A two and a half hour episode on Dazed and Confused this week. Much as I love it crikey he needs a good editor.
10 mins in and we are still talking about the Four Seasons and Brenda Lee.
500 songs
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I listen to these in the car between client visits and tbh the lack of brevity is a plus for me and not a negative – but of course you have to have the time.
Overall, though, I can’t recommend these highly enough
The rabbit holes along the way are what makes these podcasts so good.
Funnily enough I just started this episode today. It is very very long but agree with Junior that the twists and turns are unexpected and staggeringly well researched. I’m already going to check out Jake Holmes who I’d never previously heard of.
The 2 episodes a few weeks back which covered the Fairport story were also excellent
I decided to start from the beginning and I’m currently on episode 45 so I’ve some distance to go before Led Zeppelin though I did jump to the Fairport one because I had to.
I thought the recent Beach Boys/Manson episode was possibly a bit overdone – but generally these podcasts are marvellous and Andrew’s tenacious attention to following all the tangents and threads is extraordinary . … but I have long given up any hope of getting to 500.
Up to ep 46 here so still on 30-minute ones. Strictly rationed to one or two a week as the thought of catching up with him and having to wait for one to be made is terrible.
I love them. Yes it’s disturbing long between episodes, and I doubt he’ll make it to 500, given his oft-mentioned health issues, but in the meantime I am enchanted with every single one. He seems like a good guy.
The triggering warnings are amusing. A mate and I were riffing on it “ I should advise that this episode makes reference to curtains , curtains of various types and materials. So should curtains whether , vertical , venetian or hung on rings be a topic that might affect your mental health, I recommend you not listen to this episode”.
Anyone got a link to share? There seem to be a surprising number of pods called Dazed and Confused…
https://500songs.com
Many thanks.
It’s the most Afterwordish podcast possible: I remain surprised that it continues to fly under the radar somewhat. Would love Ellen and Hepworth to have a take on it, presuming that they haven’t already.
Hmmm … this podcast looks interesting.
Do any of you have an episode that you’d recommend in particular?
I’d start at the beginning. His exposition of how the back beat crept into songs and created the key foundation of rock music is excellent.
It might be episode 2 actually – “Roll ’em Pete”.
OK, thanks Twang.
You do have to start at the start as soon as many key writers producers and musicians recur.
I dipped into the Sly ones without an issue.
I’ve listened to the Dazed and Confused episode, as a direct result of this thread. I don’t feel lost in the weeds contextually – quite the opposite!
I subscribed* and listened to the first two episodes, predominantly about swing music. It’s good, though takes a while to adjust to his flat delivery. There are some fascinating nuggets, already, like the fact that a songwriters’, then a record producers’ strike, effectively put the half on Tin Pan Alley dominance, allowed boogie-woogie to dominate the air waves for several years, and made space for ‘lower quality’ jump and rock’n’roll to emerge into acceptance. I may have got many terms and facts wrong here.
*also to the Rolling Stone 500 songs podcast, which looks typically trashier and less incisive (there’s prejudice for you. I haven’t listened to a single episode, but it starts, of course, with Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac)
And it’s only part one 😳
Huzzah!
Rather than kicking off at the absolute start, I would be inclined to dive in to an episode that’s related to something you’re interested in, or at least familiar with – not necessarily the song itself, as that’s rarely the point of each episode’s narrative. For me, the Band, Fats Domino and Van the Man were all familiar territory but still proved to be hugely educational and entertaining. Biggest learnings? Western Swing, Dylan, the origins of the Dead and have greatly enjoyed the recent Pentangle/Fairport excursion. No point in litigating Andrew’s well-signposted fascination with the Beach Boys here for the billionth time – not for me, but it’s his podcast and I’m given to understand that other podcasts are available. Either way, what a phenomenal work of scholarship this whole caper is. Well worth a try.
So far, I’ve listened to the Dazed and Confused part one episode and the Fairport Convention part one episode. Big thank you to @Clive for flagging this pod – I’m already hooked!