Episodes
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!
EPISODE LINKS:
Check out Pandora for the Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Collection OR for our playlist of music from this week’s episode.
What’s missing from this sprawling collection? Shout at us on our Facebook page.
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Ep. 54 | Deep Dish: U.S. Rubber Soul (1965) Part 2
The British Rubber Soul is for the birds! OK, that might be a little aggressive. The album's a masterpiece, but T.J. and Tony make a pretty compelling argument that nobody really misses "What Goes On," and that Dave Dexter's U.S. version for Capitol Records is just a superior collection.
It's so fine.
It's sunshine.
It's PART TWO of our U.S. Rubber Soul deep dish. And along the way, we ponder:
Where does journalist Maureen Cleave fit into the lineup: Is she the fifth Beatle... or THE THIRD?
And where does Ed McMahon land? (Spoiler: the ninth Beatle.)
Which iconic songs would the guys etch into their solo Eagles Mt. Rushmores?
"Run For Your Life" may not age well, but we like to think our dumb Peter Cetera jokes will. YOU BE THE JUDGE.
EPISODE LINKS:
Check out our Pandora playlist!
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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 Soul. Dave 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!
EPISODE LINKS:
Go listen to all the great music we cover! Check out this week's Pandora playlist.
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Help other Beatlegeeks find the fun: rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
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.
EPISODE LINKS:
Find Fab footage of the Melbourne show on YouTube.
Dig into this week's Pandora playlist.
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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.
EPISODE LINKS
Dive deeper into the tunes from this week's episode in our Pandora playlist.
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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.
EPISODE LINKS:
So much great music to love - check out the Pandora playlist!
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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.
EPISODE LINKS
Enjoy this week's Pandora playlist
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While you're in the reviewing mood, we'd love to know what you think. Drop us a review on Apple or wherever you listen!
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!)
EPISODE LINKS:
Wish you could spend more time with the music you hear in the episode? Check out this week's Pandora playlist.
What'd we miss? Drop your Fav Fab Extras on you Fav Fab Facebook page
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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.
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.
EPISODE LINKS:
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