Permanent Record Podcast

Episode 92: Wham! – Make it Big (1984) Part 1 It's now October, which means September Sans Sarah is over! But it's not just Sarah joining Brian for the next album discussion-- a new special guest is a part of the conversation. Jackie Clary brings her knowledge and passion regarding all things Wham! and George Michael, as well as her extensive research skills from her years working at MTV, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and as a music and TV archivist, to an in-depth look at the album which, as its title indicates, helped the group Wham! "make it big" 35 years ago this month.   Part 1 - Jackie Clary intro and Album History Since Jackie is a new guest to the show, and she's had such an interesting music-related career, Brian and Sarah ask Jackie to share a little about herself and her experiences working at MTV. Jackie is happy to oblige and tells some great stories about the projects she worked on and the people she interacted with.   Then it's time to start talking about Wham!, the making of Make it Big, th

Episode 91: The Cult - Sonic Temple (1989) September Sans Sarah rolls on as longtime friend of the show Colby Zell returns to join Brian for a discussion on The Cult's 1989 hard-rocking watershed moment: "Sonic Temple." The two cover some facts, figures, and history of the album, talking about where the band was coming from in 1989 and their decision to work with producer Bob Rock.  They also cover their own personal histories with the record, histories that overlap quite a bit as they tell the story of a poor Pontiac Sunbird with a penchant for bursting into flames and a chance encounter with a university Dean of Housing.  And then, before moving on to four personally-curated tracks for further discussion, the old chums cover some reviews of the album to get a sense of what the critics thought of this tasty slice of musical goodness. Finally, Brian and Colby go into further detail on the following songs/videos: New York City (featuring Iggy Pop!) Sun King Edie (Ciao Baby) Fire Woman Just a note: Any time

Episode 90: The Mission - God's Own Medicine (1986) We're kicking off our biggest event yet here on the Permanent Record Podcast - it's September Sans Sarah!!!  Yes, if you follow us on Facebook then you know that Sarah is currently making her way up and down the west coast of the US.  However, as Bernard Lee's "M" said to 007 in the movie Diamonds are Forever - "We do function in your absence, Commander." And so, this new episode takes a listen to an album many have requested over the past year.  It's the Mission's 1986 debut "God's Own Medicine." And it's a bit of a different format than what we usually do, but hopefully you will still enjoy it.  Just a note: the instrumental music used in the episode is taken from Wayne Hussey & James Bacon's soundtrack album, "As Irmas Iamesas."  If you like what you hear, check it out! Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast Follow us at https://twitter.com/permrecordpod Check out some pictures at h

Episode 89: Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward (1984) Part 3 In the United States, the unofficial end to summer is here, and so is the end of Brian and Sarah's discussion of Some Great Reward. The fourth album by Depeche Mode is about to celebrate its 35th anniversary, and our hosts have very much enjoyed taking a fond look back at it.       Part 3 –Track by Track, continued Before getting back into the song discussion, there are some voicemails from listeners to share from locations across the globe. Then it's back to Some Great Reward. There are only two more songs on the album to talk about, but our hosts still have plenty to say! One of the songs is one of the few Alan Wilder-penned works in the Depeche Mode catalogue, and Sarah talks about why that was the case. The hosts also get into a discussion about English grammar, which threatens to distract Brian from the topic at hand. Thankfully, they get back on track to talk about the album closer and its video. If You Want Blasphemous Rumours    Part 4 – Extr

Episode 88: Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward (1984) Part 2 They're baaa-aaack! Finally, after a month, Brian and Sarah have returned to their discussion of Some Great Reward, the 1984 album by Depeche Mode. One is refreshed and energized from her recent vacation; One is exhausted and hungover from his decision to stay awake until 4AM watching Human League concert DVDs and posting on Facebook.  However, they each have a lot to say about this very important album-- so much so, in fact, that they decided to split the discussion of Side Two into two parts.   Part 3 - Track by Track, continued As our hosts flip the record to Side Two, they find two singles back-to-back, so there are chart positions and videos to talk about, along with the regular topics of music, vocals, and lyrics. "Somebody" is the first Depeche Mode single with Martin Gore taking the lead on vocals; it's also the first double-A side ever released by the band. Brian and Sarah recount the famous story about the recording of the song, which leads

Queen + Adam Lambert - The Rhapsody Tour 2019 Ok, I know that we're supposed to be talking with you about Depeche Mode's "Some Great Reward"; however, we had a rough week and also a pair of concert tickets to one of the best concerts I have ever seen, so we weren't able to get a new REAL episode recorded. If you don't like Queen, you'll want to skip this one because basically in 35 minutes or so, we're going to touch on our feelings about the Queen and Adam Lambert collaboration, the impact of the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the live show these guys produce, and the entire set-list for the concert we attended in Philadelphia, PA on August 3rd. Now I'm Here Seven Seas of Rhye Keep Yourself Alive Hammer to Fall Killer Queen Don't Stop Me Now Somebody to Love The Show Must Go On I'm in Love With My Car Bicycle Race Another One Bites the Dust Machines (Or 'Back to Humans') I Want It All Love of My Life '39 Doing All Right Crazy Little Thing Called Love Under Pressure I Want to Break Free Who Wants to Live For

Episode 87: Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward (1984) Part 1 The summer is still in full swing, and it has kept Brian and Sarah rather busy and without a lot of time to discuss an album in depth. But our hosts have made time to discuss a very important album in their lives— Depeche Mode’s fourth effort, Some Great Reward. The 35th anniversary of Some Great Reward’s release will be coming up soon, so it seemed like a good time to do an exploration of this classic record. Part 1 - Album History This is the third Depeche Mode album without founding member Vince Clarke, and the second for which at least some of it was recorded at the famous Hansa studios in Berlin. Brian talks about where the band was in their development at this time, and both Brian and Sarah go into the process of recording the album, which included shaking buildings, “construction time again” (but not what you’re thinking), and a trip to a toy store. Of course, the usual release and chart information is also provided, although not without some

Episode 86: Movie Review: “The Cure - Anniversary 1978-2018 Live in Hyde Park London” (2019) It’s been quite some time since Brian and Sarah published an “emergency episode” of the Permanent Record Podcast, but they both decided recent circumstances called for one. Our hosts attended a special screening of the Tim Pope film “The Cure Anniversary 1978-2018 Live in Hyde Park London” on July 11, and since they a) enjoyed the film immensely and b) are still on a “Cure High” after spending the month of May talking about the iconic album “Disintegration,” they decided to devote an episode to talking about the movie they just watched. It should come as no surprise that both Brian and Sarah very much enjoyed Tim Pope’s cinematic treatment of The Cure’s 2018 concert in London's Hyde Park, which took place almost exactly 40 years to the day from the first live performance by The Cure, at The Rocket in Crawley, England. Brian sets forth a plan for the two of them to break the 29-song setlist into groups of five songs

Episode 85: Forgotten 80s II - The Eighties Strike Back (Fiction Factory, Vince Clarke & Paul Quinn, Kon Kan, The Ocean Blue)   Another busy summer is already underway for Brian and Sarah, so they decided to do a second volume of a listener-suggested idea from last year: Forgotten 80s songs. (Thanks again for the idea, Charles Cotham!)  Each host selected two songs that may have faded from-- or never even made it to-- people's memories, and the ensuing discussion for each song covers the typical topics such as release history, chart positions, and videos.  Also in this episode, Brian shocks Sarah by professing his love of a particular childhood game, Brian sings the praises of a particular on-line music subscription service that he recently discovered, and both Brian and Sarah are happy to have the opportunity to discuss their recent front-row attendance at an Ocean Blue concert, where not only was the "forgotten 80s" song played, but also songs from their fantastic just-released new album. Fiction Facto

Episode 84: Power Hour 1984: (The Police, Wham!, Prince, FGTH, Scandal, Van Halen) The month of June is here, and the official start to summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) is just days away. For something different to kick off the summer, Sarah came up with the idea of doing an episode on the music of 1984 for episode 84. Brian added a twist to the idea by framing the discussion around a "power hour," where participants drink a shot of an alcoholic beverage (something mild, like beer or cider) every minute for sixty minutes. And to make things even more interesting and fun, occasional guest host Colby Zell was invited to participate as well.   Each of the three hosts report the beverage they'll be drinking during the "power hour," and then as the clock starts, they read a very recent article that talks about how 1984 was voted as the best year in pop music since the inception of the pop music charts. Then Colby, Sarah, and Brian take turns drawing random songs out of a hat (yes, an actual hat). All the songs

PRP 007 Mini-Broadcast: Episode 2 - From Russia With Love For a year or so now, Brian has done his best to strong-arm discussion of Agent 007 into as many podcasts as he could.  Finally he has convinced Sarah to embark on a new mission: the Permanent Record Podcast 007 Mini-Broadcast! This new occasional series from your friends Brian & Sarah will start with "Dr. No" and work its way up to the most recent Bond adventure, and on the way it will discuss and critique all of the 007 theme songs and other relevant recordings.  It's a dream come true for one of the hosts - and for Bond fans everywhere! In this second episode, a fantastic musical team is assembled to create the soundtrack to Bond's sophomore theatrical adventure.  John Barry, Lionel Bart, Matt Monro, and Don Black are all on hand as Barry takes the lead on the score for the first time.  And while he doesn't get the theme song assignment quite yet, Bart and Monro knock it out of the park!  Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Vis

Episode 83: The Cure - Disintegration (1989) Part 4 The month of May is coming to an end, and so is Brian and Sarah’s in-depth look at The Cure’s 1989 album, Disintegration. But before they begin their discussion of the last four songs, they have some other news and information to talk about. First, friend of the show Alan Hogg shared a review of the first Disintegration 30th anniversary concert in Sydney, and Brian reads some excerpts of that review. Then, the hosts turn their attention to an unfortunate time period in the history of The Cure, when co-founder Lol Tolhurst sued the band after being kicked out right after the recording of this album. Part 3 - Track by Track, continued After that, it’s time for Brian and Sarah to pick up where they left off, starting with song two of Side Two. There are no more singles or videos, but our hosts find no lack of things to discuss as they continue to traverse the sonic landscape of the album’s second side. As with the previous three episodes, the topics of instru

Episode 82: The Cure -Disintegration (1989) Part 3 The 30th anniversary celebration of The Cure's seminal 1989 release, Disintegration, continues this week. But before our hosts resume the track-by-track  discussion, they have some more recent updates to share. Sarah announces plans for a Cure documentary to be shown in cinemas this summer, and Brian explains why he no longer believes Robert Smith's earlier claim of a Halloween release for the new Cure album. He then shares some information about the cover art for Disintegration.   Part 3 - Track by Track, continued The track-by-track discussion picks up partway through Side One, and Brian and Sarah once again find plenty of things to talk about with this batch of four songs. Like last week, two of the songs were singles; however, one of these singles was only released in one country. And unlike last week, both hosts like both of the videos for the singles quite a lot. Also during the discussion, Brian shares some more memories related to the songs, and Sara

Episode 81: The Cure -Disintegration (1989) Part 2 Brian and Sarah are recovered from colds (yes, Sarah got a cold right after Brian, resulting in two terrible-sounding hosts last week!) and ready to resume their look back at one of the most significant albums in not only their own lives, but also in the world of New Wave music.  Disintegration by The Cure is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, and much like the album itself, Brian and Sarah's coverage of Disintegration is going to be similarly long. There's just too much to say about it to condense into two episodes!   Last week's episode ended with some reviews from the period of the album's release. This week the hosts pick up the discussion by sharing more recent reviews of Disintegration, and they both find it interesting how the tone of most of the more recent reviews is different from the initial reviews. Part 3 - Track by Track And finally, it's time to start discussing the songs! Because this album has twelve tracks on it, it seemed to ma

Episode 80: The Cure - RnR HOF 2019 & "Disintegration" (1989) Part 1 Hi folks! Brian here. Sarah didn't write her usual well-organized and amusing show notes for this episode yet, but I am ready to post it. And while on the episode I will mention that I am suffering from some seasonal allergies, it turns out that what I really have is a super-annoying cold with sore throat, cough, and congestion. This cold has me feeling much less than witty! Because of that, these show notes are really sub-standard.  Here is what you will find on this particular episode of the podcast: 1. A discussion of The Cure's induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. 2. A good number of details about the recording of the 1989 album "Disintegration." 3. A look back at some of the reviews of the aforementioned record from various publications. 4. Brian and Sarah's sad/sexy personal histories with this record. While we don't talk about any particular songs in this installment, I added a few early demos in the background to help

PRP 007 Mini-Broadcast: Episode 1 - The James Bond Theme For a year or so now, Brian has done his best to strong-arm discussion of Agent 007 into as many podcasts as he could.  Finally he has convinced Sarah to embark on a new mission: the Permanent Record Podcast 007 Mini-Broadcast! This new occasional series from your friends Brian & Sarah will start with "Dr. No" and work its way up to the most recent Bond adventure, and on the way it will discuss and critique all of the 007 theme songs and other relevant recordings.  It's a dream come true for one of the hosts - and for Bond fans everywhere! In this first episode, Monty Norman's "The James Bond Theme" is discussed, from its humble origins in an EON Film Production office all the way up to England's High Court of Justice.  It's crazy, but shouldn't be too surprising for a song which has thrilled millions for 57 years now. Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast Follow us at https://tw

Episode 79: Men At Work - Business As Usual (1982) Part 3 After an unexpected delay, Brian and Sarah are finally back to finish their discussion on Men At Work's debut album, Business As Usual.  They had many positive things to say about the songs on Side One, but will that be the case for Side Two as well?   Part 3 - Track by Track, Continued There's only one single on Side Two, and it has yet another low-budget but entertaining video. It also has some interesting release/chart history, as Sarah explains. So does that mean the other songs on Side Two are just album filler? Our two hosts debate that as they go through the track listing. There's also a lot of educational information in this section of the episode. Sarah gives a brief account of the Hindu caste system and also explains the history of and differences between ska and reggae music. Brian shares some anecdotes about the relationship between Ron Strykert and Colin Hay over the years, and he also tells a story about a rather inept British merchant s

Episode 78: Men At Work - Business As Usual (1982) Part 2 It's time to resume the discussion of the debut album from the Australian band, Men At Work, in this - the first PRP episode to be released under protest from one of the hosts! Business As Usual  was a huge international success and contained several hits. In the previous episode, Brian and Sarah talked about the band's first big single,  which also happened to be the first song on the album. But they didn't get past track two, which means there are three more songs from Side One to discuss in this episode.   Part 3 - Track by Track, Continued Picking up the discussion with track three means our hosts get to talk about another monster hit and another goofy video. There's also an unfortunate legal situation that has to be brought up. On a lighter note, Brian quizzes Sarah on the meanings of some song lyrics, Sarah continues marveling at some of the fashion choices the band members--particularly the drummer-- made, and once again, breakfast cereal is me

Episode 77: Men At Work - Business As Usual (1982) Part 1   It's time once again for Brian and Sarah to discuss a classic album, and for the first time, they've  chosen an effort from an Australian band. The band is Men at Work, and the album is Business As Usual. This debut LP was released in Australia in 1981, but it didn't make it to the USA and the UK until 1982.   Part 1 - Album History As this is Men at Work's first album, our hosts take some time to talk about the formation of the band and the events leading up to the recording of Business As Usual. Then the focus turns to the release and eventual worldwide success of the album, which has Brian and Sarah sharing information about chart positions, records set and broken, and awards won by the band. They also take turns reading reviews, and Brian shares some interesting information about the album cover art and the unlikely artist who designed it.   Part 2 - Personal History Business As Usual is an album that neither Brian nor Sarah owned back in the day

Episode 76: Permanent Record Trivia Showdown 2019   This episode finds Brian and Sarah facing off in a battle of wits! They're joined by longtime friend Hans Lemke, who presides over this heated competition. In preparation for this showdown, our hosts asked the listeners for music trivia questions, and the response was quite impressive! Brian and Sarah want to thank Boys Make Noise, Dave Delea, Andrew Dineley, Fragile Gods, James Perrin, Tom Richey, and Paul Underwood for sending in questions for the challenge. Just how well do Brian and Sarah do answering music-related questions when they don't have hours to research the answers? And who emerges victorious in the end? Listen and find out! Listen to Boys Make Noise's Duran Duran-inspired podcast "The D-Side" at http://thedside.libsyn.com/ Listen to Andrew Dineley's "Art on Your Sleeve" podcast at https://softoctopus.co.uk/category/podcast/ Listen to Fragile God's fantastic synth-heavy music at https://fragilegods.bandcamp.com/ Listen to Paul Underwood's "Gl