Ozzy Osbourne: Blizzard of Ozz
We’re going off the rails this episode, as Arianne tees up Blizzard of Ozz as our topical somethingburger. We look at Ozzy’s solo debut from almost every conceivable angle, from the wizardry of guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads to Sharon Osbourne's Mandela Effect-like reminiscences of the album's recording to the controversial 2002 re-release of Blizzard featuring stand-ins by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin. Side quests on this Crazy Train include Mike’s remarks about Flann O’Brien’s novel The Third Policeman, Kevin’s Gretsch, and everyone's favorite warlock, Aleister Crowley.
It’s Arianne’s first show as a bona fide co-host and in this episode, we’re serving up two platters piled high with tangible vandalism! In our first official episode as a trio, we tackle Led Zeppelin’s storied double album Physical Graffiti, sifting through its uncanny collection of uncredited cover tunes, outtakes, calypso music, and high school breakup fare. In the midst of the alarums and excursions, we also bump and grind against a host of ancillary topics including automobile-themed double entendre, Colorado weather, Municipal Waste, Green Day, The Alan Parsons Project, and Rax Roast Beef.
BRAND FREAKIN’ NEW AND NOW ONLINE! Imagine a crisp page of graph paper featuring a perfectly executed, two-circle Venn diagram that depicts the coexistence between euphony and cacophony. Somewhere on the page, we might find a point representing The Shaggs — perhaps mingling in the bulbous hinterland of the extreme left or right of the diagram, or maybe firmly entrenched amongst the meaty layers where the two shapes overlap. In this episode of the Rush Strutter Zep Magik podcast, we take their infamous and/or legendary album “Philosophy of the World” for a spin and, much like the wonky speedometer on an old Looney Tunes cartoon, we find ourselves asking “Is this trip REALLY necessary?” Link. In. Bio.
Neal Jones, a.k.a. “Nasty Neal” of 
Blasting back to the heyday of the punk movement, Kevin and Mike hop aboard Rocket to Russia, the third studio album by rough and tumble rockers, The Ramones. Featuring prominently in this consummate discourse on pop culture are gratuitous references to the likes of Walt Whitman, Paul McCartney and Wings, The Fairly OddParents, Jack Kerouac, Motörhead, The Gong Show, and Fibber McGee and Molly. And somehow, Jurgen Habermas horns his way into the conversation yet again.
This episode, the guys are joined by Kevin’s BFF, Andy, for a thoroughgoing discourse on “Moving Pictures,” the 1981 multi-platinum composition by Rush. In their preparatory remarks, Kevin and Andy recall wistful afternoons spent riffing on instruments at their local Sam Ash store and Mike recounts how he initially thought "Red Barchetta" was a song about a combine harvester. They plow through the work track by track with a few impromptu guitar demos along the way and sum up their thoughts on this standout work by the Torontonian trio.
Kevin and Mike are joined by RSZM superfan Arianne for a thorough discussion of Prince’s 1984 masterwork, Purple Rain! During the lead-up to their featured confab, Kevin gives props to the Meet My Friends The Friends podcast, Arianne discusses her affection for Dad rock, and Mike runs down some of his favorite Zeppelin influences, including "Mississippi" Fred McDowell. Sharing personal reminiscences and their respective analyses of each track, the trio chats up this multi-platinum pièce de resistance, also touching upon key moments of the film as well as some of the movie's key figures, including Apollonia and Morris Day.
It’s a hoedown in the tradition of “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” as Mike and Kevin enjoy a platter of piping hot Zeppeliny goodness in the form of Led Zeppelin’s tertiary offering, Led Zeppelin III. On the way to the proverbial fireworks factory, Kevin praises the pre-Hagar incarnation of Van Halen and Mike talks up his duct-taped Norma-brand acoustic guitar. The guys plow track by track through LZ3, chatting about the rock, blues, and avant-garde facets of this illustrious pastiche, wrapping the show with an offbeat pick and a special co-host for the next big show.
For this - the tenth full-length episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik - Kevin and Mike tee up Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy, a true underrated gem of the 1970s hard rock. Kicking things off, the guys run through some unfinished business from the 2112 and Jimmy Page/Chopin shows, and Kevin recounts his recent reacquaintance with Synchronicity by the Police. Mike shares his enthusiasm regarding the triumphant return of the Bayside High and Drunk podcast and offers a shoutout to the good folks at Trojan City Music for quickly repairing his beloved Vintage-brand Greeny/Moore Les Paul after a late-night mishap. A meandering trip through the track listing of Jailbreak reveals that the guys are as close to the state of sympatico as they’ve ever been on a RSZM review as the guys chat about the life and legacy of Phil Lynott, the enduring influence of Thin Lizzy, and noteworthy covers of cuts from this album by Gary Moore and Everclear.
As they begin their latest trip around the sun, Mike and Kevin gaze into the far-flung future, discovering a reality in which a clique of sinister collectivists rule with an iron fist, suppressing creativity and individuality, to and fro, all the live-long day, and so forth. It’s the story of the Rush rock opera 2112, as well as the various and sundry lesser-known tracks which comprise the part of that album that used to be known as “Side B.” Before blasting off to the dystopian city of Megadon, Mike recounts his COVID Christmas and Kevin discusses his family’s rich history of surviving gas leaks. The guys talk about guitar gear and revisit the familiar topic of cable news clichés and the most maligned phrases of the American vernacular. By the way, whatever happened to murder hornets?
And now for something completely different: In this “mini-sode,” - a solo effort by Mike - we’re swapping out the likes of Geddy Lee and Gene Simmons with names like Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. Venturing beyond the parameters of our typical rock and/or roll fare, this show provides a brief look at how music has influenced social movements. Spotlighted in this discussion is the work of Bertolt Brecht as well as the role of Jiang Qing in reshaping art and culture during China’s Cultural Revolution. It’s a short side trip down a proverbial rabbit hole, for sure, but it’s also probably an apropos palette-cleanser for our forthcoming talk about Rush’s controversial concept album, 2112.
In this episode, Mike and Kevin wind on down the road and careen headlong into Led Zeppelin’s fabled fourth album. Some call it Led Zeppelin IV, others call it Runes, and the folks who call it Zoso are probably the kind of people who use the phrase “having said that” on a regular basis. Mike recalls buying the LP from a Gold Circle store the summer before his freshman year of high school and shows off his new (slightly cracked) mandolin, favoring listeners with the first dozen or so notes from “Battle of Evermore.” Kevin struggles to remember the riff from “Four Sticks” and reveals his favorite Dread Zeppelin tune. Along the way, the guys go track by track through the album and hash out where they think this multiplatinum masterwork belongs in the grand scheme of the rock and roll ether. Topping it all off, Mike announces his pick for the next episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik.
It’s a double-sized episode for a legendary double album! In this, the landmark fourth episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik, Kevin plays his “Magik” card by selecting Pink Floyd’s acclaimed conceptual extravaganza The Wall for review and comment. Before the featured discourse, they discuss the necessity for lighthearted tunes in the midst of these trying times, with Kevin espousing the merits of post-Disney Miley Cyrus and Mike sharing a bit about the musical exploits of his former middle school teachers. Kevin also breaks out his guitar - a Fender American Vintage '62 Jazzmaster – and tries his hand at a few riffs from The Wall. Along the way, the guys wax philosophical about the album’s music, lyrics, and themes while also touching upon the 1982 film adaptation of The Wall starring Bob "I Don't Like Mondays" Geldof. From Bertolt Brecht to Blackie Lawless, Mike and Kevin run down the album's influences and impact as they assess The Wall’s ultimate place in the pantheon of rock and/or roll.
It’s the first-ever edition of