As musical instruments go, pianos are pretty amazing -- they're also not particularly easy to move. Clunkiness aside, pianos provide endless hours of entertainment, lightening the mood in even the darkest of times. In today's episode, Ben and Noel explore how the US government and the Steinway company sought to boost wartime morale by literally dropping pian ... Show More
Yesterday
The Chicago Tylenol Murders
<p>For most people, Tylenol is nothing more than an ol' stand-by, over-the-counter pain reliever. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode -- this wasn't always the case. Today's episode takes the boys to 1980s Chicago, when a ghoulish series of still-unsolved murders r ... Show More
39m 23s
Nov 22
CLASSIC: Benjamin Franklin's Advice On "Finding A Mistress"
<p>Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a man of many interests, but his endeavors were by no means limited to technical innovation, philosophy and politics. In fact, throughout his life he had a reputation as an irredeemable lech -- literally, in later years, a dirty old man -- ... Show More
31m 43s
Nov 20
Wait! Can a tree really own itself?
<p>Do you have a favorite tree? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max head over to the famous college town of Athens, Georgia where -- legend has it -- one guy was so enamored with his childhood oak that he ultimately deeded it to itself. How much of the story is true? Can a tree ... Show More
42m 22s
Dec 2019
Bowie, Jazz, and the Unplayable Piano
Broken Record presents an episode of "Cautionary Tales": Bowie, Jazz and the Unplayable PianoIt was the biggest concert of Keith Jarrett's career - but the pianist was in for a shock when he entered Koln's opera house. The only piano at the venue was a broken-down wreck. Should h ... Show More
31m 50s
Jul 2021
The piano: a musical history
For more than 300 years, the piano has captivated audiences, while composers have pushed the instrument’s boundaries. Susan Tomes, author of The Piano: A History in 100 Pieces, discusses some of the most impressive pieces of piano music ever written, and shares the stories of the ... Show More
36m 19s
Dec 2022
Relaxing Piano Playlist Series 3 Episode 9
Feeling tired? Need to unwind? Then how about some gentle, soothing piano music? Welcome to the Episode 9 of the third Series of Relaxing Piano Playlist! In this themed episode, I perform for you a number of piano arrangements from original works by composers including Bach, Moza ... Show More
35m 59s
Oct 2023
Relaxing Piano Playlist Series 4 Episode 6
Feeling tired? Need to unwind? Then how about some gentle, soothing piano music? Welcome to Episode 6 of Series 4 in the Relaxing Piano Playlist! In this episode, I perform for you some contemporary piano music by a current composer and host of this podcast, James Quinn, and the ... Show More
38m 11s