This Week in Music History on the "takin 'a walk" podcast 3-10

Summary

Podcast Summary: This Week in Music History on "Takin' a Walk" Podcast Episode 3-10

Title: This Week in Music History
Host: Buzz Knight (Harry Jacobs)
Guests: Matt
Release Date: March 10, 2025
Podcast: "Takin' a Walk" by iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction to the Episode
Timestamp: [02:40]

The episode commences with Buzz Knight welcoming listeners to another installment of "This Week in Music History." Buzz, alongside his co-host Matt, sets the stage for a deep dive into significant events that occurred during the week of March 10th in various years, blending music history with cultural anecdotes.

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Van Halen's Pivotal Year: 1984
Timestamp: [03:42] - [06:40]

Buzz Jacobs opens the discussion by focusing on Van Halen's seminal year, particularly the release of their album "1984." He passionately argues that this album marked the end of the classic Van Halen era. Jacobs states, “This was the end of Van Halen, the Van Halen we knew” ([03:42]). He criticizes the shift in their music style, noting that tracks like "Jump" deviated from their original rock essence to a more pop-oriented sound.

Matt concurs, highlighting the internal and external pressures the band faced: “Maybe on the first front, look when bands either through their own internal discussions or label executives or producers or A and R people decide, look, our strategy means we need to get top 40 airplay” ([05:24]). The conversation delves into the impact of David Lee Roth's evolving persona, which Matt believes led to the band's decline: “Roth came back a lounge singer, and he's horrific now” ([05:24]).

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “Jump was just really kind of poppy and it was out of character. Think about what we were used to at that time” ([04:06])

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The Who's Innovative Performance at the Metropolitan Opera House
Timestamp: [06:40] - [07:40]

Shifting focus, Buzz and Matt reminisce about The Who's groundbreaking performance in 1971 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Buzz emphasizes the band's avant-garde approach, stating, “The opera with Tommy certainly ahead of its time” ([06:41]). They compare this event to later symphonic collaborations, underscoring The Who’s pioneering spirit in blending rock with classical venues.

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “The who... were ahead of their time. And the fact that they got to play the Metropolitan Opera Houses at that time was really cool” ([07:14])

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Live Aid Announcement: A Historic Musical Event
Timestamp: [07:40] - [09:14]

Buzz brings up the announcement of Live Aid on March 13, 1985, highlighting its monumental scale and impact. He reflects on the star-studded performances and the sheer ambition behind the event: “Live Aid was a monster, right? London and Philadelphia and...” ([07:40]). Matt adds personal anecdotes about the organizers, particularly Bob Geldof’s role, and expresses awe at the coordination and legacy of Live Aid.

Key Quote:
Matt: “It was a spectacle beyond belief. And I think it's fun to go back into, like, the YouTube rabbit hole and find some of those performances” ([10:15])

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U2’s "The Joshua Tree" and Iconic Performances
Timestamp: [09:14] - [14:26]

The conversation shifts to U2’s iconic album "The Joshua Tree," released on March 14, 1987. Buzz and Matt share personal memories and the cultural significance of the album. Buzz recounts a memorable rooftop performance tribute to The Beatles, expressing nostalgia and the emotional impact it had: “...seeing that playing in LA and kind of the crowd, the whole video thing with the police showing up...” ([11:24]).

Matt discusses his professional connection with Carter Allen, author of a book on U2, and reflects on the band’s enduring influence: “...the band would sleep on Carter's floor. They were coming through town” ([12:53]).

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “...a song that they performed at Foxborough at Gillette Stadium... Let the bells ring” ([13:37])

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The Allman Brothers and Fillmore East Performances
Timestamp: [15:01] - [19:25]

Buzz delves into the Allman Brothers Band's legendary performances at the Fillmore East starting March 16, 1971. He shares a personal story about meeting Bill Graham, the legendary promoter, recalling Graham’s favorite Allman Brothers performance: “...they played until you saw the sunlight come through the windows. It was just like church” ([16:00]).

Matt adds context about the band’s internal struggles, particularly the toxic relationship between Greg Allman and Dickie Betts, attributing their eventual fallout to substance abuse and personal conflicts: “...the abuse aspect which crossed the line” ([18:47]).

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “They went through so much shit in the 70s. And it just got to the point where that relationship was so toxic and had deteriorated” ([17:32])

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Technological Reflections: Alexander Graham Bell’s Legacy
Timestamp: [19:25] - [22:02]

Transitioning to broader cultural reflections, Buzz and Matt contemplate the impact of Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone on modern society. They discuss the paradox of technology facilitating connection while also fostering dependency on devices: “...the Infinite scroll is the one that I want to hold responsible for the lack of human connection” ([20:16]).

Buzz shares a practical approach to combating phone addiction during social gatherings: “...put your phones in the center of the table. And the first one that touches their phone while we're having lunch buys lunch” ([21:34]).

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “It's heroin. It's the opioid of the social world” ([21:43])

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The Sopranos Final Episode and Its Cultural Impact
Timestamp: [22:02] - [30:59]

The episode concludes with an in-depth discussion about the final episode of "The Sopranos," which aired on March 4, 2004. Buzz expresses his disappointment with the ambiguous ending, feeling it left too much to the imagination: “I did. It really was me, too. To me. Yeah, there's a lot that's out there now...” ([25:24]).

Matt counters by praising "Breaking Bad" for providing a more satisfying conclusion, sparking a friendly debate about the merits of both finales. They reflect on the enduring legacy of "The Sopranos" and its influence on television storytelling: “But as I reflect on it, when you think about... maybe this was the best course just to get people scratching their head talking about it for. We're still talking about it” ([27:07]).

Key Quote:
Harry Jacobs: “I would like to hire a mediator at this point, a cultural mediator. But I would say that Breaking Bad tied everything up in a bow for us” ([27:30])

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Closing Remarks and Future Topics
Timestamp: [30:44] - [31:24]

As the episode wraps up, Buzz reflects on the illustrious career of Gene Hackman, mentioning recent news about his passing and his contributions to the entertainment industry. He hints at future discussions, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding Hackman’s death, promising listeners more engaging content in upcoming episodes: “...we can touch on as a moment of current talk because everybody's talking about that terrible story” ([30:59]).

Key Quote:
Buzz Knight: “My God, what an amazing career Gene Hackman had” ([30:44])

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Conclusion

This episode of "Takin' a Walk" masterfully intertwines music history with personal anecdotes and cultural commentary. From Van Halen's transformative years to The Who's groundbreaking performances, and reflections on technological impacts and iconic television finales, Buzz Knight and Matt provide listeners with a rich, engaging exploration of significant moments in music and beyond.

Notable Quotes Recap:

1. Harry Jacobs on Van Halen's "Jump":
   “Jump was just really really poppy and it was out of character. Think about what we were used to at that time” ([04:06])

2. Buzz on The Who's Opera Performance:
   “The who... were ahead of their time. And the fact that they got to play the Metropolitan Opera Houses at that time was really cool” ([07:14])

3. Matt on Live Aid's Spectacle:
   “It was a spectacle beyond belief. And I think it's fun to go back into, like, the YouTube rabbit hole and find some of those performances” ([10:15])

4. Harry Jacobs on Phone Addiction:
   “It's heroin. It's the opioid of the social world” ([21:43])

5. Buzz on "The Sopranos" Finale:
   “I would like to hire a mediator at this point, a cultural mediator. But I would say that Breaking Bad tied everything up in a bow for us” ([27:30])

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Listen to the Episode:
For those who haven't tuned in, "This Week in Music History" offers a comprehensive and entertaining look into pivotal moments that have shaped the music landscape. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms as part of the iHeartPodcast network.

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to focus solely on the rich discussions and insights shared by Buzz Knight and Matt.

Transcript

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[Matt]

Hi, I'm Matt. And I'm Leah and we're from the.

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Grown Up Stuff podcast.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And just in time for tax season. On this week's episode, we're chatting with CPA Lisa Green Lewis about how small businesses can tackle their taxes using TurboTax Business.

[Matt]

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Listen to grown up stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Matt]

Well, hi, I'm Buzz Knight, the host of the Taking a Walk podcast. And welcome to another look at this Week in Music History for the week of March 10th. And we go to the Taking a Walk music history desk. He is a masterful guitar hack, but we won't start. He's also the purveyor purveyor of all things music history. I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't have busted you up that early on musician, music fan, media executive Harry Jacobs at the Taking a Walk music history desk. Good to see you, my friend.

[Harry Jacobs]

It's like a whack over the head with a sledgehammer right away. But I guess I asked for it, right? Last week I asked for it. I said, I like to be referred to as a master hack guitar player.

[Matt]

So I see you think I'm barely paying attention now. You know, that's really true.

[Harry Jacobs]

I have this friend from Brockton, Mass. Who one of his famous sayings is, I never gave anything to anyone they didn't have coming to him. And I believe I had that one coming. The great.

[Matt]

There you go.

[Harry Jacobs]

So, yeah.

[Matt]

All right. What do you got for the week of March 10th?

[Harry Jacobs]

We got a lot, and I'm glad you're. You're starting right away. March 10, 1984, Van Halen released 1984 jump, Panama. Unbelievable album, but in. In a lot of ways. And hear me out on this. This was the end of Van Halen, the Van Halen we knew. And I can explain or you can disagree or.

[Matt]

Well, are you saying when something became too pop sounding, too soft sounding too, hey, we just want top 40 airplay sounding. Is that where you're going, Harry?

[Harry Jacobs]

I'm going two places. First is that one. So we're thinking the same way. I thought, you know, Jump in particular, I thought Jump was just really kind of poppy and it was out of character. Think about what we were used to at that time. And the Cradle Will Rock, Beautiful Girls. Somebody get me a doctor. You know, the list goes on. Those first couple albums were just, you know, amazing. And even the third one I thought was great. But this one, certainly with Jump, got a little bit poppy, but. But more so. What I'm referring to is that it was the end of David Lee Roth for. For a time. And. And the band, even when they got back together with Roth in 2011 or 2012, the band was never the same. Roth came back a lounge singer, and he's horrific now. And I was a huge Van Halen fan, but he just got goofy. Got really goofy, and it was tough to take.

[Matt]

My opinion, I would agree with you on both fronts. Maybe on the first front, look when bands either through their own internal discussions or label executives or producers or A and R people decide, look, our strategy means we need to get top 40 airplay, which back then was something completely different than now, top 40 airplay. That I'm sure was a big debate, you know, in the boardrooms of Warner Brother Records, right to. And probably debated back and forth to determine whether that was going to be harmful to the Van Halen brand. I think they survived that aspect of it, with that coming out that way, but could not survive the shtick aspect, which David seemed to be leaning into in a big way, and then ultimately would become that, you know, caricature of himself as a lounge singer.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, I think it's a great way to put it. I mean, he really did become a caricature of himself, and it's a shame because his voice remains even to. To this day, so powerful.

[Matt]

Yep.

[Harry Jacobs]

It's just crazy what, you know, what ended up happening to. To them and. And, of course, just, you know, what happened to Eddie, you know, awful. Just so there you go. Anyway, 1984, Van Halen. In 1971, the whole. Became the first rock band to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Another band, you know, not. Certainly not like the Beatles or Beach Boys in terms of production, but, you know, the opera with. With Tommy certainly ahead of its time, and I don't think anyone's done anything with it yet. The closest we've seen is, you know, symphonic stuff, you know, Foreigner or. Yes. Or others that have played with sticks, you know, have played with. With an orchestra. So the who, in. In that way, many ways, but in. In that way, certainly were ahead of their time. And the fact that they got to play the Metropolitan Opera Houses at that time was really cool.

[Matt]

Yeah, I think that is cool. And I think. I think the who, you know, never afraid to push a boundary whatsoever, kind of like. And by the way, you know, facing that competition among, you know, the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, you know, and then I don't think there was ever a period where the who looked at it and said, well, we're, you know, third or fourth on this pedestal of. Of rock band titans from, you know, from England that they just did their thing. And that's what I loved about him. They were really sort of, you know, not phased by critical analysis.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, amazing. Anyway, and, you know, Roger Daltrey is one of those guys, you know, he's got the mind of a steel trap. I don't know if you've ever seen anything, but he'll go and. And. And play. Like they'll get ready to. To. To do rehearsals for a tour. And a lot of guys keep their song books around. They keep the, you know, we call it, you know, Million Dollar Karaoke because they have their little screens on the floor, you know, at their feet to help them with the lyrics. Daltry remembers every single thing, every Single lyric. Even now at, you know, almost 80 years old. Do you have anything you would like to share with me? I know that Roger Daltrey is available for interviews. Are there any rumors floating around or is there anything at all that. That. That you can tell me? I don't want to, you know, get it, get out over my skis, but.

[Matt]

Well, I can tell you is Simon Davies, who runs Teen Cancer America for Roger Daltrey. And Pete Townsend has been on the Music Saved Me podcast and is a delightful man and he likes what we're doing. And how about I just leave it at that?

[Harry Jacobs]

Okay. I appreciate being vague. March 13, 1985, Live Aid was announced and. And it eventually happened on July 13th. And this was a monster, right? London and Philadelphia and, you know, Phil Collins playing both shows and Led Zeppelin getting back together and just a. A laundry list of folks that played that show, both of those shows. That was something else. Think about Mark Knopfler, right? And Phil Collins. Phil Collins played. Played for Zeppelin, played for Mark Knopfler, I think. I mean, maybe with Clapton, there was a lot going on.

[Matt]

Yeah, I have chills just thinking about, in general, you know, both. Both versions of it here and abroad. You know, the list of people, how special Bob Geldorf was to put that together. For those that don't know, Bob was the leader of a band called the Boomtown Rats, which had a song called I Don't Like Mondays and put the live A together with M Y, who I believe, if I'm not mistaken, led the band Ultravox. I. I believe I'm correct on that. And. And may still be around Midge doing some things solo, but so many iconic performances, some bad ones along the way too. But it was. It was a spectacle beyond belief. And I think it's fun to go back into, like, the YouTube rabbit hole and find some of those performances to look at from. From either, you know, here in the States or, you know, over in England, because it was a historic event.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, I thought it was just, you know, like everyone else, it was. It was a monster. So great to see. March 14, 1987. You know, this is one of these dates and one of these albums that I remember where I was when it came out. I remember the hoopla that surrounded it, but the Joshua Tree came out and. And this is when you two did their rooftop, their tip of the hat to the Beatles, right? And remember seeing. Seeing that playing in. In LA and kind of the crowd, the whole video thing with the police showing up and, you know, it was Just to me, that was one of those things. Even to this day, it gives me chills to think about that video and, and how important that music was to me at that time.

[Matt]

Yeah. And that album still stands up. It's still a terrific album to, to go back and check out. I mean, it's, I think, one best, maybe, in my opinion, maybe their best. And you and I fortunate over, you know, part of our career to work with Carter Allen, who came over to work with us at WZLX from his time at WBCN. And he had written the book about U2. And I guess as legend has it, the band would, you know, sleep on Carter's floor. They were coming through town, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Interesting. I have a, I have a signed copy of that book, by the way, from Carter. Wasn't tough to get. I just had to walk it into him. But yeah, there is a. There's a song that they performed at Foxborough at Gillette Stadium, and, and I, it. The song escapes me now. I, I should have thought about this before, but in the middle of the song, Let the Bells Ring Edge. Let the bells ring. And then as he's singing, he sings about Carter Allen. Oh, man. And it would be worth putting a call into Carter. I haven't talked to him and, you know, he came to visit in Vegas 20 years ago to find out what that was. But I can't imagine if you're Carter Allen sitting in the crowd and hearing Bono sing your name. Carter Allen was in what was at the foreground as a jock. It's one thing to have a radio station that's behind you, but, you know, Carter was inspirational. That was an unbelievable album that was obviously, you know, five years after war, I believe, and just incredible.

[Matt]

And Carter is simply one of the best human beings on the face of the earth.

[Harry Jacobs]

So, yeah. 1972, March 15th. John and Yoko were served with deportation orders by Tricky Dick, the, The Nixon administration. And, and this is, you know, this was on the heels of their activism and their artistic impressionism. Right.

[Matt]

And activism was really their, you know, vocal protest, you know, about the war. And, and, and obviously that was the, the focal point of it. But Tricky Dick strikes again.

[Harry Jacobs]

And, and, and I'm glad to report or puzzled to report or troubled to report that that battle between the left and the right for art and expression and activism and, and the rights position is still alive and well in this country.

[Matt]

Yeah, right. It's alive.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. Maybe not. Well, yeah. In 1971, March 16th, the Allman Brothers began recording their legendary at the Fillmore east shows. Series of shows.

[Matt]

Oh, I love the Allman Brothers Band. Love them to death. So I was at the Grammys in New York City. Oh, I feel like it was in the early 90s, maybe. I see Bill Graham, the legendary promoter, purveyor of all at the Fillmore east and west manager. I see him at an area where I was able to go up and be the nagging interviewer.

[Harry Jacobs]

Sure. And so me and you get me, right?

[Matt]

So I cut. I go up and I say, explain to him why I was there, that I was part of a bunch of radio stations that were doing Grammy broadcast and Grammy coverage. And so he says, well, why do you want to talk to me? I said, because you're Bill Graham. And he said, yeah, but so what? What? I mean, why are you asking me? He was just being so incredibly difficult, beyond belief. This went on for, it seemed like, for five minutes, but it was probably only for 45 seconds of him, you know, pushing back at why I'm even approaching him. So my question was, Bill, greatest performance that you remember of a band at the Fillmore east in New York? I didn't say either Fillmore. I figured since we were in New York City, I would focus on the Fillmore east in New York. He pauses for a second, and he says. And he. He named the date. I don't remember the exact date. He said it was the Allman Brothers Band. This was the 11:30 show they played. Because they would do two shows at the Fillmore. Eight, like eight and 11:30. So it was the 11:30 show. He said they played until you saw the sunlight come through the windows. It was just like church. And then he walks away.

[Harry Jacobs]

Isn't that interesting? What an experience that must have been.

[Matt]

So he gave me the toughest time, but he gave the best quote.

[Harry Jacobs]

I love that I have a little Allman Brothers dirt. I got to witness a little bit of it, but I.

[Matt]

Does it involve Cher?

[Harry Jacobs]

No, not involved. Share. But, you know, this. The. The issues between Greg and Dickie, between Greg Allman and Dickie Betts were notorious. And they didn't talk for a long time. You know, they would go out on the road. Imagine that, you know, you're on a bus or buses, and. And you've got to deal with rehearsals or whatever. They. At times, they had an intermediary that would go, you know, an intern, an assistant, you know, whatever that would say, well, Dickie wants to do this. Well, Greg wants to do this. And Greg says, you know, they couldn't talk. They went through so much. Excuse me. They went through so much shit, you know, in the 70s. And it just got to the point where that relationship was so toxic and had deteriorated. I'd love to. You know, we'll never hear it because they're both gone, but, you know, I'd love to hear what happened. And both of them had horrific histories with. With drugs and alcohol. Dicky in particular was a. Was a. An abusive guy. Unbelievable guitar player, but tough.

[Matt]

But I think that's why they Ultimately. The abuse, I think, is why they. They kicked him out of the band.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, that's right.

[Matt]

Yeah. It wasn't the drugs and everything, because the drugs were so much of a regular part of the culture of the band, but it was the. The abuse aspect which crossed the line. And. And I. I do think there was some form of. After the kickout, there was some reconciliation. Eventually, years later, I think maybe shortly before, you know, Greg's passing or something like that, you know, it got physical.

[Harry Jacobs]

Ac. You know, I'm going to be specific. It got physical.

[Matt]

Right?

[Harry Jacobs]

There were physical altercations between Dickie and. And members of their staff.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

So. Yeah, pretty ugly. So here's. Here's one that. That does. That does it with the music history segment of this. But let's talk, you know, history and culture for a minute. Two big ones. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell invented. Actually made the first telephone call. Obviously, he invented the phone. If Alexander Graham Bell were live today and he saw what we're, what we have in our hands, what our lifeline to the world is, what do you think he'd make of that? I mean, obviously there's no way to have foresight in 1876 as to what these things have become and the importance they would play. But he. And, you know, now he changed the world. Imagine if that device, you know, hadn't have been invented.

[Matt]

I would hope he would be curious and always, you know, looking at new horizons of inventions. So I think he'd be, on one hand, inspired by that because of his creative, you know, inspiration and masterful, you know, inventions. I think he'd be like all of us probably going, darn, that person that invented the. The Infinite scroll is the one that I want to hold responsible for the lack of human connection and people being able to really be present and in a moment. So I'd like to think that he would be on those two sides of it. But what do I know?

[Harry Jacobs]

The, you know, we're both. Everyone's tired of people with their faces and their phones, you know, Be present. As you just said, I think it's important. I have a group of friends that I get together with lunch, you know, and have lunch, you know, a few times a year, three, four times a year. And. And the deal. And I started this. I said, everyone take your phones and put them in the center of the table. And the first one that touches their phone while we're having lunch buys lunch. And that's the routine.

[Matt]

And we've had.

[Harry Jacobs]

We've had that lunch seven or eight times, and I've never. I've never once reached for my wallet.

[Matt]

I love that. I love that.

[Harry Jacobs]

Well, you hear your whole, you're better than I am. I hear my phone buzz or beep and. And it's like Pavlov's dog. I go, oh, I gotta hear. I got. What is that? I send myself reminders sometimes. And. And it drives me nuts to have it beep and not look at it. That's bad. It's. It's heroin. It's the opioid of the social world.

[Matt]

Yeah, well, two. Two sidebars to that. One is, you know, the new phenomenon which I experienced at a Dave Chappelle show is the bags that you are told that you're putting your phone in, and basically they. They lock the phone inside the bag. So that's. I found that terrific. Actually, I had no issue with it. I'm sure some people did. But another story on that is there's a man, you maybe have heard me mention, Harry, in the past. He's one of the. And he's since passed on. His name is Jack Trout and Al Reese. And Jack Trout, Reese and Trout wrote the quintessential book on strategy and positioning called, you know, 22 immutable laws, or Positioning A Battle for the Mind. And there was a period back in the 2000s where greater media, who I was working for, we hired Jack Trout for a project. And so we were fortunate to be in Jack's living room for this project. And Jack said to us, he goes, all right, boys, put your cell phones away. We're actually going to do some work. So I'll never forget that.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, that's. That's fantastic. That's fantastic. March 4 or March 14, rather, 2004, the Sopranos aired their final episode on HBO. This was such an important show on. On so many levels.

[Matt]

Oh, my God. I think the best, you know, television series, in my opinion, maybe ever. I don't know. Must see.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, there were so many interesting things that happened. I ended up meeting and becoming friendly with For a while, he was just turned into a little bit of a yenta. I love him, but he's just, you know, by his own admission, he's a frail little old, half Jewish, half Italian guy. David Provol, who played Richie April, right. Season four. Right. Remember what he did to Beansy with the coffee pot and the car, the Ford Explorer running over him? Right, sure. And I remember when I met him, I said, you know, this. What you did to Beans. He created such angst for me. And in my house at the time, it was just so brutal. And when I went to LA to meet with him a couple months later, he said, I have a surprise for you. And I said, okay. He said, we're going to go to dinner tonight at Ago, which is Robert De Niro's restaurant. And I said, okay, that sounds good. Went to Ago, and. And the doorman at Ago is a guy by the name of Paulie Herman. And Paulie Herman is Beansy. But he's also been in nearly every Robert De Niro movie in the last 25 years, which I thought was an incredible thing to see Dave, to see Richie and Beansy hug each other and to be able to stand next to the two of those guys. But my per. My own little brush with greatness with. With the Sopranos.

[Matt]

Oh, man. Did you hate the last show? The. The way it ended?

[Harry Jacobs]

I did. It really was me, too. To me. Yeah, there's a. There's a lot that's out there now. Like even James Gandolfini. I heard, you know, it was a podcast with a handful of the. A couple of the guys that are. That were in the cast.

[Matt]

Steve Sharipa.

[Harry Jacobs]

Steve Sharipa. Vegas. He was a Vegas guy. But talking about how Gandolfini was. Everyone was scratching their heads. No one knew how it was going to end. There were a couple different ways it could have ended and. And it really upset me. It was really just off putting in a way. You know, I didn't get the creative genius behind it. I was just pissed. I wanted it to. To end in. In a way, whether they killed him or whether, you know, it was nothing and it just faded out or whatever, it's fine. But to leave it to our imagination was bad to me. I don't know.

[Matt]

Yeah, I've changed my tune a little bit. I still didn't like it, but I don't think any show of that magnitude has a finale that ever lives up to anything. It just doesn't happen. It's. It's kind of. Name me one that pops into your head that you said this was a tremendous ending. So I think we were going through two things. We didn't want to see the show end, and we just kind of were befuddled at the way this one ended. But as I reflect on it, when you think about among the, you know, no way to win, ways for David Chase to have approached it, you know, maybe this was the best course just to get people scratching their head talking about it for. We're still talking about it. So, you know, maybe that's the genius of it. As we reflect years later, I. I'm.

[Harry Jacobs]

Not a betting guy, even though I'm here in Vegas. But when. When you just issued that challenge, find me, I beg you. You know, find me a show that. That really was satisfying in the end. I'd like to place a bet with you. You and I, whenever you're here, we eat at Ferraros, a legendary. That's right, Italian restaurants.

[Matt]

We'll be there in April. Yep, we will.

[Harry Jacobs]

And I will pick up the check if you disagree with what I'm about to say. I'd like. Really. I'd like to hire a mediator at this point, a cultural mediator. But I would say that Breaking Bad tied everything up in a bow for us. That was a show that got better episode after episode, season after season, and there was no questioning what happened at the end. There was none. The end was the end. We didn't know what happened to. To one specific. I don't want it for people that still are not up. I don't want to do spoiler stuff. But breaking.

[Matt]

Come on, spoil it for them. The show's been out for how long?

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, a long time. Jesse gets away. They. They ended up doing El Camino where Jesse comes back. It was actually kind of fun. But. But that show, in my opinion, was amazing television because of the fact that, you know, they were such fans of. Of television. When you think about, you know, when you, you know, we would hear all this talk post. Breaking Bad, they gave us the ending, wrapped it up in a bow. There were a handful of little things that were left that weren't dealt with, but that show, to me, was given to us in a bow. And a show equally as good as the Sopranos.

[Matt]

I don't think I can debate that one with enough data points in my head because I was not a fan to the bitter end of it. I enjoyed it at periods, but I didn't get as drawn in as I did to the Sopranos. So you. You can win that one. Without any dispute.

[Harry Jacobs]

Do I need to turn on my camera and record you or. Or reference back to this episode of this week in music history to make sure that you do pick up the check on that date in April?

[Matt]

Yeah, just. Just pull the clip. Exactly. Pull the clip aside.

[Harry Jacobs]

Everything.

[Matt]

Everything will be. Will be beautiful. But we'll think of another. I'm sure there's another one that can go, hey, that one really wrapped it up nicely. But I think they run out of steam for these endings sometimes. But can't deny the Sopranos for oh.

[Harry Jacobs]

Man, so many reasons. So many.

[Matt]

And I find myself, we go back into the rabbit hole from time to time just for the fun of it as well.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, I have a friend who, who does that.

[Matt]

He.

[Harry Jacobs]

Once a year. He's the. He's our resident Sopranos historian. And you know how he watches it? He does everything but Melfi. Right? So he said, I know how to get through it. I got the perfect way to get through it. I go, I watch everything, and I skip through Dr. Melfi. That's brilliant. I'm like, okay, I'll take that.

[Matt]

I love it. Well, by the next time we're here, maybe there'll be more information on the mysterious death of Gene Hackman and his. And his wife, which we. We can. We can touch on as a moment of current talk because everybody's talking about that terrible story. But anyway, enough of my digressing. Harry. What an. What an actor. My God, what an amazing career Gene Hackman had. My God.

[Harry Jacobs]

I just saw. And I know we're wrapping this up, but I saw a picture of he and his wife from, you know, a couple of weeks ago, maybe even a week ago, and boy, he's, you know, he was 94 years old and he is unrecognizable, recognizable and.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah, but. Well, that wraps up another this week in music history for the week of March 10th. Thank you, Harry Jacobs. I appreciate you as always. And thanks to all of you for checking out the Taking a Walk podcast. You can check us out, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and we are proudly part of the iHeart podcast network.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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