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 Sound on...
Jan 12, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ----LINKS----- SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! ...
Oct 20, 2023•22 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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. -----LINKS----- SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs MERCH STORE store.strongsongspodcast.com SOCIA...
Jul 14, 2023•4 hr 39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk shares an update on plans for Season 5, which kicks off this week. -----LINKS----- SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Paypal | Patreon.com/Strongsongs MERCH STORE store.strongsongspodcast.com SOCIAL MEDIA IG: @Kirk_Hamilton | Threads: @Kirk_Hamilton NEWSLETTER https://kirkhamilton.substack.com/subscribe JOIN THE DISCORD https://discord.gg/GCvKqAM8Sm OUTRO SOLO PLAY-A-LONG: https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton/strong-songs-outro-music-no-solo STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music...
Jul 13, 2023•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk sits down with musician and podcaster Emily Reese to talk about the beauty of Bach's "Goldberg Variations," the distinct sound of Davis/Evans/Mulligan's "Birth of the Cool," the joys of the Knight Rider theme, and her podcast Level with Emily Reese , which focuses on the wide world of video game music. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: Emily's music podcast Level with Emily : https://www.levelwithemily.com "Singin' the Blues" feat. Frankie Trumbauer on C Melody Sax "Move," by Miles Davis and "Jeru," "Roc...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Happy holidays! Here's a Patreon minisode Kirk published last summer about Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." See you in 2023! ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES, 6/24/2022: The whole world is talking about Kate Bush's masterful 1985 song "Running Up That Hill," so Kirk figured he might as well talk about it, too. On this bonus Patreon episode, he takes a crack at re-creating the song's iconic sound and digs into some of the digital recording technology that Bush used to make it sound so distinct. FEATURED/DI...
Dec 30, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Look, sometimes a TV soundtrack is so good that you have no choice but to make a whole podcast episode about it. And so here we are, as Kirk takes a deep dive into Nicholas Britell's ever-evolving musical score for the new Disney+ show Star Wars: Andor . Listen to Britell's Andor Score (via Songwhip): Volume One | Volume Two | Volume Three REFERENCED ON THIS EPISODE: Tracks from Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back , composed by John Williams Tracks from Solo: A Star Wars Story , St...
Dec 16, 2022•57 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk takes a look back some of his many musical memories from Strong Songs, Year Four. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: "Blood and Thunder" by Mastodon from Leviathan, 2004 "Gotta Get You Into My Life" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney, as covered by Earth, Wind & Fire in 1978 "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney/Lennon-McCartney, as covered by Cody Fry in 2021 and Zoot in 1970 "Second Story" by Andrew Synowiec from Second Story, 2020 Andrew Synowiec on Instagram "Just What I Needed" by Ric Ocasek and The Cars...
Nov 18, 2022•49 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast For the 100th episode of Strong Songs, Kirk takes a deep dive into one of the most famous concept albums ever recorded. Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" is an instantly recognizable, widely discussed album, played and replayed to the point that it's easy to forget that it was made by a handful of young people with some instruments and a mixing desk. So buckle in for a whirlwind tour of the entire record, with pauses along the way to highlight some of the sounds, styles, and techniques th...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for a Strong Songs road trip, as Kirk unravels one of "Weird Al" Yankovic's most understated, grandiose songs. So come along, for a journey through long-form story songs, sea shanty refrains, synth feelings, and an unexpectedly grand finale. We'll stay until the security guards throw us out. Album: UHF: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff, 1989 Listen/Buy via Songwhip Also Featured/Discussed: "Spam," "Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies," "Hot Rocks Polka," "Attack of ...
Oct 21, 2022•55 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast It's time to answer more of your musical questions, with topics including singing drummers, Elvis Costello harmonies, how to find a music teacher, unusual odd-meter counting, similar-sounding songs, and Anchorman's jazz flute scene. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance” by Anderson .Paak from Malibu , 2016 “You & I” by Jamison Ross from Jamo , 2022 "Take The TIme" by Josh Dion Band from Live! , 2006 "Sunshine, I Can Fly" by Roul Midón live in NYC, 2013 “Seventeen” by Lake Street Dive ...
Oct 07, 2022•59 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Drummers like Clyde Stubblefield, Zigaboo Modeliste, and Bernard Purdie defined the sound of the bands they played with not because of their flashy chops, but because they knew how to lock down a groove. On this episode, Kirk goes deep into one groove apiece by each of those drummers - Stubblefield on James Brown's "Cold Sweat," Modeliste on The Meters' "Cissy Strut," and Purdie on Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady" - with help from special guest drummer Russ Kleiner. FEATURED/DISCUSSED Cold Sweat ...
Sep 23, 2022•59 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Few lyricists have Jeff Tweedy's ability to fluidly shift between plainspoken emotion and abstract imagery. The Wilco frontman has been writing beautiful, beguiling songs for more than three decades, and there is no way to pin down what any of them "means." There's only what they mean to you, right then, in the moment, as you listen to them. That's certainly true of "Jesus, Etc." one of many standout tracks off of Wilco's groundbreaking 2001 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot . On this episode, Kirk exp...
Sep 09, 2022•54 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Kirk answers a crop of new listener questions on topics ranging from Steve Perry's vocal technique, Art Garfunkel's guitarmonies, the Carolina Crown's viral brass section warmup, Ram Jam's chaotic riffs, and how to explain complex music theory concepts to non-musicians. FEATURED/DISCUSSED: “Elbow Grease” by Scott Pemberton from Timber Rock , 2015 “A Song for You” by Leon Russell from Leon Russell , 1970 "Scissors Cut" by Art Garfunkel from Scissors Cut , 1981 “ Carolina Crown’s Hornline Drops th...
Aug 26, 2022•55 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast There are few singer-songwriters as inimitable as Joni Mitchell, with her swirling song forms, leaping melodies, and that magical voice, untethered by the laws of gravity. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into Joni's 1974 song "Help Me," a hummingbird of a tune hovering between commitment and flight, tumbling and falling past love and toward freedom. Written by: Joni MItchell Album: Court and Spark , 1974 Listen/Buy via JoniMitchell.com Also featured: “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell fr...
Aug 12, 2022•55 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast After more than two years, a Strong Songs jazz mystery is finally solved. Thanks to listener (and outro soloist) Jeff Bean, who finally cracked the case of the mysterious lick played by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and may others. I can finally sleep at night. FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE: "Moanin" by Bobby Timmons recorded by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers for Moanin' , 1958 "Jordu" by Duke Jordon recorded by the Clifford Brown quintet, 1954 "Seranade to a Cukoo" by the Rahsaan Roland Kirk quart...
Jul 29, 2022•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
