About Riffology

(previously known as The Monster Shop, previously known as The Doghouse)

Welcome to Riffology, you’re probably wondering what’s going on and why all of this stuff is here? Well, let me tell you a story…

In the beginning there was a local radio show called The Doghouse on Derby Sound Community Radio. Chris and Neil played banging rock and metal tunes that virtually nobody heard but they had a bloody great time doing it all the same. After a while, Chris and Neil decided they wanted to branch out a little and so created a new show on Spotify called The Monster Shop. This didn’t have any of the constraints of local radio, they could play what they liked, the shows could be as long or short as they liked and they didn’t need a music license because of Spotify’s awesome music+talk concept. Happy days…

Just as the boys were settling into their new home on Spotify, the suits in charge at Spotify decided that they needed to make more money and music+talk was too expensive, so they were going to close it down. Bad times…

Undeterred the boys decided to venture into the world of podcasting and setup the Hopeland podcast, which was nothing to do with Music at all and would be a clean break. They got bored of this quite quickly and realised that they could do a podcast show about the Rock albums that they loved. So, that’s what they did and the Monster Shop was born again as a podcast. Happy days…

Until Meta and Google algorithms got confused about what The Monster Shop was, Meta would routinely limit our accounts for going against their community standards by trying to sell people things by deception (we’ve never had a store) and Google never really understood and so didn’t send any traffic. Which mean’t nobody could find the show. Then, one frosty morning, the boys had the idea of Riffology, it would be exactly the same as The Monster Shop but hopefully Meta and Google wouldn’t get so confused. Happy days!

And this dear reader, is where you find us today. What? I didn’t explain why there are hundreds of blog posts about iconic albums here? Well, the story behind those is much simpler. Neil loves facts and has a tiny memory and so way back from the Doghouse days he used to write a sheet about the artists and albums that were being played on each show so he could entertain listeners with interesting facts. This obsession with ‘the sheet’ grew throughout the history of the show until Neil decided it would be easier just to dump them in a blog rather than just write them up and delete them every week. This site is basically that brain-dump of information about albums we’ve either covered on the podcast or have talked about covering.

Who are Chris and Neil?

Neil Johnson – A metalhead at heart, Neil was born in the 70s and loves everything metal has brought with it, from hair to extreme death. By day, he works in IT, but his true passion lies in the music he listens to daily.

Chris Baldwin – An alt rock pop punk fan, Chris was born in the 80s and plays every instrument known to man. He’s been somehow involved with every band within a 100-mile radius of the studio in Swadlincote and has heard things you wouldn’t believe.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to these genres, our podcast offers an engaging and insightful journey through the music that defines generations.

If you liked any of the content on the site, or you’re just curious, the last few podcast episodes are here:

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Remember when payday meant choosing which CD or vinyl you were blowing it on? Standing in HMV doing the mental maths, convincing yourself two albums was basically essential. Riffology is Neil and Chris chasing that feeling again, one classic record at a time.

This is a show about the albums that raised us —
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue, Def Leppard,
Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Radiohead,
Skunk Anansie, Gojira, Soulfly and the rest.
If it’s 25+ years old, loud and iconic, we’re in.

Each episode is two Gen X mates diving into studio sessions, producer chaos and band drama plus the joy of taped-over cassettes, dodgy car stereos and sitting on the floor with a record sleeve.

We nerd out when we should: Albini vs Vig, room-miked vs close-miked,
Neve consoles, dynamic-range disasters and those “how did this get approved?” moments.

If you grew up when albums were events, this is your place. Some weeks it’s an old favourite; other weeks it’s something you abandoned in ’94. Either way, Riffology’s here to talk rubbish, tell stories and remind you why these records mattered.

When a Jersey Number Changes Everything and 15 Million People Prove the Critics Wrong

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~87 minutes
Release: Not scheduled

Episode Description

Neil and Chris turn their attention to Matchbox 20’s landmark debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, a record that sold 15 million copies worldwide while barely causing a ripple in the UK. Released in 1996 and selling just 610 copies in its first week, this is the ultimate slow-burn success story, and one that Neil has been singing along to in the car ever since he first heard it on cassette.

For Chris, this one slipped by during his early dive into heavier territory, Fear Factory, Korn, Green Day, but coming back to it now he can’t quite believe he missed it. The guitars are crystal clear, every lyric lands immediately, and the whole thing feels effortless despite being one of the most polished records of its era. Think Collective Soul, think Third Eye Blind, think something you can play to your mum but still absolutely belt in the car.

Rob Thomas’s storytelling sits at the heart of this episode. Neil draws direct comparisons to Alanis Morissette in the way Thomas puts you inside a scene within a couple of bars, and the discussion keeps returning to just how personal and autobiographical this record really is.

What You’ll Hear:

The surprising origin of the band name, spotted on a softball jersey in a diner by guitarist Paul Doucette
The full story of Tabitha’s Secret, the band Rob Thomas left before forming Matchbox 20, including the lawsuit over 3am and why the same song appeared twice with different singers
Producer Matt Serletic’s crucial role, from co-writing Push to producing I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing for Aerosmith
The Frank Torres cover story, the man photographed for the album art who sued the band in 2005
Why Atlantic refused to release Push or 3am as commercial singles even as the album became a phenomenon
A specially edited audio comparison melding the Tabitha’s Secret version of 3am directly into the Matchbox 20 recording

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

Push, 3am, Long Day, and Real World all get proper attention, with discussion of how Push was born from a single random word in a hotel room and why Rob Thomas spent years explaining the song was about emotional manipulation directed at him, not by him. The episode also touches on the album’s structure, big radio singles up front, slow-burning deeper cuts like Kody toward the end, and why the whole thing repays repeat listens in a way that still holds up nearly 30 years on.

Tangential Gold:

Neil’s new car CD player and why holding a physical disc still feels magical
The metrics versus Imperial debate, triggered by Neil’s Artemis moon mission tracker going viral with 150,000 visitors in a few hours
Lizzie’s Woolworths pick and mix revelations, and why she never touched it again after stocktake day
The Barbie movie, Ryan Gosling, and Rob Thomas bracing for the worst before realising Ken actually made Push look pretty good

Why This Matters:

This is an episode about a record that critics dismissed, the public loved, and time has been very kind to. Neil and Chris make a convincing case that Matchbox 20 deserve considerably more respect than they typically receive, and that Yourself or Someone Like You sits comfortably alongside the best guitar-driven albums of the 1990s. Next up, the lads are heading to Train’s Drops of Jupiter.