Steve Black

Segment One: The Sound Of…Things You May Not Know: (Time: 22:35) Steve reveals 4 rock & roll stories – 2 that almost happened, and 2 that actually did, while the panel reacts to these intriguing moments presented by Zakk Wylde, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Don Felder (Eagles) and George Thorogood. Segment Two: The…

September 6, 2018

The Sound Of...Very Live Radio (Season 2 - Eppisode 24)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Going Live Without A Net (Time: 26:47) - Less and Less radio these days is actually done live, but Anne and Steve are among the few who still get to enjoy the thrill of it…mistakes and all –…

August 31, 2018

Steve Vai Interview

For the 17th time in my 27 years on the radio I had the great pleasure of speaking with guitar master Steve Vai. As usual his Royal Vai-ness has a lot going on including the 52-Hour Big Mama-Jama Jamathon, a gig with an orchestra in Alabama and the Generation Axe Tour with Zakk Wylde, Yngwie…

August 23, 2018

The Sound Of...The Queen, God and Rev (Season 2 - Episode 23)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Aretha’s Legacy: (Time: 11:54) - The music world has lost Aretha Franklin, leading Anne (and to some degree) Steve to point out her impact on rock and other musical genres. Segment Two: The Sound Of…Ronnie James Dio: (Time: 15:56) - Next month 666 Dio owned items go up for auction, with…

August 16, 2018

The Sound Of...Goosebumps (Season 2 - Episode 22)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Goosebumps From the Stage (Time: 25:49) - Some recent special guests in concert include Joe Elliot of Def Leppard joining Billy Joel on stage while Weird Al jammed with Weezer. Steve recounts a few other special moments with the audio to enhance the stories from the stage. Segment Two: The Sound…

August 9, 2018

The Sound Of...Lists, And The People Who Make Them (Season 2 - Episode 21)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Loudwire’s List (Time: 16:04) - Anne and Steve look at a new list from Loudwire of the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Live Acts. - Do we agree? (Of course not!) - How many of the top 25 have we seen live? Segment Two: The Sound Of…longer Songs: (Time: 13:53)…

August 2, 2018

The Sound Of...Nerds (Season 2 - Episode 20)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Set Lists (Time: 18:37) - In our first cross-over episode Anne and Steve welcome Check Bean and Al Beck from the Nerd Radio Podcast to discuss the good and bad of looking up a band’s set-list. (Is this something you do? Have you ever decided not to buy tickets based on…

July 28, 2018

Interview with Producer Michael Beinhorn

A couple of days ago I saw the headline: Acclaimed Music Producer Michael Beinhorn (Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy, Fuel, Marilyn Manson) Launches Pre-Production Services for the People. I was thrilled and then quickly recalled that I had advised dozens of band and musicians that producers and pre-production are critical if you want the…

July 26, 2018

...And now video footage from a recent episode of The Sound Of...

Segment One: The Sound Of…Sammy’s Guitar: - We welcome guitarist Sammy Boller in to challenge the panel to identify songs by listening only to the guitar solo.

July 26, 2018

The Sound Of...Guitar (Season 2 - Episode 19)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Sammy’s Guitar (Time: 22:00) - We welcome guitarist Sammy Boller in to challenge the panel to identify songs by listening only to the guitar solo. You can check out a video of this segment below. Segment Two: The Sound Of…Uncle Bob Seger: (Time: 17:44) - Bob Seger will issue a collection…

July 19, 2018

The Sound Of...A Few Mistakes (Season 2 - Episode - 18)

Segment One: The Sound Of…A Lotta Love (Time: 19:55) - Why is there an echo before the vocals in “Whole Lotta Love”, what is that mysterious voice in the Grand Funk song “I’m Your Captain”? Steve uses his engineering background to point out s few things you probably didn’t realize. - [The Rev listens to…

July 12, 2018

The Sound Of...International Metal (Season 2 - Episode 17)

Segment One: The Sound Of…British Metal?: (Time: 15:33) - According to a new BGO (British online Casino) poll, Heavy Metal is the favorite music format in the U.K. Anne and Steve look into the bands they call “heavy” vs what we in the U.S. call “heavy”. Are we too fragmented in the U.S. with musical…

June 15, 2018

Mark Farner Interview

Mark Farner's American Band is in town tomorrow, Saturday June 16, to play a free show at Detroit Music Weekend. I sat down with Mark to talk about his musical journey from his 1st guitar to the local band Terry Knight and The Pack to the global success of Grand Funk and his current American…

June 14, 2018

The Sound Of...Words With Friends (Season 2 - Episode 16)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Lyrics With Friends: (Time: 25:51) - Words have always been important in music and this week Steve surprises Anne and The Rev with a lyric based twist….a big game show style twist. Segment Three: The Sound Of…A Special Guest: (Time: 17:07) - Anne and Steve select their personal top 7 studio…

June 7, 2018

The Sound Of...#1, Kiss and a Few Covers (Season - Episode 15)

Segment One: The Sound Of…#1 at Age 14: (Time: 16:22) - According to Social Media the song that was #1 on your 14th birthday defines your life. Anne and Steve look at the songs that are supposed to define them. What age/year does music attach to the most memories? Segment Three: The Sound Of…A 3…

May 24, 2018

The Sound Of...Money, Concerts and 1979 (Season 2 Episode 14)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Dynamic Ticket Pricing: (Time: 16:40) - Anne and Steve explore the new world of Dynamic Ticket Pricing for concerts. The artists who are doing it: Taylor Swift, U2, The Eagles, Pink and Shania Twain, and the ones choosing not to including Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam. Are prices the main reason…

May 16, 2018

The Sound Of...Our Beloved Chris (Season 2 - Show #13)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Cornell: Voice of the 90s (Time: 13:51) - May 18th marks the 1st anniversary of Chris Cornell’s passing. Anne and Steve reveal the top 7 Chris Cornell songs (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Solo and Audioslave) from his lifetime of music. Segment Two: The Sound Of…What? Who did what? (Time: 20:44)…

May 10, 2018

The Sound Of...The 5th Era of Music (Season 2 - Week 12)

Segment One: The Sound Of…5th or perhaps 6th Era (Time: 18:56) - Revenue from streaming now makes up more than half of the money generated by record labels. Era 1 was Vinyl, 2 - Tape (both 8-Track and Cassette) 3 - CD, 4 – Digital Downloads and 5 - Streaming. Which is our favorite? Do…

May 3, 2018

The Sound Of...Still Not Dead (Season 2 - Episode 11)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Not Dead Yet (Time: 16:17) - 2 articles released on the same day say “Rock is Dead” and “Rock and Roll Couldn’t Be Less Dead” Which is correct? Anne and Steve present the ideas and their opinions on why this question seems to linger on and on. Segment Two: The Sound…

April 26, 2018

The Sound Of…U2 Or Jack? (Season 2 - Show 10)

Segment One: The Sound Of…To Tech or not to Tech (Time: 12:27) - Jack White is preventing access to phones at his concerts, while U2 have launched an App for Augmented reality during their gigs. Which band has it right? Anne and Steve present the ideas and their opinions on the evolution of the concert…

April 6, 2018

The Sound Of...American Bands (Re-Issue)

The Sound Of...American Bands (Time: 24:28) - Alex Lifeson of Rush calls the Foo Fighters “Easily the greatest American band there is” Steve and Anne talk about other American artist who may be among the all-time greats.

March 29, 2018

The Sound Of…Purple Stories (Season 2 Show 9)

Segment One: The Sound Of…The Purple Legend (Time: 12:53) - The autopsy report on Prince was released which has Anne and Steve recounting some almost unbelievable stories about the enigmatic musician. Plus tales of famous guitars that have exchanged hands. Segment Two: The Sound Of…90s albums (Time: 21:58) - Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters an…

March 10, 2018

The Sound Of...Never Adding Crap to Queen (S2-Week7 Part 3)

Segment Three: The Sound Of…Never adding Crap to Queen Time: 24:36 - Rock News with Anne and Steve and The Rev as we talk about the loss of Tower Records owner Russ Solomon, Robert Plant's latest statement on Led Zeppelin and Matthew Bellamy’s misguided statement on guitars.

March 8, 2018

The Sound Of...The Orchestra (Season 2 Show #7)

Segment One: The Sound Of…a Symphony (Time: 11:27) - Anne and Steve talk about the upcoming Foreigner tour with an orchestra and some of the other bands who have played symphonic gigs including Metallica, Kiss, Aerosmith, Evanescence, Alter Bridge, Peter Gabriel, Grand Funk, Moody Blues, ELO and Scorpions. - Segment Two: The Sound Of…Ozzy (Time:…

February 23, 2018

The Sound Of...Family Ties (Season 2 - Show #6)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Ashley McBryde (Time: 12:08) - Steve Black sits down for a chat with rising country star Ashley McBryde who also happens to be his cousin. - Segment Two: The Sound Of…Southern Rock (Time: 19:22) - Steve and Anne select their personal top 7 Southern Rock bands. Segment Three: The Sound Of…The…

February 18, 2018

The Sound of...Van Halen

Part 2 of Show #5 (Season 2) The Sound Of…Van Halen albums (Time: 10:58) - Now that the 1st Van Halen record has turned 40, Steve and Anne select their personal top 7 VH albums of all-time.

February 15, 2018

The Sound of... Acting (Season 2 - Show 5)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Movie Roles (Time: 15:59) - James Hetfield crosses over to the world of film with the upcoming movie. Anne and Steve talk about the long tradition of musicians who have tried their hand at acting including Elvis, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Jerrod Leto and Alice Cooper among others. Segment Two: The…

February 8, 2018

The Sound of...Opening Bands (Season 2 - Episode 4)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Odd Pairings (Time: 14:45) - Poison, Cheap Trick and Pop Evil will tour together this summer. What are some of the odd pairings we’ve seen in the past. What are some of the best and worst opening acts we’ve encountered. - Segment Two: The Sound Of…Aerosmith Songs (Time: 14:37) - Joe…

February 2, 2018

The Sound Of...Mr. Crowley (Part 3 of this week's podcast)

The Sound Of…Mr. Crowley Time: 22:08 - Steve re-caps his trip on board ShipRocked 18 and the panel discuss Linkin Park, STP and the US Festival Season.

February 1, 2018

The Sound Of...Sports Anthems (Season 2 - Week 3 Full show)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Halftime Shows (Time: 16:55) - Super Bowl LII is just around the corner so Anne and Steve talk about the good, bad and the ugly of music mixing with sports. - Segment Two: The Sound Of…Goodbye Candle Dancer (Time: 16:31) - Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Slayer have all announced farewell…

January 29, 2018

Living it up on ShipRocked 18:

Imagine yourself visiting a sun-soaked small city that floats to and from scenic destinations inhabited by dozens of amazing rock bands. It’s the kind of place where you get a big bear hug from guitar God Zakk Wylde while grabbing your morning coffee (actually happened), a place you can enjoy a late-night ice cream with…

January 18, 2018

The Sound Of..."I'm Not Dead" (Season 2 - Show 2)

- - - FULL SHOW ABOVE - - - INDIVIDUALY SEGMENTS BELOW - - - Segment One: The Sound Of…A Rock & Roll Heartbeat (Time: 12:58) - Dave Grohl had to defend the “rock is dead” concept yet again last week. Anne and Steve talk about the lingering myth. Segment Two: The Sound Of…Jack White…

January 11, 2018

The Sound Of...First Steps (Season 2 Week 1)

- - - FULL SHOW ABOVE - - - INDIVIDUAL PARTS BELOW - - - Segment One: The Sound Of…Recognition (Time: 9:18) - Last week The Doors had streets named after them, and it was announced that Ringo Starr will be knighted. Anne and Steve examine the coolest honors from statues to the keys to…

December 21, 2017

The Sound Of...Goodbye 2017 (Season 1 - Week 15):

LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW ABOVE or SELECT PARTS BELOW: Segment One: The Sound Of…Remembrance (2017) (Time: 23:54) - Anne and Steve explore an in-depth list of musicians who passed away in 2017, and discuss some of their personal moments and memories with some of the bigger names including Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Chuck Berry,…

December 7, 2017

The Sound Of...Cranky Mr. Plant (Podcast Season 1 - Week 14)

FULL 1-HOUR SHOW ABOVE - - - INDIVIDUAL SEGMENTS BELOW - - - Segment One: The Sound Of…A Day at the Theater (Time: 19:20) - Anne and Steve talk about some of the rock movies that are being made, and present which rock & roll film they would like to shoot if they had the…

November 30, 2017

The Sound Of...Awards (Podcast: Season 1 - Week13)

- - - FULL SHOW ABOVE - - - INDIVIDUAL PARTS BELOW - - - Segment One: The Sound Of…Mainstream Awards Time: 16:59 - Anne and Steve talk about the 2017 Grammy Award nominations, along with the usual disrespect for rock & roll. Segment Two: The Sound Of…Grammy Snubs Time: 12:00 - As the Grammy…

November 23, 2017

The Sound Of...AC/DC (Season 1 - Episode 12)

FULL AUDIO ABOVE AND INDIVIDUAL SEGMENTS BELOW Segment One: The Sound Of…Malcolm Young Time: 18:16 - Anne and Steve talk about the loss of Malcolm Young and the sound and legacy of AC/DC’s music and what they hope to see for the future of the band. Segment Two: The Sound Of…AC/DC Songs Time: 15:23 -…

November 9, 2017

The Sound Of...Farewells (Season 1 - Week 11)

THE FULL SHOW IS ABOVE - INDIVIDUAL SEGMENTS BELOW Segment One: The Sound Of…Farewell Tours (Time: 17:08) - Anne and Steve talk about Ozzy’s 2nd retirement tour (3rd counting Black Sabbath). Is it just marketing? Why do so many bands do it? Segment Two: The Sound Of…Females (Time: 21:23) - In honor of the recent…

November 2, 2017

The Sound of...Merch (Podcast Season 1 Week 10)

The full show is above; individual segments are below: Segment One: The Sound Of…Rock History Time: 17:22 - Anne and Steve talk the origins of rock as one of the Grandfathers of Rock Fats Domino passed away last week. - Who were the cornerstones that rock was built on and who is left alive from…

October 20, 2017

The Sound of...Record Stores (Season 1 Week 9)

The Full show (individual segments and descriptions are below): Part One: The Sound Of…Records Time: 17:48 - Anne and Steve talk about the list of Record Store Day releases coming out on Black Friday including vinyl from Iggy Pop, Queen, Dimebag, Rush and Neil Young. - Anne also talks about her recent tour of Third…

October 12, 2017

Season 1 Week 8: The Sound Of (Books)

Week 8 - Part 1: The Sound of...Fame (Time: 25:05) - Anne and Steve talk about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees, class of 2018. Who belongs, Who’s missing? And why is it the hall can't grasp the meaning of the work Rock? - Plus a special guest appearance from Joe Satriani. Week…

October 4, 2017

The Sound Of...Sadness (Podcast Season 1 - Week7)

Segment One: The Sound Of…Vegas (Time: 14:35) - Anne and Steve talk about the Las Vegas tragedy, what it must be like for both the fans and the artists. - Is there ANYTHING that can be done to limit these types of attacks. Segment Two: The Sound Of…Tom Petty (Time: 22:03) - Steve and Anne…

September 30, 2017

Nothing More Interview

As a life-long rock & roll fanatic who has been attending concerts since 1982, hundreds upon hundreds of them especially during my 26 years on the radio, you get to a point when you think you’ve seen it all…then you see Nothing More. Within moments you realize this is different new and unquestionably authentic. The…

September 28, 2017

The Sound Of...American Rock

Part 1: - Alex Lifeson of Rush calls the Foo Fighters “Easily the greatest American band there is” Steve and Anne talk about other American bands to determine which may be among the all-time greats. (24:28) Part 2: - Anne and Steve select their top 7 bass players in honor of the Flea who is…

September 20, 2017

The Sound Of... (Tech)

Segment One: Anne brings up the topic of technology and how it is changing the concert experience. Time: 20:35 Segment Two: Anne and Steve select their top 7 albums from 1987 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Whitesnake album which is being re-issued in a variety of packages. Time: 16:48 Segment Three: Steve…