An Introduction

A couple of years back a discussion on Twitter led to me considering doing a podcast on classic rock music. Some work was put into the idea, including considering what it would be called, what songs would be discussed, and the proper length (thirty to forty-five minutes, if you're curious). But in the end, even though I had a feed, it never quite came together. Largely because I'm not the podcasting type. I've sat in on a few gaming podcasts as a guest, but in general I work better in the written word. My brain likes to have time to mull things over and process before giving out information and that's more suited to writing than to podcasting.

But the idea of discussing the music I grew up with has nagged at my mind. As I listen to many of these old songs they seem call out to be discussed. What do they mean? What was the world like in which they were released? How have they impacted music? The discussions are going to be different for each song, and sometimes the song will give way to discussing the entire album from which the song came or the artist who popularized it.

"All of Chuck's children are out there, playing his licks."

Chuck's Children was the name that was chose for the podcast. Of all the titles that were considered, it was almost perfect. It comes from Bob Seger's "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" which would have also been a great title. However, it had already been used as a title (for the song) and is a bit long for today's world. Chuck's children is a reference to all those who play rock and roll, the Chuck in question obviously being Chuck Berry. Elvis may be the king, but Chuck is the father of rock and roll. There may be older aunts and uncles; there are grandparents and great-grandparents; but you would be hard pressed to put together an argument for anyone else as the father of rock and roll.

Plus, it's Bob Seger. Over time it will become obvious that the most influential rock musician in my younger days (and even today, if we talk rock music) was Bob Seger. "Night Moves" made me nostalgic for a time that hadn't even happened yet in my life. "Beautiful Loser" became a reminder that "you just can't have it all" at a time when I thought maybe you could. "Boomtown Blues" was the soundtrack of my early career and "Coming Home" would later echo with truth as well.

So, if you read this regularly, you will hear about Bob a lot. But also Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, The Eagles, Pat Benatar, CSN (and sometimes Y), REO Speedwagon, Kansas, Boston, and many more. We'll eat "American Pie" and be guided by "Radar Love" as we ride along in a "Taxi." We'll remember that "Lonely Is the Night" while we consider the "Magic Power" that music has in our lives.

But the place to start, it seems to me, is where I recall it starting for me. So that's in a pool hall where a character named Big Jim Walker is shooting pool, when another character, named Willie McCoy walks in. But that's for next time.