An update on what's next now that Season Six is complete, along with some book and music recommendations! BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia, 3rd edition - 1997, revised 2021 Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning by Gary Marcus, 2012 MUSIC RECOMMENDATION LINKS Steve Pardo - DOS - (also in Video Game form on Steam ) Completions - I Needed Help Ruth Moody - Wanderer The Onesies - The Onesies Dig With the Wrong Foot Sheena Ringo - Hiizurutokoro Adi Oasis - Lot...
Jul 12, 2024•31 min
In the season six finale, Kirk takes a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen's signature song, 1975's "Born to Run." It's all here: tremolo guitar riffs, glockenspiel arpeggios, endless sus chords, and a sax solo for the ages. Baby, we were born for it. Written by: Bruce Springsteen Produced by: Springsteen, John Landau, and Mike Appel Album: Born to Run , 1975 Listen/Buy via Lynkify ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED: "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" and "Thunder Road" from Born to Run, 1975 Born to Run live at Mad...
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 10
As Season Six draws to a close, Kirk opens up the Strong Songs mailbag to answer a bunch of listener questions on topics ranging from Diablo's use of lydian to what he means when he talks about "transcribing." REFERENCED/DISCUSSED: "Tristram" by Matt Uelman from Diablo , 1997 "Blast Inc. (feat. Jorgen Munkeby)" by Haunted Shores from Viscera, 2015 "One Down, One Up" by John Coltrane from New Thing at Newport, 1965 "Heart of Glass" by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein as recorded by Miley Cyrus in 202...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Stage left! It's time for Strong Songs to talk about XTC. Stage right! Now the song is picked, analysis can begin. Stand up! If we listen close, we'll hear some lovely notes... On this episode, Kirk takes the stage alongside "Easter Theatre," the first single off of XTC's 1999 experimental symphono-pop album Apple Venus: Vol. 1 . Bring on the bassoons and power up the mellotron; we've got some shapes to stack. Written by: Andy Partridge Produced by: Haydn Bendall & Nick Davies Album: Apple V...
May 31, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Phish may be known for their 30-minute live jams, but turns out you can distill their best qualities into a song one-tenth that length. To that end, Kirk picks apart and reassembles their 1998 studio recording of "Limb By Limb" in all its polyrhythmic, guitarpeggiated glory. Music by: Trey Anastasio, with Page McConnell, Mike Gordon & Jon Fishman Lyrics by: Tom Marshall & Scott Herman Album: The Story of the Ghost (1998) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED: "You Enjoy Mysel...
May 17, 2024•59 min•Season 6Ep. 7
You came, you saw, you voted, and you picked Blondie as Strong Songs' first listener-selected artist! After weighing a number of possible songs to focus on, Kirk decided to go with the 1978 hit that took them from the punk clubs of New York to dance floors around the world. Wanna pick an artist for Season Seven? Go join the Patreon ! Written by: Deborah Harry and Chris Stein Produced by: Mike Chapman Album: Parallel Lines (1978) Listen/Buy via Songwhip Special Guests: Katelyn and Laurie Shook, a...
May 03, 2024•56 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Meshell Ndegeocello is: a fearless songwriter, an outrageously funky bassist, and a groundbreaking producer who knows just how to get the most out of each musician she hires. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into "The Way," the second track off of her 1996 record Peace Beyond Passion , and shines a light on some of the things that make her one of the greats. Written by: Meshell Ndegeocello Album: Peace Beyond Passion (1996) Special Guest: Sam Howard Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED:...
Apr 19, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 5
For the third edition of Strong Covers, Kirk takes on two famous covers of two equally famous songs: Jimi Hendrix's 1968 cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," and The White Stripes' early 2000s cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Written by: Bob Dylan & Dolly Parton Albums: Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding , 1967 — Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland , 1968 Dolly Parton: Jolene , 1973 — White Stripes: Live Under Blackpool Lights , 2004 Listen/Buy : Watchtower Original | Cover — Jolene Ori...
Apr 05, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Kirk digs into the work of master composer Antônio Carlos Jobim via his timeless 1974 duet with Elis Regina on his song "Águas de Marçco," known Stateside as "The Waters of March." He's joined by special guest Frederico Barros, Professor of Musicology at Federal University of Rio De Janeiro. Written by: Antônio Carlos Jobim Performed by: Jobim and Elis Regina Album: Elis & Tom (1974) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED: "The Girl From Ipamena" and "Desefinado" by Tom Jobim from Getz/Gilbe...
Mar 22, 2024•56 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Turns out some songs stand on their own, however memorable-slash-horrifying their music video might have been. Written by: Chris Cornell Produced by: Michael Beinhorn Album: Superunknown (1994) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED: "Spoonman" and "The Day I Tried to Live" by Chris Cornell and Soundgarden from Superunknown , 1994 Kim Thayil interview at Songfacts Norah Jones' cover of "Black Hole Sun," Live in 2021 "In My Life" by Lennon/McCartney from Rubber Soul , 1965 The 2021 Strong Songs i...
Mar 08, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Strong Songs Season Six kicks off with a widely requested classic: Peter Gabriel's 1986 yearner "In Your Eyes." Because why hire one rhythm section when you can hire two for twice the price? Written by: Peter Gabriel Produced by: Daniel Lanois Album: So (1986) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED: Rick Beato's Interview with So producer Daniel Lanois "DIY" by Peter Gabriel from Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch, 1978 "Sledgehammer," "Don't Give Up," and "Big Time" by Gabriel from So , 1986 Kwame Ansah-...
Feb 23, 2024•54 min•Season 6Ep. 1
On this bonus episode from May 2022, Kirk goes through a handful of other covers of the three Beatles songs he recently discussed on the show. "Gotta Get You Into My Life" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney as covered by Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (1966) and Blood, Sweat & Tears (1975) "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney as covered by Aretha Franklin (1968), Cody Fry (2021), Joshua Bell and Frankie Moreno (2009) and Zoot (1970) "Blackbird" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McC...
Feb 09, 2024•28 min
(Originally recorded in May 2022) There's always more to say about Sonny Rollins, so Kirk shares a few of his other favorite Sonny moments, along with some additional love for Max Roach's drumming on Saxophone Colossus . REFERENCED: "St. Thomas" and "Blue 7" by Sonny Rollins from Saxophone Colossus , 1956 "St. Thomas" as performed by Joshua Redman on Spirit of the Moment: Live at the Village Vanguard , 1992 "Four" by Miles Davis performed by Sonny Rollins on A Night at the Village Vanguard , 195...
Jan 26, 2024•23 min
Weird Al has been writing songs and recording parodies for four decades, and his musical footprint is unfathomably wide. In this minisode, originally released in October 2022, Kirk gets into a few things he didn't have room for in the main feed episode about "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota." FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" by Yankovic, a parody of "Money for Nothing" by Mark Knopfler & Definitely Sting from Brothers in Arms , 1985 A really interesting Soun...
Jan 12, 2024•20 min
Recorded in August 2022 as an addendum to the main feed episode "Strong Grooves, Volume 1," special guest Russ Kleiner takes Kirk through the evolution of James Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield's playing from 1967 to 1970. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "Cold Sweat" (1967), "I Got The Feelin'" (1968), "Mother Popcorn" (1969), "Funky Drummer" (1970), all feat. Clyde Stubblefield on drums. SPECIAL GUEST: Russ Kleiner Russ is one of Kirk's oldest friends, a drummer and percussionist who currently lives, teach...
Dec 29, 2023•22 min
For the Season Five finale, Kirk takes a look at The Band and Martin Scorsese's beloved 1978 concert film The Last Waltz - "The beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning." Featuring music by The Band: Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson Directed by: Martin Scorsese Album: The Last Waltz (1978) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED/REFERENCED: "The Weight" by Robbie Robertson as covered by The Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin Studio versions ...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 11
It's time for another mailbag episode, as Kirk takes on questions about Evanescence piano, Kelis bells, and counting in songs by Phish, Vessels, Ten Years After, and Kishi Bashi. All that, and a friendly dispute about a Taylor Swift song. "Milkshake" by Neptunes/Kelis from Tasty, 2003 "Going Under" by Evanescence from Fallen, 2003 Joe Lovono plays the Aulochrome Pat Metheney plays the Pikasso 42-string Guitar Matt Glassmeyer and Jano Rix demonstrate the Shuitar Future Man plays Synth Axe Drumita...
Dec 01, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 10
The electric guitar is a beautiful, maddening instrument, and man does it sound good in the right hands. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into solos by guitar legends Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, and Larry Carlton. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "Seven Come Eleven" by Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman, recorded by the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1939 "Fried Pies" by Wes Montgomery from Boss Guitar , 1963 "Hey Joe" by Billy Roberts recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on Are You ...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Kirk wasn't expecting to make a full-length episode about the music of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , but then he played the game. And here we are. Picking up on 2022's deep-dive in the music of the Zelda series , this episode takes a deep dive into the score of the new game, covering the many ways it builds on the past and charts a new musical future. SPOILERS: The first 40 minutes of the episode feature some discussion of the events of Tears of the Kingdom , but no major story spo...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 8
On this bonus episode, originally recorded as a Patreon bonus in 2022, Kirk goes through a few great Legend of Zelda pieces that he didn't manage to get into on last year's Zelda-focused Strong Songs episode . If you want to hear next week's new episode on Tears of the Kingdom early, go become a patron now ! FEATURED: "Tears of the Kingdom Theme" from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , comp. Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, Tsukasa Usui "Song of Storms," "Dark World/Lorule ...
Oct 27, 2023•25 min
Kirk takes a tour through the cycling, modulating chord sequence in Belle & Sebastian's buoyant 2017 song "The Girl Doesn't Get It." Variation 1: | C | Dm7 | Bb | Gm F Variation 2: | C | D | Bm | Esus E Variation 3: | A | Bm | A/C# | Esus E FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "The Girl Doesn't Get It" by Belle & Sebastian from How To Solve Our Human Problems, Vol. 1, 2017 "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard soundtrack, 1992 -------------------- OCTOBER ...
Oct 20, 2023•22 min•Season 5Ep. 7
There are so many electric guitars. Truly, there is a guitar for every mood, every season, and every feeling. But there are four types of electric guitar that are a bit more widely used than other ones. On this formely-bonus-now-main-feed episode, Kirk discusses those four guitars—the Fender Stratocaster, the Telecaster, the Gibson Les Paul, and the 335—and goes through some of the Strong Songs that have featured them. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: “Spanish Castle Magic" and "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix ...
Oct 06, 2023•35 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Composer John Williams is the defining sound of Hollywood and, arguably, the most widely listened to composer in the world. Kirk decided he needed some help tackling Williams' towering musical legacy, so he enlisted Australian author and musician Dan Golding as his tour guide through Williams' musical world, with a special focus on his groundbreaking score for 1980's Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: Dan's book Star Wars After Lucas , his ABC radio show Screen Sound...
Sep 22, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Kirk answers your questions on 60s pop counterpoint, Chaka Kahn syncopation, Taylor Swift's re-recording project, good practice habits, Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," and more. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "You've Got Your Troubles" by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cool, recorded by The Fortunes Contrapunctus 1 by J.S. Bach recorded by the Emerson String Quartet on Bach: The Art of Fugue , 2003 T.I.B.W.F. by The Budos Band, from The Budos Band , 2005 "Dying to Get To Europe" by Ketil Bjornstad from Seafarer...
Sep 08, 2023•55 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Kirk climbs inside the machine-gun rhythms and unstoppable grooves of the legendary Oakland funk outfit Tower of Power. Written by: Doc Kupka and Emilio Castillo Album: Tower of Power (1973) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED: "What is Hip?" "Squib Cakes" "Only So Much Oil in the Ground" "Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)," "So Very Hard to Go," "Credit," all by Tower of Power "Saturday Night Live" theme by Howard Shore, feat. Lenny Pickett "Cold Sweat," "I Got the Feelin'," "M...
Aug 25, 2023•50 min•Season 5Ep. 3
It's not uncommon for a song to be written for one artist, only to become widely known after being recorded by another. It's less common for a song to have yet another rebirth decades later. That's just what happened with "Killing Me Softly with His Song." Originally inspired by Lori Lieberman's profound experience at a 1971 Don McLean concert, Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox's song underwent two dramatic reinventions, first by soul titan Roberta Flack in 1973, and then by Lauryn Hill and her band...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 2
Kirk kicks off Strong Songs Season 5 with Tears For Fears' 1985 hit "Everybody Wants to Rule The World." From classic synths and drum machines to surprisingly avante-garde guitar solos, this song's got a lot more going on than you might remember. Written by: Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes Produced by: Chris Hughes Album: Songs from the Big Chair (1985) Listen/Buy via Songwhip ALSO DISCUSSED: "Shout" and "Head Over Heels," both from Songs From the Big Chair , 1985 "No One Knows" by...
Jul 28, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Special guest Luigi Boccia takes Kirk on a magical journey through the world of the opera tenor, from Caruso and Lauri Volpi to Di Stefano and Pavarotti. Featuring performances by Luciano Pavarotti, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Enrico Caruso, Franco Corelli, Giacomo Lauri Volpi, Jussi Björling, Sergei Lemeshev, and Jon Vickers. Find a Spotify playlist of Luigi's many Tenor examples here. -------------------- JULY 2023 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS Catherine Warner – Damon White – Kaya Woodall – Dan Austin – Jay Sw...
Jul 14, 2023•3 hr 39 min
John Farnham's "You're The Voice" was a worldwide hit, and nowhere was it more popular than in the Aussie singer's homeland. A couple weeks ago, Kirk went onstage with the hosts of the Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast , Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb, to talk about the song, the singer, and so much more. This episode is excerpted from Chat 10 Looks 3 episode 214 . It was recorded live at the Enmore Theater in Sydney, Australia on June 17, 2023. Performed by: John Farnham Written by: Chris Thompson, Maggie...
Jun 30, 2023•46 min
Author and musicologist Lily E. Hirsch joins Kirk to talk about the many different aspects of music she's explored in her books. REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: Lily Hirsch's many books, including A Jewish Orchestra in Nazi Germany: Musical Politics and the Berlin Jewish Culture League , Weird Al: Seriously , and Can't Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Gilbert Kaplan w/ th Vienna Philharmonic Oliver Sacks' bo...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 23
