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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ...