Love That Album Podcast Episode 194 - Shane Pacey's "Cross Of The Heart"

 

LTA episodes are not usually filled with stories of soldiers suffering PTSD while on R&R, working women who have to leave their children late at night, mobsters who were guilty of violent crimes, strip clubs, police corruption or the gentrification of Kings Cross…..but here we go….

 

Welcome to episode 194 of Love That Album Podcast.

 

Over the course of the second half of the show’s life, my most frequent guest has been guitarist Shane Pacey. He’s the singer, songwriter and axe-slinger for The Bondi Cigars and The Shane Pacey Trio. He’s also a big music nerd who listens to a wide variety of albums, and I’ve been privileged to have him come on to the podcast to discuss with me some of his favourite records.

The weird thing is that until now, we’ve not devoted that much time to his own creative work. I knew that had to change.

 

In February of this year, Shane released his second solo album titled “Cross Of The Heart”. In a world where concept albums stretch to Tolkien or Asimov themes or nightmares or the 7 Deadly sins, I was taken aback when I discovered that Shane was pursuing tales of Kings Cross in Sydney. Before even listening, I knew that it would be a rich subject to mine. There are stories I knew of, but many I didn’t – be prepared folks, you’re going to get a fascinating history lesson. I’ve started reading Louis Nowra’s book “Kings Cross: A Biography” to get a greater appreciation of the history of this infamous district. Of course, Shane being a great melodicist writes some wonderful tunes, but it’s the stories and lyrics that are on show here (co written with Shane’s partner Holly Campbell).

 

Kings Cross has often been infamous for its crime, but as we discuss, it was also home to bohemians and artists. It’s not just about the stuff that made the newspaper headlines. There are many personal stories told here, and it all works beautifully. Shane and Holly’s ability to write stories brings everything to life. The SP3 drummer, adds some spice on percussion, but otherwise every instrument and vocal is played by Shane. It’s an album I recommend highly. It was great to have Shane talk about his own music for a change.

 

The album is only available digitally. Search it out on Bandcamp at https://shanepacey1.bandcamp.com/album/cross-of-the-heart

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download episode 194 from here.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 193 - Interview with Peter Luscombe

 

There are very few artists who can claim popularity in one decade, then claim it all over again with a new band or approach to music. In Australia in the 1970s, Joe Camilleri was a huge draw with his band Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons. They created a blend of R&B and reggae that worked well, and were a big draw in Australian pubs and concert venues. After the demise of the Falcons, Camilleri started a new band called The Black Sorrows that started life as a Zydeco outfit, then evolved into a blend of Americana, soul and a touch of Van Morrison inspired songs.

…..this episode isn't about Joe Camilleri.....

Welcome to Episode 193 of Love That Album.

The drummer for most of The Black Sorrows' first era was Peter “Lucky” Luscombe. He's known as the songwriter's drummer, because rather than trying to show off his chops, he always thinks, “How can I make this song sound great?” He's worked for decades as both a band member and as a session musician. Nowadays, he's most known for playing in Paul Kelly's band (3 decades and counting) and as the longest member of the Rockwiz Orkestra. If you hear his playing, you KNOW it's Lucky. He's also played for Stephen Cummings, Chris Wilson's band of the 90s post Crown Of Thorns, and Rebecca's Empire.

I was thrilled to have one of my drumming heroes on the show as we discuss his career, how he approaches a drum part, what he loves about great songwriting, why Australian session musicians are behind the rest of the world in terms of remuneration for their work, why The Meters and Tower of Power are hugely important.....and much more.

My thanks to Lucky for joining me on the show, and to Brian Nankervis for encouraging me to reach out to him for a chat.

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

You can download episode 193 from here.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 192 - Eels "Electro-Shock Blues"

 

It’s been a few months since the release of a new LTA podcast…a lot has happened in my life that meant I had to stand back from the show – not for the first time in its (nearly) 15 year existence….yet, I come back because discussing music with fellow music lovers, and putting those discussions into your earholes is something I love doing, so…….

Welcome to episode 192 of Love That Album Podcast.

Music is supposed to bring us happiness and joy. Sometimes though, it’s created as a form of catharsis for songwriters or performers. In 1998, Mark Everett’s band / collective Eels released their second LP Electro Shock Blues. Everett had faced truly difficult times with the death of his sister Liz from suicide, and the death of his mother from cancer. His father had died several years earlier. Mark barely knew him as he was absorbed in his work as a quantum physicist. A genius in his field, but reportedly, the opposite as a father.

To mentally cope with his awful situation, Everett wrote the songs for Electro Shock Blues that deal with what was in his head and what was in his sister’s head leading up to her death. It’s not a cathartic record in the same way that the Lennon Plastic Ono Band is – there’s no Janov screaming, and Everett’s music is often wistful even if his stories are not. It’s written with nuance and is direct – is that a contradiction in terms?

Electro Shock Blues is not a joyful listen, but it’s not ugly either. It’s a series of aural vignettes about a man coming to terms with tragedy. It's musically dark but it's also playful at times. I didn’t feel like making this a conversation with a fellow music lover – this episode is me going through the album’s history, and unpacking what Everett is doing, both lyrically and musically, and trying to determine his mental state at the time. To some, this may seem like a peculiar way for me to re-enter podcasting, but it was a show I felt compelled to do. I hope you get something out of it.

The book I sourced for information was Mark Everett’s autobiography “Things The Grandchildren Should Know". The BBC documentary I refer to is called “Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives”. It lives on Youtube at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsqlWaSviTk

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download episode 192 from here.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 191 - Wolfmother S/T

 

I'm taking a break this month, so my great friend and fellow music obsessive Dave Blom has come to the rescue. He realised that the LTA audience needed their monthly dose of music discussion that thousands of other music podcasts couldn't provide....

Welcome to episode 191 of Love That Album.

Dave loves his rawwwwwwwk, so he's decided to record an episode to talk about the debut LP from Sydney band Wolfmother. Coming out in 2005, it tipped its hat at old school hard rock and psychedelia. Dave will give you his personal history with the album, and a breakdown of each of its songs.

Thanks immensely for keeping the light on at LTA HQ while I do other stuff, Blommy. Go back into the LTA archives and find previous episodes where he's saved my hide in a similar fashion (LTA112 “Jet”, Episode 92 “Blackfeather” and “Avalanche”, Episode 102 - “The Vines) as well as a few episodes where we went head to head.

If you've listened to an episode this year or sent me a correspondence or posted in the Facebook group to have music discussions or recommended LTA or See Hear Podcast to your friends or have been a guest on the show, I offer my gratitude to you.

If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download episode 191 from here.

Love That Album Episode 190 - Favourite Musical Discoveries of 2025

 

Here we are at the end of another year. I won't pretend it was wonderful....part of it was downright horrible to be honest. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, two things made me happy – the kindness of some people and wonderful music. Love That Album is all about the music.

Welcome to episode 190 of Love That Album.

As long time listeners will know, at the end of most years, I like to reach out to some of my music loving and musically articulate friends to chat about what music excited them that year. The emphasis is on music discovery – some of it may be have been released but some of it may be 50 years old. As long as it's new for my guests, that's all that matters. I now present for you the 2025 edition of this tradition.

Joining me for this year's discussion are:

- Shane Pacey. Shane is part of the LTA furniture at this stage. Discussing music with him is always a treat. He's the front man for both the Bondi Cigars and the Shane Pacey Trio. He's a great musician, sure, but he's a passionate advocate for music history and a great raconteur in that regard. Check out his music at either https://shanepaceytriomusic.bandcamp.com/ or https://bondicigars.com/

- Farmer John (aka John Couture). Farmer John is the host of the superb Vinyl Relics podcast dedicated to the history of (mostly) obscure bands from the late 60s / early 70s rock era. He discusses albums with musicians who didn't always get their day in the sun but should have. Psychedelia, hard rock, pop and folk are his passions. He's also a guitarist and songwriter for a great band called Newport Electric. Get Vinyl Relics wherever you get podcasts, and find his music at https://www.newportelectricmusic.com/

- Brian Nankervis. In Australia, Brian needs no introduction....but for the rest of you, Brian is most famous for being the co host (with Julia Zemiro of Rockwiz) – previously a TV program (which yours truly had 15 minutes of infamy on), now a live touring show. Brian is indeed a rock music brain. He also hosts a weekly show on the ABC in Melbourne with Jacinta Parsons, The Friday Revue.

- Jeff Jenkins. Jeff is a music journalist and has been writing a weekly column called Howzat for many many years, as well as writing books about Molly Meldrum and Skyhooks. He also is a regular guest on RRR's The Australian Mood with Neil Rogers. JJ was also the very first guest to be a part of LTA 14 and a half years ago, back when most people didn't even know what a podcast was. You can read his articles at http://www.livinginthelandofoz.com/howzat.html

I'm truly grateful for these marvellous musical folk for giving me their time and great conversations.

In the off chance you were interested in what some of my favourite discoveries were this year, I have recorded solo segments I play in between my chats with my guests giving 3 albums that gave me pleasure this year – there were many more, but I didn't want this to be a 10 hour show.

If you've listened to an episode this year or sent me a correspondence or posted in the Facebook group to have music discussions or recommended LTA or See Hear Podcast to your friends or have been a guest on the show, I offer my gratitude to you.

If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download Episode 190 from here.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 189 - Interview With Graham "Buzz" Bidstrup of The Angels and GangGajang

 

Chances are if you have ever been asked “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?” and you answered “No Way. Get F#$*ed. F#$* Off”, it means:

(a) You're a fan of The Angels,

(b) You're insensitive, or

(c) You're both.

Welcome to episode 189 of Love That Album podcast.

I'm joined by genuine Australian rock music royalty, drummer Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup....but his career extends to so much more than being drummer and songwriter for The Angels (Angel City in North America) and Ganggajang. He's been an audio engineer, producer, film composer, multi instrumentalist, artist manager, and CEO of the hugely important Thumbs Up Foundation dedicated to Indigenous health, literacy, and numeracy instigated by the late Jimmy Little.

If you have any Australian rock albums from the 70s onwards in your collection, chances are very strong Buzz has some connection to those records. He's just released a memoir called “No Secrets: An Oz-Rock Memoir of Music and Mayhem”. I found it a great read because it covers more than stories about performance and band politics (although they're definitely in there). Buzz went to places many other musicians didn't...it wasn't always a pleasant ride, but he's here to tell the tale, and his proudest achievement is....well, you'll have to tune in to find out.

My thanks to literary agent, Brendan Fredericks for making the introduction. The book should be available at your local bricks and mortar book shop in Australia, or wherever you order books / ebooks online anywhere on the planet.

If you want to read about Jimmy Little's Thumbs Up Foundation, then go to https://thumbsup.org.au/

If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download episode 189 from here.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 188 - Blues-A-Thon

 

Blues music means different things to different people. The popular image is of a guitarist playing 12-bar blues of the 1-4-5 variety singing about his or her troubled life. This doesn't take into consideration songs of lust, politics, travel or any subject really that doesn't involve the traditional 12 bar form. The songs can be downcast, yes, but also happy and celebratory. They can have the guitar as the focus instrument, but also the harp (not the type that the Marx brothers employed....but I'd be happy to be proven wrong), the piano, horns....they can be simple, complex, slick or raw.

Welcome to episode 188 of Love That Album podcast.

Over the last few years, I've welcomed Shane Pacey, leader of the Bondi Cigars and the Shane Pacey Trio to the show many times to talk about records in a variety of styles, but weirdly, we've never spoken about The Blues. I say “weirdly” because blues music is his main focus of recording and live performance. Finally, that is rectified with the latest episode.

Shane and I picked 4 classic blues albums to ruminate on. They're all very different in their approach to performance and production, yet they all fit nicely under the blues umbrella. We look at:

Willie Dixon - I Am The Blues

Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign

Junior Wells – Hoodoo Man Blues

Muddy Waters – Hard Again

Of course, it wouldn't be an LTA episode if we didn't digress to other blues-related topics....and we're remaining consistent to that ethos. As always, it's a wonderful time in Shane's company. We discuss much, and I learn much. He's a music encyclopedia and a fun conversationalist.

So, if you want to know who we believe Junior Wells influenced and was influenced by or what song by Albert King influenced Kiss (probably) or why Marshall Chess supposedly asked Buddy Guy to kick his arse....we have a great show for you.

Shane's trio's most recent album is the superb Who Made You King? You can get a copy from https://shanepaceytriomusic.bandcamp.com/album/who-made-you-king. You can also look up what's happening in the world of The Bondi Cigars at https://bondicigars.com/

Oh, and I even received some feedback from listeners about THEIR favourite blues albums. Yay!!!

If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on iTunes and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Download episode 188 from here.