A loud-mouth retired rock critic and a cranky expat rock obsessive discuss, analyze and just plain old argue about rock ‘n‘ roll: the old stuff, the new stuff and why it all still matters.
Episodes
Dec 23, 2024
Dec 23, 2024
1hr 19 min
In which each of Yours Truly Curmudgeons offers our list of the ten best albums we consumed over the past 12 months. This was a surprisingly strong, deep year for new music releases...something exemplified by the fact that our lists share five entries in common. Here's a sneak peek: The top album on both of our lists is one of the greatest and most beloved superstars of all time. Shocking, but true: A pop goddess delivered a masterpiece. Find out who we're talking about and enjoy the rest of our discussion of Le Grande 2024.
Listen to select songs from each of the albums on our list (minus Cindy Lee, who avoids streaming services) by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3s0TyiIYye1KYbMiTg82MM?si=f607b3cd3bdb483a
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5fea16f1-664e-40b7-932e-5fb748cffb1d/the-
Co-produced and co-hosted by The Curmudegons - Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor
Dec 10, 2024
Dec 10, 2024
1hr 26 min
In which The Curmudgeons shout before all the human race like we'll never lose. Yup, we're discussing the mighty, mighty Queen on this episode, focusing on the band's undeniable greatness from their beginnings all the way through 1980, when they peaked commercially with "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." The band managed to be unapologetically campy and occasionally naughty while more than occasionally rocking harder than just about any other band on the planet. We give Queen the hero treatment they deserve here.
Check out all the wonderful Queen music from this era by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/76mb0E3aiyLiFm9LdbN7nl?si=d82b5b2260e143d7
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 03:56) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Queen
(04:40 - 17:21) The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Bright Eyes and Michael Kiwanuka
(18:06 - 01:04:02) - We discuss the origin story of Queen and show love for the band's first eight studio albums
(01:04:51 - 1:24:53) - We summarize Queen's run through the 1980s and offer thoughts on the band's ultimate legacy
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5fea16f1-664e-40b7-932e-5fb748cffb1d/the-
Nov 25, 2024
Nov 25, 2024
2hr 22 min
In which the Curmudgeons continue to revisit the fertile fields of the late 1970s and land on 1977, one of the most explosive years in rock history. It's when the Sex Pistols dropped their album Never Mind the Bollocks, here's the Sex Pistols and set off a punk revolution. It's also when Fleetwood Mac, Kraftwerk and Bob Marley dropped genre-defining masterpieces. And that still only runs to the surface of what 1977 produced. From David Bowie and Iggy Pop to Pink Floyd and Rush to Al Green, it was a hell of a year. Let us celebrate it in grand style.
Revisit the great music of 1977 by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6e0NiIBN4USKAMmuaUlTvS?si=bcd72729a7424d1f
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 04:23) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of 1977
(04:38 - 14:35) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Personal Trainer and English Teacher
(15:20 - 01:17:10) - We run down everything to know about punk in 1977--The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and more
(01:18:21 - 01:48:12) - We cover albums from Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac and Bob Marley
(01:49:11 - 02:21:11) - We engage in lightning-round coverage of 10 additional albums from 1977, including releases from Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, Al Green and Joni Mitchell
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
Nov 12, 2024
Nov 12, 2024
1hr 33 min
In which the Curmudgeons dive into the little bit of the third installment of Neil Young's Archives that we can. The full 17-CD, five-Blu Ray Archives Vol. III is available for roughly $450, but only for 5,000 lucky customers willing to spend a small fortune. The rest of us get an album Young refers to as "Takes," which contains a 16-song sampling from The Neil Young Archives Vol. III. We describe the individual albums contained within this mammoth boxed set, and Christopher O'Connor, our resident Neil Young-ologist, offers a review of the songs plus additional nuggets from the fuller Archives set he's been able to glean.
Check out all 16 songs from The Neil Young Archives Vol. III Takes album plus bonus songs by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26TNUP8zBW26IllEVHDaI4?si=a0f1932278564b2b
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 03:45) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Neil Young's archives
(04:09 - 15:17) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Hinds and Amyl & The Sniffers
(16:02 - 57:57) - We discuss the first nine songs from Neil Young's Archives Vol. III Takes album, including never-before-heard renditions of "Hey Babe" and "Drive Back" and a version of "Hey Hey My My (Into the Blac) featuring Devo. Yes, Devo...
(59:05 - 01:32:05) - We discuss the final eight songs of the Takes album, which include a delectably New Wave version of the country ballad "Razor Love."
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Oct 29, 2024
Oct 29, 2024
2hr 14 min
In which The Curmudgeons worship at the altar of the mighty, mighty Led Zeppelin. With scorching guitar licks, torpedo-heavy drumming and sex-god screamer vocals, this band epitomized the sensuality and the swagger of rock 'n' roll, and in presenting their take on the genre, they helped create what we now call heavy metal. During this episode, we counter some unfair myths this band has saddled with over the years and pour over its incredibly rich catalog of music with love and respect.
Enjoy our special Spotify playlist featuring the stylings of Led Zeppelin:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ldFOLlEcY7HL4zueF7JJ3?si=990fa39641cc40d7
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 05:02) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of Led Zeppelin
(08:30 - 22:29) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Arooj Aftab and Goat
(23:14 - 01:00:24) - We debunk five myths about Led Zeppelin and tell the remarkable story of the band's formation and ascension
(01:02:03 - 01:50:01) - We analyze the band's catalog of eight studio albums in detail--six classics and two decent affairs
01:51:00 - 02:12:55) - We tell the rest of the story that followed Led Zeppelin's break up, plus Chris O'Connor offers his list of the five best "phony" Zeppelin acts
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Oct 14, 2024
Oct 14, 2024
2hr 12 min
In which The Curmudgeons kick off its latest Golen Age series of episodes by revisiting the seminal year of 1976. It was a year that saw both The Ramones and The Sex Pistols break out. To say punk was the thing that year was an understatement. It was also was vital year for arena rock, as Boston and The Eagles both dropped classic albums. We also pay tribute to work from Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Stevie Wonder, among many others.
Enjoy the awesome music of 1976 by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k00d7GvYsD0USPv4p1h8p?si=a511fe8d51fe4845
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 03:52) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of 1976
(04:13 - 20:20) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums by El Khat and Geordie Greep
(21:05 - 01:04:35) - We cover all things punk, from The Ramones to The Sex Pistols to singles by Blondie, The Runaways and others
(01:06:00 - 01:39:08) - We cover albums from Boston, The Eagles, David Bowie and Stevie Wonder
(01:40:20 - 02:11:25) - We engage in a lightning round, presenting 10 1976 albums we consider to be great. Artists include Fleetwood Mac, Frank Zappa, Aerosmith and Patti Smith.
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Oct 2, 2024
Oct 2, 2024
2hr 54 min
In which The Curmudgeons shake, shake, shake that booty and revisit one of popular music's most unfairly maligned genres. Disco was essentially funky orchestral music--grand, reverb-heavy, maximal, showy, dramatic. Yet it was also energetic and fun as hell. Here, we explore disco's birth as a movement of freedom and uninhibited expression in Black and Hispanic gay nightclubs and how, once a production house in Philadelphia put an official musical sheen on the proceedings, it erupted into the mainstream. We also lament disco's demise among burnout, derision and plain' ol macho racism, sexism and homophobia.
Check out all the songs we lovingly discuss by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6DbgCCxyfmfcITV2nxyZon?si=7786b0860b12450f
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(0:52 - 04:52) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of disco
(06:50 - 27:33) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviewes of new albums by Cindy Lee and Jamie xx
(28:18 - 01:09:06) - We tell the story of disco's beginnings and we offer the first of three playlists, this one covering the early disco years of 1974 and 1975
(01:10:58 - 02:11:45) - We speak of disco's dizzying ascent into the mainstream and offer the second of three playlists covering 1976 to 1978
(02:12:44 - 02:53:34) - We cover the downfall of disco and offer the last of our three playlists, which covers 1979 and 1980
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Sep 17, 2024
Sep 17, 2024
1hr 28 min
In which The Curmudgeons know you wanted the best so we're giving it to you. Long live KISS, whose live act and meaty, ferocious riffs are both legendary. Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss understood that rock 'n' roll, at the end of the day, is all about the show. And KISS, nearly 50 years ago, put on the greatest show on the rock 'n' roll earth--leather, makeup, fire, blood, explosions, lightning and seven-inch platform boots. It was a show that the world was so fond of it discovered it still longed for it 20 years later. Thus, KISS became an everlasting nostalgia act. We pay homage to the show on this episode--and to the nine albums the band released in the 1970s, which include two of the grandest live albums ever.
Check out all of KISS's kick-ass '70s glam metal by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BXk5u5qUOVjvuDINjJcLR?si=1cadf882cffc4a76
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 05:29) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of KISS
(08:25 - 20:08) - The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of new albums from Kokoko! and MJ Lenderman
(20:53 - 01:08:25) - We analyze KISS's 1970s album output, including the self-titled debut, Alive!, Alive! II and Destroyer
(01:28:19 - 01:27:05) - We tell the rest of KISS's story: their downturn from glory, their decision to take off the makeup and embrace MTV excess and the inevitable return to '70s stage glory
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Sep 2, 2024
Sep 2, 2024
1hr 21 min
In which The Curmudgeons discuss the awesome power and influence of one of the innovators of the Southern thing, as The Drive-By Truckers refer to it. Lynyrd Skynyrd remains one of the most underrated rock bands of all time, a condition that is partially its own fault, given how it has tied itself in its most recent form to the worst of old Southern stereotypes. But there's no denying that the band's patented three-guitar assault, soulful songwriting and penchant for being the thinking man's rednecks produced a sterling catalog of work during the 1970s. We revisit the five albums of the Ronnie Van Zant era during this episode and place the band in a well-deserved, warm, positive spotlight.
Enjoy the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd bu accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3fLgdipOAMd34LCBpAcl3H?si=62407df7ae1c4435
Here is a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 03:48) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion
(03:52 - 18:43) The Parallel Universe, featuring reviews of awesome new albums by Osees and Jack White
(19:28 - 51:09) - We tell the origin story of Lynyrd Skynyrd and discuss the albums Pronounced 'Leh-'Nerd 'Skin-'Nerd, Second Helping, Nuthin' Fancy, Gimme Back My Bullets and Street Surviviors
(52:31 - 01:20:09) - We tell the rest of the Lynyrd Skynyrd story, from the tragic plane crash that killed three members to its reformation with Ronnie's little brother Johnny Van Zant and then its eventual descent into self-parody.
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80M
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons
Aug 20, 2024
Aug 20, 2024
1hr 47 min
In which the Curmudgeons end their epic series of odes to the music of a nine-year period that transformed everything--and then some--in popular music. By 1972, the hangover from the revolutionary vibes of the 1960s had subsided, and that era's outgrowth of freedom and experimentation truly started to blossom. The Rolling Stones filtered American roots music through a dirty, sweaty prism to create a true rock masterpiece. David Bowie perfected glam rock and intergalactic theater to create a masterpiece of his own. And Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Curtis Mayfield set Black music on a wilder, more lush course. We explore all of that and much more during this episode.
Enjoy all the great music of 1972 on our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22v1Gg8aZWlUaGrBHqaZ0B?si=446b89de0580497d
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 05:02) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion of 1972
(05:16 - 17:32) - The Paralell Universe, featuring reviews of new albums by Kelly Stoltz and King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard
(18:17 - 55:50) - We celebrate the 1972 output of The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder
(57:22 - 01:20:30) - We revisit the 1972 music of Al Green, The Eagles, Steely Dan, Roxy Music, Neu! and Big Star
(01:21:29 - 1:45:51) - We pay loving tribute to albums from Can, Neil Young, Black Sabbath and others who help define 1972
Listen to all of this great music by accessing our special Spotify playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/159nl5UDgswraoThqqv07A?si=7b57198f803e4944
Here's a handy navigation companion to this episode.
(00:52 - 04:56) - Arturo Andrade sets the parameters for our discussion
(05:49 - 16:23) - The Parallel Universe, feauturing reviews of new albums from King Hannah and Wand
(17:08 - 45:11) - We discuss 13 great songs from blaxploitation films from artists including Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Bobby Womack and Donny Hathaway
(46:29 - 1:09:08) - We discuss 13 additional songs from blaxploitation films from artists including Gladys Knight & the Pips, Don Julian, Willie Hutch, Isaac Hayes and The Staple Singers
Join our Curmudgeonly Community today! facebook.com/groups/curmudgeonrock
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curmudgeon-rock-report/id1551808911
https://open.spotify.com/show/4q7bHKIROH98o0vJbXLamB?si=5ffbdc04d6d44ecb
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80M
Co-written and co-produced by Arturo Andrade and Christopher O'Connor - The Curmudgeons