1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,200 Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts Andy, Don, and Dude. 2 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,000 Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast. 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:23,680 Hi, Dude. I got Andy and Don with me. It's Halloween time and I hope I didn't scare the 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,720 guys away with that terrible Dracula. Y'all still here? How you doing? 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,720 It's kind of a central Dracula. I was like, oh. 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:30,720 Yeah. 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:31,720 Hello, Mr. Darkness. 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,720 Yes. I'm definitely the lover version of Dracula. 9 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:36,720 Of course. 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,880 I don't want to kill anyone. Just want to drink enough blood to get by and maybe find 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,720 some romance along the way. 12 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:49,920 Well, that's very sweet of you. What are you doing over there, Don? 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:50,920 Here's Donnie. 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,920 Not bad. Not bad. 15 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,920 Yeah, that's pretty good. 16 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:02,280 All right. So this is the Album Nerds podcast. We love albums, the album format and finding 17 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:07,240 excuses to talk about them. We've got a great show for you today. We're each picking an 18 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:12,320 album to discuss that has some kind of Halloween connotations to it. Some creepiness, some 19 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:18,460 spookiness. Don's going to ask us a deep question. Then we're going to have some shout outs to 20 00:01:18,460 --> 00:01:22,560 some other albums and album related items that we're digging. And then we'll spin that 21 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,480 wheel of musical discovery to find out what we're going to talk about next time. But this 22 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,720 week it's all about Halloween. 23 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:35,400 That's what I'm talking about. 24 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:40,280 Halloween's musical landscape is as diverse and enchanting as the holiday itself. From 25 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:46,000 the mournful Celtic tunes of old to the jazz infused melodies of the early 20th century, 26 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,000 the rock and roll inspired hits of the 50s and 60s to the eerie synthesizer driven sound 27 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:56,080 tracks of horror films. The music of Halloween has evolved to capture the essence of the 28 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:01,160 spooky season. These tunes not only set the mood, but also play a crucial role in bringing 29 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:06,000 the spirit of Halloween to life. Today, each of us will present an album that feels like 30 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Halloween. 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,000 Geez. 32 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,560 I should have done that in the crypt keeper voice or something. 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,280 It would have been funny for a couple of seconds. 34 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,280 Until my voice came out. 35 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,160 Then it would have gotten weird. Then your voice would have given out and it would have 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:19,800 gotten entertaining again. 37 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:24,760 Yeah. So this is a, it's tougher than it seems, right? When you're trying to find a whole 38 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:31,440 album that isn't the monster mash. And then there's only so many that exist. So digging 39 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,620 around trying to find some stuff that brings that creepy feeling. 40 00:02:35,620 --> 00:02:36,620 It's also good. 41 00:02:36,620 --> 00:02:41,880 Yes. It's also good. Cause there are plenty of records where it's scary stuff, but it's 42 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,160 not good. So yeah, well, how'd you guys do with what other stuff did you consider this 43 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:47,160 week? 44 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,920 I'll mention, it's probably become one of the more popular modern day Halloween records 45 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:58,440 that I do come back to this time of year. Rob Zombie's Hell Billy Deluxe from 1998. 46 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,440 I enjoyed that when it came out and still sounds pretty fun. He's really, he's a big 47 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:07,120 old, old horn movie buff and it shows on that, on that album. And I kind of love that. 48 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:08,800 I've never made it through the whole thing. 49 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,560 Really? It's like 45 minutes. 50 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,800 It's about 40 minutes too much. 51 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,320 Another big zombie fan. 52 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,320 I'll give it another try. 53 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,320 I just found out he worked on Pee Wee's Playhouse. He was like on the crew. 54 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:23,320 Oh, on the show? 55 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:24,320 Yes. 56 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:26,320 He didn't actually build the playhouse or- 57 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:31,920 He's a pretty diverse guy. The other one I'll mention too, I think I may have talked about 58 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:38,320 on the show many moons ago, it's from a experimental ambient group from the UK by the name of Coil. 59 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:42,120 They have a bunch of albums that are suitable for Halloween, but the one I always come back 60 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,520 to this time of year is Music to Play in the Dark, volume one is excellent. 61 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:52,520 They also have an record called Astral Disaster from the same year, 1999. That is also very creepy. 62 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,520 I do remember Music to Play in the Dark. I think we talked about that once. 63 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:56,520 Yes. 64 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:03,520 It was more disturbing somehow than creepy, but it didn't have any vocals, right? I mean- 65 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,520 Yeah, it's just instrumental and little recorded passages and it's strange. I love it. 66 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:09,520 It made me uneasy. 67 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,520 That's the idea. 68 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,520 How about you, Don? 69 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:20,520 Well, this time of year, I like to immerse myself in the darker side of the cure and 70 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:26,520 probably the best example of that is their album Pornography from 1982, which we covered 71 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:33,120 on episode 137. Sometimes they're labeled as a goth group and that album is definitely 72 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,720 dark and it deals with death and stuff, but it doesn't do the vampire crap and the- it's 73 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,720 all real stuff. It's not imaginary. 74 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:42,720 It's real people. 75 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,920 Yeah. It's even darker in that way. Then I just wanted to mention the original Halloween 76 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:55,720 song, the Monster Mash. I didn't realize there was an entire album of this stuff. It's Bobby 77 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,640 Boris Pickett and the Crypt Keepers and the album is called The Original Monster Mash 78 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:00,640 from 1962. 79 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:01,640 Crypt Kickers. 80 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:02,640 Oh, did I? Sorry. Yes. 81 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:14,280 But yeah, it's just like every song is some monster based version of like a 1950s or 60s 82 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:19,000 rock and roll tune. It's amusing and if you had a Halloween party, it would be kind of 83 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,000 cool to have on. 84 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Yeah. Not a great- 85 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,000 Maybe. 86 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:24,880 It's just a dedicated listening experience though. 87 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Oh, really? 88 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:31,120 Well, one of the albums that I considered is actually not too far from that same theme 89 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:37,400 is Bobby Boris Pickett and the Crypt Kickers. It was Iced Earth, their album horror show. 90 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:42,720 It's a concept album that brings classic horror figures like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, 91 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,840 Damien, and it's kind of traditional heavy metal with some thrash elements, but each 92 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:55,680 song is about that monster. Intricate solos, dramatic vocals. It's haunting. It's fun, 93 00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:00,240 but ultimately it wasn't very spooky. It was just very- it was great thrash music with 94 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:06,160 what the song happened to be about Frankenstein. You know what I mean? 95 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:11,800 But it was definitely an enjoyable listen. And then every time we talk about Halloween 96 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:17,000 and picking a record, I once again take a swing at Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare 97 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:25,160 from 1975. I can't do it, man. It's produced by Bob Ezrin. He did Kiss Destroyer and The 98 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:32,440 Elder. It's very theatrical, but it's very uneven. It shifts into pop and disco moments. 99 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,040 And it showcases Cooper's dark storytelling, but the thread that's supposed to be that 100 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:42,400 this is the story of the series of nightmares a kid is having, I can't follow it, so I get 101 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,400 bored. I want to like it. 102 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,600 Yeah, some of those concepts, yeah, just get a little too full of themselves. 103 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:53,880 Yeah, unfortunately, a lot of the stuff just ends up coming off as corny. Whereas like 104 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,800 a metallic album actually is scary and it's not corny. 105 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,440 Right before they sold out. Right, Andy? 106 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:05,360 Right. Thank you for adding that in before I could. 107 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,800 All right, well, why don't we get into the spooky albums that we did pick? 108 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,800 You choo-choo-choose me? 109 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:22,840 All right, for my Halloween selection, we're talking about The Cramps and their 1980 album 110 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,320 Songs the Lord Taught Us. 111 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,120 Sounds like it's going to be delightful and help me learn about the Lord. 112 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:37,020 Yes, yes, and keep your muscles in good shape. The Cramps are a four-piece from New York 113 00:07:37,020 --> 00:07:42,680 City. They're comprised primarily of a husband and wife duo. You guys write for their names, 114 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:49,160 Lux Interior on vocals and Poison Ivy Rorschach on guitar. 115 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:53,120 Those are like Western European names, yeah? 116 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,160 Yeah, exactly. I think they're French. 117 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:57,160 Ah. 118 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:01,200 All right, let's jump in here and play I Was a Teenage Werewolf. 119 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:11,320 Have you guys ever seen the film I Was a Teenage Werewolf from 1957? 120 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:12,320 Yes. 121 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,720 With Pau from Little House on the Prairie? 122 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,280 Yes, I think so. Michael Landon, is that his name? 123 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,360 Yeah, yeah. I saw it as a kid back when they used to play a lot of those old black and 124 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:26,560 white horror movies in October. 125 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,040 Yeah, well, that's one of them, and that's the song about it, apparently. So The Cramps 126 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:36,720 here, this is a pretty interesting record. I've come across this maybe 10 or 15 years 127 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:42,520 ago. Just love the sort of deranged sound they have. They're known for kind of founding 128 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:49,800 this genre of psychobilly is what it's called, which is kind of a combination of rockabilly 129 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:55,520 and punk rock. They came from California, moved over to New York City, got involved 130 00:08:55,520 --> 00:09:01,320 with that New York City punk rock scene in the late 70s and early 80s, kind of CBGBs 131 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:08,360 and those groups who were playing there. Suicide, The Moans, Patti Smith, television, etc. Yeah, 132 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:14,280 and they were pretty popular back in the day in that scene. My clickbait headline for Songs 133 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:20,960 the Lord Taught Us is Be Sure to Stretch Before Surfing with These Psychobillies. 134 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:22,600 What's with the muscles and the stretching? 135 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,480 You got the cramps, man. These guys are not properly hydrated. 136 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,520 Well, eat a banana, right? 137 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:30,520 Well, yeah. 138 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,560 Are they swimming too soon after eating? 139 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:41,640 Oh yeah, I didn't want to make it too complicated, but that could be a contributing factor, yes. 140 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:48,520 I think what they do best is kind of add that darkness to that sort of surf rock sound. 141 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:54,840 Frontman Lux there has a real sort of unsettling delivery, I would say. He goes from kind of 142 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:59,680 like a lounge singer, almost like an Elvis impersonator vibe at times to like this sort 143 00:09:59,680 --> 00:10:03,600 of like a punk rock scream, which I think is pretty effective when he does it like that. 144 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:09,640 There are those B-52s moments though too where he is like this and he's like, what's happening? 145 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:14,520 Yeah, right? The pace is all over the place. Sometimes it's very upbeat, sometimes it's 146 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,960 more slowed down and dark. But I would say the whole thing is kind of unhinged. 147 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:24,360 When we play Cut Here towards the end of the record, this is a cover by Johnny Brunette 148 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:34,280 and the Rock and Roll Trio, it's called Teardot. 149 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:40,960 What better way to demonstrate your psychobilly style than by covering a rockabilly classic. 150 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:48,880 So yeah, just kind of a standard bluesy rockabilly riff, but with that punk rock spirit, pretty 151 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:54,320 effective I think. And that's one of two covers on the album, I believe, the other being Fever. 152 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:55,320 Trick 9 as well. 153 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,840 Oh, that's right. Oh, okay. Never mind. 154 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:06,120 Yeah, I like the fever. It makes it not sexy, which is kind of cool. Instead it's like stalkery, 155 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:11,740 you give me fever and you know, like it feels like they're excited by this person, but maybe 156 00:11:11,740 --> 00:11:15,200 the person isn't excited back. I kind of like that twist on it. 157 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:21,720 Well my headline for The Cramps, trash in the Cramps garage leaves sweet psychobilly 158 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:22,720 stench. 159 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:28,440 I don't know. I wanted to incorporate the word garage and sort of that it's like trashy music. 160 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:29,440 Yeah. 161 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:30,440 Right. 162 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:31,440 That smells, yeah. 163 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:37,000 Yeah, but in a good way, you know, so it is kind of a, it is a charming record for some 164 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:42,080 reason. I mean, I guess because it's different, right? Different from the other punk rock 165 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,480 that was out there. 166 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:49,660 Well, you know, surf rock and that whole surf guitar style was dead. That was so dated, 167 00:11:49,660 --> 00:11:59,560 it was so early mid sixties and that had become so cliche and sort of taking it and this obsession 168 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:04,480 with it and then bringing that guitar sound into this punk era. It was very interesting 169 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:09,020 because it was like an ugly version of it, which was really cool. So that's the ultimate 170 00:12:09,020 --> 00:12:14,440 way to be a punk is to take something that was something and then crumple it up and spin 171 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,280 on it, you know, which, and it sounds great. 172 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:18,280 Yeah. 173 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:19,280 Yeah. 174 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,440 It's a very historic city thing to me. Like it took the sound from the West coast and 175 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,680 just made it like ugly and gnarly and threw some trash on it. 176 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:32,320 Awesome. And it does, I mean, it approaches cornyness, you know, by having some of the 177 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:37,880 horror themes, but in a way it really works with punk rock because, you know, a lot of 178 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:43,280 things, you know, a lot of these horror monsters like werewolves, I think they're meant to 179 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:48,400 sort of symbolize sort of the wild spirit of a human being. And of course that's what 180 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,400 punk rock is, right? It's that sort of wild side of us. 181 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,400 Yeah, they're the monsters. 182 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:57,840 Yeah. So it kind of works. So the, you know, the album is produced by Alex Chilton from 183 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:04,240 the Box Tops. This album, it's very raw, the production. I contrasted it with, you know, 184 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,880 Nevermind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. Because I remember that album, despite it, 185 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:14,400 you know, having that punk edge, it was really cleanly produced. It was kind of polished 186 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:18,080 sound and you could hear all the instruments. This one is just even more chaotic and really 187 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,680 does kind of sound like you're listening to a band playing in their garage. 188 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:26,800 Yeah. It has a bit of a live show feel to it, I would say. It feels like unexpected 189 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:28,920 things could happen as you're listening to the record. 190 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,280 Yeah. And then the other interesting thing about it is that, I mean, I don't think there's 191 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,200 any bass guitar on the album. 192 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,560 Yeah. I was surprised by that too. They apparently didn't have a bass until like the mid 80s, 193 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:39,560 which is surprising. 194 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:44,080 I'll have to listen again. I guess I didn't notice that there was a bass. Makes sense 195 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:45,520 though now that I think about it. 196 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:50,200 There's two guitars, but they're mostly just a rhythm and a lead. 197 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:55,480 Yeah. But yeah, you know, I think overall it kind of works as a Halloween record. You 198 00:13:55,480 --> 00:14:01,080 know, it has those themes and it's kind of wild and creepy and I think it works. 199 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:11,960 All right. Let's hear one of those creepy Halloween songs. This is Zombie Dance. 200 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,960 I hear the Fred Schneider there. Is that his name? 201 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,960 Yeah. Yeah. Definitely the B-52's vibe. 202 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,840 Yeah. More dancey. More upbeat. 203 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:25,920 So Zombie Dance was pretty much I picked because it has Zombie in the title and it ties in 204 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:31,000 with the Halloween thing. But I mean, to me what I was picturing was like, if you've seen 205 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:37,160 the show Happy Days, if there was some twisted horror version of that, this is what would 206 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:41,720 be being played at Al's diner, you know? 207 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,360 That sounds about right. 208 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:49,120 Yeah. So it's a playful take on that 50s and 60s sort of sock hop sound. But again, the 209 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:55,480 subject matter is goofy and there's this sort of ugliness about it too. Like that good kind 210 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,120 of ugliness that comes, like we were talking about earlier, that comes from some of the 211 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:05,160 New York City punk and post-punk bands. I love Poison Ivy's guitar work on that one. 212 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:10,400 It adds to a supernatural vibe. It's just such a, like it's like surf rock, but she's 213 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:16,240 slapping the strings at the same time. It's, I don't know. It's really interesting. 214 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:21,020 My clickbait headline to describe the album. Songs the Lord Taught Us, where Psycho Billy 215 00:15:21,020 --> 00:15:25,320 and Surf Rock collide in a monster filled punk rebellion. 216 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:31,520 That surf rock stuff, dude. I mean, mixed with that, that rockabilly punk sound that they 217 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:36,600 invented a genre or sub genre basically with what they were doing. I mean, around the same 218 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:41,880 time there were bands like the Stray Cats taking that rockabilly Elvis-y kind of vibe 219 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:48,560 and trying to mix it with a punk rock aesthetic, but it was much more sanitized and cuter than 220 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,920 this. And this is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I've kind of avoided it over 221 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:58,040 the years cause it looked kind of gimmicky to me, but it totally is not when I actually 222 00:15:58,040 --> 00:15:59,040 listened to it. 223 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,720 Yeah. I would associate them with like bands like the Misfits and stuff like that, but 224 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:08,440 are more shock and kind of branding and stuff, I guess. But they're really, really not so 225 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,720 much in that vein. And I feel like these songs do have some weight to them. 226 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:17,760 I agree. And again, it's definitely a fun listen for a Halloween party. A lot of these 227 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:18,760 songs would work. 228 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:23,920 Yeah. And it's a pretty quick listen overall. So yeah, if you have not heard Songs the Lord 229 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,880 Taught Us, I think it's a good selection for your Halloween activities. 230 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:35,080 Before we continue on this spooky journey, why don't we hear from our friends over at 231 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:38,680 the Polyphonic Press podcast. 232 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:44,560 Do you love music? Do you want to explore classic albums? If you answered yes, then 233 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:51,440 check out Polyphonic Press. I'm Jeremy and along with my cohost, John, we rely on the 234 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:57,320 patented random album generator to pick an album for us to review. At the top of each 235 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:02,520 show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to. That's what keeps it really 236 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:07,640 exciting. We dig real deep into these albums. So if this sounds interesting, come along 237 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:12,600 with us on this journey, because you never know what you might find. We release a new 238 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:18,800 episode every Tuesday morning. That's Polyphonic Press and we're available on every podcast 239 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:19,800 platform. 240 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:29,240 Check out the press there. It sounds pretty cool. My pick for a Halloween record is Duran 241 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:37,040 Duran's Dance Macabre released in October of 2023. This is an interesting one. Technically, 242 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:42,920 it's their 16th studio album by the band formed in Birmingham in 1978. The band currently 243 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:47,280 includes four members, singer Simon LeBond, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bass guitarist John 244 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,840 Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor. But this album also features guitar work from former 245 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:58,240 members Andy Taylor and Warren Cucarulo. The origins of this are they performed a Halloween 246 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,760 show in Las Vegas in 2022 and I guess they enjoyed that experience. So they decided to 247 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,760 make or record a soundtrack to the ultimate Halloween party. 248 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:12,980 Nice. Now you said they're from Birmingham. Now I have a British friend who last time 249 00:18:12,980 --> 00:18:17,480 you talked about Duran Duran and said Birmingham. He took issue with your pronunciation. 250 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,240 How are you supposed to pronounce it? 251 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:20,600 I think it's something like Birmingham. 252 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,920 Birmingham. Birmingham. Yeah, that's probably. 253 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,160 I don't know. That might be worse. 254 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,280 It's not the same to me. 255 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:33,880 So the album features a mixture of new original material, covers and reworking of old songs. 256 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:44,240 But here's the title track, Dance Macabre. 257 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:49,520 Y'all can't see it, but it's a rare sighting of Don actually dancing and grooving there 258 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:55,560 on the camera. He can't help it. When Duran Duran's playing, he's got to move. 259 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:01,600 So Dance Macabre is a French term that translates to dance of death. So in art, it's often depicted 260 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,960 as a procession of dance featuring both living and dead people. Yeah. So that, you know, 261 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,840 that song, it kind of captures the spirit of the whole album, kind of dance oriented, 262 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:17,180 sort of those like ghostly synths, some weird kind of haunting harmonies, just like a creepy 263 00:19:17,180 --> 00:19:18,440 party vibe. 264 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,280 These are all sounds that Duran Duran has had throughout their discography, but they 265 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:28,620 haven't been central to the songs. It's been more part of the vibe. So I like, I like hearing 266 00:19:28,620 --> 00:19:32,480 that brought to the front. They're good at it. I don't think they, I just don't think 267 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:33,480 they knew they were. 268 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,360 And it turns out Simon Laban can rap. 269 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:42,040 Oh, I wouldn't go that far. We should have had him on the hip hop episode, right? 270 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,640 He didn't do that. And I'm here to say. 271 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,360 He was just about to. 272 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:51,800 My name is Simon and I'm here to say. 273 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:56,120 So you know, while the song and the album itself kind of embraces Halloween themes, 274 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,680 it's with like a sense of humor, you know, so it's not truly scary or again, just sort 275 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:07,040 of a fun, goofy Halloween party. My clickbait headline for Dance Macabre is Duran Duran 276 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:13,240 take horrifying idea and make it work. So, you know, if somebody said, hey, Duran Duran's 277 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:17,400 got a new album coming out. I'd be like, yeah. And they're like, well, it's, you know, it's 278 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:25,240 Halloween themed. Okay. And then, you know, lots of cover songs. I'm like, yuck, you know, 279 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,140 because I'm just not a huge fan of cover albums in general. And then I just hate it when artists 280 00:20:29,140 --> 00:20:35,400 rerecord their old songs. It's just, it's not for me usually. 281 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,720 Sometimes they get better at it though, man. You know, you play a song for years and years 282 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:43,360 and you rearrange it and it, you know, it can happen. Work. It doesn't often, but it 283 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:44,360 can. 284 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:48,520 Yeah. And somehow, you know, this, this album works and I don't know if it's just because 285 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,480 it doesn't take itself too seriously. You know, it kind of is what it is. It's, it's 286 00:20:53,480 --> 00:21:00,480 fun. Yeah, it's, I actually enjoy it. So, and actually this month, so of this year, 287 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,740 they've actually released a deluxe edition, which includes a new instrumental track that 288 00:21:04,740 --> 00:21:08,280 marks the beginning of the record called Mask of the Pink Death. They do it, they add 289 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:15,720 a cover of ELO's Evil Woman. And then a reworking of this song, New Moon on Monday, now titled 290 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:16,720 New Moon, Dark Fade. 291 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:34,280 Yeah. Don once again is all animated. I picture a 12 year old version with a brush singing 292 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:39,800 into a mirror right now. I like that version better than the original cause it's, it's 293 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:47,640 less dated. The keyboards on the original are so, they're so early eighties. And I've 294 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:53,080 always liked that song, but I really liked the, this sort of darker version of it. It 295 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:59,640 just works really well. I was actually, when I first heard it, I was like, no way. Is it, 296 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:04,000 did I, they really redid a song that I like better? So. 297 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:09,560 You can also hear the words more like the lyrics of the verses. I still don't know what 298 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,280 the song's about, but at least I know what the words are. 299 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:17,000 Yeah. It's about a new moon on Monday. I think it's start, you know, starting over, starting 300 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:22,240 fresh. That's kind of my, my take on it. But you know, it also is good for the Halloween 301 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:27,000 vibes where you think of the moon and dark sky and all that stuff. So it works really 302 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:33,840 well on this record. It was a good choice. My clickbait headline to describe Dance Macabre. 303 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,240 Masterfully blended old and new with catchy covers for genuine return to form that sounds 304 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:44,360 classically Duran and a little spooky. I think this sounds more like them than a lot of their 305 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:49,120 more recent records. They have moments on them that I enjoy, but this just sounds like 306 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:56,080 they're having fun. It's not in reaction to sounds that are happening now. It's just, 307 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:02,240 let's do a project and have fun and you can hear it. And I really enjoy that. I miss that 308 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:07,040 in bands when bands become, when they're around a long time and it becomes a machine to a 309 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:13,200 certain extent. I think sometimes the fun isn't as palpable and it is here. Yeah. Sometimes 310 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,440 they're guilty of trying too hard, you know, trying too hard to get the hit or trying too 311 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,640 hard to capture a certain sound or something. And this one just seems like it came out naturally. 312 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:27,160 Simon sounds great too. If you told me that this was the original version of the song, 313 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:32,240 I would believe you cause he just sounds really good. They do sound amazingly fresh. I would 314 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:37,280 say I couldn't really distinguish between the eighties material and the stuff like 40 years 315 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:41,520 later, which is kind of amazing. All right. Well, as I said, you know, this album features 316 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:54,240 several covers and here's one, Spellbound. What's the name of the song again? I'm not sure. 317 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,480 I'm not sure. I'm not in a new mood on Monday or something. 318 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:08,160 Fun kind of like synthy version of the Susan and the Banshees song from back in that same era. 319 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,720 I enjoyed that cover. There's quite a few covers on the record. You got like Pain of Black, Psycho 320 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:19,680 Killer, Evil Woman. Yeah. Don't forget Billie Eilish. What? Billie Eilish, Berry a Friend. 321 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:26,640 Oh, wow. My clickbait headline for dance macabre is Duran Duran are still dancing, 322 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:35,920 but the macabre is starting to smell. I don't know. I mean, I did enjoy this album. To me, 323 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:41,680 it feels very much like a live concert feel. Like I think maybe this is if I was at that show in 324 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,840 Las Vegas a couple of years ago, maybe it was kind of in this vibe. I enjoy it. I mean, it's super 325 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:51,280 dancey. It kind of feels like you're at a club at times, especially with the dark vibe on many of 326 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:56,080 these tracks. I think that works, but I think largely if you're a fan of the band, I think you 327 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:00,240 probably would enjoy this. But it's more of a outsider looking in. I feel like this was kind 328 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:06,160 of hit or miss generally. I did enjoy a few of the tracks, especially the, I guess is it the single 329 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:11,600 Black Moonlight there towards the beginning of the record? Really fun dancey track, good baseline. 330 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:17,200 CB. Features Nile Rodgers on guitar. AC. Oh, nice. Should have guessed. But yeah, 331 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:22,880 the middle third, I guess I kind of whatever, but the ending with the covers and stuff is pretty fun. 332 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,600 The opening of the record has this really cool instrumental, the mask of the pink death, 333 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:33,040 which is like just a Halloween vibe that get going really strong there. I kind of wish I had more 334 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,520 elements of that sprinkled throughout, a little bit more of that creepiness, a little less of the 335 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,160 fun dancey-ness, I guess, but it's Duran Duran. So I guess you want that. 336 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:49,520 RG. Yeah. I think also not just Duran Duran fans, but people who maybe grew up in the 80s 337 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,840 and appreciate that sound might enjoy this record for Halloween as well. 338 00:25:55,200 --> 00:26:02,320 Just because it does capture some fun and does have some of those nice comfy 80s throwback vibes 339 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:03,840 as well here and there. So. 340 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:08,240 AC. Yeah. And they still really sound like themselves, which is amazing. I don't know, 341 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,920 what kind of health rig they're in. RG. They kind of deal with the devil they made. 342 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:18,480 AC. Seriously. It's working. Keep it up. RG. Yeah. So some other tracks that they redo 343 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:24,640 from their catalog, Nightboat, which appeared on the first album, kind of slowed down. I prefer 344 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:30,240 the original version, but I mean, this version works. They go deep. They do Secret October 31st, 345 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:35,440 which is a reworking of Secret October, which was a B-side to Union of the Snake. That one's 346 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:39,360 pretty interesting. RG. Here comes the Duran Duran fan. 347 00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:47,440 AC. Maybe the strangest one is they take Lonely in Your Nightmare from Rio and they go right into 348 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,720 Super Freak by Rick James. RG. That was an interesting choice. 349 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,760 AC. That shows up every time. It's like, what? What just happened? 350 00:26:53,760 --> 00:27:00,160 AC. So that's now called Super Lonely Freak. Anyway, so it's not a classic Duran Duran, 351 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,960 Duran album, but I think it does provide a nice soundtrack for a Halloween party. So it's Duran 352 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:13,600 Duran Dance Macabre. RG. Excuse me. I'd like to ask you a few questions. 353 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:19,040 AC. Now it's time for a deep question by Don. 354 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,920 AC. Oh, are you coughing or was that an evil laugh? 355 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:28,080 RG. That's supposed to be an evil laugh. Come on. Kick a muhahaha. 356 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,120 AC. That's better. RG. That's good. 357 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:37,680 AC. Okay. So tell us about a Halloween costume from your past that stands out in your memory. 358 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,640 RG. Andy dresses up for Halloween every year, so he doesn't have to go too far back. 359 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,000 AC. Yeah. I do kind of love dressing up for Halloween. I thought a lot of characters, 360 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,880 one that I remember from my childhood that I mentioned, but I thought was kind of cool. 361 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,160 Growing up, you know, we made all of our costumes like from whatever was around the house. And one 362 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:59,600 year I wanted to be a dump truck. So my dad made me a little... RG. Wait, back up. Boop, boop, boop. 363 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:05,040 AC. Yeah. RG. You wanted to be a dump truck. I think we need to explore this to give some reasons. 364 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:11,440 AC. Well, you know, like a young kid, I was in the construction vehicles, you know, 365 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:17,680 dump trucks and backhoes and diggers, et cetera. Anyway, so I was a dump truck and the cool thing 366 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,440 was that when I go up to the house and ask for, you know, trick or treat, I would have to turn 367 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:26,400 around and pull a little string and my butt would lift up and they could put the candy in directly 368 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,360 into my caboose sort of. So that was cool. I liked that. Yeah. 369 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:35,920 RG. That's a good way to protect your candy stash from any siblings if it's butt candy, 370 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,800 they aren't going to want to steal them from you. AC. Yeah, that's true. Much safer than a pillowcase. 371 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:46,000 But yeah, I mean, I've had some good costumes in my adult life as well. I've been Cherry Garcia, 372 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:52,480 but probably my favorite one is the dude, dude. That was a big Lebowski a couple of times. 373 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:53,840 RG. I like your style. 374 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,880 AC. Yeah, he did the Lebowski. Now, if you wanted to do it right, 375 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:02,320 shave your head, get some cool glasses, grow a couple of feet and then you could be me. 376 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,560 RG. Yeah, at least a couple of feet. Yeah. Did you have any good costumes, man? 377 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:13,360 AC. Not really. I mean, I only did Halloween till I was like 12, but one of my favorites was 378 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:17,680 a Superman costume. This is when you'd get these plastic, it was like a, you'd buy it, 379 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:22,720 but it was basically a garbage bag with. RG. It's like printed on it, right? 380 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:27,680 AC. Yeah, printed on it. And then just this mask, it was a plastic mask just on the front, right? 381 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,240 For the trick or treating, it was fine, right? I liked being Superman, but what I would do at 382 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:37,600 home with the mask is I would put on like my church suit and then put the mask, the Superman mask on, 383 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:46,320 put my glasses on over it and be Clark Kent. Yeah. So I mean, I wore that for like two or three years 384 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,880 till I popped holes in it. But one of the best Halloween things that ever happened, I was probably 385 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,280 wearing that costume and my mom was taking us trick or treating. And we got to this house, 386 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:59,680 I had like spooky music and lights and stuff on their porch. And there was like this dummy 387 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:06,000 sitting in a rocking chair, looked kind of like a creepy clown or something. So we're getting our 388 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,800 candy and stuff. My mom's fascinated with this thing. She's poking it and then she poked its eye 389 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:17,680 and the guy jumped up, screams at her and she went shrieking away from that house. 390 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,360 So I was trying to scare the kids, but I guess I'll make an exception if you're poking my eye. 391 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,920 The guy got his eye poked. She put her finger in his eye. 392 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,920 It's a good test. What about you, Don? 393 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:34,880 Well, according to like my old family photo albums, I think my first Halloween costumes, 394 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,920 I think two years in a row, I was the jolly green giant. 395 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:39,520 Really? 396 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,800 Wow. Corporate, corporate. 397 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:41,300 Yeah. 398 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:43,120 And my mom. 399 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:44,080 You're vegetables kids. 400 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:48,640 People are trying to give you Del Monte vegetables in your bag. 401 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:49,920 Like, no, no, green giant. 402 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,720 And then, you know, I was still quite young, but maybe today it would be a controversial choice, 403 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:58,720 but I was a black ghost. 404 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:03,280 Instead of a white sheet, it was a black sheet. For some reason I wanted to be a black ghost. 405 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,320 I don't think it had any real racial implications. 406 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,360 Yeah, it started being more, you know, it'd be creepy. 407 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,720 Probably very hard to see you at night out there in the trick or treating. 408 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:14,720 Did you have to wear like reflectors or something? 409 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,200 I used to go trick or treating with my sister. So I was next to her. 410 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:20,720 I think she was uncle Sam that year. 411 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:26,400 These choices, like I think really as people grow up and they seek any kind of therapy in their 412 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,400 lives, that's one of the things that the psychotherapist should ask. Like what costumes did 413 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,480 you choose as a child? Cause I think that could, that could really open some doors to figuring out 414 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:35,280 who a person is. 415 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:39,360 There's a lot about you. I mean, down in the black sheet, I mean, that's pretty on the nose. 416 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,880 Yep. He was already into the, the gothic stuff. 417 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:43,840 The gothic stuff, yeah. 418 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,320 Yeah. Gothic ghost maybe would be a good choice. 419 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:46,820 Yeah. 420 00:31:46,820 --> 00:31:51,520 There you go. Sure. It was also later, I think in middle school, I was a California raisin. 421 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:59,360 Anyway, well, uh, what Halloween costumes do you remember? Let us know. Hit us up on the socials, 422 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,360 Instagram and Facebook, or leave a comment on our website, albumnerds.com. 423 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:08,400 So I struggled with this one a little bit. I was really close on that iced earth album, but 424 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,360 I was like, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. 425 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,360 I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. 426 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:20,000 I was really close on that iced earth album, but I ended up going with a typo negative 427 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,960 and their 1993 album, bloody kisses. 428 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:28,080 Typo negative was an American gothic doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1989 by 429 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:33,680 Peter Steele. He was bass and lead vocals, Kenny Hickey on guitar and co-lead vocals, Josh Silver 430 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:39,120 on keyboards and backing vocals and Sal Abroscato on drums and percussion. And John Kelly later 431 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:44,160 replaced them. The music was heavily centered on themes of romance, depression and death, 432 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,720 which led to their nickname, the drab for, which is the fat for. 433 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:51,360 That's good. 434 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:59,440 Pete Steele passed away in 2010 at the age of 48. So bloody kisses, their third studio album. 435 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:04,320 It's a breakthrough for them. It's satirical lyrics and blend of gothic metal doom and dark 436 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:09,200 humor paved the way for the sound. And it's the first album from Roadrunner Records to be 437 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,920 certified gold and later platinum. Nice. 438 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:17,600 Yeah, I know. Roadrunner has been coming up a lot lately. Why don't we check out a little 439 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:24,160 bit of black number one, Little Miss Scarrol. It's like a mascara place or what is it? 440 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:29,360 Miss Scarrol instead of Miss Clairol, which was a thing in the 70s and 80s. 441 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:30,720 Is that like a makeup brand? 442 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:36,160 It's like a hair color thing because she dyes her hair black. Black number one is the hair dye. 443 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:38,160 All right. Let's listen. 444 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:56,880 Probably the best known track from the album, 445 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:02,160 sarcastic ode to goth culture, specifically addressing a girlfriend who dyed her hair black 446 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:08,000 to match her goth aesthetic. It's a perfect example of the band's doom pop style, 447 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:13,040 catchy chorus, dark sludgy guitars, and then the signature vocal style of Pete Steele 448 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:20,720 and those Dracula rolled Rs and those hard hit K's when he's milk wide neck. 449 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:23,120 Very Dracula-y. 450 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:27,120 Yeah. She is up on that microphone, man. I love it. 451 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,560 Yeah. So there's a lot of tongue in cheek references to Halloween, 452 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:37,120 Nosferatu, Lily Munster. Adam's family theme appears briefly in the song. So yeah, 453 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:41,600 what I didn't understand at the time was that they were having fun with this 454 00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:46,240 and poking fun at themselves and the darkness that they were representing. 455 00:34:46,240 --> 00:34:49,680 And I kind of dismissed it as, well, not grunge, so I wasn't interested. 456 00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:55,680 I did see them open for Pantera in like early 95 and I kind of started to change my mind 457 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,800 because they were really good. They sounded really good live. So. 458 00:34:58,800 --> 00:34:59,280 Wow. 459 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,480 Well, Pete Steele didn't want to go on the road because he liked being 460 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:07,280 working for the Parks Department in New York and picking up garbage. He enjoyed it. Apparently. 461 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:14,960 The six foot eight dude with hair down to his ass looks like Dracula and he's picking up garbage. 462 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:21,760 Can you imagine like throwing your rappers down? Just because of your look. 463 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,440 Why don't you pick that up? 464 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:33,440 But I guess they got their motley crew offered them an opening spot on their tour and that's what 465 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,920 helped break them. So my clickbait headline to describe the album, 466 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:44,000 Type O Negative is Bloody Kisses, the album that made goth metal sexy and scary. It did 467 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:50,080 make it sort of sensual more so than I think some others. It was more about the scare and less about 468 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:54,880 and that gothic romance thing, you know, that whole because those old Dracula movies always 469 00:35:54,880 --> 00:36:02,480 had him as being kind of a ladies man. I think that's that that's reflected here on many of the 470 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:09,360 songs, but also at the base of it, Pete Steele was self-conscious and a lot of this bravado was 471 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,840 a way of making fun of himself, which has been interesting getting to understand that as I've 472 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:18,880 dug into this. Why don't we hear a little bit of the title track, Bloody Kisses. 473 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:30,240 The almost 11 minute long title cut there. 474 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,680 Yeah, they stretch them out, don't they? 475 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:38,000 There's a couple on this album that they do get a little comfortable in, I would say. 476 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:44,800 The My Clickbait headline for Bloody Kisses is Type O Negative brings the weird, 477 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,800 but left me wondering if their kisses are bloody or if they're just messy with the ketchup. 478 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:57,920 I enjoy this record. I find it very interesting. There's a lot going on. I mean, it's a long record 479 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:03,200 and some of the tracks are a little uneven, but it's interesting. I give them credit for 480 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:08,080 trying some new stuff. Where I get caught up on is some tracks are clearly a joke. 481 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:16,240 There's a song called The White People or We Hate Everyone. I really enjoyed those two songs. I 482 00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:20,000 thought they were pretty good, but they've definitely taken some shots at the goth 483 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:27,920 audience and what goes into that. But then there's tracks that seem very serious and dark to sound 484 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:33,680 their own. I wasn't really sure. Are we supposed to be taking all this seriously or are things 485 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:40,160 like that title cut there seems very gravely serious to me? I guess I was just confused 486 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:46,880 if I was misunderstanding some of the lyrics. I think the intention was just creating good songs. 487 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:52,400 I think because of the sound of the album, you can kind of ignore that it's tongue in cheek and 488 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:58,880 being funny if you so choose and sink into the darkness, or you can use those more moments of 489 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:04,560 levity to pull yourself out of the darkness of those other songs. So I get what you're saying. 490 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:08,800 It can be a little confusing if you're really paying attention to the lyrics. 491 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:14,160 Yeah. Well, besides those big messages, I think it does feel like an exciting album. I appreciate 492 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:21,440 it as kind of like that goth rock style and yeah, Steel's voice is awesome. I really thought it was 493 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,640 two or three vocalists in the band. I didn't realize it was all one guy. 494 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:28,400 Well, there are moments where you can tell that it's Kenny Hickey. 495 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:28,880 Okay. 496 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:35,920 But yeah, the majority is Pete Steel. All right. So why don't we move on to a song that I definitely, 497 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,960 you could take one way or the other. Let's listen to a little bit of Christian Woman. 498 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:54,080 So Christian Woman depicts a woman struggle between religious devotion and sexual desire, 499 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:59,120 supposedly inspired by a woman, you know, Steel was romantically involved with, you know, 500 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:02,640 she supposedly wanted him to dress up as a priest during sex. 501 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,160 Sure. Happens to everyone, right? 502 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:11,760 Yeah. So the song actually has three distinct parts. They're actually identified. So the first 503 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:21,680 part is Body of Christ or Corpus Christi. And then second part is To Love God, which I think 504 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:27,280 is that kind of acoustically part that's really pretty. And then all of a sudden it's Jesus Christ 505 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:31,200 looks like me. Jesus Christ. Yeah, it's weird. 506 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:34,160 Yeah. That's like a medley. It's a Booyah bass. 507 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:36,400 It is a Booyah bass. Yeah. 508 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,520 Let me bring that back. In total, it's about nine minutes long, 509 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:45,520 the song. But I think because it is split up into three parts, it kind of works. I think my favorite 510 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:52,320 part about this song in particular is just those atmospheric keyboards that really make it dramatic. 511 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:54,880 Reminds me of the Sisters of Mercy. Yeah. 512 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,760 Actually, this track in general sounds like a Sisters of Mercy track. 513 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:00,480 Yeah. Well, it all sounds like, you know, 514 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:04,880 Gothic Cathedral stuff, which I think is why those touches are in there. But yeah, 515 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:11,120 Pete Steele is just an interesting character. I mean, I briefly met him at an in-store signing 516 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:16,320 thing at a record store back in the 90s. He was huge. And then he would call the record store I 517 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:21,440 worked at because he was trying to date my manager, Gina, because he had met her at that same thing. 518 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:28,400 So I've always felt this kind of familiarity with him because he just seemed like a normal dude when 519 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:34,080 I met him. And then listening to this music is so the character is at the forefront, you know. 520 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:37,280 Yeah. What if he was calling from the payphone at the state park? 521 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:46,480 Maybe. So my clickbait headline for Bloody Kisses is Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses is 522 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:50,640 a positive experience. The blood type. 523 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:53,760 Nice. There you go. 524 00:40:53,760 --> 00:41:00,960 So yeah, I enjoy this record a lot. I mean, it's a bit long overall and it's messy. You know, 525 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:07,520 I wonder if it would have benefited from like a tighter treatment, maybe more focus. But you know, 526 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,640 it's kind of hard to say, you know, like with the Beatles' White album, it'd been better if they 527 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:14,960 cut out some of that stuff. It's kind of part of the identity of this album. 528 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:20,240 Yeah. I think that the way it is is probably the right way because if those songs weren't so 529 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:25,040 expansive, you wouldn't have the same impression of this band. And the impression of this band 530 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:32,720 and this album is that this is this flight of fancy, this dark trip through romance and life and 531 00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:38,720 self identity and all that stuff. So I, you know, I actually let myself sink into those moments 532 00:41:38,720 --> 00:41:43,840 instead of fighting. You kind of have to like give yourself over to this record to some degree. 533 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:49,280 Yeah. Just like you give yourself over to Dracula when he hypnotizes you with his eyes. 534 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,480 Exactly. Just open your neck up for him. There you go. 535 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:59,760 Yeah. So it's, I think like Andy, I sometimes struggle whether to take it seriously or not, 536 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:02,640 but I guess that's part of its charm, sort of the ambiguity of it. 537 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:06,800 Yeah. You know, a fun little tidbit of information I came across was, 538 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:13,360 again, leaning into this fun aspect of the band. The album features additional vocal performances 539 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:18,080 from close friends of the band, including Mina Caputo, Joey Zambella, and Alan Robert 540 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:24,480 of Life of Agony, a band that was also on their label. And they were credited as the Erasmus High 541 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:29,920 School Boys Special Ed in the album liner notes. And there was also some singers credited as the 542 00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:36,400 Benton Hoist Lesbian Choir. So I don't know what that was about exactly, but they just had this 543 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:41,200 sense of humor amid this darkness that they were representing. Yeah. You could go too dark, right? 544 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:45,120 If you want full goth. Yeah. Never go full goth. 545 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:49,200 Right. Right. Yeah. Well said. 546 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:54,160 And of course, Summer Breeze, the cover of the Seals and Croft song is on this record. And they 547 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:58,640 do a really good job of creeping that up. I guess originally they rewrote the lyrics and called it 548 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:04,080 Summer Girl. You can find it on the web if you want to hear it, but the Seals and Crofts shot it 549 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:08,400 down because they thought that the lyrics were too gross. So go find that if you're interested. 550 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:14,240 Yeah. Type O Negative's Bloody Kisses blends this brooding atmosphere, dark humor, eerie sound, 551 00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:20,160 and evokes this feeling of walking through a haunted cemetery at night sometimes. So it's a 552 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:24,640 perfect addition to our Halloween playlist. So go check it out if you haven't heard it before. 553 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:31,520 Can you dig it? Can you dig it? Can you dig it? 554 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:37,200 Well, I guess this week we were kind of what? Digging in the cemetery or digging graves? 555 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:41,040 Digging graves. There we go. Yeah. Find some good stuff. 556 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:45,360 Did you dig anything else? I got a few things here in my 557 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:49,840 trick or treat bag. Okay, good. You went where I thought you were going to go. 558 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:57,120 Not your dump truck. Or your plastic pumpkin. All the above. First one I mention here is from 559 00:43:57,760 --> 00:44:03,280 singer-songwriter of Portishead fame. I guess it's technically her first solo album. 560 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:13,040 It's called Lives Outgrown that came out earlier this year. Let's play Floating Out of Moments. 561 00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:16,320 Definitely some floating going on there in that sound. I like it. 562 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:20,640 It's a very ethereal record. Not dark, I wouldn't say. Maybe not a good Halloween choice, 563 00:44:20,640 --> 00:44:23,520 but if you want a little uplift after the Halloween. 564 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:25,440 Maybe on All Saints Day. Yeah, there you go. 565 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:29,040 The next step. The other one I want to mention here is 566 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:34,000 something that intrigued me. It's a more recent development in music where artists will release 567 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:38,800 an album and then release it again, like an edited version of it a couple of months later. 568 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:46,320 Charlie XTC who put out an album earlier this year called Brat. It's been very well received 569 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:52,800 by the critics, very popular with the kids. She released a totally new version of it called Brat 570 00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:57,920 and it's completely different, but also still Brat just about a week ago. It's got a whole 571 00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:03,200 bunch of new tracks, some reworking of old tracks. We're going to play a cut here. 572 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:05,760 I think this has Billie Eilish on it. It's called Guess. 573 00:45:11,120 --> 00:45:12,560 Yikes. Goodness. 574 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:13,200 Pretty close up. 575 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,640 Interesting. You guys just come across this one of your artists that you follow where they'll 576 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:25,520 re-release something right after releasing it. Not right after so much. A lot of the things I 577 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:31,440 follow are older bands who re-release, they'll re-make whole albums or whatever. I think because 578 00:45:31,440 --> 00:45:36,480 of streaming rights and copyright and stuff, I think they redo their songs so that the streaming 579 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:43,120 rights to it, you know. I think there was a Shin's record recently where they re-released this, 580 00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:47,200 or they released it a second time and all of a sudden the quiet songs were loud and the 581 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:51,200 louder songs were quiet. So it was the same songs, but completely redone. Yeah. 582 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:56,560 Interesting. There's a Peter Gabriel record a couple of years ago that was released two 583 00:45:56,560 --> 00:45:59,840 versions on the same day that I could barely tell the difference between them. 584 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:03,680 That's right. I forgot about that one. Yeah. There's something cool about the streaming 585 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:07,440 platform that allows for this kind of editing in real time sort of. 586 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:08,080 Yeah. 587 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:09,200 Haven't you been digging on, Don? 588 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:16,880 Well, there's a band from Rochester, New York formed in 1978 called the Chesterfield Kings. 589 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:22,640 And so they've got a brand new album coming out called We're Still All the Same. Yeah, 590 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:27,360 just kind of like a, I think they came out in the 70s and they were already retro at the time. 591 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:32,800 They were kind of doing like 60s garage music. So here's a track called What's the Value of Time? 592 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:33,360 Opening cut. 593 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:35,840 When it's gone, you can't make it. 594 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:42,880 They have a long history. They actually appear in an episode of the Sopranos performing at 595 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:50,080 the Adriana's Club. Awesome. Check that out. And then Dwight Yoakam is back in Better Than Ever. 596 00:46:50,080 --> 00:46:56,720 His new album comes out November 15th called Brighter Days. It's his first album since 2016. 597 00:46:56,720 --> 00:46:59,840 There's a single called Wide Open Heart. 598 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:04,000 She's got a wide open heart and open heart. 599 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:08,480 Oh, I thought it was going to be about having open heart surgery since he's a little older now. 600 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:12,960 I love seeing him in Sling Blade. 601 00:47:12,960 --> 00:47:15,200 Oh yeah. Yeah. I forgot he did a little acting. 602 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:17,920 But there's another song that features Post Malone. 603 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:20,080 That guy is just everywhere. 604 00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:23,200 I'm curious what that, I mean, I don't really want to know, 605 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:27,840 but I kind of want to know what that sounds like. He's doing More Country Lately, right? 606 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:28,240 Oh yeah. 607 00:47:28,240 --> 00:47:29,200 Mr. Malone. 608 00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:30,000 Dude. 609 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:34,640 So you guys made efforts to escape the Halloween and I just kept going. 610 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:35,600 Doberman. 611 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:42,640 Yeah. So in my travels through Halloween town, I ran into Unto Others, which we've talked about on 612 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:47,600 the show before. This band from Oregon, I believe, their new album just released in September is 613 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:50,080 called Never Neverland. So third. 614 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:52,560 Growth to Never Neverland. 615 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:57,600 And it showcases the band's growth as they blend this Gothic rock sound with heavy metal elements. 616 00:47:57,600 --> 00:47:59,840 So why don't we check out a little bit of Butterfly. 617 00:47:59,840 --> 00:48:02,240 Come my lady, come come my lady. 618 00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:03,760 No, not that. Thank God. 619 00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:06,240 Wow. Things I thought I'd never hear you say. 620 00:48:06,240 --> 00:48:08,800 No offense to Shifty Shellshock. Rest in peace. 621 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:11,680 Wow. Impressive. 622 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:23,440 Yeah, definitely in that same vein. 623 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:29,280 I think we talked about these guys on that same episode that we did the Cure Pornography. 624 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:32,560 I think you're right. Yeah. I really like their sound. 625 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:37,520 I think they're carrying this on very well and they have continued through each album to add 626 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:41,360 some additional metal elements to kind of spice things up. 627 00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:44,080 So you should definitely check that one out. 628 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:47,840 And then as always, I like to bring up something I have in my record collection. 629 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:53,760 I picked this up several years ago, but it's just a must have, I think, in any record collectors 630 00:48:53,760 --> 00:49:00,400 shelves if you like heavy metal. So it's Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast released in 1982. 631 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:05,040 It's kind of defined heavy metal as we know it with their intricate guitar work. 632 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:08,400 So why don't we check out a little bit of the title track, The Number of the Beast. 633 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:20,240 Man, when I was a little kid, I was pretty young, but this scared everybody's parents. 634 00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:24,560 My friends had older teenage siblings. 635 00:49:24,560 --> 00:49:26,240 Satanic panic going on, man. 636 00:49:26,240 --> 00:49:29,360 Yeah. I was not allowed to listen to Iron Maiden. 637 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:29,840 Nice. 638 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:30,960 Or play Dungeons and Dragons. 639 00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:34,800 Yeah. Probably shouldn't have been. Who knows how weird you'd be now. 640 00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:43,760 So yeah, that's classic and it's good Halloween stuff with a little bit of your 641 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:45,360 devils and monsters and whatnot. 642 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:48,640 All right. Well, what are you digging? Let us know. Join us on the socials, 643 00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:52,320 Facebook, Instagram, and threads. Also on our website, AlbumNerds.com. 644 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:59,040 It will be a discovery of extraordinary value. 645 00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:08,320 Well, it's about that time on the show. I'm reminded of the great British writer and physician, 646 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:15,040 Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle. The guy wrote Sherlock Holmes, I believe. He said, 647 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:20,400 where there is no imagination, there is no horror. With that in mind, let's bring out my friend and 648 00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:23,760 yours, Wodbot, and see what we'll be discovering on next week's episode. 649 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:37,200 It's time to explore the roots of much of the popular music we know today. Next time, 650 00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:40,800 you'll experience some of the best albums that the blues has to offer 651 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:44,400 as we take a deep dive into the genre's most influential records. 652 00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:53,600 It's the Album Nerds podcast. Just three guys that love tunes. Next week, we'll treat you 653 00:50:53,600 --> 00:51:03,760 to a little bit of blues. Yeah. I'm not a blues man. Next week. But it looks like we're going to 654 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:10,720 experience some true blues masters. Yeah. So that should be fine. A little change of pace. 655 00:51:10,720 --> 00:51:13,520 Yeah. Totally different as we always do. 656 00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:18,000 All right. Well, what's your favorite blues album? What else are you listening to? Leave a comment on 657 00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:24,240 our website or email us at podcast at albumnerds.com. Also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and threads 658 00:51:24,240 --> 00:51:29,680 at Album Nerds. And please subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast app. And if you'd 659 00:51:29,680 --> 00:51:35,200 like to support the show, you can do so via PayPal at albumnerds.com slash support. Thank you once 660 00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:39,760 again for joining us here on the Album Nerds podcast. Have a spooky Halloween and then get 661 00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:44,880 depressed and listen to the blues when it's all over. Coming down from that sugar rush. 662 00:51:47,600 --> 00:51:53,600 Next listen everybody. Catch you next week. I was working in the lab late one night. 663 00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:59,360 I don't know the rest. Remember the Monster Mac from McDonald's? I do. Three patties on that bad 664 00:51:59,360 --> 00:52:07,120 boy. I remember eating those. The fall came out. I had two for lunch. Not to go to the ghost of 665 00:52:07,120 --> 00:52:18,160 Harvard ever since. Ah, the children of the night never drink wine.