WorkTape

Is being 100% "your own" and sound a myth? Does micromanagement "make" the band?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Is Skrillex a metalhead?
• Do artists and artists need to compromise their songwriting in order to be (more) marketable?
• Is it "The Cure" without Robert Smith?
• Who are some artists and/or bands who have been great at balancing marketable songwriting with uniqueness and creativity.
• Who is the "Gordon Ramsey" of producers?

Does music theory always help with songwriting, or can it sometimes become a hindrance to the process? Is good songwriting essentially a matter of theory, luck, or talent?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Is a lot of good songwriting just comprised of clever "illusion" and proper "compensation"?
• Who is Nigel Godrich and who has he produced?
• What is the reason why people like hit songs, despite their catchiness and tendency to be annoying?

Does marketability compromise artistic authenticity? How did Jeff get his songwriting style?

This is the main topic that we go over in this episode:

• What are some of Jeff's main songwriting choices and major music influences?

Was the major seventh the best part of the 70s? Was The Beatles' "'Mop Top' Era" comparable to their psychedelic period?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• How prominent was jazz in 70s rock (and 60s folk)?

Who is The Cure's longest standing member? Is 90s post-punk worth anyone's attention?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• The Cure discography overview
• Is "The Top" The Cure's worst album?

When was the golden era of Muse? Is Axl Rose just a Robert Plant "ripoff"?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Did Nickelback sound the best when they were the least commercial?
• Was "The 2nd Law" a good album?
• Is Patrick Stump just as important to the late 00s as Hayley Williams and Brendan Urie?
• Is Billie Joe's voice "too good" and "too refined" for punk?
• Did Janis Joplin "get lucky" with an unorthodox vocal style living in an unorthodox time?
• Is "bad" art necessary for "good" art to exist?

How much do Queen contrast other prog rock bands stylistically? What is a "melisma" in classical music?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Is "Another One Bites the Dust" Queen's least Queen-sounding hit?
• Should "We Will Rock You" and "Single Ladies" have stayed a cappella?
• Did early Rush sound like Led Zeppelin?
• Is Alex Lifeson overshadowed by Geddy and Neil?
• Is Harry Styles objectively better than One Direction?

Is "The Dark Side of the Moon" a boring album? Who is Scott Joplin?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Can it be challenging for younger generations to relate to old(er) music?
• Is the "Oz/Dark Side" "coincidence" just necessitated by placebo effect?
• What's the best track of "The Dark Side of the Moon"?
• Did Vince Guaraldi's music "make" Peanuts?
• Are youthful rebellion and artistic progression inseparable?
• Was ragtime a precursor to jazz?

Did Heart's "Barracuda" take from Led Zeppelin's "Achilles Last Stand"? How is Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er" pronounced?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• Why is "Presence" unique among Led Zeppelin's catalog?
• Why is "Achilles Last Stand" a quintessential Led Zeppelin track?
• Is "D'yer Mak'er" as bad as "Honey Pie"?
• Are Foo Fighters going through the same situation with Hawkins as Led Zeppelin did with Bonham?

Is "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" more cohesive than "Happier Than Ever"? Why was psychedelic rock so controversial?

Here are some of the topics that we go over in this episode:

• What are "Happier Than Ever"'s best tracks?
• Can some "creative decisions" ever result in "bad" art?
• Is John Paul Jones an overrated bassist?
• Is Jimmy Page an overrated guitarist?
• Was John Bonham Led Zeppelin's "best" member?
• Are Foo Fighters a supergroup?