Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums

Siamese Dream: Unveiling The Smashing Pumpkins’ Vision

Siamese Dream: Unveiling The Smashing Pumpkins’ Vision

Neil Johnson 19 October 2024

The Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, released in 1993, is a pivotal alternative rock album blending grunge's rawness...

Unraveling Queensrÿche’s ‘Promised Land’: A Prog Metal Icon

Unraveling Queensrÿche’s ‘Promised Land’: A Prog Metal Icon

Neil Johnson 18 October 2024

Queensrÿche's 1994 album "Promised Land" is a pivotal work in progressive metal, showcasing the band's shift towards...

I Want Blood by Jerry Cantrell – album review

I Want Blood by Jerry Cantrell – album review

Neil Johnson 18 October 2024

Jerry Cantrell's album I Want Blood, scored 76/100, marks a darker, introspective turn in his solo career....

Saviors by Green Day – album review album_cover

Saviors by Green Day – album review

Neil Johnson 17 October 2024

Green Day's album Saviors, rated 73/100, represents a strong return for the band, balancing social critique with...

Album Review: The Path by Sylosis album_cover

Album Review: The Path by Sylosis

Neil Johnson 17 October 2024

Monster Shop Score: 87/100 In the sprawling tapestry of British metal, few bands have consistently woven threads...

Album Review: Light ‘Em Up by The Dead Daisies

Neil Johnson 17 October 2024

Monster Shop Score: 85/100 The Dead Daisies’ latest opus, Light ‘Em Up, marks a triumphant return to...

Album Review: Hopiumforthemasses by Ministry

Neil Johnson 17 October 2024

Monster Shop Score: 85/100 With a sound that has been the soundtrack to countless political revolutions, Ministry’s...

Album Review: The Art Of Letting Go by Myles Kennedy

Neil Johnson 16 October 2024

Monster Shop Score: 85/100 In his latest offering, The Art Of Letting Go, Myles Kennedy crafts a...

The Making of Korn: Nu-Metal’s Groundbreaking Debut Korn

The Making of Korn: Nu-Metal’s Groundbreaking Debut

Neil Johnson 14 October 2024

Introduction In the pantheon of groundbreaking debut albums, Korn’s self-titled release stands as a formidable force that...

Podcast Episodes

Riffology: Iconic Rock Albums Podcast

Welcome to Riffology, where a GenX and a Millennial talk about the albums from their youth. It’s more fun than it sounds…

In this instalment of Riffology, Chris arrives early and fully prepared, a development so shocking that Neil repeatedly checks he hasn’t fallen into a parallel universe. They introduce Stereophonics’ second LP Performance and Cocktails, whose title came from a business card handed to the band at the bizarre New York club Shine – a haunt featuring trapeze artists wearing pig’s‑heads. Chris describes the record as a “comfort blanket” and the pair recall it being one of the touchstones of their school‑days, along with Eels and NOFX. They also reminisce about making tape‑deck radio shows as teenagers, a hobby that foreshadowed their current podcast.

Neil makes the case that Performance and Cocktails is “one of the greatest sounding records.” It is both huge and warm, can be cranked up in a car yet still reveals breathy nuance through headphones, and somehow remains coherent despite being recorded in multiple studios. The album was released on Richard Branson’s V2 label, runs a lean 50 minutes with thirteen tracks, and was produced by Steve Bush and Marshall Bird. It sold 1.7 million copies even as Napster ushered in the age of free downloads and propelled the Welsh trio from club dates to arenas. The hosts note how Kelly Jones’ gritty vocals, Richard Jones’ bass and Stuart Cable’s drumming are augmented by producer Marshall Bird’s keyboards and Astrid’s backing vocals. They also relay how Scarlet Page shot the cover photograph beneath London’s Westway, with model Lucy Joplin posing after a long night of absinthe and opium.

As usual, the conversation meanders. Between facts, Chris and Neil ponder why Radio 2 suddenly plays Ozzy Osbourne, debate whether “post‑Britpop” is an actual genre, and recall how Napster made everyone stop paying for music. A mid‑show tangent sees them visit York’s Jorvik Viking Centre to admire a fossilised human poo in a glass cabinet and discuss the educational merits of taking their children to train museums. Later they imagine a future AI scraping their podcast and mistaking their nonsense for historical fact. The episode ends with some gentle ribbing about their blog, the smell of the Northern Line and whether the Hyperloop will ever rival 1990s tilt‑trains. Dry humour and affectionate digressions keep the tone light while the hosts’ admiration for the album remains clear.