Completely Conspicuous 549: Just What I Needed

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss our favorite albums of 1978. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Jay turned 11, Phil turned 9 in '78

- Big festivals, including Texxas Jam

- Lots of disco on the singles chart

- Phil's favorite non-top 5 albums: Ramones, Blondie, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, Jerry Garcia Band, Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, The Jam, Devo, Bob Seger, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Little Feat, Big Star, Marvin Gaye, Springsteen, Warren Zevon, Cheap Trick

- WKRP in Cincinnati on DVD and music licensing (UPDATE: Turns out a bunch of the music was restored on a recent DVD set)

- Cheap Trick At Budokan is one of the greatest live albums ever

- Jay's favorite bubbling under albums: The Police, Rush, Dire Straits, The Who, Peter Gabriel

- Phil's #5: Neil Young revisits the laid-back sound of Harvest

- Phil's #4 and Jay's #4: Talking Heads explore a more danceable sound

- Phil's #3: Debut from The Police made a big splash

- The long journey of Andy Summers

- Jay's #3: Contrasting opinions on Some Girls, but has some great Stones songs

- Jay's #2: Elvis Costello and the Attractions with an angry classic

- Phil's #1 and Jay's #5: Debut from The Cars has no bad songs

- Phil's #2 and Jay's #1: A revolutionary debut from Van Halen

- Favorite songs: "You're All I've Got Tonight" (Phil), "Running With the Devil" (Jay)

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 525: Shakedown Street

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss the Grateful Dead album Shakedown Street. Listen to the episode below or download directly.


Show notes:
- Recorded at CompCon world HQ
- First ep of the new decade
- Shakedown Street came out in '78
- Lots of musical stuff happening: Disco, punk, new wave, hard rock
- Disco wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be
- Jay: No guilty pleasures: If you like it, you like it
- The Dead were coming off a triumphant '77
- This was a contractually obligated studio album
- Lots of influences thrown in: Funk, disco, African jazz, rock
- Met with savage reviews
- The version of "Good Lovin'" here pales in comparison to the live version, especially when Pigpen sang it
- The last album with Donna and Keith Godchaux
- Title track gets slagged as bad disco, but we dig it
- Shakedown Street is now the name of the merch area at Dead & Co. shows
- Pressure was on from Clive Davis for them to have hits
- This album was produced by Lowell George of Little Feat
- Seen as a disco album, but it's pretty diverse musically
- The Dead weren't a great studio band
- Mickey Hart stepped up with three songs
- Phil: "I Need a Miracle" might be the best song on the album
- "Stagger Lee"  has an interesting history; versions were covered by many different artists
- Jay: The Nick Cave version is the best, and the most profane
- Album was scattered because of different influences plus substances
- "All New Minglewood Blues" is a pretty rockin' cover
- Dead appeared on SNL that year
- Ends with a Garcia-Hunter love ballad that works
- Jay: Liked about half the songs on the album
- Next: 1980's Go to Heaven

Completely Conspicuous is available through Apple Podcasts and anywhere else you get podcasts. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 268: Takin' It to the Streets

Part 2 of my conversation with guests Ric Dube and Jay Breitling as we dissect a classic episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").
Show notes:
- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ; check out the 50th episode of MLT (with cameos from Mr. Breitling and myself)
- Inspired by MST3K and Rifftrax, we're commenting while watching video
- Watch the episode along with us at the CompCon YouTube channel
- Breitling joins the fray
- Haywood Nelson was the inspiration for indie rock band Haywood
- JB: The satin jacket died with Rainbow's "All Night Long" video (featuring Graham Bonnet on vocals, not Joe Lynn Turner)
- Enter Big Al Dunbar
- Rerun wore his pants old-man high
- The original discomfort comedy
- Were the Doobies big anti-bootleg advocates?
- Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is a defense industry consultant now
- Baxter's wearing a Warner Bros. jersey
- Rocking out while seated
- Flaming gongs kick ass
- Dee's tripping
- "Pluggin' in the USB"
- Rerun drops tape recorder, feels shame
- The Doobies intimidate Big Al and henchman
- Bonehead of the Week


Music:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Let the Day Begin
Patrick Stickles - Hey Tonight
Me & Stupid - Receiver

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club song is on the EP Let the Day Begin. Download it for free (in exchange for your email address) at the band's website.
The Patrick Stickles song is a cover of a Free Energy song and available for free download at Stereogum.
The Me & Stupid song is on the album In a Cabin with Me & Stupid. Download the album for free at the Me & Stupid website.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.