
Episode 149 – Those Nasty Talkers: A Collaboration with Hair Metal Memories Podcast on TNT’s ‘Tell No Tales’
Radical Research PodcastShow Notes
It's back to Norway for Radical Research, although this time, it's not about weirdness, unless you consider us covering an album like this a little weird. But we adore this band, especially this 30-minute masterpiece. And for years, we’d talked of spotlighting Tell No Tales with none other than Bryon Dudley and Aaron Alcott of the excellent Hair Metal Memories podcast. We finally got down to business and in this episode, we dissect all the beauty, joy, audacity and high, higher, highest of this great band’s greatest album. This collaboration felt really natural, and we might do another one with these guys, dudes who aren’t quite at opposite poles as much as one might assume. As Aaron says here, Tell No Tales is “something that should be known beyond the borders of its genre.”
Note I: Led by two gentlemen well-versed in a wide variety of music genres, we encourage our listeners to check out Hair Metal Memories, which explores the genre with nerdy passion and a fresh, informed perspective it rarely receives. Find them here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/hair-metal-memories/
Note II: Jeff’s Voivod book, ‘Always Moving: The Strange Multiverse of Voivod,’ is now available. You can purchase a copy of the 540-page, 3-pound behemoth HERE: radicalresearch.org/voivod
Note III: The Radical Research Patreon page is now set up and ready for your patronage. We are offering tiered subscription levels for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it donation option. As ever, if you choose to support us, we are humbled and grateful! patreon.com/RadicalResearchPodcast
Music cited in order of appearance: [all snippets from TNT, Tell No Tales (1987)] “Everyone’s a Star” “10,000 Lovers (in One)” “As Far As the Eye Can See” “Sapphire” “Child’s Play” “Listen to Your Heart” “Desperate Night” “Northern Lights” “Tell No Tales”
Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it.
More from Radical Research Podcast
Much like their hometown of London, England, Akercocke at once embody urbanity and the bucolic, depravity and erudition -- constantly blurring the lines between seemingly opposite poles. In Akercocke’s world, nothing is quite as it seems. Herein, we dissect the most recent half of their discography, which is some of the most adventurous, beguiling metal we have EVER heard.
We conclude our 2-part, 4-hour deep dive into one of our favorite bands in the universe, the mighty Anathema. This second part looks at their 2001-2017 phase, surveying the six albums they released in that 18-year span. They are no longer active, but they’re very much alive in our hearts and sound systems, an eternal source of inspiration for the hosts of this podcast and their legion of fans across the globe. This is a love letter.
Liverpool, England’s Anathema are one of the bedrocks of the Radical Research musical adventure. It’s why we’ve chosen to commemorate our 150th episode with a two-part dive into their entire catalog, from the harrowing wretchedness of their early demo work to the graceful final statement of 2017’s The Optimist. We rejoice and weep, praise and cry, as we explore all of their 1990s output in episode 1 of this 2-part indulgence.
What exactly constitutes "Radical Research material?" We're gonna test that question with this and the next episode. With episode 148, we answer with more questions: "Is it weird?" "Is it heavy?" "Is it something we enjoy?" "Would most of the music-listening world hate it?" Yes, yes, yes and yes! And lord, do we love us some Cathedral. Especially the early era, which is the 5-year chunk of time investigated here. Herein, we hail Dorrian, Gaz, Griffiths, Lehan and the three drummers that comprise this most potent, powerful era of the UK's legendary lords of doom.
The scope of Kevin Moore’s genius begins with Dream Theater’s “Space-Dye Vest” and concludes with OSI’s Fire Make Thunder. We try to use the g-word sparingly around here, but truly, Moore’s singular artistic vision is something we attempt to hail and dissect here, for our 147th episode. Join us in celebrating this specific, singular talent.