Episode 5 of On The Record, and the conversation has hit its sweet spot: loose, curious, opinionated—and occasionally interrupted by reality.
There’s a healthy scepticism about hype, a refusal to confuse longevity with importance, and a shared belief that some things still genuinely matter—even if the algorithm disagrees.
Brian Wise brings context and deep musical memory; Michael Mackenzie brings reflection, curiosity, and the occasional philosophical swerve. Together, they interrogate nostalgia without fully surrendering to it, defend enthusiasm when it’s earned, and question why so much modern culture feels like it’s passing time rather than saying something.
There are laughs, strong opinions, thoughtful pauses, and moments where the conversation snaps into focus just long enough to land a point before wandering off again. It’s not a panel show, not a lecture, and definitely not a hot take factory.
Episode 5 doesn’t shout. It knows what it’s doing. Sort of.
Important links
Norma Tanega – Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog
Stray Cats – Runaway Boys
Ram Jam – Black Betty
The Rolling Stones – Not Fade Away (Mono)
The Uncool – the new memoir from award-winning filmmaker and journalist Cameron Crowe
Grover Lewis article – Hitting The Note With The Allman Brothers Band
(first published in ‘Rolling Stone’, November 25, 1971, Issue No. 96)
Kid Creole & The Coconuts website
Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Stool Pigeon
Du Fermier Restaurant website
Florry – First It Was A Movie, The It Was A Book
Florry website
David Bowie – Lazarus
David Bowie website