In every "Classic Album" TV/Radio documentary...

76. Rock critic interviewed in front of massive cd/vinyl collection, driving home the point that "he/she really knows what they're talkin' about."

77. "I think it said something about the times we were living in and what people were going through..."

78. Band member visits site of club where the band played their first gig together. Location is now either a burnt out derelict husk or a wine bar completely at odds with the band's image. Bonus points: band member goes to old style jukebox and selects track from the album, but it is clearly faked and dubbed on afterwards.

79. "By the way, a remixed/remastered/remodeled edition of [insert album title] drops in two weeks yo."

80. Producer gets engineer to fade out out band leaving only lead vocal to demonstrate what a good singer that coke-addled jackass was.

81. ...followed by a tedious discussion about how good the singer was at double tracking vocals.

82. Stevie Wonder anecdote

83. Guitarist consistently referring to Jimi Hendrix by his first name

76. Rock critic interviewed in front of massive cd/vinyl collection, driving home the point that "he/she really knows what they're talkin' about."

also: "shit, i had no idea [critic] looked like that"

84. Bizarre dietary habits of band members: "At the time, all he would eat was dry toast and chips"

85. Anecdote about the band's drug dealer having their own limo on tour, paid for by the record company.

82. Stevie Wonder anecdote involving invisible crocodile.

86. last :45 is a quick roundup of the ridiculous garbage the band members have put out since

87. Band member demonstrates how they got odd sound on drums right there for camera, but it sounds nothing like the recording. Sheepish grin.

88. During the playback scenes, Assistant Engineer chap at desk who was -12 when record was made.

89. Complexions that resemble streaky bacon rashers wrapped against a tree-trunk.

90. Band member (usually guitarist) unsubtly hints how about how much sex and drugs he did during those "wild times".

91. If it's a Classic ROCK album, you can pretty much guarantee that Slash will be a talking head somewhere in it - talking about how the record 'changed his life' (like many many other rock albums), and how much of an influence it had on GNR in the early days (like many other rock albums).

Obvious bitterness from band members that the most talented (usually guitarist) decided to leave to focus on solo career, and became more famous.

mid-atlantic accents.

92. the songwriter explains how he wrote the song, demonstrating how he played it first simple on acoustic guitar at home, followed by the chorus of the song itself, to emphasize the difference.

93. Some old guy with a rainbow beard or otherwise bizarre attempt at youthful hair coloring

94. someone claims credit for inventing playing with a tape loop and/or feedback

Hah that is so awesome. Obviously it was some unknown dude in the 30s.

"We had a little extra studio time left over at the end, so we recorded [most memorable song on the album] as a goof."

96. producer, sitting behind a huge mixing desk, points out something 'obscure' that was obvious to everyone the first time they heard the record. ("Note how he sings 'hello how low'")

97. singer explains that he can't sing that high any more.

98. Jim Keltner and his aviators

Linked to #92:

99. Interviewee starts to sing part of song unaccompanied, recorded version plays under them and the pitch and/or timing is noticeably off.

100. "They were everywhere. It was literally overnight."

101. The fans loved this one of ours, but my personal favorite was (names worst album).

102. He came in that day with a song we'd never heard before and did it in one take.

(I imagine these two were maybe already done? I didn't read them ALL)

102. "Andy Wallace came in after the fact and ruined the mix."

er, 103

103 ".. and then we did the same number again. It wasn't the same though..."

104. "and here is the decorative, chorusing out version of Mary Is A Dyke"

106. "We nailed it on the first take."

107. (Corollary of 100) camera pans up a Billboard chart to dramatically demonstrate a record's rise in the charts... or an animation thereof, showing what it has displaced

16. *Some guy being interviewed in his house with a guitar artfully placed behind him, just in shot over his right shoulder

(*preferably not a member of the band but someone who was in them before they were famous and hasn't played anywhere bigger than his local pub since)

― Ich Ber ein Binliner (Tom D.), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 17:25 (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

... I HATE that kind of shot, it's in EVERY rock music documentary ever

― Ich Ber ein Binliner (Tom D.), Tuesday, 4 November 2008 17:27 (twelve years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I was thinking about this the other day. I've noticed that, since the pandemic has meant people have had to appear on TV from their homes, that this phenomenon is not confined to musicians - middle aged men (invariably) from almost any profession are apt to do it.

108. Blurry collage of print-media clips containing scathing reviews of the artist's previous output - "(the singer) sounds like an epileptic chicken in the midst of being strangled."

We could poll these, but I feel Aja would probably walk home with it.

"This is when I was singing a little like Jerry Lewis, remember that?"
"Yeah..."
"What can you do."
"That was a very fertile period for you."

We could poll these, but I feel Aja would probably walk home with it.

We did poll them, 13 years ago, and Aja did in fact win.

BEST EPISODE OF CLASSIC ALBUMS

#onethread

For most of that episode Becker and Fagen sound like they're simultaneously complimenting each other while also zinging each other at the same time. It's not a surprise that Steely Dan are practically the ILX house band.

I just saw that about 10 mins ago, blushing, talk about stepping on a rake lol

109. within the first five minutes: a writer or actor who was introduced to the record by their older sister's boyfriend. the album was "a right of passage" and was spoken about "in hushed tones"

110. montage of session musicians: "at the time it was just another date. we had no idea we were making history."

It's cool, Maresn3st, no need to feel bad. Nobody has the entire board memorized... except a few posters (who know who they are)

111. Impressionistic footage of a stylus gently undulating as a vinyl LP lusciously revolves on a turntable

112. Dave Grohl

113. Establishing footage of aged Rock Star arriving at studio in a new sports car.

114. Someone who was once a legendary reckless party animal making and drinking something like a wheat-grass smoothie

(And yes, Dave Grohl arriving in a sports car and then drinking an acai kombucha could hit these last three easily)

Anyone say "Carlos Santana invokes 'Coltrane' and 'Miles' amidst some cosmic gobbledygook talk"?