Prof. Luke O'Neill is professor of biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin. He's also a big music fan and the lead singer of The Metabolics. In this episode of the Big Album Show he discusses the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2 with Paul Dillon and Dan O'Neill. Achtung Baby was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release Rattle and Hum, U2 shifted their direction to incorporate influences from alternative rock, industrial music, and electronic dance music into their sound. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

OK Computer is the third studio album by English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 May 1997 on EMI subsidiaries Parlophone and Capitol Records. The album depicts a world fraught with rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation and political malaise; in this capacity, OK Computer has been said to have prescient insight into the mood of 21st-century life. We discuss the brilliant album. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk about about Oasis's difficult 4th album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, released on 28 February 2000. It's easy to forget what a cultural phenomenon Oasis were. Perhaps Metallica Drummer Lars Ulrich put it best when speaking about the oasis zeitgeist. He said,"In the mid-90s, wherever or whoever you were when it was going down, you felt it … in the streets, in the pubs, the music press, on the radio, in the gossip rags, the concert halls, and affecting everything from the way people dressed, the way they cut their hair, what football team they supported, the way people communicated, one’s accent … the list goes on and on. The Oasis phenomenon cut across all shapes, sizes, boundaries and classes. Everybody knew Oasis, and in some way were impacted by them. And if they didn’t love them, it was often the polarising opposite. But most importantly, nobody didn’t care. Everyone had an opinion. Everybody had a thought. Nobody ignored them. No one."We think it's fair to say that this album certainly polarises opinion. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Much of the music in The Exorcist is used as sound effects for psychological impact. It’s not traditionally scored in any true sense. In this episode, we look back at the soundtrack to the iconic film, including Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. We also discuss the film itself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 4 of Us are a band hailing from Newry, Co Down. They released their first album, Songs for the Tempted on CBS Records in 1989, with the single "Mary", becoming one of the most played songs ever on Irish radio. the album went double platinum in Ireland and won Best Album of the Year at the Irish Music Awards. It's consistently on people's lists of Irish albums you must hear. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the latest pod, we are talking about Stories from the Surface by the amazing, dazzling Irish band Ham Sandwich.Originally formed on a good Friday in noughties, they have rightly built up a reputation as one of very best live acts.Their lives show and their 2010 White Fox built them up a supportive and loyal fanbase and Stories from the Surface rocketed right to the top of the charts when it was released in April 2015.Over the course of ten tracks, they bring you their unique house blend of indie folk rock, with infusions of disco and funk. There's tremendous fun and joy, perhaps best captured by the lead single Illuminate.The album's incredibly catchy melodies are paired with lyrics which are often equally rememberable. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul Dillon and Dan O'Neill interview Jake Reilly, drummer from The Blades. The band formed in the late 1970s in Ringsend (known by locals as Raytown): An urband area in Dublin's docklands. The original line-up released two seven inch singles: "Hot For You" and "Ghost of a Chance", before a reshuffle in 1981 which saw Jake join the band. That would be the line up which would release the brilliant album Last Man in Europe which includes classic tunes such as Down Market, Got Soul and Pride. It’s a record every music lover needs to put on their turntable. The Blades have since gone on to reform, playing a number of gigs and releasing a studio album in 2016 called Modernised as well as an EP and a live album. They’ve also been inducted into the Irish Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. A snare drum belonging to Jake sits in the museum in Temple Bar. The drum has been, and I quote ‘to every corner of the country – Battered, beaten and bruised from Ballybunnion to Ballyshannon.” On this episode we look back at The Blade’s boxset Those Were the Day, released in 2000 - It features the tracks from Raytown Revisited and Last Man in Europe plus a few bonus tracks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of The Big Album Show, Paul Dillon and Dan O'Neill delve into Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black. The Big Album Show is an independent podcast recorded in Ireland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was the year that Soccer hooligans rioted in Lansdowne Road, Jack Charlton retired, and Ireland voted to allow divorce. 1995 was also the year Whipping Boy released their stunning second album Heartworm. Recorded between September and November 1994 in Windmill Lane Studios, it included tracks such as Twinkle, When We Were Young and We Don't Need Nobody Else. It's an album that is highly respected by many music fans. It's emotional; it's powerful; it's timeless. And it’s about to be reissued on double vinyl and cd, featuring a number of b-sides and demos. Whipping Boy consisted of Ferghal McKee on Lead Vocals, Paul Page on Guitar, Myles McDonnell on Bass and Colm Hassett on Drums. Formed in Dublin in 1988, they initially went by the name of Lolita and the Whipping Boy before shortening their name when their female guitarist left the band. Throughout their career, the band released three albums on three different record labels. But it is Heartworm, released on Columbia records, that has cast the longest legacy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We interview Rick McMurray, drummer of Northern Irish rock band Ash about their stunning album 1977. It was released on 6 May 1996 by Infectious Records, with whom the band had signed following the release of several demo tapes. Ash released the mini-album Trailer in 1994, and followed it with three singles "Kung Fu", "Girl from Mars", and "Angel Interceptor", all of which would reappear on 1977. 1977 drew comparisons to the Buzzcocks, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.