Record Roulette: A Music Appreciation Podcast

Episode Details

Eamon O’Flynn, Nathan Smith and Sonya Walton discuss James Brown’s “Sex Machine” - a legendary semi-live funk masterpiece. This album ranked #439 on the 2020 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

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Runtime: 44 minutes

Who was James Brown?

James Brown (also known as “The Godfather of Soul,” “Mr. Dynamite” and “Soul Brother #1”) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. A major figure in 20th century music and one of the creators of funk music, Brown’s career lasted more than 50 years. He was an inaugural inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has since been inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame, Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Brown was ranked seventh on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and he has three entries on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list, including Star Time (#54), Live at the Apollo (#65) and Sex Machine (#439).

What is Sex Machine ?

Sex Machine is the sixth live album from American funk legend James Brown. Released in 1970, it showcases the original J.B.’s lineup - including Bootsy and Catfish Collins - as well as a separate lineup from a live performance in Augusta, Georgia. Although it purports to be a live album, the first LP consists of material recorded in the studio with reverberation and overdubbed applause added afterward. Sex Machine is often considered one of the greatest and most important funk records of all time, and one of the great live albums of all time. Recorded at the height of Brown’s career, the album was a success, hitting #29 on the Pop Chart and #4 on the R&B Chart. Sex Machine is on the 2020 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list at #439.

The season finale of Record Roulette has a very special guest - the creator of VH1 Storytellers, Michael A. Simon.
He's a perfect fit for this episode, too, because we're talking about The Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico, which comes in at #23 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list.
What does a New Yorker who worked with Lou Reed on multiple occasions think of the quintessential 1960s New York album? You won't be surprised. But, the real question is whether the three bumpkins from north of the border felt the same way. Tune in for stories about David Bowie, the power of nostalgia, a "One Bad Opinion" and more.
Leave comments on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod or visit our website at recordroulettepodcast.com.

Runtime: 53 minutes
Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.

What happens when three people who aren't big pop fans listen to an album from one of the world's top pop stars? It ain't all sunshine and rainbows.
We're talking about Lorde's 2017 critical hit album, Melodrama, which just barely grabs a piece of the 2020 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list at #460.
One of our usual co-hosts, Sonya, couldn't make it for this show, so we replaced her with the most genetically-similar person we could find: her son. What'd he think of this album? Could Nathan get over his general disdain for pop music? Will Eamon ever understand modern music production? These questions and more are answered in our review.
Leave comments on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod or visit our website at recordroulettepodcast.com.

Runtime: 52 minutes
Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.

We're talking about Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1977 reggae masterpiece, Exodus, which makes the 2020 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list at #71.
Is Bob Marley overrated?
He's one of the biggest names in music history and 40 years after his death you can still find his image and art everywhere. Oh, and his album is in the top-100 of all time, according to Rolling Stone. Yes, the Marley brand is strong, but does the music hold up? We asked our friend David Lizerbram from Rock Docs to join us for a discussion that ranged from reggae and assassination attempts to beach girls and the Tragically Hip.
Leave comments on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod or visit our website at recordroulettepodcast.com.

Runtime: 52 minutes
Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.