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.

Love That Album Podcast Episode 187 - Steeleye Span "Commoners Crown"

 

It’s well known that the 1960s had seen a revival of interest in the US and the UK in folk music – most particularly in its crossover to more contemporary styles. In the UK, traditional folk music preservation, academia and performance had long been part of the culture, but by the 1960s it seems there was conflict between those who wanted to play the music “authentically” (thus ignoring that folk songs had always evolved over the centuries), those who wanted to play those songs in a more contemporary fashion, and (shock horror) those who wanted to compose NEW songs in an accepted folk style.

Welcome to episode 187 of Love That Album podcast.

While there were many groups in the UK who were a part of the folk-rock scene starting in the 1960s, the three most famous were Fairport Convention, Pentangle and Steeleye Span. It seems that group memberships had something of a revolving door policy with many leaving one to join another when musical ideologies weren’t being met. Ashley Hutchings had become dissatisfied with the direction that Fairport was headed, and formed Steeleye Span. Span themselves went through several lineup and sound changes before arriving at its accepted classic lineup for their sixth LP, Now We Are Six.

The focus of this LTA is album number 7, released in 1975, Commoner’s Crown. I am joined once again by the co-host of the superb Only Three Lads podcast, Brett Vargo. He is a man of many musical passions, and one of them is the English folk scene of that 60s / 70s period. I discovered you can’t have a proper discussion on Span (or maybe other folk groups as well) without talking about the Child Ballads. I need to give credit to Nate Wilcox of the wonderful Let It Roll podcast who drew my attention to the existence of the Child Ballads through his show. It’s a shame our recording schedules couldn’t align for him to join us, but hopefully somewhere down the track Nate will be back on LTA.

Brett and I discuss some Steeleye Span history, Frances Child’s contribution to the folk and rock repertoire, murder, infidelity, drugs and theft – all folk subject staples. The folk repertoire is so much about story-telling, so we delve into the origins of some of these songs, how the stories changed over the centuries to the point of Steeleye Span recording, and the musicianship and vocal arrangements on Commoner’s Crown…..oh and we discuss about how Hercules Grytpype-Thynne dropped by to play some ukelele.

My huge gratitude goes to Brett for providing his insight to this music and time to the show. Only Three Lads is an essential podcast listen. Every week, Brett and Uncle Gregg bring in incredible musician guests from the golden age of alternative music to discuss not only their own work, but to help count down a top 5 of whatever the given subject may be. Search for Only Three Lads at your favourite podcast app.

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 187 from here.

Love That Album Bonus Episode - Episode 1 Redux - Bruce Springsteen "Wild Innocent" vs "Darkness"

 

In July 2011 (14 years ago as I write this), I recorded episode 1 of Love That Album podcast. The period wasn't ground zero for podcasts, but it was still early days, and people were still asking, “What's a podcast?” At the time, there seemed to be very little in the way of music discussion shows, so I decided to create one of my own to talk about music in the same way film podcasters of the time that I enjoyed discussed films.

So.....ahh....welcome to episode 1 of Love That Album – Redux.

I asked Melbourne music journalist Jeff Jenkins to join me, and we had a debate over which was the better Bruce Springsteen album: The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle or Darkness On The Edge of Town. Lengthy and poetic songs versus short and concise ones. I thought the conversation was good, but I didn't even use a proper microphone, so the sound quality was awful. I used the laptop mic and we had all the ambient noise of the room. I didn't do any editing to speak of. It's a mess.

BUT I enjoyed the conversation and the process of podcasting. It meant that I had a regular means of speaking to interesting people about music...something I didn't have in my daily life – at least not to the extent I wanted.

So, here we are in the mess of planet Earth in 2025. In recent times, software has been developed to clean up audio in a way we couldn't imagine. It's not just available for the likes of Peter Jackson. I had the idea to see what would happen if I ran episode 1 through the software....and to my amazement, Jeff and I sounded like we were in a proper studio with decent mics. So, following that revelation, I decided to re-edit the retuned show in the same fashion I've been doing over the last few years, and put it out there for you to listen to.

I thought for 5 minutes of going back to all the early episodes whose editing and sound quality grate on my nerves, but my son convinced me otherwise. He said, “don't do a George Lucas....the show evolved, and you don't want to deny its history”. I thought about it and realised he was 100% right. So what you have here is one of two episodes I'm giving the cleaning-up treatment to (the other one will be out sometime later this year).....everything otherwise stays up as it is – even the original episode 1. This is here just as an exercise on what the start could have been in 2011. Podcasting was still the domain of mostly people like me with the passion to present ideas, but without any ideas as to how to present them. I'm proud of how it started and where the show has gone. Tune in if you've never heard the episode before....or even if you have and felt pity for my approach.

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 Bonus: Episode 1 Redux from here

Love That Album Episode 186 - Interview with Cary Baker about the book "Down On The Corner: Adventures In Busking And Street Music"

 

It's been said that the mark of a great city is how it promotes the arts. Thinking specifically about busking or street performing, some cities actively encourage musicians to perform in parks, streets, and other outdoor surrounds. THAT is a town devoted to the arts.

Welcome to episode 186 of Love that Album.

Cary Baker is a native of Chicago who has had a great career in music publicity and has worked with some of the most well known bands in the US during his stint at IRS and Capitol records. However, his passion has always been with those musicians who performed on street corners or at markets. He's written a great new book called Down On The Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music.

He tells a bit about his own origins with buskers and how that led to much of the work that followed. Many famous artists started out as buskers before gaining popularity in the more conventional spheres of the music loving world. The vast majority of busking musicians, however, continue to perform for years on city streets, with that being the means to an end. Cary's book is American-centric with a little bit of a look “across the pond” as Americans call it, but it's still a fascinating look at the stories behind musicians you know and many you don't.

Cary joins me to tell some of the stories from the book as well as his own origins at Maxwell Street Market in Chicago.. We had a great conversation. This could have gone for a couple of hours, but time didn't allow for it, but I really love what's there, and hope you do too.

This is the documentary that we discuss in the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQJyYJuoVn8

Check out Cary's website at https://www.carybaker.com/

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 186 from here.

Love That Album Episode 185 - You Am I "Deliverance"

 

The 1990s was a particularly exciting time in Australian rock music. The musical movements that started in the US and the UK in the 90s have been well documented (particularly in reference to certain bands), but not so much has been written about the purple patch of creativity that took place in Australia over that decade. Over the last few years, my guest for this episode has taken it upon himself to rectify that, showing particular dedication to his favourite band....that just happens to be of that decade.

Welcome to episode 185 of Love That Album.

I'll make a confession here.....my 90s musical choices were probably different to many of the artists that were part of that purple patch, but it is undeniable how new and innovative bands were becoming – partly influenced by what happened in Seattle, but so much was independent of what was happening overseas. The Whitlams, Regurgitator, The Cruel Sea, The Fauves, Something For Kate and some kids from Newcastle were amongst many that were a huge part of the landscape.

One band in particular, though, had the knack of combining 90s with the 60s and the 70s. You Am I fronted by the extremely charismatic Tim Rogers started out grunge. In short order, though, they moved away from that to write and perform songs that combined rock aggression with melodicism, and could also write a “tear in your beer” ballad. (Big Star mixed with Hellacopters and The Replacements.....my opinion and I'm sticking with it). You Am I released 3 albums in a row that went to number 1 on the charts.....no other Australian band had ever done that. Yet, in the US and Europe, they remained a cult act.

Danny Yau is the host of Just Ace, a podcast dedicated to documenting the 90s Australian alternative music scene – whatever the hell that means (IYKYK). He's also You Am I's number 1 fan, and accidental archivist. I invited Danny to join me to discuss You Am I's 6th album (and their second one after the 90s) Deliverance. The band always made the music they wanted, but with no support from their major label forthcoming, they decided to make an album with no consideration to label requirements. It would have been easy to chat about the albums they're most associated with HiFi Way and Hourly Daily (both 10 out of 10 records), but we do things differently on this little show.

Danny and I discuss a myriad of things including the Melbourne–Sydney rivalry, the difference between how Australians and Americans define “rooting”, songs of sadness and joy, and what the 90s meant in terms of Australian music.....and we do a hell of a lot of You Am I talk.....some of it in relation to our focus album, Deliverance. We ran out of time towards the end, but I had a ton of fun chatting with Danny, and we've even agreed on a future episode of See Hear Podcast he's going to join Tim, Kerry and myself on – discussing a film about a fictional 90s band....of course.

Tune into the excellent Just Ace podcast wherever you get your shows or at https://www.justace90s.com/

You can find Danny's own music at https://dannyyau.bandcamp.com/ or at https://thereservations.bandcamp.com/

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 185 from here.

Love That Album Episode 184 - Record Store Memories Part 2

 

For those who haven't caught up with episode 183 of LTA, I came up with the idea of speaking with a range of previous guests from the show (musicians, podcasters, TV and radio broadcasters) to talk with me about their earliest recollections of walking into the sacred temple that is a record / CD store. I wanted to know what drew them to the stores they went to, what the guys / gals behind the counter were like, hijinks that went on in the stores, how their musical tastes were influenced by LPs they discovered for the first time in said stores.

Welcome to episode 184 of Love That Album.

I had 10 conversations with 11 people (was hoping for a 12th, but.......life happens). Too many for one episode, so I divided the conversations into two parts. For this second part of the recollections of record stores, I speak with the following magnificent bastards:

Eric “Reanimator” Peterson – ex-host of Love That Album: The Compilation Edition

Ben Eisen and Shannon Hurley – Host and Numbers Girl of All Time Top Ten podcast and partners in the duo Lovers And Poets

Mike White – Host of The Projection Booth and a ton of other great shows at Weirding Way Media

Michael Pursche – Host of Sitting In a Bar In Adelaide on Lofty 88.9 Radio in the Adelaide Hills

Tim Merrill – My co host at See Hear and all-round wonderful human being.

I had a marvelous time finding out a ton of things about their record stores, really a wonderful part of their personal history, and their towns' history. My thanks to all of them for being so willing to hang out with me for these conversations.

If you haven't yet checked out episode 183 to here more of these conversations, do that as well.....not at all required to appreciate 184, though, so listen in whatever order you please.

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

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to https://pantheonpodcasts.com to check out all their great shows.

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify). The archive is at https://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com/

Download episode 184 from here.

Love That Album Episode 183 - Record Store Memories Part 1

 

Being music fans (especially of a....ummm...certain age), we've all been in a record or CD store as a regular. I like to think that the best record stores I've been in are like walking into Cheers – everybody knows your name, and will treat you as family, be it dysfunctional or not.

Welcome to episode 183 of Love That Album.

I've been in small family record stores, big impersonal chains where the staff couldn't care less what your musical interests are, specialist record stores, stores run by grumpy guts (if you're in Melbourne, you may remember a shop that was far from paradise under its original owner) and stores run by welcoming staff who want to introduce their favourite bands into your life. Record stores are not like any other capitalist venture on the planet.

Yes, you pay your money and come away with an “item”. Often, though, the interaction with the guy or gal behind the counter is like a meeting of the minds as you discuss why that band's last 3 albums fell below standard of the first 5, or why the album currently on the stereo is by an unknown guy you just HAVE to give your time to. Some stores have been known to challenge customers to walk around naked (it's true!!!), while others will have staff that roll their eyes as you ask for “that album by that guy......you know who I mean....ummm”

I've decided to ask a dozen of my favourite podcasters / broadcasters / record shop owners / people I respect to join me on the show to tell me about their favourite memories of being or working in a record store. Yes, it's an exercise in nostalgia, but that shouldn't be a dirty word in this case. It's an opportunity to talk about a place that makes us happy or frustrated......but it's never dull like a night out at the supermarket.

The first 5 of these correspondents joining me for separate conversations are:

David Kowalski – host of The Sound and the Fury Podcast

Brett Vargo – co host of Only Three Lads Podcast

“Farmer” John Couture – host of the Vinyl Relics Podcast

Pat Monaghan – owner of Rocksteady Records

Brian Nankervis – co host of Rockwiz and The Friday Revue

All 5 of these fine gents very graciously gave of their time and recollections for your and my entertainment and edification. Download, enjoy, and take comfort in the fact that in 2 weeks, more is coming your way on this topic. I highly recommend you search them all out in their regular ventures...they KNOW of what they speak.

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify). The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at https://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to https://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

Download episode 183 from here.

 

Love That Album episode 182 - Bob Dylan New Morning

 

How many podcasts must a listener download before they can hear about Bob Dylan?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind......actually it's probably anytime you damn well like.

Welcome to episode 182 of Love That Album podcast.

There are tons of Bob Dylan specialist podcasts out there....why on earth would I feel the need to add to the contemplation and rumination about Bob already being discussed? A fair question....not one I'm sure I have the answer to. How's this? I love his second 1970 album New Morning, and so do my guests, Shane Pacey (maestro guitarist of the Bondi Cigars and Shane Pacey Trio) and Brett Vargo (of the Only Three Lads Podcast).

There are people with doctorates earned for determining the religious subtext of Bob Dylan's “Can you Please Crawl Out your Window”.....we're not in that league. We're just three music lovers who have thoughts about Dylan's music, what the apparent meaning of a pineapple on your front lawn is, and, what the connection is between Dylan and Sesame Street Fever is....and we're not afraid to talk to you about it – have at it, Dylanophiles.

We had a lot of fun discussing New Morning, an album that while generally liked, is not seen in the league of Highway 61 Revisited or Blood On The Tracks. Should it be? I don't think we answer that, but we give you plenty to pontificate on why the album deserves a place in any music lover's heart, not just Dylan fans.

My gratitude to regular guest Shane Pacey....he took his place at the virtual table under difficult circumstances, and I appreciate him all the more for it. He's a regular on this show because he's brilliant with music discussion. You can find out all sort sorts of stuff about him at either https://bondicigars.com/ or https://shanepaceytrio.com.au/

I also express gratitude to first time (really second time, but don't let that confuse you) LTA guest Brett Vargo. Only 3 Lads is also part of the Pantheon Network of music discussion podcasts, and is compulsory listening for me every week (I'm not exaggerating...it really is). On your favourite podcast app or at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/only-three-lads-classic-alternative-music-podcast/id1499018289

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify). The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at https://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to https://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

Download episode 182 from here.

Love That Album episode 181 - Favourite albums of ECM Records

 

We've come to the end of another year at LTA headquarters. Normally, I'd be doing a wrap up with friends in the music community as to their favourite discoveries of the year.......I wasn't feeling like doing that this year. If there's one thing that's consistent with this podcast, it's inconsistency.

Welcome to episode 181 of Love That Album.

For ages, I'd been wanting to put together a show to discuss a selection of records from the ECM label. ECM was started in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. The label started out dedicated to jazz exclusively, but it has branched out into classical recordings as well – no surprise seeing as Eicher was trained as a classical musician. ECM has been home to so many wonderful musicians....too many to include in what is effectively a sampler episode of its work.

I have been glad to have made friends with a lovely fellow in the LTA Facebook group, Ed Ross. I've known two important things about him – he loves his puns (the more you groan, the more he feels his work is done), and he loves his music, particularly power pop and jazz. I approached him to see if he'd be interested in chatting with me on the show about four important ECM records, and was very happy when he agreed.

As is LTA's way, there are many digressions and references to other artists and albums, but the intended focus is on these records:

Keith Jarrett – The Koln Concert

Pat Metheny Group – Offramp

John Abercrombie – Timeless

Gary Burton and Chick Corea – Crystal Silence

If you're a longtime fan of ECM, don't ask why wasn't some other artist or album focused on....unless you're volunteering to join me for volume 2 of this series.....if you know nothing about the label, download, grab a beverage, and let Ed and myself tell you stories about broken pianos, guitars that sound like battle horns, and the greatest drummer in jazz (I won't hear any arguments about this).

Huge thanks to Ed for making himself and his knowledge available for the show. First time guest – it won't be his last.

BUT WAIT.....there's more. I'd asked the LTA FB group to send me their thoughts about their favourite ECM recordings. I received two emails from my long time friend Rani Gerszonovicz (who introduced ECM to me when we were in our early 20s) and last month's guest, author / musician Lisa Torem. I read their correspondences during the show, and Ed and I muse over their opinions. Thanks so much, Rani and Lisa.

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify). The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at https://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to https://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

Download episode 181 from here.

Love That Album Episode 180 - The Beach Boys "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up"

 

Time to get your surfboards waxed, get into your togs,and head to the beach.....if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. While you're splashing in the southern waves, you might want to soundtrack your time with music from the band most identified with Northern Hemisphere beaches....except we're not discussing any beach songs. Huh?

Welcome to episode 180 of Love That Album.

It had been a while since I had my beloved team of Shane Pacey and Kerry Fristoe on the show, so I invited them to join and gave Kerry the pick of album to discuss. She selected the 1971 Beach Boys release, Surf's Up. I added their 1970 album – the debut album on the Brother Records label – Sunflower to the mix. I felt that the albums are tied together in some ways (and given the recent box set of these sessions, Feel Flows, so do the Beach Boys). They're also quite different in many ways. We're here to contrast these albums from each other, and what came before it.

But wait.....we have another wonderful guest. Joining the show for a second time is Lisa Torem. She's about to publish a book in early 2025 called “Beach Boys 1965-1979: (On Track)”. She knows her BB, that's for sure. The conversation goes to interesting places as we discuss the group's relation to ecology, politics, 1950s wistfulness, lust, harmonies (not fraternal....the other kind), musical sincerity, and much more. We look into the merits of each BB as songwriter, and why it seemed their popularity declined in the US before rising slightly with the release of these albums. Shane and I crack bad puns....I get taken over the coals for reading too deeply into something (isn't that what this show is about????) In other words.....it's a typical LTA.

There's a specialist podcast about the Beach Boys I recommend called “Sail On”...so check them out (AFTER you listen to us, of course).

Check out Lisa's website at https://www.lisatorem.com/  to see what she's up to, and how to get a hold of her books. We discussed Suzanne Vega last year, but she's written about other musicians as well. Turns out Lisa herself is a musician / songwriter as is her daughter Madi Torem. Madi has just released a single called Look Both Ways Before You Cross My Heart written by Lisa. Give a watch of the music video...great song...Madi has a touch of Stevie Nicks to my ears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wk2KjbTkso

You can look around Shane's work at either https://shanepaceytrio.com.au/ or at https://bondicigars.com/ There's a terrific live gig with the Trio at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1iDpLOMQTw

You can read Kerry's terrific film essays at https://prowlerneedsajump.wordpress.com/ and tune into her every month on See Hear podcast.

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify) or from the website at 

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to  https://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

Download episode 180 from here.

Love That Album 179 - Interview with Glen Humphries, author of "Aussie Rock Anthems: The Stories Behind Our Biggest Hit Songs"

 

As music lovers, we've all had a soundtrack to our lives....it's provided to us by the radio. Maybe at this point in the 21st century, that's less of a given. Was it the internet that killed the radio star? Who can truly say, but for most of the rock era, radio has provided songs that millions of music fans would discover, sing along to, discuss with their friends, learn to play on their instrument of choice, get amorous to, get stoned to, or cherish for some personal reason.

Welcome to episode 179 of Love That Album.

It's been said that in the early days of rock and roll, tyranny of distance made Australian music tougher than its Northern Hemisphere counterparts. Henry Silva might have asked, “Bullshit Or Not?” What is for certain is that Australian rock musicians could often become huge in their home country, but not raise an eyebrow anywhere else (the reverse is also true, but that's a story for another episode).

Author Glen Humphries has just published a terrific book called “Aussie Rock Anthems: The Stories Behind Our Biggest Hit Songs". He writes 40 essays about popular songs from the 1960s through to the first decade of the 21st century. These essays tell stories about songs that many Australians grew up with. Some became popular outside our borders, some didn't. These songs show a huge diversity – where else will you get Shadap You Face occupying the same tome as Khe Sanh? At some stage or another, these songs all meant something to the wider Australian populus, and Glen weaves fascinating tales that cover politics, sporting pride, cultural cringe, and musical invention. I was rapt to have someone to discuss these songs with me. Neither of us were fans of every one of the songs covered in the book, and inevitably, people will argue about what was left out. What's important is that these songs all have interesting backstories and are worthy of being celebrated.

Tune into find which songs Glen and I absolutely detest...and those we love.

You can watch the videos of all the songs in the book at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-hDK76bIps&list=PLJN0hAdSkVNXxaVd4l4hWOAa3l5u85rAH&fbclid=IwY2xjawFJFx5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHTzxc0uDiMYmVj1_cUK_A_2TDL93qk8AIbZ7I4wJ_XSchZykEzkHEKWB5Q_aem_uII4NG3Lme6zceP8Gxn8Ig

or you can listen to the Spotify playlist at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28mak27jhmIWSFsYGGlFgC?si=iOUWpNq-QfmuHUVDsB9erA&pi=dtdCj9ZKQYKeC&nd=1&dlsi=6991f678a35947b1

You can get the book from the usual places you get books (like bookstores) or Amazon or at https://www.geldingstreetpress.com/product/aussie-rock-anthems-top-40/

Download this episode of LTA from your podcast app of choice (not Spotify). The wider back catalogue of episodes can also be found at https://lovethatalbumpodcast.blogspot.com

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to  https://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

Download episode 179 from here.