Rock N Roll Archaeology

This week in Deeper Digs in Rock, The Rock N Roll Archaeologist sits down with guest, author Andrew Grant Jackson. In great detail Christian and Andrew discuss his 2015 book, '1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music'. Is it really the most revolutionary year in the rock n roll age? We will find out! Fifty years ago, friendly rivalry between musicians turned 1965 into the year rock evolved into the premier art form of its time and accelerated the drive for personal freedom throughout the Western world. The Beatles made their first artistic statement with Rubber Soul. Bob Dylan released "Like a Rolling Stone, arguably the greatest song of all time, and went electric at the Newport Folk Festival. The Rolling Stones's "Satisfaction" catapulted the band to world-wide success. New genres such as funk, psychedelia, folk rock, proto-punk, and baroque pop were born. Soul music became a prime force of desegregation as Motown crossed over from the R&B charts to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Country music reached new heights with Nashville and the Bakersfield sound. Musicians raced to innovate sonically and lyrically against the backdrop of seismic cultural shifts wrought by the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, psychedelics, the Pill, long hair for men, and designer Mary Quant’s introduction of the miniskirt. In 1965, Andrew Grant Jackson combines fascinating and often surprising personal stories with a panoramic historical narrative. Andrew Grant Jackson is the author of Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles' Solo Careers and Where's Ringo? He has written for Rolling Stone, Yahoo!, Slate's "Blogging the Beatles," Baseline Studio System, music magazines Burn Lounge, Mean Street, and Dispatch, and copyedited the Hollywood monthly magazine Ingenue. He directed and cowrote the feature film The Discontents starring Perry King and Amy Madigan and served as actor Jeff Bridges's development associate at AsIs Productions. He lives in Los Angeles. https://twitter.com/1965book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LRWK2W6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Happy 2019 everyone! We thought we’d start the new year with something a little different. Instead of taking you on a rock n roll journey we are diving into some sweet jazz with the story of Lee and Helen Morgan. Everyone who knew Helen loved her. Her place was a mecca for musicians and artists alike who needed a good meal and some TLC. When Lee, an extremely talented trumpeter who was very much down on his luck arrived on her doorstep Helen knew she had to help him get back on his feet. With her love and devotion Lee did just that. But their fairy tale ended wasn’t meant to be. Make sure to check out the essay by Larry Reni Thomas as well as the fantastic documentary I Called Him Morgan for more on their story! You can find us on  for more amazing podcasts!

This week the Rock N Roll Archaeologist sits down with Mark Blake, author of the just released Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond--The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager. Mark Blake is a former Assistant Editor of Q magazine, a long-time contributor to its sister title MOJO, and has written for Rolling Stone, the Times (London), Classic Rock, and the Daily Telegraph. He is the editor of two definitive music books, Dylan: Visions, Portraits & Back Pages and Punk: The Whole Story, and is the author of the Pink Floyd biography Comfortably Numb and the Queen biography Is This the Real Life? So he has the pedigree to dive into the life of Peter Grant. Bring It On Home is the first book to tell the complete uncensored story of this industry giant. With support from Grant's family interviews with Led Zeppelin's surviving band members, and access to Grant's extensive archive and scores of unpublished material, including his never-before-published final interview, Blake sheds new light on the history of Led Zeppelin and on the wider story of rock music in the 1960s and '70s. Full of new insights into Grant's early life as an actor, wrestler, and road manager for rock 'n' roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Little Richard; the formation of Led Zeppelin; his seclusion following the demise of the band; and his recovery from substance abuse, Bring It On Home reveals a man who, after the extraordinary highs and lows of a career in rock 'n' roll, found peace and happiness in a more ordinary life. It is a celebration, a cautionary tale, and a compelling human drama. Listen it as Mark and Christian dig deep into Peter Grant’s full and famous life. http://www.markrblake.com https://www.amazon.com/Bring-Home-Zeppelin-Beyond-Greatest-ebook/dp/B07BVNYB6P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546801260&sr=8-1&keywords=mark+blake

Happy New Year Diggers! Welcome to the new Pantheon Media! Our first DDIR show of 2019 is a discussion with an up and coming Americana outfit out of Austin, Texas, called The Band of Heathens. The Rock N Roll Archaeologist sits down with founding member, Ed Jurdi to discuss the origins of the band and their newest album, a re-imagining of Ray Charles’ 1972 political record “A Message from the People”. Ed tells us given the current political climate in America, he and the band wanted to comment without being overt or preachy. They looked to Brother Ray for inspiration and decided since you can’t out genius the great man, perhaps you could recreate it for a new generation. And that is just what they did. A Message From The People Revisited is a song-for-song cover of the 1972 album by Charles that mingled songs of protest with songs of patriotic pride. Co-founder Ed Jurdi tells us that he and the band admired the album’s balance of the light and the dark. It’s also important to note that original producer, Quincy Jones has become a champion of the Heathens’ performance, saying, “It’s a great interpretation.” So let’s begin 2019! https://www.bandofheathens.com

Join the Rock n Roll Archaeologist Christian Swain as he and this episode’s special guest Meredith Ochs dissect her latest book, “Rock N Roll Woman: The Fifty Fiercest Female Rockers”. Meredith Ochs is an American radio commentator, DJ, author, journalist and musician. She is a Gracie Award honoree for her work in radio. Ochs is a commentator for National Public Radio's All Things Considered and has appeared on Talk of the Nation. She has been a frequent guest on NPR’s All Songs Considered. Meredith takes an insightful look at 50 rock icons who indelibly shook up the music scene, whether solo or in a band. Profiling women from the 1950s to today, and from multiple genres, Ochs tells the dramatic stories behind their journeys to success, their music, and their enduring impact. More than 100 photographs make this a rich volume, and the idols include Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Heart, Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, Joan Jett and the Runaways, the Go-Go’s, Karen O, Sleater-Kinney, Grace Potter, and more. https://meredithochs.com Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Woman-Fiercest-Rockers/dp/1454930624/ref=asc_df_1454930624/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312629772633&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2404691725524295768&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031924&hvtargid=pla-591060105508&psc=1 meredithochs.com