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
1971 - The Year That Rock Exploded
Inspired by David Hepworth's book, "Never a Dull Moment: 1971 - The Year That Rock Exploded" (and the documentary based on his book), we take a quick look at many of the great albums released in 1971.
28 min
127
Sugar Pie DeSanto - "In The Basement (Pt 1)"
Sugar Pie DeSanto (born Peylia Marsema Balinton) was a ton of dynamite in a tiny 4' 11" frame... and still is, at the time of this recording. Let's have a listen to this super-fun classic track, recorded with the great Etta James in 1966.
11 min
128
Foghat - "Honey Hush"
Let's give some overdue respect to a band of 4 great players who knew how to rock. Here's a guitar-driven update on an old blues classic, from one of the best live albums of the '70's. As a bonus, we take a side trip to explore the origins of a familiar guitar riff.
19 min
129
The Albums That Made Us - Living Colour "Vivid"...
Here's the first episode of a new series that we'll be exploring occasionally here on the "I'm In Love With That Song" Podcast. I'm always interested to hear about music that made a big impact on other people's lives; in this series, I'm inviting some fellow podcasters and friends in the music industry to discuss an album that shaped their lives in some way. For this first episode, Podcaster Extraordinaire Eric Miller joins us to talk about Living Color's "Vivid". And I discuss one of my influential albums, "Anthology" by Sky & The Family Stone. Hope you enjoy the conversation!
27 min
130
The Ohio Players - "Fire"
The Ohio Players paid their dues for 15 years before their first #1 Top 100 hit, but by then, they were on fire (pun intended). Built on an incessant groove that won't quit, they brought heavy funk to the top of the pop charts. On this episode, we take a look at all the elements that make up this funky classic.
13 min
131
The Language Of Rock
What's the difference between a "riff" and a "lick"? Between "reverb" and "slapback echo"? We try not to get too technical on this podcast, but occasionally some listeners will get stumped by some of the terminology. So for our 75th episode, I thought I'd explain some of the terms we use on this show-- and why it's necessary to have this "language" to begin with. (Because there's no sheet music notation for "fuzz tone".)
28 min
132
Something Happens - "Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello...
Every once in a while you hear a song by a band you've never heard of and it knocks you out. This was one of those songs for me. A band from Ireland comes out of nowhere (as far as the USA is concerned), gets some radio play with a great song, and then is largely forgotten here. Same ol' story. Should'a been a big hit, if ya ask me. But what do I know? Listen to this track along with me and see if you love it as much as I do. "Hello Hello Hello Hello Hello (Petrol)" (Written by Something Happens) Copyright 1990 Virgin Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
11 min
133
Big Star - "The Ballad of El Goodo"
Sometimes, when times are tough and it seems like the world's against you, a song like this can keep you going. A stunning mix of jangling guitars, sparkling harmony vocals, and a heart-wrenching lead vocal by Alex Chilton, this is my favorite song from my favorite album by the band often referred to as "the greatest band you've never heard".
19 min
134
Deep Purple - "Burn"
I'll happily go out on a limb and say Deep Purple was THE hard rock band of the '70's. They could shift from monster guitar riffs to complex classical-influenced passages to outright improvised jams-- all within one song. Built around a trio of top-of-their-game players (guitar, organ & drums), with a series of distinctive, powerful singers & bassists -- the lineup changes so iconic they became known as Deep Purple Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, etc. This episode, we'll break down the classic Mark III track, "Burn", and listen to all the ingredients in this witch's brew.
19 min
135
Merry Clayton - "Country Road"
Merry Clayton never had a big hit, but her voice can be heard in dozens of songs you know (we've listened to one of them here before, see episode #42). One of the legendary background singers profiled in the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, most of her solo work is largely unknown-- which is a shame, because there's some great music on those albums. Take this example from her first album, Gimme Shelter. Merry takes this James Taylor classic to a whole new place, one of my favorite cover songs of all time.
14 min
136
BONUS HOLIDAY SONG: He 5 - "Silent Night"
It's our annual BONUS HOLIDAY EPISODE - This time, we travel back in time & around the world for a truly psychedelic Christmas trip with the He 5. See you on the other side!
21 min
137
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
138
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
139
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
140
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
141
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
142
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
143
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
144
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
145
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
146
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
147
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
148
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
149
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
150
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