The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

Bass legend Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, etc) reflects on Fripp, John Lennon, near-misses with Zappa, Pink Floyd, and life on the road.
new Stick Men album "Let's Thrak Again" available here
Topics Include:
Scheduling chaos / Ron Carter
Stickmen's "Let's Thrack Again" reworks a King Crimson rhythm concept
Tony defines "thracking" — playing five against seven simultaneously
Robert Fripp names complex King Crimson riffs with odd phrases
Tony rarely forgets bass parts, even decades later
Simple transitions, not hard parts, cause live disasters
Upcoming Beat tour features Zappa alumni, except Tony
Tony's first NYC band included ex-Mothers of Invention members
Peter Gabriel froze onstage during a hostile Zappa co-bill
Tony regrets missing a Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell session
He also turned down touring with Pink Floyd
David Gilmour flew in unannounced for a Les Paul tribute
Radio Registry once dispatched interchangeable NYC session bassists fast
Tony preferred live touring over endless studio session work
He's a self-described "road dog" still touring at his age
Off-stage, Tony writes memoirs, poetry, and takes photographs
He owns many basses but doesn't consider himself a collector
Discipline started as a side project before becoming King Crimson
Tony chose the Chapman stick over bass in that first rehearsal
Fripp lets players interpret parts; Gabriel invents wild new techniques
Peter Gabriel suggested cymbals on fingers, inspiring "funk fingers"
Tony isn't certain whether "Blood of Eden" used fretless bass
He senses a song's emotion before lyrics are finished
Tony learned King Crimson disbanded from a stranger at the opera
He never actually felt Thrak function as a "double trio"
No Australian dates planned yet, though he'd love to visit
King Crimson's future depends entirely on Robert Fripp's instincts
Aging has slowed his technical dexterity, but not memory
He recalls John Lennon's advice: "don't play too many notes"
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Chad Kassem of Analogue Productions, Acoustic Sounds, QPR breaks down vinyl's post-COVID boom and bust, the fragile global supply chain behind every record, and his new Vinyl Summit celebration.
Extended version of interview at Patreon.com/VinylGuide
Topics Include:
Nate welcomes back Chad Kassem to discuss vinyl and Vinyl Summit
Chad recalls moving to Kansas in 1984 as CDs launched
He rebuilt his collection, going against the CD trend
Vinyl grew slowly for decades before COVID hit
Chad bought his pressing plant and presses starting 2010-2011
CD had a 30-year lifespan; Chad always believed vinyl would survive
COVID caused explosive demand, "gasoline on fire" growth
Overbuying during the boom led to storage and inventory problems
Chad had to borrow millions for the first time post-COVID
Uneven state shutdown rules gave some competitors unfair advantages
Post-COVID growth normalized back to its long-term slow trend
Chad discusses his own taste: blues, jazz, rock from the 50s-70s
Younger collectors now chase 90s titles like Alice in Chains
Collecting interest shifts as older genres' fans age out
Comparison to toy collecting trends fading with generations
Rising interest in audiophile pressings like UHQR and One-Steps
Chad explains why quality mastering and pressing both matter equally
Originals aren't always better than modern remasters, and vice versa
Small improvements across many steps add up to great records
UHQR picks focus on undisputed classic albums Chad genuinely loves
Kind of Blue UHQR sold nearly 40,000 copies combined
Debate over pressing records at 33 vs 45 RPM speeds
Vinyl compound and material costs rising, but slower than expected
SACDs, reel-to-reel, and cassettes seeing renewed collector interest
Only one lacquer manufacturer remains, a major industry vulnerability
Skilled cutter-head repair techs are extremely rare and aging
Chad discusses fragile supply chain: lacquers, tape, cutter heads
Vinyl Summit announced: October 15-18, Salina, Kansas, 40th anniversary
Event replaces old Blues Masters concerts, adds vinyl-industry access
Details shared: tickets, guests, and proximity to Austin Record Fair
High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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The Damned's Captain Sensible talks vinyl rarities, back catalogue, scented records, chasing the "perfect album," and what may be their final Australia and New Zealand tour dates.
Topics Include:
Captain Sensible is a record nerd - Still plays childhood favorites: Groundhogs, Pretty Things, Moody Blues, loves Bee Gees' first album
Grew up around his dad's pub singing, informally musical
Paper round savings meant records played obsessively, analyzed deeply
Cites Shane Fenton's "I'm a Moody Guy" as formative
Joe Meek's Telstar and tiny Holloway Road studio praised
Recalls magical Motown Hitsville USA studio tour in Detroit
"Sonar Deceit" track was band's Motown tribute song
Lyric inspired by marine biologist's whale-stranding sonar theory
Describes uncanny ability to instantly recall and replay songs
Hosted radio challenge replaying requested songs live for charity
New Rose confirmed as first UK punk single release
Stiff Records signed them with a bribe of cheeseburgers
Beating the Sex Pistols to release still amuses him
Sydney Opera House gig ironic given past band bannings
Royal Albert Hall sent rejection letters into the 1980s
Mentions unlikely celebrity fans, including Australia's prime minister
Recalls Barney Bubbles' art department and album cover mishap
First pressing's mismatched back cover became a collector's item
Says he collects 60s psych, not punk records himself
Discusses Brian James tribute covers album made after his death
Five reunion shows almost didn't happen, no live release planned
Loves live show chaos, unpredictability, and Rat Scabies' drumming
Confirms no hidden unreleased Damned tracks remain in vaults
Notes band rarely controls or profits from its own catalog
Explains "Strawberries" album concept and its scented vinyl insert
Describes love of vinyl artwork, liner notes, and physical ritual
Talks pursuit of first editions and test pressings today
Names rare Cowsills albums as his current collecting holy grail
Tells story of Sid Barrett nearly producing their second album
Recalls haunted, sleepless sessions recording Machine Gun Etiquette
Reflects on creative bond and offstage humor with Dave Vanian
Closes with tour dates, S.F. Sorrow recommendation, and one-step vinyl talk
High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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Rhino Records co-founder Richard Foos reveals how a scrappy record shop invented reissue culture, chasing master tapes, getting arrested for selling bootleg records, memories of Frank Zappa, Darby Crash and more.
Topics Include:
Foos discusses being called originator of reissue culture, credits early employee's phrase.
Started as a Los Angeles record shop in 1973.
Recalls how scarce and cheap rare records were before collecting culture existed.
Describes hunting records at warehouses, swap meets, and Salvation Army stores.
Notes punk rock's DIY ethos sparked broader music fandom and collecting.
Rhino's shop became a punk hangout; Darby Crash was banned for chaos.
Explains how punk bands pressed 45s since albums were too costly.
James Brown's out-of-print catalog became Rhino's breakthrough first major reissue.
Details licensing process: major labels' passive licensing departments simply approved requests.
Rhino insisted on original master tapes, never secondary sources or stampers.
Engineer Bill Englott restored recordings purely, never altering original mixes.
Some projects stalled without usable masters, like a punk box set.
Nuggets compilation missed "96 Tears" for years due to licensing issues.
Foos explains Rhino's sequencing philosophy: welcoming newcomers, not strict chronology.
Doo-wop box set, initially unpopular internally, became Rhino's best-selling release.
Discusses 20-25 year nostalgia cycles driving collectibility of past decades' music.
Notes scarce 2000s vinyl pressings now make that era highly collectible.
Rhino focused on best listening experience over rarities for rarity's sake.
Foos recounts pre-Rhino bootlegging ties and friendship with bootleg artist Bill Stout.
Reveals he was arrested for selling bootlegs during a warehouse sale.
Discusses how record labels misunderstood fandom, limiting artist output and bootlegs.
Reflects on vinyl's spiritual appeal despite many records never being played.
Compares cassette-era scarcity to streaming's shifting availability of licensed content.
Predicts streaming remains the future, praises YouTube's vast musical accessibility.
Doubts catalog values will keep rising, questions which artists endure historically.
Criticizes a post-Rhino "L.A. Nuggets" box set for prioritizing rarity over listenability.
Recalls Kinky Friedman rejecting a hits compilation over disliking his originals.
Explains publishing hurdles licensing music for Freaks and Geeks and WKRP DVDs.
Describes working with Frank Zappa on Beat the Boots and elaborate packaging.
Shares current work: Shout Factory, wife's Narrative Method, and a new podcast.
High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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John McCrea of CAKE discusses their elusive catalogue on vinyl, rarities of the band, upcoming Australian tour, new recordings, record nerdery and more.
Tickets & info on CAKE's Australian tour is here
Topics Include:
John McCrae discusses collecting records, revisiting old favorites like Perez Prado
He describes "chasing goosebumps" — the feeling of rediscovering great music
Shares vivid teenage memory seeing Led Zeppelin at Knebworth, England
Recalls dancing to washing machine rinse cycles as a toddler
Names early formative records: Beatles, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie
His parents played accordion and folk guitar, shaping his musicality
Discusses his dad's Eastern European minor-key accordion versus polka music
Talks about "Rancho Seco," his first recorded song, a protest track
Song addressed a nuclear plant illegally releasing radioactive steam locally
Connects Dylan influence and poets to his built-in social justice streak
Reflects on growing up near Sacramento, Berkeley, and Nevada City, California
Compares old Bay Area culture to today's flashier Silicon Valley wealth
Describes Cake's early '90s formation, self-financed four-song EP release
EP funded through show earnings and merch, later expanded into album
Album got European distribution and unexpected early popularity in France
"Rock and Roll Lifestyle" got college radio play before wider fame
Cake signed to Capricorn Records, a small Southern rock label
East Bay Ray advised McCrea to fight for keeping album masters
McCrae says most bands don't retain their masters like Cake did
Vinyl of Cake albums historically hard to find, tied up licensing
Discusses 2014 box set now reselling for $700–$1,000 secondhand
New Cake album is finished, awaiting mixing, targeted early 2027
Explains he avoids forced album themes, focuses song by song
Reflects on why Cake albums come infrequently, citing family, industry fatigue
Criticizes modern music industry as increasingly exploitative and financially unsustainable
Explains reduced touring due to travel dislike and environmental concerns
Considers eco-friendly vinyl options and shifting kids' preference toward CDs
Discusses Cake's DIY visual identity, homemade posters, and lino-cut aesthetic
Talks rare live vinyl pressings, including $300 Crystal Palace release
Wraps up promoting Cake's Australian tour dates and Sydney ticket sales
High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios
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Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide