Backtracking

American Music Club “The Restless Stranger”

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs, track by track. For our second season, we've selected the pioneering indie rockers American Music Club.

So ain’t it a pity? Oh yeah, ain’t it a shame? My email’s not in your book: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

American Music Club "The Restless Stranger" (1985), Side A Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

American Music Club's 1985 debut "The Restless Stranger", Side A: "Room Above the Club", "$1,000,000 Song", "Mr. Lucky" and more.

We untangle the release date mysteries, Grifter, Frontier and out-of-printedness, the cover art, and Tom Mallon's arrival, then "Away Down My Street", "Yvonne Gets Dumped" and "Point of Desire."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: The olds are on the mic.

0:12: Abbreviated intro!

0:40: Release Date Mysteries

3:50: Grifter, Frontier, and Out of Printedness

5:10: The Cover Art

10:02: Mr. Mallon Goes to Town

23:18: Side A, Track 1: “Room Above the Club”

43:03: Side A, Track 2: “$1,000,000 Song”

47:10: Side A, Track 3: “Away Down My Street”

58:06: Side A, Track 4: “Yvonne Gets Dumped”

1:03:12: Side A, Track 5: “Mr. Lucky”

1:09:00: Side A, Track 6: “Point of Desire”

1:19:50: Wrap It

AMC LINKS:

- Mark Eitzel & AMC on the World Wide Web

- American Music Club on Bandcamp

- American Music Club on Spotify

BACKTRACKING SOCIALS:

American Music Club “The Restless Stranger”

In the email inbox above the club, there’s always room for you: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

American Music Club Prehistory: Mark Eitzel, Columbus, Naked Skinnies Dec 25, 2024

Show notes

Before "The Restless Stranger": how Mark Eitzel, Columbus, Ohio, The Cowboys and The Naked Skinnies led to American Music Club.

Season 2 opens with JW bringing the personal history: the birth of AMC, the move west, enter Tom Mallon, Vudi and Mallon as mentors, and "The Restless Demos." We end with the beginning.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

CHAPTERS:

0:00: S2, and still so cold...

0:31: …flipping the script.

3:31: J.W. Hall the personal historical.

11:58: Eitzel, Columbus, & the Birth of AMC

24:40: The Cowboys

27:57: The Naked Skinnies

30:35: The Birth of American Music Club

39:00: “Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat”

42:58: Go West, Young Band

48:10: Enter Tom Mallon

51:10: Vudi & Mallon as Mentors?

1:00:46: “The Restless Demos”

1:04:04: And finally… “The Restless Stranger”

1:06:48: And now we end with the beginning.

AMC LINKS:

- Mark Eitzel & AMC on the World Wide Web

- American Music Club on Bandcamp

- American Music Club on Spotify

BACKTRACKING SOCIALS:

Go ahead and help yourself if you think you can send us email: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush Season Finale: Favorite Albums and Best and Worst Song Brackets Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

Our Rush season finale: favorite and least favorite Rush songs in bracket form, favorite albums, and what Rush did to our taste.

Dan and Raf each run least favorite and favorite song brackets, name a favorite album, consider Rush's influence on their taste over time, and ask whether there will be a Season 3.

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Cold Finale

0:13: Wherefore Art Thou, Rush Scripted Open?

0:50: This podcast is a gift. To a friend. From a friend. No exchanges or returns.

2:13: What did you learn on your summer vacation?

11:38: Raf’s Least Favorite Song Bracket

26:45: Dan’s Least Favorite Song Bracket

43:55: Raf’s Favorite Album

1:03:33: Dan’s Favorite Album

1:25:15: Season Three?

1:35:37: Considering Rush’s influence on our taste over time.

1:45:25: Raf’s Favorite Song Bracket

1:58:20: Dan’s Favorite Song Bracket

2:15:20: You can take me, you can make me smile in the end.

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs. For our first season, we've selected none other than legendary Canadian power trio Rush.

Send your honeydew here: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Season 1 Finale Update: What's Next After Rush Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

A quick update from Backtracking as our Rush season wraps and Season 2 takes shape.

Short, sweet, and mostly logistics.

Rush "Clockwork Angels" (2012), Sides C&D: Headlong Flight, The Garden Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 2012 album "Clockwork Angels", Sides C and D: "Seven Cities of Gold", "The Wreckers", "Headlong Flight" and "The Garden".

Plus "BU2B2" and "Wish Them Well", our last scripted open, The Best and the Worst, and the realization that what we lack is more Rush albums.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Clockwork Angels”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: We went from your soup to your nuts.

0:31: Our last scripted open, and hearts will break.

1:05: Presto: Pesto!

2:34: When we left our hero Joey Gambino….

3:55: Side C, Track One: “Seven Cities of Gold”

13:42: Side C, Track Two: “The Wreckers”

28:58: Side C, Track Three: “Headlong Flight”

37:00: Side D, Track One: “BU2B2”

44:51: Side D, Track Three: “Wish Them Well”

51:15: Side D, Track Two: “The Garden”

1:03:10: What is it you lack? More Rush albums.

1:07:06: The Best and the Worst

1:10:49: You can take me for a little while, you can take me you can make me smile….

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

In the fullness of time, it's the only email you expect: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "Clockwork Angels" (2012), Sides A&B: Caravan, The Anarchist Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Rush's final studio album, 2012's "Clockwork Angels", Sides A and B: "Caravan", "BU2B", the title track, "The Anarchist" and more.

We cover the basics, 9:12 Hugh Syme time, and "Carnies" and "Halo Effect". Here we are, in the end.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Clockwork Angels”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: PM1KSAX

0:50: Look not upon the scripted open….

4:00: Here we are, in the end.

13:13: The Basics

14:44: 9:12 is Hugh Syme Time

26:58: By-Tor and the Razqulinux

37:04: Side A, Track One: “Caravan”

47:33: Side A, Track Two: “BU2B”

1:00:29: Side A, Track Three: “Clockwork Angels”

1:11:13: Side B, Track One: “The Anarchist”

1:21:54: Side B, Track Three: “Carnies”

1:32:07: Side B, Track Two: “Halo Effect”

1:39:49: What is it you lack? Sides C&D

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

Geddy Lee “My Favorite Headache”

I was brought up to believe, this podcast has an email: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush Ephemera: Victor, My Favourite Headache, Rush in Rio, Feedback Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Rush ephemera: Alex Lifeson's "Victor", Geddy Lee's "My Favourite Headache", and live albums from "Different Stages" to "Rush in Rio".

We also cover the "Feedback" covers EP, "Snakes & Arrows Live" and "Grace Under Pressure Live", then crown the livest live and the deadest dead.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUMS:

Alex Lifeson “Victor”

Rush “Different Stages”

Rush “Rush in Rio”

Rush “Feedback”

Rush “Snakes and Arrows Live”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Backwardstracking

0:14: Scripted and Encrypted

2:16: Both personal and historical.

6:51: The Rules of Ephemera

7:21: Alex Lifeson – “Victor”

24:28: Rush – “Different Stages”

48:20: Geddy Lee – “My Favorite Headache”

1:00:30: Rush – “Rush in Rio”

1:18:22: Rush – “Feedback”

1:30:05: Rush – “Snakes & Arrows Live”

1:43:00: Rush – “Grace Under Pressure Live”

1:55:35: The Livest Live, The Deadest Dead

2:00:20: The finish line is in sight!

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

Somethin’s happenin’ here. What’s our email? It’s perfectly clear: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "Snakes & Arrows" (2007), Sides C&D: Faithless, We Hold On Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 2007 album "Snakes & Arrows", Sides C and D: "The Way the Wind Blows", "Hope", "Faithless", "Bravest Face" and more.

Then "Good News First", "Malignant Narcissism" and "We Hold On", a play-along-at-home segment, and a hard stop for Raf's tee time.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Snakes and Arrows”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Left what?

0:15: Le Script Petite

0:42: Not Burning for Buddy

5:55: Side C, Track One: “The Way the Wind Blows”

19:30: Side C, Track Two: “Hope”

24:40: Side C, Track Three: “Faithless”

31:10: Side D, Track One: “Bravest Face”

38:12: Side D, Track Two: “Good News First”

42:20: Side D, Track Three: “Malignant Narcissism”

46:25: Side D, Track Four: “We Hold On”

52:40: Play along at home!

55:28: Raf’s got a tee time, kids. Let’s wrap it up.

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS:

All my life I’ve been workin’ them emails: backtrackingrox@gmail.com.

Rush "Vapor Trails" (2002), Sides C&D: Earthshine, Out of the Cradle Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

Rush's 2002 album "Vapor Trails", Sides C and D: "Secret Touch", "Earthshine", "Sweet Miracle", "Nocturne" and more.

Plus "Freeze (Part IV of Fear)" and "Out of the Cradle". A case of the vapors, and honestly, not an easy one for us.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Vapor Trails”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Whose anus?

0:18: La Scripta Bonita

0:48: A Case of the Vapors

2:44: Side C, Track One: “Secret Touch”

13:53: Side C, Track Two: “Earthshine”

24:22: Side C, Track Three: “Sweet Miracle”

32:04: Side D, Track One: “Nocturne”

37:44: Side D, Track Two: “Freeze (Part IV of “Fear”)”

49:53: Side D, Track Three: “Out of the Cradle”

56:05: Oof. That was not easy, ladies.

ERA CHEAT SHEET PLAYLISTS:

SOCIALS: