Bonus Song Thursday - The Eagles "Ol' 55"

09/03/15 • 24 min

It's Bonus Song Thursday on the Great Albums Podcast! In our previous episode we talked about Tom Waits and the impact he's had on others' careers thanks to their covers of his songs. So Bill and Brian take a closer look at the Eagles version on "Ol' 55," originally released on Waits' debut album, Closing Time, in 1973. We discuss the Eagles as a dad band, their use of harmony, soft rock radio, and how covering other's songs fits in the world of rock and roll.

Previous Episode

Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (w/ guest Moksha Gren)

Bill and Brian welcome cohost of the Pruning Session podcast (from audiobonsai.com) Moksha Gren to help us talk about Tom Waits' Rain Dogs (1985, Island). The successor to the album where Waits left his balladier days behind him, the experimental Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs found universal critical acclaim as it solidified the eclectic music mixed with found sounds and a raspy vocal that Waits became synonymous with. Bill, Brian, and Moksha discuss how they first came to be fans of Toms Waits, the production of the album, and then a track by track review. Along the way, we also find room for a lot about Rod Stewart, how Moksha is raising his kids with the right kind of music, a bit about the state of country music, and more!

Next Episode

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story

Bill and Brian get together to discuss Rod Stewart's third in a series of five wonderful solo albums for Mercury records that he released early in his career, Every Picture Tells a Story (1971, Mercury). After working with the Jeff Beck Group and running concurrent to his output with the Faces, Stewart found success with the b-side "Maggie May." With a unique rock-and-roll-meets-folk-with-a-little-soul songwriting and production style, this album stands out. Brian and Bill discuss how they were able to move past their own prejudices toward Stewart, why more people don't discuss the importance of Rod's early solo career, why unique sounds and instrumentation sound so good, and a track by track review of the entire album!