February 24, 2025 • 44 mins
Besides snow and cold, the winter months can also bring along a dose of malaise and depression. Luckily, music can help shake off those sad feelings and remind us that happier (and warmer) times aren’t that far off. Join us as we discuss 3 albums that we use as winter antidepressants.
- Mavis Staples – Livin’ on a High Note (2016)
- The Lightning Seeds – Cloudcuckooland (1990)
- Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
Other Diggins
- FKA Twigs – EUSEXUA (2025)
- Rose City Band – Sol Y Sombra (2025)
- Michigander – Michigander (Feb 7, 2025)
- Peter Murphy – Silver Shade (May 9, 2025)
- Bartees Strange – Horror (2025)
- Asia – Asia (1982)
What do you think of these records? What album do you put on to brighten your mood? Let us know on our website, albumnerds.com or email us, podcast@albumnerds.com.
Does Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the The Brown Dirt Cowboy belong in the Album Nerds Hall of Fame? Cast your vote on our website, albumnerds.com/#vote.
Listen to more episodes and suggest topics for the Wheel of Musical Discovery on albumnerds.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky.
Thanks for listening!!!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts Andy, Don and Dude.
(00:13):
Turn that frown upside down, guys.
I know it's winter, but this is the Album Nerds podcast.
And dude, got Andy and Don with me.
You guys ready to face this winter depression with music?
Yeah, with music by our side, I think we can get through, guys.
I've been popping a lot of pills here.
I think I got the right combination here finally.
(00:35):
Let's give it a try.
How are you doing over there, Don?
You feeling...
Winter malaise?
Are you feeling more happy or sad?
Are you down in the dumps this winter, Don?
Down in the dumps?
Yeah.
Grey skies are gonna clear up.
Put on a happy face.
That's right.
That's what we need.
All right.
(00:56):
So this is the Album Nerds podcast.
We love albums, the album format and talking about them.
We've got a great show for you today.
We're going to focus on three albums that we think are effective winter antidepressants.
Then Don's going to ask us a deep question.
Then we're going to have some shout outs to some other albums and album related items we're digging.
Then we'll spin that wheel of musical discovery to find out what we'll talk about next time.
(01:20):
This week, it's all about the winter malaise.
That's what I'm talking about.
Music has long been recognized as a powerful tool for managing moods, particularly when it comes to combating depression.
Certain albums have the ability to lift spirits, provide comfort and offer a therapeutic experience for listeners struggling with the blues.
(01:42):
This is particularly helpful at this time of year.
And today, each of us will present an album that makes us feel better.
Warning, the Album Nerds podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment,
including therapy and medication when prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Side effects of the Album Nerds podcast include uncontrollable head bobbing, spontaneous air guitar,
sudden alphabetization of vinyl collections, disdain for Spotify playlists, and on rare occasions, anal leakage.
(02:04):
Well done, sir.
Got to watch out for that anal leakage.
So yeah, I mean, a lot of things came to mind.
I mean, there's a lot of music that can make you happy or a single song that can make you happy,
or even maybe a seasonal affective disorder playlist that's out there.
I'll forgive you this time of year.
(02:26):
What do you guys, what other albums did you consider for your cure for the wintertime blues?
Yeah, I mean, there are so many records that I think make me happy.
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.
For me, there was a record that came out about six years ago from Bob Mould called Sunshine Rock.
(02:47):
So it's like a breath of fresh air when it came out.
It was very unexpected for him.
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.
It was his 13th solo studio album that sounded like he was like kind of reborn.
So yeah, that was a kind of consideration for me.
I didn't have to go in with it, but definitely a fun record from that period.
(03:09):
How about you, Darren?
Well, when I'm down, I still usually gravitate to sort of darker depressing stuff.
I think I find catharsis in it or something.
But when I really do want something that's a little more joyful and fun, I'll turn to The Grateful Dead,
particularly like American Beauty, which we covered a year or so ago, and Working Men's Dead, which came out in 1970.
(03:32):
It was that period where they sort of went in that Americana folk and country direction.
And I think they really became good songwriters at that time, particularly Jerry Garcia and the lyricist Robert Hunter.
How about you, dude?
One thing that immediately came to mind was In Excess, Kick from 1987, but we've talked about that on the show.
(03:53):
Secondly, In Excess, Listen Like Thieves.
Largely the title track, Listen Like Thieves, is very high energy, but Whatcha Need is the big song off of it.
It just starts off with a line saying, Forget about your troubles in life.
And it's very upbeat.
And so it almost fit, but I ended up going in a different, more Aquanet dependent direction.
(04:18):
That's hairspray.
So why don't we stop talking about what we almost picked and get to our choo choo choo choices.
You choo choo choose me?
All right.
From my winter antidepressant selection, we're going with Mavis Staples in her 2016 album, Living on a High Note.
(04:42):
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,
Justin Vernon, Nico Case and Nick Cave.
Which one doesn't belong in that list?
(05:03):
Nick Cave is that's the answer. Nick Cave.
Let's jump in and play the title cut.
This is High Note.
I'm guessing Andy, the first time we checked this album out was because you thought it was a different kind of high.
(05:25):
Oh, you think it's not that kind of high?
No.
I'm sure.
That track there written by Valerie June.
Have you guys ever listened to Valerie June before?
She's like a blues, ballgardas, interesting voice, interesting perspective.
I really like that track. I think it fits well in Mavis' voice.
Although I expected higher notes. Sorry.
(05:47):
Well, I was going to comment on that.
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.
That just struck me. It happens a couple of times throughout the record. It really doesn't matter to me at all.
What this record is about to me is more about the feel and just the energy that Mavis brings.
I think that is just here in spades. For that, I'm so grateful to have this record.
(06:12):
It also brings that human factor that I think is important in something making you feel better.
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.
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.
(06:36):
The next clickbait headline for living on a high note is,
Mama Mavis shines down her therapeutic light, striking aside the clouds of cruelty and indifference.
Wow. That made me feel better just right there.
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.
(06:58):
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.
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.
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.
(07:21):
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.
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.
I think this is a nice kind of mix of R&B, gospel, and a rock sound. I think it's pretty accessible.
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.
(07:47):
Let's jump in and hear a track towards the end of the record. This is History Now.
Serenity Now!
That's a duet with Canadian singer Donnie Gerard. He was in a group called Skylark.
(08:09):
Gerard actually shares co-writing credits with Nico Case and Laura Veers.
The lyrics are kind of interesting. There's a line, born to children left over from wars before wars and the wars before.
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.
(08:33):
Maybe when are we ever going to get out of this endless cycle?
Even though the sentiment is kind of sad and dark, but it's still sort of inspirational.
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.
I can't imagine Mavis making that voice.
(08:59):
My clickbait headline for Living on a High Note is Staples stays relevant by being herself.
Yeah, so in her career resurgence, I like that she's kind of stayed true to herself and her roots.
Even though she's working with contemporary songwriters and contemporary artists and stuff, I feel like she's using it for inspiration.
(09:25):
She's not using it to be relevant.
Right.
Yeah, she's still very true to herself. These albums don't really sound overly of a certain period.
It's got modern qualities to it, but it's not trendy by any means, I guess I would say.
I think given her musical pedigree and her family, the Staples singers, I think when she has co-writers and collaborators,
(09:50):
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.
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
rather than going in a more urban direction. She's not trying to sound like Beyonce.
(10:13):
Her background is more like a gospel kind of sound. That's not really the style here by any means.
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.
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,
(10:36):
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,
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.
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.
(11:02):
I think because it is. It's not faith and whatever her relationship is with a higher power.
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.
Yeah, yeah, true. Let's jump in and play one more cut. This is from the middle of the record. It's called Tomorrow.
(11:24):
Tomorrow is another day. Life is bound to have ups and downs.
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.
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.
(11:48):
I'd say a more genuine take on tomorrow than say Annie, for instance, who just sounds phony.
The sun will come out.
That's the one. Yeah, I grew up hating that. Thanks to my sisters.
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.
(12:16):
If you lived in a musical, your friendly neighbor lady would come out on her porch and sing that to you.
Some people call her optimist prime.
Oh, God, we should stop.
They don't.
I clickbait headline to describe living on a high note.
Mavis Staples drops an album so uplifting, even your seasonal affective disorder can't keep you down.
(12:42):
This was designed as a joyful collection of songs reflecting on her belief in the power of love, faith and perseverance.
A couple other tracks I thought were interesting. Jesus lay down beside me.
I wasn't sure if it was about wanting comfort from God or giving comfort to the human version of God on Earth.
(13:03):
There seemed to be kind of, to me, maybe a little bit of both, like a reverence but thankfulness.
Yeah, that's the Nic Cave song there.
Oh, well, that makes sense.
It's a confusing message.
And the MLK song, the tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was kind of built around his words,
kind of that whole idea of people having compassion and love for all,
(13:28):
which I think can be a cure to any kind of blues, wintertime blues, whatever, for tying to one another,
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.
I think that not only brings maybe some antidepressant to the person you help, but also to yourself for doing something nice.
So it feels like Mavis would want that.
Yeah, I mean, I think that's a great point, man.
(13:50):
I think Mavis would want that message to be out there because I think that's a powerful one for sure.
Yeah, so if you're not familiar with the work she was doing in the 2010s,
she put out five records over the course of these 10 years and they're all really interesting.
She's still out there doing it.
She keeps doing it for as long as possible because I love having her around.
And yeah, so that's Mavis Staples living out of Hynox.
(14:12):
WWMD, what would Mavis do?
That's right.
Before we get to our next winter antidepressant album, let's hear a little bit from our friends over at the Polyphonic Press.
Do you love music?
Do you want to explore classic albums?
If you answered yes, then check out Polyphonic Press.
(14:35):
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.
At the top of each show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to.
That's what keeps it really exciting.
We dig real deep into these albums.
So if this sounds interesting, come along with us on this journey because you never know what you might find.
(14:59):
We release a new episode every Tuesday morning.
That's Polyphonic Press and we're available on every podcast platform.
Freedom of the press, yo.
Polyphonic Press.
Well, my pick for an auditory antidepressant is the Lightning Seeds Cloud Cuckoo Land released in January 1990.
(15:24):
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.
He was a producer for bands like Echo and the Bunnymen in the fall.
He was a former member of post-punk bands, Big in Japan, Care, and Original Mirrors.
But he decided to put out his own music.
(15:45):
He wrote all of this, produced it, performed most of the instruments.
Actually, the Lightning Seeds name came from a mishearing, a line from Prince's Raspberry Beret.
He says, you know, thunder drowns out what the lightning sees, but he thought it said hanging out with the lightning seeds.
Well, there we go.
Oh, Prince is going to hang out with you.
(16:07):
I guess I would name my band that too.
Well, here's a song called Pure.
There's something about that.
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.
(16:30):
Very dreamy, jangly guitars, you know, kind of fun little synth line.
I like the line, you know, don't sell the dreams you should be keeping.
Anyway, so my clickbait headline for Cloud Cuckoo Land is moody, whimsical pop turns album nerds frown upside down.
Yeah, I mean, it's not groundbreaking or anything, but I don't know.
(16:55):
It's incredibly catchy.
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.
I mean, I feel like you can sing along with all these songs, maybe because it is mostly just one guy.
It kind of has a more personal feel to it.
(17:16):
And I mean, you could tell he's a producer because I just feel like the album is very shiny and well put together.
Very well put together.
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.
And I think maybe the simplicity of the vocal delivery kind of helps balance all that out.
(17:37):
Yeah, that's a good point.
Yeah, you know, so Brody actually said that his project was meant to be inherently positive.
He said he said it's like a vitamin C tablet in his music.
Yeah, a little sunshine.
Well, here's a here's a track called Joy.
(18:01):
There are moments like vocally where he reminds me of George Michael a little bit and Pet Shop Boys.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, that's probably what drew me in.
Yeah, I'm sure no one around here knew you're a fan of the Pet Shop Boys.
Yeah, so at its core, the song is about embracing happiness even in the face of struggles in life.
(18:23):
There's a sense of melancholy, but it's wrapped in uplifting melodies.
And that's the case for the whole album.
So there's it's kind of about this fleeting nature of joy, but it comes unexpectedly.
So just because it's gone now doesn't mean it's not going to come back for some other reason.
I really like that idea of remembering that the new joy is down the road.
(18:44):
And I think that's sometimes hard to remember when especially in the winter, you're trapped indoors
and just can't wait for sunshine and being around people more and all that stuff.
So, yeah, so my clickbait headline to describe the album,
What if a Pet Shop Boy ditched the club and made an album for melancholy dreamers instead?
(19:05):
That's Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Indeed.
Moody, but sane.
Yeah.
It's a logical take on pain and sadness, like really kind of thinking it through on these songs.
I like that.
It seems...
Logical.
Yeah.
I think using reason to deal with feeling sad can sometimes really help you work your way through the problem.
(19:26):
So it's a weird time in music though, right?
1990.
This doesn't fit to me sonically.
What do you guys think about that?
It has an 80s sound to it from my perspective, but it's also UK.
So it's a little different.
It's true.
Dalen, you're probably more of the expert in this area.
Yeah.
It was right around the same time that The Laws, There She Goes came out.
(19:49):
So these are sort of the pre maybe Britpop things.
Right.
Yeah, this is a little more thoughtful, I guess, more introspective than some of the Britpop stuff to come,
at least on the surface, more introspective.
But one song that really caught my ear, Control the Flame, is a weird...
Yeah.
(20:10):
Stands out for sure.
...song.
It's really atmospheric and it's very hypnotic, but there's so many...
There's all these layered synths, but that mid to late 80s, sexy sax sound in there really threw me off,
especially when it's themes of passion and restraint and balance and self-control.
(20:32):
And the song just sounds totally out of control.
That's the one that actually kind of sounds like a band.
Yes.
It's the most live of all the songs, I would say.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, let's hear another one.
This is Love Explosion, originally titled Oh Face.
There we go.
That one is very echo in the bunny, I don't know how familiar you guys are with them,
(21:04):
but that one really reminds me of them.
Yeah.
This song does remind me a lot of other sounding music, but Pet Shop Boys definitely came to mind.
There's a little bit of Depeche Mode in some of these tracks here as well.
More bright and shiny than usual Depeche Mode, but that song there seems to be about
kind of just the excitement of physical love.
And it does feel like an exciting song.
(21:25):
It got me feeling energized and excited.
Your poor wife.
She's like, leave me alone.
My click head line for Cloud Cuckoo Land is Brody's Dream Pop debut definitely has its head in the clouds,
but I think that's mostly because there's so much hot air.
(21:48):
Ooh.
I enjoyed this record.
That's a little bit more harsh than my actual feelings here.
It felt maybe a little derivative, I guess, but maybe that's my harshest critique.
I did enjoy all the tracks.
I remember a lot of these being popular on some of the independent radio stations in the area
and enjoying them at that time and still enjoying them today.
(22:11):
I think the record as a whole does feel a little over engineered and maybe a little bit stiff, I would say.
Like when you play that Love Explosion.
Yeah, how else are you going to get there?
No, or Control the Flame, I think another example of just much more lively tracks,
and some of these feel a little bit more restrained or pedestrian, I guess.
(22:34):
And that could be from some of that studio tinkering maybe if that was a big strength of his.
But yeah, I did enjoy it.
It did feel like Pet Shop Boys' light, I guess I would say.
It's like waking up after a really good sleep.
You had a good night's sleep.
You're still feeling dreamy headed, and this music captures that moment.
(22:55):
Even during a rough winter, one of the moments of happiness is when you wake up having a really good sleep, feeling well rested.
It's a foggy happiness or whatever.
It's before the day takes its toll.
So you're not ready for a good night's sleep.
I should say that Brody has continued to record as the Lightning Seeds,
(23:16):
and he does introduce more of like a band element moving forward.
Cool.
Well, if you are in the winter doldrums, embrace the dreamy melodies and optimistic lyrics of the Lightning Seeds, Cloud Cuckoo Land from 1990.
Excuse me.
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
It's time again for Deep Questions by Don.
(23:41):
Well, we're talking about music that can make us feel better.
What other things make you feel better?
A couple of things come to mind for me.
We're fostering a little kitty cat right now.
She's super cute.
Definitely a good idea if you're a little lonely in the wintertime, you know, a little furry companion.
Maybe it's not a bad idea.
(24:02):
Or pick up a hitchhiker if you have a basement.
Yeah, a furry hitchhiker.
You gotta be able to pet him, I think is important.
The other thing I would mention is exercise.
I mean, I always can guarantee after exercising I will feel better than I wanted before I started.
So, that's my go-to.
(24:23):
I try to be pretty consistent with that.
It definitely helps keep me out of the doldrums.
But you did.
Yeah, the exercising for sure.
Wake up yoga, I do yoga right after I get up.
It's like having a cup of coffee before having my cup of coffee.
Besides this podcast, giving me great joy.
Just usual stuff, you know, like record cleaning.
(24:47):
Going through my record collection and cleaning them and listening to music while I do it.
Record cleaning?
But cooking is one thing.
Like a chunk of the week I take care of the main part of making dinner.
And I listen to music or listen to an audible book or whatever.
And it's just a nice kind of decompression from work and then shifting into the next part of the day.
(25:09):
So, yeah, record cleaning and cooking are the big ones for me.
Nice.
How about you, Don?
Well, I've gotten in the habit of kind of looking at the stars more at night.
I downloaded some app called Sky Guide.
And so it's, you just pointed your phone up at the sky and it'll tell you what star is what
and which piece of space garbage is orbiting at that moment.
(25:33):
But I mean, I think some people, like it sort of frightens them to look at the vast expanse of the universe.
But to me, it kind of gives me a sense of wonder and mystery.
And I like that and probably makes my problems feel smaller, I think.
Plus, you're constantly on the hunt for the continuum transfunctioner.
(25:54):
That is not the continuum transfunctioner.
Of course it is.
Well, what do you do to feel better?
Let us know on Instagram and Facebook or leave a comment on our website, AlbumNerds.com.
All right, it is my turn.
I went with Bon Jovi and their 1986 album Slippery When Wet.
(26:17):
Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in Servill, New Jersey, led by John Bon Jovi, of course.
Arena rock, pop sensibilities.
And of course, the lineup guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such,
and drummer Tico Torres, those big anthemic choruses, big hooks, relatable themes.
(26:38):
And they really put their stamp on things in 1986 with this album.
Why don't we jump in to Living on a Prayer?
So, Living on a Prayer is an anthem of perseverance and hope.
(26:59):
The story of Tommy and Gina, working class couple.
He seems to be maybe a musician since his sixth string is in hock.
And it's driven by that iconic talk box riff that Sambora does.
That song became a defining rock anthem of the 80s, but it's so uplifting and it's so celebratory sounding,
(27:25):
even though it's kind of about struggles of life, but love will bring you through and we can make it,
even if we don't make it in our dreams of careers, we're still together and that's all that really matters.
Give it a shot.
I've never seen Bon Jovi live, but I can just picture the arena just all going,
what?
Going on like that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that soaring chorus.
(27:46):
Yeah, just made for that.
Yeah, Bruce Fairburn, the producer, really helped them put together.
This is our third album and they didn't quite land like this did.
And he helped them put together that great mix of sing-along anthems
with some more intricate than usual lyrics at points, I'd say more Bruce Springsteen-y storytelling type things
(28:09):
than some of their contemporaries at the time.
I'm not talking, it's not comparing to Bruce Springsteen more compared to say like a poison or something.
Yeah, okay.
There was a little bit more bite to their lyrics.
Mike Clickbait headlined to describe Slippery When Wet.
Combat cabin fever by transforming your living room into a hard rock heaven.
Crank up on Jovi's Slippery When Wet and rock out.
(28:30):
I know I did.
It's just a massive sounding album with lyrics about dreaming big,
surviving heartbreak, never giving up.
That kind of fits nice in the winter time.
Desmond Child co-writer on many of these songs later to co-write with bands like Aerosmith
and Bruce Fairburn, the producer, also produced Permanent Vacation by Aerosmith.
(28:52):
So this era of making these hard rock acts a little more living room friendly.
Why don't we jump into another landmark song, well known, a little grittier.
This one's called Wanted, Dead or Alive.
I'm a cowboy on the steel horse I ride.
I want it, want it.
(29:13):
This is the third single off of Slippery When Wet.
Kind of how John views himself as sort of like a cowboy kind of on the outskirts of society,
kind of love and hate it both at the same time.
I found a good quote here from him.
Viewing himself as a young band of thieves riding to town, stealing the money, the girls and the booze
before the sun came up.
(29:34):
Group of bandits.
Kind of love it.
I think that's, is that 12 string guitar?
Probably.
I mean, Richie Sambora at times on stage would have three necks on his guitar.
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,
but like if you go watch the videos, there's so many.
(29:55):
All strings.
So 80s.
Harp.
Yeah, I really, really enjoyed that song for my youth.
But also today I still, still just very catchy and anthemic and it is a little, a little badass, a little badass.
My clickbait headline for Slipper Ruin Wet is Danger, extremely catchy and accessible hair metal act incoming.
(30:17):
Warning.
Yeah, should be an alarm going off.
No, you know, I do enjoy this record.
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,
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,
(30:42):
really the whole group is pretty good looking guys, you know, jumped around on stage.
I think guys had a pretty strong female following if I recall.
I'd rock them all.
Yeah.
Got that loaded six string on your back, you know, what else are you going to do?
Yeah, millions of faces and he rocked them all.
I think you're right about the sort of pop sensibilities and somewhat goofiness at times,
(31:05):
like the opening track, Let It Rock is so Def Leppard-esque.
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.
So buckle up.
Very on the nerves.
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.
(31:27):
I think that's why it's so uplifting and a lot of people love this.
You know, I was so popular and they're filling up huge stadiums.
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,
with the 80s brass sounds at the beginning and then like cheesy lyrics about double Ds and stuff.
(31:52):
Yeah, it's definitely the cringiest track here.
Sometimes they like with the album title and I know like what the original album cover was supposed to look like.
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.
And it's almost like they felt like they had to throw it in or something.
Well, I think that's what this album is.
(32:13):
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.
And some of the songs were trying like a tasting menu of those of those sounds, you know, different styles.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think they're at their best when they're when it's like the plight of the working man or something.
I think that's yeah.
And even like you give love a bad name where they kind of flip that whole love thing and turning heartbreak into celebration somehow.
(32:42):
You know, that was the first song I remember from this album and thinking it was super bad ass at the time.
I was a little kid, so didn't take much for me to be impressed.
But yeah, I love that song, too.
All right. Well, why don't we check out another song that's a little different, got a little different vibe to it.
This is the closing track, Wild in the Streets.
Remember all the boys looking how to take with the girl next door.
(33:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, of course, hailing from New Jersey.
You know, there's there's definitely a Springsteen vibe to a lot of this album.
And again, that that sort of working class grit that it has.
This one actually feels more like like John Cafferty, like that that version of the the Springsteen.
(33:28):
What the Georgia Satellites guy?
No, the Eddie and the Cruisers guy on the dark side.
Gotcha.
But yeah, you know, like a like a Springsteen song, it's that youth culture and rebellion in a small town setting.
And then he has some really good lines.
And I like the sidewalk soldiers sing the midnight blues.
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.
(33:55):
And so I'm imagining maybe some of those lines or things that people maybe they called each other sidewalk soldiers or something.
Because it sounds very Jersey to me.
Yeah. All right.
Well, my clickbait headline for Slippery When Wet is songwriting is like walking on a wet floor.
You can glide to greatness or you can slip on blue collar rock cliches.
(34:16):
So, I mean, you've got three anthems on this on this album and they're all great in their own way.
So, I mean, they've they do some great songwriting on this album.
And then, you know, other times that, you know, it just doesn't quite work.
So, I would say it's an uneven album.
But I've definitely warmed to this over the years.
I think back in the day, I was probably upset that Duran Duran wasn't dominating MTV anymore.
(34:41):
And it was this new breed of kind of hair metal acts.
But yeah, I mean, I think I like this album now.
I still don't I don't really love Bon Jovi as a singer.
I mean, he's not the only one that sounds constipated in this era.
But his version of it, I think, doesn't quite work for me.
But, you know, he definitely has a charisma and I guess a knack for a good line here and there.
(35:07):
Wow, that's pretty lukewarm from down there.
Yeah, actually, he was a little harder on it than you were, which I expected you to be the wet blanket on this party.
I do want to be in the crowd going, whoa.
I want to be part of that scene.
(35:28):
Yeah, I'd love to be on this tour.
I mean, it's probably pretty wild, getting wild in the streets.
Yeah, that's right.
Don, you mentioned that album cover that originally was supposed to be like a lady in a ripped shirt, just her chest.
Apparently, the band didn't like it and they were trying to come up with something else.
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.
(35:54):
Took a picture and that was the cover.
That's the story they tell.
That was like the makeshift slip and slide.
You just take garbage back.
A couple of other songs, I think, that are worthy of mentioning really quick.
Without Love, I think is a really nice love song, a little less hair metal, a little more straightforward rock.
(36:16):
Yeah.
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.
I think that one was a pretty big hit too.
It's got to be on the encore, I would imagine, right?
Oh, yeah.
Never say goodbye.
(36:37):
All right. So yeah, Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet.
Awesome. Uplifting, hair lifting, rock and roll.
So if you're feeling a little down, pop that in and enjoy.
Can you dig it?
Can you dig it?
Can you dig it?
All right. Well, we've been living on a high note all week.
(37:01):
I get it.
And living on a prayer too, right?
That's right.
But did you find time to dig anything else?
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
I did. I got a few things here in my little cloud up in cuckoo land here.
First one from me is singer-songwriter, UK dance artist, FKA Twigs.
(37:26):
She has a new album out.
First one in five years.
It's called, I think it's pronounced U-A-Sexua.
Not exactly sure. I think it's a new word.
U-Sexua. U-Sexua. Yeah, I don't know.
Yeah, let's play the title cut.
Maybe she'll say it for us.
Sounded like U-Sexua.
(37:47):
Is that like saying you sexy?
It's a British way of saying that apparently.
It's a very interesting record.
Lots of more dance-orientated moments, but some very quiet, ambient moments.
Very sexy, much of female empowerment theme throughout.
All right. And then the last one for me is probably my favorite record of the year to date.
From group Rose City Band.
(38:09):
They have a new album out called Soul e Sombra, which I guess is a alcoholic breakfast drink served in Europe.
Okay.
Let's play the opening cut, Lights on the Way.
Yeah, kind of sounds like a slowed down traveling Wilburys song.
(38:31):
Yeah, totally.
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.
Really enjoying it.
I can't recommend those guys enough.
Probably the coolest kind of psychedelic rock I've heard in the last few years.
What you been digging on down?
Well, I found a band called Michigander.
And so they have a self-titled debut, of course, called Michigander.
(38:55):
So Michigander is formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2014, but they're just, I guess, finally getting around to putting out a full album.
It's actually kind of like the Lightning Seeds.
Seems like it's basically a solo project for this guy named Jason Singer.
So here's a track called I'll Be Okay.
(39:18):
Kind of sounds Lindsay Buckingham-ish there.
Yeah.
And kind of a sort of a god in the goth rock circles.
Peter Murphy is back with a new album called Silver Shade.
It doesn't come out until May 9th, but he has a track out with Trent Reznor.
It's called Swoon.
(39:43):
Sounds kind of like when David Bowie was doing the industrial thing.
Yeah.
That's true.
That could be fun.
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.
How about you, dude?
All right.
So I stumbled upon an artist, Barty's Strange.
The album is Horror.
(40:05):
I saw a clip on YouTube or something where he's performing on Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy something, one of those guys.
This is his third studio album.
The album is co-produced with Jack Antonoff, delves into themes of fear and uncertainty, blending genres like indie rock rap and soul.
And it's pretty unique sounding.
(40:26):
Let's listen to a little bit of Bexik Vantan.
Still kind of trying to figure this one out.
Sounds interesting.
Yeah.
We'll see how I feel about it later on in the year.
But right now it's keeping my attention.
So all this searching for uplifting music and record cleaning, I went back through stuff that I haven't cleaned.
(40:50):
I'm now going through the A's of my collection and I happen to have this self-titled album by Asia from 1982.
It marked the formation of a super group with members of King Crimson, Yes, The Buggles, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
And it's this blend of progressive rock and mainstream pop.
So like short prog rock songs, kind of interesting.
(41:12):
But we all know this one, Heat of the Moment.
Asia may be best known for being a poster in the 40 year old Virgin on Andy's apartment.
Not this Andy.
You framed an Asia poster?
I had nothing to do with that.
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.
(41:38):
And I enjoyed it.
Can't wait till you get to Europe.
Well, what are you digging?
Let us know.
Join us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram and threads.
Also on our website, albumnerds.com.
It will be a discovery of extraordinary value.
(42:00):
Well, it's about that time on the show.
Never mind of the great American singer and songwriter, Willie Nelson.
He is great.
Willie once said, Willie said, once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.
Sure he wasn't talking about drug tests.
That part too.
All right.
(42:21):
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.
When country meets pop, magic can happen.
Next time, you will be exploring country crossover successes.
Albums and artists that broke genre barriers, topped the charts and brought a little twang to the mainstream.
(42:46):
So country crossover success.
Some twangy fool finding their way onto the pop charts.
I love it.
There's some really good options here, I think, guys.
I'm excited to see where we land.
Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart.
No, no.
I don't know if that's going to be one of them, but we'll see.
All right, well, what's your favorite country crossover album?
(43:07):
What else are you listening to?
Email us at podcast at albumnerds.com.
Also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, threads and bluesky at albumnerds.
Please visit albumnerds.com to suggest topics for the show, peruse the Hall of Fame and listen to all 279 episodes.
And the best way to support this show is to share it.
Please subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast app.
(43:28):
Tell your friends.
Thank you for joining us once again on the Album Nerds podcast.
We'll catch you next time, crossing over to the other side.
Thanks for listening, everybody.
Catch you next week.
I'm a cowboy.
I knew it.
We've done this before.
On a steel horse I ride.
Yeah, but people really liked it and they wanted to hear it again.
Oh, yeah.
The encore was serious.
(43:49):
I'm wanted, wanted.
General of my heart.
You're welcome.
Yeah, you see Don coming with that sixth string.
He walked the other side of the street.
Yeah, he carries around a karaoke machine on his back.
Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts Andy, Don and Dude.
(00:13):
Turn that frown upside down, guys.
I know it's winter, but this is the Album Nerds podcast.
And dude, got Andy and Don with me.
You guys ready to face this winter depression with music?
Yeah, with music by our side, I think we can get through, guys.
I've been popping a lot of pills here.
I think I got the right combination here finally.
(00:35):
Let's give it a try.
How are you doing over there, Don?
You feeling...
Winter malaise?
Are you feeling more happy or sad?
Are you down in the dumps this winter, Don?
Down in the dumps?
Yeah.
Grey skies are gonna clear up.
Put on a happy face.
That's right.
That's what we need.
All right.
(00:56):
So this is the Album Nerds podcast.
We love albums, the album format and talking about them.
We've got a great show for you today.
We're going to focus on three albums that we think are effective winter antidepressants.
Then Don's going to ask us a deep question.
Then we're going to have some shout outs to some other albums and album related items we're digging.
Then we'll spin that wheel of musical discovery to find out what we'll talk about next time.
(01:20):
This week, it's all about the winter malaise.
That's what I'm talking about.
Music has long been recognized as a powerful tool for managing moods, particularly when it comes to combating depression.
Certain albums have the ability to lift spirits, provide comfort and offer a therapeutic experience for listeners struggling with the blues.
(01:42):
This is particularly helpful at this time of year.
And today, each of us will present an album that makes us feel better.
Warning, the Album Nerds podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment,
including therapy and medication when prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Side effects of the Album Nerds podcast include uncontrollable head bobbing, spontaneous air guitar,
sudden alphabetization of vinyl collections, disdain for Spotify playlists, and on rare occasions, anal leakage.
(02:04):
Well done, sir.
Got to watch out for that anal leakage.
So yeah, I mean, a lot of things came to mind.
I mean, there's a lot of music that can make you happy or a single song that can make you happy,
or even maybe a seasonal affective disorder playlist that's out there.
I'll forgive you this time of year.
(02:26):
What do you guys, what other albums did you consider for your cure for the wintertime blues?
Yeah, I mean, there are so many records that I think make me happy.
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.
For me, there was a record that came out about six years ago from Bob Mould called Sunshine Rock.
(02:47):
So it's like a breath of fresh air when it came out.
It was very unexpected for him.
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.
It was his 13th solo studio album that sounded like he was like kind of reborn.
So yeah, that was a kind of consideration for me.
I didn't have to go in with it, but definitely a fun record from that period.
(03:09):
How about you, Darren?
Well, when I'm down, I still usually gravitate to sort of darker depressing stuff.
I think I find catharsis in it or something.
But when I really do want something that's a little more joyful and fun, I'll turn to The Grateful Dead,
particularly like American Beauty, which we covered a year or so ago, and Working Men's Dead, which came out in 1970.
(03:32):
It was that period where they sort of went in that Americana folk and country direction.
And I think they really became good songwriters at that time, particularly Jerry Garcia and the lyricist Robert Hunter.
How about you, dude?
One thing that immediately came to mind was In Excess, Kick from 1987, but we've talked about that on the show.
(03:53):
Secondly, In Excess, Listen Like Thieves.
Largely the title track, Listen Like Thieves, is very high energy, but Whatcha Need is the big song off of it.
It just starts off with a line saying, Forget about your troubles in life.
And it's very upbeat.
And so it almost fit, but I ended up going in a different, more Aquanet dependent direction.
(04:18):
That's hairspray.
So why don't we stop talking about what we almost picked and get to our choo choo choo choices.
You choo choo choose me?
All right.
From my winter antidepressant selection, we're going with Mavis Staples in her 2016 album, Living on a High Note.
(04:42):
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,
Justin Vernon, Nico Case and Nick Cave.
Which one doesn't belong in that list?
(05:03):
Nick Cave is that's the answer. Nick Cave.
Let's jump in and play the title cut.
This is High Note.
I'm guessing Andy, the first time we checked this album out was because you thought it was a different kind of high.
(05:25):
Oh, you think it's not that kind of high?
No.
I'm sure.
That track there written by Valerie June.
Have you guys ever listened to Valerie June before?
She's like a blues, ballgardas, interesting voice, interesting perspective.
I really like that track. I think it fits well in Mavis' voice.
Although I expected higher notes. Sorry.
(05:47):
Well, I was going to comment on that.
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.
That just struck me. It happens a couple of times throughout the record. It really doesn't matter to me at all.
What this record is about to me is more about the feel and just the energy that Mavis brings.
I think that is just here in spades. For that, I'm so grateful to have this record.
(06:12):
It also brings that human factor that I think is important in something making you feel better.
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.
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.
(06:36):
The next clickbait headline for living on a high note is,
Mama Mavis shines down her therapeutic light, striking aside the clouds of cruelty and indifference.
Wow. That made me feel better just right there.
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.
(06:58):
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.
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.
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.
(07:21):
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.
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.
I think this is a nice kind of mix of R&B, gospel, and a rock sound. I think it's pretty accessible.
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.
(07:47):
Let's jump in and hear a track towards the end of the record. This is History Now.
Serenity Now!
That's a duet with Canadian singer Donnie Gerard. He was in a group called Skylark.
(08:09):
Gerard actually shares co-writing credits with Nico Case and Laura Veers.
The lyrics are kind of interesting. There's a line, born to children left over from wars before wars and the wars before.
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.
(08:33):
Maybe when are we ever going to get out of this endless cycle?
Even though the sentiment is kind of sad and dark, but it's still sort of inspirational.
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.
I can't imagine Mavis making that voice.
(08:59):
My clickbait headline for Living on a High Note is Staples stays relevant by being herself.
Yeah, so in her career resurgence, I like that she's kind of stayed true to herself and her roots.
Even though she's working with contemporary songwriters and contemporary artists and stuff, I feel like she's using it for inspiration.
(09:25):
She's not using it to be relevant.
Right.
Yeah, she's still very true to herself. These albums don't really sound overly of a certain period.
It's got modern qualities to it, but it's not trendy by any means, I guess I would say.
I think given her musical pedigree and her family, the Staples singers, I think when she has co-writers and collaborators,
(09:50):
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.
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
rather than going in a more urban direction. She's not trying to sound like Beyonce.
(10:13):
Her background is more like a gospel kind of sound. That's not really the style here by any means.
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.
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,
(10:36):
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,
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.
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.
(11:02):
I think because it is. It's not faith and whatever her relationship is with a higher power.
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.
Yeah, yeah, true. Let's jump in and play one more cut. This is from the middle of the record. It's called Tomorrow.
(11:24):
Tomorrow is another day. Life is bound to have ups and downs.
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.
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.
(11:48):
I'd say a more genuine take on tomorrow than say Annie, for instance, who just sounds phony.
The sun will come out.
That's the one. Yeah, I grew up hating that. Thanks to my sisters.
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.
(12:16):
If you lived in a musical, your friendly neighbor lady would come out on her porch and sing that to you.
Some people call her optimist prime.
Oh, God, we should stop.
They don't.
I clickbait headline to describe living on a high note.
Mavis Staples drops an album so uplifting, even your seasonal affective disorder can't keep you down.
(12:42):
This was designed as a joyful collection of songs reflecting on her belief in the power of love, faith and perseverance.
A couple other tracks I thought were interesting. Jesus lay down beside me.
I wasn't sure if it was about wanting comfort from God or giving comfort to the human version of God on Earth.
(13:03):
There seemed to be kind of, to me, maybe a little bit of both, like a reverence but thankfulness.
Yeah, that's the Nic Cave song there.
Oh, well, that makes sense.
It's a confusing message.
And the MLK song, the tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was kind of built around his words,
kind of that whole idea of people having compassion and love for all,
(13:28):
which I think can be a cure to any kind of blues, wintertime blues, whatever, for tying to one another,
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.
I think that not only brings maybe some antidepressant to the person you help, but also to yourself for doing something nice.
So it feels like Mavis would want that.
Yeah, I mean, I think that's a great point, man.
(13:50):
I think Mavis would want that message to be out there because I think that's a powerful one for sure.
Yeah, so if you're not familiar with the work she was doing in the 2010s,
she put out five records over the course of these 10 years and they're all really interesting.
She's still out there doing it.
She keeps doing it for as long as possible because I love having her around.
And yeah, so that's Mavis Staples living out of Hynox.
(14:12):
WWMD, what would Mavis do?
That's right.
Before we get to our next winter antidepressant album, let's hear a little bit from our friends over at the Polyphonic Press.
Do you love music?
Do you want to explore classic albums?
If you answered yes, then check out Polyphonic Press.
(14:35):
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.
At the top of each show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to.
That's what keeps it really exciting.
We dig real deep into these albums.
So if this sounds interesting, come along with us on this journey because you never know what you might find.
(14:59):
We release a new episode every Tuesday morning.
That's Polyphonic Press and we're available on every podcast platform.
Freedom of the press, yo.
Polyphonic Press.
Well, my pick for an auditory antidepressant is the Lightning Seeds Cloud Cuckoo Land released in January 1990.
(15:24):
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.
He was a producer for bands like Echo and the Bunnymen in the fall.
He was a former member of post-punk bands, Big in Japan, Care, and Original Mirrors.
But he decided to put out his own music.
(15:45):
He wrote all of this, produced it, performed most of the instruments.
Actually, the Lightning Seeds name came from a mishearing, a line from Prince's Raspberry Beret.
He says, you know, thunder drowns out what the lightning sees, but he thought it said hanging out with the lightning seeds.
Well, there we go.
Oh, Prince is going to hang out with you.
(16:07):
I guess I would name my band that too.
Well, here's a song called Pure.
There's something about that.
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.
(16:30):
Very dreamy, jangly guitars, you know, kind of fun little synth line.
I like the line, you know, don't sell the dreams you should be keeping.
Anyway, so my clickbait headline for Cloud Cuckoo Land is moody, whimsical pop turns album nerds frown upside down.
Yeah, I mean, it's not groundbreaking or anything, but I don't know.
(16:55):
It's incredibly catchy.
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.
I mean, I feel like you can sing along with all these songs, maybe because it is mostly just one guy.
It kind of has a more personal feel to it.
(17:16):
And I mean, you could tell he's a producer because I just feel like the album is very shiny and well put together.
Very well put together.
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.
And I think maybe the simplicity of the vocal delivery kind of helps balance all that out.
(17:37):
Yeah, that's a good point.
Yeah, you know, so Brody actually said that his project was meant to be inherently positive.
He said he said it's like a vitamin C tablet in his music.
Yeah, a little sunshine.
Well, here's a here's a track called Joy.
(18:01):
There are moments like vocally where he reminds me of George Michael a little bit and Pet Shop Boys.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, that's probably what drew me in.
Yeah, I'm sure no one around here knew you're a fan of the Pet Shop Boys.
Yeah, so at its core, the song is about embracing happiness even in the face of struggles in life.
(18:23):
There's a sense of melancholy, but it's wrapped in uplifting melodies.
And that's the case for the whole album.
So there's it's kind of about this fleeting nature of joy, but it comes unexpectedly.
So just because it's gone now doesn't mean it's not going to come back for some other reason.
I really like that idea of remembering that the new joy is down the road.
(18:44):
And I think that's sometimes hard to remember when especially in the winter, you're trapped indoors
and just can't wait for sunshine and being around people more and all that stuff.
So, yeah, so my clickbait headline to describe the album,
What if a Pet Shop Boy ditched the club and made an album for melancholy dreamers instead?
(19:05):
That's Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Indeed.
Moody, but sane.
Yeah.
It's a logical take on pain and sadness, like really kind of thinking it through on these songs.
I like that.
It seems...
Logical.
Yeah.
I think using reason to deal with feeling sad can sometimes really help you work your way through the problem.
(19:26):
So it's a weird time in music though, right?
1990.
This doesn't fit to me sonically.
What do you guys think about that?
It has an 80s sound to it from my perspective, but it's also UK.
So it's a little different.
It's true.
Dalen, you're probably more of the expert in this area.
Yeah.
It was right around the same time that The Laws, There She Goes came out.
(19:49):
So these are sort of the pre maybe Britpop things.
Right.
Yeah, this is a little more thoughtful, I guess, more introspective than some of the Britpop stuff to come,
at least on the surface, more introspective.
But one song that really caught my ear, Control the Flame, is a weird...
Yeah.
(20:10):
Stands out for sure.
...song.
It's really atmospheric and it's very hypnotic, but there's so many...
There's all these layered synths, but that mid to late 80s, sexy sax sound in there really threw me off,
especially when it's themes of passion and restraint and balance and self-control.
(20:32):
And the song just sounds totally out of control.
That's the one that actually kind of sounds like a band.
Yes.
It's the most live of all the songs, I would say.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, let's hear another one.
This is Love Explosion, originally titled Oh Face.
There we go.
That one is very echo in the bunny, I don't know how familiar you guys are with them,
(21:04):
but that one really reminds me of them.
Yeah.
This song does remind me a lot of other sounding music, but Pet Shop Boys definitely came to mind.
There's a little bit of Depeche Mode in some of these tracks here as well.
More bright and shiny than usual Depeche Mode, but that song there seems to be about
kind of just the excitement of physical love.
And it does feel like an exciting song.
(21:25):
It got me feeling energized and excited.
Your poor wife.
She's like, leave me alone.
My click head line for Cloud Cuckoo Land is Brody's Dream Pop debut definitely has its head in the clouds,
but I think that's mostly because there's so much hot air.
(21:48):
Ooh.
I enjoyed this record.
That's a little bit more harsh than my actual feelings here.
It felt maybe a little derivative, I guess, but maybe that's my harshest critique.
I did enjoy all the tracks.
I remember a lot of these being popular on some of the independent radio stations in the area
and enjoying them at that time and still enjoying them today.
(22:11):
I think the record as a whole does feel a little over engineered and maybe a little bit stiff, I would say.
Like when you play that Love Explosion.
Yeah, how else are you going to get there?
No, or Control the Flame, I think another example of just much more lively tracks,
and some of these feel a little bit more restrained or pedestrian, I guess.
(22:34):
And that could be from some of that studio tinkering maybe if that was a big strength of his.
But yeah, I did enjoy it.
It did feel like Pet Shop Boys' light, I guess I would say.
It's like waking up after a really good sleep.
You had a good night's sleep.
You're still feeling dreamy headed, and this music captures that moment.
(22:55):
Even during a rough winter, one of the moments of happiness is when you wake up having a really good sleep, feeling well rested.
It's a foggy happiness or whatever.
It's before the day takes its toll.
So you're not ready for a good night's sleep.
I should say that Brody has continued to record as the Lightning Seeds,
(23:16):
and he does introduce more of like a band element moving forward.
Cool.
Well, if you are in the winter doldrums, embrace the dreamy melodies and optimistic lyrics of the Lightning Seeds, Cloud Cuckoo Land from 1990.
Excuse me.
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
It's time again for Deep Questions by Don.
(23:41):
Well, we're talking about music that can make us feel better.
What other things make you feel better?
A couple of things come to mind for me.
We're fostering a little kitty cat right now.
She's super cute.
Definitely a good idea if you're a little lonely in the wintertime, you know, a little furry companion.
Maybe it's not a bad idea.
(24:02):
Or pick up a hitchhiker if you have a basement.
Yeah, a furry hitchhiker.
You gotta be able to pet him, I think is important.
The other thing I would mention is exercise.
I mean, I always can guarantee after exercising I will feel better than I wanted before I started.
So, that's my go-to.
(24:23):
I try to be pretty consistent with that.
It definitely helps keep me out of the doldrums.
But you did.
Yeah, the exercising for sure.
Wake up yoga, I do yoga right after I get up.
It's like having a cup of coffee before having my cup of coffee.
Besides this podcast, giving me great joy.
Just usual stuff, you know, like record cleaning.
(24:47):
Going through my record collection and cleaning them and listening to music while I do it.
Record cleaning?
But cooking is one thing.
Like a chunk of the week I take care of the main part of making dinner.
And I listen to music or listen to an audible book or whatever.
And it's just a nice kind of decompression from work and then shifting into the next part of the day.
(25:09):
So, yeah, record cleaning and cooking are the big ones for me.
Nice.
How about you, Don?
Well, I've gotten in the habit of kind of looking at the stars more at night.
I downloaded some app called Sky Guide.
And so it's, you just pointed your phone up at the sky and it'll tell you what star is what
and which piece of space garbage is orbiting at that moment.
(25:33):
But I mean, I think some people, like it sort of frightens them to look at the vast expanse of the universe.
But to me, it kind of gives me a sense of wonder and mystery.
And I like that and probably makes my problems feel smaller, I think.
Plus, you're constantly on the hunt for the continuum transfunctioner.
(25:54):
That is not the continuum transfunctioner.
Of course it is.
Well, what do you do to feel better?
Let us know on Instagram and Facebook or leave a comment on our website, AlbumNerds.com.
All right, it is my turn.
I went with Bon Jovi and their 1986 album Slippery When Wet.
(26:17):
Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in Servill, New Jersey, led by John Bon Jovi, of course.
Arena rock, pop sensibilities.
And of course, the lineup guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such,
and drummer Tico Torres, those big anthemic choruses, big hooks, relatable themes.
(26:38):
And they really put their stamp on things in 1986 with this album.
Why don't we jump in to Living on a Prayer?
So, Living on a Prayer is an anthem of perseverance and hope.
(26:59):
The story of Tommy and Gina, working class couple.
He seems to be maybe a musician since his sixth string is in hock.
And it's driven by that iconic talk box riff that Sambora does.
That song became a defining rock anthem of the 80s, but it's so uplifting and it's so celebratory sounding,
(27:25):
even though it's kind of about struggles of life, but love will bring you through and we can make it,
even if we don't make it in our dreams of careers, we're still together and that's all that really matters.
Give it a shot.
I've never seen Bon Jovi live, but I can just picture the arena just all going,
what?
Going on like that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, that soaring chorus.
(27:46):
Yeah, just made for that.
Yeah, Bruce Fairburn, the producer, really helped them put together.
This is our third album and they didn't quite land like this did.
And he helped them put together that great mix of sing-along anthems
with some more intricate than usual lyrics at points, I'd say more Bruce Springsteen-y storytelling type things
(28:09):
than some of their contemporaries at the time.
I'm not talking, it's not comparing to Bruce Springsteen more compared to say like a poison or something.
Yeah, okay.
There was a little bit more bite to their lyrics.
Mike Clickbait headlined to describe Slippery When Wet.
Combat cabin fever by transforming your living room into a hard rock heaven.
Crank up on Jovi's Slippery When Wet and rock out.
(28:30):
I know I did.
It's just a massive sounding album with lyrics about dreaming big,
surviving heartbreak, never giving up.
That kind of fits nice in the winter time.
Desmond Child co-writer on many of these songs later to co-write with bands like Aerosmith
and Bruce Fairburn, the producer, also produced Permanent Vacation by Aerosmith.
(28:52):
So this era of making these hard rock acts a little more living room friendly.
Why don't we jump into another landmark song, well known, a little grittier.
This one's called Wanted, Dead or Alive.
I'm a cowboy on the steel horse I ride.
I want it, want it.
(29:13):
This is the third single off of Slippery When Wet.
Kind of how John views himself as sort of like a cowboy kind of on the outskirts of society,
kind of love and hate it both at the same time.
I found a good quote here from him.
Viewing himself as a young band of thieves riding to town, stealing the money, the girls and the booze
before the sun came up.
(29:34):
Group of bandits.
Kind of love it.
I think that's, is that 12 string guitar?
Probably.
I mean, Richie Sambora at times on stage would have three necks on his guitar.
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,
but like if you go watch the videos, there's so many.
(29:55):
All strings.
So 80s.
Harp.
Yeah, I really, really enjoyed that song for my youth.
But also today I still, still just very catchy and anthemic and it is a little, a little badass, a little badass.
My clickbait headline for Slipper Ruin Wet is Danger, extremely catchy and accessible hair metal act incoming.
(30:17):
Warning.
Yeah, should be an alarm going off.
No, you know, I do enjoy this record.
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,
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,
(30:42):
really the whole group is pretty good looking guys, you know, jumped around on stage.
I think guys had a pretty strong female following if I recall.
I'd rock them all.
Yeah.
Got that loaded six string on your back, you know, what else are you going to do?
Yeah, millions of faces and he rocked them all.
I think you're right about the sort of pop sensibilities and somewhat goofiness at times,
(31:05):
like the opening track, Let It Rock is so Def Leppard-esque.
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.
So buckle up.
Very on the nerves.
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.
(31:27):
I think that's why it's so uplifting and a lot of people love this.
You know, I was so popular and they're filling up huge stadiums.
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,
with the 80s brass sounds at the beginning and then like cheesy lyrics about double Ds and stuff.
(31:52):
Yeah, it's definitely the cringiest track here.
Sometimes they like with the album title and I know like what the original album cover was supposed to look like.
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.
And it's almost like they felt like they had to throw it in or something.
Well, I think that's what this album is.
(32:13):
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.
And some of the songs were trying like a tasting menu of those of those sounds, you know, different styles.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think they're at their best when they're when it's like the plight of the working man or something.
I think that's yeah.
And even like you give love a bad name where they kind of flip that whole love thing and turning heartbreak into celebration somehow.
(32:42):
You know, that was the first song I remember from this album and thinking it was super bad ass at the time.
I was a little kid, so didn't take much for me to be impressed.
But yeah, I love that song, too.
All right. Well, why don't we check out another song that's a little different, got a little different vibe to it.
This is the closing track, Wild in the Streets.
Remember all the boys looking how to take with the girl next door.
(33:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, of course, hailing from New Jersey.
You know, there's there's definitely a Springsteen vibe to a lot of this album.
And again, that that sort of working class grit that it has.
This one actually feels more like like John Cafferty, like that that version of the the Springsteen.
(33:28):
What the Georgia Satellites guy?
No, the Eddie and the Cruisers guy on the dark side.
Gotcha.
But yeah, you know, like a like a Springsteen song, it's that youth culture and rebellion in a small town setting.
And then he has some really good lines.
And I like the sidewalk soldiers sing the midnight blues.
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.
(33:55):
And so I'm imagining maybe some of those lines or things that people maybe they called each other sidewalk soldiers or something.
Because it sounds very Jersey to me.
Yeah. All right.
Well, my clickbait headline for Slippery When Wet is songwriting is like walking on a wet floor.
You can glide to greatness or you can slip on blue collar rock cliches.
(34:16):
So, I mean, you've got three anthems on this on this album and they're all great in their own way.
So, I mean, they've they do some great songwriting on this album.
And then, you know, other times that, you know, it just doesn't quite work.
So, I would say it's an uneven album.
But I've definitely warmed to this over the years.
I think back in the day, I was probably upset that Duran Duran wasn't dominating MTV anymore.
(34:41):
And it was this new breed of kind of hair metal acts.
But yeah, I mean, I think I like this album now.
I still don't I don't really love Bon Jovi as a singer.
I mean, he's not the only one that sounds constipated in this era.
But his version of it, I think, doesn't quite work for me.
But, you know, he definitely has a charisma and I guess a knack for a good line here and there.
(35:07):
Wow, that's pretty lukewarm from down there.
Yeah, actually, he was a little harder on it than you were, which I expected you to be the wet blanket on this party.
I do want to be in the crowd going, whoa.
I want to be part of that scene.
(35:28):
Yeah, I'd love to be on this tour.
I mean, it's probably pretty wild, getting wild in the streets.
Yeah, that's right.
Don, you mentioned that album cover that originally was supposed to be like a lady in a ripped shirt, just her chest.
Apparently, the band didn't like it and they were trying to come up with something else.
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.
(35:54):
Took a picture and that was the cover.
That's the story they tell.
That was like the makeshift slip and slide.
You just take garbage back.
A couple of other songs, I think, that are worthy of mentioning really quick.
Without Love, I think is a really nice love song, a little less hair metal, a little more straightforward rock.
(36:16):
Yeah.
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.
I think that one was a pretty big hit too.
It's got to be on the encore, I would imagine, right?
Oh, yeah.
Never say goodbye.
(36:37):
All right. So yeah, Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet.
Awesome. Uplifting, hair lifting, rock and roll.
So if you're feeling a little down, pop that in and enjoy.
Can you dig it?
Can you dig it?
Can you dig it?
All right. Well, we've been living on a high note all week.
(37:01):
I get it.
And living on a prayer too, right?
That's right.
But did you find time to dig anything else?
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
I did. I got a few things here in my little cloud up in cuckoo land here.
First one from me is singer-songwriter, UK dance artist, FKA Twigs.
(37:26):
She has a new album out.
First one in five years.
It's called, I think it's pronounced U-A-Sexua.
Not exactly sure. I think it's a new word.
U-Sexua. U-Sexua. Yeah, I don't know.
Yeah, let's play the title cut.
Maybe she'll say it for us.
Sounded like U-Sexua.
(37:47):
Is that like saying you sexy?
It's a British way of saying that apparently.
It's a very interesting record.
Lots of more dance-orientated moments, but some very quiet, ambient moments.
Very sexy, much of female empowerment theme throughout.
All right. And then the last one for me is probably my favorite record of the year to date.
From group Rose City Band.
(38:09):
They have a new album out called Soul e Sombra, which I guess is a alcoholic breakfast drink served in Europe.
Okay.
Let's play the opening cut, Lights on the Way.
Yeah, kind of sounds like a slowed down traveling Wilburys song.
(38:31):
Yeah, totally.
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.
Really enjoying it.
I can't recommend those guys enough.
Probably the coolest kind of psychedelic rock I've heard in the last few years.
What you been digging on down?
Well, I found a band called Michigander.
And so they have a self-titled debut, of course, called Michigander.
(38:55):
So Michigander is formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2014, but they're just, I guess, finally getting around to putting out a full album.
It's actually kind of like the Lightning Seeds.
Seems like it's basically a solo project for this guy named Jason Singer.
So here's a track called I'll Be Okay.
(39:18):
Kind of sounds Lindsay Buckingham-ish there.
Yeah.
And kind of a sort of a god in the goth rock circles.
Peter Murphy is back with a new album called Silver Shade.
It doesn't come out until May 9th, but he has a track out with Trent Reznor.
It's called Swoon.
(39:43):
Sounds kind of like when David Bowie was doing the industrial thing.
Yeah.
That's true.
That could be fun.
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.
How about you, dude?
All right.
So I stumbled upon an artist, Barty's Strange.
The album is Horror.
(40:05):
I saw a clip on YouTube or something where he's performing on Jimmy Kimmel or Jimmy something, one of those guys.
This is his third studio album.
The album is co-produced with Jack Antonoff, delves into themes of fear and uncertainty, blending genres like indie rock rap and soul.
And it's pretty unique sounding.
(40:26):
Let's listen to a little bit of Bexik Vantan.
Still kind of trying to figure this one out.
Sounds interesting.
Yeah.
We'll see how I feel about it later on in the year.
But right now it's keeping my attention.
So all this searching for uplifting music and record cleaning, I went back through stuff that I haven't cleaned.
(40:50):
I'm now going through the A's of my collection and I happen to have this self-titled album by Asia from 1982.
It marked the formation of a super group with members of King Crimson, Yes, The Buggles, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
And it's this blend of progressive rock and mainstream pop.
So like short prog rock songs, kind of interesting.
(41:12):
But we all know this one, Heat of the Moment.
Asia may be best known for being a poster in the 40 year old Virgin on Andy's apartment.
Not this Andy.
You framed an Asia poster?
I had nothing to do with that.
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.
(41:38):
And I enjoyed it.
Can't wait till you get to Europe.
Well, what are you digging?
Let us know.
Join us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram and threads.
Also on our website, albumnerds.com.
It will be a discovery of extraordinary value.
(42:00):
Well, it's about that time on the show.
Never mind of the great American singer and songwriter, Willie Nelson.
He is great.
Willie once said, Willie said, once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.
Sure he wasn't talking about drug tests.
That part too.
All right.
(42:21):
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.
When country meets pop, magic can happen.
Next time, you will be exploring country crossover successes.
Albums and artists that broke genre barriers, topped the charts and brought a little twang to the mainstream.
(42:46):
So country crossover success.
Some twangy fool finding their way onto the pop charts.
I love it.
There's some really good options here, I think, guys.
I'm excited to see where we land.
Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart.
No, no.
I don't know if that's going to be one of them, but we'll see.
All right, well, what's your favorite country crossover album?
(43:07):
What else are you listening to?
Email us at podcast at albumnerds.com.
Also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, threads and bluesky at albumnerds.
Please visit albumnerds.com to suggest topics for the show, peruse the Hall of Fame and listen to all 279 episodes.
And the best way to support this show is to share it.
Please subscribe, rate and review on your favorite podcast app.
(43:28):
Tell your friends.
Thank you for joining us once again on the Album Nerds podcast.
We'll catch you next time, crossing over to the other side.
Thanks for listening, everybody.
Catch you next week.
I'm a cowboy.
I knew it.
We've done this before.
On a steel horse I ride.
Yeah, but people really liked it and they wanted to hear it again.
Oh, yeah.
The encore was serious.
(43:49):
I'm wanted, wanted.
General of my heart.
You're welcome.
Yeah, you see Don coming with that sixth string.
He walked the other side of the street.
Yeah, he carries around a karaoke machine on his back.
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