Shows
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #27: Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, LTD.The bitch is back! I kick off season two with what is considered by many to be the best Monkees album. I talk 1967, dickish music executives, and early adopters. Cameos by Robert Moog, John Lithgow, and Kevin Bacon. Plus a return of the hat I knitted for last season's Monkees' Greatest Hits episode.
2025-10-0333 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #26: An Evening Wasted with Tom LehrerWe'll be sliding down the razor blade of life as I pay tribute to Tom Lehrer, who died recently at the age of 97 (so close). In addition to poisoning some pigeons in the park and dancing the masochism tango, I'll muse on the limitations of satire, go off on a couple of short, mildly lefty rants, and talk about the weird kid to eccentric adult pipeline.I'll be back in October with more records! Until then, watch this space, as I have more content a-brewing.
2025-08-0828 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #25: A World Without LoveIt's British Invasion time! Sure, I talk about Peter and Gordon's American debut, with its title track, written by Peter Asher's housemate. That doesn't stop me from taking some detours to discuss semantics, how pop music is often described by what it's not, and why skiffle was so important to the development of British rock and roll. Plus, I call back to a number of episodes, including: Portrait of Patsy Cline, Sentimentally Yours, Motown #1s (parts one and two), The Monkees, and Peter, Paul and Mary.
2025-07-2534 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #24: Shearing on Stage!Let's get jazzy! Once again, I claim no special knowledge about jazz, yet talk about vibraphones, bebop, cool jazz, and modes. I vary my bullshit to include subgenres. I talk a lot about Toots Thielmans (which is a great name) and guitars and harmonicas. Other topics include: standards, jazz compositions, and George Shearing's love of the dad joke.
2025-07-1132 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #23: Peter, Paul and MaryIf the 21st century is too much for you, let's travel back in time and hit the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 60s. We'll talk pinkos, reds, and fellow travelers, as well as music education, the fearful 50s, and the vagaries of copyrighting traditional material. Plus cameos from A Mighty Wind and the PBS Pledge Drive.
2025-06-2732 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #22: SaviorsWe vault into the 2020s with Green Day's 2024 album, Saviors. I talk about the space between knowing a band and fandom, politics and punk rock, my general beef with genres, and middle age. Let's all bang our heads like it's 1981!
2025-06-1331 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #21: Tug of WarWe've come to the last album in the Macca Attack, 1982's Tug of War. I talk about tragedy, lyrics, and more. I even talk about the old days when we used to watch music videos on MTV (while wearing an onion on our belts).
2025-05-3030 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #20: Back to the EggWhile Back to the Egg was savaged by the critics in 1979, it absolutely has its partisans, who are disappointed that it has yet to receive the McCartney Archive treatment. I am one of those partisans. I put forth my argument why Back to the Egg is great, actually, revisit my lukewarm take that Paul is the funkiest Beatle, and fly the Egg flag.
2025-05-1632 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #19: Venus and Mars (50th anniversary half speed master)We're deep into the Macca Attack: I cover why I bought this year's 50th anniversary half speed master pressing of Venus and Mars, noodle on what one of the great songwriters of the last 60 years has in common with student writers I have tutored, and the wonder of it all, baby.
2025-05-0926 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #18: Venus and Mars (1975 copy)We zip forward five years from our previous album. Now no longer just a guy making music in his living room, Paul McCartney has got a band together. And then got it together again. I point out the difference between Spinal Tap and Wings, give a brief tour of personnel changes and the interpersonal issues within, and talk about writing songs to be performed live. Plus, I speculate about what emotions are suitable for rock and roll.
2025-05-0222 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #17: McCartney (1970) 2022 copyIf I'm going to give a billionaire money, it might as well be the one who wrote the music. So I purchased the McCartney I II III boxset. I also discuss side 2, accidentally defend Kreen Akrore, and muse on how the once-maligned album underwent a reappraisal. Plus, it turns out grad school wasn't a terrible decision after all! Shout out to Petey B!
2025-04-2528 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #16: McCartney (1970)I dive into Paul McCartney's self-titled solo debut, with its lo-fi, home grown aesthetic. I touch on how the strum und drang of the Beatles' breakup shaped the record and its reception. I float a taxonomy of Paul McCartney songs and posit that this album is mostly "vibes". Part one of two, as this is an album so nice I bought it twice.
2025-04-1831 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #15 Part 2: Motown No. 1*sAs tough as it is to make it to the top, it's even tougher to stay there. We tackle the second album of this 2LP compilation. I talk about how commerce and art are uneasy colleagues, shout out disco, and talk about the law of diminishing returns. I'm back on my (genres are) bullshit, and drop a Mitch Hedberg reference.
2025-04-1131 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord 15 part 1: Motown No. 1*sLet's all go to the Motor City and unpack the history and (some of) the hits of Motown. I'll be talking about the entrepreneurial spirit of the Gordy family, what made Detroit unique, and meeting the moment.
2025-04-0442 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #14: The Hollies' Greatest HitsThe British Are Coming! I delve into an overlooked British Invasion act, untangle some lore, make my case for the origins of jangle pop, and turn Pete Best into a verb. Plus, I begin to unpack a corollary to my "genres are bullshit" tenet.Cameos from:Johnny and the MoondogsOasisFrancis HallMorris LevyRemember, you can argue my interpretation on the origins of jangle pop, posit that I talk too much about the Beatles, or point out that, strictly speaking, a carousel is not a method of transportation at record.collecting.pod@gmail...
2025-03-2134 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #13: The Monkees (1976 Compilation)Our first double album at ARC HQ! Still, I make time for sussing out the character of the main record stores in Madison, conducting a whirlwind tour of the formation of the Monkees, and musing on what separates good songwriters from great ones. Plus, cameos from Jack Nicholson, Paul Williams, Neil Diamond, and Victor Mature. Note: I knitted that hat!Share your favorite bit from Head via email at record.collecting.pod@gmail.com
2025-03-0740 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #12: Elite HotelHippies invade Nashville! I expand slightly on my "genres are bullshit" rants, calling them a marketing strategy. I talk covers, pause recording to hack up a lung, close out my country music journey.You can email me at record.collecting.pod@gmail.com(Note: I absolutely made at least one factual error in this episode. I would normally have edited it, but my hacking cough left me unwilling to rerecord that section. Feel free to bitch about it via email; I deserve it.)I'm also on Discogs, if that's your thing: https://www...
2025-02-2123 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #11: Sentimentally YoursBack to Nashville and the legendary Patsy Cline. I go off on a tangent about why we call albums albums, why crossover success was a goal for Nashville producers, the deployment of the Jordanaires, and a surprise thought on harmonicas. Plus, shout outs to Hank Williams and Pee Wee King.
2025-02-0728 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #10: Portrait of Patsy ClineGenre (en deux sens) shift! We're talking one of the greats of country music, Patsy Cline. There's drama, heartache, strings, and the keyboard work of Floyd Cramer. And, as always, I blather on about how genres are bullshit.
2025-01-2432 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #9: Rubber Soul (US)Unable to cheat, as I only have one vinyl copy of Rubber Soul (at least, until a Super Deluxe edition is released *fingers crossed*), so I managed to keep this at 30 minutes. I discuss this, the Coke Zero of Rubber Souls, as well as more evidence for my "genres are bullshit" rant, a hot take about Paul McCartney, how the album opener has disproportionate influence on the overall vibe of an album, and more speculative fiction about the musical tastes of Patty Hickey.
2025-01-1029 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord 8: Meet the Beatles (part 2, 2024 release)Meet the Beatles redux! I talk about legacy, marketing, and the long reach of the Beatles. Plus, my weekly jaunts to Target, and side 2.
2025-01-0332 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #7: Meet the Beatles (part 1)Fortuitous timing! This episode coincides with a holiday-time burst of Beatles content. I've split this into two parts: this part focuses on my original 1964 copy of Meet the Beatles, why US fans had different albums, and how training for a marathon led me to deepen my knowledge of the early Beatles catalog.
2024-12-2726 min
Adventures in Record CollectingEpisode 6: Europa Jazz Vol. 22Back on my soapbox, although I limit the “genres are bullshit” talk. I’m sure I utter the word “bop” over a dozen times. I also talk about why Europeans dig jazz. This the last of the first batch of St. Vinny’s $1.50 records. Next episode gets spendier!
2024-12-1336 min
Adventures in Record CollectingEpisode 5: In Love Again! Peggy LeeThis episode has a catch phrase: Genres are bullsh!t. I delve into why, with a related footnote on why pop is not a useful classification. I put on a fetching tinfoil hat and link Peggy Lee and The Beatles, discuss 60s cocktail party fare and talk husbands (not mine).
2024-11-2929 min
Adventures in Record CollectingEpisode 4: Stravinsky Le Sacre du PrintempsRiot! at the Ballet with Igor Stravinsky and me. I do a little light mythbusting, talk about Team Romanticism and Team Modernism, expound on work vs. context, and talk about the pitfalls of record shopping at the thrift store.
2024-11-1529 min
Adventures in Record CollectingEpisode #3 - The Delegates '72It's an election special! I reminisce about my family's relationship to politics, look a gift album in the mouth, and test my commitment to the bit. I also poke at notions of funny/not-funny, as well as brief discursions into art crimes and the 1984 Olympics.
And while it was implied, I didn't say it outright, so I'll note it here: if there's a hell, I hope Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger are both roasting in it.
2024-11-0123 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #2 Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D MajorI wrangle with what it means to "know" something, make an analogy between a director of a play and a conductor of an orchestra, flail about with meaning, and wring my hands about a certain flavor of fascism.
2024-10-1825 min
Adventures in Record CollectingRecord #1: The Button-Down Mind of Bob NewhartIn which I explain my mission, violate the cardinal rule of thrifting, and muse on how the past is like another country.
2024-10-0624 min
the MadStage PodcastMy Life is a SitcomMy Life is a Sitcom
By Rob Matsushita, Karen Saari, Sunny Schomaker
Directed by Karen Saari
People were asked to enter submissions telling why some aspect of their life may just be great sitcom fodder. Writers chose the top two premises and have written original sitcoms based on them. Composer Andrew Rohn (VO5, Walmartopia) is composing theme songs for each.The two shows within "My Life is a Sitcom" are “Palmer.” written by Rob Matsushita, about a local cabbie who plays in the Madison Gay Hockey Association. The second is “Band for Li...
2015-04-1500 min