36 min listen
E72: Simon Witter on Kraftwerk + Rick Nelson audio + Lisa Verrico
FromRock's Backpages
ratings:
Length:
64 minutes
Released:
May 11, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
In this week's episode of the RBP podcast, we pay tribute to Kraftwerk cofounder Florian Schneider, along with Afrobeat linchpin Tony Allen and Stranglers keyboardist Dave Greenfield. The excellent Simon Witter joins us to offer essential expertise on Schneider's vital part in making Kraftwerk the hugely influential group they were, with discussion revolving around our guest's epic MOJO retrospective on the electronica godfathers.RBP's regular triumvirate consider pieces by the week's featured writer Lisa Verrico, commencing with a hilarious 1994 diatribe from the Fall's Mark E. Smith. More-up-to date are her great Sunday Times profiles of cutting-edge stars Billie Eilish and Christine & the Queens, prompting passionate endorsements by "our Jasper" Murison-Bowie. Being a tiny bit older than "our" Jasper, Mark Pringle & Barney Hoskyns steer the conversation towards the week's new audio interview. Clips from John Tobler's 1973 chat with Rick Nelson trigger musings on TV teen Idol Ricky's metamorphosis into a credible rock and roller – and then into the trailblazing L.A. country rocker whose Stone Canyon Band backed him on his wry Top 10 hit 'Garden Party'. Finally, Mark walks us through the new library additions that most tickled his interest this week, including Jamie McCluskey III (a.k.a. Eden, a.k.a. Nikki Wine) chatting to the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson in 1965, David Keeps in conversation with Detroit's Was (Not Was) in 1983, and RJ Smith anticipating Trump's America in a prescient 1991 piece about Guns N' Roses. Barney pics Carol Clark's lovely 2001 lament for the inimitable Joey Ramone, while Jasper focuses on – among other items – John Calvert's 2015 dissection of problematic lyrics by Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye… Many thanks to special guest Simon Witter.The Rock's Backpages podcast is part of the Pantheon podcast network.Pieces discussed: Kraftwerk, Kraftwerker, Am Kraftwerksten, Mark E. Smith, Billie Eilish, Christine and the Queens, Rick Nelson audio, Brian Wilson, The Band, Was (Not Was), The D.O.C., Guns N' Roses, Hip Hop in 1998, Joey Ramone, Neil Cowley Trio, The Weeknd and Tame Impala's Slow Rush.
Released:
May 11, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
E3: Exclusive Sex Pistols interview + Chic + David Hepworth: Berating "idiot" Malcolm McLaren and "poxy" Vivienne Westwood, Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious hold forth, slagging off everyone under the sun, or at least everyone they can think of, in a 1977 interview with John Tobler. RBP podcast hosts Barney Hoskyns and Mark Pringle do some holding forth of their own, about the Sex Pistols (naturally) but also about Chic, featured writer David Hepworth, Nico, Gene Clark and Luther Vandross. Hailing Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards as "two of the greatest players of any musical instrument in any musical medium", Barney and Mark enthuse about disco, discuss the state of electronic music in the 1980s and question whether or not music can enact political change (spoiler: it can't). Produced by Jasper Murison-Bowie Pieces discussed: Interview with Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, Chic, more Chic, Sandie Shaw, Nico, Lou Reed, Gene Clark, The Concise NME Guide to Electronic Musi by Rock's Backpages