Completely Conspicuous 577: Hang 'Em High

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss rock stars and retirement. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded recently via Skype

- David Lee Roth recently announced his retirement

- Should more aging rock stars retire?

- Robert Plant isn't trying to be the Golden God anymore

- Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford can still deliver high-energy metal performances

- Shut it down, Clapton

- Ozzy's been doing retirement tours for 30 years

- KISS keeps playing "final" tours

- DLR actually predicted his retirement in a 1991 video

- Jay: Never saw Dave play with VH

- VH changed the hard rock game

- Dave and Sammy are different kinds of clowns

- Dave only did a few solo albums after 1991

- DLR's image radically changed as his looks did

- Bands keep touring into their 70s and 80s

- Grant Hart looked pretty rough toward the end of his life, but kept touring

- Similar to athletes who don't know when to hang it up

- Ringo Starr has the right idea: Let the young guys do the heavy lifting

- Ozzy and Sharon have had issues with writing credits

- To be continued

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 369: Light Up the Sky

Part 2 of my conversation with author Greg Renoff about his upcoming book on the early days of Van Halen. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

 

Show notes:
- Check out Greg's Van Halen Rising page
- Book is out Oct. 1
- Getting blurbs, reviews, photo permissions
- Publisher ECW Press released Neil Peart's books
- Book will feature previously unpublished photos
- Backyard parties were how the band grew
- New VH tour on the way
- Greg: Had an inkling it would happen
- Roth's solo career
- Greg: Became a VH fan because of "Jump"
- Roth stopped focusing on vocals after first few years
- New live album's shaky vocals
- Modern production techniques
- Is there a new studio album on the way?
- Next up for Greg: Possible work on unnamed artist's autobiography
- VH has a passionate fan base
- Afterword talks about the band's legacy

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

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.

Completely Conspicuous 368: In a Simple Rhyme

Part 1 of my conversation with author Greg Renoff about his upcoming book about the early days of Van Halen. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:
- Check out Greg's Van Halen Rising page
- Book is out Oct. 1
- Greg's a college professor
- Fan of arena rock and guitar as a kid
- In grad school, wrote his disseration and a book about a traveling circus
- Many parallels to a rock tour
- Wanted to learn more about VH's beginnings
- Interviewed people around the scene starting in 2009
- Eventually talked to Michael Anthony, Ted Templeman, Donn Landee
- Started at the bottom and worked up
- Dug into the myths around VH's major label signing
- Eddie's beginnings on guitar
- VH hit a lot of dead ends along the way
- The first big tour really made the band
- The fine art of choosing opening acts
- Getting a book publisher isn't easy
- Putting together the book proposal
- Finished writing in summer 2014
- To be continued

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

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.

Completely Conspicuous 215: Could This Be Magic?

Part 2 of my conversation with special guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss the new Van Halen album. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Jay: An impressive outing for a band at this stage

- Not many bands have taken such a long break and returned strong

- Mission of Burma and the Feelies are better than ever

- Where does this rank in VH pantheon?

- Jay: Ranks 7th after first six DLR albums, ahead of Hagar

- Brian: Michael Anthony's harmonies are missed

- Brian: VH should do a tour with Dave and Sammy

- What would you pay $90 to see live?

- Brian: McCartney's current band is excellent

- Arena shows are quickly getting priced out of reach of much of public

- Brian: Bob Mould noted particularly egregious lyrics on new VH single

- Brian: Aerosmith is long overdue for a good album

- Jay: Last good Aerosmith album was more than 20 years ago

- Good run of Aerosmith albums in the '70s

- Steven Tyler has become the dude who looks like a lady

- Brian: This VH album could've been much worse

- The sad story of Jason Becker, DLR's guitarist in early '90s

- Jay: Couldn't have expected the new VH to be any better

- Brian: Interested to hear the follow-up

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
The Hounds Below - For You and I

Dinosaur Jr. - No Bones (live)

Black Mountain - Mary Lou

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

The Hounds Below song is on the band's as-yet untitled debut album. Download the song for free at Consequence of Sound.

The Dinosaur Jr. song is on the DVD Bug Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of Fans. Download the song for free at DinosaurJr.com.

The Black Mountain song is on the soundtrack to the movie Year Zero. Download the song for free at Stereogum.

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 blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 214: Hear About It Later

Part 1 of my conversation with special guest Brian Salvatore as we discuss the new Van Halen album, the band's first with David Lee Roth in almost 30 years. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- Recorded via Skype

- Not interested in Grammy Awards

- Gary Cherone was in band at its worst

- Brian: Only VH album in his iTunes is VH III

- Brian started listening to VH in early '90s

- Always preferred DLR

- Jay: First VH album was Diver Down on cassette

- Diver Down was a cash-in album

- Jay: Liked Hagar, but not as VH singer

- Lyrical content not a big concern for VH

- Brian: VH III was pretty stark

- Eddie's synth phase was similar to what Rush did in the '80s

- VH has always picked curious opening acts

- Wolfgang is a decent bassist

- Neither VH or DLR had done anything good for 20+ years

- Jay: Eat 'Em and Smile was better than 5150

- Brian: First impression of new album was it sounds like DLR solo album

- Jay: First single is worst song on album

- Brian: Everybody sounds energized

- Beginning of second career or one-time deal?

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Frank Black and the Catholics - Nadine

Buffalo Tom - Mineral

Hot Snakes - Who Died

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

The Frank Black and the Catholics song is on the album Show Me Your Tears on SpinART Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Buffalo Tom song is on the album Let Me Come Over on Beggars Banquet. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The Hot Snakes song is on the album Suicide Invoice on Swami Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

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 blogs Clicky Clicky and Keeping Some Dark Secrets. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian; check out his site PodGeek.