I'm In Love With That Song Podcast
The "I'm In Love With That Song" Podcast - Music Commentary, Song Analysis & Rock History.
Welcome to the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast. Each episode, we’ll take one of my favorite songs and dive deep into it, listening to all the nuances that make it a great song. You may be unfamiliar with some of these songs, while others you’ve probably heard a hundred times, but I bet if we listen closely, we can discover something new. Of course, there’s no definitive answer to what makes a great song—beauty is in the ear of the beholder—these are just my personal favorites, but I hope you love these songs, too. We're proud to be a part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.
126
Humble Pie - "Thunderbox"
Some songs call for you to speak out & demand action. Some songs explore the deepest depths of your soul. Some songs are timeless expressions of love. This song... it just kicks ass. Humble Pie was a guitar riff machine, and Steve Marriott was 5' 5" of vocal dynamite. Add a trio of the finest backing singers-- Venetta Fields, Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews-- and you've got a party.
19 min
127
John Lennon - "Nobody Loves You (When You're Do...
It's been 40 years since the death of John Lennon, a senseless loss that still stings. Here's one of my personal favorite Lennon tracks. We'll follow it from its early stages through to the final album version.
21 min
128
Fleetwood Mac - "The Green Manalishi (with the ...
There's never been any shortage of drama with Fleetwood Mac... long before the soap opera of Rumours, there was the psychodrama of Peter Green (and Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwan...). The saga of how Peter Green-- one of the brightest guitarists to come out of '60's Britain, right up there with Clapton/Beck/Page-- was lost to a drug-fueled spiritual black hole is one of the great "if only..." tales in Rock History. When he passed away in July 2020, I knew it was time to tackle a Green-era Mac classic... I just had to gin up the courage to revisit the nightmare that awaits in "The Green Manalishi (with the Two-Prong Crown)"
22 min
129
Rare Earth - "I Just Want To Celebrate"
Rare Earth's sound was equal parts funky soul and straight-up rock. For decades, when there's cause for celebration, folks have been crankin' up this chunk of funk rock. Let's take a closer look at how Rare Earth carved their place in history with this track.
15 min
130
Alice Cooper - "Elected"
When Alice Cooper recorded "Elected" in 1972, it was a satire about a rich, grandstanding, self-obsessed celebrity running for president. He's a "yankee doodle dandy in a gold Rolls Royce". We all laughed. That could never happen in real life, right...?
16 min
131
The Thorns - "No Blue Sky"
When Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins & Pete Droge (aka The Thorns) recorded "No Blue Sky" almost in 2002, they had no idea that the skies over the Western US would be thick with smoke, or that a global pandemic would isolate us in our homes. "It ain't right, it feels like forever..." pretty much sums up the year 2020. I'm fascinated in how songs can find new relevance years later. Let's listen to this gorgeous song and watch the sun go down together.
14 min
132
Queen - "Keep Yourself Alive"
Some bands take time to develop a unique sound, but Queen sounded like Queen right from the beginning. "Keep Yourself Alive" was the opening track on their first album, and it contains all the requisite Queen elements: the heavy riffs & orchestrated guitars, the vocal harmonies, dramatic musical shifts and Freddie's powerful voice. The band would go on to scale bigger heights, but the magic was there from the start. Let's have a listen.
15 min
133
Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
Hard to believe now, but Motown resisted releasing this song as a single. Marvin's version sat on a shelf for months before being relegated to an album track-- until some DJ's discovered it, and the rest is history. It became Motown's biggest selling hit at that time. A true classic. This episode, we'll look at how the track was put together and marvel at Marvin's performance. One of the greats.
21 min
134
The Merry-Go-Round - "Listen Listen!"
Emitt Rhodes had an extraordinary gift as a songwriter, a fantastic voice and was a remarkable musician-- he was one of the first artists to record by himself, playing every instrument on his albums. He passed away in July 2020, leaving behind a small but significant collection of albums. In tribute to this under-appreciated talent, I've selected a song from his most successful band, The Merry-Go-Round, a song that itself is a celebration of great music & great bands. Psychedelic '60's pop never got better than this.
13 min
135
Sweet - "Fox On The Run"
Picture this: You're a successful chart-topping band, but your managers are writing all your hits and ignoring the songs you're writing. You wrote a track on your latest album that has potential, but the record company thinks you can improve it. So, without your managers knowing about it, you re-record it & release it as a single-- and it's a hit. That's the story of Sweet and "Fox On The Run".
15 min
136
Boston - "Hitch A Ride"
It Came From Boston (Vol. 3): MIT graduate/Polaroid employee Tom Scholz recorded an album's worth of songs in his basement studio after work, and somehow the record sold 25 million copies worldwide. Along with Brad Delp, Sib Hashian and some other guys (maybe?), were they the inventors of Corporate Rock or the most successful DIY debut of all time? You decide.
27 min
137
Pink Floyd - "Us And Them"
Pink Floyd released "Us & Them" in 1973, but it fells like it could've been written yesterday. Can we ever get past our compulsion to separate "us" from "them"? This is a song for the ages, with some brilliant performances across the board from everyone involved-- band members, guest artists, backing singers and recording engineers alike. Let's try to listen to this song afresh and rediscover what makes this classic track great. "Us & Them" (Roger Waters, Richard Wright) Copyright 1973 Pink Floyd Music Publishers and Warner/Chappell Artemis Music Limited
24 min
138
57 on '57
This being Episode # 57, I thought it would be fun to revisit '57 -- as in the year 1957. With the loss of Little Richard recently, virtually all of the early pioneers of Rock 'n' Roll are gone now, so let's take a look back at rock's first big year.
22 min
139
Earth, Wind & Fire - "Shining Star"
Earth, Wind & Fire's 6th album, That's The Way of The World, was ostensibly a soundtrack album; when the film bombed, the album was on the verge of fading away, too-- until "Shining Star" was released as a single and it became their first (and surprisingly only) #1 Top 100 Hit. The whole band is on fire here; beneath the pop sheen is the heaviest of funk grooves, with particularly tasty guitar & bass work. Let's climb inside this funk machine & see what it took to create this stellar track.
13 min
140
Todd Rundgren - "Parallel Lines"
A Todd Rundgren album can vary between pure pop to bossa nova, guitar rock to wild experimentation; like the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get with the next Rundgren album. Released in 1989, the Nearly Human album is Todd at his best, a pop masterpiece of well-crafted songs performed impeccably, live-in-the-studio. "Parallel Lines" is one of the strongest cuts, initially written for an off-Broadway musical based on the script for a never-produced 3rd Beatles movie.
15 min
141
Small Faces - "Tin Soldier"
The best British band from the '60's that never hit the bigtime in America-- Small Faces. Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones and Ian McLagan would become rock legends due to their future projects (Humble Pie, The Who, The Faces, etc) , but it all started for them here. Small Faces recorded a number of psychedelic pop gems, but "Tin Soldier" may be the pinnacle. Shall we have a listen?
21 min
142
Buzzcocks - "What Do I Get?"
Back in '77, one thing UK punk bands didn't have much use for was love songs. But Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks wrote what could be called "modern love songs"; honest songs about longing, romance, loneliness, and yes, love -- all laced with self-deprecating humor. But their music was aggressive, all raging guitars, pounding drums & pummeling bass. With those thoughtful (dare I say, sensitive) lyrics on top, it was the best of both worlds. On this episode, we take a deep dive into the Buzzcocks classic "What Do I Get?"
12 min
143
Edwin Starr - "War"
"War" was originally written for The Temptations, but when Motown was too squeamish to have one of their top acts release an overtly anti-Vietnam song, Edwin Starr stepped up and secured his place in history. His no-holds-barred delivery of "War" resulted in one of the most commercially successful protest songs ever recorded. Though Edwin Starr never reached these heights again, he left his mark with a song that transcended its Vietnam-era roots: It was one of the songs on Clear Channel's no-play list after September 11, 2001.
15 min
144
Billy Squier - "Lonely Is The Night"
It Came From Boston (Vol. 2): Local boy from Wellesley MA pays his dues in & around Boston and New York; eventually becomes a solo artist and strikes gold on his 2nd solo album, Don't Say No. "Lonely Is The Night" was the 2nd single and my favorite track from the album, so let's have a listen to this classic song from the early '80's.
13 min
145
Was 1965 the Most Revolutionary Year in Music?
For the 50th episode of the podcast, we're mixing it up a bit. I just finished reading a fascinating book my Andrew Grant Jackson where he lays out his belief that 1965 was "The Most Revolutionary Year In Music". Let's have a listen to some of the sounds of '65 and see if we agree. The Beatles, the Stones, the Byrds, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Motown... it's all there.
29 min
146
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - "Airscape"
A Robyn Hitchcock song is so unique, it could only come from the mind of Robyn Hitchcock. From his first recordings with The Soft Boys in the '70's through to his solo work today, Robyn is a singular artist with a vision all his own. This is a track from my favorite Hitchcock album, Element Of Light.
14 min
147
Roxy Music - "In Every Dream Home A Heartache"
Wealth and excess go together; emptiness and detachment are right around the corner. This song delves into all of that, along with a particular obsession. What do you do when money no longer buys you a thrill? Bryan Ferry has some thoughts...idea...
19 min
148
Rush - "Subdivisions"
To say Rush has a devoted fan base would be an understatement. I know, because I was a card-carrying member of the "Rush Backstage Fan Club" back in the '80's. Perhaps no Rush song connected so directly with their fans as "Subdivisions". On this episode, we celebrate Neil Peart with a deeper look at this fan favorite.
21 min
149
Starz - "X-Ray Spex"
On this episode, we revisit the great '70's hard rock/power pop album Attention Shoppers! by Starz. "X-Ray Spex" is a blast of punky pop with some interesting use of studio effects. Turn it up!
9 min
150
BONUS XMAS 2019 EPISODE: Favorite Christmas Songs
On this special Bonus podcast, it's time for another holiday pick. Here's an ol' Christmas classic with a power pop twist: "We Three Kings" by Odds. Happy Holidays, everyone! "Kings Of Orient (We Three Kings)" (Traditional) Odds, 1991
7 min