takin' a walk – This Week in Music History for the week of 11-17

Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs (“Master of Music Mayhem”)
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this lively weekly roundup, Buzz Knight and Harry Jacobs revisit musical milestones, legendary albums, odd pop culture moments, and personal memories from the week of November 17 in music history. The episode’s tone is both reverential and relaxed, as the duo bounces between deep dives into iconic records—like Pink Floyd’s The Wall—and good-natured tangents about time zones, sticky notes, and how classic rock icons have aged. Whether discussing the impact of MTV’s Thriller premiere or sharing behind-the-scenes stories of Queen and David Bowie, Buzz and Harry invite listeners to join them for a reflective, sometimes humorous look at the music that shaped generations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pink Floyd – The Wall (Released November 17, 1979)

[02:11-04:56]

• Harry calls The Wall “epic on many levels,” discussing its primary authorship by Roger Waters and inspiration from feelings of alienation during the Animals tour.
• The album was recorded in seven studios across France, England, and LA: “As you can probably imagine, given how technical their music is, the sessions were really intense.” – Harry [02:52]
• Pink Floyd fired their keyboardist Richard Wright but then hired him back as a session player: “You’re out of the band, but we’re going to pay you a thousand bucks a week to come play your keyboard parts.” – Harry [03:46]
• The live shows, featuring the physical construction of “the wall” on stage, are described as “pretty epic”:

  “As angry as I was at Roger Waters, I couldn’t stay away from that show.” – Harry [04:23]

2. The Infamous Star Wars Holiday Special (Aired November 17, 1978)

[05:32-06:35]

• Neither host claims to be a “Star Wars or sci-fi person.”
• The 1978 holiday special is described as a “nightmare to the loyalists and something that's kind of a stain on the franchise.” – Harry [05:48]
• Hilarity at the oddity of a “Christmas special with R2D2 and Chewbacca... and Darth Vader.”

3. Neil Young, Danny Whitten & “The Needle and the Damage Done”

[06:35-07:07]

• Marking Whitten’s death (Nov 18), Harry notes it “inspired the song Needle and the Damage Done.”
• Buzz calls it “not a toe tapper, but a great song.” [07:01]
• Harry points out Jewel’s cover, while Buzz declares “I’m a Neil guy. I wasn’t always. I love Neil.” [07:08]

4. Tangent: Time Zones and the Age of the Railroads

[07:14-08:21]

• Harry riffs on time zones, revealing US and Canadian railroads standardized them in the late 1800s:

  “Imagine how confusing was that. And it was industry really coming to save the government from itself.” – Harry [07:51]

• Side note: The hosts marvel at the complexity of Australian time zones and joke about sticky notes vs. yellow legal pads.

5. U2’s Achtung Baby (Released November 19, 1991)

[08:52-09:08]

• Harry calls it “more of an experimental era for them,” and both hosts express their enjoyment.

6. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy Goes 11× Platinum (November 19, 1973)

[09:08-09:37]

• Harry highlights tracks: “The Rain Song, obviously a great song. Song Remains the Same, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Crunge—another odd, quick song. Like Hot Dog or whatever...” [09:23]
• The Rain Song is called “a beautiful, epic guitar piece.”

7. The Who – Quadrophenia (US Release: November 20, 1973)

[09:46-10:54]

• Noted for its conceptual scope: Each album side represents a different personality aspect of the main character (and, humorously, each band member).
• Harry: “This is a long way from Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy.” [10:43]
• Buzz and Harry acknowledge The Who’s creative ambition and complexity.

8. Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend Today

[10:55-11:16]

• Harry mentions seeing Daltrey and Townshend recently, marveling at their continued performance abilities in their eighties.

  “They still look good. They still sound good. I don’t know how many tours they have left in them.” – Harry [11:07]
  “Roger made some comments recently just how he felt he was going to die at a young age… It was really the vision he was focused on, but sad to see him talk that way.” – Buzz [11:16]

9. MTV Premieres Michael Jackson’s Thriller Video (November 20, 1983)

[12:10-12:24]

• Acknowledgement of MJ’s groundbreaking visual, calling it “a creepy, fun music video” and utterly game-changing.

10. Elton John’s “Your Song” & Queen + David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”

[12:24-13:40]

• Elton John’s “Your Song” entered US charts Nov 21, 1970.

• “Under Pressure” debuted; Harry relays a story about Jon Bon Jovi being an intern in the studio the day Freddie Mercury and David Bowie recorded the song:

  “He says he looked into the recording studio and saw David Bowie and Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure. Over the years, he had to ask people if he was doing some revisionist history in his head. But Bon Jovi was there for Under Pressure.” – Harry [13:15-13:40]

11. The Beatles’ White Album (Nov 22, 1968, UK) & Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy (Nov 22, 1994)

[13:44-14:25]

• The White Album’s anniversary is marked.
• Vitalogy release sequence: “album came out first and... two weeks before the CD came out.”

12. Remembering John F. Kennedy (Assassinated Nov 22, 1963)

[14:22-14:31]

• The significance of the date is solemnly acknowledged:

  “And that was a dark day for sure, that November 22nd day for sure.” – Buzz [14:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I use the word epic a lot, but it was pretty epic.”
  – Harry, on seeing Roger Waters perform The Wall live [04:23]

• “Star Wars Holiday Special aired on CBS. It aired once and only once, and it sent the Star Wars fans and critics out into this tailspin because it was awful.”
  – Harry [05:43]

• “Not a toe tapper, but it’s a great song.”
  – Buzz, on “Needle and the Damage Done” [07:01]

• “Sticky notes is indicative of a problem. My yellow pad is still reasonable. Sticky pads, they go everywhere.”
  – Harry [08:30]

• “They still look good. They still sound good. I don’t know how many tours they have left in them.”
  – Harry, on The Who [11:07]

• “He looked into the studio and saw David Bowie and Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure. Bon Jovi was there for Under Pressure.”
  – Harry [13:15-13:40]

Key Timestamps

• [02:11] – Pink Floyd’s The Wall release & band drama
• [05:32] – Star Wars Holiday Special
• [06:35] – Danny Whitten’s passing, Neil Young’s tribute
• [07:14] – Sidebar: Time zones and railroads
• [08:52] – U2’s Achtung Baby
• [09:08] – Houses of the Holy 11× platinum
• [09:46] – The Who’s Quadrophenia and its deep concept
• [10:55] – Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend’s longevity
• [12:10] – Michael Jackson’s Thriller video premiere
• [12:24] – Elton John’s “Your Song”; Queen & Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and Bon Jovi’s story
• [13:44] – Beatles’ White Album, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy
• [14:22] – JFK assassination mention; episode wrap-up

Tone and Language

The conversation is knowledgeable, informal, and warm, featuring friendly jibes, asides about day-to-day life, and genuine admiration for the artistry and endurance of musical legends. Both hosts expertly weave trivia, personal anecdotes, and broader cultural observations together for a relaxed yet informative roundup.

Summary Usefulness:
Ideal for music buffs, classic rock fans, or anyone seeking a weekly refresher on iconic music history moments—complete with context, behind-the-scenes stories, and good humor.