On this episode, Kirk dives in to one of the most influential jazz recordings of all time. As the lead track on Miles Davis's landmark album Kind of Blue , "So What" signaled a new era in jazz harmony, composition, and improvisation. This episode will get into what that actually means, how the tune works, and why the seven musicians who played on Kind of Blue were each such a crucial part of the album's magic. Artist: Miles Davis Album: Kind of Blue (1959) Written by: Miles Davis Listen/Buy: App...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode... a prank. April Fools’ Day has run its course, which means it’s time to update this episode description to accurately reflect what’s in the episode. Hopefully this joke made some listeners laugh, and didn't ruffle too many feathers. The actual full episode on Miles Davis’s “So What” should be live as of this update, and next in your feed. To give credit where it's due: Song: "Never Gonna Give You Up" Artist: Rick Astley Album: Whenever You Need Somebody (1987) Written by: Stock...
Apr 01, 2020•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast As sure as there are stars above you, Strong Songs will be here to deliver musical deep-dives straight into your eardrums. This week is no different, as Kirk picks apart Brian Wilson's chamber-pop masterpiece "God Only Knows." The sleigh bells ring, the french horn solos, and The Wrecking Crew lays down the foundation for an immaculate collection of chords and melodies, all placed over a bass line that's as Bach as it is Beach-y. Turns out there's a reason so many people call this the greatest s...
Mar 18, 2020•56 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast It's a pretty stressful time, and I (Kirk) had a feeling some of you might be cooped up, staring at your phones and anxiously checking the news. I'm right there with you. I've found a lot of comfort in music over the last few days, and occasionally, some much-needed distraction. I wanted to try to share that with all of you, so I made a new playlist featuring songs from artists I've talked about on Strong Songs. You can find it here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3OYYGNNXWw6lNvYU2OY...
Mar 13, 2020•11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Oh, sinner man, where you gonna run to? To the rock? To the river? To the sea? Well, wherever you run, you'll still be starring in a Strong Songs analysis of one of Nina Simone's greatest recordings. Yes, it's time for Strong Songs' first-ever analysis of a live recording, as Kirk digs in to legendary pianist/vocalist Nina Simone's 1965 interpretation of the traditional spiritual song "Sinnerman." It's time for some syncopated piano, popless grooves, band crash-landings, hand-clap breakdowns, hi...
Mar 04, 2020•55 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for the first Strong Songs listener Q&A of 2020, so let's get into it! Kirk answers listener questions on topics like Zeppelin and Cake counting, the decline (and rise) of the saxophone, Muse's approach to vocal processing, whether piano is an "easy" instrument, Bruno Mars's musical magpieism, and in a first, a listener's request that Strong Songs help him solve a mystery. Update 2/25/20: Mystery solved! Fabian's mystery song is "Me, Myself, I" by Joan Armatrading. Thanks to everyone w...
Feb 19, 2020•57 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast What's that you say? You'd like a bonus mini-episode all about the cheeseball fantasy earworm "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher"? Well, Kirk is happy to oblige. This mini-sode started as a segment in next week's mailbag episode, but it became involved enough that Kirk decided to spin it out into its own little thing. Hopefully it gives all you Witcher fans out there a better appreciation for why you can't get this song out of your head, and if it gets the song BACK in your head in the process... well...
Feb 10, 2020•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast A modern day warrior's mean, mean stride; today's Strong Song has mean, mean pride! Yes, it's time for Kirk to tackle a song by the legendary Canadian rock trio Rush, and what better song than "Tom Sawyer"? Of course, what starts with Tom doesn't end there, as Kirk takes a broader look at Rush's musical legacy, with extra attention for the band's legendary drummer Neil Peart, who tragically died last month. It's a longer-than-usual episode covering a variety of topics, from odd meter counting; t...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk breaks down the two most fundamental aspects of music: rhythm and harmony. There's the Y-axis, harmony, which tells us which frequencies we're hearing in which combinations. And there's the X-axis, rhythm, which tells us how those frequencies are playing out over time. Much like most music, it's a mix of math and magic that takes many moons to master. REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton, performed by Whitney Houston "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin from ...
Jan 29, 2020•54 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast You don't have to cry, pray, or beg - Kirk is happy to break down one of the 90s' most iconic pop hits without any further encouragement. Yes, it's time to take apart The Cardigans' 1996 hit "Lovefool," a song that sounds one way when it's that Romeo + Juliet song that's on the radio all the time, and another way when it's the centerpiece of First Band on the Moon . Kirk zooms out a bit more than usual to place this song in the context of its (fantastic) corresponding album, and to hopefully hel...
Jan 22, 2020•50 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Do you hear a faint.... bustling? It's coming from your hedgerow. It's not just a spring clean for the May queen... it's a new episode of Strong Songs, straight from the Internet to your eardrums! Yes, Strong Songs is back from the holidays and ready for a lush new year of thumps, pops, sizzles, and higgada-buggadas. On the first episode of 2020, Kirk goes deep into Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," a song that develops with unusual subtlety, from those quiet opening guitar arpeggios to that ...
Jan 08, 2020•57 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Strong Songs is one year old! In honor of that anniversary, Kirk takes a look back on the year that was, sharing musical highlights from each of the show's 20 single-song episodes. SCHEDULING NOTE: Strong Songs will be off in December, and will return for Year Two on January 8, 2020. If you're a patron over on Patreon, that means you won't be charged for the month of December. That also makes December a great month catch up on episodes you may have missed, share the show with your friends, liste...
Nov 27, 2019•51 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast It takes an extremely strong song to top the charts three separate times in three separate decades, but "I Will Always Love You" is just such a song. Written and recorded (twice) by Dolly Parton and then re-recorded in show-stopping fashion by Whitney Houston, the ballad has morphed from a fond farewell to a former mentor, to a theatrical goodbye to a lover, to a soaring ode to the very notions of love and loss. We follow that journey from the beginning, with all the vocal tricks, dramatic line-...
Nov 13, 2019•59 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast When the full moon starts to climb, we'll all sing out... it's time to talk about the best stop-motion animated Halloween/Christmas movie musical ever made! Hee hee hee hee heeee! Tim Burton and Danny Elfman's maniacal miniature-musical The Nightmare Before Christmas was unusual when it came out in 1993 and, despite the fact that it went on to became a beloved Disney classic, is still unusual today. The centerpiece ensemble song "Making Christmas," during which the well-meaning but hopeless deni...
Oct 30, 2019•51 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say... especially if that man is named Kirk, and the thing he's telling you about is Seal's "Kiss From a Rose." Kirk goes back to the 90s for a close look at Seal's Grammy-winning, Batman- adjacent power ballad and finds a song that's much more interesting than he even remembered. It's an indulgent world of thick counterpoint, long phrases, harp flourishes, and oboe solos, with some of the richest vocal arranging this side of a chamber choir. B...
Oct 16, 2019•53 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk opens the Strong Songs mailbag to tackle your questions about demonic fiddle playing, lousy sax solos, Led Zeppelin counting, fake-out intros, reverb, children's music, and more. REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band from Million Mile Reflections, 1979 "The Eternal Triangle" by Sonny Stitt from Sonny Side Up , 1959 "The Jones Girl" by the Five Satins, 1956 "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, 1977 "Hot F...
Oct 02, 2019•56 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast In this Patreon-funded special episode, Kirk sits down with his former high school band director Janis Stockhouse to talk about her life as a music educator. Janis started teaching at North high school in Bloomington, Indiana, in the early 1980s. It was a time when "jazz education" as a concept was still a relatively new thing. She retired 38 years later, having grown the North band program into a well-known Midwest institution, winning countless awards at festivals around the world and regularl...
Sep 25, 2019•55 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Let's go back, let's go back, let's go way on back to that time Aretha Franklin recorded one of her best songs. On this episode, Kirk dives into two different versions of Franklin's classic tune "Think." First it's the laid back groove and roomy mix of the 1968 original, then it's time to fast-forward 12 years for the juiced-up arrangement she recorded with the Blues Brothers band in 1980. It's a story of how different production techniques, arrangements, and tempos can lead to two very differen...
Sep 18, 2019•51 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone... except for everyone listening to this episode, because we're traveling together through doubt and deliverance with Madonna's "Like a Prayer." Kirk takes a look at the high-contrast drama of the megastar's 1989 megahit, with its cathedral-like verses, bus-driving guitar rhythms, bouncy basslines, and perfectly placed Latin percussion flourishes. The music video got a lot of attention back in the day, but there's plenty in the song itself to celebrat...
Sep 04, 2019•45 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk opens up the Strong Songs mailbag to answer your questions about Marty McFly's musical instructions, Ian Anderson's flute style, Kurt Cobain's guitar tone, how to count songs by P!nk and Radiohead, and what to do if you play an "unsexy" instrument. REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: Back to the Future , a 1985 movie that you've probably seen "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry, 1958 "Walk Me Home" by P!nk "Where the Boys Are" performed by Connie Francis, 1960 "Come as You Are" by Nirvana from Nevermi...
Aug 21, 2019•49 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for something a little different, as Kirk takes a look at the theme songs from some of the most beloved animated TV shows of all time. This super-sized episode focuses on five different pieces of music, each of which is the theme for a different animated show. It's a ton of music in a variety of styles, full of frantic key shifts, earwormy melodies, bodacious drum fills, and a surprising number of saxophone solos. The songs, in order: "The Simpsons Theme" by Danny Elfman, 1989 "Duck Ta...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Brace for a pressurized descent, as Kirk braves the undercurrents of Radiohead's alt-rock masterpiece "Paranoid Android." It's a structurally distinct, sonically adventurous, harmonically varied, and unexpectedly Bohemian Rhapsodyesque journey into the human psyche as Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and the rest of their not-so-merry band plumb the depths of 90s alienation. Band/Artist: Radiohead Album: OK Computer , 1997 Composed by: Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Philip...
Jul 24, 2019•55 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for the hardest rocking song ever written about sea life, as Kirk takes a deep dive into Heart's 1977 body-shaker "Barracuda." A deceptively complex song written around a deceptively straightforward riff, "Barracuda" opens the door for a discussion of the particulars of guitar tone, stompbox effects, the long history of the "galloping groove," why Ann Wilson's vocals rock as hard as they do, and a brief tribute to her sister Nancy's killer guitar chops. Band/Artist: Heart Album: Little...
Jul 10, 2019•47 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Whether you're high or low, you got to tip on the tightrope... and Kirk's got to tip right into a Strong Songs analysis of "Tightrope" by Janelle Monáe. It's time for some thump, some pop, and some sizzle, along with some clever rap phrasing, phrygian harmonies, surprise ukulele, and the funkiest horn section in Metropolis. Band/Artist: Janelle Monáe Album: The ArchAndroid , 2010 Composed by: Janelle Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton Listen/Buy: Apple Music |...
Jun 26, 2019•55 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin wrote so many great songs over the years that it was impossible to pick a single one for Strong Songs. So, why not do two? Kirk dives into a pair of classics by the storied songwriting duo, talking about Elton's chameleon-like voice, his love of pedal tones and embrace of the circle of fourths, the fascinating relationship between lyricist and songwriter, and what it means for a song to sound "piano-y." Both songs by: Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Tau...
Jun 12, 2019•47 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Mailbag May returns for round two, as Kirk continues catching up on listener questions. NEW THEME MUSIC INBOUND! Strong Songs passed its first goal of 150 backers on Patreon ! That means Kirk will write all-new theme music for the show. Keep an ear out for that sometime in June, most likely. A huge thank you to everyone who's signed up to support the show so far - we've also got some new goals, which you can check out over on the page: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs MAILBAG MAY, PART 2 The ...
May 29, 2019•58 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for Mailbag May, a long-running (aka brand new) Strong Songs tradition where Kirk spends the month of May catching up on listener questions. NEW PATREON GOAL! A huge thank you to everyone who has signed up to back the show so far on Patreon ! You are all beautiful. If Strong Songs can hit its first goal of 150 backers, Kirk will write new theme music for the show. Head over there to learn more: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs MAILBAG MAY, PART 1 The Strong Songs mailbag overfloweth...
May 15, 2019•42 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Strong Songs now has a Patreon ! Learn more about how you can support the show here: https://patreon.com/strongsongs . Kirk gets his Patreon pitch out of the way up front, then lists five albums that have shaped him as a musician over the years, talking a little bit about why each one is great. There could've been like a hundred different albums on this episode, but hey, let's start with five. Those albums are: -- Frank Zappa, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life , 1991 Listen/Buy: Apple M...
May 08, 2019•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast A toast to the groom! To the bride! To knowing you'll always regret the sacrifice you made for your sister! Kirk takes an overdue dive into Lin-Manuel Miranda's epic Broadway musical Hamilton , focusing on Renée Elise Goldsberry's first act showstopper, "Satisfied." Regret tinges an otherwise joyous day as Angelica Schuyler remembers the night she met Alexander Hamilton, fell in love with him, and quickly realized they could never be together. It's a heady mix of complex rhyme schemes, powerhous...
May 01, 2019•50 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Today's forecast calls for blue skies, and today's Strong Songs calls for an in-depth analysis of Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky." NOW ON PATREON Strong Songs now has a Patreon ! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs BLUE SKIES It's time to welcome all our pretty faces to the human race, thanks to ELO's most enduring concert-rock classic. Kirk goes for a sunny stroll on a ...
Apr 17, 2019•35 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast 
