Neil Johnson

The Making of Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics

Neil Johnson 26 July 2025

Performance and Cocktails by Stereophonics: The Making of a Modern Classic Sometimes, an album arrives at just...

Heartwork: Carcass’s Pioneering Melodic Metal Journey carcass-heartwork_(ultimate_edition)

Heartwork: Carcass’s Pioneering Melodic Metal Journey

Neil Johnson 19 July 2025

Carcass – Heartwork: The Album That Redefined Extreme Metal Some albums don’t just change a band’s direction—they...

The Making of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory (Deluxe Remastered Edition)

The Making of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis

Neil Johnson 7 July 2025

In October 1995, the world changed for Oasis and for British music. Their second album, (What’s The...

The Making of Everything Must Go by Manic Street Preachers Everything Must Go 20 (Remastered)

The Making of Everything Must Go by Manic Street Preachers

Neil Johnson 16 June 2025

Everything Must Go by Manic Street Preachers: The Definitive Story When I think about the musical landscape...

The Making of 1977 by Ash 1977

The Making of 1977 by Ash

Neil Johnson 8 June 2025

1977 by Ash: A Landmark in 90s Alternative Rock There are albums that capture the restless spirit...

The Making of Earth Versus The Wildhearts by The Wildhearts

Neil Johnson 1 June 2025

Earth Versus The Wildhearts: The Wildhearts’ Explosive Debut Some albums land like a bomb. Earth Versus The...

The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie – album review The Painful Truth - Skunk Anansie

The Painful Truth by Skunk Anansie – album review

Neil Johnson 23 May 2025

Monster Shop Score: 92/100 Skunk Anansie’s seventh album, The Painful Truth, isn’t just a comeback—it’s a defiant,...

Roar Like Thunder by Buckcherry – album review Buckcherry - Roar Like Thunder

Roar Like Thunder by Buckcherry – album review

Neil Johnson 22 May 2025

Monster Shop Score: 81/100 Buckcherry’s eleventh album, Roar Like Thunder, explodes with raw energy and classic rock...

Skeletá by Ghost – album review album_cover

Skeletá by Ghost – album review

Neil Johnson 9 May 2025

Monster Shop Score: 85/100 Ghost’s sixth studio album, Skeletá, is a grand, theatrical journey through hard rock,...

Podcast Episodes

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 the Funeral Flowers Were Real and Nobody Knew It Yet

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~77 minutes
Release: Not scheduled

Episode Description

Neil and Chris sit down with one of the most quietly devastating records ever committed to tape: Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York, recorded on 18th November 1993 and released almost a year later, after Kurt Cobain was already gone. What was supposed to be a reluctant, contractually awkward TV taping became something nobody in that room fully understood until much later. This episode digs into exactly why that happened, and why it still matters.

The hosts explore the full context behind the recording, from Kurt’s repeated refusals and the day-before drug comedown that nearly killed the show, to the single-take performance that no other MTV Unplugged artist ever managed. Neil and Chris talk about what it means that Kurt got everything he asked for, the meat puppets, the funeral flowers, the office chair, the hidden amp, and still thought it was a disaster when it was over.

What You’ll Hear:

Why Kurt despised the MTV Unplugged format and what it took to get him there at all
The deliberate choice to play almost no Nevermind material, and what that says about where Kurt’s head was
Dave Grohl’s struggles with playing quietly enough, and how a pair of brushes solved it
The Martin D18 guitar’s journey from a $5,000 purchase to a $6 million auction result, now in the Royal College of Music
The green cardigan, the wrong-name cello introduction, and the hidden Fender Twin Reverb masquerading as a monitor
Why the audience’s stunned silence after the final song convinced Kurt the whole thing had flopped

Featured Tracks and Analysis:

Neil and Chris move through key moments including Dumb, Polly, Come As You Are, and the closing Where Did You Sleep Last Night, noting how the stripped-back format transforms Kurt’s voice into something rawer and more exposed than any studio record allowed. The deliberate choice to sing Meat Puppets covers in uncomfortably high keys is discussed as entirely intentional, a decision to make the strain audible. Chris also flags Kurt’s use of chorus effect, which somehow managed to be cool in a way nobody else has quite pulled off since.

Tangential Gold:

Italian cars, Ducatis, and the unique personality of machines that look beautiful but won’t start in cold weather
A detour into Little Angels reuniting, why they never broke America, and why that still stings
A suspected ATM ram-raid at the local garage that prevented the purchase of Bongo Cokes
Neil’s son alphabetising the vinyl collection and having strong feelings about box sets
A spirited debate about which REM album to cover next, with Out of Time emerging as the likely winner

Why This Matters:

This record sits in a category that very few albums ever reach. It is not just a live document or an acoustic reimagining. It is a time capsule, a last testament, and an accidental self-portrait of an artist who thought the night had gone badly. Neil puts it plainly: this one transcends the usual question of how much you like an album. It just does something else entirely.

Perfect for: Anyone who owns this on vinyl and loses 45 minutes every time they put it on, fans curious about the chaos behind the recording, and anyone who wants to understand why a single office chair and a hidden amplifier ended up mattering quite so much to music history.