The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

• UAWIL #228: Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

  While Dire Straits were a solid band that had radio hits since their first album was released in 1978, there was nothing to portend the outrageous fortune they would find in 1985 with Brothers in Arms. Their previous album, Love Over Gold, failed to go platinum in the US or produce any big radio hits. Twisting By The Pool from their 1983 EP was catchy but also kitschy and made some wonder if they were trying to parody the oldies instead of creating an homage. While the live album Alchemy was fantastic, it was not a huge seller. Lead singer, lead guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler had success in the studio with Steely Dan and Bob Dylan, produced some great movie soundtracks and wrote songs for others like Private Dancer for Tina Turner. But he hadn't made a Dire Straits album that captured the public's imagination. Until they made Brothers In Arms in 1985.... Mark brought in a young keyboard player named Guy Fletcher to give his songs more texture and eventually brought in legendary session drummer Omar Hakim to lay down all the drum parts. The result was an album that hit #1 around the world selling more than 4.5 million in the UK, 9 million in the US and 30 million around the world. The single Money For Nothing topped the charts around the world and featured Sting singing the famous line I Want My MTV. Of course at the time MTV played videos by artists who wrote music and played instruments and between Sting's catchphrase and the cutting edge (at the time) computer animation, it went into heavy rotation and would be heralded as one of the greatest videos for years. But the sound was so crisp on this album it was used to sell CD players in stores and was the first record to sell more on CD than on LP, thanks in large part to recording on digital tape and Knopfler's never ending search for quality sound. Songs like Your Latest Trick and Why Worry may be mellow but you can hear every note. Walk Of Life was fun, upbeat track that featured 2 different videos for the US and UK markets. And while the second side of the album might not have featured the big hits as the first side, Knopfler's lyrics take on more serious notions like war, life and death. the final and title track brought up visions of pain from the Falklands War that had affected so many in the UK and Argentina and is seen as a respectful tribute to those who fought (and often played at military funerals0. You can't tell the story of MTV, the 1980s or Dire Straits without this album and we dug in for an in-depth conversation about its impact at the time and how it sound today. Plus, we have a little audio from Guy Fletcher talking about Dolby Atmos mixes for the upcoming 40th anniversary edition which will include a concert from the Live in 85 tour. This was a big one and we treat it accordingly. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Introducing the Zero To Travel Show

  Pantheon CEO Christian Swain invites you to check out the Zero To Travel Show. Learn how everyday folks are making the leap to a life of travel! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

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• UAWIL #227: Pete Townshend - Empty Glass

  By 1980, Pete Townshend was 34 or 35, regarded as a true legend of rock music and a revered songwriter. He was one of the true pied pipers of rock n roll. The only problem was, there was no such thing as a middle-aged rock star. In 1978, the death of Keith Moon hit him hard and put in the question the future of The Who. Punk music was railing against old bands like The Who and while Pete was with them in spirit, he realized that they may have had a point. Meanwhile, Pete was battling alcohol and heroin addictions while his marriage to his first wife was on the rocks. He was looking for spiritual fulfillment and yearning for peace of mind. But out of all that came Empty Glass, a marvelous album with vivid melodies, personal lyrics and Pete Townshend's heart on his sleeve. He dedicated the album to his wife, Karen, and some of the songs could be in her voice. Pete takes on the personality of different people to get his points of view across with lyrics that can be ambiguous but deeply personal. The opening track Rough Boys is seen by some as a coming out for Townshend but it's a rockin' way to kick off a record. The alltime great Let My Love Open The Door is an instant pick me up that outsold the platinum (in the US) Empty Glass several times over and remains a favorite for movie soundtracks aimed at the children of the 1980s. But songs like I Am An Animal and I Moved showcase Pete's softer side before the ranting Jools and Jim aimed at authors who dismissed Keith Moon's death as inevitable and even warranted. Keep On Working shows Pete trying to channel The Kinks and A Little Is Enough may have been a minor hit but Townshend regards it as one of the best songs he's ever written. The title track is a man desperate for his soul to be saved, an empty vessel looking for someone to fulfill him. Would he ever find that peace? Would any of us? It's a strong record with incredible melodies with killer musicians like Simon Phillips, Tony Levin and Pete himself arranging the songs into beautiful classics. This was a fun one to do and if you don't know the album, we think you're gonna like it. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• First Concert Memories #21: KISS with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records

  We all have vivid memories of our first rock concerts. You know the ones - when you're young, full of anticipation with no knowledge or understanding of the assault on your senses that a great rock show brings. These are the moments we capture on First Concert Memories and for episode 21, we have none other than Brian Slagel. Yes metalheads, THE Brian Slagel who founded Metal Blade Records more than 40 years ago. The first man to put a Metallica song on a commercially available tape. That's how we know Brian. But on this episode, he's taking us back to when he was a 16 year old KISS fan, hoping to get to see his heroes live for the first time. Thankfully, his neighbor Carl Graves (a performer and musician in his own right who would tour with Oingo Boingo in the 80s & 90s) told Brian's mother that he'd take him to the show and make sure he got home safe. So Brian saw his first ever concert - KISS on the Alive! Tour on February 24, 1976. A teenage Brian was blown away by the pyro, the fire and blood spitting demon, the loudness of the Marshall stacks and the spectacle that a KISS concert in 1976 offered. Brian also tells us about getting to know the original members of KISS on a personal basis, which band he's seen over 300x and his killer new podcast - The 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal. It's a fantastic time with a metal legend!! MetalBlade.com Check out Brian's 100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal Podcast Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• UAWIL #226: Judas Priest - British Steel

  By 1980, Judas Priest were ready to take on all the world! Fresh off their classic live album Unleashed In The East, Priest were ready to conquer America and the world with a more pop sound. Priest hit the charts with songs like Living After Midnight and Breaking The Law and offered new anthems to the teenage set with United and Metal Gods. But they stayed true to their heavy metal roots with songs like Rapid Fire and Steeler. Rob Halford shows off his chops and range on songs like The Rage as Ian Hill offers up a fun and memorable bass line. While we don't see much of the dueling solos between KK Downing and Glenn Tipton as would come to be familiar with on most of their 80s and latter day albums, they each show off their individual styles here while doing what's best for the songs. And the addition of Dave Holland on the drums solidified the classic 80s Priest lineup that would help them conquer the US and the world. They also forayed into making videos with the help of Julien Temple, much to the delight of Beavis & Butthead. This album helped propel Judas Priest and heavy metal onto a bigger stage and laid the foundation for the band's success in the 1980s and beyond. Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use the code UGLY to save 10%! Twitter Threads Instagram YouTube LInkTree www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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