Takin’ a Walk: This Week in Music History for the Week of 10-27

Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs
Date: October 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging “Music History on Foot” installment of Takin’ a Walk, host Buzz Knight and guest Harry Jacobs delve into landmark moments in music during the week of October 27. Blending rich anecdotes, personal reflections, and fascinating trivia, they spotlight the anniversaries of iconic songs, legendary artists, and the lasting impact of musical innovators. The episode maintains a warm, bantering tone, filled with music geekery, affectionate ribbing, and nostalgia for classic rock radio’s glory days.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spirit of “Rocktober” (02:28 – 05:22)

• Radio Memories: The show opens with Buzz and Harry reminiscing about how October became "Rocktober" in rock radio culture, thanks to creative programmers.
  • Buzz: “My fondest memory of Rocktober wasn’t as a programmer. My fondest memory of Rocktober was as a DJ at 1027 WNEW FM, because that station blew up Rocktober.” (02:54)
  • Big Promotions: The duo laughs over wild prizes (like winning a Porsche) and legendary on-air events like the “shootout at the Hard Rock Café.”
• Surreal Encounters: Buzz recalls the unforgettable moment of seeing Billy Joel and Frank Zappa arriving at a radio promo event together (04:50).
  • Harry: “I was going to say, like Phil Donahue and Ozzy Osbourne...”
  • Buzz: “Billy Joel and Frank Zappa.” (04:57)

2. Lou Reed’s Legacy (05:21 – 07:12)

• Lou Reed’s Passing: They mark the 2013 death of Lou Reed and discuss his outsized influence on punk and alternative rock, especially within New York’s music scene.
  • Harry: “I was never a huge Lou Reed fan, but he was a very influential figure for not only punk music, but just the music scene in general, especially in New York.” (05:22)
• Appreciation in Later Years: Buzz recounts how his appreciation for Reed grew, notably through Reed’s collaborations with avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson and the enduring resonance of songs like “Dirty Boulevard” and “Sweet Jane.”
• Reflections on Artist Interviews: The hosts muse about Reed’s reputation as a difficult interview subject.
  • Harry: “He was not the affable, you know, fun... He wasn’t the Tom Hanks of the music industry.” (07:05)

3. Steely Dan’s “Do It Again” and the Yacht Rock Debate (07:23 – 14:54)

• Release of “Do It Again” (1972): Recognized as a musical game-changer, blending jazz, fusion, and rock, and achieving crossover chart success.
  • Harry: “It was so different musically. When you think about the different sound, especially in that song… It was just a very different… But they were just so different.” (07:23)
• Song Meaning: “Do It Again” is revealed as Donald Fagen’s autobiographical meditation on self-destructive behavior.
  • Harry: “Go back Jack, do it again. Like you didn’t learn the first time, you didn’t learn the second time...” (08:12)
• Yacht Rock Label – Controversy: Harry labels Steely Dan as “the original yacht rock guys.” Buzz pushes back—“Lyrically and musically... you can’t to this day compare their sound to anything else.” (09:04)
  • Buzz: “I push back on the yacht rock thing only because I’m a big Steely Dan fan... Even though they are part of that... packaging... I don’t think of them that way.” (09:09)
• Inside the Band’s Creative Process: The elaborate recording sessions, lineup changes, and stories from the Aja album documentary are discussed.
  • Harry: “It’s just so fascinating... to realize how utterly complex the music is, especially as someone who plays a little guitar... This is so far over most people’s heads.” (11:28)
• Live Performance Experiences: Both agree Steely Dan’s live shows were musically impressive but “snoozers” as entertainment.
  • Buzz: “Snoozer of a show… But it didn’t change my opinion of the band.” (12:51)
  • Harry: “When you go see Steely Dan... you’re seeing music nerds be music nerds and they’re brilliant music nerds… but these are not guys that are comfortable being rock stars.” (13:20)
• Book Recommendation: Buzz suggests the biography Night Fly: The Life of Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen to understand Fagen’s “tortured artist” persona.

4. The Tragic Death of Duane Allman (14:59 – 16:18)

• Anniversary of Duane Allman’s Death (1971): The conversation turns somber, recounting Allman’s fatal motorcycle crash at 24.
  • Harry: “He crashed into a flatbed truck in Macon, Georgia. Huge loss.” (15:57)
• Myth-busting: Harry quizzes Buzz on whether “Eat a Peach” was named after the accident—turns out, it wasn’t, showcasing the persistent myths around music lore.

5. Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” – A Song Like No Other (16:18 – 22:18)

• Release and Impact (1975): Celebrating the groundbreaking nature of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and its pioneering music video.
  • Harry: “This thing was epic on so many levels. Think about the operatic sound. Think about the fact that the video... was done years before MTV.” (16:18)
• Studio War Stories: Harry shares that it took three weeks just to record the opera section, with Brian May and Roger Taylor overdubbing for 10–12 hours a day.
  • Harry: “There are 180 separate vocal overdubs on that song stacked one over another... The tape had been used so much that when they were done with it, it was practically see through.” (20:33)
• Modern Performance News: Buzz asks if “Bohemian Rhapsody” was recently performed by the surviving Queen members with a full orchestra for the first time.
  • Harry (after live research): “Brian May, Roger Taylor performed Bohemian Rhapsody with the full orchestra ... at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. September ... 2025.” (19:42)
• Label Reluctance: EMI originally hated the song’s length and complexity, doubting its radio success.
  • Harry: “You didn’t get a hit single out of a six minute song.” (21:38)

6. Cream’s Final US Tour (22:18 – 22:51)

• Cream’s Last Hurrah (1967): The episode closes by noting the start of Cream’s final US tour, marking the end of a legendary partnership—cut short by internal conflict and drug use.
  • Buzz: “It was fizzling.”—“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” (22:41)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Rocktober:

  “If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it bigger and more badass than anybody else.”
  —Buzz (03:49)

• On Lou Reed’s Interview Style:

  “He was not the affable ... He wasn’t the Tom Hanks of the music industry.” —Harry (07:05)

• Personal Steely Dan Live Review:

  “Snoozer of a show… But it didn’t change my opinion of the band.”
  —Buzz (12:51)

• Harry’s Live Show Advice:

  “You’re seeing music nerds be music nerds... But these are not guys that are comfortable being rock stars.”
  —Harry (13:20)

• Bohemian Rhapsody Studio Fact:

  “There are 180 separate vocal overdubs on that song stacked one over another... The tape had been used so much that when they were done with it, it was practically see through.”
  —Harry (20:33)

• Queen’s First-Ever Orchestral Performance:

  “Brian May, Roger Taylor performed Bohemian Rhapsody with the full orchestra ... at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. September ... 2025.”
  —Harry (19:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rocktober and radio antics: 02:28–05:22
• Lou Reed’s influence and memory: 05:21–07:12
• Steely Dan deep dive, yacht rock, and live shows: 07:23–14:54
• Duane Allman’s tragic passing: 14:59–16:18
• Bohemian Rhapsody’s creation and impact: 16:18–22:18
• Cream’s final US tour: 22:18–22:51

Tone & Style Notes

• The episode is rich with storytelling, friendly debate, and technical music appreciation, keeping a conversational and nostalgic tone.
• The hosts’ rapport is lively and full of humorous asides, making music history both accessible and deeply engaging.

Takeaway

For music lovers and rock history buffs, this episode provides an insightful, personable, and occasionally hilarious walk through pivotal moments in music, demonstrating how the culture, characters, and creativity of past decades still resonate today.