If I Had A Hifi

The Major & Jackson are back at it again to talk about the first and last great 3rd Wave Ska album, Energy by Operation Ivy.  Topics include: the first ever recorded "pick it up", the first ever cooperatively run all ages punk venue, and the first song about peer pressure that doesn't suck. 

Part two of The Major & Jackson discussing the disco landmark Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.  Learn all about how the rigidity and conformity of the sound of the soundtrack, the novelty hits it accidentally promoted, and the unrealistic expectations of the disco lifestyle the film promoted accidentally killed disco just as it was bringing it to the mainstream. 

The Major & Jackson tackle the monster disco document in the first of their first ever 2 part episode on the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.  How was panic instrumental to the creation of the majority of the album? How did three Australian Beatles fans accidentally calcify the disco sound accidentally due to a family tragedy? Why is America's conception of disco based on lies? Answers within! 

In honor of Black History month Jackson & The Major discuss one of the most important black liberation records of all time, Curtis Mayfield's self titled solo debut.  Learn about his history with the impressions, his tangential relationship to the most important drum fill of all time, and about harps, so so many harps. 

You don't own Lesley Gore, and no one owns you. Go deep into the go-go boots and weird chartreuse sweaters in the world of 60s girl pop with Jackson & The Major as they discuss Lesley Gore's sophomore LP Lesley Gore Sings Of Mixed Up Hearts.  Who owes their career to their dentist uncle? How did Quincy Jones snatch Lesley Gore's career away from Phil Spector? How many Gilmore Girls jokes can The Major and Jackson make in 1 hour? Answers within. 

Couldn't leave us one week without musical tragedy could you, 2016? The Major & Jackson discuss "The British Thriller": George Michael's "Faith". What track is wholesale missing an instrument? What Minneapolitans did George Michael collaborate with for a dance track? Andrew Ridgely: more or less talented than Art Garfunkel? Answers within!

Are you as tired as the Major and Jackson are of standard drugstore holiday tunes? Come and join If I Had A Hifi on a journey through the more esoteric side of pop, rock, country and hip hop christmas songs. Click here for the Spotify playlist of songs discussed. 

Now is an excellent time to remember that we need to fight the power. What is Chuck D's government name? (hint: it's not Charles) What blue eyed soul did Terminator X sprinkle into his instrumental track? What song is the subject of the most embarrassing cover of all time? Find out by listening to the episode!

It’s turkey day so let’s talk about a real turkey of an album. It’s Guitar Heaven by Santana. Join us as Jackson, The Major, and special guest John Cameron discuss the hilarious train wreck that is Santana’s very late period covers / duets album. Who delivers the most phoned-in dead inside performance? What track would be improved if Carlos Santana hadn’t played on it? What is the Santana game and how do you play it? Answers in this week’s episode. 

The baby ghost from the 1900s says listen to a podcast   Jackson & The Major discuss the 1980 horror rock classic The Evil One by Roky Erickson. How much of Roky's influence was legit b-movie sensibility and how much was his own mental issues? Is he indeed Satan's friend? How did The Who influence his horror rock period? We don't know for certain either but we sure discuss it!

My Pal Podcast (podcast).    The Major, Jackson, and special guest J Williams "Doc" Friedman of I Don't Even Own A Television talk about the magical and wonderful outsider rock masterpiece Philosophy Of The World by The Shaggs.  What do Ornette Coleman, Gregorian Plainsong, and Cap'n Jazz have to do with three siblings from New Hampshire? Who is Foot Foot? How did the Shaggs fit in to Frank Zappa's band audition process? Find out within!     

REVOLUTION GRRRL STYLE PODCAST   The Major & Jackson discuss the feminist punk masterpiece Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill. How did the unique culture of Olympia, Washington foster the creation of Bikini Kill? What song had 3 different versions before the LP came out? Who is Everett True and what is his importance? Find out within!   Show notes with visual content at http://ifihadahifi.audio

Wildcard episode! This week Jackson & The Major discuss the soundtrack album that put hillbilly music back on the map, the O Brother Where Art Thou Original Soundtrack. What is the unfortunate missing verse of "Big Rock Candy Mountain"? How did the album result in a 40 year old royalty check? What 19th century songbook has the most unfortunate title of all time to modern ears? Find out within! 

The Major & Jackson are the village green preservation society.  God save rock podcasts, and their associated anxieties. Ray Davies: joyous country bumpkin? Proto pro-Brexit supporter? City boy with too much imagination? And who on earth is Walter and Annabella and Monica anyway? Find out within! 

Do you remember Rock & Roll podcasts? The Major & Jackson discuss the offputting at times sublime and at times... not collaboration between Phil Spector & The Ramones: End Of The Century. Who's Danny? Who's Artie? Why are there strings? Answers within!

What indeed is going on? Jackson & The Major discuss Marvin Gaye's strange path to his 1971 masterpiece "What's Going On". What career move did Marvin consider before recording this album? Who very nearly recorded the title track instead? What is the musical difference between a "Detroit" sound and an "LA" sound? Find out within!

Jackson, The Major, and guest Leeman Kessler discuss the Electric Six debut "Fire". What other careers did Dick Valentine consider aside from musician? Who is the actual Dance Commander? Is Fire a comedy record with surprisingly compelling music or is it a dance record with surprisingly funny lyrics? Does it even matter? Find out the answers within. 

The Major & Jackson talk about the chicago-style alt-rock classic Exile In Guyville by Liz Phair.  How did Liz Phair go from never playing a show to being a national indie sensation almost overnight? Who was Liz's crush who inspired 6'1" and by extension the entire album? What Black Eyed Peas song did Liz claim she did first and better? Find out within! 

Just in time for the 4th of July, The Major & Jackson discuss the Boss's breakthrough masterpiece Born To Run.  What college gig saved the recording process (and Springsteen's career)? Whose addition to the E Street Band saved the arrangement of 10th Avenue Freeze Out? What song does the Major describe as "Death and Saxes"? Find out within! For America!

The Major & Jackson trade opinions on the Rolling Stones' tax-exile inspired sprawling double LP. Brilliant statement of purpose or self-indulgent sprawl from too much heroin? Who taught Charlie Watts how to play drums on one song? What song did Keef think up a counterpoint part to in his sleep? Just how uncomfortable are Mick Jagger's racial politics? Find out within!