Tony love more: the bass harmonica, or Queen Latifah?

  • Which does T.J. love more: Blue Jay Way or the 1993 World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays?

  • Did the Eggman actually go on to front the 2020 Best New Artist Grammy-winning Black Pumas?

  • What the hell is a crabalocker fishwife?

So much fun, we couldn't cover it all in one episode. It's gonna be a two-parter, so stay tuned for even more magic and more mystery next week.

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Ep. 49 | Give My Regards to Broad Street (Film Review)

At long last, T.J. and Tony review Sir Paul's magnum opus: Give My Regards to Broad Street. Starring and written by Paul McCartney, the 1984 movie was panned by critics and audiences alike, but brought us some of Paul's best music of the decade ("No More Lonely Nights"), and some of his worst remakes of his best music from decades past (lookin' at you, "Long and Winding Road").

This long and rambling podcast leads to all the usual goofs and giggles, and—as far as we're able to ascertain—what we believe to be the first reference to the theme music from NBC's "The Days & Nights of Molly Dodd" in podcasting history. And what movie review is complete without also covering the Commodore 64 video game adaptation?

Movie viewing recommended (you might be able to find it on YouTube), but certainly not required. Good times guaranteed either way, or your money back.

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Ep. 48 | Favourite Beatles Extras

Sure, we've all heard the Abbey Road medley a million times, but when's the last time you checked out Mean Mr. Mustard Take 20 or Polythene Pam Take 27? This week, the guys dig through their crates of reissues, bonus tracks, and bootlegs to unearth their favorite Fab Four extras.

Tune in to find out:

  • Can TJ possibly find a way to tie this one to a Broadway musical and/or a 1970s sitcom?

  • Which Lennon rarity did Tony cover from his living room/recording studio in 2014?

  • Does Coach Ditka listen to this podcast? (If he did, probably not anymore...?)

Take it, Tony! (And TJ!)

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BONUS Ep. 47 | "Look at Me" Ultimate Mix, Joe Strummer on Dark Horse

It's another BONUS EDITION to cover some breaking news from the Beatlesverse. Tony and TJ tackle the first album release in a decade from George Harrison's Dark Horse Records—Joe Strummer's posthumous Assembly—and another sneak peek Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Mix of one of John's sweetest tunes, "Look at Me."

But really, the guys are just using these new releases as an excuse to talk about musical theater, John Lennon's love of cats (and Cats), TJ's love of Tucker, Tony's blasphemous lack of love for Prince, and a whole lot more.

We're back with a full episode Saturday morning, but in the meantime, send your hate mail over to our Facebook page

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Ep. 46 | The Beatles Live at Budokan (1966)

Missing live music as much as we are? This week we offer you an hour-long escape to 1966 Japan, where the Fab Four played their iconic concerts at Budokan. Maybe not their most polished performances, but definitely memorable, and definitely a portrait of the Beatles in a critical moment of transition, fresh off their Revolver recording sessions.

We've got lots of music in store for you, along with:

  • All of TJ's favorite 1980s deodorant and bratwurst commercials

  • A bit of Tony's junior high pop music lust

  • A tribute to the great Terri Hemmert and her commitment to awful Beatles covers

  • And, of course, the obligatory cheap shots at poor Pete Best.

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BONUS Ep. 45 | Klaatu’s 3:47 EST (1976)

In the heat of the mid-70s desperate anticipation of a Beatles reunion, the mysterious Canadian band Klaatu released an out-of-this-world album that listeners couldn't help but speculate had been secretly recorded by... some other fabulous foursome. Tony and TJ pick apart the enduring enigma surrounding 3:47 EST. And, in the process:

  • Tony spins one of his favorite Carpenters tracks

  • TJ finds a way to tie it all back to 80s TV and musical theater

  • And we all get to finally dispel some of the wild Beatles/Klaatu rumors with cold, hard facts.

It's probably only about once a year that we're able to dedicate an entire bonus episode to such a controversial topic. As always, we aim to bring you enlightenment and some fun, in hopes that the eyes in your head will see the world spinning round.

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Ep. 44 | Ringo’s “Zoom In” EP (2021)

It's rare that TJ and Tony get the chance to deep-dish about NEW RELEASES from the Fab Four, but last week, Ringo Starr dropped his new "Zoom In" EP.

Could it be his best work since "Vertical Man"? Will Tony etch another record into his Solo Beatles Mount Rushmore? (Spoiler: NO.)

We also check out the newly released Plastic Ono Band bonus track "It'll Be Me" featuring John, Ringo, Klaus Voorman, and Billy Preston, as well as a couple of early George Martin experimental synth tracks slated for a remix and reissue in May.

As always, things get a little wacky.

  • TJ geeks out about 1990's Live from Knebworth

  • Tony gives Ringo the Pete Best cold shoulder

  • And have you heard Ringo's long-rumored Nine Inch Nails collaboration?

Here's to the songs we might not remember,
With a podcast we won't forget.

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