About this season
A documentary series about pop and rock albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music.
Episodes (5)
1. Black Sabbath: Paranoid
6.5Aired 1 May 2010 • 50 min
With Paranoid celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Classic Albums/Black Sabbath episode is particularly timely. Music buffs will relish at the 97-minute DVD that touches upon everything from Black Sabbath’s influences, the songwriting process behind tracks like “War Pigs and “Iron Man,” the band’s introduction into America, and even hands-on explanations of the riff work from Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. In stark contrast to the band’s self-titled debut album (recorded over two days and mixed in one), Paranoid was allowed an opportunity to be crafted in more accommodating studio environment. Those sessions bore a variety of intriguing stories, specifically one that details how “Paranoid” was written off-the-cuff after executives requested a “short song.”
2. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes
5.0Aired 9 June 2010 • 50 min
The latest addition to Eagle s critically acclaimed and highly successful Classic Albums series is Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 1979 breakthrough album Damn The Torpedoes . The band s third album defined their musical style and took them into the mainstream hitting No.2 on the US charts and spawning the top 10 single Don t Do Me Like That . The DVD features newly filmed contributions from the band members Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair and Stan Lynch along with co-producer Jimmy Iovine and engineer Shelly Yakus as they analyse the tracks from the original multi-track tapes and through new and archive performances. Damn The Torpedoes has stood the test of time as one of the great American rock albums of its era and is a worthy addition to the Classic Albums series.
3. Rush: 2112 & Moving Pictures
6.0Aired 26 June 2010 • 50 min
2112 was the album that saw Rush break through to major chart success, going to No.1 in their native Canada and Top 75 in the USA where it would eventually be certified triple platinum. Moving Pictures opened them to a mass audience for the first time and remains the biggest selling album of their career. It also went to No.1 in Canada and went quadruple platinum there while hitting No.3 in both the UK and USA. Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart talk us through the making of the albums, together with original producer Terry Brown via interviews, demonstrations, archive videos and use of the original multi-track tapes.
4. The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet
Aired 17 November 2010 • 50 min
5. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Aired 19 November 2010 • 50 min
A look at the creation of the Beach Boys' classic album "Pet Sounds", including conversations with Brian Wilson and group members, lyricist Tony Asher, and members of the studio supergroup The Wrecking Crew.