It's highbrow time at Record Collecting HQ! I discuss the life and times of one Ludwig van Beethoven (the famous grandson, not the grandfather), talk about the shift from the eighteenth century, full of Reason and the Classical Era, and the nineteenth century, which ushered in the dawn of Romanticism. I talk tinnitus and fear of heights, as well as getting back on my soapbox to bitch about the vagaries of classification.

Let's dance this mess around! I tackle our first 12" single here at Record Collecting HQ, with four versions of the Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland. While the song is fun, the story behind the scenes is much less so. I pop off about Reagan, particularly re: the AIDS crisis.

A bit tardy to the party, as I get back into the rhythm of regular recording again. We have a great slice of early 80s new wave, ABC's Lexicon of Love. I talk about hooks, lyrics, early music videos, Bravo reality stars, and much more!

Note: I apologize in advance--I was too lazy to drag out my pop filter, and my plosives and aspirations are out of control.

The bitch is back! My turntable has a brand spanking-new cartridge, and I'm ready to play records and tell you what I think!

The single under discussion: Another Day and Oh Woman, Oh Why by Paul McCartney. I touch on credits, publishing, the interminable Apple lawsuits, the patriarchy, and Weird Paul for a little less than eight minutes.

Nope, no Nirvana (yet); just a brief announcement/explanation why there haven't been the anticipated posts. I'll be running two weeks behind for the duration of this batch, but I will be getting to everything I planned.

Remember kids: lock your tone arm before you put the turntable cover on. Your stylus will thank you.

Drugs! Dysfunction! Harmonies!

As the folk-rock-pop band turns, I recount the twists, turns, acid, and petty fraud that brought John, Michelle, Denny, and Cass together, as well as tearing them apart.

Working on this episode has also spurred a side project: a list of Rock's Biggest Sh!theads.

* Note: if knowing what you know about John Phillips would make listening to me mention his name psychological unsafe for you, I totally understand if you want to give this a pass. I stick to the formation of the Mamas and the Papas through 1966, so the other stuff isn't mentioned, but still.

The inaugural mini-episode focusing on singles! As one might expect from a Beatles superfan, the first single under discussion comes to us from The Fab Four. I talk about a bit about how singles were listened to, John's ego death crisis, the mutual admiration society between the Beatles and Fats Domino, George's Indian-inspired output, and my all-Beatles running playlist. All in under 10 minutes!

Imagine my delight when I came across this record in the bins! In the early '80s, I definitely wanted my MTV, and Tracey Ullman brought her sketch comedy bonafides to the music video. Her short-lived career as a pop singer was a bit of a lark, but we have this, a loving tribute to '60s pop. I talk about Doris Day, Kirsty MacColl, and Debbie Harry in addition to Tracey Ullman, so we've really got a celebration of awesome women in entertainment here.

*Note: due to an unfortunately timed software update, my audio clips from the album were unusable. However, I've added links to the songs in the show notes.

Greetings commies, pinkos, and fellow travelers! We have our first live album (second if we count comedy), Joan Baez in Concert Vol. 2. I discuss the economics of record collecting, the link between folk music and progressive causes, and the variations and alternate versions of many folk songs, particularly We Shall Overcome. Bob Dylan's name is mentioned more than I anticipated.

Also, I didn't mention it in the episode, but I have a new turntable, so the quality of the audio files ripped from the album has improved!

What with seeing Paul McCartney in concert on Tuesday, followed by Thanksgiving on Thursday, I found myself on the back foot. I'm a dollar short and a day late (well, a few hours late), and I'm all out of audio clips, but I find the wherewithal to discuss budget labels, the Wrecking Crew, Las Vegas, and my difficulty remembering names.