Love That Album

When the history of late 70s punk music is discussed, a point often raised is that bands like The Sex Pistols and the Damned and The Saints were reacting to the over complexity of prog bands. Certainly, it makes for a good quote, but Steve Jones is on the record as being a fan of Fleetwood Mac and Queen and other “dinosaur” bands punk was supposed to sweep away. I can’t recall for sure, but I THINK I read somewhere that Yes was some punk guitarist’s favourite band. Really, if so much of that early era of British punk was about great pop songs with buzzsaw guitars, I believe I can make a case that Yes was a band (unlike, say, early Genesis) that also played around with standard pop structure…..just for considerably longer than 2 minutes at a time. There’s the link between punk and prog (at least Yes’ approach to it). Welcome to episode 174 of Love That Album podcast. For the first LTA of 2024, I am joined once again by Bondi Cigars' guitarist Shane Pacey to talk about what is often considered the pinnacle of prog rock, Yes’ 1972 album Close To The Edge. We talk about rock music's progression to....ummm...prog rock, the Bill Bruford vs Alan White debate, and we also bring up Bach, King Crimson, AC/DC and Cossack Funk (you read that right!!!). …..and Shane tells a first hand account of an unexpected musician who was a big fan of Yes (and was Shane's first guitar teacher.....you gotta tune in to find out....) We had a lot of fun with this one You can find Shane's music on line at https://shanepaceytrio.com.au/ or https://bondicigars.com/ or https://shanepacey.bandcamp.com/album/the-gardener. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 173 of Love That Album. In episode 172, I started my investigation of what were the favourite albums of the year from some great music writers and broadcasters. If you haven't caught up with that one, check out what Brian Nankervis, Jeff Jenkins and Pat Monaghan had to say (as well as a couple of great emails from listeners to the show). Concluding this investigation for episode 173, I speak with Ian McFarlane (author of The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop) and Billy Pinnell (presenter of The Album Show on EON-FM / MMM-FM). Also, podcast listener (and huge supporter of the Melbournel music scene), Mark Andrew sent me some audio feedback. Once again, get out your pens and paper to jot down some great recommendations to follow up on. I reiterate from last time, I'm grateful to everyone who joined me on the show this year, downloaded any episodes, or told their friends the show was worthy of their time. You're all grouse. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (except Spotify). Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. I'm also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovethatalbumpodcast/ Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to episode 172 of Love That Album. It's December, so once again, it's time for me to reach out to 5 wonderful music media people in Melbourne to discuss with me their favourite music for 2023 – new or old (but recently discovered). As per usual, these magnificent people I admire brought some great “logs to throw on the conversational fire” (to steal from David Hepworth and Mark Ellen). However, to play all 5 people on the one episode would have made this a 4 hour plus episode.....not a sin in my book, but some people prefer shows with a more digestible time frame. To that end, I present this time around 3 of my guests, and some feedback from a couple of listeners all to talk about great music of the year. Episode 173 will feature the remaining 2 guests and more feedback. This time around we will hear from Rockwiz and Friday Revue host Brian Nankervis, music journalist and author Jeff Jenkins, and owner of Melbourne's Rocksteady Records Pat Monaghan. I am thrilled that these fellow music fans and knowledgeable gents would give of their time to this little podcast. Get out your pen and paper and prepare to make a list of your next favourite albums. Part 173 with Ian McFarlane and Billy Pinnell will be out within the next week or so. Thanks so much to anyone who listened to the show, was a guest on the show, contributed conversation to the LTA Facebook group, or reached out to me directly directly over the year. More coming in 2024 (you're welcome / sorry). Also huge gratitude to my brothers and sisters over at Pantheon Podcasts....some great shows and people over there who have corresponded with me over the year – there will be some crossover shows next year. Many thanks to Christian Swain and Peter Ferioli for allowing me to swim in the Pantheon pool. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (except Spotify). The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. I'm also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovethatalbumpodcast/ Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We tend to think more of the guitar as a rock and roll instrument, but Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Fats Domino were a big part of the early sound of rock and roll. While there are plenty of great rock piano players, that lead guy or gal mostly tends to be playing a six-string. In the 70s and 80s, the big piano frontmen were Billy Joel and Elton John – hugely popular with what they did, but much (though not all) of it was balladry. Where were the trouble-makers and the pisstakers behind the 88s? One of them was hiding out in North Carolina. Welcome to episode 171 of Love That Album. By 2000, Ben Folds Five had broken up, leaving behind three incredible albums of “punk music for sissies” (Ben’s alleged description of the band). They’d created songs both raucous and tender, angry and loving, serious and funny. In 2001, Ben Folds released his first solo album “Rockin’ The Suburbs” (recorded in Adelaide), and he plays and sings nearly everything. Once again, he aimed for your funny bone, but he also told stories that could break your heart. These stories showed once again that Folds was a master of melody, harmony and was very literate. For this episode, I am joined by the host and “numbers girl” of the wonderful All Time Top Ten podcast, Ben Eisen and Shannon Hurley. We sit around the virtual table discussing Folds’ techniques in composition and arrangement, his potty mouth, the seeming contrast between the man who could write both The Luckiest and Song For The Dumped, and real life stories from the suburbs about everyday people brought to life in this collection of short stories – love spurned, love embraced, parenthood, mental health, and cussing on the mic. My huge thanks to both Ben and Shannon for being such great partners for this discussion about a performer who we all love. We never even mention the one song seemingly everyone knows….because Folds is so much more than that one song. I won’t let it be 3 years before Ben and Shannon rock the mics with me on LTA again. You can catch new episodes of All Time Top Ten every week on favourite podcast app, or go to https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-time-top-ten/id573735994 At the time of this LTA, there are 590 episodes recorded!!!!! Most are archived at https://www.mixcloud.com/beneisen/ If you want to check out Shannon’s variety of projects (music, art, videos), then head to https://shannonhurley.com/ Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum I'm also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovethatalbumpodcast/ Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are some artists who make a career of changing their musical styles between albums. They took risks to remain artistically relevant or just because they don’t want to repeat themselves. David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Wilco, The Beatles, John Cale, XTC are all examples…..a ton of others could be nominated. Let’s talk about Suzanne Vega. Welcome to episode 170 of Love That Album podcast. From the mid-80s, Suzanne Vega had recorded some great records featuring songs that sounded like a mix of old school folk and polished pop. She wrote songs of domestic abuse, changes in her personal life, love lost, and her favourite coffee shop in NYC. Then after the unexpected success of a couple of producers remixing her “coffee shop” song, “Tom’s Diner”, she wanted to explore other options to how her recorded music would sound. She chose the exciting producer of the moment, Mitchell Froom, to help her record something that would sound different to previous albums, and the result was “99.9F” released in 1992. Her personal style of songwriting hadn’t altered, but it’s the arrangements and the production that make this album sound a world away from the debut eponymous album released just a few years earlier. I’m joined by two new guests to discuss this album and a bunch of peripheral subjects. First up is Eric Senich, host of the terrific Booked On Rock podcast – dedicated to the discussion of music books with authors. I’m also joined by the wonderful author, Lisa Torem, who has released 3 books in the On Track series of books – the latest one being on the discography of Suzanne Vega. Together, we look through the themes of 99.9F, how it changed from the sound of her earlier records, determining if the art is in the songwriting or the recording, and whether one temperature scale is more erotic than another. My gratitude to Lisa and Eric for being such wonderful guests, and look forward to having them on the show again. You can go through Eric’s podcast back catalogue at https://www.bookedonrock.com/ or you can subscribe on all the usual podcast platforms – perfect for deciding what your next music book should be. You can pick up a copy of any of Lisa’s On Track books in which she analyses the songcraft of the discography of Billy Joel, Tori Amos, and Suzanne Vega from either Amazon or at https://burningshed.com/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=lisa%20torem&filter_sub_category=true She’s working on a website which is not quite active yet, but keep checking at lisatorem.com Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum I'm also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovethatalbumpodcast/ Proudly Pantheon. You can download episode 170 from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buddy Guy put out an album in 1991 called Damn Right I Got The Blues. The song sounds like so much of a form of catharsis. However, blues can also represent a form of celebration. There's pre-war country blues, jump blues, swamp blues.... There's blues styles from Chicago, Texas, Louisiana and other American regions. The blues is not one thing. It's old...it's contemporary. It's relaxed...it's heart pumping. It has old and young practitioners. It has iconic practitioners and some bloke playing it at your local pub. Welcome to episode 169 of Love That Album. Obviously, the most famous blues musicians are those from the US and from the UK. Here in Australia, however, there's been a long tradition of musicians who've devoted themselves to the blues, be it through the pre-war stylings of The Paramount Trio, the Chicago style of Collard Greens and Gravy or....the hard-boogie style of Carson. Blues lovers here believe that there is something uniquely Australian about how blues is performed here....tyranny of distance making it gritty or something like that. In 2019, artist and blues lover Pauline Bailey took it upon herself to record an oral history of Australian blues by speaking to a plethora (as Max Crawdaddy would have it) of musicians about their connection to local blues music. In 2023, Pauline has just released Volume 4 of these incredible books with no intention of stopping. Many are well known (Diesel, Jeff Lang, Ross Wilson, Mal Eastick, Mike Rudd), some not so much......all have fascinating stories to tell about how music came into their lives, how they've pursued it, and where it took them. These books are an invaluable resource into a side of Australian music history not previously tackled. The books even feature chapters devoted to some past LTA guests (Shane Pacey, Charles Jenkins, Anthony Shortte, Sarah Carroll, and Chris Wilson). My huge thanks to Pauline for joining me to discuss her work and her devotion to the music and stylists she's immortalised in print. If you wish to grab a copy of any of her books, you can track them down at https://store15455084.ecwid.com/Books-c40041069 Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. We're also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lovethatalbumpodcast/ Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The process of recording music in 2023 has changed drastically to what it was in the latter half of the 20th century.....sort of. Sure, musicians can go in to a recording studio with an engineer and record in a way not dissimilar to the days of old. However, as technology changed inside professional studios, it changed for musicians who wanted to get a great sound in their bedroom. Many studios couldn't compete and only their legacy remains in our record collections. ....yet, EMI Studios at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, London endures. It has even been declared a national treasure. Welcome to episode 168 of Love That Album. Music fans have been treated to stories about many of the great studios in popular music history – Sun, Nashville RCA Studio B, Ardent Studios.....but arguably, the most famous is Abbey Road (as it is now called). Music journalist and broadcaster David Hepworth has written an excellent book, “Abbey Road: The Inside Story of the World’s Most Famous Recording Studio”. While the most casual music fan may only be aware of its Beatles connection (not least for the zebra crossing in front of it), the studio had an incredible history both before, during and after the Fabs reign. It may be one of the few big studios left. David joins me to talk about his research into the book and to tell some stories about the incredible musicians who recorded there and the technical innovation that took place there.....and to be honest (as Frank Santopadre would say), we only scratched the surface. My gratitude to David for speaking with me about a fascinating piece of modern music history. What else besides Abbey Road have Richard Tauber, Mrs Mills and Noel Gallagher in common? Bugger all I'd suggest. You can pick up “Abbey Road: The Inside Story of the World’s Most Famous Recording Studio” at all good bookshops, and online at the usual places that sell books. Check out the superb podcast David and Mark Ellen co-host, Word In Your Ear. Pretend your having a pint at the pub discussing music, and that's this show. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a quote attributed to Louis Armstrong: “All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song”. Apocryphal? Who knows? Still, it does raise the question as to what folk music actually is. It can be contemporary contemporary or traditional. It can be associated with any number of cultures. It can be instrumental or songs without instrumental accompaniment. The songs can be about tales of heroes, cads, fair maidens, murder, politics, or.....that very infrequent topic of song – love. Welcome to episode 167 of Love That Album podcast. I am joined once again by Shane Pacey, singer and guitarist for The Bondi Cigars, The Shane Pacey Trio and Pacey, King & Doley. His own music may be rooted in blues (another category that's more varied than is often given credit for), but Shane has a passion and huge knowledge about English folk music. Together we discussed the music of Scottish guitarist Bert Jansch. Bert was part of supergroup Pentangle (LTA episode 134), but before, during and after that group he recorded many albums in his own name. He has been put in the “folk” caregory, but he was part of a generation of UK musicians that were keen to expand what folk music could be. Bert and contemporaries like John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Wizz Jones and John Fahey were huge fans of American blues and jazz music. They sought to put all their musical passions into a pot and stir. Bert developed a guitar style that made him a revered figure amongst rock musicians like Johnny Marr, Jimmy Page and Neil Young, yet his playing was never about the flash or histrionics. He just quietly played original and traditional songs in HIS own sweet way....and his singing voice was not a classic voice in the rock sense, and yet it draws you in – there was no one who played or sang like him. Shane and I talk about Bert as musician, our relation to his work, contemporaries, and we focus on two of his albums – 1971's “Rosemary Lane” and 1974's “L.A. Turnaround” (produced by a Monkee and featuring a 5th Beatle on bass). It's always great having Shane bring his musical expertise to the show. I hope you dig this one. You can find Shane's music on line at https://shanepaceytrio.com.au/ or https://bondicigars.com/ or https://shanepacey.bandcamp.com/album/the-gardener. Here's a link to a tribute concert to Bert that we mention in the show: https://youtu.be/Y_MyH_Uc--s Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in the eighties, commercial AM and FM rock radio in Australia was very supportive of local bands (well...... to a point). The biggest of them all was Cold Chisel which had hit after hit. They broke up in 1983, but their songs never left Australia's consciousness. Their original era and reformation albums are the soundtrack to Baby Boomer and Gen X music fans.....and their offspring. ….but this episode isn't about Cold Chisel. Welcome to episode 166 of Love That Album. A case can be made that Don Walker is Australia's greatest living songwriter. Be it for Cold Chisel, Catfish, Tex Don and Charlie or his current band The Suave Fucks, he has always had a gift with writing about the gritty side of life – murder, death, the road, Kings Cross, society's hypocrisies, Australian history, and cleaning filthy souls are all part of his subject matter. He mixes great melodies and a brilliant way with words to come up with songs that are as much a part of this nation's soul as the songs of Vanda and Young (whom Walker strongly admires). He's just released the first album in his own name in 10 years, Lightning In a Clear Blue Sky (there have been Cold Chisel releases as well as a Tex Don and Charlie album, so he's kept busy). I was rapt to have Don join me for a chat about creativity, the state of the world, and how people from his past have been written into his songs. We barely touch on Chisel, because he's been crafting great songs outside of his most well known venture. I want to shine a light on some of those songs. Wish I'd had 5 hours available to ask questions, but I'm grateful for the time I had. Huge thanks go to Rina Ferris who made the connection. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Easybeats April continues at LTA HQ. Welcome to episode 165 of Love That Album. On the last episode, I spoke with author Jeff Apter about his book Friday On My Mind: The Life of George Young. His book looks at Young as musician with The Easybeats, and Young as songwriter and producer for Alberts Productions after the band broke up. This time around, I am joined by host of Let It Roll podcast, “Kid” Nathan Wilcox to discuss the actual music of The Easybeats. Of course as in any of these shows, we had digressions to talk about the band's history, art versus commercial reality, and much conjecture as to why the band didn't translate to Beatlesque levels of popularity outside of Australia beyond THAT one hit single. Rather than discuss a specific album of the Easybeats catalogue, Nate and I selected 5 songs each from the excellent Glenn A. Baker double LP compilation from 1980, "Absolute Anthology 1965 to 1969". We discussed the songs in order (mostly) of release to present an arc of the band that went from recording songs in a rock and roll vein, to one that became more experimental with their sounds to one that returned back to their rock and roll roots by the end. In discussing these songs, Nate and I try to make sense of their development. I had an absolute blast recording this episode and I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Let It Roll (also part of the Pantheon family) is dedicated to the discussion of recorded music history via conversations with authors of music related books. At two episodes per week, the number of books Nate reads and researches is staggering. The subject matter is diverse – Bob Marley, the Brill Building, Texas gospel, and the mob's involvement in the music business are just skimming the surface of what's offered in Let It Roll. Give Nate's show your attention. Get episodes from your favourite podcast app or at https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/letitroll If that's not enough, he's also the head honcho at http://BloodyElbow.com, a website dedicated to martial arts and boxing journalism. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask any Australian rock fan who is the greatest Australian performer or band over the history of the last 70 odd years and you'll get a multitude of answers (as you would anywhere). It's a subjective question and there are generational factors to be taken into account. However, an Australian Performing Rights Association panel declared “Friday On My Mind” by The Easybeats to be the greatest Australian song ever. That's gotta put The Easybeats somewhere in the pantheon of the greats, right? Welcome to episode 164 of Love That Album. The history of pop music is littered with artists who if lucky enough to achieve popularity and acclaim for their work have a limited shelf life before audiences and critics move onto the next thing. It's extremely rare for a musician or group to get a second wind. Harry Vanda and George Young are in that rare company. First finding Beatlesque levels of popularity in the Southern Hemisphere with The Easybeats, and then becoming songwriters and producers for other successful acts within the Alberts Productions “House of Hits” including George's kid brothers' band..... I welcome back to the podcast biographer, Jeff Apter to discuss his book “Friday On My Mind: The Life of George Young”. It's a terrific read that looks at George's life as an immigrant from Scotland to the outskirts of Sydney and being determined to make it as a rock and roll musician. We discuss The Easybeats success and poor management, his advice to younger brothers Malcolm and Angus, Vanda and Young's second apprenticeship with “fake” bands, the tragedy of Stevie Wright post Easybeats and the empire Vanda and Young built. My huge thanks to Jeff for coming back to the show. You can order his multitude of biographies on Australian musicians from http://jeffapter.com.au. Part 2 of this special is coming in a week or so and will be a discussion with Nathan Wilcox of the Let It Roll Podcast about The Easybeats Absolute Anthology 1965 to 1969. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There was a time where Australian bands felt that the only way they were going to get noticed was to leave the country and head to London. Sometimes, this would translate to great popularity ...and sometimes, it meant bands would live under difficult financial circumstances while their music was not in danger of bothering the top 40. Welcome to episode 163 of Love That Album. I'm joined by previous guest Doug (aka Fnord) Buissuant and first timer, Darrin Irvine to talk about The Go Betweens and their 1988 album 16 Lovers Lane. Of course, we talk about the journey the band took from their origins in Brisbane through to living in London, and finally relocating to Sydney before calling it a day (well...sorta). The music evolved from clever indie pop in the early 80s to lush, beautifully arranged pop in the late 80s. We talk about how we saw the music evolve, being a Brisbane band under the police state of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the friendship of Grant Mclennan and Robert Forster (and what that supposedly made the rest of the band feel)....and unlike some other discussions about the Go Betweens, we DON'T talk about Fleetwood Mac. 16 Lovers Lane can be divisive among fans – some prefer the earlier albums that were more angular sounding, and others love the beauty of their final album in their original incarnation. Where do we stand? Tune in. I am hugely grateful to the gents for taking the time to bring me their expertise and conversation about one of Australia's great bands that deserved more recognition from the wider public than they received. Also, thanks go to my friend, Pat Monaghan for the loan of his box set G Is For Go Betweens and for his conversations with me about the band (and about a ton of other music). Check out the music on Doug's record label, Ape Sanctuary at https://apesanctuary.bandcamp.com/music Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 1980s have often been derided musically. The truth is there was interesting stuff happening that we've conveniently forgotten. An interesting question is how the 80s treated musicians considered important in the 60s. How did they adapt with the technology and change in direction for songwriting? Once again, there are some who handled it better than others. Dylan started and finished the decade well, but.....what happened in between? For the purposes of this conversation, we're going to focus on Pete Townshend. Welcome to episode 162 of Love That Album podcast. At the start of the eighties, Townshend created a couple of great records, but still with the shadow of The Who behind him. By 1985, The Who had split, so he could create a record that could reflect where his interests lay without having to worry about whether it sounded right for the 80s version of The Who – a different sounding band to what they had previously been. It could be argued that the 80s treated him well – certainly his solo albums are subjectively more interesting than the two studio Who albums of that period. One thing Townshend followed on through his Who days was a love of telling long form stories. In 1985, he released White City: A Novel both in record and home video form. On this episode of Love That Album, I am joined by co host of Stinking Pause podcast Charlie Mahoney to talk about the music on the album, and whether the film Pete wrote and Richard Lowenstein directed was successful. In the mid eighties when the world was focused on apartheid South Africa, Townshend thought he'd use his story of a separated couple living in a council estate as a metaphor for for what was going on. Does it work? My gratitude to Charlie for being my first co host following a hiatus of a few months. He brought great conversation to the show, and hopefully, it won't be another 7 years before he returns. You can catch Charlie, Scott and Paul discussing vintage cinema at https://stinkingpause.libsyn.com/ If you want to watch the film, it's available at https://vimeo.com/520512254 Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been 3 months since I recorded the most recent episode of Love That Album. Real life interfered with being able to do something fun like speak into a microphone about great music. The show had to go into hiatus. It's with the utmost joy I can say.....welcome to episode 161 of Love That Album. The hiatus is going into....ummm...temporary hiatus as I present my annual episode of favourite discoveries / first time listens of the year. Normally, I speak with a number of my favourite co-presenters about what they enjoyed, but I wanted to get the show back on track in a quiet and easy way, so this time around it's just me. I present 3 albums I heard for the first time in 2022...then I very briefly add a few more at the end of the show. What do I focus on???? You'll have to download to find out. I hope you'll enjoy my thoughts and recommendations. Thanks to you, dear listener, for not unsubscribing LTA from your podcast app of choice....I assure you that I intend to do the show for a long time to come. A huge thanks to anyone who sent me messages to find out if I was alright.....your kindness has meant a lot to me. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Without repeating the details, over the years, John Hiatt has assumed the status of legend in LTA lore....go back to episode 100 if you need a refresher. His life story is the focus of episode 160 of the show. Is this episode any good? Have a little faith...... Welcome to episode 160 of Love That Album. My friend of many years and fellow Hiatt fan Geoff Smith joins me as we welcome radio announcer and author Michael Elliott to the show. He has written the first ever biography of John Hiatt called “Have A Little Faith: The John Hiatt Story”. The book looks his life and work. The first half of the book tells the story of a talented songwriter who has faced adversity through family trut broken, substance abuse, and personal tragedy. In the 21t century, it' also unthinkable that an artist would go through three major labels before finding some public success at the fourth. His circumstances would have weakened many....but through his own determination, and the respect of his peers, Hiatt found his way. Michael has written a wonderful book that while never salacious, doesn't shy away from the hardships of Hiatt's early life. We speak about how he tried many musical styles before he settled on what was true and honest artistically for him. We speak about songcraft, humour, the connection to David Bowie, why Emmylou Harris makes everything better, and many other topics around Hiatt's life and Michael's book. My gratitude to Geoff for coming up with some great questions for Michael and bringing in his own experiences with John Hiatt. Also huge thanks goes to Michael for providing an entertaining discussion around his biographical subject. If you feel so inspired to grab a copy of Have A Little Faith, you can find the links to any number of book stores at https://michael-elliott.com/. The site also has links to numerous articles Michael has written over the years for a variety of publications about all manner of musicians. If you live outside of the US, just walk into your local book store and tell them to order you a copy pronto. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the days before music streaming services became a ubiquitous, when physical media ruled the music world, the first thing a music fan encountered before playing the music on a record, a CD or a cassette was the artwork on the cover. The cover was the always gateway to the music. Some cover art is tastefully done, some covers have Facebook groups devoted to their awfulness. If done very well (or very poorly), cover art can come to define the music the listener is about to play. Welcome to episode 159 of Love That Album. Even before you play a note, looking at the covers of albums like Abbey Road, East or Whipped Cream and Other Delights will bring memories or impressions into your head. You may buy the record for the music, but it may well be the album cover that persuades you to pick it up in the record store in the first place. The very important role of cover designer often decides whether you decide to give an album a second glance. One gentleman who knows this very well is Steven Jurgensmeyer. He may be known to podcast listeners as the host of the excellent All Music Books: Deep Dive podcast (also on the Pantheon network), but his day gig for many years has been in designing album covers. He worked for may years at Ryko and Rounder, so you may well know the artwork he's done for albums by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Sugar (featuring Bob Mould), Branford Marsalis, Robert Cray, Chris Bell and many others. We had a great discussion on his own work, whether an album's success and its artwork are linked, and the contrast between the previous world of physical art layout and its modern digital counterpart....we also take some time to talk about Steven's work with All Music Books. Thanks so much to Steven for his time and invaluable insight into a side of music that we know about, yet don't make as much a part of the conversation. You can check out all the album covers (and more) that we discuss at https://www.stevenjurgensmeyer.com/#/music/ and you can read reviews of a large library of music books at https://allmusicbooks.com/. AllMusicBooks: Deep Dive is also part of the Pantheon Network of music discussion podcasts and is available wherever you get your podcasts. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the Beatles showed up with a built-in songwriting team, bands have always had those members who practised the mysterious art of creating and arranging compositions rather than relying on outside professionals to do that for them. Of course, even those great songsmiths liked to take a break and release an album of music that inspired them to pick up the quill and ink in the first place – Bowie's “Pinups”, Patti Smith's “12”, John Lennon's “Rock n Roll” (maybe more for contractual obligations, but still...) Now we can add Australian songwriter John Kennedy's “Raining Treasure” to that mix. Welcome to episode 158 of Love That Album. John's been making great records since the 1980s with his bands like John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong and JFK and the Cuban Crisis. His music has always had an Americana flavour to it, and he writes wonderful tales of life in Sydney. His 2017 album JFK and the Midlife Crisis was a concept album about a middle aged musician recalling his times younger days in Sydney working in the indie music scene and where he now sees himself. In 2019, this led to the idea of recording an album of covers from fellow travellers in Australian independent music of the 70s and 80s, “Raining Treasure – Australian Indie Gold Covers Vol.1”.In 2022, John and his band The '68 Comeback Special have released a second volume, “Raining Treasure – More Australian Indie Gold Covers Vol.2” with their interpretations of songs from The Scientists, Weddings Parties Anything, Radio Birdman, and (in an extension of the definition of “independent”) The Angels (aka Angel City in the US). These are not carbon copies of their originals – the gents put deep thought into the arrangements of these songs, and the results in some cases show a greater musical alignment with the lyrics. I met up with John Kennedy and Peter Timmerman from the band to discuss these great albums. Tales are also told of the oppressiveness of Queensland under the Bjelke-Petersen government, John's “Sex Pistols” moment meeting the Go Betweens, and whether it's appropriate for an audience to chant during a cover of THAT Angels song. If you're a fan of Kennedy, you won't want to miss this. If you're unfamiliar with his work, you're in for a treat. You can stream the Raining Treasure albums from the usual places OR get a physical copies of the CDs from https://www.thegroovemerchants.com/Product/106392?fbclid=IwAR0x6jxrn6V3nds5OV4EcVGER_pkmkSQrG6KqBUplMqxLWP4JKDY2-wREP4 If you want to do a compare and contrast with the originals, I've created a YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUPF49t_p_U&list=PLvosm3nd-62VG0NoFR3x8jhoMgPBkcm51 Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice. The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the tail end of the 70s, and top 40 music is heavily leaning to disco and AOR. Sure there's plenty of other things out there, but the charts point not only to disco artists, but pop singers jumping on board the disco train (Barbara Streisand, Kiss, Paul McCartney and Wings). Then 4 guys based in Los Angeles recorded and mixed a powerful rock and roll album in a little over 10 days, and for a brief time, the world couldn't get enough of them. Welcome to episode 157 of Love That Album. It seemed that you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing that flammed drum beat that held together a song as lustful as anything in rock music, My Sharona. Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Prescott Niles and Bruce Gary released their debut album Get The Knack and music fans went crazy. Of course, things turned sour with fickle fans and the media who had to take these guys down a peg or two. That's not the story (in the main) that this episode is about. I am hugely privileged to have Knack bassist Prescott Niles join me to talk about the 6 albums the band released over their career, putting paid to the lie that My Sharona is all they accomplished....but this episode is about more than just The Knack. Prescott talks about his music life starting in Brooklyn, and his time working with musicians like Velvet Turner, Arthur Lee, and George Harrison. He also talks about Fillmore East and Woodstock, and tells some interesting tales about Jimi Hendrix, and a few others. This is a mammoth conversation we recorded over two sessions (one wasn't enough to get all these stories out). I am hugely grateful to Prescott for taking the time to join me on the show – something 15 year old me who played Get The Knack to death on original release could never have imagined. I'd also liked to thank Randy Haecker who hooked me up with Prescott. So put on your skinny ties and download the show. Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice.The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the past, Love That Album has avoided getting political. The albums being focused on for the most part didn't require the conversations to get embroiled in the very furnace that keeps people blathering on talk-back radio and social media – mostly in uncivilised fashion. That all changes for this episode. If you don't like talk about what a pack of dickheads (I use less polite terminology on the actual show) fascists really are and the political masters who enable them....you might wanna skip this show. Otherwise......welcome to episode 156 of Love That Album. It seems like we're still in a dark era for humanity with wars and bigotry continuously being part of every day life across this broken planet. In England back in the 70s, the National Front were gaining supporters from both ends of the class system. There was a very real chance that their racist ideology was going to be allowed into mainstream government – not just staying in the fringes of society. The Rock Against Racism movement was born to fight this ideology – particularly after the likes of Eric Clapton and David Bowie started saying things in public that would have been frightening to immigrants and Holocaust survivors. It was into this environment that songwriter and activist Tom Robinson brought his music into the public arena. He and his band (aptly named The Tom Robinson Band) brought a tough combination of pub and punk rock mixed with unambiguous lyrics explaining that if people didn't confront the fascists, then life as they knew it was over. I am privileged to be joined by podcaster and punk historian Tom Austin-Morgan to discuss the debut album by the TRB, Power In The Darkness. The album is confronting lyrically, but Robinson is smart enough to know that if you back up your messages with catchy hooks and singalong choruses, you'll have a better chance of getting your message across. Tom and I discuss Tom's music in a broader sense, but the necessity is that we have to discuss the political environment of England in the 70s to give the album context. We really couldn't have done the album justice without providing the history. I'm super grateful to Tom for providing his time and expertise. I highly recommend his excellent show “Banned Biographies”. The show focuses on the history of the original era of British punk – both by documentary style episodes and interviews with those who were there. Trust me – you need this show in your life. You can find it at all the usual places you get podcasts, or you can find it at https://www.bannedbiographies.com/ You can check the show's socials out at: Twitter: @BannedBiogs Facebook: @BannedBiographies Instagram: @bannedbiographies Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice.The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at http://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you all seated comfortable, too square on your botty? Then Love That Album can begin. Welcome to episode 155 of Love That Album podcast. As the 1960s rolled on, popular music evolved....and yet some of it looked back for inspiration. In the late 60s, the pop songs that had propelled the early British Invasion bands had moved on to make way for heavier sounds of psychedelia and blues based rock. The mod bands that had started out as purely “maximum R&B” were exploring different avenues while still maintaining some connections to their roots. In 1968, The Small Faces had been through their share of grief with crooked management, contracts that did not favour them, and money woes. (Sadly, Steve Marriott's own future was set for a lot more grief). They wrote and recorded what many believe was their masterpiece, “Ogden's Nut Gone Flake”. Side 1 was a collection of hard rock, psychedelia, and old world British music-hall inspired tunes. Side 2 was a concept piece – a story about Happiness Stan who searches for the “missing” half of the moon. The story is narrated by Professor of Gobbledegook, Stanley Unwin. Oh yes, oh yes..... I'm joined by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ian Kitney (Overnight Jones, Tim Rogers and the Temperance Union) to contemplate the moon, lavatories, raising one's “oars”, the drumming of Kenny Jones, whether Marriott was mocking the state of contemporary British music, putting holes in one's snare drum, and what happens when George Formby is cleaning “winders”. It was a thrill to have Ian on the show – not only as a musician I've long admired, but also as a wonderful conversation partner about music we love. I also want to give a shout out to author Alan Pattinson who has written a series of wonderful books about so many musicians and bands from the “classic” rock era. I bought his book on The Small Faces to get a feel for their history, and I'd recommend anything he'd write. You can get Ian's albums from his Bandcamp site at https://iankitney.bandcamp.com/ including his latest called BGM – a wonderful collection of songs crossing over a number of styles over the history of pop. You can read Alan's writings at http://alansalbumarchives.blogspot.com/ which features links to his multiple e-books about the histories and discographies of many bands you love. Download this episode of LTA from wherever you prefer getting your podcasts. Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to http://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows. You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum If you’d consider writing an iTunes review I’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a barbecue, over coffee, on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful. Proudly Pantheon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices