Love That Album

The early years of rock and roll are remembered (among many other artists) for the hip thrusts of Elvis, the guitar styles and lyricism of Chuck Berry, the song craft of Buddy Holly, the vocal blend of The Platters and the extroversion of Little Richard. Doo wop, rockabilly, rhythm and blues were getting kids excited (and their parents despondent) about popular music. One pair of brothers had joined the rock and roll fray, but saw themselves more as country artists....and despite their youth were already music industry veterans.

Welcome to episode 197 of Love That Album.

Don and Phil Everly had been part of their parents' radio shows since they were very young kids. They would do two shows a day – one before heading off to school – and got to be seriously good at vocal harmony blends. Much is made of natural sibling harmonies, but the Everlys just had a very long time to work on them before recording their first sides for Cadence Records. Success came, the 60s came, they got a million dollar contract to record for Warner Brothers, and.....their early adulation disappeared. It could have been the time they went away to join the marines that made their fans move onto the next thing. It could have been that the legal issues with their manager that prevented them from using the best songwriters for them in Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. It could just be that music progressed and stylistically, they didn't. Musical pioneers of the 50s,more often than not, didn't maintain their star power in the next decade.

By the mid 60s the brothers made some stylistic acquiescence to the music of the day – a couple of good albums didn't see a return to their popular days at Cadence. In 1968, Warners staff producer (and huge Everlys fan) Lenny Waronker produced their final studio LP for the label, Roots. It features a mix of songs that straddle the old and the new. It has country, it has a little psychedelia, it has a healthy respect for songcraft and arrangement. There's the famous Everly harmony blend, of course, but they also sing as individuals. It's a wonderful album that deserves to have the reputation of The Flying Burrito Brothers' “Gilded Palace of Sin” or The Byrds' “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” - not least because those bands (amongst so many of the British invasion) were huge Everlys fans.

I've assembled an all star line-up for this episode of LTA. I'm rejoined by show regular (and Bondi Cigar head honcho), Shane Pacey. Also stepping up to the mic are Brett Vargo (one half of the Only Three Lads' podcast – think about that) and my twin brother Farmer John (host of Vinyl Relics podcast). All three of these gents are eloquent and wise in this discussion about the wider career of The Everly Brothers, and the ideas behind the creation of Roots. This is not an echo chamber – we have some strong disagreements about the work of the Everlys, but in keeping with 21st century internet culture, we bully the unpopular opinions into submission. I truly loved recording this episode and hope to welcome this combination of gents back to the show in the new year.

Tune in, turn on and stop by the Vinyl Relics podcast with Farmer John and Uncle Herff for all the best under-the-radar 60s and 70s music discussion going – really, VR is more of an audio documentary. Tune in and get educated.

“Baby Boy” Brett is joined by his wonderful co-host Uncle Gregg every week to speak to musicians not only about their own work, but about the music they love. Their focus is the “classic” era of alternative music (70s to 90s) but they go all over the place. Third lads have included Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey of the dB's, Lisa Kekaula and Bob Vennum of The Bellrays, and tons of other incredible musicians – all doing lists of their favourites pertaining to the week's topic.

VR and O3L are part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

If you haven't tuned into episode 194 of LTA yet, download and hear Shane talk about his brilliant album of this year “Cross Of The Heart”, then get a hold of the album at https://shanepacey1.bandcamp.com/album/cross-of-the-heart

It's worth mentioning that I'm now 3 episodes away from episode 200....it will be the traditional favourite musical discoveries. Feel free to write in with your selections....

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 years ago, I was rapt to welcome one of the greatest working
songwriters in Australia to the podcast, Don Walker. Mostly known for
his songwriting and piano playing for Cold Chisel, he's also done two
albums under the Catfish moniker, been a member of supergroup Tex,
Don & Charlie, and made great albums in his own name supported by
his live band The Suave Fucks. What could be better?

I could get him for a return conversation....

Welcome to episode 196 of Love That Album.

Don has just released a new LP called Love Songs. You may think of Don as the guy who writes songs like Harry Was a Bad Bugger or The Year That He Was Cool which look at life's dark side. The fact is he's always
written love songs, and the new LP is a collection of them....just
through Don's lens of vision. We discuss the new album obviously, but
we go into many other topics.....the longevity of art, Paul Kelly,
salsa music and Cold Chisel's drummer Steve Prestwich's musical
expertise in a way I was not expecting. Tune in folks......I'm
absolutely ecstatic to have had the opportunity to have spoken with a
songwriting hero for a second time.

Love Songs is out now where you get your music. If you're in Australia,
catch Don on his national tour. Look at https://www.donwalker.com.au/live/ for more details.

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on
whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know
that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your
adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows
at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3
voicemail) or join the Facebook group
at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I try to plan my podcasts in such a way that it looks like I know what
I'm doing. This is one such episode that may give you pause for
thought....

I'd made a list of albums I wanted to discuss this year. Since that list
was written on a scrappy piece of paper and not in a spreadsheet
saved on my laptop....well you can guess what happened to it. The I
decided to just wing it with an episode of three short form ramblings
about albums I wasn't sure I could spend a whole episode on. One
recorded segment in, I decided on a new album I wanted to discuss
with a partner and talk long form. So, common sense would say, do one
or the other....I don't have common sense.

Welcome to episode 195 of Love That Album.

I devote the first part of the show to an incredible album I only
discovered in January of this year. It's a 2011 release on the great
New Zealand label, Flying Nun from a composer and musician new to me called Grayson Gilmour. The album is called No Constellation, and
it's a revelation. Gilmour is not only a brilliant composer, but
listening to this and subsequent albums, he's an incredible arranger.
How do I describe this album in a few words? It's as if Brian Wilson
circa Smile had written math rock. Makes sense? Of course not....but
I do my best to put the music in context and convince you that you
need this LP in your life.

In the second part of the show, I am joined once again by music
journalist Jeff Jenkins to discuss the new compilation on the
recently revived Popboomerang label, Shake Yer Popboomerang 4. The
label was started a quarter of a century ago (!!!) by Melbourne pop
obsessive Scott Thurling. He's been a champion of the local pop scene
and has released over a hundred albums by great Australian pop bands.
He's released many fine albums, but his compilations in particular
are amazing. He's got a knack for convincing bands to provide him
(mostly) with unreleased cuts. We're not talking bottom of the barrel
– he always gets top notch songs – then he curates them into
collections that flow really well, despite many of the acts being
quite diverse. Scott doesn't always feel comfortable behind the mic
(although I did coax him for an earlier episode of LTA), but Jeff
being a fellow Popboomerang fan was very keen to join me in
discussing this latest collection as well as a history of the label.

There is a common link between the two albums. I love 'em both, and they're both on important independent labels. Have at it.

The New Zealand music website I mention in the show and highly recommend is Audioculture.co.nz.

My huge thanks to JJ for his great conversation and enthusiasm. We'll
hear from him again at the year end favourites episode.

You can find either of these great albums on Bandcamp.

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on
whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know
that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your
adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at
http://pantheonpodcasts.com

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3
voicemail) or join the Facebook group at
http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LTA episodes are not usually filled with stories of soldiers suffering
PTSD while on R&R, working women who have to leave their children
late at night, mobsters who were guilty of violent crimes, strip
clubs, police corruption or the gentrification of Kings Cross…..but
here we go….



Welcome to episode 194 of Love That Album Podcast.



Over the course of the second half of the show’s life, my most frequent
guest has been guitarist Shane Pacey. He’s the singer, songwriter
and axe-slinger for The Bondi Cigars and The Shane Pacey Trio. He’s
also a big music nerd who listens to a wide variety of albums, and
I’ve been privileged to have him come on to the podcast to discuss
with me some of his favourite records. The weird thing is that until now, we’ve not devoted that much time to his own creative work. I knew that had to change.



In February of this year, Shane released his second solo album titled
“Cross Of The Heart”. In a world where concept albums stretch to
Tolkien or Asimov themes or nightmares or the 7 Deadly sins, I was
taken aback when I discovered that Shane was pursuing tales of Kings
Cross in Sydney. Before even listening, I knew that it would be a
rich subject to mine. There are stories I knew of, but many I didn’t
– be prepared folks, you’re going to get a fascinating history
lesson. I’ve started reading Louis Nowra’s book “Kings Cross: A
Biography” to get a greater appreciation of the history of this
infamous district. Of course, Shane being a great melodicist writes
some wonderful tunes, but it’s the stories and lyrics that are on
show here (co written with Shane’s partner Holly Campbell – she
does a terrific job).



Kings Cross has often been infamous for its crime, but as we discuss, it
was also home to bohemians and artists. It’s not just about the
stuff that made the newspaper headlines. There are many personal
stories told here, and it all works beautifully. Shane and Holly’s
ability to write stories brings everything to life. The SP3 drummer,
adds some spice on percussion, but otherwise every instrument and
vocal is played by Shane. It’s an album I recommend highly. It was
great to have Shane talk about his own music for a change.



The album is only available digitally. Search it out on Bandcamp
at https://shanepacey1.bandcamp.com/album/cross-of-the-heart

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on
whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know
that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your
adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows
at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3
voicemail) or join the Facebook group
at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are very few artists who can claim popularity in one decade, then
claim it all over again with a new band or approach to music. In
Australia in the 1970s, Joe Camilleri was a huge draw with his band
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons. They created a blend of R&B and reggae
that worked well, and were a big draw in Australian pubs and concert
venues. After the demise of the Falcons, Camilleri started a new band
called The Black Sorrows that started life as a Zydeco outfit, then
evolved into a blend of Americana, soul and a touch of Van Morrison
inspired songs.

…..this episode isn't about Joe Camilleri.....

Welcome to Episode 193 of Love That Album.

The drummer for most of The Black Sorrows' first era was Peter “Lucky”
Luscombe. He's known as the songwriter's drummer, because rather than trying to show off his chops, he always thinks, “How can I make
this song sound great?” He's worked for decades as both a band
member and as a session musician. Nowadays, he's most known for
playing in Paul Kelly's band (3 decades and counting) and as the
longest member of the Rockwiz Orkestra. If you hear his playing, you
KNOW it's Lucky. He's also played for Stephen Cummings, Chris
Wilson's band of the 90s post Crown Of Thorns, and Rebecca's Empire.

I was thrilled to have one of my drumming heroes on the show as we
discuss his career, how he approaches a drum part, what he loves
about great songwriting, why Australian session musicians are behind
the rest of the world in terms of remuneration for their work, why
The Meters and Tower of Power are hugely important.....and much more.

My thanks to Lucky for joining me on the show, and to Brian Nankervis
for encouraging me to reach out to him for a chat.

If you enjoy the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on
whatever podcast platform you listen on and let your friends know
that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your
adversaries to tune in. I don't care who listens.....

Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows
at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3
voicemail) or join the Facebook group
at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum

You can download the show by searching for Love That Album on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices