1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts Andy, Don and Dude. 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,000 Turn that frown upside down, guys. 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,000 I know it's winter, but this is the Album Nerds podcast. 4 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 And dude, got Andy and Don with me. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,000 You guys ready to face this winter depression with music? 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Yeah, with music by our side, I think we can get through, guys. 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,000 I've been popping a lot of pills here. 8 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 I think I got the right combination here finally. 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 Let's give it a try. 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:39,000 How are you doing over there, Don? 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:40,000 You feeling... 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Winter malaise? 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Are you feeling more happy or sad? 14 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,000 Are you down in the dumps this winter, Don? 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:47,000 Down in the dumps? 16 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000 Yeah. 17 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,000 Grey skies are gonna clear up. 18 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Put on a happy face. 19 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,000 That's right. 20 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:55,000 That's what we need. 21 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,000 All right. 22 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,000 So this is the Album Nerds podcast. 23 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,000 We love albums, the album format and talking about them. 24 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000 We've got a great show for you today. 25 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,000 We're going to focus on three albums that we think are effective winter antidepressants. 26 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,000 Then Don's going to ask us a deep question. 27 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Then we're going to have some shout outs to some other albums and album related items we're digging. 28 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 Then we'll spin that wheel of musical discovery to find out what we'll talk about next time. 29 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 This week, it's all about the winter malaise. 30 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 That's what I'm talking about. 31 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:34,000 Music has long been recognized as a powerful tool for managing moods, particularly when it comes to combating depression. 32 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:42,000 Certain albums have the ability to lift spirits, provide comfort and offer a therapeutic experience for listeners struggling with the blues. 33 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,000 This is particularly helpful at this time of year. 34 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 And today, each of us will present an album that makes us feel better. 35 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Warning, the Album Nerds podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment, 36 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 including therapy and medication when prescribed by a healthcare provider. 37 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,000 Side effects of the Album Nerds podcast include uncontrollable head bobbing, spontaneous air guitar, 38 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:04,000 sudden alphabetization of vinyl collections, disdain for Spotify playlists, and on rare occasions, anal leakage. 39 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,000 Well done, sir. 40 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:11,000 Got to watch out for that anal leakage. 41 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 So yeah, I mean, a lot of things came to mind. 42 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:19,000 I mean, there's a lot of music that can make you happy or a single song that can make you happy, 43 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,000 or even maybe a seasonal affective disorder playlist that's out there. 44 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,000 I'll forgive you this time of year. 45 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,000 What do you guys, what other albums did you consider for your cure for the wintertime blues? 46 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 Yeah, I mean, there are so many records that I think make me happy. 47 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:42,000 I think for me, like the trick is trying to find one that works consistently, like it's not dependent on your mood or circumstances. 48 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:47,000 For me, there was a record that came out about six years ago from Bob Mould called Sunshine Rock. 49 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,000 So it's like a breath of fresh air when it came out. 50 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,000 It was very unexpected for him. 51 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:57,000 It's really high energy, just big, bright, shiny guitars and reminded me a lot of what he was doing back in like the late 80s. 52 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,000 It was his 13th solo studio album that sounded like he was like kind of reborn. 53 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,000 So yeah, that was a kind of consideration for me. 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,000 I didn't have to go in with it, but definitely a fun record from that period. 55 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,000 How about you, Darren? 56 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Well, when I'm down, I still usually gravitate to sort of darker depressing stuff. 57 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,000 I think I find catharsis in it or something. 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:24,000 But when I really do want something that's a little more joyful and fun, I'll turn to The Grateful Dead, 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:32,000 particularly like American Beauty, which we covered a year or so ago, and Working Men's Dead, which came out in 1970. 60 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:37,000 It was that period where they sort of went in that Americana folk and country direction. 61 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:44,000 And I think they really became good songwriters at that time, particularly Jerry Garcia and the lyricist Robert Hunter. 62 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,000 How about you, dude? 63 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:53,000 One thing that immediately came to mind was In Excess, Kick from 1987, but we've talked about that on the show. 64 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,000 Secondly, In Excess, Listen Like Thieves. 65 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Largely the title track, Listen Like Thieves, is very high energy, but Whatcha Need is the big song off of it. 66 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 It just starts off with a line saying, Forget about your troubles in life. 67 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:09,000 And it's very upbeat. 68 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:18,000 And so it almost fit, but I ended up going in a different, more Aquanet dependent direction. 69 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,000 That's hairspray. 70 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:25,000 So why don't we stop talking about what we almost picked and get to our choo choo choo choices. 71 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,000 You choo choo choose me? 72 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:34,000 All right. 73 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:42,000 From my winter antidepressant selection, we're going with Mavis Staples in her 2016 album, Living on a High Note. 74 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:55,000 It's the tenth studio album for the singer from Chicago, Illinois, features writing contributions from a myriad of popular modern day artists like Ben Harper, Valerie June, 75 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Justin Vernon, Nico Case and Nick Cave. 76 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,000 Which one doesn't belong in that list? 77 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,000 Nick Cave is that's the answer. Nick Cave. 78 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Let's jump in and play the title cut. 79 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,000 This is High Note. 80 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:25,000 I'm guessing Andy, the first time we checked this album out was because you thought it was a different kind of high. 81 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,000 Oh, you think it's not that kind of high? 82 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,000 No. 83 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:30,000 I'm sure. 84 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,000 That track there written by Valerie June. 85 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,000 Have you guys ever listened to Valerie June before? 86 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,000 She's like a blues, ballgardas, interesting voice, interesting perspective. 87 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:43,000 I really like that track. I think it fits well in Mavis' voice. 88 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,000 Although I expected higher notes. Sorry. 89 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,000 Well, I was going to comment on that. 90 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:57,000 I noticed listening back to it after all these years, she definitely misses some notes or doesn't quite get to a few notes on that song. 91 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:02,000 That just struck me. It happens a couple of times throughout the record. It really doesn't matter to me at all. 92 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:07,000 What this record is about to me is more about the feel and just the energy that Mavis brings. 93 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:12,000 I think that is just here in spades. For that, I'm so grateful to have this record. 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,000 It also brings that human factor that I think is important in something making you feel better. 95 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Sometimes it's because it feels like a real person talking to you on the other side, not some processed voice that maybe sounds perfect and high or whatever, but just someone singing their heart out instead. 96 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Yeah, Mavis, she brings out humanity and the empathy. I get a lot of empathy from her and just that warmth in her voice. It's all here for sure. 97 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 The next clickbait headline for living on a high note is, 98 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Mama Mavis shines down her therapeutic light, striking aside the clouds of cruelty and indifference. 99 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,000 Wow. That made me feel better just right there. 100 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:58,000 This album isn't quite as political as some of the other albums that she's done in this time period, but there's a couple tracks that get into that sort of vibe. 101 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:05,000 She always has that sense of activism and kind of taking action, I guess, being responsible for yourself and what's happening around you, which I appreciate that. 102 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:12,000 I think when you're down to depressed, having that sort of push to do something, get involved, make some change, I think could help. 103 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:21,000 For me, the song writing here is hit or miss. There's definitely some tracks that I don't think are very well suited for her and what her strengths are. 104 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Some are just a little bit too fast and maybe some have too wide of a range for her voice at this point of her career. 105 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:33,000 Like I said before, it doesn't really matter because I'm here to hear Mavis and just her awesome energy that she brings to these songs. 106 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:40,000 I think this is a nice kind of mix of R&B, gospel, and a rock sound. I think it's pretty accessible. 107 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:47,000 I do this day, so I'll listen to this one quite a bit, along with most of her discography from this period because it's a good time for her. 108 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Let's jump in and hear a track towards the end of the record. This is History Now. 109 00:07:52,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Serenity Now! 110 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:09,000 That's a duet with Canadian singer Donnie Gerard. He was in a group called Skylark. 111 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:15,000 Gerard actually shares co-writing credits with Nico Case and Laura Veers. 112 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:23,000 The lyrics are kind of interesting. There's a line, born to children left over from wars before wars and the wars before. 113 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:33,000 What do we do with this history now? I'm not sure if this refers to any specific conflict, but maybe just the constantly in a state of war. 114 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Maybe when are we ever going to get out of this endless cycle? 115 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:43,000 Even though the sentiment is kind of sad and dark, but it's still sort of inspirational. 116 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:53,000 It's asking the question, what are we going to do? It's not, oh, what are we going to do? It's more, let's do something. 117 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:59,000 I can't imagine Mavis making that voice. 118 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:06,000 My clickbait headline for Living on a High Note is Staples stays relevant by being herself. 119 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Yeah, so in her career resurgence, I like that she's kind of stayed true to herself and her roots. 120 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:25,000 Even though she's working with contemporary songwriters and contemporary artists and stuff, I feel like she's using it for inspiration. 121 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,000 She's not using it to be relevant. 122 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Right. 123 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:35,000 Yeah, she's still very true to herself. These albums don't really sound overly of a certain period. 124 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:41,000 It's got modern qualities to it, but it's not trendy by any means, I guess I would say. 125 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:50,000 I think given her musical pedigree and her family, the Staples singers, I think when she has co-writers and collaborators, 126 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:59,000 I think it's more to their benefit than hers in terms of learning from someone who's done it for so long and has so much passion for it still. 127 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Yeah, that's true. I find it interesting that she gravitates more to a folk or a rock treatment to a lot of her music 128 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:13,000 rather than going in a more urban direction. She's not trying to sound like Beyonce. 129 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Her background is more like a gospel kind of sound. That's not really the style here by any means. 130 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:27,000 Yeah, there's no moments when she's asking the Lord to put a ring on it or anything like that, so we're good. 131 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:36,000 Something about it, and maybe it's just the nature of gospel itself, I think a lot of these lyrics, like in Take Us Back, 132 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:43,000 it's like, I've got people who love me, I'm going to get through kind of stuff. It would sound trite out of other voices, 133 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:52,000 like Billy Joel saying, don't forget your second win. That sounds kind of corny, but when it comes out at Mavis Staples, it just sounds sincere and just nice. 134 00:10:52,000 --> 00:11:02,000 Yeah, the same thing about her religious songs. I don't know how she does it, things that should sound corny, and she just makes it sound so sincere and heartfelt. 135 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:09,000 I think because it is. It's not faith and whatever her relationship is with a higher power. 136 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:17,000 It's just part of the fabric of who she is, and it comes out in her voice and in what she says and who she is as a person. It's not preachy. 137 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:24,000 Yeah, yeah, true. Let's jump in and play one more cut. This is from the middle of the record. It's called Tomorrow. 138 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:33,000 Tomorrow is another day. Life is bound to have ups and downs. 139 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:42,000 I picked that song because its message is very obvious. There's no, you don't have to dig through the poetry and try to figure out what she's saying. 140 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:48,000 It's perfect for what we're talking about today. And it's just like, you know what? Maybe today sucks, but you can turn that around. 141 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:57,000 I'd say a more genuine take on tomorrow than say Annie, for instance, who just sounds phony. 142 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:02,000 The sun will come out. 143 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,000 That's the one. Yeah, I grew up hating that. Thanks to my sisters. 144 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:16,000 Mavis' take on tomorrow is uplifting and optimistic, and it blends all those influences, but just sounds, I don't know, like your friendly neighbor lady. 145 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:22,000 If you lived in a musical, your friendly neighbor lady would come out on her porch and sing that to you. 146 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 Some people call her optimist prime. 147 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,000 Oh, God, we should stop. 148 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,000 They don't. 149 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,000 I clickbait headline to describe living on a high note. 150 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Mavis Staples drops an album so uplifting, even your seasonal affective disorder can't keep you down. 151 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:49,000 This was designed as a joyful collection of songs reflecting on her belief in the power of love, faith and perseverance. 152 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,000 A couple other tracks I thought were interesting. Jesus lay down beside me. 153 00:12:53,000 --> 00:13:03,000 I wasn't sure if it was about wanting comfort from God or giving comfort to the human version of God on Earth. 154 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:08,000 There seemed to be kind of, to me, maybe a little bit of both, like a reverence but thankfulness. 155 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,000 Yeah, that's the Nic Cave song there. 156 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000 Oh, well, that makes sense. 157 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,000 It's a confusing message. 158 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:23,000 And the MLK song, the tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was kind of built around his words, 159 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:28,000 kind of that whole idea of people having compassion and love for all, 160 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:33,000 which I think can be a cure to any kind of blues, wintertime blues, whatever, for tying to one another, 161 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:38,000 even if we're grumpy and we're at the store and hold the door for someone or help them pick something up they dropped. 162 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:45,000 I think that not only brings maybe some antidepressant to the person you help, but also to yourself for doing something nice. 163 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000 So it feels like Mavis would want that. 164 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Yeah, I mean, I think that's a great point, man. 165 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:54,000 I think Mavis would want that message to be out there because I think that's a powerful one for sure. 166 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,000 Yeah, so if you're not familiar with the work she was doing in the 2010s, 167 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,000 she put out five records over the course of these 10 years and they're all really interesting. 168 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,000 She's still out there doing it. 169 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:08,000 She keeps doing it for as long as possible because I love having her around. 170 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,000 And yeah, so that's Mavis Staples living out of Hynox. 171 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,000 WWMD, what would Mavis do? 172 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,000 That's right. 173 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:26,000 Before we get to our next winter antidepressant album, let's hear a little bit from our friends over at the Polyphonic Press. 174 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Do you love music? 175 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,000 Do you want to explore classic albums? 176 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:35,000 If you answered yes, then check out Polyphonic Press. 177 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:44,000 I'm Jeremy and along with my co-host John, we rely on the patented random album generator to pick an album for us to review. 178 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,000 At the top of each show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to. 179 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,000 That's what keeps it really exciting. 180 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000 We dig real deep into these albums. 181 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:59,000 So if this sounds interesting, come along with us on this journey because you never know what you might find. 182 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 We release a new episode every Tuesday morning. 183 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:07,000 That's Polyphonic Press and we're available on every podcast platform. 184 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,000 Freedom of the press, yo. 185 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,000 Polyphonic Press. 186 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Well, my pick for an auditory antidepressant is the Lightning Seeds Cloud Cuckoo Land released in January 1990. 187 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:33,000 It's the debut album by what is basically, at least at the time, was a studio project of Ian Brody, born in 1964 in Liverpool, England. 188 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:37,000 He was a producer for bands like Echo and the Bunnymen in the fall. 189 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:42,000 He was a former member of post-punk bands, Big in Japan, Care, and Original Mirrors. 190 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,000 But he decided to put out his own music. 191 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 He wrote all of this, produced it, performed most of the instruments. 192 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:55,000 Actually, the Lightning Seeds name came from a mishearing, a line from Prince's Raspberry Beret. 193 00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:02,000 He says, you know, thunder drowns out what the lightning sees, but he thought it said hanging out with the lightning seeds. 194 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,000 Well, there we go. 195 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,000 Oh, Prince is going to hang out with you. 196 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,000 I guess I would name my band that too. 197 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:19,000 Well, here's a song called Pure. 198 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000 There's something about that. 199 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:30,000 I mean, it still kind of has like the sort of moody vibe that I like, but there's just kind of a more bright and optimistic sound to it. 200 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:36,000 Very dreamy, jangly guitars, you know, kind of fun little synth line. 201 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,000 I like the line, you know, don't sell the dreams you should be keeping. 202 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Anyway, so my clickbait headline for Cloud Cuckoo Land is moody, whimsical pop turns album nerds frown upside down. 203 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:55,000 Yeah, I mean, it's not groundbreaking or anything, but I don't know. 204 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,000 It's incredibly catchy. 205 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:07,000 I mean, the vocal delivery is not impressive, but I think the sort of the understated nature of it sort of illustrates how like good these hooks are. 206 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:13,000 I mean, I feel like you can sing along with all these songs, maybe because it is mostly just one guy. 207 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:16,000 It kind of has a more personal feel to it. 208 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:22,000 And I mean, you could tell he's a producer because I just feel like the album is very shiny and well put together. 209 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,000 Very well put together. 210 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:33,000 Yeah, I think the particular time in music often the production and the music was very disparate sounds and layers just for the sake of it. 211 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,000 And I think maybe the simplicity of the vocal delivery kind of helps balance all that out. 212 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,000 Yeah, that's a good point. 213 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,000 Yeah, you know, so Brody actually said that his project was meant to be inherently positive. 214 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:48,000 He said he said it's like a vitamin C tablet in his music. 215 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Yeah, a little sunshine. 216 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Well, here's a here's a track called Joy. 217 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:08,000 There are moments like vocally where he reminds me of George Michael a little bit and Pet Shop Boys. 218 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:09,000 Oh, yeah. 219 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,000 Yeah, that's probably what drew me in. 220 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,000 Yeah, I'm sure no one around here knew you're a fan of the Pet Shop Boys. 221 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:23,000 Yeah, so at its core, the song is about embracing happiness even in the face of struggles in life. 222 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:27,000 There's a sense of melancholy, but it's wrapped in uplifting melodies. 223 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,000 And that's the case for the whole album. 224 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:34,000 So there's it's kind of about this fleeting nature of joy, but it comes unexpectedly. 225 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:39,000 So just because it's gone now doesn't mean it's not going to come back for some other reason. 226 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:44,000 I really like that idea of remembering that the new joy is down the road. 227 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:50,000 And I think that's sometimes hard to remember when especially in the winter, you're trapped indoors 228 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:56,000 and just can't wait for sunshine and being around people more and all that stuff. 229 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,000 So, yeah, so my clickbait headline to describe the album, 230 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:05,000 What if a Pet Shop Boy ditched the club and made an album for melancholy dreamers instead? 231 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,000 That's Cloud Cuckoo Land. 232 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,000 Indeed. 233 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,000 Moody, but sane. 234 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Yeah. 235 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:15,000 It's a logical take on pain and sadness, like really kind of thinking it through on these songs. 236 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000 I like that. 237 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,000 It seems... 238 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,000 Logical. 239 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,000 Yeah. 240 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:26,000 I think using reason to deal with feeling sad can sometimes really help you work your way through the problem. 241 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,000 So it's a weird time in music though, right? 242 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,000 1990. 243 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,000 This doesn't fit to me sonically. 244 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,000 What do you guys think about that? 245 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,000 It has an 80s sound to it from my perspective, but it's also UK. 246 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,000 So it's a little different. 247 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:41,000 It's true. 248 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Dalen, you're probably more of the expert in this area. 249 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:45,000 Yeah. 250 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:49,000 It was right around the same time that The Laws, There She Goes came out. 251 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,000 So these are sort of the pre maybe Britpop things. 252 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000 Right. 253 00:19:54,000 --> 00:20:02,000 Yeah, this is a little more thoughtful, I guess, more introspective than some of the Britpop stuff to come, 254 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 at least on the surface, more introspective. 255 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,000 But one song that really caught my ear, Control the Flame, is a weird... 256 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,000 Yeah. 257 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Stands out for sure. 258 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:12,000 ...song. 259 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 It's really atmospheric and it's very hypnotic, but there's so many... 260 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:26,000 There's all these layered synths, but that mid to late 80s, sexy sax sound in there really threw me off, 261 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:32,000 especially when it's themes of passion and restraint and balance and self-control. 262 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,000 And the song just sounds totally out of control. 263 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,000 That's the one that actually kind of sounds like a band. 264 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Yes. 265 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000 It's the most live of all the songs, I would say. 266 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:43,000 Yeah. 267 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:44,000 All right. 268 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,000 Well, let's hear another one. 269 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:49,000 This is Love Explosion, originally titled Oh Face. 270 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,000 There we go. 271 00:20:51,000 --> 00:21:04,000 That one is very echo in the bunny, I don't know how familiar you guys are with them, 272 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,000 but that one really reminds me of them. 273 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Yeah. 274 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,000 This song does remind me a lot of other sounding music, but Pet Shop Boys definitely came to mind. 275 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,000 There's a little bit of Depeche Mode in some of these tracks here as well. 276 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,000 More bright and shiny than usual Depeche Mode, but that song there seems to be about 277 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000 kind of just the excitement of physical love. 278 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,000 And it does feel like an exciting song. 279 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000 It got me feeling energized and excited. 280 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,000 Your poor wife. 281 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:38,000 She's like, leave me alone. 282 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:45,000 My click head line for Cloud Cuckoo Land is Brody's Dream Pop debut definitely has its head in the clouds, 283 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,000 but I think that's mostly because there's so much hot air. 284 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,000 Ooh. 285 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000 I enjoyed this record. 286 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000 That's a little bit more harsh than my actual feelings here. 287 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:01,000 It felt maybe a little derivative, I guess, but maybe that's my harshest critique. 288 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,000 I did enjoy all the tracks. 289 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,000 I remember a lot of these being popular on some of the independent radio stations in the area 290 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,000 and enjoying them at that time and still enjoying them today. 291 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:17,000 I think the record as a whole does feel a little over engineered and maybe a little bit stiff, I would say. 292 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,000 Like when you play that Love Explosion. 293 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Yeah, how else are you going to get there? 294 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:30,000 No, or Control the Flame, I think another example of just much more lively tracks, 295 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,000 and some of these feel a little bit more restrained or pedestrian, I guess. 296 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:39,000 And that could be from some of that studio tinkering maybe if that was a big strength of his. 297 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,000 But yeah, I did enjoy it. 298 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,000 It did feel like Pet Shop Boys' light, I guess I would say. 299 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,000 It's like waking up after a really good sleep. 300 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,000 You had a good night's sleep. 301 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:55,000 You're still feeling dreamy headed, and this music captures that moment. 302 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:03,000 Even during a rough winter, one of the moments of happiness is when you wake up having a really good sleep, feeling well rested. 303 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,000 It's a foggy happiness or whatever. 304 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,000 It's before the day takes its toll. 305 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000 So you're not ready for a good night's sleep. 306 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:16,000 I should say that Brody has continued to record as the Lightning Seeds, 307 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,000 and he does introduce more of like a band element moving forward. 308 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,000 Cool. 309 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:29,000 Well, if you are in the winter doldrums, embrace the dreamy melodies and optimistic lyrics of the Lightning Seeds, Cloud Cuckoo Land from 1990. 310 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:33,000 Excuse me. 311 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,000 I'd like to ask you a few questions. 312 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:41,000 It's time again for Deep Questions by Don. 313 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,000 Well, we're talking about music that can make us feel better. 314 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,000 What other things make you feel better? 315 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,000 A couple of things come to mind for me. 316 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,000 We're fostering a little kitty cat right now. 317 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,000 She's super cute. 318 00:23:54,000 --> 00:24:00,000 Definitely a good idea if you're a little lonely in the wintertime, you know, a little furry companion. 319 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Maybe it's not a bad idea. 320 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,000 Or pick up a hitchhiker if you have a basement. 321 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,000 Yeah, a furry hitchhiker. 322 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,000 You gotta be able to pet him, I think is important. 323 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,000 The other thing I would mention is exercise. 324 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:21,000 I mean, I always can guarantee after exercising I will feel better than I wanted before I started. 325 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000 So, that's my go-to. 326 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000 I try to be pretty consistent with that. 327 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,000 It definitely helps keep me out of the doldrums. 328 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:29,000 But you did. 329 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,000 Yeah, the exercising for sure. 330 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,000 Wake up yoga, I do yoga right after I get up. 331 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:38,000 It's like having a cup of coffee before having my cup of coffee. 332 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:43,000 Besides this podcast, giving me great joy. 333 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,000 Just usual stuff, you know, like record cleaning. 334 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,000 Going through my record collection and cleaning them and listening to music while I do it. 335 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Record cleaning? 336 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:54,000 But cooking is one thing. 337 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Like a chunk of the week I take care of the main part of making dinner. 338 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:03,000 And I listen to music or listen to an audible book or whatever. 339 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:09,000 And it's just a nice kind of decompression from work and then shifting into the next part of the day. 340 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:14,000 So, yeah, record cleaning and cooking are the big ones for me. 341 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,000 Nice. 342 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,000 How about you, Don? 343 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 Well, I've gotten in the habit of kind of looking at the stars more at night. 344 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,000 I downloaded some app called Sky Guide. 345 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,000 And so it's, you just pointed your phone up at the sky and it'll tell you what star is what 346 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:33,000 and which piece of space garbage is orbiting at that moment. 347 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:41,000 But I mean, I think some people, like it sort of frightens them to look at the vast expanse of the universe. 348 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,000 But to me, it kind of gives me a sense of wonder and mystery. 349 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:50,000 And I like that and probably makes my problems feel smaller, I think. 350 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000 Plus, you're constantly on the hunt for the continuum transfunctioner. 351 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:56,000 That is not the continuum transfunctioner. 352 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000 Of course it is. 353 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000 Well, what do you do to feel better? 354 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:09,000 Let us know on Instagram and Facebook or leave a comment on our website, AlbumNerds.com. 355 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000 All right, it is my turn. 356 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,000 I went with Bon Jovi and their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. 357 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:23,000 Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in Servill, New Jersey, led by John Bon Jovi, of course. 358 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,000 Arena rock, pop sensibilities. 359 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:32,000 And of course, the lineup guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such, 360 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:38,000 and drummer Tico Torres, those big anthemic choruses, big hooks, relatable themes. 361 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:44,000 And they really put their stamp on things in 1986 with this album. 362 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,000 Why don't we jump in to Living on a Prayer? 363 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:59,000 So, Living on a Prayer is an anthem of perseverance and hope. 364 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,000 The story of Tommy and Gina, working class couple. 365 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:08,000 He seems to be maybe a musician since his sixth string is in hock. 366 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:14,000 And it's driven by that iconic talk box riff that Sambora does. 367 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:25,000 That song became a defining rock anthem of the 80s, but it's so uplifting and it's so celebratory sounding, 368 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:30,000 even though it's kind of about struggles of life, but love will bring you through and we can make it, 369 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:35,000 even if we don't make it in our dreams of careers, we're still together and that's all that really matters. 370 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,000 Give it a shot. 371 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,000 I've never seen Bon Jovi live, but I can just picture the arena just all going, 372 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,000 what? 373 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Going on like that. 374 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,000 Yeah. 375 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,000 Yeah. 376 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Yeah, that soaring chorus. 377 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,000 Yeah, just made for that. 378 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,000 Yeah, Bruce Fairburn, the producer, really helped them put together. 379 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,000 This is our third album and they didn't quite land like this did. 380 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:59,000 And he helped them put together that great mix of sing-along anthems 381 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:09,000 with some more intricate than usual lyrics at points, I'd say more Bruce Springsteen-y storytelling type things 382 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,000 than some of their contemporaries at the time. 383 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:16,000 I'm not talking, it's not comparing to Bruce Springsteen more compared to say like a poison or something. 384 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,000 Yeah, okay. 385 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,000 There was a little bit more bite to their lyrics. 386 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,000 Mike Clickbait headlined to describe Slippery When Wet. 387 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000 Combat cabin fever by transforming your living room into a hard rock heaven. 388 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,000 Crank up on Jovi's Slippery When Wet and rock out. 389 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,000 I know I did. 390 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:36,000 It's just a massive sounding album with lyrics about dreaming big, 391 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,000 surviving heartbreak, never giving up. 392 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,000 That kind of fits nice in the winter time. 393 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:48,000 Desmond Child co-writer on many of these songs later to co-write with bands like Aerosmith 394 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,000 and Bruce Fairburn, the producer, also produced Permanent Vacation by Aerosmith. 395 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:57,000 So this era of making these hard rock acts a little more living room friendly. 396 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:02,000 Why don't we jump into another landmark song, well known, a little grittier. 397 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,000 This one's called Wanted, Dead or Alive. 398 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:10,000 I'm a cowboy on the steel horse I ride. 399 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,000 I want it, want it. 400 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:17,000 This is the third single off of Slippery When Wet. 401 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:23,000 Kind of how John views himself as sort of like a cowboy kind of on the outskirts of society, 402 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 kind of love and hate it both at the same time. 403 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,000 I found a good quote here from him. 404 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Viewing himself as a young band of thieves riding to town, stealing the money, the girls and the booze 405 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,000 before the sun came up. 406 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:35,000 Group of bandits. 407 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,000 Kind of love it. 408 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000 I think that's, is that 12 string guitar? 409 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:40,000 Probably. 410 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:45,000 I mean, Richie Sambora at times on stage would have three necks on his guitar. 411 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:52,000 Like, I don't know if one was nylon strings and then the other, you know, then you had a six string and 12 string, 412 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,000 but like if you go watch the videos, there's so many. 413 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000 All strings. 414 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:58,000 So 80s. 415 00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Harp. 416 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,000 Yeah, I really, really enjoyed that song for my youth. 417 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:10,000 But also today I still, still just very catchy and anthemic and it is a little, a little badass, a little badass. 418 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:17,000 My clickbait headline for Slipper Ruin Wet is Danger, extremely catchy and accessible hair metal act incoming. 419 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,000 Warning. 420 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,000 Yeah, should be an alarm going off. 421 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,000 No, you know, I do enjoy this record. 422 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:35,000 I mean, it's a little poppy sounding in terms of the hair, you know, calling this hair metal is, it's a little hard to call metal, 423 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:42,000 but it has got that pop accessibility to it, which I think is probably why it was so popular and helps to when Bon Jovi is, 424 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,000 really the whole group is pretty good looking guys, you know, jumped around on stage. 425 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,000 I think guys had a pretty strong female following if I recall. 426 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:50,000 I'd rock them all. 427 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:51,000 Yeah. 428 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,000 Got that loaded six string on your back, you know, what else are you going to do? 429 00:30:54,000 --> 00:31:00,000 Yeah, millions of faces and he rocked them all. 430 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:05,000 I think you're right about the sort of pop sensibilities and somewhat goofiness at times, 431 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:09,000 like the opening track, Let It Rock is so Def Leppard-esque. 432 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:18,000 It's so of the time, like you got to have start off with a rock, you know, kind of anthem and say, hey, we're a rock band, everybody. 433 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,000 So buckle up. 434 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,000 Very on the nerves. 435 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:27,000 There are the ultimate ones like that where they don't really have a lot to say on this record, but you're having a lot of fun along the way. 436 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,000 I think that's why it's so uplifting and a lot of people love this. 437 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:34,000 You know, I was so popular and they're filling up huge stadiums. 438 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:42,000 What do you guys think about the big, at least for me, big swing and a miss, kind of like the spoiler between awesome songs, Social Disease, 439 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:52,000 with the 80s brass sounds at the beginning and then like cheesy lyrics about double Ds and stuff. 440 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,000 Yeah, it's definitely the cringiest track here. 441 00:31:54,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Sometimes they like with the album title and I know like what the original album cover was supposed to look like. 442 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:08,000 They don't feel like they're that band, though, you know, like like Motley Crue is the one that makes like really like dirty jokes and stuff. 443 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:11,000 And it's almost like they felt like they had to throw it in or something. 444 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,000 Well, I think that's what this album is. 445 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:19,000 In some ways, is it supposed to be like a casserole and amalgamation of all the hard rock things that were going on at the time. 446 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:26,000 And some of the songs were trying like a tasting menu of those of those sounds, you know, different styles. 447 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,000 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 448 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,000 I think they're at their best when they're when it's like the plight of the working man or something. 449 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:33,000 I think that's yeah. 450 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:42,000 And even like you give love a bad name where they kind of flip that whole love thing and turning heartbreak into celebration somehow. 451 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:47,000 You know, that was the first song I remember from this album and thinking it was super bad ass at the time. 452 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,000 I was a little kid, so didn't take much for me to be impressed. 453 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,000 But yeah, I love that song, too. 454 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:57,000 All right. Well, why don't we check out another song that's a little different, got a little different vibe to it. 455 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,000 This is the closing track, Wild in the Streets. 456 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:07,000 Remember all the boys looking how to take with the girl next door. 457 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,000 Yeah, yeah. 458 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:11,000 Yeah, of course, hailing from New Jersey. 459 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:17,000 You know, there's there's definitely a Springsteen vibe to a lot of this album. 460 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,000 And again, that that sort of working class grit that it has. 461 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:28,000 This one actually feels more like like John Cafferty, like that that version of the the Springsteen. 462 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,000 What the Georgia Satellites guy? 463 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:33,000 No, the Eddie and the Cruisers guy on the dark side. 464 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,000 Gotcha. 465 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:41,000 But yeah, you know, like a like a Springsteen song, it's that youth culture and rebellion in a small town setting. 466 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,000 And then he has some really good lines. 467 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And I like the sidewalk soldiers sing the midnight blues. 468 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:55,000 Well, I guess like in the early days for him, when he was a teenager, he would play those same clubs that Springsteen and those guys would. 469 00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:02,000 And so I'm imagining maybe some of those lines or things that people maybe they called each other sidewalk soldiers or something. 470 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,000 Because it sounds very Jersey to me. 471 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,000 Yeah. All right. 472 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:11,000 Well, my clickbait headline for Slippery When Wet is songwriting is like walking on a wet floor. 473 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:16,000 You can glide to greatness or you can slip on blue collar rock cliches. 474 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:24,000 So, I mean, you've got three anthems on this on this album and they're all great in their own way. 475 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,000 So, I mean, they've they do some great songwriting on this album. 476 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,000 And then, you know, other times that, you know, it just doesn't quite work. 477 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,000 So, I would say it's an uneven album. 478 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:36,000 But I've definitely warmed to this over the years. 479 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,000 I think back in the day, I was probably upset that Duran Duran wasn't dominating MTV anymore. 480 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:45,000 And it was this new breed of kind of hair metal acts. 481 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:50,000 But yeah, I mean, I think I like this album now. 482 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,000 I still don't I don't really love Bon Jovi as a singer. 483 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,000 I mean, he's not the only one that sounds constipated in this era. 484 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,000 But his version of it, I think, doesn't quite work for me. 485 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:07,000 But, you know, he definitely has a charisma and I guess a knack for a good line here and there. 486 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:12,000 Wow, that's pretty lukewarm from down there. 487 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:21,000 Yeah, actually, he was a little harder on it than you were, which I expected you to be the wet blanket on this party. 488 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,000 I do want to be in the crowd going, whoa. 489 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000 I want to be part of that scene. 490 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Yeah, I'd love to be on this tour. 491 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,000 I mean, it's probably pretty wild, getting wild in the streets. 492 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,000 Yeah, that's right. 493 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Don, you mentioned that album cover that originally was supposed to be like a lady in a ripped shirt, just her chest. 494 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:46,000 Apparently, the band didn't like it and they were trying to come up with something else. 495 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:54,000 So the story is that they just took a black hefty bag, sprayed a mist of water on it and wrote Slippery When Wet with his finger. 496 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Took a picture and that was the cover. 497 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:57,000 That's the story they tell. 498 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,000 That was like the makeshift slip and slide. 499 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,000 You just take garbage back. 500 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:08,000 A couple of other songs, I think, that are worthy of mentioning really quick. 501 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:16,000 Without Love, I think is a really nice love song, a little less hair metal, a little more straightforward rock. 502 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,000 Yeah. 503 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:30,000 And Never Say Goodbye, I think is kind of the big nostalgic ballad off of this one about the enduring nature of true connections that it's even if a relationship's over, there's still those connections and memories and things that never go away. 504 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,000 I think that one was a pretty big hit too. 505 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,000 It's got to be on the encore, I would imagine, right? 506 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:35,000 Oh, yeah. 507 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Never say goodbye. 508 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,000 All right. So yeah, Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet. 509 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,000 Awesome. Uplifting, hair lifting, rock and roll. 510 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,000 So if you're feeling a little down, pop that in and enjoy. 511 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,000 Can you dig it? 512 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,000 Can you dig it? 513 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Can you dig it? 514 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:01,000 All right. Well, we've been living on a high note all week. 515 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:02,000 I get it. 516 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,000 And living on a prayer too, right? 517 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:05,000 That's right. 518 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,000 But did you find time to dig anything else? 519 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,000 Yeah. Yeah, of course. 520 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:16,000 I did. I got a few things here in my little cloud up in cuckoo land here. 521 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:26,000 First one from me is singer-songwriter, UK dance artist, FKA Twigs. 522 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,000 She has a new album out. 523 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:29,000 First one in five years. 524 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,000 It's called, I think it's pronounced U-A-Sexua. 525 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,000 Not exactly sure. I think it's a new word. 526 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,000 U-Sexua. U-Sexua. Yeah, I don't know. 527 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:38,000 Yeah, let's play the title cut. 528 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,000 Maybe she'll say it for us. 529 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:47,000 Sounded like U-Sexua. 530 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,000 Is that like saying you sexy? 531 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,000 It's a British way of saying that apparently. 532 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,000 It's a very interesting record. 533 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:57,000 Lots of more dance-orientated moments, but some very quiet, ambient moments. 534 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Very sexy, much of female empowerment theme throughout. 535 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:06,000 All right. And then the last one for me is probably my favorite record of the year to date. 536 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,000 From group Rose City Band. 537 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:17,000 They have a new album out called Soul e Sombra, which I guess is a alcoholic breakfast drink served in Europe. 538 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Okay. 539 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:21,000 Let's play the opening cut, Lights on the Way. 540 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,000 Yeah, kind of sounds like a slowed down traveling Wilburys song. 541 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Yeah, totally. 542 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:39,000 Very mellow, groovy, kind of a psychedelic rocker, but there's more of a country angle to this one, I would say, than their previous album. 543 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:40,000 Really enjoying it. 544 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,000 I can't recommend those guys enough. 545 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,000 Probably the coolest kind of psychedelic rock I've heard in the last few years. 546 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:47,000 What you been digging on down? 547 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:51,000 Well, I found a band called Michigander. 548 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,000 And so they have a self-titled debut, of course, called Michigander. 549 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:06,000 So Michigander is formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2014, but they're just, I guess, finally getting around to putting out a full album. 550 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:08,000 It's actually kind of like the Lightning Seeds. 551 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:12,000 Seems like it's basically a solo project for this guy named Jason Singer. 552 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:14,000 So here's a track called I'll Be Okay. 553 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,000 Kind of sounds Lindsay Buckingham-ish there. 554 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:23,000 Yeah. 555 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:28,000 And kind of a sort of a god in the goth rock circles. 556 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,000 Peter Murphy is back with a new album called Silver Shade. 557 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:37,000 It doesn't come out until May 9th, but he has a track out with Trent Reznor. 558 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:38,000 It's called Swoon. 559 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Sounds kind of like when David Bowie was doing the industrial thing. 560 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:49,000 Yeah. 561 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:50,000 That's true. 562 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:51,000 That could be fun. 563 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:57,000 Yeah, so I mean, Peter Murphy, I mean, he's had solo success, but he's best known as the front man of the band Bow House. 564 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,000 How about you, dude? 565 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:00,000 All right. 566 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,000 So I stumbled upon an artist, Barty's Strange. 567 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,000 The album is Horror. 568 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:12,000 I saw a clip on YouTube or something where he's performing on Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy something, one of those guys. 569 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,000 This is his third studio album. 570 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:23,000 The album is co-produced with Jack Antonoff, delves into themes of fear and uncertainty, blending genres like indie rock rap and soul. 571 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,000 And it's pretty unique sounding. 572 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,000 Let's listen to a little bit of Bexik Vantan. 573 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,000 Still kind of trying to figure this one out. 574 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:37,000 Sounds interesting. 575 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:38,000 Yeah. 576 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:39,000 We'll see how I feel about it later on in the year. 577 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,000 But right now it's keeping my attention. 578 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:50,000 So all this searching for uplifting music and record cleaning, I went back through stuff that I haven't cleaned. 579 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:57,000 I'm now going through the A's of my collection and I happen to have this self-titled album by Asia from 1982. 580 00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:05,000 It marked the formation of a super group with members of King Crimson, Yes, The Buggles, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. 581 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:09,000 And it's this blend of progressive rock and mainstream pop. 582 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:12,000 So like short prog rock songs, kind of interesting. 583 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,000 But we all know this one, Heat of the Moment. 584 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:24,000 Asia may be best known for being a poster in the 40 year old Virgin on Andy's apartment. 585 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,000 Not this Andy. 586 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,000 You framed an Asia poster? 587 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,000 I had nothing to do with that. 588 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:38,000 But yeah, I mean, it's part of the fun of going through my collection is listening to some of these records that I might not listen to as often as others. 589 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:39,000 And I enjoyed it. 590 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,000 Can't wait till you get to Europe. 591 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:44,000 Well, what are you digging? 592 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:45,000 Let us know. 593 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,000 Join us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram and threads. 594 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,000 Also on our website, albumnerds.com. 595 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:57,000 It will be a discovery of extraordinary value. 596 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,000 Well, it's about that time on the show. 597 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Never mind of the great American singer and songwriter, Willie Nelson. 598 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:07,000 He is great. 599 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:14,000 Willie once said, Willie said, once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results. 600 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,000 Sure he wasn't talking about drug tests. 601 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:20,000 That part too. 602 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:21,000 All right. 603 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:26,000 With that in mind, let's bring out my friend and yours, Wadbot, to see what we're talking about on next week's episode. 604 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:36,000 When country meets pop, magic can happen. 605 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:40,000 Next time, you will be exploring country crossover successes. 606 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:46,000 Albums and artists that broke genre barriers, topped the charts and brought a little twang to the mainstream. 607 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,000 So country crossover success. 608 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:52,000 Some twangy fool finding their way onto the pop charts. 609 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:53,000 I love it. 610 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,000 There's some really good options here, I think, guys. 611 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:56,000 I'm excited to see where we land. 612 00:42:56,000 --> 00:43:00,000 Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart. 613 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,000 No, no. 614 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,000 I don't know if that's going to be one of them, but we'll see. 615 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:07,000 All right, well, what's your favorite country crossover album? 616 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:08,000 What else are you listening to? 617 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:11,000 Email us at podcast at albumnerds.com. 618 00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:15,000 Also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, threads and bluesky at albumnerds. 619 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:23,000 Please visit albumnerds.com to suggest topics for the show, peruse the Hall of Fame and listen to all 279 episodes. 620 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,000 And the best way to support this show is to share it. 621 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,000 Please subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast app. 622 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:29,000 Tell your friends. 623 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,000 Thank you for joining us once again on the Album Nerds podcast. 624 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,000 We'll catch you next time, crossing over to the other side. 625 00:43:35,000 --> 00:43:36,000 Thanks for listening, everybody. 626 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:37,000 Catch you next week. 627 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,000 I'm a cowboy. 628 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:40,000 I knew it. 629 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:41,000 We've done this before. 630 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,000 On a steel horse I ride. 631 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:47,000 Yeah, but people really liked it and they wanted to hear it again. 632 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:48,000 Oh, yeah. 633 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:49,000 The encore was serious. 634 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:51,000 I'm wanted, wanted. 635 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,000 General of my heart. 636 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:54,000 You're welcome. 637 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:57,000 Yeah, you see Don coming with that sixth string. 638 00:43:57,000 --> 00:43:59,000 He walked the other side of the street. 639 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:03,000 Yeah, he carries around a karaoke machine on his back.