Guest Jacob T. Simons joins us to close season 7 as we discuss Bob Dylan's 1981 album Shot of Love. The third installment in Dylan's largely maligned "Christian trilogy," this release is the most diverse of the three albums and worthy of reevaluation. Stick around after the discussion for our season wrap-up! 

Guest Jared Thiele takes us into the fascinating world of French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. We learn about Ponty's career path as both a solo artist and session player while we listen to a mid-period album that finds his trademark violin surrounded by synthesizers.  

Music journalist and compilation producer Adam Mattera is our guest as we discuss Scottish singer Sheena Easton. A massive star in the early 1980s, this somewhat overlooked third album wasn't a big seller but is a great showcase for her talents as a vocalist and song interpreter.  

Melonie Bayl-Smith returns to the program with an album by the Irish band Clannad. Released at a turning point in their career in the early 1980s, the album sees the group mixing their established traditional folk sound with contemporary, cutting-edge technology to great commercial success.  

Co-host Jeremy revisits our opening theme of season 7 by featuring an LP released during the vinyl revival. We listen to the only widely available release by Milwaukee rock band Head On Electric. Released in 2011, the album features a surprising mix of influences and came together through interesting circumstances.  

We are joined by Philadelphia-based rapper and producer ialive to uncover the legacy of South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. In a proud IBT tradition, we listen to the album which followed Masekela's breakout hit. While not a commercial success, the work is a bold and enduring personal statement.  

The classic IBT trio listens to the debut from American singer Rachel Sweet. Recorded when Sweet was sixteen years old, the album is stylistically all over the place, aided by the top musicians of the UK pub rock scene based around Stiff Records. We learn about her music career and gradual turn toward acting and television.  

Co-host Jeremy takes us back to the beginning of the career of American singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young. Best known as the singer of the Youngbloods' Sixties generational anthem "Get Together,"  Young's solo career began several years earlier. This 1964 album is rooted in folk and blues, consisting of only Jesse's voice and his guitar.  

Co-host Sean introduces the crew to the music of American flutist Ernie Mansfield. A gifted composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, this 1983 release on Catero Records demonstrates his somewhat uncategorizable blend of jazz, classical, and beyond.  

Guest Marissa Mele returns to the podcast as we discuss Nigerian jùjú musician King Sunny Adé. We look at the origins of his music and explore how this pioneering worldbeat figure found international acclaim in the 1980s.