Show Notes
Episode 4 of On The Record opens exactly as listeners now expect: however, the technology relents and the Christmas episode is officially underway. What follows is a warm, rambling, oddly moving conversation about Christmas music, memory, faith, food and survival, with plenty of laughs along the way. Michael Mackenzie declares Christmas music a minefield of bad taste, arguing passionately for carols, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Otis Redding and Silent Night—while firmly rejecting novelty songs, forced cheer and anything involving Santa “rocking.” Brian revisits his Catholic childhood as an altar boy, including midnight mass duties, Latin confusion, and the moral courage it took to tell an aunt that Sadie the Cleaning Lady was, frankly, not a great gift for a teenage boy. There are transistor radios from Liverpool, early playlists, and the dawning realisation that taste can arrive early—and stay stubbornly intact. Michael counters with one of the great Christmas stories: a white Christmas spent working illegally in the Swiss Alps, dodging passport checks, sledding home from work, eating communal meals by candlelight, and throwing snowballs under fir trees. It’s nostalgic, cinematic, and only mildly incriminating. Things take a darker, funnier turn with memories of Christmas stress, maternal meltdowns, and the single most divisive festive dish ever discussed on the podcast: mango pie with gelatin—described as having the texture of a stuntman landing on cardboard boxes. The episode winds down with gift ideas, band-of-the-year talk, the weaponisation of Santa for child behaviour management, and a surprisingly tender close as the year ends and real life intrudes. It’s funny. It’s nostalgic. It’s messy. And it’s the most On The Record Christmas you could hope for. Important Links: Elvis Christmas Album Alligator Records - A Genuine Houserockin' Christmas (2003 Full Album) Los Lobos Llegó Navidad Otis Redding - White Christmas Sister Rosetta Tharpe Silent Night
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“I ain’t gonna drive in Maggie’s car no more.” Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” gets an unlikely alternative lyric in Episode 44 of On The Record with Brian Wise and Michael Mackenzie, as the hosts consider its licensing to an Audi electric-vehicle ad. For Wise, the commercial’s invocation of Dylan’s electric breakthrough at Newport raises an uncomfortable question: what happens when a song’s cultural associations become advertising material? Mackenzie is more amused by Dylan’s apparent indifference to how others treasure his catalogue. Between them lies the familiar predicament of the devoted listener: the artist has moved on, but you’re still attached to what the music meant. Show Notes Emily Wurramara - 'Adore Me' (Official Music Video) Dylan on Audi Ad Rewrite the rules | the Audi RS 5 Karen Dalton: In My Own Time | Official Trailer Karen Dalton In My Own Time on SBS Amazon in court for introducing ads to Prime Video using allegedly unfair contract terms Elvis Costello Imagination (Is A Powerful Deceiver) Official Trailer | Dustfall | ABC iview Blade Runner 2099 - NYCC Trailer | Prime Video
Brian Wise has reached a familiar collector’s reckoning: “I’m just rebuying my entire record collection.” In Episode 43 of On The Record with Brian Wise and Michael Mackenzie, the latest Rubber Soul box set provides both the evidence and a persuasive defence. Wise hasn’t exhausted every outtake, but the new stereo mix has renewed his enthusiasm for an album he first encountered in rather less revealing circumstances. The expanded edition brings together Giles Martin and Sam Okell’s stereo remix, sessions and demos, the original mono album and its differently configured American counterpart. For Wise, “Nowhere Man” is a sonic highlight; for both hosts, the songs capture a band rapidly outgrowing its early pop template. George Harrison’s “Think for Yourself” and “If I Needed Someone” earn particular appreciation. Show Notes The Beatles - If I Needed Someone - 2026 Mix (Visualiser) JUDY COLLINS ~ In My Life The Beatles Complete On Ukulele - Rubber Soul The Beatles Balcony Appearance in Melbourne - Color Home Movie #2 - 14 June 1964 The Beatles - Rain THE GET OUT Official Trailer (2026) Russell Crowe UNABOMBER | Official Trailer | Netflix The Weight | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical The Hunt for the Last Nazis | Official Trailer | SBS & SBS On Demand Neagley S1 - Official Trailer | Prime Video Murder in a Small Town (FOX) Trailer HD - Kristin Kreuk series THE MUSICAL MIND a portrait in process | Trailer | Amazon Prime Silverchair - Emotion Sickness (Official Video)
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