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Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers with Brian Marchese
By Where's That Sound Coming From?Music
Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers with Brian Marchese episodes
- Episode 28: Ep. 27/FOITA Ep. 1The pilot episode of Freaking Out in the Afternoon, a Monkee-centric podcast produced by Where's That Sound Coming From and cohosted by myself and my old friend Joeman. In this first episode we discuss how we first discovered The Monkees, what reeled us in, concert stories from '86-97 and, well, why in the world would two well-educated, well-travelled, well-read, musically well-rounded grown men continue to heed the call whenever the great Monkee Signal appears in the sky. We grapple with that conundrum as well as celebrate it. Peppered with fun sound bites and introducing the recurring Song of the Moment. We're still figuring out what works and not, so feel free to send emails to [email protected].1 hr 22 min
- Episode 27: Ep. ## - Introducing FREAKING OUT IN THE AFTERNOON"And now, from the elegant pump room of the magnificent Palmer House..." This is not a real episode, but a mini 10 minute announcement (with fun soundbites). I'll explain. Wanting to keep podcasting, but not jazzed about going back to the old format, I finally entertained the great suggestion of my old friend, and fellow rock geek, John Hendrickson, that he and I team up and co-host a "sidecast" which deals in seldom-explored aspects of...THE MONKEES. Their final tour was announced recently, and so it seemed the mood was right. When combining the totals, John and I have seen The Monkees and/or solo endeavors close to 50 times since 1987. That's a total guess. Maybe it's more like 30.. We'll find out together. On one hand we want to talk about our personal experiences as Monkees fans--it's a lonely road a lot of the time.. The peaks (the first time hearing "Circle Sky") and valleys (our personal "Marge Simpson Monkees Lunchbox Moment"). John and I are both lifelong musicians. We're also equally admiring of old school punk rock as we are The Grateful Dead. So our knowledge comes from a deep well of having listened to, read about and played a LOT of music in our lives. Which is why we also want to explore things like "why Eddie Hoh's drumming defines much of the best Monkees songs". Or "Nesmith's best rhythm guitar work" or "Davy ballad that went from worst to first as we got older". Oh, and there will occasionally be special guests! We have two lined up already! Anyway, stay tuned. This will be fun.11 min
- Episode 26: Ep. 26 - The Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead Part 3: Honest. Not Perfect.In Part Three (of three) of this miniseries on The Beach Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead, we finally reach our destination in space and time--the Fillmore East on April 27, 1971. This is a two hour episode, and in it, I compare and contrast the career arcs of each band leading up to the gig. In 1970, The Beach Boys released a single, "Add Some Music To Your Day", which only reached #64 on the US pop chart. This was embarrassing for them because it reaffirmed how unpopular they'd become. In 1970, The Grateful Dead released a single, "Truckin'", which only reached #64 on the US pop chart. This was embarrassing for them because #64 was perilously close to the Top 40--which was a place they had no intention of getting cozy with. Still, despite the two bands' contrasting ideas of success, there was a great admiration between them as well as shared influences. I read from several accounts of this concert, from books and articles, and note the wide contrast between descriptions. The subtitle of this episode, "Honest. Not Perfect.", comes from a snatch of Brian Wilson studio chatter in early 1967. He's instructing his brother Carl on how to sing a certain part and says that "it doesn't have to be perfect, just kind of honest", and I took that phrase and unpacked it. Threw stuff everywhere. In fact I made quite a philosophical/psychological/psychedelicized mess all over the place and hope you can deal with it. The reward is the concert. Dennis and Billy having a blast despite very different drumming styles. Carl and Jerry trading a solo. Bobby, Al and Carl singing together. The Fillmore Dead audience cheering wildly for The Beach Boys (drowning out the one or two hecklers). I hope you enjoy this episode and thanks for listening.2 hr 11 min
- Ep. 25 - The Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead Pt.2: R(h)onda, 1974 and Pregaming for the FillmoreEastSo it looks like there’s going to be a Part 3 to this madness, since we haven’t arrived at the Fillmore East yet. My apologetic tone is facetious, of course, because this has been nothing but fun for me. I hope my self-indulgence is slightly more entertaining/enlightening than annoying? Anyway, this episode takes a look at the evolution of the song “Help Me, Rhonda” through all its changes between 1965-80, from its spelling to its instrumental and vocal arrangement to the lyrics to who sings lead which year. I use its evolution as a metaphor for the changes in pop music, its artists and its fans during that time period. Then we take a brief look at the bill the two featured bands were on together on June 8, 1974 (didn’t play with each other though). Finally, as a “pregaming” exercise for the Fillmore East show, we take a look at some other versions of the songs the two bands played together. Both bands sure loved The Coasters! An oddly paced, oddly weighted episode, but imagine that we hit traffic on the way to the Fillmore East and took a strange alternate route.1 hr 25 min
- Ep. 23 A Conversation with Michael Nesmith on The PrisonEpisode 23 of WTSCF has been a long time coming, basically due to life getting a bit derailed. But I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait. What we have here is not your average interview with Michael Nesmith. This is sort of grad-level Nez. Spirituality. Metaphysics. Creativity. Psychedelics. Turning away from the darkness of that era. Not a word about The Monkees. No MTV. No Country Rock Pioneer. No Liquid Paper. Have you noticed that most bios and interviews with Nez seem to gloss over The Prison (1974) and his life at the time? As a long time fan of Nez, The Prison for a long time was this mysterious work that I kept trying and failing to get into. Eventually I realized I wasn’t hearing the original work-I was hearing the touched up version Nez released in the 90’s. A few years ago I finally heard the 1974 original, and it all came together. Plus, I sensed a psychedelic infliuence which turned out to be accurate. In this podcast, my long-winded intro is followed by Nez onstage in 1975 telling the plot of The Prison, and finally, the main course: my conversation, recorded in April 2019. Stuff gets very deep, very spiritual, puzzling, funny and always fascinating. Enjoy.2 hr 1 min
- Ep. 22 Reason to BelieveNew episode! Note to self: think twice before doing another one with 25+ cover versions. That was a haul."Reason to Believe" is a thoughtful and mature Tim Hardin song from 1966 in which the singer is fully aware that he's choosing to carry on a relationship with someone who deals in dishonesty and disrespect. The song's timeless theme struck a chord with many artists (and countless listeners) upon its release, and it was covered by about a dozen artists in 1967 alone. This episode features over 25 versions of this song (spanning from 1966 to 2017) so most aren't played in their entirety. I feel compelled to include some post-production footnotes, as I had a few thoughts once it was too late to include them in the episode. So here are a few things I wished I'd touched on:1. A mention of Artie Butler and how his string arrangement on the Hardin original was an important component on many subsequent versions; and the many cool ways it was adapted and expanded upon.2. How the electric piano on the Ian and Sylvia version seems to have influenced a few other versions, including the Carpenters'.3. How some alternately sing "still I'd LOVE to find a reason to believe".4. How I mentioned the fusion of Eastern European violin and country fiddle in relation to both Rod Stewart's version and in relation to Camper Van Beethoven's music, but not in relation to each other.5. How Hal Blaine's drumming on the Scott McKenzie version is magnificent as always.6. How I can actually see why Doug Dillard wasn't into The Dillards' new direction on Wheatstraw Suite. The fluffy woodwinds on their version of Reason to Believe are a little corny and while Doug obviously didn't object to pop, he wanted to keep things real in his own projects.Enjoy!2 hr 20 min
- Ep. 21 The Long Black Veil
Conceived of (successfully) as an "instant folk song" in the age of instant mashed potatoes and instant coffee, "Long Black Veil" is a tale of murder and infidelity, yes, but is it also a tale of (I hate to say it) "bros before hoes" taken to its senseless, meaningless extreme? The narrator of this song, singing from The Great Beyond, may have wanted to go down a hero by admitting to a crime he didn't commit (murder) so he wouldn't have to admit to a crime he did commit (sleeping with best friend's wife). But I can't help but see him as a selfish coward who's done nothing but add to the burden of those still living. Life goes on without him, and that means 1) there's still a murderer at large and the townsfolk have no idea 2) he died while his best friend was still in belief of his lies 3) neither his mistress' nor his best friend's life is going to get any easier now that he's gone. Not in the short term anyway. Great song though! I'm a bit rusty after some time off, so forgive me any production errors.
1 hr 58 min - Ep. 20 Michael Nesmith's The Grand Ennui: An Exploration of its meaning and its musical evolution through seven "iterations" 1971-2013.This episode had quite an evolution of its own. It began as a written piece intended for the forum on Nesmith's Videoranch website during my brief, experimental stint working for the site. Once the experiment was abandoned and I was back writing for myself, I decided to turn this into a podcast. In retrospect I should have cut much of the armchair psychoanalysis contained in the first 15-20 minutes, and if you agree, you can always skip to the musical analysis. I'll just say in my defense that I wrote that part while in a very analytical mindset influenced by the vibe of the stuff being written, by myself and others, on the Videoranch forum. Add to that it being the dark days of New England winter as well as my mother living out her final weeks. Things were heavy and I was reflecting that mindset. But as I got more into the podcast, I remembered "entertainment value!" and lightened up. So if you find yourself zoning out at the beginning, I encourage you to utilize the fast-forward until it sounds like things are getting fun. Because they do get fun! And as I say, please go to my Facebook page or my Blogger site and let me know which version is your fave!1 hr 45 min
- Ep. 18 A Conversation with Andrew Sandoval Pt. 2 of 2My conversation with Andrew Sandoval continues and concludes in this episode. More stories, revelations and insights into the life and career of one of the hardest working people in the music industry. I admittedly turn into a bit of a chatty fanboy in this half but pull myself together and stick with my planned questions. Enjoy.47 min
- Ep. 16 Let's Spend the Night TogetherA belated tribute to David Bowie as well as my final podcast before an official hiatus. Not many notable cover versions of this song, but Bowie covered it and that's all that matters. I may have overcompensated for the small amount of cover versions with too much yapping, but hey, I haven't talked to you in a long time and won't be talking to you for a few months. So enjoy. We can have fun just _______ around, can't we?1 hr 34 min
About Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers with Brian Marchese
From the publisher's feed
Dateline December 30 2023. The spinoff is now the main event. Welcome to Where's That Sound Coming From Presents: Questions But No Answers! Yes, WTSCF has become what might be the only podcast…
centered on the musical career of a person whom I consider to be one of the most creative, if underrated and misunderstood, musical minds of the mid-late 20th Century: the late, great Michael Nesmith. I made a list of 75 songs he recorded between 1965-2016 which I feel support my opinion (mostly original, but I had to include a handful of wonderful cover versions) and I intend to devote a 30-60 min episode to each song (though if appropriate I might clump two together in one episode). True to Nez's own philosophy of letting ideas unfold in time and space to allow for growth, I only have a general idea of what I want these episodes to be like. There will indeed be academic presentation of facts, dates and names. There will also be, when applicable, comparative airings of different versions of the featured songs (demos, live versions, alternate versions, even interesting cover versions; and if the featured song IS a cover, I'll go into old school WTSCF mode and play/discuss the original). If I'm strapped for time or if I've already said what I wanted to say in the past, I might repurpose an old WTSCF episode that sufficiently discusses, say, "How Insensitive" or "She Thinks I Still Care".
I'd like to have occasional guests to banter about the featured song--distinguished friends to start, but if a notable stranger with relevant, amazing stories or knowledge gets in touch, I might ask them to come on as well. I already have interviews I've done (between 2013-2022) with drummer John Ware, bassist David MacKay and Nez himself to draw on, but you never know who might come out of the woodwork. Why did I decide to call this new series "Questions But No Answers" and not, say, "Marble Canyons of the Sky" (my second choice) or "Listening" (a perfectly succinct title suggested by Andrew Sandoval, to whom perhaps I should have "listened" to ha ha). Well, because, while I want to always be accurate and correct when presenting facts, I also would like to whimsically muse about unknowables. Like, where in the world did "Writing Wrongs" come from? Or did Neil Young or The Eagles ever site "Propinquity" as inspiring certain songs? (you'll have to tune in to Episode 2 to hear which ones). I want to have fun with some mental gymnastics, as well as with amusing but relevant soundbites, and when guests come on I want to have engaging and enlightening but fun conversations and repartee. As the series progresses and grows, we'll also note Nez's growth as an artist--the singer, songwriter and guitar player. And yes, the complex person. However, I don't want to spend more time than necessary delving into his personal life or his non-musical ventures. There will be little to no time spent on Repo Man, Neftoon Zamora, Videoranch, Liquid Paper, wives or girlfriends. There'll be passing references to weed or metaphysics, but only if relevant. I plan to make this chronological because, again, I like charting the growth and evolution and out-of-(seemingly) nowhere ideas that marked his musical career. Please get in touch at [email protected] with comments, questions, ideas, suggestions, stories and substantial monetary donations. I do all this myself, at home--the research, the script, the recording and editing--sometimes with a cat sleeping on my lap or reaching for the headphone and microphone. I do hope you enjoy this series. I realize this shift might lose some listeners that hoped I would continue the old format, or thought I might evolve into a Grateful Dead podcast. But crikey--there are enough of those to wade through and nothing left to say. Ah, but PodWorld is sorely in need of a series on Michael Nesmith. Disclaimer: though I was hired by Nez himself to write for Videoranch in 2017, this series is all me. Enjoy!
I'd like to have occasional guests to banter about the featured song--distinguished friends to start, but if a notable stranger with relevant, amazing stories or knowledge gets in touch, I might ask them to come on as well. I already have interviews I've done (between 2013-2022) with drummer John Ware, bassist David MacKay and Nez himself to draw on, but you never know who might come out of the woodwork. Why did I decide to call this new series "Questions But No Answers" and not, say, "Marble Canyons of the Sky" (my second choice) or "Listening" (a perfectly succinct title suggested by Andrew Sandoval, to whom perhaps I should have "listened" to ha ha). Well, because, while I want to always be accurate and correct when presenting facts, I also would like to whimsically muse about unknowables. Like, where in the world did "Writing Wrongs" come from? Or did Neil Young or The Eagles ever site "Propinquity" as inspiring certain songs? (you'll have to tune in to Episode 2 to hear which ones). I want to have fun with some mental gymnastics, as well as with amusing but relevant soundbites, and when guests come on I want to have engaging and enlightening but fun conversations and repartee. As the series progresses and grows, we'll also note Nez's growth as an artist--the singer, songwriter and guitar player. And yes, the complex person. However, I don't want to spend more time than necessary delving into his personal life or his non-musical ventures. There will be little to no time spent on Repo Man, Neftoon Zamora, Videoranch, Liquid Paper, wives or girlfriends. There'll be passing references to weed or metaphysics, but only if relevant. I plan to make this chronological because, again, I like charting the growth and evolution and out-of-(seemingly) nowhere ideas that marked his musical career. Please get in touch at [email protected] with comments, questions, ideas, suggestions, stories and substantial monetary donations. I do all this myself, at home--the research, the script, the recording and editing--sometimes with a cat sleeping on my lap or reaching for the headphone and microphone. I do hope you enjoy this series. I realize this shift might lose some listeners that hoped I would continue the old format, or thought I might evolve into a Grateful Dead podcast. But crikey--there are enough of those to wade through and nothing left to say. Ah, but PodWorld is sorely in need of a series on Michael Nesmith. Disclaimer: though I was hired by Nez himself to write for Videoranch in 2017, this series is all me. Enjoy!