Love That Album

The Doors. Rock fans either revere or revile them….and by them, I mean Jim Morrison, the public face of the band. While it’s true that the lead singer is often the member the general public remember more than, say, the keyboard player, few bands take this to the extreme like The Doors. It seems to me that people forget The Doors were a BAND, not Jim Morrison’s pseudonym. So when all is said and done, how good WERE The Doors when considered as an entity, and not just Jim and friends? On Episode 21 of Love That Album podcast, Ricardo Ultreras of The List Music Podcast and The List Film Podcast discusses with me the legacy behind their self-titled debut album. Pretentious poetry? Maybe, but is it any worse than “Love, love me do”? We discuss the incredible musicianship of Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robbie Kreiger as well as Jim Morrison’s baritone vocals. Frank Sinatra could have sung one of the songs on this album quite comfortably..if not for the lyric. Did Jim Morrison have really have an Oedipal complex? How many bands have both a Brecht AND Dixon cover on the samel album? A combination of classical techniques, jazz, blues and crooning. Ricardo and I ask if the album still holds up, as a piece of music, away from its iconic status. As well as Ricardo, Eric Reanimator joins the show to present another great “An Album I Love” segment. Tune in. Download from iTunes store (search for lovethatalbum – all one word) or from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au Join the “Love That Album” Facebook group and start a music discussion.  

The Gaslight Anthem have in the last few years attracted a dedicated following with their cross of modern punk and Springsteen influences.  Songwriter Brian Fallon has put together a side project called The Horrible Crowes for material that would not necessarily work in the context of his main band. If you’ve listened to previous episodes of Love That Album with Geoff Smith as my fellow commentator, you’d know of his love for both of these bands. In episode 20 of LTA, Geoff, John Stirrat and myself discuss The Horrible Crowes album, “Elsie”, in detail covering the themes being written about in the album, as well as the music and lyrics. We ask the big questions – is Brian Fallon a stalker? Does he take self pity a little too far or has he had his heart put through the grinder, and is dealing with it the same way Roy Orbison, Chris Isaak and even Beck dealt with it? This was a heated discussion, and we didn’t all agree on the merits or otherwise of this album – which makes for a (hopefully) interesting show.  We also discuss the John Peel archives being made public…in a virtual sort of way. Also, Eric Reanimator returns with his segment “An Album I Love” to discuss a classic album from the Screaming Trees. Download from iTunes store (search for lovethatalbum – all one word) or from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au Join the “Love That Album” Facebook group and start a music discussion.

The Gaslight Anthem have in the last few years attracted a dedicated following with their cross of modern punk and Springsteen influences.  Songwriter Brian Fallon has put together a side project called The Horrible Crowes for material that would not necessarily work in the context of his main band. If you’ve listened to previous episodes of Love That Album with Geoff Smith as my fellow commentator, you’d know of his love for both of these bands. In episode 20 of LTA, Geoff, John Stirrat and myself discuss The Horrible Crowes album, “Elsie”, in detail covering the themes being written about in the album, as well as the music and lyrics. We ask the big questions – is Brian Fallon a stalker? Does he take self pity a little too far or has he had his heart put through the grinder, and is dealing with it the same way Roy Orbison, Chris Isaak and even Beck dealt with it? This was a heated discussion, and we didn’t all agree on the merits or otherwise of this album – which makes for a (hopefully) interesting show.  We also discuss the John Peel archives being made public…in a virtual sort of way. Also, Eric Reanimator returns with his segment “An Album I Love” to discuss a classic album from the Screaming Trees. Download from iTunes store (search for lovethatalbum – all one word) or from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au Join the “Love That Album” Facebook group and start a music discussion.

The Gaslight Anthem have in the last few years attracted a dedicated following with their cross of modern punk and Springsteen influences.  Songwriter Brian Fallon has put together a side project called The Horrible Crowes for material that would not necessarily work in the context of his main band. If you’ve listened to previous episodes of Love That Album with Geoff Smith as my fellow commentator, you’d know of his love for both of these bands. In episode 20 of LTA, Geoff, John Stirrat and myself discuss The Horrible Crowes album, “Elsie”, in detail covering the themes being written about in the album, as well as the music and lyrics. We ask the big questions – is Brian Fallon a stalker? Does he take self pity a little too far or has he had his heart put through the grinder, and is dealing with it the same way Roy Orbison, Chris Isaak and even Beck dealt with it? This was a heated discussion, and we didn’t all agree on the merits or otherwise of this album – which makes for a (hopefully) interesting show.  We also discuss the John Peel archives being made public…in a virtual sort of way. Also, Eric Reanimator returns with his segment “An Album I Love” to discuss a classic album from the Screaming Trees. Download from iTunes store (search for lovethatalbum – all one word) or from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com. Send feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au Join the “Love That Album” Facebook group and start a music discussion.

I have been heard to say that I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. You like what you like – end of story. As will be obvious from Episode 19 of Love That Album, I love Billy Joel’s album “The Stranger”. Nowadays in some people’s eyes (and for someone from this list you KNOW who you are), that is an admission tantamount to confessing to having an STD. The fact of the matter is that this album is full of well constructed songs – melodically rich, well arranged, mainly (though not completely) clever lyrically – and it should be held in high esteem. Now I’ll admit that beyond a point his albums started getting very dull (everything after The Nylon Curtain) and his fame for dating supermodels rather than as a musician was a put-off. None of that should get in the way of the fact that for a time, he had a real knack with a song and had a fantastic band to support his musical vision (including the great Liberty Devitto on drums). Fellow “Stranger” fan, Michael Pursche (of the Sitting In A Bar in Adelaide podcast) and I discuss the songs sung and stories told on Joel’s breakthrough album. On this episode, we also discuss recent music news including the passing of some of pop music greats. Eric Reanimator returns with his thoughts on Mother Love Bone (and he now has his own intro). Stream or download the episode from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or download from iTunes searching for lovethatalbum (must be all one word). Join the Love That Album Facebook page and start a music conversation. Send feedback (letter or mp3) to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au.

I have been heard to say that I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. You like what you like – end of story. As will be obvious from Episode 19 of Love That Album, I love Billy Joel’s album “The Stranger”. Nowadays in some people’s eyes (and for someone from this list you KNOW who you are), that is an admission tantamount to confessing to having an STD. The fact of the matter is that this album is full of well constructed songs – melodically rich, well arranged, mainly (though not completely) clever lyrically – and it should be held in high esteem. Now I’ll admit that beyond a point his albums started getting very dull (everything after The Nylon Curtain) and his fame for dating supermodels rather than as a musician was a put-off. None of that should get in the way of the fact that for a time, he had a real knack with a song and had a fantastic band to support his musical vision (including the great Liberty Devitto on drums). Fellow “Stranger” fan, Michael Pursche (of the Sitting In A Bar in Adelaide podcast) and I discuss the songs sung and stories told on Joel’s breakthrough album. On this episode, we also discuss recent music news including the passing of some of pop music greats. Eric Reanimator returns with his thoughts on Mother Love Bone (and he now has his own intro). Stream or download the episode from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or download from iTunes searching for lovethatalbum (must be all one word). Join the Love That Album Facebook page and start a music conversation. Send feedback (letter or mp3) to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au.

I have been heard to say that I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. You like what you like – end of story. As will be obvious from Episode 19 of Love That Album, I love Billy Joel’s album “The Stranger”. Nowadays in some people’s eyes (and for someone from this list you KNOW who you are), that is an admission tantamount to confessing to having an STD. The fact of the matter is that this album is full of well constructed songs – melodically rich, well arranged, mainly (though not completely) clever lyrically – and it should be held in high esteem. Now I’ll admit that beyond a point his albums started getting very dull (everything after The Nylon Curtain) and his fame for dating supermodels rather than as a musician was a put-off. None of that should get in the way of the fact that for a time, he had a real knack with a song and had a fantastic band to support his musical vision (including the great Liberty Devitto on drums). Fellow “Stranger” fan, Michael Pursche (of the Sitting In A Bar in Adelaide podcast) and I discuss the songs sung and stories told on Joel’s breakthrough album. On this episode, we also discuss recent music news including the passing of some of pop music greats. Eric Reanimator returns with his thoughts on Mother Love Bone (and he now has his own intro). Stream or download the episode from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or download from iTunes searching for lovethatalbum (must be all one word). Join the Love That Album Facebook page and start a music conversation. Send feedback (letter or mp3) to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au.

From the mid 70s through to the late 90s, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook had a songwriting partnership that had the pundits comparing them to Lennon/McCartney. Don’t feel under any pressure, guys. As mainstays of the band Squeeze, Tilbrook’s music and Difford’s lyrics covered a multitude of subjects including spouse abuse, living under cramped conditions, infidelity, and wanking. They survived the new wave label and later on, the AOR label to just make great songs till Squeeze’s demise. Both men have recorded great solo albums, and different to their Squeeze output. Difford’s lyrics have become very personal, and on his latest album “Cashmere If You Can”, he sounds like he’s been listening to a lot of Loudon Wainwright III records. On episode 18 of Love That Album, I talk about “Cashmere If You Can” and how it sounds like a public type of therapy of Difford. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

From the mid 70s through to the late 90s, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook had a songwriting partnership that had the pundits comparing them to Lennon/McCartney. Don’t feel under any pressure, guys. As mainstays of the band Squeeze, Tilbrook’s music and Difford’s lyrics covered a multitude of subjects including spouse abuse, living under cramped conditions, infidelity, and wanking. They survived the new wave label and later on, the AOR label to just make great songs till Squeeze’s demise. Both men have recorded great solo albums, and different to their Squeeze output. Difford’s lyrics have become very personal, and on his latest album “Cashmere If You Can”, he sounds like he’s been listening to a lot of Loudon Wainwright III records. On episode 18 of Love That Album, I talk about “Cashmere If You Can” and how it sounds like a public type of therapy of Difford. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

From the mid 70s through to the late 90s, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook had a songwriting partnership that had the pundits comparing them to Lennon/McCartney. Don’t feel under any pressure, guys. As mainstays of the band Squeeze, Tilbrook’s music and Difford’s lyrics covered a multitude of subjects including spouse abuse, living under cramped conditions, infidelity, and wanking. They survived the new wave label and later on, the AOR label to just make great songs till Squeeze’s demise. Both men have recorded great solo albums, and different to their Squeeze output. Difford’s lyrics have become very personal, and on his latest album “Cashmere If You Can”, he sounds like he’s been listening to a lot of Loudon Wainwright III records. On episode 18 of Love That Album, I talk about “Cashmere If You Can” and how it sounds like a public type of therapy of Difford. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

On Episode 17 of Love That Album, we try something new and something old. For the first time, there are three of us discussing the album of the episode. In addition to LTA regular Geoff Smith, I’m joined from Sydney by Springsteen aficionado John Stirrat (not he of Wilco fame), to discuss Bruce’s latest long player, “Wrecking Ball”. The fact that we’re covering Bruce is the “something old”, since Jeff Jenkins and I went head-to-head way back in Episode 1 discussing Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town” versus “Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle”. So like many other artists of Bruce’s age and experience, is he treading water or is he trying something new? Can he lay claim to be the 21st century Woody Guthrie? How does this album stack up against another potential claimant of the title, Ry Cooder’s “Pull Up Some dust and Sit Down”? How does Bruce deal with the absence of “The Champion of the Universe”, Clarence Clemons? Geoff, John and I go into these questions and discuss the themes present on the album.  Most importantly, we ask the most basic question: Is “Wrecking Ball” any good. Listen to the show and find out. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

On Episode 17 of Love That Album, we try something new and something old. For the first time, there are three of us discussing the album of the episode. In addition to LTA regular Geoff Smith, I’m joined from Sydney by Springsteen aficionado John Stirrat (not he of Wilco fame), to discuss Bruce’s latest long player, “Wrecking Ball”. The fact that we’re covering Bruce is the “something old”, since Jeff Jenkins and I went head-to-head way back in Episode 1 discussing Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town” versus “Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle”. So like many other artists of Bruce’s age and experience, is he treading water or is he trying something new? Can he lay claim to be the 21st century Woody Guthrie? How does this album stack up against another potential claimant of the title, Ry Cooder’s “Pull Up Some dust and Sit Down”? How does Bruce deal with the absence of “The Champion of the Universe”, Clarence Clemons? Geoff, John and I go into these questions and discuss the themes present on the album.  Most importantly, we ask the most basic question: Is “Wrecking Ball” any good. Listen to the show and find out. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

On Episode 17 of Love That Album, we try something new and something old. For the first time, there are three of us discussing the album of the episode. In addition to LTA regular Geoff Smith, I’m joined from Sydney by Springsteen aficionado John Stirrat (not he of Wilco fame), to discuss Bruce’s latest long player, “Wrecking Ball”. The fact that we’re covering Bruce is the “something old”, since Jeff Jenkins and I went head-to-head way back in Episode 1 discussing Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town” versus “Wild, Innocent & E Street Shuffle”. So like many other artists of Bruce’s age and experience, is he treading water or is he trying something new? Can he lay claim to be the 21st century Woody Guthrie? How does this album stack up against another potential claimant of the title, Ry Cooder’s “Pull Up Some dust and Sit Down”? How does Bruce deal with the absence of “The Champion of the Universe”, Clarence Clemons? Geoff, John and I go into these questions and discuss the themes present on the album.  Most importantly, we ask the most basic question: Is “Wrecking Ball” any good. Listen to the show and find out. Download the show from either http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or by searching for “lovethatalbum” in the iTunes store. Send written or mp3 feedback to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au

For episode 16 of Love That Album podcast, we see the return of an artist previously discussed on the show, Paul Simon. Back in 1980, the music world was on the cusp of an onslaught of New Wave. Paul Simon wrote and starred in a film called One Trick Pony about a journeyman musician trying to find if he still has a place in the new musical landscape. Famous in the sixties for one anti-war song, he now has to compete with the new popular bands (the B52s make an appearance), swim around the sharks at his record company, work out where he fits with a wife he divorces but still loves, and how to maintain good parenting skills. Most of all he wants to serve his muse – but is being on the road with his band the way to do it? Especially in a climate that’s long forgotten he exists? The band in the film includes long-time Simon associates Steve Gadd and Richard Tee, as well as King Crimson’s Tony Levin and jazz guitarist Eric Gale. (The music also shows that Simon was no slouch in the guitar playing department). For years, I’ve loved the OTP album but hated the movie.  In revisiting the film for this podcast, I’ve changed that assessment somewhat. Justin Bozung (host of the wonderful Mondo Film Podcast) and I discuss both the film and the album in some detail. Justin saw this as more biographical about Simon than I did, but he convinced me that the themes raised in this film about family (band and nuclear), doing things the way you must, and walking in on your bandmates while they’re bathing were very well covered (even if the acting is wooden – we’ll have to differ on that one, Justin). We had a fascinating conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. You can download (or stream) the episode from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or search for “lovethatalbum” (all one word) in iTunes. Send written feedback or mp3 voicemail to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au. Join the Love That Album Facebook page and start a music discussion.  If you like the show, I’d be grateful if you left a line or two of feedback for the show at iTunes.

For episode 16 of Love That Album podcast, we see the return of an artist previously discussed on the show, Paul Simon. Back in 1980, the music world was on the cusp of an onslaught of New Wave. Paul Simon wrote and starred in a film called One Trick Pony about a journeyman musician trying to find if he still has a place in the new musical landscape. Famous in the sixties for one anti-war song, he now has to compete with the new popular bands (the B52s make an appearance), swim around the sharks at his record company, work out where he fits with a wife he divorces but still loves, and how to maintain good parenting skills. Most of all he wants to serve his muse – but is being on the road with his band the way to do it? Especially in a climate that’s long forgotten he exists? The band in the film includes long-time Simon associates Steve Gadd and Richard Tee, as well as King Crimson’s Tony Levin and jazz guitarist Eric Gale. (The music also shows that Simon was no slouch in the guitar playing department). For years, I’ve loved the OTP album but hated the movie.  In revisiting the film for this podcast, I’ve changed that assessment somewhat. Justin Bozung (host of the wonderful Mondo Film Podcast) and I discuss both the film and the album in some detail. Justin saw this as more biographical about Simon than I did, but he convinced me that the themes raised in this film about family (band and nuclear), doing things the way you must, and walking in on your bandmates while they’re bathing were very well covered (even if the acting is wooden – we’ll have to differ on that one, Justin). We had a fascinating conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. You can download (or stream) the episode from http://lovethatalbum.blogspot.com or search for “lovethatalbum” (all one word) in iTunes. Send written feedback or mp3 voicemail to rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au. Join the Love That Album Facebook page and start a music discussion.  If you like the show, I’d be grateful if you left a line or two of feedback for the show at iTunes.