Welcome to this bonus episode of Sound Opinions.I'm Greg Kott.My co-host is Jim DeRogatis.And if you want to be the first to hear our bonus podcasts, become a Sound Opinions member on Patreon like Jeffrey Kreen of Tyler, Texas.
Jeffrey, thanks so much for your contribution to the show.It means a lot. Last week we talked to Stephen and Jeff McDonald of Red Cross and we had a blast with those guys.Yeah.We've known them for a number of years and they were on point as usual.
And we have even more of that conversation to share including their connection to actress Linda Blair and their Beatles Desert Island jukebox picks. We'll hear more from Red Cross in a minute on Sound Opinions.
Sound Opinions is supported by Goose Island.Since 1988, Goose Island's been brewing beers in the spirit of Chicago.
You can find 312 Weed Ale, Big Juicy Beer Hug, and so many other limited releases at either of Goose's locations in Chicago, Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago's Beer.
Welcome back to Sound Opinions.Let's jump back into the conversation.
The career begins with Born Innocent in 82.The movie's called Born Innocent.It ends with you two sharing one mic, like Greg and I do, harmonizing on the wonderful, the last song on the album, Born Innocent.You guys sharing the vocals.
It's just a wonderful, wonderful moment.But the key question I've got to ask, have you met Linda Blair?No.So, so much a part of Red Cross legacy. Right up there with the carry nations and the partridge.
She's apparently like a really cool woman Oh, I know also you live in Hollywood.I know knows everyone right?
Yeah.Yeah, it's really we've never I don't know why that's never happened We've never met her and yeah, she's like, you know an animal rescue person.She's amazingly like cool Yeah, we haven't met and I imagine that you know, I
She's, you know, I was trying to, I was thinking recently, like, how many copies of Born Innocent has she had to sign?Because I know that people always will give a picture, look, I got Linda Blair to sign this.I'm like, oh yeah, okay.
Because a lot of people do that, you know.
The closest brush we've ever had is our drummer Dale Crover once got a message on his answering machine from Linda Blair because he was looking to adopt a dog.
And she was the only person that called back from the rescue places that he checked in Los Angeles. So she's on it.She's definitely, like, she's... Man, this has to happen.
Greg, how do we facilitate that?
Yeah, Linda Blair is the title of the first song on the first album, Born Innocent.Right, right.
And Born Innocent was the, you know, after the exorcist, head-spinning vomit, you know, is this, this... I don't even know how to... My mom would not let me watch Born Innocent, man.
That was, which is why I went as soon as I could get the VHS tape, you know.
I mean, it was... But yeah, Born Innocent, I mean, yeah, that movie was shocking.And I imagine it's probably even more shocking today than it was even then.But I like, you know, like you were talking about, we should do a collab with Linda Blair.
I mean, she, remember in Sarah T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic, she does It's Too Late by Carole King.
She does!She does a punk rock version of that.
As a Saturday.If it's too late.
And all the money can go to the homeless dogs.That's how to get her on board.
She's our Bridget Bardot.I'm sure we could get her if all the proceeds went to one of our animal charities.I'm sure she would do it.That's a good idea.It's too late, Linda Blair.Linda, if you're listening. Hang on.
Well, if anybody knows her, please forward this broadcast to her.And we're officially soliciting.We would like to do something for an animal charity.
Oh, and also, it's too late.We'll do It's Too Late, kind of a rock version of it.And Steve, you can switch to second guitar and Jackie Fox can play bass. Because that just makes sense.
Okay, I'm down for that.And I'm also leaving some of the ideas open for Linda's creative input too.So whatever you want to do, Linda.Produced by Rick Springfield.PSA.
Well also, well Linda Blair, she was in like, because we would buy all these old Tiger Beat magazines, like in the early 80s we'd buy stuff from the early 70s, and yeah she was like hanging out with Jim Dandy from Black Oak, Arkansas.And Rick James.
You know I talk about a story that had poignant moments.
There were some provocative images from that era, yes.
So, but, you know, that would be good, though, if we did, like, Jim Dandy, The Rescue, and she could do the Ruby Star part.
So even after 45 years, there's ground that Red Cross has not covered yet.
Yeah, well, we haven't done that.We haven't done that collab yet.So that's next.
You know there's this there's old-school arranging like Quincy Jones, and then there's you know Red Cross arranging I think they just arranged an entire song in in front of you know.
It's like butterflies on the wall Yeah, you guys are creating something.This is how they come together.Very cool.Very good.I love that stay tuned After a quick break, we'll hear the McDonald Brothers Desert Island jukebox picks.
That's in a minute on Sound Opinions.
Sound Opinions is supported by Goose Island Beer Company.Since 1988, Goose Island's been brewing beers in and inspired by Chicago.
They got 312 Weed Ale, Hazy Beer Hug, and many more one-off beers at the Fulton Street Taproom or their new Salt Shed Pub, the perfect place to go before a show at the Salt Shed.Me and Andrew were there on opening night, Greg.It was really exciting.
You had Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick fever.I'm sorry about that.Anyway, every time we go to one of these goose joints, there's another new one to try, and we love them all.
I'm a fan.In addition to making great products and event spaces, Goose Island has always been a supporter of music culture in Chicago and nationwide.I mean, if you see that Goose Island logo at a venue or a restaurant, you know you're in good hands.
Yeah, we are proud to be associated with Goose Island.Goose Island Beer Company?Chicago's beer.And Sound Opinions is.Now let's hear some Desert Island jukebox picks.I tell you, little buddy, this whole island is bewitched.
We play the Desert Island Jukebox game, and Jeff Stevens played it before.I forget whether it was with the Melvins or off.And in fact, we just ran a repeat of those guest DIJs and had yours on.So you've played this before.You know how it works.
The record you can't live without, at least today, because we would change hour to hour, the records we can't live with.But I love hearing you guys talk about music.So Jeff, you get to go first.
A record you can't live without.After all is said and done, if I had to actually have one album I couldn't live without, it would be Meet the Beatles.Right at the beginning.Yes, because I always return to it.Always.So I think that would be it.
When did you first hear it?When I was a child.I mean, when I was a toddler, I was, you know, my aunts and stuff were Beatles fanatics while the Beatles were happening.And that's, I just grew up with it.That was the music I remember my entire life.
That's just my DNA.Yeah.Makes total sense.Yeah.Steven?Yeah.You got a, you got a new one for us?
Well, I mean, it says Beatles records.I mean, all of them.But I'll just go with the White Album because it's, you know, it's the one that must bang for your buck.More songs.
Look at you all See the lover that's sleeping While my guitar can't keep me
Wouldn't it have been a better single record?I mean, I never need to hear Rocky Raccoon again.You know what I mean?
The British Hard Day's Night, I think, is their best album.But, you know, that's splitting hairs.
I'm going with Verbal. But yeah, if you're talking about like, bam, bam.But also, I don't know, the White Album is just, what I would really like to say is just like, can't live without, I would say the entire Beatles catalog.That's what I would say.
And if you wanted to put it in specific ways, Yeah, I mean, there's a version of just the American albums, a box set of the American albums that exists that I just love.And specifically things like The American Rubber Soul,
It's a really great collection.I realized that it was the record label tampering with their art, and that's really uncool, but they made a really cool folk rock album out of the songs they cobbled together.
Which became the album that inspired all the singer-songwriters of the next wave.They were all listening to the American Rubber Soul, not the British one.
And it's probably because I grew up with it, but some of the mastering sounds different on the American versions.And like, so like, whatever.But yeah, I would just say the whole catalog if you want my true self.
But you guys are power pop, but you're also punk.And all of this Beatles love.See, you know what you were saying about Get Back?
I mean, the thing that inspired me years before the endless Get Back was seeing Sympathy for the Devil come together in the Godard film.
Yeah, because it starts as like nothing, you know, and Keith kind of begins and then says Charlie I mean just look at Charlie and Charlie goes in a different direction, you know, that's what I'll take All right, but we got to get some punk in this man worse Beatles song because there are many Oh worse Beatles song both of you each.
Okay.Oh, I don't really I don't I honestly
i mean worse okay i would one that i got sma mucha i mean the one that i just well that's a cover i know but they covered it which beatles song that was actually written by a beetle that is like one that is just like i don't know
I'm blanking out because I'm sure there's a selection.
I mean, I know that people like to punch, I mean, people like to diss a lot of the Paul stuff on the White Album, but the only song that I kind of like is Don't Pass Me By.And I hate to, and I love Ringo so much.I love him so much.
But like, it's, it's that, that song is not probably one of my least favorite Ringo songs.
Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue. You're gonna stand up for Martha, my dear, huh?
I like Martha, my dear, a lot.
Dig a pony?No, it's musically beautiful.I mean, I think that, I mean, I would, if you're gonna, you know, I mean, maybe like Honey Pie is not for everyone.Honey Pie is great.Wild Honey Pie is even better.
Yeah, I love, as John famously said, Paul's granny music.I mean, I like it, you know, or whatever.I mean, you can admire the craft as well.But I mean, and I guess we're not counting, you know, you know, Revolution No.Yeah, no, Revolution No.
9, I have to say, is my least favorite deal.
Which is odd, because I am a huge, huge Yoko Ono fan.I've always been a huge Yoko Ono fan, ever since I was a child, ever since I saw her perform on like the Mike Douglas show when I was a kid.But yeah, Revolution No.
9, it's like they're trying too hard.
Yeah, yeah.And it's weird, because they don't have to try it off.
Yeah, right.Well, the one thing I'll say about Revolution No.9, and my reaction was like, what the hell is this, the first time I heard it?And the point that I said, what the hell is this, made me want to go back, why would the Beatles do this?
in the middle of this melodic driven record.And it introduced me to a whole other aspect of music that like mid-teens me would never have otherwise.Music concrete and all this stuff, yeah.So it was kind of cool.I agree.
The Beatles did a lot of remarkable stuff like that, where they were just kind of like exploring areas that you kind of go, hmm, that's interesting.Right.There's a backward guitar on this.
I agree with that.But I have to say, after all is said and done, That's when Revolution No.You know, it's weird, because Revolution No.
9, I think I heard Yoko perform around, you know, probably the very first time I ever heard that record, because we didn't get the White Album until probably like 1970.So by then, you know, Yoko and John had already been performing on television.
So it was like, it didn't even seem weird to me at that point.
I guess I would say with Revolution No.9, I respect it for everything they're saying.
And I think the fact that they had the ears and the attention of such a mainstream world, and the fact that they were expanding people's minds with different ways of thinking.Or trolling.Or trolling.Metal machine music, it could have been.
Or a little bit of both. But I will say, consistently, of their entire catalog, the song I've skipped the most when listening to their music is Revolution No.So I guess that's probably the best way of putting it.What song have you skipped the most?
I've never skipped their songs.
I've listened to their albums in their entirety, but yeah, that song is like, ugh.
Really?So do you skip it?Do you skip it?
I don't skip songs on when I'm listening to albums.But I have to say if I'm driving, and I'm listening to like, I'm going to listen to the white album, like the newest master mix of that record, when I get to that, it's like, um,
Yeah, I, I, I, it depends on where I'm going.It depends on how much more of a drive I have.Whether I'm going to listen to it or not.
Well, I think that, yeah, metaphorically, it literally… It's a, yeah, it is a pushback.
I'm glad it's there, but I don't want to listen to it anyway.
See, I think Andrew Reich did a spectacular job on the documentary.I'm very much looking forward to the book.
But I think in our Linda Blair conversation and getting these guys to get into what they didn't like about the beer, we got more insight into the chemistry between the McDonalds.
I think we broke some ground here.Those two segments alone.
How have they made it 45 years?Well, I'm not sure.But here are these two.Listen to here.Yeah.
Exactly.We have been talking to Stephen and Jeff McDonald of the Red Cross Band.Amazing discussion, guys.Thanks so much for coming on the show.
Thank you. Of course.Thanks for having us.
Making time in the middle of the year of Red Cross.
Well, thanks for having us.It was fun.
That's it for this bonus episode.For more full episodes, visit soundopinions.org.And Linda Blair, that's where you can get in contact with us so that we can put you together with the McDonald's and just give Sound Opinions a shout when you do it.
To sponsor the show, email sponsor at soundopinions.org.Sound Opinions is produced by Andrew Gill and Alex Claiborne.Our Columbia College intern is Max Hatlam.And our social media consultant is Katie Cott. Thanks for listening.
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