For our 250th episode, we're stepping into the Limelight to revisit Rush! In Ep. 121, we discovered how 2112 earned the trio creative control with their sci-fi rock opera gamble... Now we're back to learn about Moving Pictures, the band's most commercially successful album and home to enduring hits like Tom Sawyer and YYZ! The band aims to strike the perfect balance between unique identity and mass appeal. With the addition of more synth undertones and a shift in Neil Peart's lyricism, Moving Pictures was able to punch up and future-proof their ever-changing style, and sunset their lengthy prog epics with The Camera Eye. How will this record move US? Can it live up to its counterpart episode (pun intended)?

James & Connor revel in the unexpected Year Of Redemption for Geddy and Alex in the form of their 50-Something reunion tour. We walk through the eras since our last episode and trace their evolution, and talk about why this might be a more Connor-friendly pick. The Mixtaper is back on a Witch Hunt, with dastardly (and suspicious) facts about youth crime, rusty coconuts, and frozen follies. Are biographies and past knowledge enough to save James from defeat? Connor learns about the triple pun on the album cover, we learn limited Morse Code, and we definitely don't repeat any jokes in this major milestone episode!

What do you consider to be Rush's magnum opus? What's our signature work? Do you agree that everybody needs to deviate from the norm? Do you get your hockey arenas mixed up? (Me too.) Let us know in the comments and on socials! We'll be back with a surprise recommendation next week. Follow for more!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

0:27 Last Time: 2112

4:25 About Rush

12:10 About Moving Pictures

24:11 The 50-Something Tour

26:13 Awards & Accolades

26:55 Fact Or Spin

29:03 They Are Officers

34:25 Geddy Lee Is A Rusty Coconut

39:41 Neil Peart Went Back To School

42:47 Alex Lifeson Made A Chilly Mistake

47:32 Album Art

50:30 Tom Sawyer

54:45 Red Barchetta

57:30 YYZ

1:00:21 Limelight

1:03:48 The Camera Eye

1:07:20 Witch Hunt

1:11:12 Vital Signs

1:13:00 Final Spin

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You've got to stop... and wish Connor a happy birthday! We're celebrating with a special episode reviewing Mac Davis' hit-packed 1974 record Stop And Smell The Roses! After making a name for himself as a songwriter with Elvis cuts like In The Ghetto, Mac established himself as a recording artist and TV personality. His fifth record crosses over from country to folk to soft pop seamlessly, and tentpole tracks like Burnin' Thing and Texas In My Rear View buoy clever-ish album cuts like Lucus Was A Redneck and Two Plus Two for a solid album by our favorite jean-wearing song painter!

James & Connor look back on the Birthday Curse, talk about getting Hooked on Mac Davis back in Episode 15, and learn more about the road that took Davis from Lubbock, Texas straight into songwriting legend. The Mixtaper finds it Hard To Be Humble as he introduces us to quirky backup singers, crowdsourced cowriters, and a fudged proposal. Will Connor's lifelong fandom pay off? We'll talk about questionable narrators, his surprising use of slurs, and the versatility that turned him into a crossover hit as we break down the record.

Did you ever watch The Mac Davis Show? Did you vote for our favorite son back in 1992? Did YOU remember Duke Ellington's birthday? Let us know in the comments and on socials! Follow and stay tuned for EPISODE 250 next week!!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

0:33 Previously: The Birthday Curse

8:01 About Mac Davis

21:18 Fact Or Spin

23:19 Mac Davis Fudged A Proposal

30:44 He Worked With Some Difficult Backup Singers

36:23 He Had Some Interesting Cowriters

41:08 Fast Fired Facts: Mac Davis Show Guests

45:00 Mac Davis Ran For President

52:22 Album Art

55:05 Thoughts On I Believe In Music

56:47 Stop And Smell The Roses

1:02:38 Soft, Sweet Fire

1:05:47 The Sweetest Song

1:07:37 Two Plus Two

1:10:39 The Birthday Song

1:12:56 One Hell Of A Woman

1:15:17 A Poor Man's Gold

1:17:58 Lucus Was A Redneck

1:21:03 Kiss It And Make It Better

1:22:36 Burnin' Thing

1:24:12 It's Hard To Be Humble

1:26:32 Texas In My Rear View Mirror

1:28:11 Rock 'N Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)

1:29:52 Final Spin

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You can dance, you can jive! We're having the time of our lives this week as we review and rank Arrival, the 1976 breakout record for Europop sensation ABBA! After winning Eurovision (4th time's the charm), the band had to prove to the world they were more than a One-Hit Waterloo Wonder. Their hooky melodies and intricate vocal harmonies led to the band's most important record yet, from royalty-approved Dancing Queen to Money, Money, Money. Learn how Arrival cemented the legacy of one of Sweden's biggest bands and turned ABBA into a household name, even decades after their heyday.

Here we go again.. James & Connor talk Mamma Mia opinions and ABBA faves before exploring the band's history. We'll learn all about Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, discover why the B is backwards, and talk about how exciting helicopter rides can be. From quirky exhibits in the ABBA museum to Voyage, the band's swansong virtual residency made of digital ABBAtars, this episode truly has it all. The Mixtaper is back to Take A Chance on Fact Or Spin as he teaches us about a mysterious benefactor, shy mics, and the tux tax. Tune in, because there's something in the air tonight!

Are you on Team Happy Hawaii or Team Why Did It Have To Be Me? What do you think the Tiger is? Are we WRONG about Mamma Mia?! Let us know your hottest ABBA takes in the comments or on socials. Follow for another record next week!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

5:57 About ABBA

19:56 About Arrival

33:07 Awards & Abbalades

35:28 Fact Or Spin

36:58 Their Songs Are Fit For Royalty

39:02 They Turned Down The Chance To Become Billionaires

41:46 They Used An Interesting Tax Loophole

43:50 They Had A Strict No-Eye-Contact-With-Mics Rule

46:22 Bjorn Took A Chance On Working Out

49:14 Album Art

52:04 When I Kissed The Teacher

54:17 Dancing Queen

58:01 My Love, My Life

59:25 Dum Dum Diddle

1:01:56 Knowing Me, Knowing You

1:03:27 Money, Money, Money

1:05:15 That's Me

1:06:17 Why Did It Have To Be Me?

1:08:14 Tiger

1:09:33 Arrival

1:10:39 Fernando

1:13:26 Happy Hawaii

1:14:44 Final Spin

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