Episode 5: Gift of Flesh (with Josh Caldwell)
This week, your Regarding…Slang hosts Wolfie, Scotzo, podcasting overlord Corey, and Chaz are joined by podcaster, musician, and self-described “boneless couch philosopher” Josh Caldwell as they crack open Slang’s most feral track — “Gift of Flesh.”
Before the amps even warm up, the gang detours through Phil Collins tributes (and coconut oil stories you’ll never un-hear), heartfelt reflections on Chaz's fallen heroe Ace Frehley, and a debate over whether harmonies are a Def Leppard necessity or just one more thing to lose in the grunge fog. Josh and Corey call out the band for ditching their signature layered vocals, while Scott wonders if “Gift of Flesh” is what happens when Sheffield meets Seattle — and Wolfie swears it’s Foo Fighters before Foo Fighters knew who they were.
The song itself? A muscular, riff-driven outburst that sounds like Adrenalize and Soundgarden got drunk together and woke up in a dive bar bathroom, with the Colour and the Shape all over their pants. Caldwell praises the raw guitar tone and the acoustic drum sound (“finally, something human”), while everyone else argues whether the vocals are gritty authenticity or just Joe Elliott forgetting he’s Joe Elliott. Somewhere in there, they discover a lost version called Black Train, debate whether Phil secretly sang lead, and compare the riff to Ozzy and Van Halen before things inevitably derail into stripper metaphors for commercial success.
This episode features:
🎸 Josh Caldwell’s tales of Phil Collins, G4 clinics, and awkward guitar god encounters
🥁 A forensic listen to Rick Allen’s acoustic drum magic
🗳️ A rare mostly-positive vote that proves miracles can happen when the riffs are good enough
🛋️ The birth of Boneless Couching as an acceptable social engagement subject
By the end, the crew’s equal parts nostalgic and punch-drunk, just like Def Leppard trying on flannel for the first and last time. But one thing’s for sure: if you’re comparing Def Leppard to the Foo Fighters, somewhere Kevin Brown’s already packing his bags for another cliff dive.
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