Completely Conspicuous 560: High Fidelity

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Eric Green as we pay tribute to the cassette tape. Listen to the episode below or download directly (right click and "save as").

Show notes:

- Recorded via Zoom

- Eric with the Mr. Belvedere reference

- You had to be sneaky to tape record a concert

- Physical media holds its allure for fans of a certain age

- Never got into 8-track tapes

- Jay: Have a bunch of blank tapes, but haven't made a mixtape since 2000

- Eric: As a kid, made a mini-audio documentary about Van Halen on cassette

- Metallica started tapers' pit at their concerts

- Then a few years later, they led the charge against Napster

- Eric: Still purchase music on vinyl or CD, some MP3

- Don't listen to cassettes as often anymore, but will pop one in when the mood hits

- Bootlegs are the big thing he goes back to

- Jay: Wrote on my blog about the various mixtapes I made over the years

- Tapes definitely transport you to a different time

- Do greatest hits albums matter anymore?

- Reissues of great albums are popular

- Some bands like the Who or the Stones have a ridiculous number of hits comps and live albums

- Fond memories of the cutout bins

- Various cassette storage methods

- Jay: Got rid of the jewel cases for most of my CDs

- Sometimes vinyl and cassettes can sound bad

- Cassettes were great for comedy albums

- Jay: Had to get Eddie Murphy's Comedian album on tape so my mom wouldn't hear it

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 519: Cornell '77

I'm joined by guest Phil Stacey as we discuss the Grateful Dead bootleg Cornell '77. Listen to the episode below or download directly.


Show notes:
- Recorded at CompCon world HQ
- Talking about Dead show recorded on 5/8/77 at Cornell University
- Phil: Listened to this hundreds of times
- Jay: Very impressed by the bootleg
- Phil: The show was so random
- Dead had taken some time off from touring from '74 to '76
- By spring of '77, band was firing on all cylinders
- Phil's parents wouldn't let 8-year-old Phil see the Dead on that tour
- A lot of live albums are unnecessary
- But a great live recording is transcendent
- Phil: Early Chicago with Terry Kath on guitar was a great live act
- The Dylan and the Dead live album was a dud
- Phil Lesh: The Heineken Years
- Clapton's MTV Unplugged album was awful
- Jay: Solo Clapton is terrible
- Phil doesn't like Thin Lizzy
- The Dead has 36-minute versions of songs on their bootlegs
- Phil has around 125 Dead boots
- Figuring out which songs flow well into others
- Phil: The version of "Morning Dew" on this bootleg is the best
- Plenty of snow at that show, inside and outside
- Love when bands change up the setlist every night
- When you get sick of songs you love
- Somehow we start talking about "The Day After"
- AC/DC's music is more complicated than you think
- Phil would set his time machine to 5/8/77

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.

Completely Conspicuous 219: Give 'Em the Boot

Part 2 of my conversation with special guest Ric Dube about bootlegs. Listen to the show below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- Check out Ric's latest project, Trademark of Quality

- Bootlegs would get bootlegged

- Plenty of boots of concerts from radio and TV broadcasts

- When Napster emerged, bottom dropped out of bootleg market

- U2's Achtung Baby demos were stolen, ended up on bootlegs

- Ric has an early Men at Work bootleg, just because

- The Legend of Norm De Plume

- Pretenders bootleg has song from the Castaways at the end to fill space on the vinyl

- Bands used to re-record tracks on their live albums in the '70s

- Lots of good early Beck boots out there

- Ric: Searching for a long lost Elvis Costello bootleg

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Fugazi - Merchandise (live at Irving Plaza)

fIREHOSE - For the Singer of REM (live at Ancienne Belgique)

Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns and Money (live at The Record Plant)

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

The Fugazi song is from a show recorded at Irving Plaza in New York on 4/3/95. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

The fIREHOSE song is from a show recorded at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium on 3/12/91. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

The Warren Zevon song is on from a set recorded live at The Record Plant in Sausalito, CA, on 7/27/78. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

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; check out his site PodGeek.

Completely Conspicuous 218: Trademark of Quality

Part 1 of my conversation with special guest Ric Dube as we discuss bootlegs. Listen to the episode below or download it directly (right click and "save as").



Show notes:

- Check out Ric's latest project, Trademark of Quality

- Powered by BBQ

- TMOQ doesn't have actual bootlegs, but features essays about them

- Bootlegs comprise anything not released by a record company

- Jay: Discovered bootlegs and imports in record stores in the '80s

- Ric: First boot was a Springsteen live set from '81

- Jay: First boot was a Zeppelin live box set

- Both sound terrible

- Ric: Most bootlegs he owns are of The Replacements

- A lot of originally bootlegged 'Mats B-sides have turned up on official reissues

- Jay: Bought Prince's Black Album in late '80s from bootleg tape vendor at UNH

- Ric made cassette sleeves in early '90s for bootlegs with manga images

- Ric: Recorded bootlegs at live shows

- Also sold VHS tapes

- Jay: Had a list of bootlegs for sale in early '80s

- Used to get bootlegs from the old Rockit Records stores in '80s and '90s

- Ric: Pitching your bootleg wares to record stores

- Now there's countless boots available for free online

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:
Mission of Burma - Red (live on WERS)

The Minutemen - One Reporter's Opinion/Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (live at The Blue Note)

The Dirtbombs - Ode to a Black Man (live at The Blind Pig)

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

The Mission of Burma song is from a live set recorded at WERS-FM on 9/21/80. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

The Minutemen songs are from a show recorded live at The Blue Note in Columbia, MO, on 5/12/84. Download the songs for free from the Live Music Archive.

The Dirtbombs song is on from a show recorded live at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI, on 7/15/05. Download the song for free from the Live Music Archive.

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; check out his site PodGeek.