It was the 1970s; Big hair, bell-bottomed pants, Elvis sideburns and puka shell necklaces. The drugs, the freedom, the Me Generation, the lime green leisure suits. 

And then there was the music and how it defined a generation. The birth of Philly soul, the Jersey Shore Sound and disco. 

The stories behind the memorable albums in The Vinyl Dialogues, The Vinyl Dialogues Volume II: Dropping the Needle and The Vinyl Dialogues Volume III: Stacks of Wax will surely resonate with many — from the artists crafted them to the listeners, like you and me, who still appreciate the music that filled up the soundtracks of our lives. 

Throw in a little political intrigue - The Guess Who being asked not to play its biggest hit, "American Woman," at a White House appearance and Brewer and Shipley being called political subversives and making President Nixon's infamous "enemies list" - and The Vinyl Dialogues and The Vinyl Dialogues Volume II: Dropping the Needle offers a first-hand snapshot of a country in transition, hung over from the massive cultural changes of the 1960s and ready to dress outrageously and to shake its collective booty. 

All seen through the eyes, recollections and perspectives of the artists who lived it and made all that great music on all those great albums. 

Mike Morsch is a 40-year veteran of the newspaper business, having served as a reporter, columnist, and editor at newspapers in Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mike has earned several awards for his writings from the Illinois Press Association, Suburban Newspapers of America (now the Local Media Association), the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the Philadelphia Press Association and the New Jersey Press Association. He has written four books: "Dancing in My Underwear: The Soundtrack of My Life" in 2012; and three in "The Vinyl Dialogues series, including "The Vinyl Dialogues: Stories behind memorable albums of the 1970s as told by the artists" in 2014; "The Vinyl Dialogues Volume II: Dropping the Needle" in 2015; and "The Vinyl Dialogues Volume III: Stacks of Wax" in 2016. 

 Find all of Mike's books on Amazon and on Mike on Facebook here.    Please subscribe, rate and review and head over to Patreon to help support our network of rock based podcast.