Decibel Geek Podcast

After a great week of getting Ugly with Whitfield Crane, we return to fill your head with loud, auditory goodness. Radio Sucks Radio Show vol 7 is here! This weeks Geek of the Week is Dan Miles! Dan is the host of the Friends of Dan Music Podcast and we're thrilled to call him a friend as his podcast features some great in-depth conversations with some real insiders of the music industry. He recently talked to Simpsons music composer Alf Clausen about his 40+ years in the industry and we highly recommend his Jim Morrison episode that features the Lizard King expressing himself between takes while in the recording studio. Dan is a great supporter of the Decibel Geek podcast and we thank him this week by bestowing this great honor on him ;-) We've got a ton of diversity for you this week for the 7th edition of the Radio Sucks Radio Show. We start things off with a great track from the Sabbath w/Dio era album Mob Rules before launching into a track from Warrant that could easily be described as everything that Cherry Pie is not; and we're thankful for that. Chris has been trying to dive headlong into the Cheap Trick catalog after much cajoling from fellow KISS fans about the many treasures inside and he unearths a power pop masterpiece from 1977's self-titled debut album that will please anyone with a rock and roll sweet tooth. We come back from the first break with an ode to the demise of a serial killer from a Wisconsin-born band that you'd never expect to hear on our show. Our Fresh Blood pick for this episode is The Treatment from the UK. Currently opening for KISS and Motley Crue on The Tour, this group of fresh-faced Brits sports a serious classic rock influence and solid, raw sound that we think you will most certainly dig. If you are attending The Tour, this act definitely seems to be worthy of showing up early. Aaron gets super-obscure with his pick of a Faith No More song from the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack that is woefully under-appreciated before launching into a choice cut from Baltimore's own Clutch. Queensryche has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons as the band has recently split from singer Geoff Tate and lawyers are busy running up hourly fees while firing lawsuits back and forth. We discuss the current wranglings before Chris' pick of a track from Operation: Mindcrime that is aptly titled in regards to the current situation. Shotgun Messiah was a band that largely got swallowed up in the early 90's scene-changeover that affected so many bands but bassist Tim Skold would go on to success in a number of other projects; notably his work with Marilyn Manson. Aaron picks a powerful track off their 1992 sophomore album Second Coming. We return from the break with the king of shock rock with Chris' pick of a great anthem from the 1975 Welcome to My Nightmare album that never gets old and feels as fresh today as it did back then (except maybe for the Donny Osmond reference). Closing out volume 7 of our Radio Sucks Radio show is a wickedly evil pick of a Monster Magnet tune from their Powertrip album. We've got tons of big stuff planned for the near future and hope that you enjoy these tunes as we ramp things up for a very busy Fall season. Rock on! Direct Download Buy Music! Black Sabbath Warrant Cheap Trick Violent Femmes The Treatment Faith No More Clutch Queensryche Shotgun Messiah Alice Cooper Monster Magnet Connect to Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

It's no secret to fans of the Decibel Geek Podcast that we, especially Aaron Camaro, have a great affinity for Ugly Kid Joe. Born out of suburbia (ie. Isla Vista, CA) in 1990, Ugly Kid Joe showed up in the middle of a power shift in the rock world with a sound that didn't fit into the glam rock style that was on its way out nor with the dirge-like sound emanating from the grunge underbelly of Seattle that would soon take over the world. Named on the spot as a spoof of California hair-farmers Pretty Boy Floyd, Whitfield Crane and best friend Klaus Eichstadt formed the initial lineup of the band and released the breakthrough EP, 'As Ugly As They Wanna Be.' The album broke through to mass audiences with the success of the track 'Everything About You' and would go on to become the first EP to be certified multi-platinum by the RIAA. In this long-form discussion, Whit Crane shares the stories of how the band was formed, what the musical climate was like at the time, and his opinion of Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe would climb the rock ladder in 1992 with the follow-up album 'America's Least Wanted' which featured the considered-by-WalMart-offensive cover depicting Lady Liberty giving the finger. Featuring a guest vocal from Judas Priest's Rob Halford on the track 'God Damn Devil,' the album solidified Ugly Kid Joe in the public consciousness with the release of their cover of Harry Chapin's 'Cat's in the Cradle' and, to a lesser degree, the opening track 'Neighbor.' A long period of touring the globe would ensue throughout the following years including opening slots for Ozzy Osbourne and Def Leppard as well as headliner status of their own. Along with lots of touring, Ugly Kid Joe was on a non-stop treadmill of appearances, interviews, award shows, and other assorted promotional activities (also LOTS of partying with such legends as Eddie Van Halen and Lemmy). Crane reflects on how crazy the lifestyle was and what memories remain with him to this day. 1995 saw the release of 'Menace to Sobriety' which featured the lineup of Crane, Eichstadt, guitarist Dave Fortman, bassist Cordell Crockett, and drummer Shannon Larkin. Featuring a tighter, heavier sound, the album received rave reviews. After disappointing sales for the 1996 release 'Motel California,' Ugly Kid Joe disbanded the following year. The members went on to other projects and bands with Larkin becoming the drummer in Godsmack and Crane doing a stint with Life of Agony as well as work with Medication and reuniting with Larkin for Another Animal. In this conversation, Crane reveals the emotions and motivations behind these projects and reflects on what he takes away from those experiences. After 15 years apart, the 1995 lineup of Ugly Kid Joe have released their new EP, 'Stairway to Hell.' Featuring a bold production from guitarist/production genius Dave Fortman, the album has all that one would expect from Ugly Kid Joe and more. We get Whit's thoughts on our impressions of the album and if he agrees or not. Aaron also gives a heartfelt testimonial to Whit on behalf of all Ugly Kid Joe fans before we wrap things up with a special preview of the upcoming single from 'Stairway to Hell.' We thank Whitfield Crane for giving us his time, attention, and reflections on a career that has rocked and shows no sign of stopping. Direct Download Buy Music! Ugly Kid Joe Store Connect to Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

After a week of reflecting on January - July of 1987, we round things off this week by discussing August - December and try to shoehorn in as many tunes and memories as we can. August - September August saw the release of two of the year's landmark albums in Michael Jackson's 'Bad' and Def Leppard's Hysteria. MJ had not released an album since 1983's historic 'Thriller' release and the world's ears were ready for a followup. 'Bad', released on August 31st went on to produce five number one singles in the USA; a record which has not been broken. Def Leppard's slickly-produced 'Hysteria' album had smash hit after smash hit and would go on to sell over 20 million units. Other notable releases from August of 1987 included albums by Metallica, Twisted Sister, and Aerosmith. September spawned album releases by rock legends such as Pink Floyd, Motorhead, Rush, The Ramones, and KISS. While not all of these releases would go on to be big sellers, some amazing songs were overlooked by the general public. October The big news story of October of 1987 was the rescue of Baby Jessica. After falling down a well in Midland, Texas two days prior, emergency crews are able to save the young child in front of a national television audience. Motley Crue attempted to release 'You're All I Need' as a single from the Girls, Girls, Girls album on October 19th but were shunned by MTV and radio due to the graphic nature of the lyrics. We take a listen to hear what the uproar was about. Notable releases of October 1987 included albums by Alice Cooper, MSG, Sepultura, and the multi-million selling 'Faith' album from George Michael after his split with Wham! (blech). November - December We finish things off with a discussion of the albums released in November and December including offerings from Black Sabbath, Anthrax, and two albums by Over Kill. Also in this discussion we reflect on bands that were established in 1987 as well as those that called it quits before playing things out with a dreamy track from Dokken's 'Back for the Attack' album. Direct Download Buy Music! Def Leppard Michael Jackson Metallica Aerosmith Midnight Oil Pink Floyd Motorhead Lizzy Borden Ramones KISS U2 MSG Motley Crue Over Kill Warlock Dokken Connect With Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

After much demand (ie. a couple of e-mails) we're taking the time machine back to 1987 for 2 weeks as we discuss the Year in Review. Before we get into the Delorean, a couple of notes. Our Geek of the Week is Jimi Betterton who left a very nice comment on the facebook fan page about last week's Riki Rachtman episode. Thanks Jimi and please spread the word! Welcome to all new listeners and those of you that have discovered the show through our syndicated version on Maximum Threshold Radio on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. EST. Thanks to Dominic and the crew for giving us another platform to spout our babble. Our good friend Dick Wagner has released the hardcover version of his autobiography, Not Only Women Bleed and we were thrilled to receive our copies this week in the mail. Go HERE to get your copy of this fascinating look into the inner-workings of the rock and roll business and some hilarious anecdotes as well. 1987 was a special time in the adolescence of a young Aaron Camaro and Chris Czynszak; being aged 13 and 11 respectively. This was an interesting time in American pop culture with tv shows like The Cosby Show and Cheers leading in the ratings while edgier upstart FOX Network was providing more reality-based programming that would go on to dominate the next decade. Popular movies in 1987 included Three Men and a Baby, Lethal Weapon, RoboCop, and Wall Street; which included one of the enduring quotes of the decade in "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." We discuss all of that and spin some of our favorite music from January through July of 1987 in part 1 of this 2 part special. The "hair band" movement was in full force in 1987 as bands such as Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Bon Jovi were ruling the charts and filling arenas. But a glimpse of a grittier future in rock was given with Guns N Roses landmark debut album, Appetite for Destruction. Taking the world by storm with a no-frills, attitude-filled song list, AFD ran counter to the image-based culture that was on top at the time; relying more on substance and swagger and becoming one of the premier live shows in all of music. We also touch on how hindsight is definitely 20/20 when it comes to looking back on songs/albums that were revered in those early days of puberty and how are outlook on them has either changed or stayed the same. Some things definitely have held up over the years while others certainly sound more like they are fixtures in this Cold War-era that we are remembering. There's lots of discussion, good tunes, and LOTS more music ahead in part 2. We hope you enjoy our trip back to 1987. Direct Download Buy Music! Motley Crue Deep Purple Bon Jovi Anthrax Slayer Whitesnake Suicidal Tendencies Great White Guns N Roses Faster Pussycat Ace Frehley Connect to Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

After months of e-book only availability, the long-awaited hardcover edition of Dick Wagner's autobiography, 'Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes from the Heart of a Rock Musician' is now available for purchase! From the official website: "Dick Wagner’s Not Only Women Bleed stands tall amongst a proliferation of memoirs about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Supported by an edgy and ironic wit, Wagner creates rich visualizations that transport and envelop the reader in place and time. An agile and intuitive writer, Wagner’s phrasing is both colorful and literate. He delivers tales of reckless behavior and intimate debauchery with an emotional reverberation that will resonate with a wide reading audience.  A man whose fans and friends refer to as “The Maestro of Rock,” Wagner shares a lifetime of experience as a songwriter, lead guitarist and producer/arranger with top international performance and recording artists, including Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Air Supply, and dozens more. Early encounters with such legends as Little Richard, Roy Orbison, BB King and Les Paul highlight moments of achievement in personal musical growth. Poignantly recounted stories of youthful days on the road and years of hit recordings, contrast with emotional tales of drug abuse and addiction that led to near fatal health issues. After physical adversity left him disabled and “drying up in the desert,” Wagner finds enlightenment in the intensive care unit and takes the reader on a miraculous journey of courage and commitment. His return to live performance is an inspirational celebration of packed venues, overjoyed fans and critical media acclaim.The hands-on, day to day collaboration with his editor, Susan Michelson, struck a rare balance, creating a great read that preserves all that is fresh and different about Wagner’s book. No ghost writing here…no heavy handed “fit-the-mold” editing and rewriting. The result is a hard-driving, heart-driven life scripture, vividly and joyfully conveyed. In the pages of this book you will find reflections of family and personal dynamics, uncovering pure and unexpected emotion. Wagner’s collection of vignettes takes you on a literary journey that is an easy, compelling read." If you didn't already know, Dick was kind enough to talk to Decibel Geek podcast hosts Chris Czynszak and Aaron Camaro in advance of this release. You can view an enhanced version of the interview below. Be sure to go HERE to purchase a copy of this amazing autobiography.

When we think back to those angst filled teenage years in the early 90's when we couldn't find a fake i.d. and we still had a curfew, some of our best memories are of spending Saturday nights hanging out at a friends house, eating day old pizza and watching the Headbangers Ball on MTV. While the show started back in 1985 with an ever-rotating host, the show came into our collective consciousness during the transition from Adam Curry to this week's guest, Riki Rachtman. While Curry did an admirable job hosting the Ball, the show took on a more adventurous and fun direction when Rachtman took the reins in 1990. Riki Rachtman's profile in rock history goes back further, though, to his days as owner of The Cathouse; a famed L.A. nightspot that was frequented by rock stars of all sorts and the women that adored them. Rachtman's first on-camera appearance took place in 1988's Penelope Spheeris-directed The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. In the movie, Rachtman is interviewed on location at the aforementioned Cathouse along with co-owner/roommate Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat. Photo Credit: Ozan Uygur Rachtman's friendship with Guns N Roses frontman Axl Rose led to an audition at MTV as Curry was on his way out as host of Headbangers Ball. His hosting duties would last for five years (1990-1995) until Headbangers Ball was abruptly canceled with no more than a phone call to Rachtman breaking the news. In the ensuing years since Headbangers Ball, Riki Racthman has stayed active in the entertainment industry; contributing his hosting talents to such outfits as World Championship Wrestling, Los Angeles radio station KLSX, several VH1 productions, and his NASCAR-themed racing show called Racing Rocks and is heard on over 120 stations across America. Riki was gracious enough to take some time to talk to Chris this week about the crazy days of The Cathouse, the story that led to getting the Headbangers Ball hosting gig, his memories of hosting the Ball and traveling the world, his response to critics that have accused him of pushing an agenda while on MTV, and his take on where the network (and music in general) is at today. Riki also gives us details about his current 3-country/11 state trek from Mexico through America through Canada and to Sturgis on motorcycles with his long-time friend Taime Downe. As of the date of this episode's recording, Riki and co. were in Washington state and you can track their progress in real-time by clicking this link or you can receive his updates on his Twitter page. We thank Riki Rachtman for taking the time to talk to us. We hope this episode brings back as many memories for you as it did for us. Direct Download Connect to Us! Join the Fan Page Follow on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

Now that KISSMAS in July is over, the Decibel Geek Podcast returns with a bunch of variety this week all in the name of threesomes! Before we get to the music, a couple of announcements. As we announced last week, you can stream the Decibel Geek podcast ever Friday night through Maximum Threshold Radio at 7:00p.m. EST. We're proud to be a part of this great internet radio station and highly recommend you check them out for some great rock and metal as well as the Maximum Threshold Radio Show that is streamed live every Saturday night. You never know, Chris or Aaron just might be in the chat room during their show. This week's Geek of the Week is David Haltom! David left an awesome comment on our facebook fan page that mentioned Aaron Camaro's laugh that gave us a good chuckle. Aaron is now in therapy and we thank David for his contribution. Now, let's get down with the meange a trois! Get your mind out the gutter folks! Did you really think we were going to spend an hour talking about old Ginger Lynn and Ron Jeremy films? We teased you with all sorts of things involving the number 3 over past week and today we discuss our favorite threesomes; as in rock power trios. A rock trio is about as bare-bones as you can get (as long as you aren't counting folk singers and 2-man hipster garage rock). No keyboard players (unless one of the three is one), no backup singers, and no extra percussionists (we're looking at you, Slipknot). The onus is purely on the three individuals to hash things out and make the magic happen. While there are plenty of fantastic four and five piece bands the existence of the power trio makes one sit up and take notice as there is an honesty and ingrained camaraderie that takes place between the members. A group that helped define the term "power trio" was certainly the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix, one of the most influential guitarists in rock history, was perfectly complimented by the solid bass playing of Noel Redding and the ferocious drumming of Mitch Mitchell. Aaron's choice of song is immediately recognizable but that does nothing to short-change its impact to this very day. Chris recently watched the rockumentary, Lemmy; centered around one Mr. Kilmister. Still running on the high of viewing this great film, Chris' pick of Motorhead is a natural for this list. Bare-bones, kick-ass rock is featured from Lemmy and co. with a track from the No Remorse compilation that is very reptilian in nature. It's hard to believe that ZZ Top has been around since 1969 and are still kicking ass to this day. With their new EP 'Texicali' the band, thankfully, have ditched the synthesizers that propelled them to the top of the mainstream charts in the 80's in favor of the boogiefied (is that a word?) approach that build their hardcore fanbase throughout the 1970's. Aaron spins a track on this short appetizer to their full album due in the very near future. We couldn't do a show on Rock's greatest trios without including a great group from Canada......The Tea Party! Don't worry, that other awesome trio will be played later in the show. The Tea Party (no affiliation with the political group), rose to prominence in Canada from the 90's through 2005 and are recently reunited. Sporting a sound that could be described as the Doors meets Zeppelin with a side of Ravi Shankar, Chris was very surprised when he stumbled upon this group while researching for this episode and gives you a taste of what this little-known (outside of Canada) band sounds like. Formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966, the James Gang never achieved the breakthrough success that singer/guitarist Joe Walsh would later enjoy with The Eagles and his solo career but this was a very important band for the late 1960's and early 1970's that need to be heard and appreciated. Aaron's funky pick of a song from 1970's James Gang Rides Again is a riff that is just as awesome today as when it was released. Chris' next pick of Rush is mandatory in order to keep Canadian l

We're pulling into the homestretch of KISSMAS in July and thought we'd end the month with a Geeky BANG! Before we get down to it we want to proudly announce that you can stream the Decibel Geek podcast every Friday night through Maximum Threshold Radio! These guys are spinning rock and metal 24 hours a day and were nice enough to let us Geeks take over their airwaves every Friday night at 7:00pm EST. We appreciate this opportunity and hope you will check out all of the other great programming they provide as well. This week's Geek of the Week is Victor Ruiz of the Mars Attacks podcast. Victor had the winning suggestion for this week's KISS-related show subject and we wanted to give a tip of the hat to him. Be sure to check out Mars Attacks for lots of great rock and metal discussion. To qualify for Geek of the Week, just join the facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/decibelgeek and leave us a comment. Simple as that! With 20 studio albums, numerous solo albums, and other projects to boot, it's logical to think that KISS must have a treasure trove of unreleased material. While we got some of that from the officially released box set, fans are still waiting for a bulk release of demos and unreleased nuggets (in good sound quality) from the band. There are, however, a lot of little-known gems floating around the bootleg collector market and that's what we wanted to focus on today. Special thanks to KISSFAQ for providing such in-depth information that aided in our research for this episode. In this episode you will hear demos, unreleased tracks, and alternate takes from the Hottest Band in the Land as well as cases where songs were turned inside out from demos to wind up as officially released songs years (sometimes decades) later. We also will take a look as some songs that KISS recorded but didn't officially release and where those songs wound up. We've got many eras of KISS covered in this show including unreleased material from Destroyer, the roots of Rock and Roll Over gems Calling Dr. Love and Ladies Room, as well as a Zeppelin-inspired instrumental that didn't quite make the cut on Music from the Elder. You will also hear a 1985-penned Asylum demo that turned into a track on 2009's Sonic Boom. We also include a track that's gone through a number of permutations (that's a big word like 'gymnasium') and has been recorded by the Creatures of the Night era and Psycho Circus era lineups yet has (criminally) never been officially released on a KISS studio album. That's just the tip of the iceberg. You will hear numerous strange demos that, understandably, never qualified for official released. It's an interesting look at KISS' songwriting process over the years and how their approach has changed/stayed the same. We hope you enjoy the scraps of what we found on The Kutting Room Floor. Direct Download Buy Music! Connect to Us! Subscribe on iTunes Join on Facebook Follow on Twitter E-mail  Comment Below

KISSMAS in July hits week three with a bullet with the third installment of our Vinnie Vincent Special. If you are new to the Decibel Geek podcast, then you may not know that 2 of our most popular episodes took place in 2011 when Chris Czynszak (pre-Aaron Camaro), released parts 1 and 2 of the Vinnie Vincent special. The episodes received lots of attention across the web due, in no small part, to the then-recent legal troubles that the former KISS guitarist was enduring. Since the release of the pair of episodes on Vincent, listeners from all over the globe have contacted the Decibel Geek website asking if another installment would be coming. While initially hesitant to release more specials on the troubled guitarist, we recently had the fortunate opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with someone that worked very closely with Vinnie Vincent and had a unique, behind the scenes perspective that many people have never seen. If you heard the self-titled Vinnie Vincent Invasion debut in 1986 and saw the video for Boyz are Gonna Rock, then you witnessed the first Milli Vanilli moment on Mtv. While the vast majority of music fans were unaware, the owner of the voice in that video was seeing it for the first time along with them. That is due to the fact that Robert Fleischman, vocalist on the studio recording of the Invasion debut, was no longer in the band by the time of the video premier due to a contract dispute. In today's conversation, Fleischman shares what it was like putting the album together, the zaniness that took place in the studio, and the tense interactions between band members, managers, and record company executives. Fleischman's involvement with Vinnie Vincent is not limited to that one album. He was actually working with Vincent and former members of the band New England in Los Angeles in the early 1980's. While putting together demo tracks of what would later become the Invasion debut, Today's conversation has Fleischman sharing stories of the early songwriting process of Vincent and what it was like when the shredder showed up to rehearsal to tell them that he had been offered a job playing lead guitar for KISS. The third time that Fleischman was involved with Vinnie Vincent took place after the disbanding of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion immediately following the promotional tour for their second album, All Systems Go; fronted by Mark Slaughter. While hesitant to work with Vinnie after the previous experiences, he agreed to continue the working relationship. His stories of what happened to cause the full album to go unreleased have to be heard to be believed. This conversation gives you an idea of what took place in the early 1990's when Vinnie was putting this project together and why it only yielded an EP's worth of material years later. Another topic covered in this conversation is Robert's response to a press release issued by Vinnie Vincent in 2011 stating that he was intending to re-record the All Systems Go album with Robert Fleischman handling vocal duties instead of the aforementioned Slaughter. We also touch upon Robert's early career as a member of Journey, his solo tour opening for Van Halen during the VHII tour, and how performing with Journey in celebration of their induction to the Rock Walk of Fame sparked an interest in returning to the music industry with his new band The Sky. Featuring one time Vinnie Vincent drummer (Guitars from Hell unreleased album-era) Andre LaBelle, The Sky formed in 2009 after Fleischman traveled cross-country to join LaBelle in Richmond, VA. Sporting a live, organic sound with influences dating back tot he British Invasion of the 1960's, The Sky have released their self-titled debut album. All music played during this episode of the Decibel Geek podcast is from The Sky debut album. For our listeners, Robert is now offering autographed copies of The Sky's debut album if you order through this link. Don't miss your chance to own a great piece of music signed by a v

After such a great response to our Lydia Criss conversation in week 1, KISSMAS in July shifts into a new gear with Chris and Aaron's favorite KISS Kover songs taking center stage. When researching covers of KISS songs, it quickly became apparent that KISS has influenced artists from just about every genre of music (we couldn't find any jazz KISS covers). While there were, of course, plenty of examples of straight-ahead rock bands paying homage to the hottest band in the land; the covers from the worlds of disco, pop, folk, bluegrass, and death metal really surprised us. We must give credit to the fine folks of KISSFAQ for providing such a great, deep discography of pretty much anything and everything KISS and related. The tribute album section includes officially released product as well as 5 (and counting) tribute albums that were produced by KISSFAQ forum members. Now, THAT'S a devoted following!  Obviously, with so many cover songs existing, it would impossible to even include a fraction of them in this episode. So, with that said, Aaron and Chris ventured to celebrate KISSMAS in July by playing their favorite covers. A lot of digging went into these picks and we hope that you are turned onto some great stuff. If so, click one of the links below to hear more of these great KISS-inspired artists. Rock on! Axel Rudi Pell Sweet ZO2 Anthrax Double Virgo Skid Row Galactic Cowboys Kissettes Dinosaur Jr. Hair of the Dog Rodrigo Gonzalez Direct Download

Welcome to KISSMAS in JULY here at Decibel Geek headquarters! We're always looking for new excuses to do KISS-themed material and doing a full month of KISS stuff in July just seemed like a logical choice. We kick off the month-o-KISS with an in-depth conversation we recently had with Lydia Criss. Formerly the wife of original KISS catman Peter Criss, Lydia entered the KISS Army's consciousness in 1976 when she accepted the award for 'Beth' being the #1 single of 1976 at the People's Choice Awards. What was the reason for Lydia accepting the award? Listen to our discussion to find out. A few years ago, Lydia published a coffee table memoir of her life entitled Sealed with a KISS. Jam packed with tons of photos never before seen of KISS and Peter Criss from their earliest days as a struggling band rehearsing in a frigid loft in downtown Manhattan, their apex of popularity in being named the most popular band in America according to a Gallup poll, and beyond. The book also gives a rare glimpse into Lydia's personal life as the wife to a rising star in the music world. In this conversation, Lydia, Chris, and Aaron pick some of their favorite Peter Criss-sung songs and Lydia shares her memories of the stories behind the making of the songs including the drama that would arise between band members. Peter Criss' 1978 KISS solo album included quite a few songs about the end of a relationship. This mirrored reality as it was around this time that Peter's marriage to Lydia was ending. Lydia recalls the experience of hearing these songs and the effect they had on her at a tumultuous time in her life. Also in this discussion are Lydia's memories of accepting KISS' People's Choice Award and the conversation with Gene Simmons that led to her accepting the award on the band's behalf. The story of how Beth came to be has been told from numerous different angles and Lydia tells her side of the story and it's probably something you haven't heard before. While this conversation includes some great inside information from a person that was right in the middle of the rise of the Hottest Band in the Land, you will get WAY more great stuff like this if you purchase a copy of the 2nd printing of Sealed With a KISS. Included in this new printing are over 20 new photos as well more content including a listing of tons of gigs that Peter performed before joining KISS. If you are a KISS fan and don't own this book, you are truly missing out. It's totally worth the money and you don't have to mortgage your house to afford it. Check it out! Direct Download Read It Order Sealed With a KISS Listen to It KISS Store Peter Criss Store Connect to Us Subscribe/Rate/Review in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow Us on Twitter Email Us Comment Below:

Without question, one of the more popular theme shows the Decibel Geek podcast has ever produced was our Bizzaro Covers episode which featured hard rock and metal bands performing non-hard rock and metal songs. While original material is always a joy to listen to (unless it's being produced by Nickelback), a good cover song that puts a new spin or perspective on a song provokes emotion and can trigger the listener into liking something they normally wouldn't even care about. Before we dive right in to the music, there are a few things we need to pimp. Our Canadian correspondent Wally Norton recently scored a great interview with Coney Hatch singer Carl Dixon that was picked up by a few other web media outlets. Also discussed are some wonderful comments from this week's Geek of the Week. To be qualify for Geek of the Week simply head over to our facebook fan page and click LIKE; simple as that. Of course, if you want to go one step beyond and tell a friend or write a review in iTunes, your chances go up exponentially (who said payola is dead?). To round off the news, we discuss a commentary that Decibel Geek podcast host Chris Czynszak wrote in response to the recent reveal of the price of KISS' new Monster book and the harsh reaction that has been echoed by about 99% of the KISS Army. Consider a second mortgage. We dug deep this week to bring you some gems that you may have not heard before. While there are a number of bands you've heard of, there's a couple oddball choices as well. All of the songs are certainly not what we typically play but we think you'll agree that they all benefit from a harder production. As the cheesy Autograph tune used to say, "Things go better with rock." Artists Included: Dungeon HIM W.A.S.P. Anthrax Metallica Vince Neil Cake Wednesday 13 L.A. Guns Foo Fighters Direct Download Connect With Us! Rate, Review, Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow Us on Twitter E-mail Us Comment Below

On September 18, 1978 KISS did the unthinkable by releasing four solo albums simultaneously. For fans of the greasepainted superheroes, it's common knowledge that while the albums sold respectably they were marred by the overreaching of Casablanca president Neil Bogart's decision to ship a million units of each record. This resulted in the albums being returned in huge numbers. But that's not the point of this gallery. On December 12, 1978 a party (See UPDATE below) was held to  at Fiorucci's in Beverly Hills. Founded by Italian fashion designer Elio Fiorucci, the store was a popular chain throughout the United States and the Beverly Hills location can bee seen in this clip of Electric Light Orchestra performing the song All Over the World in the film Xanadu. Of note in the photos is Gene's "solo" costume that was a variation of his Love Gun costume featuring two skulls used to tie together a bulky red cape. This period is when KISS really started incorporating their "power" colors with Gene's naturally being red. UPDATE: We originally uploaded/promoted this gallery as the Release Party for Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. We were mistaken and recently found out that this was, in actuality, the screening party for the re-release of Pinocchio. We regret this error and thank the source of the new information. Special guests at this party included Brooke Shields, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman from the group Sha Na Na and Pinocchio, the star of the show. There's no mystery that Gene Simmons counts Pinnochio as a pivotal movie in his life as is obvious by the inclusion of his teary-eyed rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star that closes the album. UPDATE: We originally uploaded/promoted this gallery as the Release Party for Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. We were mistaken and recently found out that this was, in actuality, the screening party for the re-release of Pinocchio. We regret this error and thank the source of the new information. For full photographer/contributor credit for all of our In Photos posts, click here. Special thanks to God of Thunder Page for supplying the photos. For full photographer/contributor credit for all of our In Photos posts, click HERE.

With so much going on in 1969 there was no way we were going to be able to squeeze all of it in to one episode and we're back this week to give you a second dose of the news, the music, and the personalities of the year of the rooster. We begin things on a dark note as we discuss the Manson family murders including murder of actress Sharon Tate and Charles Manson's obsession with the Beatles song Helter Skelter and his morbid perception of the lyrics. This leads into a taste of one of the standout tracks from the Yellow Submarine album. With the Beatles on their way out, a successor was on the rise in Led Zeppelin as Robert Plant and company  released I and II in 1969. We spin one of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and segue into Jimmy Page's least favorite Zeppelin song but we dig it. 1969 saw the second and final album by the Jeff Beck Group released as Beck-Ola climbed to #15 on the charts on the strength of Jeff Beck's guitar playing and the growly pre-AOR vocals of a young Rod Stewart. Aaron picks his favorite track off the album and we give you a sample of that. As we discussed in Part 1 of our 1969 Year in Review, Detroit was a hotbed of activity in the rock and roll world that year and it's arguably the birthplace of punk and alternative music due to the emergence of The Stooges. Fronted by Iggy Pop, The Stooges were a stripped down noise machine that perfectly encompassed the alienation of youth in the blue-collar Midwest. While not a big seller (peaking at 106 on the Billboard charts), The Stooges debut album is widely considered the foundation for a slew of punk and garage bands the world over in the years following it. We take a listen to Iggy's ballad of submission. We return from the break to discuss an intimate little affair that included 350,000 people hanging out on a farm while musical legends entertained and promoters warned people to check the color of their acid. Woodstock was a three day history maker; with performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, CCR, and Santana among many others. Considered by many as the greatest musical festival of all time, it's a true snapshot of America in 1969 as it had ties to music, pop culture, and the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. Also in 1969 a group led by a couple of friends from Lincoln, Nebraska released a song that was quite prophetic that warned of the dangers of future advances in electronic and medical technology and how society would be affected in a negative way. While we love where technology is these days (we wouldn't be able to provide you with this podcast if it weren't), there are signposts out there that do make you wonder if these guys were onto something. You'll get to hear these thought provoking lyrics as we feature the majority of this interesting track. We started this episode off on a grim note with the Manson murders and we end it on one as well as we discuss the tragic events that occurred at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival. Billed by many as 'Woodstock West', the show was doomed before it even started with the Hell's Angels biker club being hired as security. With rampant drug use and a chaotic atmosphere, things spun out of control throughout the day; even causing the Grateful Dead (prime organizers of the festival) to decline to play their scheduled time slot. Things hit a boiling point while the Rolling Stones were onstage and you'll hear a clip of Mick Jagger trying to get the audience to relax. We play out on a hopeful note with a song from the Stones album Let it Bleed that tries to instill some hope in a crazy society. 1969 was not a year for the weak willed and it's certainly not one that will be easily forgotten. We hope these 2 episodes gave you a good perspective on it. See you next week! Direct Download CONNECT WITH US!: Rate & Review us on iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow us on Twitter Leave a Comment Below

After a week exploring the titans of thrash metal, we're ready to take another trip back in time to a time of hippies, war, and some amazing rock music. First though, some new business. It's been almost a full year since the Decibel Geek podcast received a large amount of attention on the web when we put out parts 1 & 2 of the Vinnie Vincent Special which featured commentary and discussion with some notable people that had worked with/for the former KISS guitarist. The episodes had downloads well into the thousands no doubt due to the massive amount of media exposure given to Vincent when he was arrested for alleged domestic violence against his wife. Since parts 1 & 2, we've had numerous requests for a new Vinnie Vincent special. For a long time, we had no intention of doing another special on the troubled guitarist but over the past few months have had the opportunity to speak with a few people that have also worked with Vincent and the conversations were rather enjoyable and we think the fans deserve to hear what these people have to say. Coming in July With no communication coming from Vinnie, we are hoping to satiate the curiosity of his fans as best we can. While there are always lots of stories (good and bad) with Vinnie, you can't deny that his mastery of guitar playing and songwriting. Our next Vinnie special, which will be available in July, will include stories (good and bad) from someone that worked very closely with Vincent and wanted to share his experiences with us. More on that in the future so stay tuned. We head back in time this week to 1969 in the fourth installment of our Year in Review series. When researching this episode, Aaron and Chris realized that an absolute TON of music/news/events took place in 1969 and it became apparent while recording that this episode would have to be broken into two parts. Part 1 this week features discussion about many landmark events, albums, and concerts that took place in 1969. In March, Jim Morrison of The Doors was arrested after allegedly exposing himself at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium and also charged with attempting to start a riot after lashing out at the audience. This leads us into a track from The Doors' 1969 album The Soft Parade that could possibly be considered autobiographical of Morrison. What does Judas Priest have to do with an episode discussing 1969? Listen and find out. Chris shares a story about his mother, who had actually married Chris' father in 1969, seeing an unknown group in Florida playing a bar. The group was then called The Allmon Joys. They'd later go on to be a little more well-known and we spin a track off of their debut album that will leave you feeling pretty whipped. Aaron spins a Neil Young & Crazy Horse tune that was actually written about Paul McCartney's touring guitar player. What flavor is she? 1969 was the year that we landed on the moon and David Bowie communicated with Ground Control. We discuss the cultural impact of a billion people watching us go one step beyond before segueing into some noisy, gritty hard rock from a Detroit band that was probably too anti-establishment for their own good. One band from San Francisco, CA ruled the year of 1969 with 3 albums hitting the Top 10 with their unique brand of swamp rock that later influenced The Dude in all of us. Before becoming the living cliche that would ultimately cause his demise, Elvis Presley had a momentous 1969 with the launch of his longstanding residency in Las Vegas and charting highly with Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto. We discuss the year of the King of Rock. One curve ball thrown in 1969 was from the Beach Boys who released the 20/20 album to a confused public. With Brian Wilson slipping more out of the picture due to mental distress, the brothers Carl & Dennis Wilson took on a more hands on approach and the results definitely reflect that. Aaron spins a track that you would definitely never guess was produced by the Beach Boys. This one nee