Episode 36 - Wheels of Steel (ft. Def Leppard, Terraplane & Tesla)

<p>For the latest leg of their tour through rock and metal's highlights and lowlights the boys were given the brief of 'transport'. The rules were simple - the band name, album title or album cover had to have a demonstrable link to a form of transport.</p> <p>Like all the pod themes, it should have been easy. But then Steve and Rich hadn't factored in Mark's wide-ranging interpretation of what transport might actually mean, nor the fact that he failed to make the link between Steve's album choice and a well-known electric car brand.</p> <p>Eventually, though, they settled down to chew over the various merits - or otherwise - of three debut albums from three 1980s outfits who would go on to have varying degrees of success.</p> <p>First up was Def Leppard's 1980 cherry-popper On Through The Night - an album the band has since more or less airbrushed from their own history - and completely airbrushed from their live set. Which, according to Mark, gives a small insight into how fast and loose musicians can play with the loyalty of fans who were there at the start.</p> <p>Next in line was Terraplane's Black And White, a record that sowed the first seeds of what would set the band on the road to public affection once they rebuffed their label's attempts to turn them into Rick Springfield-esque pop rockers, changed their name to Thunder and dialled up the guitars.</p> <p>Finally, another of rock's finest debuts from Sacramento rockers Tesla and Mechanical Resonance, released in 1986. As Steve said - it's hard to imagine a time without the majesty of Modern Day Cowboy ...</p> <p> </p>