Redbeard’s Blog

Def Leppard “Rock of Ages” Medley

This fabulous "Rock of Ages" medley by Def Leppard from the In the Studio archive was unavailable in the U.S. for about twenty years.
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Guns ‘n’ Roses- Appetite for Destruction- Slash

By the time Guns'n'Roses "Appetite for Destruction" passed the 18,000,000 sales point early in the 21st century, several rock magazines and websites had revised their original reviews from the July 1987 release. My guest In the Studio GNR lead guitarist Slash certainly remembers, fondly in most cases, but admits to at least one rookie mistake that left a scar that smarts to this day.
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Styx- Grand Illusion- Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Dennis DeYoung, Lawrence Gowan

Styx co-founder Dennis DeYoung, lifer James "JY" Young, and then recently recruited Alabama boy Tommy Shaw all join me here with current Styx keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan In the Studio for the early days of being the perennial opening act, saddled with the curse "big in the Flyover States", all the while writing and recording "Fooling Yourself","Come Sail Away","Miss America", "Man in the Wilderness", and "Grand Illusion".

Peter Gabriel- San Jacinto- London 03-2011

This breathtaking recording of "San Jacinto" from the limited edition Peter Gabriel package Live Blood was performed live in London March 2011 with the New Blood Orchestra conducted by Ben Foster.
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Grateful Dead- In the Dark- Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh

Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh In the Studio for the 35th anniversary of "In the Dark".
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Doobie Brothers- Toulouse Street- Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John Hartman

After a totally forgettable first album, the Doobie Brothers' sophomore effort "Toulouse Street" may just be the strongest second act of the Seventies. In the Studio Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, & John Hartman joined me forf "Listen to the Music","Rockin' Down the Highway","Disciple", and the definitive cover of "Jesus is Just All Right".

Damn Yankees feat. Jack Blades- You Can Still Rock in America- Denver 6-20-92

"You Can Still Rock in America" by Night Ranger, one of the Eighties' signature bands, performed in concert by the Nineties' first supergroup, Damn Yankees. Here is the guy who originally wrote and sang it, Jack Blades, out front of Tommy Shaw, Michael Cartellone, and Ted Nugent in Denver's Mile High Stadium three decades ago
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Emerson, Lake, and Palmer- Trilogy- Carl Palmer, the late Keith Emerson & Greg Lake

"Trilogy", Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's third studio album and fourth overall in barely two years,  was released in July 1972, a high watermark peak for Progressive Rock's quality as well as massive popularity ( #2 UK, #5 Billboard in the US )...Trilogy has remained a favorite over these many changes in rock music as the place where Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer's ambitions to expand the palette of rock music were perfectly balanced by terrific songwriting and production on "The Endless Enigma", "From the Beginning", a terrific concert showstopper cover version of Aaron Copland's "Hoedown" from the stage musical Oklahoma!, and the title song opus. Carl Palmer hosts with archival interviews from both the late Keith Emerson and Greg Lake.

Greg Lake- From the Beginning- Dallas 1992

Greg Lake brought his choirboy voice In the Studio to my Q102 Dallas/ Ft Worth radio show one afternoon in 1992, sat a curvy blonde on his knee ( a guitar ), and sang several songs including the gorgeous "From the Beginning", which appeared on Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's 1972 progressive rock album "Trilogy".
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Sammy Hagar- I Never Said Goodbye

After years of struggle as the undercard rock palooka who could take a punch and never go down, in 1984 Sammy Hagar answered the bell  and came out swinging, scoring a technical knockout with his mainstream hit "I Can't Drive 55" from his eighth solo album "VOA". Then in 1987 Sammy won by a knockout with his solo album "I Never Said Goodbye", at #14 his highest charting album ever, and that while being newly installed as Van Halen's lead singer. Sammy Hagar is my guest In the Studio.