Walk This Way: The Story of Run-DMC’s Collaboration With Aerosmith, Opinions on Emily King

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Jim and Greg talk with author Geoff Edgers about his 2019 book Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song that Changed American Music Forever. They discuss how Run-DMC's 1986 collaboration with Aerosmith came about and its impact. Plus, a review of soulful singer-songwriter  Emily King's latest album, Scenery.

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Geoff Edgers

By the mid 1980s, Aerosmith was far from their 1970s heights. Run-DMC, which consisted of rappers Joseph (Run) Simmons and Darryl (DMC) McDaniels, as well as Jammaster J, was a young rap group with two solid selling albums under their belt. But, like nearly all of the hip hop acts of the early '80s, they had yet to cross over into the mainstream.

Run-DMC and Aerosmith... two groups that couldn't be further apart musically, came together in 1986 to record "Walk This Way." The refreshed track ended up being a surprising hit for both bands. Jim and Greg talk with author Geoff Edgers who writes about this collaboration in his new book Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song that Changed American Music Forever. The book gives the inside story of that collaboration and its lasting influence.

Scenery Emily King

Emily King - Scenery

Singer-songwriter  Emily King's third album in ten years, Scenery, is a departure from her earlier work. The New York City native went upstate to record this album and both Jim and Greg say she's found her voice as an artist. Greg calls King a "lithe vocalist" who deftly employs subtlety, rewarding close listening. She's hard to categorize as she moves between genres like soul, funk, gospel and a little bit of rock, but Greg calls that a strength. Jim has had a stressful week and appreciates the peace he's found in her music, calling it "wonderful, meditative, beautiful, seductive and peaceful." He says the key is "Go Back," a song he says is about commencement, moving from one part of her life to another.

Hooked On Sonics: Nothing

Nothing

"It has been stuck with me forever" is how Domenic Palermo, founder of the band Nothing, thinks of the track "Plainsong" from the Cure. Palermo talked with Sound Opinions about "Plainsong" for our series Hooked on Sonics where we talk with an artist about the song that got them interested in music. Palermo says he was first introduced to the song by his mom when he was about 10, but it wasn't until later in life that the lyrics truly spoke to him.

Greg

This week, it's Greg's turn to take a trip to the desert island jukebox and play a song he can't live without. He celebrates the 20th anniversary of The Roots' album Things Fall Apart by picking "The Next Movement." Greg notes that the late ‘90s/early 2000s were a golden era for hip hop, combining conscious rappers like Common and Black Thought with singers like Erykah Badu and D’Angelo. This blend is brilliantly on display throughout Things Fall Apart, and particularly on the track "The Next Movement." Greg highlights lyrics that recognize the significance and rising popularity of black culture, and notes that every track on this record is solid as ever today.

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