Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

New episode is out now! RIFF078 covers Extreme’s 1989 debut album, we gush over Nuno Bettencourt’s guitar work and the late-80s hard rock moment before grunge hit. #extreme #nunobetterncourt #riffology

What's the best live album ever made? Please share and follow us for daily album releases and more music content! #riffology #musicdebate #livealbums #classicrecords #mustlisten #yourpick

Van Halen II by Van Halen was released on March 23rd, 1979, making it 47 years old today. Five things you might not know about Van Halen II - It was completed in just one week of recording. - They cut it straight after a 10-month world tour opening for Black Sabbath and Journey. - The mix is strikingly lopsided, with Eddie’s guitar largely in the left channel and the right mostly jumping in for solos. - Overdubs are scarce and it’s basically just guitar, bass and drums, with Dance the Night Away the one that adds a second guitar part. - D.O.A. stands for Dead or Alive, even though they shortened it for reasons unknown. What’s your favourite bit of trivia about Van Halen? Please share and follow us for more music content! #VanHalenII #VanHalen #ClassicRock #1979 #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

Walk by Pantera is a standout track from their 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power. The song is built on a simple, heavy riff from Dimebag Darrell and direct lyrics from Phil Anselmo about demanding respect and calling out false friends. It’s become one of Pantera’s most recognisable songs, known for its groove and blunt attitude. Vulgar Display of Power marked a shift in metal, pushing the genre towards a heavier, more aggressive sound and cementing Pantera’s place as leaders of 1990s metal. Do you rate Walk, or do you think it’s overrated? Please share and follow @riffologypod for daily album releases and more music content! 🎵 Video Credit: Pantera / Atco Records #riffology #VulgarDisplayOfPower #Pantera

🎵 QOTD: Favourite track from Eat 'Em and Smile (1986) by David Lee Roth. Vote below. Share & follow @riffologypod #riffology #EatEmandSmile #DavidLeeRoth

Far Beyond Driven by Pantera was released on March 22nd, 1994, making it 32 years old today. Five things you might not know about Far Beyond Driven - The original cover was a literal drill-bit up the posterior that the label scrapped, replaced by the now-iconic forehead drill. - Their Black Sabbath cover Planet Caravan was meant for a Nativity in Black comp but stayed on the album instead, complete with bongos, keyboards and fretless bass. - 5 Minutes Alone sprang from a bogus lawsuit and a furious dad who demanded “five minutes alone with that Phil Anselmo” after a heckling incident. - Becoming was born from Dimebag Darrell obsessing over a Digitech Whammy pedal, riffing with it so much he drove everyone crazy. - The Japanese edition included a bonus cover of Poison Idea’s The Badge, which also appeared on The Crow soundtrack. What's your favourite bit of trivia about Pantera? Please share and follow us for more music content! #FarBeyondDriven #Pantera #GrooveMetal #HeavyMetal #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

Let There Be Rock by AC/DC was released on March 21st, 1977, making it 49 years old today. Five things you might not know about Let There Be Rock - During the title track take, Angus Young’s amp caught fire and he kept playing until it was a smouldering puddle. - The Australian cover shows Buffalo guitarist Chris Turner’s fingers, drafted in by the photographer while the band were away, prompting Angus to quip about his “fat fingers”. - The international release debuted the now-iconic AC/DC logo by Gerard Huerta, with the cover shot taken on 19 March 1977 at Southend’s Kursaal Ballroom by Keith Morris. - Original Aussie and European pressings included Crabsody in Blue, but American and later Japanese labels pulled it as too controversial and swapped in Problem Child. - A bust-up on tour with Black Sabbath featured a “knife” that turned out to be a toy flick-knife comb, and AC/DC were promptly sacked from the tour. What’s your favourite bit of trivia about AC/DC? Please share and follow us for more music content! #LetThereBeRock #ACDC #ClassicRock #BonScott #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

🧩 Recognize This Album? We've torn it apart, now it's your turn to piece it together. Drop your guesses in the comments, let's see who knows their album art! #musicquiz #musicnerd #guessthealbum #riffology

@kendall_laceyUK So, in that case I have you 100%! First create a last.fm account and second, download and install this.. apps.apple.com/gb/app/scrobbl… I wrote it and it's obviously awesome :-)

@RiffologyPod Mac.

Here's what my ears have been up to this week. What about you? #ProngLiveAndUncleansed #TheAlmightySoulDestruction #TrainSaveMeSanFrancisco #REMOutOfTime #RadioheadOKComputer #riffology

@kendall_laceyUK I use lastfm to track my listening during the week then create the collage. Are you a Windows or Mac person?

@RiffologyPod how do you make these things? Is it an app or a site, or are you just more web savvy than me. ;) For me - Morrissey, Make-Up Is A Lie, Robbie Williams, Britpop, Pearl Jam, VS, Life Sex And Death, The silent Majority (that last one is one you should definitely cover)

Ah Via Musicom by Eric Johnson was released on March 20th, 1990, making it 36 years old today. Five things you might not know about Ah Via Musicom - It spent 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 despite peaking at a modest No. 67. - Song for George is dedicated to an 80-year-old guitarist friend named George Washington. - A 2002 DVD-Audio edition came out without Johnson's input, he expressed disappointment with the sound, and the label withdrew it after selling 2,500 copies. - Wee Willie plays harmonica on Righteous. - In 2018 Johnson reunited drummer Tommy Taylor and bassist Kyle Brock to perform the album front to back after fans overwhelmingly asked for it on social media. What's your favourite bit of trivia about Eric Johnson? Please share and follow us for more music content! #AhViaMusicom #EricJohnson #CliffsOfDover #InstrumentalRock #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

🇺🇸 Which Creed album gets your vote: 'Weathered' (2001) or 'Human Clay' (1999)? Please share and follow us for daily music content! #riffology #Creed #Weathered #HumanClay

Aqualung by Jethro Tull was released on March 19th, 1971, making it 55 years old today. Five things you might not know about Aqualung - Jimmy Page popped in while Martin Barre nailed the Aqualung guitar solo in a single take. - Barre favoured tiny amps, including a £1 special that gave him an electric shock during Hymn 43. - New bassist Jeffrey Hammond could barely play when he joined, so the band taught him from scratch. - It was banned in Spain for a time thanks to its irreverent take on religion. - Ian Anderson's wife Jennie took the photos that inspired Aqualung, wrote some lyrics and pocketed half the song's royalties. What's your favourite bit of trivia about Jethro Tull? Please share and follow us for more music content! #Aqualung #JethroTull #ProgressiveRock #ClassicRock #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

🎲 Random year: 1978 Four classics – which one are you putting on first? 1️⃣ The Rolling Stones – Some Girls 2️⃣ Journey – Infinity 3️⃣ Queen – Jazz 4️⃣ AC/DC – Powerage #TheRollingStones #Journey #Queen #1978music #albumsof1978

Green Day’s “21 Guns” is a stadium-sized ballad from their 2009 album 21st Century Breakdown. The track questions the point of fighting battles—whether personal or political—when all that’s left is exhaustion and ruin. The title nods to the 21-gun salute, a military honour for the fallen, but here it’s about knowing when to surrender and let go. The song stands out for its anti-war message and its focus on the cost of conflict, both in the world and within yourself. 21st Century Breakdown followed the success of American Idiot, pushing Green Day’s sound further into arena rock and earning them another Grammy for Best Rock Album. Do you think “21 Guns” is one of Green Day’s best, or does it leave you cold? Please share and follow @riffologypod for daily album releases and more music content! 🎵 Video Credit: Green Day, Reprise Records/Warner Bros. #riffology #GreenDay #21stCenturyBreakdown

Rush by Rush was released on March 18th, 1974, making it 52 years old today. Five things you might not know about Rush - Designed by Paul Weldon of Edward Bear, the debut’s exploding logo was meant to be vivid red until the label printed it pink behind the band’s back. - For 2112, the shimmering star was a real star photo coated in red gel and shot in a custom Perspex tank filled with water. - Hemispheres nearly used a real human brain before Hugh Syme saw one sloshing in a jar and thought better of it. - On Permanent Waves, denied real brand logos, the background ads were slyly swapped for Peart, Lifeson and Lee. - The mohawked punk crouching on a toilet in the Counterparts booklet is Neil Peart, freshly shorn for a surprise encore reveal. What’s your favourite bit of trivia about Rush? Please share and follow us for more music content! #Rush #DebutAlbum #HardRock #WorkingMan #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

🧩 Recognize This Album? We've torn it apart, now it's your turn to piece it together. Drop your guesses in the comments, let's see who knows their album art! #musicquiz #musicnerd #guessthealbum #riffology

🎵 QOTD: Favourite track from 1977 (1996) by Ash. Vote below. Share & follow @riffologypod #riffology #1977 #Ash

Songs Of Surrender by U2 was released on March 17th, 2023, making it 3 years old today. Five things you might not know about Songs Of Surrender - Forty freshly re-recorded tracks are split across four discs, each one fronted by a different band member: The Edge, Larry, Adam and Bono. - With Larry Mullen Jr. recovering from surgery, the band leaned on his previously recorded drum loops, including one that sparked the new take on Get Out of Your Own Way. - Walk On was rewritten as Walk On (Ukraine) and performed for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a subway station during a visit to Ukraine. - Cellist Stjepan Hauser dropped in for a four-to-five-day session in France, yielding cello-led versions of Vertigo and Dirty Day. - A dozen coloured vinyl editions exist, including Notre Dame and Boston Celtics themes, plus a Sirius XM–exclusive blue pressing. What's your favourite bit of trivia about U2? Please share and follow us for more music content! #U2 #SongsOfSurrender #Bono #TheEdge #riffology #metalsky #metalheads #musicsky

What's your favourite debut album? Please share and follow us for daily album releases and more music content! #riffology #debutalbum #musicfans #newmusic #albumsuggestions #nowplaying