To invert a bit of Hamlet, it’s a tale told by a master storyteller, full of drums and guitars, signifying a lot. In 1964, Jimmie Nicol was a Beatle for two weeks, and then… what happened? Jim Berkenstadt, a rock and roll detective, follows Jimmie’s trail around the world. Jimmie’s story is exciting, surprising, inspiring and perplexing. Dr. Clarke…

Nickelback: Canada's Greatest Band... or What Love 'em. Hate 'em. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground for Nickelback. Why? Often the band is celebrated as Canada's greatest rock export. Ferris Kennedy has had enough! He makes a strong case that you—and your friends—should give Nickelback another listen. So go ahead, fire up this episode and be…

The Mysterious Death of Rolling Stone Brian Jones. Aside from founding perhaps the world's greatest rock band, Brian Jones was a brilliant musician. He was also a very troubled young man. In this episode of Serious Rock Talk Crime, Dr. Clarke investigates the circumstances of Brian Jones's death, and how he joined that most infamous of all groups, …

He is part of Canadian punk rock history as the notorious frontman for The Action, possibly Canada's first punk Band. He opened for The Stranglers and toured with The Ramones. From L.A. to Europe and beyond, he's been everywhere—and he's never stopped. Ted knows the music business—and he has fantastic tales to tell. Listen now to our exclusive inte…

Our Favorite Albums by Year 1956-2024 An album that is packed—end to end—with great songs is incredibly rare. Where do you find them? No sweat. We have already done the heavy lifting. Call us audio explorers. Join in as we begin at the beginning. Get your pencils ready and prepare to make a list of great albums that made a lasting difference.…

Alice Cooper: The Bizarre Making of a Rock God Once labelled "a skinny nerd with a wimpy voice" by a school friend, Vincent Damon Furnier put on leather gloves and makeup, grew his hair, and started singing about teenage angst. Changing his name to Alice Cooper didn't hurt. Dr Clarke leads Kennedy and Wheeler through this most unlikely success stor…

Here's Ozzy. All About the Prince of Darkness. He's been called many things, but never boring. Arguably, Ozzy is the most influential figure in metal/hard rock music. Kennedy and Wheeler do some heavy head banging in order to solve the dark mystery of of the Ozz-Man. Don't miss it.Par Pettofrezza & Plante

Who Are Rock's Best Bass Players? The answer? Well. you will have to listen in. We make cases for the prosecution and the defense. And we take no prisoners. As a bonus, Steven Wheeler power gulps energy drinks and really guns it.Par Pettofrezza & Plante

And now for something completely different... It was our pleasure to speak with Chad Vice, host of ParaVice City, a weekly syndicated 80s rock radio show that explores hard rock tunes by big, small and obscure artists. Get exposure to an exciting genre of music, led by the master himself, Chad Vice.Par Pettofrezza & Plante

Forget it. You won't find all these names on your average Top 10 list. That's because we're looking at influence, not celebrity. Get ready for an entertaining, engaging discussion that could open new sonic vistas.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

What do the Beatles and Stones have in common with N'SYNC and Backstreet Boys? Actually (uncomfortably) a lot. Take a ride from the mid-50s up to the present day as Regina Bianca joins us in a lively celebration of all that is boy bands.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

It's been said the best rock & roll is played on a stolen guitar. Not that we support theft, but we do support youthful exuberance, those who regard the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a mausoleum and would use a Grammy award as a doorstop. They know what garage rock is all about. Listen in as we discuss the mother lode of rock rebellion.…

Best Hard Rock Albums Since 1970 Dr. Clarke isn't a big fan of lists, but even he thought this one worth exploring. Check out the best hard rock album every year beginning in 1970. Plenty of room for debate, praise and rage.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

Grunge: What is It & Where Did It Go? Grunge music never had a bigger fan than Ferris Kennedy. Listen in for a roller coaster ride through this brief but influential genre, taking a deep dive into Pearl Jam and making salient points again and again. This is special.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

Outstanding Hosers of Canadian Rock. Now is the time to have some fun. Sit back, listen, and smile knowingly as we do the heavy lifting, exposing the mullet-driven influence of hoser-ism throughout Canadian rock music.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

On one side you have Charles Manson, perpetuator of a series of horrific murders that shocked America. On the other, the Beach Boys, squeaky-clean California guys that sang about surfing. In 1968, these two forces met—and the outcome was definitely Bad Vibrations. Join Dr. Clarke as he ventures down the foggy ruins of time.…

The Traveling Wilburys. A Fake Group or What? Who were the Wilburys? At least the Monkees used their real names... George Harrison always wanted to be in another band. Is that why he created the Wilburys? Kennedy and Clarke provide engaging insights, both roasting and celebrating one of most bizarre supergroups ever.…

Serious Rock Talk Productions Presents: Masters of Rock Talk The songwriter, de facto leader of 60s/70s rock giant The Band. Robertson has left us, but his music remains strong and relevant. Dr. Clarke delivers a heartfelt appraisal of this rare, enduring talent.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

How Rock Music Changed Our Lives w/special guest Regina Bianca: In your life, there are those special albums, songs, and performers that groomed and inspired your musical tastes. It's time to talk about it. Dr. Clarke and Mr. Kennedy are joined by Regina Bianca, the outstanding singer and multi-instrumentalist who provides a very contemporary take …

Serious Rock Talk Productions Presents: Masters of Rock Talk If ever there was a destiny’s child, it was Ringo. He has to be among the most unlikely superstars in the history of our blue planet. But miraculously, incredulously, he did it. How? We offer a few insights about the Beatles incredible drummer.…

Serious Rock Talk Productions Presents: Masters Of Rock Talk. Everyone has their own thoughts about the RRHF. In the end, it is what it is. But there are bands that somehow, someway, got overlooked. It’s time to raise some flags. Join Kennedy and Clarke as they take to the streetsPar Pettofrezza & Clarke

Serious Rock Talk Productions Presents: Masters of Rock Talk. Two giants very different men and musicians are gone. Jeff Beck and David Crosby. We have a lot to say. Find out why they had such significant impacts.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

Serious Rock Talk Productions - We bring you the Masters of Rock Talk Series, one platform two shows, you decide. We get it, some’ given names’ must be abandoned on the road to stardom, not to mention awkward surnames. But sometimes the new names are so mind-numbingly awful that the whole thing shudders to a stop. Yes, we are merciful, handling fra…

What We Talk About When We Talk About Canadian Rock: Dr. Clarke offers a primer on the genesis and growth of Canadian rock. That's not easy. You try it. Ferris Kennedy garnishes lightly with a look at specific Canadian bands throughout the decades. A wonderful primer that will set you in the right direction.…

Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, The Doggfather, The Snooper, & Calvin Broadus. A key artist to emerge from the early 90's gangsta-funk era, Snoop Dogg evolved beyond his rap beginnings to become a lovable pop culture fixture. How is that even possible? What range. It's Frank Sinatra singing death metal. Lend an ear as Kennedy & Clarke raid the Dogg Pound t…

A Serious Rock Talk Exclusive - Regina Bianca performs her cover version of Bed of Roses, done in Regina Bianca Fashion. Recorded at the Joni Saddler Studio in Ottawa Ontario Canada. Listen to Ottawa's own Regina Bianca.Par Pettofrezza, Clarke, Regina Bianca Music, & Serious Rock Talk

An Exclusive Interview with singer Regina Bianca. There are few voices that can melt your heart. Kennedy and Clarke had the unique privilege of interviewing Regina Bianca, a singer and multi-instrumentalist who knows her way around a ballad—and so much more. She even surprised us with a live version of a great pop song. Find out about her life, car…

Rock Goes to the Movies. What makes a great rock movie? Is it possible to define what a rock movie really is? We offer entertaining examples, looking at over 60 years of rock in films—some bad, other good, a few brilliant. This is a keeper.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

In terms of success and acclaim, Taylor Swift seems to float in the rarefied ether of Beatlemania. She is a one-person powerhouse who has blown the doors of the recording industry and reinterpreted what it means to have a successful tour. So how did it all happen? Kennedy and Clarke knock down a few doors of their own, applying Colombo-like intuiti…

In Memoriam 2023: Rockers We Lost. The title says it all...

What is the Future of Rock's Biggest Bands?: 2023 saw some of rock's biggest bands Beatles, Stones, Aerosmith, come to life and, well, start to lower the flag. The three amigos have a round table on what you can expect this year from the bands you know and love.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, & Clarke

2023 End of the Year Podcast: The three amigos sum up a truly turbulent year in rock. Everything from new Beatles' music to classic reissues. The personalities. The events. It's all in one place for your listening pleasure.Par Pettofrezza, Clarke, & Plante

This time it's personal. Dr. Clarke and Kennedy make their own lists of rock's greatest front men/women. Sometimes they agree, but it's rare. Come join us for the fireworks!Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

The Rolling Stones. 15 People Who Almost Joined the Band. Becoming a Rolling Stone could be a lethal decision. We talk about 15 guys who came real close to getting tight with Mick and Keef... and lived to tell about it.Par Paolo Pettofrezza & Ian Clarke

Rock's Best Front Men & Women. What makes a good rock front person? The voice? Charisma? Chest hair? Kennedy and Clarke get rabid as they jabber about the people who have the toughest job in rock music—and why most 'best-of-all-time' lists usually get it really wrong.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

Hip Hop Turns 50: A celebration. On August 11, 1973, hip-hop was born at a house party in the Bronx. 50 years later the genre has been reshaped in the image of cities and regions around the world. Listen in as Kennedy—who witnessed first-hand many of the seminal developments—lavishes respect, praise, and a little condemnation on this incredible mus…

Defining Classic Rock: Where Does the Needle Drop? Every cool cat has a personal definition about classic rock. What it is, where it began, and where it ends. Kennedy faces the opinion-makers head-on. He educates, illuminates, and most of all, entertains.Par Pettofrezza, Clarke, & Plante

Classic Rock Is Broken & How To Fix It? Ferris Kennedy turns in one of his best performances, demonstrating both calm erudition and raging anger, deciphering the dark morass that is Classic Rock. This is one episode you don't want to miss.Par Paolo Pettofrezza & Ian Clarke

Listener Emails: We Answer Some BIG Questions: Thank you listeners for your emails. We read every one. We didn't realize you were so smart - and vengeful! Check to see if we responded to your questions.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

What can you say or write about the Rolling Stones that hasn’t been said or written a zillion times before? A lot, actually, because each of us has a unique opinion on the aging rockers—and certainly Dr. Clarke and Ferris Kennedy do. This is your special chance to get a neat summation of a sixty-year career, including flash reviews of the albums. S…

Strange Urban Legends of Classic Rock. Yes, classic rock is brimming with stories of blood-curdling depravity and dark, satanic rites... And that's on a good day...Listen in as we sift through cumbersome conspiracies and flaky fairy tales.Par Pettofrezza & Clarke

Interview with Wayward Saints. No reason to doubt it. Here’s the proof. Classic rock is ‘Still Alive & Well’. Mississauga, Ontario-based band Wayward Saints knows a tree is only as strong as its roots, and this group has deep roots in Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, and a lot more architects of The Sound of Our Lives. Listen in as Ferris Kennedy…

The drummer is the soul of a band. Bad drumming puts a band on life support. In this episode, we discuss some of the great rock drummers and why they're so essential.Par Kennedy & Clarke

During JFK's presidency, rock music sounded like nothing before or since. Why? What happened? Dr. Clarke spoke with Richard Aquila, author of the book 'Rock and Roll in Kennedy’s America: A cultural History of the Early 1960s’, published by John Hopkins University Press. Richard is a professor emeritus of History and American Studies at Penn State …

Why review a terrible album alongside a work of genius? It's not cruel. In fact, it's informative. Plus everyone knows the Stones are capable of outstanding music, You just won't find it on Dirty Work., Enough already! Just listen in.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, & Clarke

The Beatles Revolver 2022 Remix: Track by Track. WARNING! Before you blow mega-bucks on this Beatles 2022 remix, please listen to this podcast. You might end up buying it anyway, but we guarantee you won't be as happy. Thank us later.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, Clarke

It's rare, but it happens, Sometimes a singer is, well, just a singer, and the guitarist takes the spotlight. Listen in as Ferris Kennedy fortified by special vitamins risks friendships and staggers towards the Truth.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, Clarke

The three amigos offer an honest appraisal of the year that was, the good, the bad, and the mediocre, and make it all entertaining.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, & Clarke

Even for people who know a lot about rock, it's a tough question. Dr. Clarke does his best to explain the Velvet's and how they achieved such a weird ascendancy over everyone else.Par Pettofrezza, Plante, & Clarke

Dr. Clarke was still in diapers when Ferris Kennedy and Steven Wheeler launched the Podcast. Right off, they take no prisoners. Big question:Why Can't Anyone Give You a Definitive Definition of Classic Rock?Par Pettofrezza, Plante, & Clarke