You, Me and An Album – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Grammy Award-winning producer, engineer, synthesizer programmer, studio owner, film producer and author Robert Margouleff stops by YMAAA to introduce Al to David Sanborn’s 1982 album As We Speak—an album that he produced. Robert talks about how he came to produce the saxophonist’s album and why the album had the novelty of two tracks with vocals by Michael Sembello. Robert and Al covered a wide range of topics, from how drum machines changed the nature of recorded music from the ‘80s forward to the demise of fade-outs to the drawbacks of noise-canceling headphones to the use of AI in music. Robert also discussed his recently-released memoir Shaping Sounds: Stevie Wonder, DEVO, The Synth Revolution and My Life Behind the Music, and he delved into his work with Stevie Wonder (along with his production and engineering partner Malcolm Cecil) during the early- and mid-‘70s.

Robert’s website (which links to sites where you can buy his book) and socials:

https://www.margouleff.com/

Instagram: @robertmargouleff

Facebook: @robert_margouleff

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 

To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.

Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:41 Robert’s introduction

3:05 Robert talks about the archive of songs that provided tracks for Stevie Wonder’s albums from Music of My Mind to Fulfillingness’ First Finale

6:08 Robert delves into his first foray into digital recording for As We Speak

8:37 Robert points out the novelty of having tracks with vocals on a David Sanborn album

10:13 Robert and Al talk about some of the unquestioned conventions of album-making

12:31 Robert makes the case against noise-canceling headphones (and for cursive handwriting)

15:28 Robert mourns the loss of rubato and “objective listening” in recorded music

19:07 Robert explains why he wanted to record As We Speak as live as possible

20:19 Robert talks about how he came to produce As We Speak

22:48 Robert recalls the recording process for the album

27:08 Robert and Al talk about Michael Sembello’s contributions to As We Speak and why the album didn’t break him out

31:31 Robert talks about the impact of cocaine and drum machines on ‘80s music (plus an aside on crating dogs)

38:13 Robert pinpoints what makes Taylor Swift’s live performances powerful

39:18 Robert explains why he does not fear the use of AI in music

46:03 Robert shares his final thoughts on As We Speak and some observations about recording drums and percussion

51:55 Al sums up his reaction to listening to As We Speak

52:41 Robert explains why Music of My Mind has a joyous, human feel

1:01:16 Al cites one part of Robert’s book that made a big impression on him

Outro music is from “Boogie On Reggae Woman” by Stevie Wonder.

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Seattle-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Robert Deeble joins Al to get him acquainted with Florist’s 2022 self-titled album. Robert talks about how he got introduced to the album and why he connected with it almost immediately. He also discusses the parallels between the album and some of his own music. Al notes some connections between Florist and Robert’s latest album The Space Between Us, and Robert talks about inspirations and meanings of two of the album’s tracks, “Forest From the Tree” and “Not on Your Team.”

As Robert mentioned, you can check out his music and learn more about his work on his website, robertdeeble.com, and on his Bandcamp page, robertdeeble.bandcamp.com. You can also follow Robert on Instagram at @rdeeble.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 

To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.

Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum.

1:32 Robert’s introduction

2:16 Florist are nearly as new to Robert as they are to Al

4:59 Robert talks about some of the artists who have been influential to his music

7:07 Robert revisits his first impressions of the album

10:12 Robert shares his appreciation for music appreciators

11:51 Al found the album’s pacing and sequencing interesting

15:35 Robert talks about connections he’s discovered between his album’s and Florist’s

20:38 One similarity between Robert’s music and Florist’s was particularly notable

26:34 Robert explains what he likes about Florist’s sound and approach

29:05 Robert talks about Emily Sprague as a lyricist

31:15 Robert and Al discuss the healing quality of Florist

36:39 Robert talks about the album’s dreamlike quality

38:06 Al picks out the one track that stood out for him

40:00 Robert makes note of Sprague’s affinity for synths

43:12 Robert and Al sum up their reactions to Florist

44:15 Robert talks about the origins of his song “Forest From the Tree”

47:42 Robert reveals the conceptual layers of “Not on Your Team”

57:50 Robert talks about his upcoming plans

Outro music is from “Orphan Song” by Robert Deeble.

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Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, TV and film composer, radio show host and podcaster Ben Vaughn drops by to introduce Al to Alex Chilton’s 1979 debut solo album Like Flies on Sherbert. Ben talks about the negative impression he got the first time he was exposed to Chilton, when he appeared on a local 1960s television show in Philadelphia, and how he eventually became a fan, friend and collaborator of Chilton’s. He explains why he thinks Like Flies on Sherbert is Chilton’s best album, digging into several of the album’s tracks and discussing the circumstances under which the album was recorded. Ben also talks about his recently-launched podcast Straight From The Hat, as well as his upcoming album with Deer Tick.

Follow Ben on Instagram! He’s at @benvaughnmusic.

You can also learn more about Ben and his work on his website https://benvaughn.org/.

Ben also mentioned that Straight From The Hat has a website. Check out episodes and the extra goodies that Ben talked about at straightfromthehat.com.

Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io. 

The first eight episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going.

To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum.

1:48 Ben’s introduction

3:00 Ben revisits his earliest memories of Chilton

6:59 Ben shares the story of how he got introduced to Big Star

9:27 Ben explains how he first heard Like Flies on Sherbert

14:43 Ben talks about the circumstances under which Like Flies on Sherbert was made, as he learned from Chilton himself

18:09 Ben discusses the eclecticism of the album

21:06 Al talks about the album’s different versions

23:33 Al shares his reaction to the album

25:17 Ben talks about the musicians who played on Like Flies on Sherbert and the challenges they must have faced

27:48 Ben discusses the mysterious quality of the title track

30:10 Ben and Al talk about how the album feels unfinished

32:10 Ben explains why he thinks the album resonated with him

33:38 Ben talks about how he became friends with Chilton and how he and Chilton wound up working with Alan Vega

43:12 Chilton’s music used to be hard to find

49:53 Ben discusses the origins of his new podcast Straight From The Hat

57:21 Ben shares news of an upcoming release with Deer Tick

Outro music is from “Magdalena ’94 (live)” by Ben Vaughn.

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Former Genesis lead guitarist, prolific solo artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Hackett joins Al — an ardent Genesis fan — to discuss his just-released live album, Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights (Live In Brighton). Steve talks about his setlist choices for this album, how the songs differ from their original studio versions, which period of Genesis he thinks was the best and his upcoming studio album and tour plans.

Just about everything Steve Hackett-related can be found on his website, hackettsongs.com.

Also, be sure to follow Steve on Twitter/X and Instagram!

Twitter/X: @HackettOfficial

IG: @stevehackettofficial

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:12 Steve joins the show

2:14 Steve talks about next year’s Lamb Highlights tour and upcoming studio album

6:43 Steve explains the setlist choices for his new live album

9:34 Steve remembers back to Genesis’ Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour

10:53 Steve discusses the importance of playing live versions that are different from the studio originals

14:40 Steve reveals how new versions of his songs typically get created

16:29 Steve talks about his band’s rhythm section

18:30 Steve discusses his band’s English-American-Swedish connection

21:06 Steve explains why Genesis gave up on playing “Can-Utility and the Coastliners” live

23:18 Steve thinks Genesis’ best work was still to come after Foxtrot

26:23 Which part of Foxtrot has Steve’s band improved upon the most?

28:23 Steve recommends an album that he loves

Outro is from Steve Hackett, “Watcher of the Skies (live).”

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Indie rock icon Juliana Hatfield pays YMAAA a visit to talk about the soundtrack album for the 1980 musical motion picture, Xanadu, which features Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra. Juliana talks about being a fan of both artists growing up, her Olivia Newton-John covers album and her upcoming ELO covers album and the difficulties involved in covering other artists’ songs in general.

Juliana made a reference to the How Did This Get Made? podcast. If you want to check it out, you can find it here: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/

Al mentioned an interview with Fee Waybill that he had read in which he discusses The Tubes’ involvement in Xanadu. Here’s the link: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-tubes-fee-waybill-recalls-bonkers-xanadu-scene-214128554.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Here are links to the videos for “Dancin’” that Al mentioned.

Clip of the scene from Xanadu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9GdyGD5e4

Olivia Newton-John and Tubes video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WckwVPVnLyM

Juliana is on Instagram at @julianahatfield.

Also, check out her website, https://www.julianahatfield.com/…

…and her Substack: https://julianahatfield.substack.com/.

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:19 Juliana joins the show

1:36 Juliana’s album choice is the perfect one for her

2:34 Juliana chose the Xanadu soundtrack for a variety of reasons

6:02 John Farrar’s songwriting was important to this album

8:29 Juliana faced some challenges when trying to cover “Suddenly”

14:57 Why didn’t Juliana include a cover of “I’m Alive” on her new ELO covers album?

17:59 Juliana didn’t become familiar with ELO’s deeper cuts until recently

23:18 Al was fascinated by “Dancin’”

30:10 Gene Kelly makes an appearance on the soundtrack

31:16 Juliana didn’t care about Xanadu being perceived as uncool

33:31 Al talks about what he likes about Juliana’s cover of “Magic”

35:50 Juliana and Al get into a discussion of Weezer’s covers

38:22 Juliana explains why she wanted to make an ELO covers album

41:25 Artists borrowing from other artists doesn’t bother Juliana

46:41 Juliana learned a lesson from covering “Don’t Bring Me Down”

50:27 Covering ELO had its own specific challenges

54:26 Did Juliana intend to record a series of covers albums?

Outro is from “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head” by Juliana Hatfield.

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Vocalist and guitarist Maura Weaver (Mixtapes, Ogikubo Station) joins Al to introduce him to Elliott Smith’s self-titled album. Maura talks about how she got introduced to Elliott Smith’s music, why this album holds a special place for her and how it has helped to shape her own work. She also talks specifically about the throughlines between this Elliott Smith album and her just-released solo debut, I Was Due For A Heartbreak.

Be sure to keep up with Maura and her work!

@mauraweaver on Instagram and Threads

@everreadyy on Twitter/X

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:12 Maura joins the show

2:08 Al explains why he was glad that Maura chose this album

3:18 Maura talks about the first songs that got her into Elliott Smith

6:38 Maura gives one reason for why this album is special to her

8:08 Al starts to talk about his first reaction to Elliott Smith

9:18 Did it take time for Maura to get used to the sound of Smith’s music?

13:50 Maura discusses the elements of Elliott Smith that are poppy

19:12 Al expands on his experience with the album

23:03 Covers are the gateway to Elliott Smith’s music for some people

26:21 Maura explains what she loves about Smith’s guitar-playing style

28:49 Maura mentions some of Smith’s songs that she sometimes plays

30:51 Maura put her love of indie folk to the side with Mixtapes

33:53 Maura is an Elliott Smith power listener

36:25 Drug addiction is a major theme on Elliott Smith…or is it?

39:38 Al pinpoints what made Elliott Smith hard to access at first

43:24 Maura talks about some ways in which she relates to Smith’s music

48:45 Maura and Al discuss some of the album’s lyrics

52:37 Maura elaborates on how Smith influenced I Was Due For A Heartbreak

55:45 Could Maura draw inspiration from a bee sting?

57:06 Maura cites another example of Smith’s influence on her lyrics

59:53 Good lyrics are important to Maura

1:01:43 Which band is a guilty pleasure for Maura?

1:03:46 Maura talks about the changes in her singing style

1:09:20 Maura discusses her upcoming performances

Outro is from “As If Your Love” by Maura Weaver.

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This week’s episode isn’t about an album, but rather about a particular artist’s legacy. Author and professor Megan Mayhew Bergman makes her return to YMAAA (she had been the show’s guest on Ep 93) to make the case for reexamining the career of Kenny Loggins. Megan also argues that Loggins’ musical career has been marked by audacious decisions, including choices made regarding his arrangements, lyrics, collaborations and music videos. She and Al explore the theme of audacity through a discussion of several of Loggins’ better-known songs that span the various eras of his career.

Al made note of Megan’s recent piece in The Atlantic on this summer’s flooding in Vermont. You can read it here (subscription required): https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/07/climate-change-safe-states-vermont-floods/674780/

1:14 Megan joins the show

1:24 Why are Megan and Al talking about Kenny Loggins?

2:27 Megan and Al put their Kenny Loggins game faces on for this episode

3:47 Megan recounts the moment when she realized Loggins needed a deeper examination

Song-by-song analysis

6:31 Danny’s Song

9:38 Whenever I Call You “Friend”

13:15 Was Loggins a trend-setter or trend-follower?

17:16 Celebrate Me Home

22:34 This Is It/What A Fool Believes, and a discussion of “yacht rock” and “blue-eyed soul”

31:06 I’m Alright

34:26 Don’t Fight It

35:47 Heart to Heart

38:16 Megan reveals another aspect of Kenny Loggins’ audacity

40:54 Footloose/I’m Free

42:41 Danger Zone

49:07 Meet Me Half Way

52:17 Conviction of the Heart

54:16 We’ve lost track of how much of pop music’s foundation Loggins is responsible for

59:04 Megan updates us on her latest projects

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This episode marks a YMAAA first, as it focuses on a band rather than an album. Al talks to each member of the Washington, DC-based alternative rock band Ex Hex — Mary Timony, Betsy Wright and Laura Harris — about the  group's two albums and upcoming live dates. The interview with Timony is an excerpt from an upcoming episode, while the interview with Wright is an excerpt from Ep. 44. Al’s discussion with Harris is a standalone interview (though she will also be on a new episode soon).

Get information on Ex Hex’s live shows and more on Instagram at @exhexband and on their website, https://exhexband.com/shows!

More social media for Ex Hex and its members…

Ex Hex:

@exhexband on Twitter/X

Mary Timony:

@MaryT_Money on Twitter/X

@marytimony on Instagram

Betsy Wright

@betsybooots on Instagram

Laura Harris

@heylisaharris on Instagram

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:18 Al explains why he’s doing a You, Me and a Band episode

2:51 Introducing the members of Ex Hex

Mary Timony interview excerpt

4:11 Mary explains why Ex Hex is playing shows again

6:51 When did Mary first get the idea to form Ex Hex?

9:10 Mary challenged herself to craft catchy pop songs

11:09 Does Mary prefer one Ex Hex album over the other?

Laura Harris interview

13:16 Ex Hex recently played a “warmup” show

17:45 Laura talks about how she joined Ex Hex

21:53 Laura compares the two Ex Hex albums

28:16 Which bands have influenced Ex Hex’s sound?

35:42 Laura’s playing style has varied with different bands she’s been in

39:59 Which Ex Hex songs are Laura’s favorites to play?

Betsy Wright interview excerpt

44:57 Betsy talks about how Ex Hex’s songwriting process evolved

48:02 Betsy compares Rips with It’s Real

50:50 Betsy clears up a misheard lyric for Al

52:52 Al wraps things up

Outro is from “Want It To Be True” by Ex Hex.

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The Atlanta-based country music duo The Waymores makes a return appearance on YMAAA, and this time, Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise introduce Al to Willie Nelson’s 1975 breakthrough album, Red Headed Stranger. Willie and Kira talk about the album’s importance to them musically and personally, the concept behind the album and the aspects of the performance and production that they particularly enjoy. They also discuss their just-released album, Greener Pastures, which was produced by the legendary Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks).

Be sure to give The Waymores a follow!

@thewaymores on Instagram and Threads

@TWaymores on Twitter/X

Website: thewaymores.com

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:21 Kira and Willie join the show

2:45 Kira has had to overcome some health challenges recently

9:31 Willie and Kira talk about the things that make Red Headed Stranger special

13:57 This album was the first one for which Willie Nelson had complete artistic control

16:56 Al learned a lot about Willie Nelson’s life and career in preparing for the episode

19:20 Willie cites a Willie Nelson cover he actually doesn’t like

21:12 Why was Red Headed Stranger such a big hit?

27:03 Willie, Kira and Al discuss how reprises enhance the storytelling

31:22 Does the story’s action move fast or slow?

33:25 Red Headed Stranger opened Willie up to concept albums (TW // reference to suicide)

39:00 Kira and Willie appreciate Willie Nelson’s choice of covers for the album

42:44 Al found the album surprisingly relaxing

44:49 Kira and Willie talk about working with Shel Talmy on their new album

53:00 Kira and Willie highlight some of the things they did differently for Greener Pastures

1:02:51 One track was particularly tough for Willie to record

1:05:50 Kira and Willie discuss their tour plans

Outro is from “But I Don’t” by The Waymores.

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Drummer Laura King (Superchunk, Bat Fangs, R. Ring, Speed Stick) talks about her love for the album that kickstarted The Bangles’ run of ‘80s hits, All Over The Place. Laura recounts the event that started her childhood obsession with The Bangles, breaks down what makes the album special and shares her thoughts on the band’s more successful albums. She also provides updates on the many bands she plays with.

As Laura and Al mentioned, R. Ring released a new video for “Cartoon Heart/Build Me a Question” just hours before their conversation. It’s great! Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG1RGmkPdBo

They also discussed the really cool video for R. Ring’s "Def Sup." Watch it here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFJidJAO14

It’s also worth your time to check out the video of Speed Stick performing at the North Carolina Museum of Art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_gpKgwyzfc

Find Laura and her music online!

@lkbroiler on Instagram

speedstickband.com

Superchunk tour dates: https://www.mergerecords.com/tour

Al is on Twitter/X at @almelchiorBB and on Bluesky at @almelchior.bsky.social. This show has accounts on Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram at @youmealbum. Be sure to follow @youmealbum to find out in advance about upcoming guests and featured albums for this podcast.

Subscribe for free to You, Me and An Album: The Newsletter and participate in weekly chats about this podcast’s featured albums! https://youmealbum.substack.com/

1:07 Laura joins the show

1:11 Laura talks about discovering The Bangles during her childhood

3:44 Laura remembers back to the first instruments she had

6:51 Laura’s Bangles obsession actually started with Different Light

8:40 Laura explains why she wanted to discuss All Over the Place

9:30 Al forgot a lot of things he previously knew about this album

12:19 Laura talks about the elements of the album that make it special

15:24 Laura highlights some of her favorite parts of the album, including the cover art

18:42 Laura and Al talk about the cover songs on the album

25:09 Did commercial success spell the end of The Bangles?

26:48 Al rants against rants about new music

28:51 Laura talks about some of the music she plays while working at a bar

31:53 Al developed an opinion about the attention Susanna Hoffs received

35:12 Laura defends the Bangles’ post-All Over The Place direction

38:19 Laura summarizes her feelings about the album

39:04 Laura talks about the upcoming Superchunk tour

41:06 Updates on Bat Fangs, R. Ring

43:19 Laura talks about collaborating with Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery on “Def Sup”

47:02 Laura is in a band where she plays bass

48:00 Laura discusses the last Speed Stick album and possibly the next one

51:28 Al asks Laura about her sharing a kick drum in Speed Stick

Outro is from “Online Tangle = HiSSS” by Speed Stick.

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