Ep537: Bongo Fury at 50 – Zappa, Beefheart and the Vaultmeister

Circle Jerks drummer Joey Castillo reveals the story behind the new "Revenge of Nervous Breakdown" record, the importance of Raymond Pettibon cover art and what's next for the Keith Morris-fronted juggernaut. Preorder Circle Jerks "Revenge of Nervous Breakdown" single here - or here in the UK Topics Include: Joey returns from tour and adjusts to life back home. Tour life, family logistics, and dogs that act up when he's away. How a Circle Jerks Black Flag single came together. Fans kept asking for Black Flag songs; Keith said no pressure. Road-testing Depression, Revenge and Nervous Breakdown at European festivals. Why Joey calls Keith Morris the blueprint for every Black Flag singer. Everything Went Black versions became Joey's template for the songs. The first Black Flag EP and Keith's staccato vocal delivery. Recording live, in set order, at Tim Armstrong's studio. Keith rejects the first take: "That doesn't sound like us." Pillow out of the kick drum; the second take nails it. The closing block where these songs send crowds bananas. Other contenders discussed: Gimme Gimme Gimme and Louie Louie. Discovering Nervous Breakdown via older friends and Rodney on the ROQ. Growing up in Gardena, where skating and punk went hand in hand. South Bay bands like Redd Kross, Descendents and Nip Drivers. A neighbour's red sparkle kit and an instant connection. Self-taught by playing along to records, no formal lessons. A friend's tip lands him the Wasted Youth gig as a teen. Fixing bad habits, practice pads, and Neil Peart's mid-career reinvention. Learning by watching Lucky Lehrer, Chuck Biscuits, Bill Stevenson and Spit Stix. Replacing Chuck Biscuits and Dave Grohl: respect what's already there. Why Chuck Biscuits remains his favourite drummer to watch. Still feeling like a kid behind the kit at 60. Dream gigs: Bon Scott-era AC/DC, Iggy Pop, and Cheap Trick. A short reunion stretches into 2027, plus the Repo Man shows. Keith's legendary stage raps, curfews, and when the band nudges him. Six or so new songs demoed; only killer tracks will see release. Raymond Pettibon's cover art and his lifelong bond with Keith. What's next: Doom Regulator, a Bronx Halloween show, maybe Australia. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Ahead of Mudhoney's Australian tour, Mark Arm talks vinyl rarities, bootlegs, Australian imports that blew Seattle's mind, and the daunting task of singing Chris Bailey's songs in The Saints 73–78. Mudhoney's Aussie Tour Info & Tix here | The Saints 73-78 Aussie Tour Info here Topics Include: Mark Arm preps for Mudhoney's Australian tour, then the Saints. He's worked at Sub Pop's warehouse for 21 years. Not a collector anymore; he's cleaning out via Discogs. Bandcamp lets fans try before buying; vinyl prices feel abhorrent. The rarest "Touch Me I'm Sick"? The plain black radio copies. Sub Pop's colored "Loser Edition" first runs get band input. Holding Mr. Epp's first seven-inch felt unbelievable at age 20. A cheeky flyering campaign caught the eye of Seattle's Pravda label. Rodney on the ROQ played them, briefly charting above Toni Basil. Music wasn't a career, just entertaining bored suburban friends. Rock records were banned at home; his mother loved classical. He smuggled forbidden seven-inches home under his coat. Radio staples like "Radar Love" gave way to Cosmo's Factory. Devo on Saturday Night Live was a Beatles-on-Ed-Sullivan moment. He thought bands needed virtuosos, until friends started making noise. Downtown punks, he realised, came from the same suburbs. Steve Albini tipped him off to the Saints' Prehistoric Sounds. A surf chat in Torquay sparked Saints 73–78. Nailing Chris Bailey's phrasing and facing Saints purists felt daunting. New Saints material? Ed has old songs; Mark's open. Tom Hazelmyer ran Amphetamine Reptile from a Marine barracks footlocker. His holy grail: Randy Holden's Population II, found in Vienna. Records as time machines: even bad Jefferson Starship lyrics stick. Doo-wop's market vanished, Stones records stall, yet Rumours keeps repressing. His wife's first Stones album? Black and Blue, a stubbed-toe start. Early Mudhoney bootlegs, possibly Long Gone John's, felt like a badge. Deep Six codified Seattle's heavier punk underground. Gambles on Australian imports like the Scientists and Feedtime paid off. 1990: bunking above the Lansdowne, and an empty second Auckland night. Now: East Coast dates, Raglan surfing, and Saints shows with Jim White. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Author Ben Merlis traces the Beastie Boys' wild leap from young hardcore punks to rap's first number-one album, revealing the rare records, recordings and scrapped ideas behind Licensed to Ill. Pick up "Licensed To Ill at 40" book here Topics Include: How a short 2017 article landed Ben Merlis this book deal Why the Beasties' punk-to-rap story fits Ben's two obsessions perfectly The process of writing the book Pollywog Stew: an unknown pressing run How a Black Flag show sparked the Beastie Boys' hardcore beginnings The Upper Broadway loft where they formed, demoed and played first Lucky, well-connected teens, and why young genres are meritocracies Scrapping an EP, crank-calling Carvel, and stumbling into Cookie Puss Downtown dance-punk, and sets that switched from hardcore to rapping Def Jam's surprising origins as Rick Rubin's punk label Meeting Rubin over a bubble machine; Kate Schellenbach gets pushed out Rubin, Dr. Dre, Hurricane: were the Beastie Boys' DJs really members? Rock Hard & Beastie Groove Def Jam's collectible burgundy-sleeve era, and how to spot them British Airways steals Beastie Revolution and pays out $40,000 The settlement money buys an 808 instead of a Rickenbacker No band cooperation, then a surprise interview with Mike D The grief behind the jokes: losing parents young Counting the White Castle references on License to Ill Opening for Madonna at $500 a night with fifteen minutes' material Recording Licensed to Ill, and pinning down its real release date Fight for Your Right: written last-minute on Palladium cocktail napkins MTV, race and radio: how they scored rap's first number one The album's shockingly offensive working title, and why CBS killed it The crashing-plane cover, Led Zeppelin worship and uncleared samples A runaway tour, alienated fans and a messy split from Def Jam Rubin blocks their movie, royalties stop, and lawsuits follow Legacy: everything dope and whack about the 80s in one album Rare pressings: tour show vinyl, blank Spanish LP, "Licensed to Kill" French seven-inch box sets, Peruvian covers and a Japanese laserdisc High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

Original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing shares stories from the Bleach era, Love Buzz single & other collectables, getting knocked out by Chris's bass and digging through his rare vinyl. Topics Include: Chad's prized find: an original Australian Dirty Deeds from a rummage sale Hunting a Bill Evans record, and why jazz demands clean vinyl Dad played LA jazz bass; Mom once sang with Chet Baker How jazz quietly shaped his "drummer for the song" philosophy Describing his drumming style in one word: adaptive Nirvana's only instruction when he joined: powerful but simple Coming from a math rock band with 13-part songs The one time Kurt openly praised his drumming: In Bloom How "About a Girl" got its name from Chad Kurt finishing Bleach lyrics in a notebook while driving to the studio Shelved songs, lost tapes, and Chad's forgotten cassette in the box set Owning Love Buzz single #3; Kurt had #1, Chris #2 His blank-label Bleach test pressing, housed in a homemade cover Nate authenticates Chad's Australian Waterfront blue vinyl live on air The ultra-rare purple Waterfront pressing and why most were destroyed Swirled Sub Pop variants, and why he's never played some Knocked out by Chris's bass at the Bleach cover photo show Tracy Marander's undeveloped rolls of never-seen Nirvana photos Sub Pop steering early decisions while the band went along Packed European shows: the moment they realized something big was happening The Blew EP and its gynecologist-chair cover he never chose Hiding under the drum riser with Kurt as bottles flew Stuck alone in a broken Manchester elevator for half an hour His European tour posters, including the coveted Lush show poster Could his beat-up distortion pedal be Kurt's missing Astoria pedal? A gifted Mustang, his kit at MoPOP, and heirlooms for his kids Smart Studios sessions, and Dave Grohl keeping his drum parts Here She Comes Now, Sappy, and becoming a Nirvana fan afterward MS, a childhood leg injury, and a memoir about 73 moves The wonderful photo by Rosetta Greek High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

From teenage Flaming Lips flyers to Nirvana and Soundgarden posters and record covers galore, Coop shares art-creation stories and the chaos of his record collection. Grab one of Coop's "Poster Boy" books here! Topics Include: Introduces Poster Boy, his massive new career-spanning art book Kickstarter (via Zoop) already blew past $40k raised Coop admits he's "too much" of a record collector Closing in on 10,000 records, out of shelf space 3,000-4,000 are 45s he actively spins as a DJ Recalls chasing UK punk records early in his Discogs days Loves Jamaican 45s for their rough, charming pressings Tells story of scoring a stash of 60s garage 45s Traces another haul to a Miami DJ's Jamaica trips Confesses completist streak for The Fall, Guided by Voices Owns up to buying every Bandcamp vinyl color variant Prefers Bandcamp since money goes straight to the band Talks Austin's record fair and reconnecting with old LA dealers Describes current obsession hunting weird beatnik novelty 45s Buys mostly on vibes and wild, bizarre label artwork Explains how he broke into art through poster connections Credits Greg Shaw and Long Gone John's Sympathy label Became a top poster artist alongside Frank Kozik Poster work opened the door to major record covers Tells the wild origin story of the Lords of Acid cover Discusses keeping Discogs updated for his family's future Shares recent grails: a Beefheart 45, rare beatnik pressing Explains his (mostly) organized system for shelving and DJ crates Talks trading doubles, then wraps with a final Poster Boy plug High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide