R.E.M. Archives - Riffology

The Making of Lifes Rich Pageant – R.E.M.’s Evolution

Neil Johnson 30 October 2024

Released on July 28, 1986, R.E.M.'s "Lifes Rich Pageant" marked a pivotal shift in their sound toward...

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 a black shrink wrap hides the most emotional record in the rack

Hosts: Neil & Chris
Duration: ~101 minutes
Release: 12 January 2026

Episode Description

Neil and Chris dive into Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, a record that feels less like a set of songs and more like a single long thought, drifting through absence, grief, cynicism, and that hollow “where did you go?” ache. They start with the band’s post-Dark Side paralysis, the pressure to “do another one of those,” and how the confusion in Abbey Road slowly turned into something focused, human, and quietly devastating.

Along the way, the hosts bring it home, from Neil’s comfort ritual of a Pink Floyd bath when he’s ill, to Chris’s deep love of the album’s loneliness and sadness. They argue (gently) with the idea that it’s “just about Syd,” framing Syd instead as a catalyst for a wider theme, absence, and why the album keeps finding new meaning as you get older.

What You’ll Hear:

Why Wish You Were Here isn’t “tracks,” it’s an emotional arc
Post-Dark Side pressure, writers’ drift, and finding the idea through faffing about
The record-business bite of “Have a Cigar” and “Welcome to the Machine”
Hipgnosis artwork, black shrink wrap, and the album’s visual theme of absence
The band’s changing dynamic and why this is framed as the last fully collaborative Floyd album

Featured Tracks & Analysis:

The conversation spotlights the titanic bookends of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (including the iconic opening notes) and the emotional center, “Wish You Were Here”, praised for some of the most resonant lyrics in rock. Chris gets nerdy about the 12-string guitar and why the intro only feels “right” with those octave pairs, plus the radio concept and the surprise of alternate arrangements, including a violin-led version.

They also call out how synth textures shape the album more than you might remember, subtly shifting your “frequency” into the record’s world.

Tangential Gold:

Windows 95 launch nostalgia and iconic everyday “noise branding” detours
The must-play rule, hand someone a 12-string and they play “Wish You Were Here”
A deep cut on the Hipgnosis documentary Squaring the Circle
Noel Gallagher, opinions-on-sticks, and the fear of having an opinion in 2026
Teasing the next run, Metallica is coming, starting with Master of Puppets

Why This Matters:

Wish You Were Here captures a band at the height of success who still felt lost, and somehow turned that disorientation into a record that listeners keep using as a mirror. Neil and Chris unpack how the album’s “too long” pieces become necessary space, letting emotions unfold rather than being packaged into tidy singles.

Perfect for: listeners who love classic album deep-dives, studio stories, lyric meaning, and thoughtful detours that still circle back to the music.