Best timothyappleton Podcasts (2025)

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CRAPA RANKS: The greatest progressive rock albums of all time 1:36:01

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4d ago1:36:01

1:36:01

This week, Shaun and Tim ranked their top ten favourite progressive rock albums. Which of your favourite bands will be in there? And how will they be represented? Find out in this bumper episode!By timothyappleton

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The Incredible String Band - The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion: An alternative Sgt. Pepper? 41:37

11d ago41:37

41:37

This week Peter did a monologue about the second album by The Incredible String Band, The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion. Topics covered include: the String Band’s unusual harmonic sense, the Eastern influence on their music, their importance to the 60s music scene in the U.K., why the band weren’t better known and the uniqueness of the Ed…

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The Nice - Five Bridges: The first real progressive rock album? 38:41

18d ago38:41

38:41

This week Tim did a monologue on Five Bridges by The Nice. Topics covered include: whether Five Bridges is the first stage in the development of the progressive rock "paradigm"; where the album stands in the band’s catalogue; how The Nice compares to ELP; and whether the dialectic between band and orchestra is successful. Also, why don’t bands get …

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CRAPA RANKS: Live progressive rock albums 1:15:29

25d ago1:15:29

1:15:29

This week Shaun, Peter and Tim rank their top five favourite live prog rock albums. Who will be number one?By timothyappleton

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SPECIAL EPISODE: Shaun's Shed (Caravan: Girls That Grow Plump In The Night) 46:41

27d ago46:41

46:41

In this episode - potentially one of an occasional series - Shaun reviews sections of Caravan's fifth studio album: Girls That Grow Plump In The Night, whilst sculpting a bust of Richard Sinclair and arguing with the postman and a charity worker.By timothyappleton

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Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak: The hard rock Ulysses? 54:26

1M ago54:26

54:26

This week Tim discussed the classic sixth album by Thin Lizzy, Jailbreak. Topics covered are: whether Lizzy is the greatest Irish group of all time, whether they are Iron Maiden avant la lettre, what the essential ingredients of their sound are, and the role that the Irish literary and poetic tradition play in the mix. Also, how many references to …

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Peter Gabriel - 3 (Melt): A concept album about apartheid? 1:08:25

1M ago1:08:25

1:08:25

This week Shaun and Tim discussed the third album by Peter Gabriel: 3 (Melt). Themes covered include: whether this is a psychological or a political album (or both), whether it’s a concept album about apartheid, the status of the album within Gabriel’s discography, the psychological resonances of the cover and the influence of world music on the al…

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Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day: A Genesis album in a parallel universe? 45:45

2M ago45:45

45:45

This week Tim discussed side one of Mike Rutherford’s first solo album, Smallcreep’s Day. Topics covered include: the playing on the album, the programmatic implications of the Smallcreep’s Day Suite, the differences between Smallcreep’s Day and Supper’s Ready by Genesis, and the decisive use of suspended chords on the album. Also, why is the cover…

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Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends: The anti-Summer of Love album? 1:24:37

2M ago1:24:37

1:24:37

This week, Peter and Tim discussed the fourth album by Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends. Topics considered include: whether the album was an attack on hippy ideals and culture, whether it was a New York broadside against California, what connects Simon and Garfunkel and The Kinks, the nature of Paul Simon’s writing process and whether the album would …

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Genesis - And Then There Were Three: Selling America by the pound? 1:08:15

2M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

This week Shaun and Tim discussed the ninth studio album by Genesis, And Then There Were Three. Themes discussed include: whether this was Genesis’ least experimental album, what Steve Hackett’s absence meant to the band, whether the unexpected is a necessary but insufficient condition for artistic creation and whether the album should have been ca…

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Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti: The unicorn of a perfect double album? (WARNING: Contains adult themes!) 45:55

2M ago45:55

45:55

This week, Tim discussed Frank Zappa’s 1979 album Sheik Yerbouti. Issues discussed are the artistic status of the rock double album, the role of humour in music, what to make of the accusation of racism, whether Frank Zappa had read Freud, the musical eclecticism one finds on the album and the role of aleatory music in Zappa’s oeuvre. Also: how are…

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CRAPA RANKS: YES SOLO DEBUT ALBUMS 1:25:21

2M ago1:25:21

1:25:21

This week Tim and Shaun ranked the first eight (or is it seven?!) Yes solo debut albums. Issues which emerge are: what the thinking was in putting these albums together; who has the best musicianship on their album; how the sound of these albums relates to the Yes sound; and how the onstage dynamic might affect the group dynamic as a whole. Also, w…

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CRAPA RANKS: PINK FLOYD STUDIO ALBUMS 1:31:52

3M ago1:31:52

1:31:52

This week, Peter and Tim ranked the 15 Pink Floyd studio albums. Topics covered included: Hipgnosis cover art, the transition from psychedelia to prog, or art rock, whether we can separate our views of Pink Floyd from their cultural significance and the relative merits of the different members of the band. Also: who has the best joke about Momentar…

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Godley and Creme - Consequences: The longest resignation letter in history? 51:45

3M ago51:45

51:45

This week Tim did a monologue on the first album by Godley and Creme, Consequences. The discussion includes: the extensive artistic talents of the duo, the nature of the split with 10cc, what Deceptive Bends would have been like if Godley and Creme had stayed, and the environmental theme. Also, was the album a hello or a goodbye? Should it really h…

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CRAPA RANKS: GENESIS SOLO DEBUT ALBUMS 1:02:28

3M ago1:02:28

1:02:28

This week, Shaun and Tim did a ranking of the first six solo albums by the key members of Genesis. Topics included: the difference between band writing and solo writing, the difference between instrumental writing and songwriting, the punk-prog dialectic, the prevalence of journeying themes in the albums, and sexual difference when it comes to choo…

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Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff: The sound of a nervous breakdown set to music? 30:47

4M ago30:47

30:47

This week, Tim discussed the fifth album by Van der Graaf Generator, Godbluff. Topics covered are: where the album sits in the band’s trajectory, the band’s unusual line-up, whether they can be considered prog rock, the European influences on the band and the meaning of the album title. Also, what was their influence on Iron Maiden? Were the band i…

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TOP(OGRAPHIC) TRUMPS: Tales From Topographic Oceans vs. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 1:12:26

4M ago1:12:26

1:12:26

Peter, Shaun and Tim compare and contrast the two classic prog rock double albums: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis and Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes. The discussion includes: why the bands decided to do double albums at this point; the role of jamming on both albums; the religious character of the two themes; and who’s better: Roge…

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Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief: Their last great album, or their first great album? 57:14

4M ago57:14

57:14

This week, Shaun and Tim did a review of the folk-rock classic, the fourth album by Fairport Convention, Liege And Lief. The discussion included: what the album title means; whether this was the band’s last great album, or their first great album; how close to romanticism folk music is; and whether the album is optimally sequenced. Also, how do you…

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The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds: Is it as good as they say? 28:37

4M ago28:37

28:37

This week Tim did a monologue on Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. He attempted to answer the question as to whether it is as good as everybody says it is. Did he manage it? Listen and find out!By timothyappleton

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Gentle Giant - In A Glass House: Their existentialist masterpiece? 47:45

5M ago47:45

47:45

This week, Tim discussed the fifth album by Gentle Giant, In a Glass House. Topics covered are: the band being dropped by their record label, whether the band is a prog band or a ‘sublimated pop band', the complexity of the band’s playing and writing and their relationship with the missing brother and how it affected the theme of the album. Also, h…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE TOP TEN U.S. BANDS OF ALL TIME 1:35:55

5M ago1:35:55

1:35:55

This week, Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their Top Ten favourite US bands of all time. The discussion includes: the difference between bands and solo artists; whether a subjective analysis is the same as an opinion; who the most influential bands were; and which decade produced the best music? Also, why was there a fetish for misspelling animal name…

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Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink: Review 39:29

5M ago39:29

39:29

This week, the first of an occasional series: “Pods from the wood”, in which Shaun goes back to nature and discusses one of his favourite albums whilst moving around in the Essex countryside. Today’s topic is the third album by Caravan, In The Land Of Grey And Pink. Themes discussed include: the influence of Chaucer on the band, where the album sta…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE BEACH BOYS ALBUMS 1:51:33

5M ago1:51:33

1:51:33

This week, Shaun and Tim did a marathon ranking of the 28 albums by The Beach Boys. The discussion included: the difference between a great album and a favourite album; who the best songwriter was after Brian; whether Pet Sounds is really that good; whether the Beach Boys discography is a curate’s egg or jam sandwich; and how many of The Beach Boys…

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Curved Air - Air Conditioning: Review 50:33

5M ago50:33

50:33

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue, on the first album by Curved Air, Air Conditioning. Topics that come up are: Curved Air’s role in the English rock scene post-psychedelia and pre-prog rock, the nature of the writing committeee they mobilised, how the album fits into the band’s career trajectory, and the extent to which t…

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Strawbs - From The Witchwood: Review 1:21:45

6M ago1:21:45

1:21:45

Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Strawbs, From The Witchwood. The discussion includes: whether it should be thought of as a concept album, where it stands in the Strawbs canon, why we can’t find any information on the cover, whether Wordsworth was an influence on the lyrics, and how important the Christian influence was on…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE TOP FIFTEEN BEATLES OUTTAKES 1:51:08

6M ago1:51:08

1:51:08

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite Beatles outtakes. The discussion includes: the ratio of John songs to Paul songs and of John and Paul songs to George songs; why there are so many early outtakes and late outtakes; who did the best solo album; and why they gave so many songs to Billy J. Kramer. Also, are there any Ringo songs on the list…

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The Electric Light Orchestra - The Electric Light Orchestra: Review 45:42

6M ago45:42

45:42

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did the second part of his ‘Birmingham Beatles’ duology: the first album by the Electric Light Orchestra. The ‘conversation’ included: the Move connection, the differences between ELO and the later prog movement, the incredibly high quality of ELO’s musicianship and the nature of the creative relationship…

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The Move - Move: Review 59:29

6M ago59:29

59:29

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue about the debut album by The Move, Move. The ‘conversation’ included: the multicultural nature of The Move’s music, the ELO connection, whether this is the best UK album of the 1960s and why this was both the beginning and the end for the band. Also, why didn’t they make a concept album ab…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE TOP TEN UK BANDS OF THE 70S 1:32:26

7M ago1:32:26

1:32:26

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite Top Ten UK Bands of the 1970s. The discussion includes: the difference between cultural importance and musical importance, punk versus pre-punk genres, whether we trust one band to write better than another, and why we had so many honourable mentions. Also, who were the real heirs to The Beatles? Why did…

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Black Sabbath - Paranoid: Review 1:29:05

7M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the second album by Black Sabbath, Paranoid. The discussion includes: whether Black Sabbath started heavy metal, who the most important member of the band was, the influence of drugs on their performance, what their influences were and what the relationship is between jazz and heavy metal. Also, what would Ka…

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Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells: Review 50:41

7M ago50:41

50:41

Tim and Peter were busy this week, so Shaun had a conversation with himself, about the debut album by Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells. The following topics were covered: how Tubular Bells relates to the rest of the Oldfield catalogue, the relationship between Tubular Bells and early minimalism and how Oldfield's early life affected his compositional p…

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10CC - 10CC: Review 1:03:34

7M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue, on the first album by 10cc. ‘We discuss’ the history and pre-history of the band, the gap between 10cc’s talent and the way they’re remembered, the nature of the band’s harmonic and creative gifts, as well as the poor quality of 10cc reissues. Also, are 10cc the Beatles of the 70s? Why di…

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Yes - The Yes Album: Review 1:36:41

7M ago1:36:41

1:36:41

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Yes, The Yes Album. The discussion includes: the rebirth of Yes as a group, why they decided to get rid of Tony Kaye and Peter Banks, why the band sounds so American, whether Jon Anderson’s lyrics are good or not, and whether this is an example of a perfectly programmed album. Also, …

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CRAPA RANKS: THE TOP 10 WOMEN IN ROCK 1:48:04

8M ago1:48:04

1:48:04

Shaun, Peter and Tim discuss their favourite female rock artists. On the agenda for today: is cultural importance relevant to musical importance? Which is the best period for female rock stars? How do we distinguish an individual contribution from a collective one? And do women appreciate certain female artists more than men, and vice versa? Also, …

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Hawkwind - Warrior On The Edge Of Time: Review 48:17

8M ago48:17

48:17

Tim and Peter were busy this week, so Shaun had a debate with himself, about the fifth studio album by Hawkwind, Warrior On The Edge Of Time. The ‘discussion’ includes the following topics: where ‘Warrior’ stands in the Hawkwind canon, Hawkwind’s relationship to the British counterculture and whether ‘the Warrior’ was a metaphor for the band itself…

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Pink Floyd - Animals: Review 1:37:25

8M ago1:37:25

1:37:25

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the tenth album by Pink Floyd, Animals. The discussion includes: whether the album was an attempt to fit in with the punk aesthetic, whether Roger Waters is a genius or not, to what extent is the band channeling George Orwell and what role love has to play in the album’s theme. Also, what is the band’s…

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The Beach Boys - Smile: Review 46:42

9M ago46:42

46:42

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a conversation with himself, about the unreleased album by The Beach Boys, Smile! The ‘discussion’ includes: the myth versus the reality of Smile!, whether it really would have changed the course of rock history if it had been released, how it relates to the following album Smiley Smile and how The Be…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE TOP 10 UK BANDS OF THE 60S, NOT INCLUDING THE BEATLES AND THE STONES 1:39:53

9M ago1:39:53

1:39:53

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their favourite 60s bands, minus ‘the big two’. How does the British rock and pop scene stand up without its two most famous elements? The guys discuss: the difference between musical contributions and cultural contributions, the influence of folk and blues, what it means to say that a band made its key contributions in…

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Cream - Wheels Of Fire (Studio): Review 1:46:09

9M ago1:46:09

1:46:09

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Cream, Wheels Of Fire (Studio). The discussion includes: whether the band can be considered psychedelic or not, why they are masters of the art of syncopation and why they hated each other so much. Also, was Cream really a jazz band but noone had bothered to tell Eric? Is Pressed Rat…

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Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast: Review 1:14:29

10M ago1:14:29

1:14:29

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a conversation with himself, about the third album by Iron Maiden, The Number Of The Beast. The ‘discussion’ includes: the programmatic nature of Maiden’s music, why this album is considered their best, why they always use the same chords, and which their best line-up was. Also, was Hallowed Be Thy Na…

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CRAPA RANKS: THE BEATLES BROWN ALBUM 1:42:02

10M ago1:42:02

1:42:02

This week, Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their least favourite songs by possibly the greatest band of all time, thus providing a potential track listing for a third mythical album to add to “The White Album” and “The Black Album”: “The Brown Album”. Topics discussed include the following. Will George and Ringo be over-represented in the list? Are la…

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King Crimson - Red: Review 1:49:02

10M ago1:49:02

1:49:02

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the seventh studio album by King Crimson, Red. The discussion includes: the band’s incredible musicianship, the relative merits of the albums in the Mark III period, whether the group sounds better with or without violin, and whether Starless is the greatest King Crimson track of all time. Also, can Ro…

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Camel - The Snow Goose: Review 1:36:46

11M ago1:36:46

1:36:46

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the third album by Camel, The Snow Goose. The discussion includes: the quality of Camel's musicianship, why they decided to do an instrumental album, where does the band stand in the British prog canon and to what extent can music represent images? Also, were the band influenced by 70's game show music…

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Queen - 1: Review 54:06

11M ago54:06

54:06

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim did a monologue about the newly-rereleased Queen 1. The monologue includes: the uneven development between Queen’s songwriters, the brilliance of Brian May’s guitar playing, whether Queen’s singles are better than their albums, and is the cover an early example of ‘queering’? Also, was Freddie a Christian…

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Led Zeppelin - 2: Review 1:46:09

12M ago1:46:09

1:46:09

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinons of the second album by Led Zeppelin. The discussion includes: the British blues explosion of the sixties, the difference between English folk and American folk, why couldn’t the band think of proper names for their albums?, and did John Bonham write Whole Lotta Love? Also: are the lyrics on this album good…

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CRAPA RANKS: GENESIS STUDIO ALBUMS 1:49:30

12M ago1:49:30

1:49:30

Peter, Shaun and Tim rank the Genesis studio albums. There's a few surprises, and one or two good rants. Also, how many ways are there to count to 15? And what does Shaun's brother Steve think?By timothyappleton

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Jethro Tull - Aqualung: Review 1:44:34

1y ago1:44:34

1:44:34

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth album by Jethro Tull, Aqualung. The discussion includes: Jethro Tull’s innovative lyrics, whether their style precipitated prog rock and heavy metal, why the album was so big in America, and, most crucially, was it a concept album or not? Also, did Ian Anderson really threaten to do a flute …

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Rush - 2112: Review 1:40:49

1y ago1:40:49

1:40:49

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth album by Rush, 2112. The discussion includes: Rush’s career swerve, the band’s fascination with Ayn Rand, why the album was considered better than Caress of Steel, and whether the whole concept for the album actually came from Tchaikovsky. Also, what actually happens in the title track? Woul…

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Marillion - F.E.A.R.: Review 1:16:41

1y ago1:16:41

1:16:41

Peter and Shaun were busy this week, so Tim had a debate with himself, about the eighteenth studio album by Marillion, F.E.A.R.. The ‘discussion’ includes: whether Marillion owe more to Genesis or to Pink Floyd, why the band’s abstract compositional technique is so difficult to discuss conceptually, and whether ultimately they are writing tracks or…

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E.L.P. - Brain Salad Surgery: Review 1:49:30

1y ago1:49:30

1:49:30

Peter, Shaun and Tim discuss their opinions of the fourth (or fifth?) album by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery. The discussion includes: ELP's astonishing musical talent, whether this was supposed to be a concept album or not and the question of why the band chose to do so many cover versions. Also, why was everyone so keen to go to S…

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