Riffology

The Making of ‘Somewhere in Time’ – Iron Maiden’s Bold Leap 4765_album_art

The Making of ‘Somewhere in Time’ – Iron Maiden’s Bold Leap

Neil Johnson 24 February 2025

Introduction Iron Maiden’s “Somewhere in Time” stands as a landmark in the band’s illustrious discography. Released on...

From Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana: The Iconic History of Sound City Recording Studio Sound-City-2

From Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana: The Iconic History of Sound City Recording Studio

Neil Johnson 22 February 2025

Early Origins and Founding Sound City Recording Studio, nestled in the heart of Van Nuys, Los Angeles,...

The Making of Hooked – Great White’s Timeless Rock Classic 3752_album_art

The Making of Hooked – Great White’s Timeless Rock Classic

Neil Johnson 20 February 2025

Introduction Released on 18 February 1991, Hooked by Great White is a seminal album that captured the...

Exploring the Genius of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti 4291_album_art

Exploring the Genius of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti

Neil Johnson 20 February 2025

Introduction Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti stands as a monumental achievement in rock history. Released in 1975, this...

The Unlikely Success Story of Metallica

Neil Johnson 16 February 2025

The Definitive History of Metallica: From Inception to 2025 Metallica’s journey from a fledgling band in Los...

Inside Slipknot’s Iowa: A Metal Evolution slipknot-iowa

Inside Slipknot’s Iowa: A Metal Evolution

Neil Johnson 16 February 2025

Introduction Released on August 28, 2001, Iowa by Slipknot is a pivotal album in the heavy metal...

Tusk: Fleetwood Mac’s Bold Artistic Experiment 8605_album_art

Tusk: Fleetwood Mac’s Bold Artistic Experiment

Neil Johnson 15 February 2025

Exploring “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac: A Comprehensive Journey Fleetwood Mac’s album Tusk represents a pivotal moment in...

The Making of London Calling: The Clash’s Iconic Album 8717_album_art

The Making of London Calling: The Clash’s Iconic Album

Neil Johnson 15 February 2025

The Clash’s “London Calling”: A Revolutionary Anthem In the late 1970s, amidst a world grappling with economic...

Parasomnia by Dream Theater – album review album_cover

Parasomnia by Dream Theater – album review

Neil Johnson 15 February 2025

Monster Shop Score: 85/100 Dream Theater’s latest album, Parasomnia, is a sonic journey through the mysterious realms...

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.