

Stereo Embers The Podcast 0462: Tim Freund (Legal Reins)
Oct 1, 2025
01:29:07
"Wait For Fire Burning"
Formed in Oakland in 1985, Legal Reins were comprised of singer/guitarist Danny Benatar, bassist Eden Unger and drummer Tim Freund. They tore up the Bay Area scene, playing show after show and cementing themselves as one of the best live bands around. This is a band who did the work, got in the reps and eclipsed the Gladwellian idea of 10,000 hours. Opening for everyone from Madness to Killing Joke, Legal Reins proved themselves time and again that they could step on any stage and match anyone in terms of power and heart. Their exhilarating blend of sweeping pop epics and punchy hook laden rock and roll brought to mind everyone from The Sound to Echo and the Bunnymen to the Waterboys. After a bit of a bidding war, they signed to Arista in 1987, put out their debut album Please, The Pleasure soon after and then? Well, then things turned the other way. I'm going to let Tim tell you the story, but let me say this: In 1986 I was the music director of KVHS, an all-metal station located conveniently on my high school campus. I was in the habit of sneaking in The Smiths and The Chameleons in between Accept and Venom just to see if anyone noticed--they did, by the way. It was slightly terrifying to be 16 and getting death threats for not playing King Diamond, but I digress. Legal Reins called me up and they were very kind and I loved their music and one time I played them in between Y&T and Armored Saint and this one guy called up and said, very aggressively, Who was that you played after Y&T? I told him Legal Reins and he was quiet for second and then he said, That was pretty good...
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