Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

The sun is shining in the sky, there ain't a cloud in sight, and we're spending this beautiful new day with Out Of The Blue, the sweeping, shimmering double-LP by Electric Light Orchestra! In their attempt to bring light orchestra arrangements to the rock music world as a spiritual successor to The Beatles, the record features a diverse array of instruments and effects on big hits like Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, and the infamous Mr. Blue Sky! It's also one of the first prominent musical appearances of the vocoder. Find out if Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, and company can harness harmony, brass, and strings to win us over.

James & Connor talk about our own limited ELO experience, discover the difference between ELO 2 and ELO Part II, and clap our hands (if we're happy and we know it). We find out how the band dominated the live touring circuit with their special effects and million-dollar UFO, and The Mixtaper has explosive facts about fruity cello solos, pigs, and the longest bathroom break in rock history (if we can Believe Him Now). From its rhythmic opening to the Concerto for a Rainy Day and beyond, learn all about ELO with us!

What do YOU hear at the end of Mr. Blue Sky? Did you know what OK stood for? What songs would be your most under- and appropriately-rated? Let us know in the comments and on socials, and be sure to like and follow for more next time!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

4:59 About Electric Light Orchestra

11:47 About Out Of The Blue

16:08 The ELO Spaceship Stage

22:16 Awards & Accolades

22:56 Fact Or Spin

24:01 ELO Had An Alien Encounter

29:03 Knock Knock... An Orange Cello Solo

34:25 They're The Least Dangerous Rock Band In Britain

38:29 Emergency Pig Cellists

41:34 Bev Bevan Temporarily Joined Another Band

43:22 The Longest Bathroom Break In Rock History

47:20 Album Art

48:14 Turn To Stone

50:52 It's Over

52:21 Sweet Talkin' Woman

54:13 Across The Border

55:46 Night In The City

56:34 Starlight

58:02 Jungle

59:12 Believe Me Now

59:22 Steppin' Out

1:00:32 Standin' In The Rain (Concerto For A Rainy Day)

1:02:02 Big Wheels

1:02:34 Summer And Lightning

1:03:22 Mr. Blue Sky

1:06:26 Sweet Is The Night

1:07:43 The Whale

1:09:07 Birmingham Blues

1:10:12 Wild West Hero

1:12:26 Final Spin

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We want you to stay, and this week we're all Bittersuite and Blue with Billie Eilish's monumental 2024 album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT! After Ocean Eyes took the whisper-pop world by storm, and after setting various "youngest artist ever to..." records, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas crafted a rollercoaster of an album that features Grammy-winning hits like Wildflower and the nostalgic Birds Of A Feather! Will this album change preconceptions and win over our hesitant ballad guy??

James and Connor discuss our typical music ecosystems and emo-pop sensibilities, learn about the origin of her middle name(s), and figure out how many Phinneases we know. We'll cross paths with major hits like What Was I Made For?, get Spirited Away into Ghibli movies, and more! Our resident Bad Guy, The Mixtaper, is back with facts about llama dimensions, celebrity misconceptions, and Michael Scott for Fact Or Spin. Then, we'll explore the record end to end-- and maybe we could eat it for Lunch.

What would you change your middle name to if the options were unlimited? Where does this roller coaster record corkscrew for you? And can you think of any other Phineai we forgot to mention?! Let us know in the comments and on socials! Like and follow for more music soon!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

3:40 About Billie Eilish

19:02 About Hit Me Hard And Soft

26:44 Awards & Accolades

28:04 Fact Or Spin

29:20 Maurice The Executive Producer

33:57 She Was Baffled By Bono

37:07 She Thought The Spice Girls Were Not Real People

40:59 She Had To Fulfill A Special Request For My Strange Addiction

44:47 Album Art

47:14 Skinny

52:01 Lunch

55:54 Chihiro

58:25 Birds Of A Feather

1:01:48 Wildflower

1:03:53 The Greatest

1:06:31 L'amour De Ma Vie

1:09:46 The Diner

1:12:05 Bittersuite

1:13:53 Blue

1:16:06 Final Spin

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Darlin', we'll take care of you Along The Way with the audience-recommended album Darlin' Oh Darlin', by contemporary folk family The Hunts! These seven Virginia siblings got their start playing the fiddle in a family band (Von Trapp style), and evolved into an atmospheric, instrumentally-diverse powerhouse of love songs written by committee. Tracks like the half-title track and Peace Be Still turned into significant hits for the group! Find out how this band (new to both of us) fares in our respective rankings!

James & Connor learn about the family's rich history, from touring to engineering degrees. We'll talk about the merits and evolution of "stomp clap hey" music in the early 20-teens, discover the Victorian home studio the band used for the record, and their breakthrough placement on Starbucks' nationwide playlist. Heaven Knows what The Mixtaper has in store, with royal facts about the Queen, the Hunts Parliament, and a good old-fashioned county fair salmon toss. You've got to hear it to believe it!

Be honest, how far do you think you could throw the salmon?? Are we just overconfident? Are there enough Darlin's on this album? Too many? Let us know in the comments and on social media! Be sure to follow for more riveting shutter insights next time!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

2:10 About The Hunts

9:03 About Darlin' Oh Darlin'

12:49 Awards & Accolades

13:10 Fact Or Spin

14:46 A Riverdance For The Queen

19:40 By Royal Decree: Cheese And Crackers

27:48 The House Of Hunt

31:00 The Wimbledon Salmon-Tossing Win

41:05 Album Art

42:42 Darlin'

47:43 Along The Way

49:27 Peace Be Still

51:02 Heaven Knows

52:18 Travel

54:01 Far

55:04 Love Of Mine

56:14 Standing Small

56:55 Flowers And Jars

58:09 Years

58:39 Oh Darlin'

1:00:38 Final Spin

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Where's the party? Look no further than Connor's latest pick: True Blue by one of pop music's biggest legends, Madonna! After the Material Girl shook the music world with Like A Virgin, her 1986 "love album" delivered significant hits like Papa Don't Preach and La Isla Bonita! From her humble beginning to her musical theater days, we'll learn how Madonna Opened Her Heart to stir up controversy, evolve culture, and make straight-up dance bops. It's a piece the podcast has been missing. How will James compare her score with his previous Madonna rankings?

The Mixtaper is squaring off against Connor again with riveting facts about disastrous deliveries, dragons (amphitheres? wyrms? Whatever.), desecration, and a special round of Cher Bingo! Then we'll compare songs to video games, analyze vapidity, and learn about the film White Heat as we break down this record in all its '80s pop glory! Love Makes The World Go Round, and we love Madonna, so... maybe Spin It Makes The World Go Round after all. 

Is this a strong Madonna album? Does it stir up enough controversy, or is it a reasonable follow-up to the iconic LaV? Let us know your hot takes in the comments, or pop on over (Papa on over!) to our social media for more!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

7:13 About Madonna

17:29 About True Blue

24:37 Awards & Accolades

26:25 Fact Or Spin

27:25 Madonna Is A Material Girl (Who Can't Live In A Material World)

31:32 Madonna Doesn't Need Anyone To Rescue Her

37:46 She Disrespected La Isla Bonita

42:23 Cher Bingo: Who's That Girl?

52:23 Album Art

55:57 Papa Don't Preach

58:18 Open Your Heart

1:00:34 White Heat

1:02:39 Live To Tell

1:04:23 Where's The Party

1:06:46 True Blue

1:08:36 La Isla Bonita

1:11:26 Jimmy Jimmy

1:13:49 Love Makes The World Go Round

1:15:03 True Blue (The Color Mix) & La Isla Bonita Extended Remix

1:16:09 Final Spin

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The power's out in the hearts of man.. We're attending a Funeral with Arcade Fire's ice-cold concept album about life, death, change, and memory. From the opening Neighborhood suite (about devastating blizzards, space dogs, and time marching on), to mournful ballads like Crown Of Love and Haiti, we'll learn about the real-life events that inspired this album and explore the intricate symbolism that weaves throughout each track. It kicked off an incredibly successful career in the world of experimental, artsy indie rock, but how will it land on the Spin It score sheet?

James & Connor are talking birthday episodes! We walk through our familiarity (or lack thereof) with the band, find out why the original lineup quit mid-show, the band's activism, and more. The Mixtaper is a danger to arcades everywhere as we go house hunting through each neighborhood, with bobblehead thievery, a vertically inconvenient show, and hot dog girls. You won't want to miss this episode, so get In The Backseat and come along with us!

Which neighborhood are you living in? What elements of this concept album work the best for you? Do you think you could handle a personal travelling mariachi band? Let us know in the comments and on socials! Connor's picking our next record, so get ready for another special episode next time!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

3:56 About Arcade Fire

7:25 About Funeral

17:04 Awards & Accolades

18:35 Fact Or Spin

20:18 Neighborhood #1 (Bobblehead Theivery)

24:12 Neighborhood #2 (A Vertically Inconvenient Show)

28:02 Neighborhood #3 (A Night Of Neckties, Hotdog Girls, and Magic)

32:39 Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)

38:27 Album Art

41:50 Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

44:44 Neighborhood #2 (Laika)

47:22 Une Année Sans Lumière

48:48 Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

51:40 Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)

52:48 Crown Of Love

54:00 Wake Up

56:51 Haiti

58:58 Rebellion (Lies)

1:01:38 In The Backseat

1:04:02 Final Spin

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Welcome To The Jungle! We've got fun and games, and an Appetite For Destruction with Guns N' Roses powerful debut album! From the green grass of Paradise City to the screaming energy of the Night Train, the record features some of the band's biggest hits. We'll learn about their Guns AND Rose beginnings (it's more literal than you think), get into their endless bad ideas, and explore everything from Slash's iconic top hat to the decade-long making of Chinese Democracy. This album features gripping guitar solos, lyrics that are the essence of sex, drugs, & rock n' roll, and authentic moans... How will one of Connor's favorite metal bands score?

James & Connor talk about our GNR history, from marching bands to Guitar Hero. We criticize apostrophes, "ta," and more. The Mixtaper has an Appetite For Deception, as he's Out Ta Get Us with facts about a home zoo, a famous bedtime story, and the Mind-Boggling Tale Of Buckethead. Get your pooper scoopers ready. Our way, Axl Rose's way, Anything Goes on this wild episode as we kick off the Year Of Missing Pieces! 

Do you like the Guns side or the Roses side of the album better? Does Sweet Child O' Mine get stuck in your head? Will you ever be able to listen to Rocket Queen the same way again?? Let us know what's in your Paradise City on social media or at www.SpinItPod.com, and follow for more episodes (now biweekly)!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

0:25 The Year Of Missing Pieces

3:40 About Guns N' Roses

9:49 About Appetite For Destruction

24:13 Awards & Accolades

25:07 Fact Or Spin

26:27 Fast Fired Facts: ApPETite For Destruction

35:59 Slash Got A Famous Bedtime Story

39:19 Porn, Poop, And Chicken Coops: The Mind-Boggling Tale Of Buckethead

45:30 Someone Lost A Seat On A Plane To A Hat

53:07 Slash Is A Bit Of An Artist

56:30 Album Art

59:26 Welcome To The Jungle

1:03:46 It's So Easy

1:05:19 Nightrain

1:07:05 Out Ta Get Me

1:09:19 Mr. Brownstone

1:10:28 Paradise City

1:13:44 My Michelle

1:15:09 Think About You

1:16:08 Sweet Child O' Mine

1:19:05 You're Crazy

1:20:42 Anything Goes

1:21:56 Rocket Queen

1:24:01 Final Spin

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We have an announcement to make! After five straight years without missing a Friday release, we're making a change: we're going biweekly and releasing new episodes every other week. It'll still be the same podcast you know and love, just on a different schedule. We're hoping it will free us up to keep doing deep research and solid editing, while giving us some breathing room for big changes in our personal lives. And who knows, with more energy we might just be able to crank out more bonus content this year, too! Thanks for five great (nonstop) years, and we can't wait to see what the next era of Spin It has in store!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

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So you think you can tell Heaven from Hell? The Year Of Redemption comes to an epic conclusion this week as we review and rank Wish You Were Here, the sprawling concept album of absence by the ever-innovative Pink Floyd! After founding member and creative engine Syd Barrett had to step away from the band due to acute mental health concerns, the band processed their grief in the best way they knew how: through song. WWYH has gone down as one of the band's best, so we decided to find out why.

In our early days we explored Dark Side Of The Moon. Connor gave it a surprisingly low score... with five years of music and score calibration under our belts, will this record take the band to new heights? We'll talk about our expanding Pink Floyd fandom, learn about the tension that divided Gilmour and Waters, and more. We'll Have A Cigar with the Mixtaper as we learn about the 4-story hog that got away, a floating studio, and mesmerizing magma. Then we'll be Welcomed To The Machine with this iconic record! (Oh, and by the way.. which one's Pink?)

Shine On, You Crazy Diamond! Which part of the 20-minute suite is your favorite? Would you have a cigar with Pink Floyd? Have you ever seen a pig at 35,000 feet? Let us know in the comments and on socials! Be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you listen for the next era of Spin It!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

0:25 Last Time: Dark Side Of The Moon

7:32 About Pink Floyd

18:16 About Wish You Were Here

28:42 Awards & Accolades

30:29 Fact Or Spin

31:35 Pink Floyd Tried To Shoot Down A Flying Pig... And Failed

38:42 Syd Barrett and David Gilmour Were Arrested

41:36 David Gilmour Has A Unique Recording Studio

50:50 They Spent Entire Evenings Staring At Lava

56:05 Album Art

58:51 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1-5)

1:02:54 Welcome To The Machine

1:04:46 Have A Cigar

1:07:29 Wish You Were Here

1:09:53 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 6-9)

1:12:43 Final Spin

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Sunrise doesn't last all morning, but maybe it'll stay around a bit longer for our episode on All Things Must Pass, the trailblazing triple album by former Beatle George Harrison! The Beatles passed up on a hefty number of George's songs over the years, and with their breakup he was free to create like never before! His proper debut solo record blends genres, explores spirituality, and piques interest like few records can. With Phil Spector's wall of sound production style backing up folk- and Hindu-inspired rock, All Things Must Pass is George at his finest.

This week we're learning British slang, asking What Is Life, and Letting It Down! Will this solo record rise above Connor's Beatles score? If you really wanna know George, we'll cover his musical past (all the way back to the womb), his beloved Friar Park home, and his final message to the world. The Mixtaper is back with George Harrispins about thieving monkeys, botanical inquest, and trap shooting! Then we'll get a little Wah-Wah and a LOT of slide guitar as we focus up on this record, right down to the special Apple Jam ending!

Which gnome are you? What's your favorite ex-Beatle solo album? Have you ever used the term "flumbertyjack" before? Let us know! And be sure to follow for the shocking end to the Year Of Redemption next week! Thanks for five great years and counting!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

3:32 About George Harrison

11:29 About All Things Must Pass

21:32 Awards & Accolades

22:21 Fact Or Spin

23:34 George Harrisunflower

28:19 George Harrison Of A Gun

31:35 George Harrigibbonson

35:45 George Harripython

42:52 Album Art

44:11 I'd Have You Anytime

46:31 My Sweet Lord

49:17 Wah-Wah

51:38 Isn't It A Pity

53:15 What Is Life

55:28 If Not For You

56:20 Behind That Locked Door

56:38 Let It Down

57:45 Run Of The Mill, I Live For You

58:02 Beware Of Darkness

58:43 Apple Scruffs

1:01:26 Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll), Awaiting On You All

1:02:03 All Things Must Pass

1:05:01 I Dig Love

1:06:16 Art Of Dying, Isn't It A Pity - Version Two

1:06:59 Hear Me Lord

1:08:39 Apple Jam

1:11:49 Final Spin

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Good times never seemed so good this week! We're taking it back to a Hot August Night in 1971, when Neil Diamond delivered an iconic performance at LA's Greek Theatre! The show produced a live double album packed with his early career's greatest hits, from the pining Red Red Wine to the powerful I Am... I Said (and of course, a prerequisite dose of Sweet Caroline). We'll learn how his pre-med career evolved from the Brill Building to the stage and find out what made him such a compelling arranger and performer. Can Connor's gamble rise above James' previous ranking of Stones?

We'll dwell on previous Diamond experience, explore the jukebox musical centered around his life, and lament an expensive divorce or two. The Mixtaper (a Solitary Man) keeps Connor en garde with facts on swordplay, birdsmithing, and bad actors during Fact Or Spin! Then we focus in on a handful of the 29 tracks on this massive record, from Crunchy Granola Suite to Holly Holy Holly (... Holy) and beyond. Find out if this Easy Listening artist can live up to his genre, and see if this clean collection of live hits can bolster his standing in our official rankings!

What do YOU think is going on with that cover photo? Is this album "live" enough for you? And can you even IMAGINE this guy winning fencing championships? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and on socials! Like and follow for more next week!

Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!

Thanks for listening!

0:00 Intro

4:37 About Neil Diamond

8:56 About Hot August Night

20:54 Fact Or Spin

24:18 Neil Diamond Is An Award-Winning Actor

30:03 He Became A Birdsmith

36:23 An Interlude

38:15 He's An Award-Winning Fencer

42:33 He Made An Interesting Cameo

48:14 Album Art

49:54 Prologue

51:01 Crunchy Granola Suite

53:25 Done Too Soon

54:42 Dialogue

56:03 Solitary Man

57:51 Cherry Cherry

1:01:57 Sweet Caroline

1:06:21 Porcupine Pie, You're So Sweet

1:08:14 Red Red Wine

1:09:19 Soggy Pretzels, Gitchy Goomy

1:11:59 And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind

1:12:21 I Think It's Going To Rain Today

1:12:42 Shilo

1:13:54 Modern Day Version Of Love

1:14:20 Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon

1:15:08 Walk On Water, Kentucky Woman, Stones, Musician Intros

1:16:13 Play Me

1:17:50 Canta Libre, Morningside

1:18:07 Song Sung Blue

1:19:54 Cracklin' Rosie

1:20:40 Holly Holy

1:22:12 I Am... I Said

1:25:03 Soolaimon / Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show

1:27:21 Final Spin

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