The Opus

Alice in Chains are seen as one of the bands that helped define the hard rock era that arose from early-1990s Seattle. But at a time when the entire music industry was laser focused on the rise of grunge music, Alice in Chains sat both at the epicenter of the global movement and on its periphery. Although Dirt emerged as the Seattle sound began to dominate the charts, it sat in the middle of a grunge, metal, and hard rock Venn diagram, refusing to adhere to the confines of a single musical form.On Episode 1 of The Opus: Alice in Chains' Dirt, host Adam Unze takes a look at Alice in Chains both defied the burgeoning grunge scene and was an integral part of it. Joining him are Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, City and Colour musician Dallas Green, and author Mark Yam (Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge).Make sure to like, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with all new episodes of The Opus Season 18.Fans of The Opus can also pick up

The Opus podcast is rising out of the Dirt for a new season centered on the legacy of Alice in Chains’ sophomore album. Presented by the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony, the hit music history series is back to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the genre-changing classic.Launching on October 6th, Season 18 of The Opus travels back to 1992, a time when alternative music was being pushed towards grunge, putting it in direct conflict with the metal scene. Then along came the Seattle quartet of Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, and Mike Starr with Dirt, an effort that took the best of both worlds and redefined hard rock for the end of the millenium.“As the Seattle sound exploded in the early ’90s, Alice in Chains created one of the decade’s darkest and most influential albums at the intersection of grunge, metal, and hard rock,” says new host Adam Unze. “They channeled their pain and grief into Dirt, a genre bending collection of electrifying songs with hooks that defined an era. I’m so excited to ex

The title of There's a Riot Goin On is a reference to an actual riot that broke out during a Sly and the Family Stone concert that never happened.On July 27th, 1970, Sly and his band were set to play a first-of-its-kind concert at the Petrillo Bandshell in Chicago's Grant Park. Before the Family Stone had even arrived, however, an unknown group called Fat Water had performed a three-song set -- but the crowd wasn't expecting the show to have opening acts. As the next band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, appeared on stage, the crowd hurled projectiles at them, inciting a riot that would leave 162 injured.In this final episode of The Opus: There's a Riot Goin On, we look back at the events of that day and what lead up to a Chicago riot that would change music history. Host Jill Hopkins welcomes former commissioner of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Mark Kelly and Summer of Soul producer Joseph Patel to discuss the infamous moment that birthed a classic album.Check o

Sly and the Family Stone did more than just write "Family Affair" -- they lived it. On Episode 3 of The Opus: There's a Riot Goin On, we dive into the family dynamics of the band and similar relationships throughout music history.There were actually four Stone relatives in the Family Stone: siblings Sly, vocalist/guitarist Freddie, vocalist/pianist Rose, and background singer Vet. While their tensions were nothing compared to, say, Oasis, there were clashes. That went double for the non-blood related Family members, especially during the period that birthed There's a Riot Goin On.In this episode of The Opus Season 17, host Jill Hopkins welcomes Summer of Soul producer Joseph Patel and music journalist/editor of Braxton Family Values to look at the Stone siblings' place in the pantheon of relatives making music together, the pros and cons of creating and doing business with family, and why sometimes it works better than others.Listen now, and make sure to like and subscribe to The Opus to k

Record scratch! We've loved diving into the story of Sly and the Family Stone's There's a Riot Goin On, but some production delays have us cryin' just like a baby. We'll return with Episode 3 on February 24th, followed by the 4th and final episode on March 3rd. We apologize for the hold up, appreciate your patience, and thank you for letting us talk to ya. Stay tuned! In the meantime, make sure to like, subscribe, and rate The Opus wherever you get your podcasts. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As Season 17 Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus, continues, we're exploring how the legacy of Sly and the Family Stone’s masterpiece There’s a Riot Goin On can still be heard today.Sly and the Family Stone are one of the most covered and sampled artists in all of soul music. Everyone from Jurassic 5 to Janet Jackson, *NSYNC to members of the Wu-Tang Clan have drawn inspiration from the songs on Riot to make classics of their own. In Episode 2 of The Opus: There's a Riot Goin On, host Jill Hopkins is joined by Summer of Soul producer Joseph Patel to discuss the artists who have long been Family Stone fans and used the group's music to supplement their own, to fantastic results.Listen now, then like and subscribe to The Opus wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, you can enter to win a Sly and the Family Stone prize pack that includes There's a Riot Goin On and the Summer of Soul soundtrack on vinyl, along with a brand new sound system courtesy of Sony.Fans of The Opus can also snag

The Opus is back, kicking off Season 17 of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s music history podcast by exploring how Sly and the Family Stone’s iconic There’s a Riot Goin On was at the vanguard of a soul revolution. Released in 1971, the album ushered in a more mature sound for soul music. It served as the link between the late-'60s psychedelic movement and the burgeoning aggressive turn in funk, a sound that would become popularized throughout the decade.In Episode 1 of The Opus: There's a Riot Goin On, host Jill Hopkins and her guests Carlos Santana, Summer of Soul producer Joseph Patel, and music journalist Steve Huey discuss the cultural change the album instigated and how it contributed to the funky stylings that would become a signature of the era.Listen now, and make sure to like and subscribe to The Opus wherever you get your podcasts. Also, enter to win a Sly and the Family Stone prize pack that includes There's a Riot Goin On and the Summer of Soul soundtrack on vinyl, along with

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament once stated that "essentially Ten was just an excuse to tour."The band clearly just wanted some material to play on the road, as their first tour kicked off just after they'd completed mixing sessions for their debut album; the record wasn't even released yet. The tour -- PJ's only with drummer Matt Chamberlain -- was a short one focusing on the East Coast and Midwest. It wrapped up in Chicago at the famed Cabaret Metro with a concert that is still legendary among Pearl Jam fans.After that Metro gig on July 21st, 1991, the band took a break as they prepared for the release of Ten. The album arrived a month later on August 27th, and by September, Pearl Jam returned for a world tour as one of the newly crowned kings of '90s rock.In this episode of Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus: Ten, we go back to The Metro to relive that final show of Pearl Jam's first tour so we can see a band on the brink of decades-long stardom. Joining host Jill Hopk

Ten yielded (no pun intended, Pearl Jam fans) three enduring hit singles: "Alive," "Even Flow," and "Jeremy." But here on Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus, we focus on the legacy of the entire album -- and the real meat of Ten is on the non-single tracks.The band has opened shows with the record's final track, "Release," ever since the original Ten tour. "Oceans" features some of the most unusual percussion arrangements on any hard rock track of the era. And the label wanted to release "Black" as a single, but the band refused.On Episode 3 of The Opus: Ten, we dig into the songs we haven't been hearing on the radio over the last 30 years, and find out why they've become so beloved to Pearl Jam's legions of fans.Listen now, and make sure you subscribe to keep up with all episodes of Season 16 of The Opus. Also, show your love of our show by picking up an official Opus hoodie or T-shirt at the Consequence Shop.Original music by Tony

While Season 16 of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus focuses on the unparalleled musical legacy Ten, it's important to note of Pearl Jam has been defined as much by their visuals as their sound. On Episode 2, we explore how bassist Jeff Ament not only contributed to the band's sonics, but their imagery as well.Subscribe now so you can listen to all episodes of Season 16 of The Opus. Also, pick yourself up one of our official Opus hoodies or T-shirts at the Consequence Shop.Original music by Tony Piazza.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The series of events that had to happen to have Ten even exist is wild.Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard were in Green River, but they broke up. Then, they were in a pysch-garage band called Mother Love Bone, whose singer, Andrew Wood, died right before their first album was released. The two of them, and a couple of members of Soundgarden put out a tribute album for Andrew, and this singer they’d heard about from Jack Irons, - the drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers - guested on one of the tracks. He’d gotten a copy of some demos Stone and Jeff were working on, wrote lyrics for it, sang over it, and sent it back. The guys liked it, so they hired him to sing in their new band.That song was “Hunger Strike”, that tribute was Temple of the Dog, that guest singer was Eddie Vedder, and that new band was Pearl Jam.This is all only scratching the surface of the strange series of events that had to occur for Ten to come into existence. In this debut episode of The Opus: Pearl Jam's Ten, host Jill Hopkins is joined

Season 15 of Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus comes to its conclusion on a high point as we explore how Cypress Hill put weed rap on the map. Within a few months of its release, the impact of Cypress Hill and the subject matter of some of the raps therein was apparent. Other rappers started writing songs that expanded more on the glory of marijuana. While we think of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre as pioneers in the art of weed rap, it’s often forgotten that Dre once bragged on record about never smoking weed. But, after Cypress Hill lifted their veil of smoke, Dre got to work on an album called The Chronic. And Cypress Hill’s cannabis candidness wasn’t just relegated to their raps, either. The group became outspoken advocates for the legalization of marijuana, ushering in a new era of pot positivity that Cypress Hill are still pushing forward to this very day. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On the previous episode of Consequence Podcast Network and Sony's The Opus Season 15, we explored the chemistry between the voices of Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Sen Dog. In Episode 3, we look at the unique alchemy of their beats.The place where rock and metal meet has always been a part of Cypress Hill's sonic and cultural identity. Sen Dog's first concert was thrash-metal band Slayer; that band's drummer, Dave Lombardo (who, like Sen, is Cuban-American), was his high-school friend. At the end of "How I Could Just Kill a Man," someone quotes Suicidal Tendencies' "Institutionalized."Cypress Hill's sound had its origins as much in hard rock as it did with Latin funk. The group put their guitar-based influences under every one of their raps.In this episode, host Jill Hopkins and her guests talk about that intersection between rock and hip-hop, and examine how other artists found themselves at the center of the Venn diagram Cypress Hill first drew.Original music by Tony Piaz

Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus Season 15 continues as we explore the unparalleled chemistry between Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Sen Dog. B-Real’s high-pitched, nasal rap style played off the boom of Sen Dog’s authoritative baritone for a sound unlike anyone else. In Episode 2 of The Opus: Cypress Hill, the two rappers discuss finding their voices, while the legendary Chuck D (Public Enemy, Prophets of Rage) heaps praise on the group’s unique sound. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Season 15 of The Opus, presented by the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony, travels back to the Southern California in which Cypress Hill’s sound exploded onto the scene. The sonic sense of urgency in the hip-hop group's self-titled debut album was a time-and-place thing -- a product of late '80s/early '90s Los Angeles that was swept up in the tension just before the Rodney King verdict and the uprising that followed. Cypress Hill's lyrics and beats were tailor made for the subwoofers in the trunks of the low riders that played them, and would echo around rap's landscape in the years to come. And it served as representative for the Black and brown voices who felt the need to protest as much as they felt the desire to party in the face of a community that would soon be national news. In this first episode of The Opus: Cypress Hill, we venture into Cypress Hill’s Southern California, and the powder keg that made their debut album important, necessary, and seemingly ubiquitous. And who bett

The production on Just As I Am is just as tight as you’d expect an album made with Booker T Jones to be. Bill Withers may have been a rookie singer/songwriter, but the plates on this album were definitely not. In this episode, we speak to folks who help Withers discover and perfect his signature sound. We also discuss the album’s sonic legacy with people whose sound has been influenced by the music Withers, Jones, and company made 50 years ago. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Amir “Questlove” Thompson, in Rolling Stone in 2015, called Bill Withers the “last African-American Everyman … the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen.” Withers’ Just As I Am was once referred to as “middlebrow soul.” That is to say, it was easily accessible at a time when music was becoming increasingly complex. In this episode, we find out what it means to be a populist musician when popular music was quickly turning its eye to more complicated compositions. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In September of 1972, after having been nominated for three Grammys and winning one, Bill Withers spoke with The New York Times, and declared that the whole music thing was simply a phase for him. In 1985, Bill Withers, walked away from the music industry, deciding to not record or re-sign to a record label. He wanted to return to his “regular guy” life, and be a husband and father. When Bill Withers began making “Just As I Am,” he was employed as a factory worker at Weber Aircraft in California. The picture of him on the cover of the album was taken while he was on his lunch break. His “regular guy” life and point of view provided his music with a spectacular simplicity and relatability that eventually earned him four more Grammy nominations and two more trophies. In this episode, we’ll look Withers' protest music and how he remains a major figure of fighting the powers that be. Guests: Aloe Blacc Jose James Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/p

Season 14 of The Opus focuses on Bill Withers' landmark debut album, Just as I Am. In episode one, host Jill Hopkins and special guests Jon Batiste, José James, Aloe Blacc, and Phil Cook discuss how a blue-collar everyman became a soul music legend. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

So much of hip-hop is built on the notion of creating something from something. Call it covering, call it borrowing, call it sampling, but don't call it unoriginal. For decades, samples have helped musicians turn some of greatest hits into even greater hits. Fugees are no exception to this. They built upon this legacy, The samples and covers included on 1996's The Score range everywhere from The Delphonics to Enya -- and yet they’re seamlessly woven together to create a distinct, singular album. In the Season 13 finale, host Jill Hopkins heads to the operating room to dissect three songs off The Score that best embody the art of the sample and the depth of knowledge the Fugees brought to the studio: "Zealots", "The Score", and "Ready or Not". Surrounding Jill at the table with scalpels and insight are Ruffhouse Records co-founders Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo; rapper Psalm One; and music journalist Insanul Ahmed. Together, they discuss why certain bits were used, why whole son