What the Riff?!?

While Devo is known as an early 80's new wave synth pop band, their history goes back to 1973. The classic lineup of Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale, Bob Casale, and Alan Myers developed the name Devo from "De-evolution," the idea that mankind is regressing to a herd mentality. This was a bit of a joke idea that Gerald Casale and co-founder Bob Lewis formed while at Kent State University. The band gained some local fame in 1976, and were signed to Warner Brothers in 1978 with recommendations from David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

Freedom of Choice is Devo's third studio album and their breakout commercial success. While their first two albums had generated some following, the commercial success was not at the level Warner Brothers sought, and the third album was considered a "make or break," one with the studio ready to drop the group. Success did follow this album, with Devo exploiting the upcoming popularity of new wave while drifting a little bit towards R&B and funk sensibilities within their synth-pop framework.

The album was recorded and mixed in six weeks, with bass, guitars, and drums being recorded together live, and with synthesizers and vocals being overdubbed later. The album peaked at number 22 on the Billboard 200, and the big single, "Whip It," reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Rob brings us this synthisizer-driven new wave album for this week's foray into the early 80's.

Freedom of Choice
Thie post-punk title song initially sounds like it is about freedom of choice. However, it is really about people not really having freedom of choice. Consumerism - choosing between green sneakers and blue sneakers for example - isn't really choice at all. "Freedom of choice is what you got. Freedom from choice is what you want."

Whip It
Everyone knows this signature Devo song. Mark Mothersbaugh has stated that the song was written as a subtle Dale Carnegie-esque message to Jimmy Carter, saying "you can do it." The song benefitted greatly from airplay on the fledgling cable channel MTV, where their strange video involving a guy knocking the clothes off a girl with a bullwhip received continual play.

Gates of Steel
The lead song from side 2 is a bit of a commentary on the mechanization of humanity. No matter how much we believe mankind has accomplished, we're not far removed from the ape. "A man is real, not made of steel."

Girl U Want
This was the first single released from the album, though it did not chart well. The song was supposedly inspired by The Knack, though the track reminds us more of The Cars. "She's just the girl, she's just the girl, the girl you want."

Blind Faith was a supergroup formed from Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, Traffic founder Steve Winwood, and Family bassist/violinist Ric Grech. Cream collapsed after increasing strife between members, particularly Baker and bassist Jack Bruce. Traffic went on hiatus, and Winwood began jamming with Clapton in his basement. Baker sat in on a session shortly after they moved to Traffic's rehearsal space in Berkshire, and was added to the lineup after some reluctance from Clapton was overcome. Finally, Grech was invited to join, and left the Family in the middle of a U.S. tour, creating understandable grievances.

The group created blues-oriented and psychedelic rock for their eponymously named Blind Faith debut album. A summer tour was launched, but it was a challenging thing. Clapton didn't want to do long jam sessions on the tour, but their single album was not a lot of material for a concert. As a result, they wound up playing a significant amount of Cream and Traffic songs. This delighted the audience, but irritated and distanced Clapton.

Despite great buzz from critics and fans alike, the group was destined to only last a few months. Clapton began drifting away while on tour, spending more time with opening act Delaney & Bonnie. He would eventually join that group prior to launching Derek & the Dominos. Ginger Baker would move on to form Ginger Baker's Air Force, bringing in Winwood and Grech for a short stint before Winwood rejoined Traffic.

Rob brings us this short-lived supergroup in this week's podcast.

Had to Cry Today
The title track dispenses with the 3-minute single format in favor of a long form jam written by Steve Winwood. The lyrics are ambiguous, and could reference a dying relationship, or perhaps a friend drifting away.

Can't Find My Way Home
Winwood also wrote this well-known single from the album, covered by a number of artists including Joe Cocker, Alison Krauss, and Bonnie Raitt. Winwood has been asked about the meaning of the lyrics, but has said that discussing song lyrics is a little like explaining a joke - it doesn't add anything to the experience. Clapton leaves his electric guitar in favor of a rare acoustic one for this song.

Well All Right
This track is the only one not written by members of Blind Faith. Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, and Joe B. Mauldin wrote this song, and Holly sang it in 1958. Clapton takes lead vocal duties on this song.

Sea of Joy
A piece of Winwood's writing also leads off side two of the album. While some believe the song references hallucinogens, a simpler meaning would be simply the joy of being on the water. “And I'm feeling close to when the race is run. Waiting in our boats to set sail. Sea of joy.”

When it comes to hair metal of the mid to late 80's, no band discussion would be complete without bringing Poison into the mix. The band consisted of front man Bret Michaels, guitarist C.C. DeVille, bassist Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett on drums. Poison is a band out of Pennsylvania. Originally named Paris when formed in 1980, the band drew a good following in local bars in Pennsylvania, but decided opportunities would be greater in Los Angeles. The band moved there in 1983 and changed their name to Poison. They attracted a lot of attention with their stage show, and saw surprising success with their debut album, "Look What the Cat Dragged In," released in 1986.

However, Poison's most successful release would be their second studio album, Open Up and Say... Ah!, released in April 1988. It would sport four hit singles, including their sole number 1 single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." The album itself would hit number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It would also stir controversy with its cover, a picture of a demonic female with an extremely long tongue. An alternate cover was designed to address concerns which showed only the eyes of the model.

Poison would see further success in the late 80's and early 90's, though their popularity would wane as the grunge movement took over music in the 90's. However, Poison has seen a resurgence of popularity as a "classic" band, and front man Bret Michaels has achieved success both as a celebrity personality and as a solo artist.

Lynch brings us this glam rock album for today's podcast, and friend of the show Mike Fernandez joins us in Bruce's absence.

No More Tears, the sixth solo studio album by Ozzy Osbourne, was released at an interesting time in rock music. Hair metal acts were in decline, and grunge was about to take off. Nevertheless, Ozzy hit it big with this album, reaching number 7 on the Billboard 200 charts, and providing Osbourne's only solo top 40 hit. No More Tears is generally considered his best album since his first two solo albums, "Blizzard of Oz," and "Diary of a Madman," both of which featured the late Randy Rhodes on guitar.

The songs on the album are largely written by Ozzy, drummer Randy Castillo, and guitarist Zakk Wylde. Motorhead bassist and front man Lemmy Kilmister wrote the lyrics to four of the tracks on the album. Additional musicians for this album were Bob Daisley on bass, and John Sinclair on keyboards. This would be the last Ozzy album to feature Castillo and Daisley.

As became more common in the compact disc era of the 90's, the tracks on this album tend to be longer than the typical single. None of the tracks clock in at less than 4 minutes, and the longest falls just short of 7 1/2 minutes.

In addition to boasting Osbourne's first top 40 hit, he also received a Grammy for "Best Metal Performance" for the track "I Don't Want to Chane the World" when released on his "Live & Loud" album in 1994.

Rob brings us this heavy metal throwback for this week's journey back to the 90's.

Mama, I'm Coming Home
This track peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Osbourne's only top 40 solo single. This power ballad contains lyrics by Lemmy Kilmister, the front man from Motorhead. The song is about his wife Sharon, who helped turn his life around.

Desire
A crunchy deep cut talks about going for what you want - not changing over time, seeking the same desire. Osbourne also makes a reference to "Crazy train," his hit from the early 80's. "It's the same old desire, nothing's changed, nothing's the same. Burning like fire, don't you ever take my name in vain."

Road to Nowhere
The last song on the album is a reflection on life. Osbourne had gone sober after 20 years of drugs and alcohol, and he looking at how "the road to nowhere leads to me." "I was looking back on my life and all the things I've done to me."

No More Tears
This very dark title track has an epic feel, and despite its length hit number 5 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 32 on the UK Singles chart. The lyrics are told from the perspective of a stalker in a red light district seeking a victim to torture.

Sticky Fingers is considered by many to be the greatest studio album the Rolling Stones ever created. This ninth studio album represented a return to a more basic sound for the Stones after several albums with less conventional instrumentation. It was also known for its cover artwork from Andy Warhol which featured a man in jeans with a working zipper. The album won a Grammy for “Best Album Cover” for this innovative design.

This was the first album that was released on their own label, Rolling Stones Records. It was also the first album the group produced without Brian Jones, who had died two years earlier. The members of the band were Charlie Watts on drums, Bill Wyman on bass, Mick Taylor on guitar, Keith Richards on guitar and backing vocals, and Mick Jagger on lead vocals and some guitar and percussion. There were a number of session musicians and frequent collaborators involved in the album, including Bobby Keys on sax, and Billy Preston and Ian Stewart on keyboards.

Sticky Fingers was the band's first album to reach number 1 on album charts in both the US and the UK. It has since reached triple platinum status, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The album was also the first album to utilize the now-iconic “mouth” for which the group would be known.

Friend of the show Mike Fernandez joins us in Bruce's absence, while Rob brings us this amazing album from one of the giants of the rock world in this week's podcast.

Wild Horses
This softer song with a country bent was first released in 1970 by the Flying Burrito Brothers, and subsequently recorded by the Stones after originally thinking the demo wasn't worth recording. It was originally recorded over a three-day period at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama in 1969. The lyrics are about being on the road, and not being where you really want to be.

Brown Sugar
The opening track to the album was also the lead single, and reached the top of the charts in the US and Canada, while reaching number 2 on the UK singles chart. The song sounds like a strong rocking one, but the lyrics discuss slavery and rape, a much more serious topic than most realized the lyrics covered.

Bitch
This track which leads off side two of the album was the B-side to the single “Brown Sugar.” It has a strong brass section — the song originated in a jam, and features Bobby Keys on sax and Jim Price on trumpet. The lyrics are describing love as a bitch but the title probably didn't help the band in its problems with women's groups.

Can't You Hear Me Knocking
This is the longest song on the album, clocking in at over seven minutes. The central part of the song lasts for 2:43, with an extended jam following. The entire track was captured in one take, and the band continued with the jam, thinking that the recording was complete.