Rush Strutter Zep Magik artwork

Rush Strutter Zep Magik

30 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratings

Mike Bessler and Kevin McElvaney are pro wrestling writers who moonlight as music aficionados. As the title of this podcast suggests, we primarily focus on material by rock powerhouses Rush, Kiss, and Led Zeppelin, but every so often, we’ll draw the proverbial “wild card” and discuss an artist beyond the bounds of this titanic troika. For each episode of RSZM, we select an album by one of these artists and discuss our personal recollections of the record, talk about the history behind the album, and go track-by-track and discuss each song.

Also, the title of the show was Kevin’s idea.

Music Commentary Music Music History kiss zeppelin bessler floyd mcelvaney music rock rush wrestling
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Episodes

The Replacements: Let It Be

February 13, 2024 03:00 - 1 hour - 120 MB

...AND WE'RE BACK! Just in time, too, as the podcast world has likely been on the edge of its collective seat wondering just what exactly our tremendous trio thinks of The Replacements for, lo, the past 16 months, give or take. Here's your no-spoils spoiler alert: Mike is thoroughly confused, Kevin is patiently informative, and Arianne is kindly and good-natured about the whole thing. Before we get right down to a discussion about The Replacements' 1984 album Let It Be, we recount the peak...

Bauhaus: In the Flat Field

June 20, 2022 00:36 - 1 hour - 133 MB

For many centuries, the best examples of “gothic rock” were the thousands upon thousands of bricks that filled out the medieval castles and cathedrals of Europe. Then in 1980, the English band Bauhaus released their first album, In the Flat Field, effectively laying a cornerstone of a new movement in music and art. In this episode of the Rush Strutter Zep Magik podcast, we peer through this dark prism of post-punk pomp, discussing the influences that gave rise to Bauhaus and intricacies of t...

Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind

April 18, 2022 01:09 - 1 hour - 109 MB

From the Crimean War to the Prehistoric era and across the universe to the planet of Dune, we plunge our needles into each and every groove of Iron Maiden’s 1983 metal manifesto, Piece of Mind. Side quests in this congenial confab include tangents and musings about X-Ray Spex, Dag Nasty, The Getup Kids, Warren Zevon, and The Who (not to be confused with Mongolian metal band The Hu). It’s a landmark episode for Arianne, who marks a year since their first appearance on the show and subsequentl...

Sparks: Angst In My Pants

March 12, 2022 23:50 - 1 hour - 122 MB

How many sparks does it take to ignite a prairie fire? We don’t answer that particular question this episode, but we do immerse ourselves in the sonic ocean of Angst In My Pants, the 1982 offering by the influential synth-pop band, Sparks. In our discussion, we look at the history of the Mael brothers and the broad appeal of their music to big-name acts including glam gods The Darkness. Arianne also provides a tutorial on the phenomenon of vocaloids, and we collectively bemoan the various an...

Ozzy Osbourne: Blizzard of Ozz

January 23, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 115 MB

We’re going off the rails this episode, as Arianne tees up Blizzard of Ozz as our topical somethingburger. We look at Ozzy’s solo debut from almost every conceivable angle, from the wizardry of guitar virtuoso Randy Rhoads to Sharon Osbourne's Mandela Effect-like reminiscences of the album's recording to the controversial 2002 re-release of Blizzard featuring stand-ins by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin. Side quests on this Crazy Train include Mike’s remarks about Flann O’Brien’s novel The T...

Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

December 22, 2021 03:15 - 1 hour - 91.6 MB

It’s Arianne’s first show as a bona fide co-host and in this episode, we’re serving up two platters piled high with tangible vandalism! In our first official episode as a trio, we tackle Led Zeppelin’s storied double album Physical Graffiti, sifting through its uncanny collection of uncredited cover tunes, outtakes, calypso music, and high school breakup fare. In the midst of the alarums and excursions, we also bump and grind against a host of ancillary topics including automobile-themed dou...

The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds

November 23, 2021 00:36 - 1 hour - 35.5 MB

From the sunny shores of Hawthorne, California to the sands of distant Melmac, Rush Strutter Zep Magik traces the roots and legacy of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. Arguably Brian Wilson’s most consequential work, we discuss the importance of Pet Sounds relative to the overarching mosaic of popular culture with a nod to its impact on our own respective lives. Our chat includes a track-by-track analysis that is intentionally bereft of the kind of formulaic filler phrases and clichéd expressio...

Lulu by Lou Reed and Metallica

October 12, 2021 00:49 - 1 hour - 54.7 MB

It’s a podcast of extraordinary magnitude as Arianne joins Kevin and Mike for a meticulous dissection of the 2011 album Lulu. This controversial collab between Lou Reed and Metallica has garnered voluminous quantities of scorn and derision in the decade since its release, but our troika revisits the work from our own unique perspectives, sharing our respective interpretations of every facet of this avant-garde objet d'art. From Frank Wedekind to Kazimir Malevich and from crust punk to Jonath...

Roots of "Lulu"

October 01, 2021 02:01 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MB

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how in the world the 2011 Lou Reed/Metallica album Lulu came into existence, here’s your answer, fish-bulb! This isn’t quite a full episode, so we’ll call it a mini-sode and it’s all about the roots of the aforementioned collaborative endeavor. Included in this discussion (or maybe it’s more along the lines of a monologue) is information about the original author of the Lulu plays, Frank Wedekind, as well as Alban Berg, the composer of the operatic ada...

The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World

August 29, 2021 00:37 - 1 hour - 79.2 MB

BRAND FREAKIN’ NEW AND NOW ONLINE! Imagine a crisp page of graph paper featuring a perfectly executed, two-circle Venn diagram that depicts the coexistence between euphony and cacophony. Somewhere on the page, we might find a point representing The Shaggs — perhaps mingling in the bulbous hinterland of the extreme left or right of the diagram, or maybe firmly entrenched amongst the meaty layers where the two shapes overlap. In this episode of the Rush Strutter Zep Magik podcast, we take thei...

Special Episode: Neal Jones of Without Your Head & Severed Limbs Film Festival

July 27, 2021 01:15 - 51 minutes - 59.4 MB

Neal Jones, a.k.a. “Nasty Neal” of Without Your Head Horror and Beyond, joins Mike for a very special installment of the Rush Strutter Zep Magik podcast! In this “mini-sode,” we cover a lot of ground, including: Neal’s extensive experience as a podcaster and online personality, including his work on In Your Head Wrestling Radio, Inside Your Head, and Without Your Head. His evolving body of work in independent horror films, from moderating panel discussions at conventions to experience as ...

Kiss: Revenge

July 21, 2021 01:56 - 1 hour - 74.3 MB

The Rush Strutter Zep Magik Podcast is out for Revenge! In this episode, Kevin and Mike take this pivotal Kiss album for a spin, skipping through the conversational daisies with tangents about The Buzzcocks, the work of composer Edvard Grieg, the novel Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, season two of Too Hot to Handle on Netflix, and, once again, Jürgen Habermas. There’s also a bit of discussion about the unfortunate exit of Eric Carr from the band, as well as a note on Vinnie Vincent’s extremely ...

Ramones: Rocket to Russia

June 22, 2021 02:14 - 1 hour - 72.1 MB

Blasting back to the heyday of the punk movement, Kevin and Mike hop aboard Rocket to Russia, the third studio album by rough and tumble rockers, The Ramones. Featuring prominently in this consummate discourse on pop culture are gratuitous references to the likes of Walt Whitman, Paul McCartney and Wings, The Fairly OddParents, Jack Kerouac, Motörhead, The Gong Show, and Fibber McGee and Molly. And somehow, Jurgen Habermas horns his way into the conversation yet again. Related, recommended...

Rush: Moving Pictures

June 02, 2021 01:02 - 1 hour - 79.4 MB

This episode, the guys are joined by Kevin’s BFF, Andy, for a thoroughgoing discourse on “Moving Pictures,” the 1981 multi-platinum composition by Rush. In their preparatory remarks, Kevin and Andy recall wistful afternoons spent riffing on instruments at their local Sam Ash store and Mike recounts how he initially thought "Red Barchetta" was a song about a combine harvester. They plow through the work track by track with a few impromptu guitar demos along the way and sum up their thoughts o...

Liz Phair: Exile In Guyville

May 07, 2021 01:33 - 1 hour - 72.2 MB

This time around, Kevin and Mike get into the groove with Liz Phair’s debut album, Exile in Guyville. Before they break it down, Mike suffers the embarrassment of mispronouncing the name of our bestest pal, Arianne, and Kevin proclaims the gospel of Ted Leo. The guys discuss the history and artistry of Exile in Guyville, chatting about the album’s forthright lyricism, its evocative guitar work, and its storied association with Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stone. As Mike's boxer puppy ...

Prince: Purple Rain

April 10, 2021 23:44 - 1 hour - 85.8 MB

Kevin and Mike are joined by RSZM superfan Arianne for a thorough discussion of Prince’s 1984 masterwork, Purple Rain! During the lead-up to their featured confab, Kevin gives props to the Meet My Friends The Friends podcast, Arianne discusses her affection for Dad rock, and Mike runs down some of his favorite Zeppelin influences, including "Mississippi" Fred McDowell. Sharing personal reminiscences and their respective analyses of each track, the trio chats up this multi-platinum pièce de r...

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III

March 25, 2021 01:43 - 1 hour - 70.7 MB

It’s a hoedown in the tradition of “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” as Mike and Kevin enjoy a platter of piping hot Zeppeliny goodness in the form of Led Zeppelin’s tertiary offering, Led Zeppelin III. On the way to the proverbial fireworks factory, Kevin praises the pre-Hagar incarnation of Van Halen and Mike talks up his duct-taped Norma-brand acoustic guitar. The guys plow track by track through LZ3, chatting about the rock, blues, and avant-garde facets of this illustrious pastiche, wrapping the show ...

Kiss: Lick It Up

March 10, 2021 03:02 - 1 hour - 86.2 MB

At long last, Mike and Kevin engage in spirited discussion regarding Lick It Up, the Kiss LP that launched the “We’re never putting the makeup on again, no way, no how” era! Al Castle, Senior Writer for Pro Wrestling Illustrated joins the guys for this roundtable chat about one of the most consequential flashpoints in the continuum of Kisstory. A grab bag of selections ranging from melodic to banal and from provocative to unabashedly raunchy, Lick It Up offers a good deal of material to deba...

Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak

February 16, 2021 22:54 - 1 hour - 47.5 MB

For this - the tenth full-length episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik - Kevin and Mike tee up Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy, a true underrated gem of the 1970s hard rock. Kicking things off, the guys run through some unfinished business from the 2112 and Jimmy Page/Chopin shows, and Kevin recounts his recent reacquaintance with Synchronicity by the Police. Mike shares his enthusiasm regarding the triumphant return of the Bayside High and Drunk podcast and offers a shoutout to the good folks at Troja...

Mini-sode: Jimmy Page and Frederic Chopin

February 03, 2021 04:06 - 26 minutes - 21.3 MB

It’s another solo mini-sode with Mike at the helm and this time around, the topic at hand is Jimmy Page’s rendition of Frédéric Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor, O. 28, N. 4.” This unusual piece - which Page included on his offbeat soundtrack for Charles Bronson’s Death Wish II - became a staple in Page’s live sets from ’83 through ’88, including his appearances at the ARMS concert series, the numbers he contributed to the Willie and the Poor Boys project, his years with The Firm, and his Outrid...

Rush: 2112

January 14, 2021 02:40 - 1 hour - 91.3 MB

As they begin their latest trip around the sun, Mike and Kevin gaze into the far-flung future, discovering a reality in which a clique of sinister collectivists rule with an iron fist, suppressing creativity and individuality, to and fro, all the live-long day, and so forth. It’s the story of the Rush rock opera 2112, as well as the various and sundry lesser-known tracks which comprise the part of that album that used to be known as “Side B.” Before blasting off to the dystopian city of Mega...

Mini-sode: Music and Social Movements

December 17, 2020 17:06 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MB

And now for something completely different: In this “mini-sode,” - a solo effort by Mike - we’re swapping out the likes of Geddy Lee and Gene Simmons with names like Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer. Venturing beyond the parameters of our typical rock and/or roll fare, this show provides a brief look at how music has influenced social movements. Spotlighted in this discussion is the work of Bertolt Brecht as well as the role of Jiang Qing in reshaping art and culture during China’s Cultural...

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?

November 27, 2020 03:03 - 1 hour - 74.1 MB

Rush Strutter Zep Magik ventures through a psychedelic wormhole in this episode, landing upon the hallowed grooves of the 1967 debut album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced? Before the trip begins, Kevin shares accolades for Canadian alternative rockers The Dirty Nil, as well as ‘90s staples Better Than Ezra. Mike talks about the greatness of Steve Marriott and Humble Pie and he recounts his experience attending a virtual meet-and-greet with high priest of black metal Jeff ...

Kiss: Destroyer

October 21, 2020 02:19 - 1 hour - 75.9 MB

Rush Strutter Zep Magik returns with fire and thunder, surveying the landscape of a Kiss keystone, the 1976 album Destroyer. Before they get down to it, Kevin recounts all of the times that he has met Andrew W.K. and Mike discusses his longstanding affection for the founding fathers of black metal, Venom. The guys also talk about guitars and gear, including the super cheap MiMiDi delay pedal as well as the terrific stuff by the good people at Electro-Harmonix. They go track by track through ...

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV

September 24, 2020 02:36 - 1 hour - 55.1 MB

In this episode, Mike and Kevin wind on down the road and careen headlong into Led Zeppelin’s fabled fourth album. Some call it Led Zeppelin IV, others call it Runes, and the folks who call it Zoso are probably the kind of people who use the phrase “having said that” on a regular basis. Mike recalls buying the LP from a Gold Circle store the summer before his freshman year of high school and shows off his new (slightly cracked) mandolin, favoring listeners with the first dozen or so  notes f...

Rush: Signals

August 24, 2020 01:32 - 1 hour - 82.7 MB

Returning to the roots of the show, Mike and Kevin journey back to the heady days of 1982 for a look at the Rush album Signals. Before they get down to business, Mike recounts his recent attendance at a COVID-era drive-in concert by Dayton-area staple The Fries Band and Kevin raves about the music of Jeff Rosenstock. The guys also reflect on the reception they received to last month’s episode in which they covered Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Turning their combined attention to Signals, Kevin shar...

Pink Floyd: The Wall

July 22, 2020 02:55 - 2 hours - 73.8 MB

It’s a double-sized episode for a legendary double album! In this, the landmark fourth episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik, Kevin plays his “Magik” card by selecting Pink Floyd’s acclaimed conceptual extravaganza The Wall for review and comment. Before the featured discourse, they discuss the necessity for lighthearted tunes in the midst of these trying times, with Kevin espousing the merits of post-Disney Miley Cyrus and Mike sharing a bit about the musical exploits of his former middle scho...

Kiss: Kiss

June 24, 2020 01:45 - 1 hour - 33.6 MB

With two episodes under their shared belt, Kevin and Mike confidently stroll into a discussion about the 1974 eponymous debut album by Kiss. Filled to the brim with the richness of live-show favorites, the record evokes Mike’s memories of the pain and yearning associated with being a Kiss fan during the malaise-filled days of the band’s post-makeup/pre-reunion era. Kevin provides his reactions to hearing some of these songs for the first time and discusses the record's similarity to glam and...

Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy

April 23, 2020 00:53 - 1 hour - 32.9 MB

In the second episode of Rush Strutter Zep Magik, we discuss how much the world has changed since our inaugural offering. Mike offers some leftover thoughts on the Rush album Permanent Waves and then we get down to business discussing Kevin’s pick for this show, Led Zeppelin’s 1973 album Houses of the Holy. Kevin reminisces about being introduced to the record by his mom ( which – let’s face it – makes his mom sound way cool) while Mike discusses his 30-year effort to keep the record cover h...

Rush: Permanent Waves

March 02, 2020 03:25 - 1 hour - 29.4 MB

It’s the first-ever edition of Rush Strutter Zep Magik! In this episode, Mike and Kevin discuss the philosophical underpinnings of the band and their late lyricist-in-chief Neil Peart and then they take a deep dive into the 1980 album Permanent Waves. Mike reminiscences about buying the album for the first time at K-Mart and how most Rush tapes used to be packaged in those weird, half-beige cassette cases. Kevin thanks Mike for not turning out to be an axe murderer and later insinuates that ...