Mick and the PhatMan Talking Music
Join Mick and Jeff as they talk about artists, albums and music genres with passion that comes from personal connection. They’ve seen artists in concert at venues that don’t even exist today, bought albums when they were released on vinyl and, in some cases, met the artists.
Sometimes they love the artist or music they're talking about. Sometimes they don’t. But, without fail, you'll always hear something you didn’t know.
Episodes
109 episodes
What does outrageous look and sound like? The Skyhooks episode.
In the mid-70's, one of our most outrageous bands burst out of Melbourne ready to shock a relatively conservative Australian society. With wild costumes & makeup, songs touching on drugs, sexuality and masturbation, and R...
Split Enz – One of Australia's favourite NZ bands
One of NZ’s best-ever band exports is Split Enz. Formed in the 70’s, Split Enz’ intelligent pop music made them one of our top bands for over a decade, and still beloved today. We look at how they got started and some highlight...
A Galaxy of Great Guest Appearances
This episode, we look at guest appearances. From Duane Allman playing the famous lead on “Layla”, to Bob Seger doing backing vocals on The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight”. It’s all here, from a moment in the studio to creation of an ins...
One Album Wonders
Sometimes, bands release only one album – no follow-up, no nothing! Some are great. Some, not so much. This episode, we look at a bunch of what we’re calling “One-Album-Wonders". In 1975, Aerosmith released their breakthrough ...
Linda Ronstadt - A 70s' Rock Goddess
Linda Ronstadt has been described as the most successful and certainly the most durable and most gifted woman rock singer of her era. We look at her impact on music (and us!). Our "Album You Must Listen to Before You Die" is 1...
The Changing Role of Soundtracks
When we watch movies & shows at the movies or, increasingly, on TV, the soundtrack is ever-present to set the mood and enhance the story. But we never stop to consider its’ role, how it’s changed over the years, and how it interacts w...
Great double albums of the 80’s
In Season 5 (2025), we talked about how double albums came about, and talked about some of the best double albums of the 70’s. This episode, we look at some of the best double albums of the 80’s. Our Album You Must Liste...
Supergroups - who and what they are
We’re back again for another year and kicking off by looking at supergroups – that “elite” class of rock bands made up of members of other top bands! What they are, how they form, and shining examples! Our “Album You Must Hear...
Oh No! Not Christmas music again!!
A quick final episode to see out the year! Christmas is many things to many people. To us, it’s a chance to talk about themed music, or, in this case, movies that fit the theme. We talk ab...
We made it to 100 Episodes!!
Well, we made it! 100 episodes & still going strong! (Except for a bit of a medical interlude for both of us.) Who’d have thought the views of a pair of opinionated Aussie music fans could have entertained so many for so long...
Stop Your Sobbin’ - The Pretenders
In this episode, we look at The Pretenders – where they started (& before they started!), the tragedies, and what’s happening these days. From the Kent State shootings to mid-70's punk, it’s a fascinating ride!&nb...
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
A special episode today to look at the huge amount of people who’ve recently died. Obviously, Ozzy Osbourne is the most well-known, but there’s gonna be a queue a mile long at the Pearly Gates as they try to process everyone!&n...
The Rise of the Double Album!
Is a double album a record label cash grab, or a way to deliver great music that can't be contained within the usual confines of a single LP? The double album has been both. This episode, we look at how the double album came to be, a...
The Tall Poppy Syndrome
Just because you’re successful doesn’t mean everyone likes you. In fact, success can often draw criticisms that might not be given to other performers. In Australia, we call that the “Tall Poppy Syndrome”, where people lo...
Warren Zevon – Finally inducted into the Hall of Fame!!
A while back, we talked at length about Warren Zevon, one of the great American songwriters and one of our idols. So, this year, Warren Zevon has been inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, along with Bad Company and Cyndi...
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - More than Come Up and See Me!
The late Steve Harley was most famous for his 1975 hit Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me), but there’s much more to the story than one good single. We look at the band’s early albums and Steve Harley's career around and after that single ...
How we developed our musical tastes.
Why do you like the music you do? Is it as simple as “It’s what I heard on the radio”? Or something deeper? People with elder siblings may be exposed to music earlier than first children. Jeff had an older brother, so wa...
Legendary Women of Rock – Patti Smith & Marianne Faithfull
This episode, we look back at two hugely influential women artists – Patti Smith, whose 1975 “Horses” album inspired so many artists, and Marianne Faithfull, whose passing in January, 2025, is a huge loss. “Horses”,...
More of our Rob Younger interview (with better sound) (#2)
Part 2 of our fascinating conversation with Radio Birdman's Rob Younger. From music production styles, to why some people can't keep it in their pants, and the disgraceful lack of credit given to Stevie Wright for the success of The Easyb...
A conversation with Radio Birdman's Rob Younger
A special treat for you this episode! Rob Younger, lead singer of legendary Australian group, Radio /Birdman, joins us in the studio to give us his thoughts on everything from music production to the influence of the Beatles on all rock m...
Who's brave enough to cover Bowie's "Heroes"?
In case you hadn’t noticed, we love a good cover version! This episode, we’re looking at covers - staples, covers from strange sources, and some songs that have had a LOT of covers, including a bunch of covers of David Bowie's “Heroes”, one of ...
Great Debut Albums
Every band/artist has to have a first album. Sometimes those albums are good, sometimes they’re not, and sometimes they just show potential. This episode, we look at some first albums over the gamut of the rock era that we regard as...
2024 - Wrapping up another year of great stories & music!
Well, this is the last episode of Season 4, and once again, it’s been a ball of fun (and music). 4 years and still going strong – bigger and better than ever! We look back at “Knockin’ on Heaven's Door” and "Rock News", as well as s...
Creedence Clearwater Revival – what really happened?
Everyone knows and loves Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their run of hits at the end of the '60’s, and their enduring popularity, has rarely been equaled. Not so well-known is the story of the clashes that caused their run to end so abruptly. We...