When I think of dynamic musical duos, three come to mind instantly – John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Each of the six is legendary in songwriting and performing in their own right, but together they are magical. Such is the case with the pairs who co-host a trio of captivating music podcasts.
Ray Koob and Markus Goldman have 50+ years of rock and roll radio experience. Many readers know their voices from Philadelphia’s mighty 93.3FM WMMR where they continue to spin records that rock our worlds. However, their combined thirst for more knowledge led Ray and Markus to create The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll (Pantheon Podcasts). The musical arborists tackle the titanic tree of music known as rock and roll. They bring the listener along as they tend to different branches and roots of this genre with care and love. The topics range from deep dives on bands they dig (classic rock to current day) and insightful interviews with musicians, authors, podcasters, music industry insiders, and much more. The best part about The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll is the natural ebb and flow between Koob and Goldman. It’s hard to believe they haven’t known each other since middle school!
The Mountains and the Sea Reviews Prince is a podcast about His Royal Badness, The High-Priest of Pop, and my all-time favorite artist. This podcast has been on my radar since its March 2018 inception. The podcast is hosted by the husband-and-wife team of Josh and Christy Norman. They explore the highs and the lows (the mountains and the sea) of every Prince album. Each album gets two or more episodes, as needed. The first episode focuses on album tracks with a brief discussion of each song. Christy and Josh select a song that most represents the era of recording. The second and subsequent episodes feature information about and commentary on supplementary materials such as personal stories, B-sides, fashion, protégés, music videos, concert videos, and interesting stories from the hosts. The Mountains and the Sea’s title is derived from lyrics found nestled in the beautiful song “Mountains” (But I say it’s only mountains and the sea/Love will conquer if you just believe (oh yeah)It’s only mountains and the sea/There’s nothing greater, you and me). These lyrics are paramount to the partnership between the hosts upon diving into the vast ocean of shows featuring The Purple One.
Speaking of Prince, Alan Light of Sound Up! with Mark Goodman and Alan Light (reVolver Podcasts), is the author of Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain and biographies of Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, and the Beastie Boys; and was the co-writer of New York Times bestselling memoirs by Gregg Allman and Peter Frampton. His co-host is Mark Goodman, best known as one of the 5 original MTV VJs and current host on SiriusXM. His resume includes tenure as a radio personality, music director, and actor. Sound Up! with Mark Goodman and Alan Light is a bi-weekly podcast with a live audience & top interviews covering everything in the world of music. Behind the scenes, the show’s magic is orchestrated by Roger Coletti, a creative media producer with a storied career spanning three major radio networks for Viacom and serving as Vice President of Radio for MTV and VH1. Mark and Alan are musical encyclopedias and consummate professionals. However, they have a lot of fun and laughter with their interviewees and audience of dedicated listeners – many of them “Volumaniacs” (fans of the now defunct, but amazing all-talk radio channel dedicated to the topic of music on SiriusXM), an extremely knowledgeable group of musicophiles. The episodes fly past at warp speed and I find myself listening to this show on repeat since it’s one of my new obsessions and I don’t want to miss a thing.
This trio of podcasts will encourage you to dig beyond the roots of rock and roll, make your way through a purple brick road, or pump up your musical prowess. Cue your cassettes to record after the DJ stops speaking or be prepared to create a mix of songs about food on Spotify because the next column features mixtapes and playlists.
THE IMBALANCED HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL, THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SEA REVIEWS PRINCE, & SOUND UP! WITH MARK GOODMAN AND ALAN LIGHT ARE AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS!
