See Hear

By Kerry Fristoe, Tim Merrill, Maurice BursztynskiTV & Film Film Interviews Music Music History

See Hear episodes

October 18 See Hear Episode 140 - Whiplash
So, I came up with an idea a couple of months back (it does happen once in a while). I wanted to see if we could get a second shorter episode of See Hear fitted in every month with different co hosts. We'd call these episodes See Hear Shorts (clever, huh).

Unfortunately....we couldn't make this work. One a month is (for the moment) our limit. However, before this became apparent, I recorded one episode of this new format....with a marvellous new theme tune composed by Max Bursztynski.

Welcome to episode 140 of See Hear Podcast.

See Hear Shorts was not destined to be, but I have a perfectly good conversation to use for an episode of See Hear proper.

I'm joined by Eric Senich of the excellent Booked On Rock podcast. He suggested we talk about the 2014 film Whiplash. How do you discuss a film with so much packed into it in 20 minutes? Tune in an find out. Does anyone win in a scenario where the push for excellence includes cruelty? Is J.K. Simmons treatment of the musicians in his jazz ensemble justifiable to make them the best he believes they can be at the expense of their humanity? We can't solve this in a film discussion podcast, but we give it a crack.

My huge thanks to Eric for joining me, and we will bring him back for a longer episode of See Hear. Tune into Booked On Rock to hear fascinating stories from a a wide range of authors on music history or criticism. Tune in at your favourite podcast app or check out his website https://www.bookedonrock.com/

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour.

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30 min
September 22 See Hear 139 - "That'll Be The Day" and "Stardust"
There are many great films with narcissists as the lead character. There
are films about characters behaving poorly because society says it's
not only allowed but encouraged. We at See Hear felt that rock and
roll cinema has its share of narcissistic characters who behave
poorly with society's blessing....so we've picked not one, but two
films that highlight this behaviour.

Welcome to episode 139 of See Hear podcast.

In the early 70s, nostalgia for the 50s was getting started. George
Lucas was releasing one of the handful of films he made that didn't
involve robots, walking carpets, and mysterious men in robes. That
film was American Graffiti and it was set to a soundtrack of early
rock and roll. In 1973, producer David Puttnam and writer Ray
Connolly put together a story set in the same time period, but with a
far grittier storyline. That story became That'll Be The Day, a film
about a working class teenager Jim Maclaine who like many British
youth caught the rock and roll bug. He quits school and leaves home
(where he's desperately needed) to take a series of mundane jobs all
in the name of his freedom. He proceeds to treat everyone he knows
like dirt, all in the name of his personal freedom. He's far from
sympathetic, yet we're fascinated by him.

We also look at the film's 1974 sequel Stardust which has a Faustian
premise – be careful what you wish for. Maclaine becomes a rock and
roll star, and still treats those around him poorly....but he has
none of the freedom he thought being famous would bring him. If
That'll Be The Day was a 70s version of the kitchen sink drama,
Stardust is a rock biopic about a character who didn't exist, and
well before biopics became common. The films are stylistically very
different, but very much two halves of the one story.

Playing our anti-hero is pop star David Essex. By the time Stardust was
released, he was a bona fide pop sensation, and the films may have
served as a warning to him to treat people better than his character.
Providing support is Ringo Starr (in what is often cited to be his
greatest acting role), Keith Moon, Adam Faith, pre-JR Larry Hagman,
and many others. These films were huge in their day, with soundtracks
that sold in large numbers but are seemingly forgotten in the 21st
century.

Tim, Kerry and I were rapt to be joined by co hosts of Stinking Pause and
Reel Britannia, Scott, Charlie, “Shakin'” Steven and Paul. These
films are SO British, we couldn't NOT do them without their
contributions to the conversation. 7 people on a podcast chat? Trust
me, it worked....and hopefully you'll find it entertaining. We talk
about kitchen sink dramas, nostalgia, rock and roll versus trad jazz
in England representing the class wars, rock musicians who live in a
state of arrested development, letting a record company's back
catalogue dictate the soundtrack (sort of) rather than the writers,
England's David Cassidy, and so much more. We forgot to talk about
how when Ringo turns the other cheek, it's not the ones on his
face......so I mention it here....

Our huge thanks go to the fine gents of Stinking Pause and Reel Britannia for joining in a lively conversation and educating us in British film history. You can find them at:
https://stinkingpause.libsyn.com/ or at https://reelbritannia.libsyn.com/ or on the podcast app of your choice. We're looking forward to our next collaboration with the chaps.

Check your streaming service to see if the films are available....or go and
track down a double DVD set from Studio Canal with both films.

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

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1 hr 20 min
August 20 See Hear Podcast episode 138 - Interview with Skizz Cyzyk about "Freaks In Love"
The exciting thing about doing See Hear podcast is that the three of us
never know what the others are going to pick for discussion. This is
not just relevant for film purposes, but musically, two of us may not
be at all familiar with what the third person has picked....and so
Tim selected this episode's film, Freaks In Love, a 2011 documentary
about NYC band, Alice Donut.
Welcome to episode 138 of See Hear Podcast.

It would be fair to say that Kerry and I had never heard any of the
music of Alice Donut. They're a punk band with a flair for poppy
melodies. They can serve up equal amounts of wild, crazy music and
very dark subject matter. They're a band who declare they stood
against the music of Ray Parker Jr and Huey Lewis (apologies to those
who enjoy those artists). On stage, they were anarchic, but offstage,
they're free of the sorts of egos and behaviour that destroy many
bands. Sure, they've argued – they're human beings – but this is
a portrait of a group of musicians who enjoy each others' company as
well as the music they make together.

The added bonus to Tim picking this film is that we discovered one of the directors is friend of the show, Skizz Cyzyk. We didn't have to twist
his arm too hard to get him to come back and talk about his film and
the musicians that welcomed him into their world. He specialises in
films about “outsider” music, and he would openly say so. Thank
goodness for people like Skizz documenting the history that would
otherwise pass us by. Check out our previous episodes with him on
Icepick To The Moon and Sound Mechanic.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Chet Mazur.

You can watch “Freaks In Love” on Youtube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWL5-XFGKgc&t=4108s

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 10 min
July 31 See Hear Podcast 137 - The Commitments
In the early 90s, things were radically changing for music. After a decade where music in the mainstream was often beholden to production excess, gated drums, and where there was ofte more polish on a recording than on a hospital floor, underground bands (for a time) brought things back to
basics in the wider arena. Guitar riffs, hooks, and volume became the
norm again (for a time). So, how did a film about a group of Dublin
youths playing tough 1960s soul – as well as its soundtrack –
become one of the biggest phenomenons around in 1991, the same year
as Nevermind?

Welcome to episode 137 of See Hear....sort of.

In early July, Kerry and I recorded an episode of Reel Britannia with our dear friends Scott and Tom (of the Banned Biographies podcast). I knew Scott was recording an episode dedicated to Alan Parker's 1991 film The
Commitments, and I pushed Kerry and my way onto the episode.....this
is one of my favourite films ever, and knew we had to be part of the
conversation. Scott has very graciously allowed me to put this
episode on the See Hear feed as well. We will be welcoming the RB
crew for an episode of See Hear in September, so it's a cross
pollination thing going, you see.

At the time of recording, it was a mere few weeks before the tragic death of Glen Hansard who was part of the Commitments ensemble. Because of its recording date, there is obviously no mention or tribute to this
great musician (and from all accounts, a wonderful human being). We
now dedicate this episode to his memory.

We have a wonderful conversation about the power of music to bring people together, and the power of ego to tear the apart. Despite the film having a string element of social realism, this is no dire tale of the hardship of existence. Jimmy Rabbitte is a young music fan (played by Robert
Arkins, not Argyle as I stupidly say in the podcast) who puts
together a soul band – the music of the working class in his
estimation – to bring joy to Dublin. What follows is an exercise in
what happens when he brings 11 people together to play some of the
most joyous and heartbreaking popular music of the 20th century. They
form a microcosm of society who can achieve greatness and tear at
each other. These youth learn to have aspirations greater than the
hand that their hard lives have dealt them. Sounds serious, right?
Nup – it's as funny as all get out, while still making some serious
points about how people can love and hate each other all at once.
Oh...did I say, it has the most brilliant (if jukebox) soundtrack?

Kerry and I had an amazing time with Scott and Tom, and hope you enjoy. You can download the show from our feed or you can subscribe to Reel Britannia and get it there. It's always a treat to listen to their discussions about British cinema (and yes, we know The Commitments is Irish – we
justify its place on RB).

You can find RB at https://reelbritannia.libsyn.com/ or wherever you get podcasts.

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 39 min
July 21 See Hear Podcast Episode 136 - The Music Never Stopped
It is often said that music is the great uniter....people are
connected by a common love of music. Whoever said that hasn't spent
any time in an online music discussion forum. One person declares
their love of a particular musician, and the next thing we see are
anonymous posts from society's music experts on why that person's
pick is rubbish. Music CAN unite us, but it can also divide us.

Welcome to episode 136 of See Hear Podcast.
Kerry and I are thrilled to welcome back our brother, Tim Merrill after a
needed absence. Our trio are back to discuss any manner of
music-films. Our first round table in a while is the 2011 film, The
Music Never Stopped. It's based on a case study by neurologist Oliver
Sacks called The Last Hippie. The central protagonist has a large but
benign tumour removed from his brain. The damage done to his
hippocampus means he struggles to make new memories, and can only
speak in short bursts. However, it's discovered that when he is asked
about music, he returns to some sort of normality, particularly when
asked about The Grateful Dead.

The film differs from the case study in that it makes the story about the
patient's (named Gabriel in the film) relationship with his father.
We see Gabriel grow up originally engaged in his father's musical
taste. However, as Gabe grows up during the late 60s in America
during the era when teens were raging against the Vietnam conflict,
the values of their parents, and were going in a very different
musical direction, he storms out of home and is not seen for 20
years. When Gabe's parents rediscover where he is, Gabe's father
(played by the wonderful J.K. Simmons) has to reconcile that to
reconnect with his son, he has to forsake Bing Crosby for The
Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead.

Like all good music films, there's more tackled here than the power of
music to unite or divide. There's generation gap issues, mental
health, family bonds, and the fragility of the brain. Search for the
film on American Tubi (point your VPN to the US if you live
elsewhere).

It was so great to be reunited with Tim. I can assure you he's picked
something very different for next month's film discussion....

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr
June 20 See Hear Podcast 135 - Interview with Mary Zournazi, director of "My Rembetika Blues"
The origins of popular American and English music forms like blues, jazz, rock and folk are well documented in the English-speaking world (and possibly the non-English speaking world). So, when a film comes along that looks at something outside of that realm, I find my interest piqued.
Welcome to episode 135 of See Hear Podcast.

Greek-Australian film maker and academic Mary Zournazi decided she wanted to make a personal documentary about the history of Rembetika music, and its origins. I say “personal” because the story she presents is through the lens of her family history. This is no ordinary documentary about “this thing happening leading to that thing happening”. She goes back to the story of her grandmother being a refugee during the Greco-Turkish war of the early 1920s, and how that war led to the environment of Greek diaspora refugees resettling in Piraeus and Thessaloniki. Many of these people brought their musical expertise and started playing in hash dens, singing songs of hard times – hence, why Rembetika is often called the blues of Greece.
Mary’s 2021 documentary My Rembetika Blues does what all good music documentaries should do – it tells us as much about social circumstances as it does about music. She tells her family story, speaks to historians, musicians, instrument makers, a rap artist who links Rembetika to his modern style of performing, and a clergyman who is also a musicologist explaining the structure of the ancient Middle Eastern styles that led to Rembetika.
Tim is still on leave, but Kerry and I had a brilliant time chatting with Mary about her film and personal history. This is a film that should be seen by anyone with a wider interest in music, and how history dictates its development. We’re hugely grateful for her time.
You can watch the film on Video On Demand at
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/myrembetikablues2 or if you’re a Kanopy member (and why wouldn’t you be), check to see if it’s on your library’s film catalogue.
If you want to watch the Costas Ferris film Rembetiko directed by Costas Ferris that served as Mary’s inspiration to investigate Rembetika music, it’s on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZXSjtZ0P1I

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 9 min
May 14 See Hear Podcast Episode 134 - Interview with producer Christine La Monte about her film Viva Verdi
Those of us fortunate enough to have employment in our chosen field should have (in theory) a pension / superannuation plan to take care of us in our autumn years. Sadly, some professions including ones that
bring us most joy don’t always look after the practitioners. Opera
composer Giuseppi Verdi knew that so he did something about it.

Welcome to episode 134 of See Hear Podcast.

It’s our first episode back after a hiatus, and what a film we have to
talk about. Kerry and I were thrilled to have film producer Christine
La Monte join us. She and director Yvonne Russo have brought into the
world a film guaranteed to bring happiness to all who see it – Viva
Verdi!

Giuseppi Verdi seems to have been a rare beast in the arts world – he was financially secure into his later years. He realised that many of his
fellow travellers however (composers, musicians, singers) did not
have a pension in their later years when they could not work. Verdi
had a philanthropic background, and so he decided to develop a
retirement home for musicians.

The documentary Viva Verdi takes a look at the residents of Casa Verdi
over the last few years. All these musicians (mostly in their 80s and
90s) are still vital and have stories to tell and work to do. Keeping
musically active in the retirement home helps keep dementia at bay,
and makes the residents feel as important as they ever were.
Christine tells us about her childhood love of opera when her peers
were into rock and roll, the wonderful people she and Yvonne met,
Verdi’s generosity….and Kerry and I agree that Viva Verdi was
robbed at the Oscars.

We also briefly explore another opera related documentary Christine
produced “Ai Weiwei's Turandot”. As opposed to Viva Verdi which
celebrates the individual, the Aiweiwei documentary looks at the
themes of opera to celebrate the collective. It’s social commentary
in a world gone mad.
At the time of posting this, Viva Verdi is only available for streaming
in North America, though, Christine is working on a wider
distribution method. It's having limited cinema screenings in the US,
or it can be streamed at https://www.jolt.film/ (if you're outside
the US, you'll need to turn on your VPN...don't get me started on
these archaic region rules....) It's a wonderful film and worth the
effort. Our conversation, however, is self contained, so you can
listen and enjoy without having seen the film.

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com
Send us feedback via email at [email protected]
Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 13 min
February 14 See Hear Podcast - Current State of Play
Maurice makes an announcement about See Hear's's status for a period of time.

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5 min
December 29, 2025 See Hear Episode 133 - Get Crazy
Aaaaah, 80s cinema. When asked to think about films from the 80s, chances are you recall blockbuster adventures featuring an archaeologist carrying a whip or dancing as a form of rebellion or taking a day off from school and getting into hijinks. If the backers of a film by Allan Arkush hadn't decided to go adopt the Bialystock principle to film
production, it's possible that a chaotic comedy about a rock concert
on New Year's Eve at a theatre modelled on the Fillmore East may also
have been fondly recalled by many people.

Welcome to episode 133 of See Hear.
In 1983, film director and music nerd (and previous See Hear guest)
Allan Arkush wanted to make a film mildly recalling his days working
at the Fillmore East while studying at NYU. He had to make certain
changes to get it financed, but the backers did everything they could
to get that film sunk for tax reasons. That film was Get Crazy. The
story behind it is as frustrating as the film itself is entertaining...and Kerry, Charlie and I get into both aspects.
The film is a live-action cartoon with the old-fashioned elements of
“let's put on a show” and villains who want to destroy the theatre the show is playing in at any cost. It's a film that could only have been made at this time....Malcolm McDowell, Lee Ving, and Bill Henderson show how to be a front man for a band. There are so many jokes that don't land...and many more that do. That doesn't matter. The backers wanted this film to ride the popularity of Airplane / Flying High....and despite Arkush's original plans for the film to be a more serious consideration of his early memories, it works a treat as a musical comedy of bizarre proportions.
If you haven't seen Get Crazy, there's a beautiful blu ray available
from Kino Lorber, or it's on Youtube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrIRmMNi800&t=504s
It's wonderful to have Charlie of the Stinking Pause podcast on an ongoing basis while Tim is taking a well needed break.
All the best to our listeners as we say farewell / piss off to 2025.
Happy new year to us all.
If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on iTunes and let your friends know that our show
exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....
See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com
Send us feedback via email at [email protected]
Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast
You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 9 min
November 26, 2025 See Hear Podcast Episode 132 - Nashville
Backstabbing, faux-sincerity, clawing one's way to the top, class division, those at the top thumbing their noses at those further down the ladder....all political concepts, right? Actually, all of this is in
reference to the 1975 Robert Altman film “Nashville” about the
country music scene....which in itself serves as a political
allegory.

Welcome to episode 132 of See Hear.

In the early seventies, Robert Altman was becoming known as a director of ensemble pieces without the usual approach to narrative. He could be seen as being part of the New Hollywood that emerged in the late 60s, but truth is, he was a film maker unto himself....as different from everything else that was going on as other directors that emerged in this period were to what came before. He already had some hugely important films like M*A*S*H and The Long Goodbye, but to many, Nashville is considered his masterpiece.
It featured multiple storylines surrounding musicians, hangers on, lovers, and political strategists. The film takes place over 5 days leading up to a concert supporting a presidential candidate. In between, we musical performances that reflect the political era – some in bars, some in the Grand Ol' Opry, some in hotel rooms. The film shows many of these people in a poor light – some are greedy, some are deluded, all are desperate. Many of the songs in this film were composed by the
actors, leaving the Nashville music fraternity annoyed that they
weren't consulted, and that these pesky Northerner actors thought
they could understand what country music was about. Altman must have been forgiven as his final film many years later was A Prairie Home
Companion (a very early See Hear podcast focus).

Tim is taking a few shows off, so wasn't available, but Kerry and I were thrilled to be joined by co-host of the Stinking Pause Podcast (and occasionally Reel Britannia) Charlie Mahoney. He's a confessed Altman fan and brought some wonderful conversation and insight. We look forward to welcoming him back to future shows.

If you’ve been enjoying the show, please consider giving us a favourable review on iTunes and let your friends know that our show exists. If you don't enjoy the show, tell your adversaries to tune in. We don't care who listens.....

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

Send us feedback via email at [email protected]

Join the Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/seehearpodcast

You can download the show by searching for See Hear on whatever podcast app you favour (except Spotify).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 23 min

About See Hear

From the publisher's feed

See Hear is a monthly podcast dedicated to the discussion of musically themed films - narratives or documentaries. Join hosts Tim, Kerry and Maurice as they tenuously connect .Hated: The GG Allin…