Discord and Rhyme: An Album Podcast

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119: The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager (1981) Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

It’s time to follow the Moody Blues into the 1980s. After a long hiatus and a disappointing comeback album, the Moodies reconvened with a new keyboard player and a new producer to start a new decade in their long career. Music production styles had changed quite a lot since their classic period in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and the new personnel came with a new aesthetic that sounds quite different from the Moody Blues music we’re all used to. However, if you can forgive Patrick Moraz for not being Mike Pinder, and Pip Williams for not being Tony Clarke, and the ‘80s for not being the ‘70s, you’ll find that there is some fantastic music to be found on Long Distance Voyager. And there is also “Veteran Cosmic Rocker.”
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/119-the-moody-blues-long-distance-voyager-1981
Merch store: https://www.teepublic.com/user/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

118: Neil Young - After the Gold Rush (1970) May 23, 2023

Show notes

By the time he recorded his third solo album, After the Gold Rush, Neil Young had already been part of successful records by the Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and his second album had hit the top 40. As great as that music had been, though, Neil hadn't yet reached his peak - at least according to Ben. Ben explains why After the Gold Rush is a high point in a career full of high points, and why the album and its singer have meant so much to him since he was a teenager. Rich, Phil, and John also weigh in and discuss their varying - but generally substantial - levels of Neil Young fandom.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, John McFerrin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/118-neil-young-after-the-gold-rush-1970

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Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

117: Phil Ochs in Concert (1966) May 09, 2023

Show notes

Phil Ochs, perhaps more than anybody else in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene, believed that he could end the Vietnam War and change the world through his music. He offered deeply critical insight both of mainstream society and of the folk scene itself, calling out hypocrisy where he saw it and asking his listeners to consider questions and issues without easy solutions. He did this through a combination of exceptional songwriting gifts and a blazing intensity, but this intensity also limited his ability to appeal to a wide audience, and he largely faded into obscurity after his untimely 1976 death. In this episode, John leads a discussion on the 1966 live(ish) album In Concert, which he has loved for nearly 20 years, and the tenor of the discussion ranges from serious to silly in a way that mirrors the album itself. Join John, Ben, Phil, and Amanda as they cover an essential album from one of the most complicated figures ever to pick up an acoustic guitar and declare his truth.
Cohosts: John McFerrin, Ben Marlin, Phil Maddox, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/117-phil-ochs-in-concert-1966
Merch store: https://www.teepublic.com/user/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

116: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

Crosby, Stills & Nash weren’t the first so-called “supergroup,” but they may have been the first to eclipse the fame of each of the bands the members came from. David Crosby (hailing from the Byrds), Stephen Stills (hailing from Buffalo Springfield), and Graham Nash (hailing from the Hollies) came together to create a group that was completely unique. While the group would become more famous with the addition of Neil Young for 1970’s Deja Vu, their 1969 self-titled LP remains the group’s masterpiece. Phil, who has a lifelong love of the works of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, is joined by Amanda and Ben to discuss just what makes their 1969 debut LP such an enduring masterpiece.
Cohosts: Phil Maddox, Ben Marlin, Amanda Rodgers
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/116-crosby-stills-amp-nash-crosby-stills-amp-nash-1969
Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

Five Thousand Million Questions (Listener Q&A #5) Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Q&A time is here again! In this edition, we share some exciting news and then talk about how to run a successful podcast, why we probably won't cover that album, whether Ariana Grande should cover a Moody Blues song, how much we love Producer Mike, and much more!!
If you have thoughts about podcast merch, hit us up: discordpod@gmail.com
We opened a merch store!!!!! http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Cohosts: Rich Bunnell and Amanda Rodgers
Theme Music: Joni Mitchell - Free Man in Paris/The Moody Blues - Question

115: Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark (1974) Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Everyone knows by now that Joni Mitchell is one of the most profoundly gifted and driven musicians of the 20th century, and it’s long past time we came back to her here on Discord & Rhyme. Court and Spark is Amanda’s favorite Joni album, and it marks the sweet spot where Mitchell balanced her desire to push boundaries with the need for accessibility. The result is a set of brilliant songs that sound simple enough on the surface, but are secretly full of strange and interesting details. We spent a very happy couple of hours analyzing her brilliant lyrics, deciphering the weird and complicated musical arrangements, and marveling at Joni Mitchell’s genius.

Cohosts: Amanda Rodgers, John McFerrin, Rich Bunnell, Ben Marlin

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/115-joni-mitchell-court-and-spark-1974

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Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

114: Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (1978) Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

This week, Discord & Rhyme heads back to Ohio for a discussion of Pere Ubu’s 1978 debut The Modern Dance. Rising from the ashes of the short-lived proto-punk pioneers Rocket from the Tombs, David Thomas and company emerged with a fiery set of songs fusing art and punk with an intensity that the band would never quite match again, even as their music would become even stranger and more challenging. Join Dan, Mike, and Rich for this sentimental journey of rusty Chuck Berry riffs, art-rock detours, and creepy soundscapes.
Cohosts: Dan Watkins, Rich Bunnell, Mike DeFabio
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/114-pere-ubu-the-modern-dance-1978
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

113: Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album (1996) Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

Even if you’ve never heard the music of Richard D. James, alias Aphex Twin, you’ve probably heard music that bears his stamp: he’s influenced artists as wide-ranging as Radiohead, Björk, Skrillex, and Billie Eilish, and his warped approach to electronica has become part of the fabric of popular music writ large. Every Aphex Twin album is a little different from his others, including the airy soundscapes of Selected Ambient Works Volume II and the ear-splitting tinnitus of I Care Because You Do, and his eponymous 1997 release Richard D. James Album features an intriguing mix of ethereal strings layered over dirty drum-and-bass beats. An expert knob twiddler himself, Producer Mike has long admired Aphex Twin’s skill at conjuring up sounds and textures you’ve never heard, and he’s invited Rich, Phil, and returning guest Shivam Bhatt to discuss Cornish geography, the milkman and his wife, and snare drums that go BRRRRRRRRR!
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Rich Bunnell, Phil Maddox, Shivam Bhatt
Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/113-aphex-twin-richard-d-james-album-1996
Discord & Rhyme merch: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod
Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

In Defense of Prog Rock - Disc 2, Tracks 11-14 Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Time for the closing arguments in our defense of progressive rock! And they are some very convincing arguments indeed. How will the jury rule?
Cohosts: Mike DeFabio, Phil Maddox, Dan Watkins, Amanda Rodgers
The complete playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02jupsEliJfqmLY4fPkkAA?si=a14f83512c48419c
Tracks:
Henry Cow - Bittern Storm Over Ulm
Egg - I Will Be Absorbed
Goblin - Suspiria
Van der Graaf Generator - The Sleepwalkers
Other clips:
Slapp Happy - Casablanca Moon
John Zorn and Fred Frith - The Ladder
The Yardbirds - Got to Hurry
The Fall - War
Egg - Seven Is a Jolly Good Time
Egg - While Growing My Hair
Van der Graaf Generator - Lemmings (Including Cog)
Robert Fripp - Disengage
Get early access to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod
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112: John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960) Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Jazz saxophonist John Coltrane has one of the most varied and rewarding discographies in any genre of music. Because of that variety, though, it can be hard to find an entry point into his music. Ben makes the case that your entry point should be Trane's 1960 classic Giant Steps. Giant Steps features Coltrane's trademark musical innovations and rich, emotional playing - but packaged in a series of energetic songs with catchy themes and accessible, poppy structures. And in sharing a detailed, multi-part history of Coltrane's artistic development, Ben argues that Giant Steps should only be the first stop on your long Trane journey. He's joined by John, Phil, and Mike, who share their own stories of discovering jazz and falling in love with John Coltrane's music.

Cohosts: Ben Marlin, John McFerrin, Phil Maddox, Mike DeFabio

Complete show notes: https://discordpod.com/listen/112-john-coltrane-giant-steps-1960

Discord & Rhyme's merch store: http://tee.pub/lic/discordpod

Support the podcast! https://www.patreon.com/discordpod

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