Caropop

Lenny Kaye has secured his place in rock history as the Patti Smith Group’s longtime guitarist, but he also helped define rock history with one of the most influential compilation albums of all time: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965–1968. To create that 1972 double album, Kaye pulled together a largely obscure collection psychedelic and garage-rock songs that made a new kind of sense together, from the Electric Prunes’ throbbing “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)” to the guitar freakery of the Count Five’s “Psychotic Reaction” to Sagittarius’s gently trippy “My World Fell Down.” Now Kaye has expanded upon his work with a 5-LP Nuggets box released by Rhino on Record Store Day. What were his must-haves this time around? How do these songs hit differently 50-plus years later? How has Nuggets affected Kaye’s own music-making, and how do his writing sessions with Patti Smith go?

In the second half of this free-flowing conversation with producer Brad Wood, he digs into the recording of Whip-Smart, Liz Phair’s follow-up to her groundbreaking debut album Exile in Guyville, and the subsequent tour that never happened—and he tells of his more limited involvement on her third album, whitechocolatespaceegg. He reflects on what went right with Veruca’s Salt’s debut album, American Thighs, and its hit single “Seether,” and what went wrong when Billy Corgan hired him to produce Smashing Pumpkins’ Adore. He also discusses his efforts to let the Bangles be the Bangles on Doll Revolution, his poignant reunion with Veruca Salt, the reason he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles and what a producer should and should not do.

Brad Wood was a trained jazz saxophonist who didn’t like how rock music was sounding in the late ’80s, so he became a producer in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. At Idful Music, which has a cool origin story, Wood tried to capture the true sound of such bands as Freakwater, Trenchmouth and his own Shrimp Boat. Then he was knocked out by Liz Phair’s songs, and he and she co-produced Exile in Guyville, a landmark album soon to mark its 30th anniversary. Phair’s and Wood’s careers took off, and he went on to work with many other groups, including Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins and the Bangles. Wood is as skilled as talker as he is a producer, and in this, Pt. 1 of a two-parter, he takes us deep into his Rockford roots, the Wicker Park scene and the creation of Phair’s stunning debut.

Singer-songwriter Michael McDermott is in a good place now, but what he went through to get there could fill a book and did. His early ‘90s emergence was met with hype, acclaim and public praise from author Stephen King, but his sales figures disappointed, and he spiraled into addiction and self-destruction, even as he kept creating new music. Both lead characters of the poker movie Rounders were named after him, with one resembling him more than the other. If you’ve heard McDermott’s lyrical songs, you won’t be surprised that he is a tremendous storyteller, and he offers great energy, hard-earned wisdom and jaw-dropping tales here. He also relates his fears of forgetting the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Wrigley Field, and, wait, HOW many verses did he write for that new song? (Photo by Darin Back.)

Marshall Crenshaw is a master of smart, instantly indelible guitar-pop-rock songs, starting with his outstanding 1982 self-titled debut album (“Someday, Someway,” “Cynical Girl,” “Mary Anne”…) and continuing with Field Day (“Whenever You’re on My Mind”) and beyond. He grew up in the Detroit area, played John Lennon in productions of Beatlemania but always saw himself as a solo artist, not a band member. What about the first album's sound did he want to fix on the new remaster? Does he think Steve Lillywhite’s booming production of Field Day gets a bad rap? Does he regret how the business side came to affect his creative work? How has he enjoyed guesting in the Smithereens? Will he ever record another album? This conversation will be more than your favorite waste of time.

The second half of this lively conversation with the great Graham Parker covers his classic run of ‘70s and ’80s albums, including the first five with the Rumour. What impact did producers Nick Lowe, Mutt Lange, Jack Nitzsche, Jimmy Iovine and Jack Douglas have on his music? Did Parker have any inkling that Squeezing Out Sparks would become so revered? Which of his albums does he consider a “stone old classic”? What’s his issue with The Up Escalator? Why did he need to move on from the Rumour to maximize his growth as a singer-songwriter? Whom was he evoking in his singing on “Wake Up (Next To You),” his one U.S. Top 40 hit? Which of his songs should’ve been a dance hit? This episode hits the spot. (Photo by Dion Ogust.)

From his 1976 debut album with the Rumour, Howlin’ Wind, through the all-time classic Squeezing Out Sparks through his 1980s commercial peaks and much excellent work since then, Graham Parker stands as one of the all-time great singer/songwriter/performers. In Part 1 of a lively, insightful conversation, Parker recalls growing up in Deepcut (!), England, and falling under the spell of the Beatles, the Stones, American R&B and a certain Motown singer he would try to emulate. He was a hippie singer-songwriter before developing his “nasty voice” and creating scorching albums with the Rumour. He recounts his decades-later reunion with that killer band, their appearance in Judd Apatow’s This Is 40 and why he is working with other musicians again. And he lets us know what he really thinks of the term “pub rock.” (Photo by Dion Ogust.)

Jennifer Egan is a rare novelist whose work is innovative, fiercely intelligent, emotionally potent and fun to read—and she’s equally thoughtful and provocative in conversation. She won the Pulitzer Prize for A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010), and The Candy House, just out in paperback, made Barack Obama’s list of favorite 2022 books. Those novels’ interconnected stories and characters occupy the same universe, but should someone read one book before the other? Does she start her novels with an idea, characters, plot or storytelling strategy? Has she ever learned anything useful from a review? Why does she think every college student should be an English major? And what did she hear from David Bowie about Goon Squad? (Photo by Pieter M. Van Hattem.)

The Bangles specialized in intricate harmonies and tough, taut, tuneful guitar songs yet broke through with relatively glossy versions of “Manic Monday,” “If She Knew What She Wants” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Drummer/singer Debbi Peterson recounts the female foursome’s formation in L.A. with her sister, Vicki Peterson, and Susanna Hoffs, both of whom wrote, sang and played guitar. Debbi sang “Going Down to Liverpool” on the wonderful debut album, All Over the Place, but had a hard time with producer David Kahne. Label pressure increased on Different Light, with band members having to audition to sing the “Walk Like an Egyptian” verses. Why did the Bangles split after their third album and power-ballad smash “Eternal Flame”? Would they have been treated differently if they weren’t women? Is the Bangles’ tale triumphant or something more bittersweet?

Cary Baker was a Chicago music writer and fanzine creator who made a good impression on R.E.M. and wound up running publicity for the band and its label, I.R.S. Records. There he also worked with the Go-Go’s, General Public, Fine Young Cannibals, the Alarm, Concrete Blonde and Timbuk 3, whom he got booked onto Saturday Night Live. After R.E.M. left the label, Baker did too, moving to Capitol Records and working with Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, the Smithereens and other big names. Eventually he formed his own firm, Conqueroo (a Chicago blues reference), and represented acts including the one that changed his life as a college student: Cheap Trick. Baker recently retired after 42 years of adventures in the publicity game, and he has stories to tell.

When Adrian Belew was brought in to record his mind-bending guitar solos on what became Taking Heads’ landmark 1980 album Remain in Light, he felt an unprecedented amount of freedom. He was presented not with almost-finished songs but unstructured grooves that felt like vast open spaces for him to color in. That he did, brilliantly, and Belew and Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads are now revisiting this album with a live tour. Of course, Belew’s resume covers a lot more ground, including guitar wizardry with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Paul Simon and Nine Inch Nails, his stint as lead singer/songwriter of King Crimson and his own solo career. How did each of these collaborations stretch him? And was he really asked to replace David Byrne in Talking Heads?

Peter Case is a singer-songwriter who has covered a tremendous amount of ground, both physically and stylistically, over a long, impressive career. He played pop-punk with the Nerves, power-pop with the Plimsouls (“A Million Miles Away”), Americana as a solo artist before Americana was a thing, and many styles since then, including the pounding piano blues of his upcoming Doctor Moan. Here he recalls days of scraping by as a street musician, tells jaw-dropping L.A. stories featuring the Go-Go’s and Jerry Lee Lewis, recounts how Blondie came to cover the Nerves’ “Hanging on the Telephone,” recalls the Plimsouls' appearance in Valley Girl and relives his dreams, disappointments (with a cameo by the label exec who also rejected Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) and triumphs, This is a great conversation for songwriters and music fans alike.

Denny Laine was the one full-time Wings member whose last name isn’t McCartney—as well as a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee with the Moody Blues. Wings went through multiple lineup changes during the 1970s, and for Band on the Run and much of London Town, the band was down to just Paul and Linda McCartney and Laine. Which Wings lineup does Laine consider the strongest? What was co-writing with McCartney like? How did they come to write and record “Mull of Kintyre,” and were they surprised when it became, at the time, the biggest-ever British hit single? Did they work better without an outside producer? Did McCartney’s cannabis arrest in Japan mark the end of Wings? Laine co-wrote “No Words” but has plenty of good ones in this Caropop conversation.

David Pasquesi is an actor who makes an impression even if you don’t know his name. He brightens The Book of Boba Fett as the sly, untrustworthy Majordomo. He’s the smiling, conniving Veep ex-husband Andrew Meyer. He’s the ever-searching alchemist Blaise St. John on the cult-fave series Lodge 49. You also may have caught him on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (another cheerful scoundrel), At Home with Amy Sedaris (Knife Man Tony!) and in movies including Groundhog Day. For more than 20 years, he has performed the wholly improvised TJ and Dave show with fellow Second City alumnus T.J. Jagodowski. How does Pasquesi balance acting and improv? Why does he play so many shifty characters? Will he attend Star Wars conventions now? Pasquesi is quick-witted and revealing in this Caropop conversation, recorded live at the club Space in Evanston. Don't miss actor Michael Shannon's question at the end.

Robyn Hitchcock has been writing surreal, catchy, muscular, gentle, haunting, melodic pop rock songs from his late-'70s/early '80s work with the Soft Boys through his excellent new album, Shufflemania! He still sounds young yet digs into aging and mortality in his music and this conversation. He also discusses whether he absorbs or echoes such influences as Syd Barrett and John Lennon, how his collaboration with XTC's Andy Partridge worked, what his live-performance pet peeve is and whether inspiration more often finds him or forces him to seek it out. Hitchcock remains as inventive, imaginative and thoughtful as they come.

Brendan Benson is an accomplished solo artist who also happens to co-lead a popular band, the Raconteurs. He'd released three albums of tuneful, smart rock when he played an unfinished song for his Detroit friend Jack White. The White Stripes frontman completed it, they recorded it with another band’s rhythm section, and a supergroup was born, along with its first hit, “Steady, As She Goes.” Now Benson lives in Nashville, where he recorded his excellent eighth solo album, Low Key, and he also collaborates with other musicians, some country, some not (including Robyn Hitchcock). How do those co-writing gigs work? Why can they be embarrassing? Has Nashville rubbed off on his songwriting? Does he consider his work to be autobiographical? Will he ever tour again on his own or with the Raconteurs? Benson is as insightful in conversation as he is in song. (Photo by Guillaume Lechat.)

Mastering engineer Kevin Gray returns to Caropop to break down mono vs. stereo and other issues of sound. Gray has been remastering Blue Note’s acclaimed Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl series, including separate mono and stereo releases of John Coltrane’s Blue Train. Which does Gray prefer and why? Are there time periods when mono is likely to be superior to stereo and vice versa? How are the rules different for jazz and rock? What accounts for a recording’s soundstage—how spread out the instruments sound?Gray also discusses whether the Beatles revamps are revisionist history, whether electronically reprocessed stereo is ever any good, the differences between the Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl releases and his work at Cohearent Audio on funky ’70s recordings for Craft Records’ Jazz Dispensary label and Intervention’s stunning reissue of Joe Jackson’s Night and Day. Then there's his own label's upcoming first release: a jazz album recorded at his home studio modeled after legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack set-up.

Singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard played herself on TV’s Ally McBeal, performing at the characters’ favorite piano bar, and she co-wrote and sang the show’s theme song, “Searchin’ My Soul.” But even with multiple Ally McBeal-tie-in albums, there’s been much more to Shepard’s career than the show. She performed her first gig as a 14-year-old, toured in Rickie Lee Jones’ band and duetted with Dan Hill on the 1987 smash “Can’t We Try.” Years of development with Warner Brothers led to her self-titled debut album, but the label dropped her, Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley boosted her, and she kept writing songs and releasing albums, including this year’s Red Light, Green Light (produced by husband Mitchell Froom). She reflects on her career's many twists and turns in this lively, wide-ranging Caropop conversation. (Photo by Greg Shappell & Nick Leopold.)

Guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter was an original Steely Dan member who played on the band's indelible first three albums: Can’t Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy and Pretzel Logic. Those are his memorable solos on “My Old School” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” When Steely Dan quit touring, he found more success with the Doobie Brothers and eventually brought in singer Michael McDonald, who pushed that band in a more soulful, keyboards-heavy direction. Skunk left to do more studio and touring work and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Doobies. After all these years, he finally released his first-ever solo album, Speed of Heat. Oh, and in his "day job," he games out war scenarios for the U.S. government. He has a lot to reel in in this ear-opening Caropop conversation.

Nora Dunn is a smart, funny, very talented actor and writer who has put up with much bad behavior and isn’t afraid to call it out. Despite all of her excellent work that followed, she feels like she’ll always be associated with Saturday Night Live. She and Jan Hooks were the lounge-singing Sweeney Sisters, she played talk-show host Pat Stevens, and she famously boycotted an episode hosted by comedian Andrew Dice Clay because she argued the show was normalizing someone who reveled in the abuse of women. How did Lorne Michaels punish her at the SNL 40th anniversary? Which legendary director jammed something down her blouse while she was vying for a role? Dunn knows how to tell a story, and she’s still calling it out.

Kelly Hogan is fantastic singer who sounds equally at home singing lead or providing sublime harmonies with Mavis Staples, Neko Case, the Decemberists and her fellow members of the Flat Five. She delivered a torchy jazz-twang-rock hybrid with the Jody Grind, her early ’90s band from Atlanta’s Cabbagetown neighborhood, before moving to Chicago and proving in many contexts that she can sing anything. Chatting in person with her cuddly dogs Eddie and Ernie at her side, Hogan tells stories of tragedy and comedy, the futility of trying to abandon music in Chicago and the joy of discovering the perfect harmony partner. Everyone loves working with Hogan, and when you hear her sing—or talk—you understand why.

Soul singer Bettye LaVette has had an epic career. She recorded her first single "My Man — He's a Lovin' Man" as a 16-year-old Detroiter in 1962, and its success put her on tour with Ben E. King, Clyde McPhatter and a young Otis Redding. Yet it was another 20 years before her first album was released and another 20 years before her career finally caught fire and the accolades and Grammy nominations started pouring in. How did she become one of our most treasured song interpreters? How did she overcome her “buzzard luck”? And what did Bob Dylan do to tick her off? Don’t underestimate or mess with Bettye LaVette. (Photo by Joseph A. Rosen.)

Please enjoy this brief Happy Thanksgiving message from the Caropop team, plus a countdown of the Top 10 most downloaded episodes and a preview of next week's guest. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks, everybody!

Drummer Stan Demeski has held down the crazy rhythms of the Feelies for four decades, with a stint in the alt-rock supergroup Luna in between. He replaced the late Anton Fier in the Feelies and played in the related bands the Trypes, Yung Wu and the Willies before appearing on his first Feelies album, the classic The Good Earth. Demeski takes us inside the idiosyncrasies and dynamics of this propulsive, percussive group as they appear in Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild, jump to a major label, take a 16-year break and resume making music together. He also recounts his Luna experience, how that ended and what it was like for him, a huge Velvet Underground fan, to tour with Lou Reed.

As Part 2 of this Caropop conversation with this astute producer/label owner begins, Fairport Convention has reached its peak, but lead singer Sandy Denny is suddenly out. Did she jump or was she pushed? We also hear about Boyd’s Hollywood stint, the story of how "Dueling Banjos" became a fluke hit and his role in Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace film and why it sat on the shelf for decades. Then there’s how he rescued Richard and Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights, why he stopped producing solo Richard Thompson, and how he dealt with the non-egos of R.E.M. to move the band forward with Fables of the Reconstruction. There's also a song about a sending a camel to bed.

When Joe Boyd moved to London in the mid-‘60s, he had no idea how he’d change the music world. He opened the soon-to-be-legendary underground UFO Club and produced the first single by its house band, Pink Floyd. He also produced Fairport Convention, which rebounded from a tragic crash and basically invented British folk rock; the Incredible String Band, whose Woodstock appearance remains Boyd’s biggest professional regret; and Nick Drake, who was plagued by his lack of commercial success in his short lifetime. And that takes us just into the early ‘70s, with adventures with Aretha Franklin, smash singles involving banjos and a camel, and landmark work with Richard and Linda Thompson, R.E.M. and many others to follow. Enjoy Part 1.

If all Klaus Voormann had done was design the cover of the Beatles’ Revolver, his place in rock history would be secure. The band needed artwork to match their bold musical leap forward, and he delivered striking black-and-white line drawings of his friends, with photos woven through their flowing hair. He recalls hearing the mind-blowing new music in the studio and struggling to draw one particular Beatle. Voormann also was Manfred Mann’s bassist and played with all four Beatles, including on John Lennon’s early solo singles and albums, All Things Must Pass and Ringo. He played bass on Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” and Randy Newman’s “Short People" as well. He’s been here, there and everywhere and wants to tell you.

Dave Davies is constantly searching for answers beyond ordinary human comprehension, so a conversation with the trailblazing Kinks guitarist isn’t just a chance to geek out on music questions. We dig into the band's past, present and future, including the songs he wrote (“Death of a Clown,” “Strangers”…), the indelible harmonies he sang and the new box set showcasing Muswell Hillbillies and Everybody’s in Show-Biz. We also discuss his stroke recovery and whether it’s time to retire talk of a Kinks’ reunion. But beyond the songs and dynamics with older brother Ray, Dave Davies is exploring the higher power of love and what it means to be alive. We’re all living on a thin line, after all.(Photo by Rebecca G. Wilson)

Glam band Slade ruled England in the early 1970s, with six No. 1 singles, including “Mama Weer All Crazee Now,” “Cum on Feel the Noize” and “Merry Xmas Everybody.” Drummer Don Powell supplied the stomping beat but in 1973 was in a horrific car crash that killed his girlfriend and left him seriously injured and with amnesia. He returned to the band within two months. Powell takes us through Slade’s early skinhead phase, the glam peak, his recovery and the band’s frustrating attempts to crack the U.S. market—which finally happened after Quiet Riot had a top-5 hit with its 1983 “Noize” cover. Powell also explains wot’s up with those phonetic spellings and recalls how Sharon Osbourne and a shotgun prompted him to quit drinking.

From the Young Fresh Fellows through the Minus 5, the Baseball Project and many more, Scott McCaughey has been in a lot of bands. He also played with R.E.M. for years and has collaborated with Wilco and others who love working with him. In late 2017 he suffered a stroke, landed in the ICU and worked his way back to the stage within months amid an outpouring of affection and support. How did Peter Buck help him rebound? How did McCaughey feel about the attention? How does he feel, period? With new albums by the Baseball Project and the No One awaiting release, he also digs into his songwriting process. McCaughey goes deep in this first episode of the second year of Caropop.

To cap a year’s worth of Caropop episodes, we’ve got an original Beach Boy, Al Jardine. He provided perfect harmonies to this band of brothers and a cousin; he sang lead on “Help Me, Rhonda,” “I Know There’s an Answer,” “Vegetables” and “Cotton Fields”; and he brought in “Sloop John B” and wrote "California Saga/California." At 80 and still sounding great, Jardine tours with his own Endless Summer Band and Brian Wilson and has a solo album, A Postcard from California. How did his mom give the Beach Boys its start? What did he think of the band’s use of studio musicians? When did he realize Brian suffered from mental illness? Why was there no 60th anniversary reunion tour this year? Jardine knows there’s an answer…

Welcome to pub rock! Brinsley Schwarz is the namesake of the band Brinsley Schwarz and guitarist for Graham Parker and the Rumour. The band Brinsley Schwarz, which featured songs written and sung by his schoolmate, Nick Lowe, began with a burst of bad publicity—which he recounts blow by blow—but flourished as the quintessential British pub-rock band. Yet not even Lowe’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” or a tour with Paul McCartney and Wings could break the band commercially, so it split. Schwarz went on to form the Rumour (with last week’s Caropop guest, Steve Goulding), which became known for backing Graham Parker. Now he’s creating Brinsley Schwarz albums as himself. Schwarz knows how to tell a story, and he’s got some great ones.

Drummer Steve Goulding has brought his crisp, distinct style to more great songs than you may realize. As a member of Graham Parker and the Rumour, he played on Howlin’ Wind through the classic Squeezing Out Sparks. He demonstrated his reggae chops on Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” and powered Nick Lowe’s Jesus of Cool/Pure Pop for Now People while earning a songwriting credit on “I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass.” He had one high-profile performance with David Bowie, and since the mid-‘80s, with a break and a Poi Dog Pondering stint thrown in there, he has been driving the many beats of the Mekons. Goulding takes us through the up and downs, breakups and reunions, colorful personalities and overbearing producers, with great humor, candor and, of course, a steady hand.

Steve Wynn is singer-songwriter-guitarist for the Dream Syndicate and the Baseball Project, with a prolific solo career thrown in there as well. He’s also one of the most thoughtful people in the rock world, someone who was saved from journalism by discovering punk rock yet has retained his searching spirit when it comes to making music. He takes us back to the Paisley Underground and the creation of The Days of Wine and Roses through his solo work, the all-star Baseball Project, and his current, even more exploratory version of the Dream Syndicate. He also goes deep into how he writes for each project and recalls his reaction to hearing that the Bangles' "Hero Takes a Fall" was about him. (Photo by Charles Cherney)

Despite some identifiable influences (Velvets, Modern Lovers, Eno…), the Feelies are a band like no other. Their sound is crisp, their playing precise and explosive, their songs indelible in an often-mysterious way. Glenn Mercer and Bill Million provide the jittery, chiming guitars, while Brenda Sauter delivers melodic bass lines amid the propulsive thunder of Stan Demeski's drums and Dave Weckerman's percussion. Singer-songwriter-lead-guitarist Mercer, who views his voice as just another instrument, takes us through the Feelies’ pursuit of its unique vision over 40-plus years, including such brilliant albums as Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth, that Something Wild appearance, an early shakeup and later breakup, and a triumphant last roundup that will last...how long?

Pylon lead singer Vanessa Briscoe Hay never thought she’d still be talking about—and singing the songs of—this brilliant, groundbreaking Athens, Ga., band more than 40 years after it began recording. Appearing on the scene between the B-52’s and R.E.M., Pylon was conceived as a sort of art project by University of Georgia students who took inspiration from the textile factory where three of them worked. Briscoe Hay, whom Paste magazine named one of the “25 Best Frontwomen of All Time," says the band was a machine, and her job was to fit into the spaces. Although Pylon disbanded (for the first time) after just two albums, Gyrate and Chomp, its taut, propulsive music sounds as potent as when it was recorded. Briscoe Hay turns up the volume on this unique, timeless band's story.

Go-Go’s drummer Gina Schock brought the beat to “We Got the Beat” and elevated that band with her powerful, disciplined attack. She was hooked on muscular rock with her first concert, a one-time-only double bill of the Who and Led Zeppelin. After touring behind a star of John Waters' Pink Flamingos, Schock joined the Go-Go's, and that band took off. How did her fierce work ethic go over with her bandmates? What were recording sessions like? What made the distribution of songwriting credits and finances so unfair? In Schock’s new coffee table book, Made in Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s, bassist Kathy Valentine says, “The drummer rules the band.” The passionate, enthusiastic Schock rules Caropop as well.

When drummer Gilson Lavis joined Squeeze, he became the band’s most experienced musician, having previously played with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolly Parton. Starting with the gallop of Squeeze’s debut single, “Take Me I’m Yours,” he powered such undeniable Glenn Tilbrook/Chris Difford songs as “Up the Junction,” “Cool for Cats,” “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” “Another Nail in My Heart,” “In Quintessence” and “Tempted.” But the group dynamics grew tricky, his drinking knocked him out of the band twice, and after he got sober for good, he joined old bandmate Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and became an in-demand portrait painter. Lavis flips the Hourglass on an epic career here.

If you’re a fan of Philadelphia soul, you’ve enjoyed the work of Dexter Wansel. He wrote for and produced such Philadelphia International artists as Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and the Jacksons, and he conducted and played with MFSB, whose “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” was the “Soul Train” theme but wasn't called that for a reason he explains. As a kid working at Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, Wansel assisted Stevie Wonder, James Brown and other acts. Later he got studio gigs as an early adopter of synthesizers, and his debut album, the much-sampled Life on Mars, showcases his jazz-funk chops and a lifelong passion for space. His stories and memories are a blast.

Drummer Freda Love Smith recently hung up her sticks after a long career playing in bands from Blake Babies to Antenna, Mysteries of Life and the Sunshine Boys. She also wrote Red Velvet Underground, a perfectly titled memoir that covers her rock ‘n’ roll life and her passion for cooking. Here she reflects on growing up in Bloomington, Indiana, and teaming up with John Strohm and, later in Boston, Juliana Hatfield to form Blake Babies. How did Allen Ginsberg come to name the band? Why didn’t that band last, and how did she feel about Hatfield’s solo success? What supernatural force named Antenna? How hard was the decision to retire? What’s she writing now? And why are rock ‘n’ food so entwined?

Drummer Linda Pitmon brings her abundance of power, groove and talent to the supergroups the Baseball Project and Filthy Friends plus other bands. Growing up in Minneapolis, she banged on Tupperware to replicate the fills of her favorite songs. She had indie success with Zuzu’s Petals, then moved to New York, where she connected musically and personally with Steve Wynn, now her husband. She tells of the joy of recording and performing songs about baseball with Wynn, Scott McCaughey and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Mike Mills. She also previews the Baseball Project’s upcoming album, produced by Mitch Easter, and shares how she has thrived in the male-dominated world of rock drummers.

Soul jazz organist Ronnie Foster works as a solo artist but also played on Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (“Summer Soft”), George Benson’s Breezin’ and albums by the Jacksons, Robert Flack, Grant Green and others. His first album, the scorching Two Headed Freap, came out in 1972 on Blue Note Records and was just remastered by Kevin Gray. Fifty years later he’s got a new Blue Note album, Reboot, his first release in 36 years. He’s also got great stories that cover a half century’s worth of playing, writing, producing, falling in love with the Hammond B3 and becoming best friends with fellow Taurus Stevie Wonder. You’ll also learn what a “Freap” is.

Peter Holsapple is the dB’s sole-singer songwriter when the band finally lands a U.S. record deal, but the excellent Like This is undercut by issues with the mix and distribution. Recording and releasing The Sound of Music is a fraught experience as well, and when the dB’s finally split, Holsapple accepts an offer to tour and then to record with R.E.M. He plays on R.E.M.’s breakthrough single (“Losing My Religion”) and album (Out of Time), but as he recounts in heartbreaking detail, a dispute over songwriting credits ends his relationship with these friends for years. Holsapple is eloquent and gracious as he describes the many industry challenges he has faced while continuing to pursue his love of music.

You may have seen Peter Holsapple playing live with R.E.M. or Hootie and the Blowfish, but you should know his own music. He co-led and then led the dB's, writing and singing such smart, tuneful songs as "Black and White," "Big Brown Eyes," "Living a Lie," "Neverland," "Amplifier" and "Love Is for Lovers." He also has played in the Continental Drifters, made three excellent duo albums with Chris Stamey, and toured and recorded under his own name. In part one of our conversation, he recalls being inspired while listening to Chicago's WCFL-AM from North Carolina, describes the beginnings of the dB's and Stamey's departure, and offers deep insights and colorful stories about maintaining the creative life of a songwriter/musician.

Spoon's Jim Eno doesn’t appear to be doing anything fancy when he drums, yet his deceptively groovy playing makes you want to move. He and frontman Britt Daniel, the two remaining original members, keep Spoon sounding unmistakably like Spoon amid the band's constant growth, changes and innovations. Much of the band’s guitar-heavy latest album, Lucifer on the Sofa, was recorded at Eno’s Austin, Tex., studio, with Eno having established himself as a producer with Spoon and artists such as Alejandro Escovedo (and he's got a fun story about working alongside Bowie producer Tony Visconti). Eno takes us inside Spoon’s creative process, how Daniel presents the songs, how Eno approaches playing them, how a seemingly straightforward rocker like “Held” is driven by experimentation and how the band learned to be happy again.

In audiophile communities it’s common to read raves about “the Bellman Cut” of an album because if Chris Bellman mastered it, it probably sounds great. One 2021 Record Store Day release even came with a sticker boasting “a killer lacquer cut by Chris Bellman.” How did he go from working on disco-era dance tracks to having the original masters of the first five Van Halen albums land on his desk? What impact did mastering Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill have on his career? What was special about the Tom Petty Wildflowers recordings he recently mastered? And is his job to make an album sound "better" than ever or just like the original?

The continuation of our conversation with the Devo co-leader goes deeper and darker into the band's history and our ominous cultural landscape. What caused Devo to split the first time, and why does Gerald Casale feel like he must do the heavy lifting now? What does he think of Mark Mothersbaugh's movie-scoring career? What was his experience directing videos by Cars, Rush and Foo Fighters? What are the stories behind his Jihad Jerry solo project and Devo's energetic reunion album, Something for Everybody? How big a hole did his late brother Bob Casale leave? Can we ever expect to hear new Devo music? Casale pulls no punches.

Devo’s Gerald Casale helped conceive the concept of “de-evolution,” but even he didn’t think things would get so bad. He’s also not happy about that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub, and he has frustrations with band co-leader Mark Mothersbaugh. Devo’s striking visuals and presentation, often conceived by Casale, may lead some to overlook this groundbreaking band’s power. We dig into the music here, how Casale and Mothersbaugh wrote those songs and who did what. He also discusses Devo’s Saturday Night Live debut (and how Neil Young factored in). Did the band wear yellow jumpsuits and red Energy Domes into the studio? You’ll find out.

Filmmaker Judd Apatow listens to other people as much as he projects his own voice. His new documentary, George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO, HBO Max), is a complex, intimate portrait of one of the most impactful comedians ever. His new book, Sicker in the Head: More Conversations about Life and Comedy, finds him sharing tales of pandemic life, depression and expression with creative people including David Letterman, Hanna Gadsby and Lin-Manuel Miranda. In his latest comedy, The Bubble, Apatow attempts to reflect the madness of the pandemic in real time. What drives all this activity? How does his constant outreach affect his creativity? How does he feel about his daughters joining the family business? Is he working on This is 50? This conversation about life and comedy covers a lot of ground.

Delvon Lamarr can play almost every instrument but one, but he’s happiest behind his Hammond organ powering soul-jazz instrumentals that suggest what might happen if Booker T. and the MG’s met the Meters on a rocket into the 21st Century. The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio makes hot, groovy music with seemingly telepathic interplay. Why does Lamarr prefer the trio format, even if it requires him to play bass on the organ? What’s the secret to naming instrumentals (and the story behind “Pull Your Pants Up”)? How much of his writing springs from improvisation? How important is melody? Shouldn’t more bands be making “feel good music”? Lamarr is a great talker and player. Enjoy.