Discograffiti

THE BEST HAL BLAINE INTERVIEW EVER (Ep. 239B)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. This is the interview you’d hope for if you prayed for all the things you wanted Hal Blaine to talk about in a stream of consciousness style, without a filter: what it was like to work with an acid-addled Brian Wilson; how it felt working at The Beach Boys home studio with the rest of the group; attempting to work with Joe Thomas; how it felt having Murry Wilson around; working with a wildly inebriated John Phillips; and how he feels he got accepted into his senior living community.
This entry in The Chuck Granata Pet Sounds Interview Series is the second part of Chuck’s chat with Brian Wilson’s favorite drummer, legendary studio maestro Hal Blaine. It’s not hard to understand why Brian worked with him so often: Hal claimed to have participated in over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. His drumming is featured on 150 US top 10 hits, 40 of which went to number one. Chuck’s interview with Hal took place while the latter was living in a retirement community, and the tone is definitely “no shits given” by this point. Hal passed away a few years later in 2019, which makes this posthumously released “Chuck Chat” yet another priceless buried treasure.  
There’ll be a short sneak peak running publicly for free, but the entirety of this podcast will only be accessible on the Major Tier of Discograffiti’s Patreon. Don’t miss it, or you’ll only be getting part of the story. Get it as a one-off, or better yet just subscribe…and then we’ll all have world peace.
Full Episode: Patreon.com/Discograffiti (available on the Major Tier & up)
Free Sneak Peek: linktr.ee/discograffiti
Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. It’s completely free to be a basic member, $1 to get your backstage pass, $5/month for the weekly Sunday show by & for our community, $10 for weekly early release, ad-free, super-extended Director's Cuts of the main show plus access to half our Patreon episode archive, & $20 for Discograffiti’s weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire Patreon episode archive. There are now over 300 Patreon episodes.

UNREST’S MARK ROBINSON TACKLES BILLY JOEL'S DISCOGRAPHY (PART 7: Storm Front & River Of Dreams) (Ep. 239)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives.  In this episode, host Dave Gebroe talks with the epitome of DIY punk spirit (who can also write a pop hook like the best of ‘em), Unrest’s Mark Robinson, and together they discuss Billy Joel’s entire recorded output with commentary, stories, and star ratings for every release. Part 7 covers the era during which Billy catches his manager’s hand thrust deep in the cookie jar, Christie Brinkley divorces him, he stops writing pop music, dips his toe in classical waters, his drinking starts getting super scary, he gets married again, his third wife gives him a rehab ultimatum, he gets divorced a third time, and then gets married yet again. And he also manages to make and release Storm Front, River Of Dreams, and Fantasies And Delusions.
The goal for this and the previous episode was to make great art about bad art, to create two podcast episodes in inverse qualitative proportion to the rock bottom records being discussed. Mark and Dave accomplished their goal.
Here are just a few of the many things that Mark discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
The crazed embezzlement fall-out with Billy’s manager Frank Weber; 
Why we have Sean Ono Lennon to thank for “We Didn’t Start The Fire”;
Billy’s Shelter Island Sessions, which collapsed and then transformed into River Of Dreams;
Billy’s swerve into the classical lane with Fantasies And Delusions;
And an in-depth deep dive on every song off Storm Front and River Of Dreams.
Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti
I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 
The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features a plethora of additional essential material. Support Discograffiti by opting for this clearly superior version.
Either subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Lieutenant or Major Tier, or just grab the episode as a one-off at the same link.
The Director’s Cut: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

THE CAROL KAYE INTERVIEW (Part 1, Ep. 238B)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. In this episode, we feature the next entry in The Chuck Granata Pet Sounds Interview Series. Chuck and legendary bassist Carol Kaye are close friends, so this exceptional interview goes incredibly deep in its search for the truth. Carol is one of the most prolific bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings during a career spanning over 65 years. She actually started doing session work in 1957 on guitar, and after a bassist failed to turn up to a session in 1963, she switched to that instrument, quickly making a name for herself as one of the most in-demand session players of the 1960s. She’s appeared on sessions by Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and The Monkees. The intro on Glen Campbell's “Wichita Lineman”? She came up with that. Of course, that’s also Carol plucking away on The Beach Boys albums Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), Pet Sounds, and Smile. Most famously, Kaye's bass lines are the driving force behind “Good Vibrations”, one of her many number 1 hits. 
Here’s just a few of the many things that Carol discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
The truth about Mike Love;
The first time she crossed paths with Brian Wilson;
Working with Murry Wilson;
The three times that Carol had Brian and Marilyn over to her house.
There’ll be a short sneak peak running publicly for free, but the entirety of this podcast will only be accessible on the Major Tier of Discograffiti’s Patreon. Don’t miss it, or you’ll only be getting part of the story. Get it as a one-off, or better yet just subscribe…and then we’ll all have world peace.
Full Episode: Patreon.com/Discograffiti (available on the Major Tier & up)
Free Sneak Peek: linktr.ee/discograffiti
Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. It’s completely free to be a basic member, $1 to get your backstage pass, $5/month for the weekly Sunday show by & for our community, $10 for weekly early release, ad-free, super-extended Director's Cuts of the main show plus access to half our Patreon episode archive, & $20 for Discograffiti’s weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire Patreon episode archive. There are now over 300 Patreon episodes.

UNREST’S MARK ROBINSON TACKLES BILLY JOEL'S DISCOGRAPHY (PART 6: An Innocent Man & The Bridge) (Ep. 238)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives.  In this episode, host Dave Gebroe talks with the epitome of DIY punk spirit (who can also write a pop hook like the best of ‘em), the great Mark Robinson (of Unrest, Grenadine, Air Miami, Flin Flon, Uncomfortable Police, et al), and together they discuss Billy Joel’s entire recorded output with commentary, stories, and star ratings for every release. If you’re a long-time listener, then you know that Dave has harbored a long-time hatred of Billy Joel…so why the sudden turnaround in taste? Part 6 covers the time after his divorce, a time when most people tend to sit around and sulk, but not Billy—he dated multiple supermodels, settled down with one, and became happy to an extent that managed to prove conclusively that great art absolutely can not be created by very happy people. And he also managed to make and release An Innocent Man and The Bridge. 
The goal for this and the next episode was to make great art about bad art, to create two podcast episodes in inverse qualitative proportion to the rock bottom records being discussed. Mark and Dave accomplished their goal.
Here are just a few of the many things that Mark discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
That time when Billy’s music became more ubiquitous than oxygen, and how he—and more importantly we—dealt with that;
The various acts and song styles that Billy co-opted to create An Innocent Man;
The unfortunate, damaging effect that An Innocent Man had on Dave’s perception of Billy Joel and his music, until only recently;
The wildly successful Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2, which went double diamond and whose two new tracks both became hits;
The heavy Huey Lewis & The News, Sting, and Cyndi Lauper vibe of The Bridge;
And an in-depth deep dive on every song off An Innocent Man and The Bridge.
Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti
I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 
The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features a plethora of additional essential material. Support Discograffiti by opting for this clearly superior version.
Either subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Lieutenant or Major Tier, or just grab the episode as a one-off at the same link.
The Director’s Cut: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

THE BRUCE JOHNSTON INTERVIEW (Part 3, Ep. 237B)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. In this episode, we feature the next entry in The Chuck Granata Pet Sounds Interview Series. By now, Beach Boy Bruce Johnston has retired from being interviewed, so this epic, unheard 2001 interview for Chuck Granata’s Pet Sounds book is absolutely priceless…especially seeing as his fanboy love for Chuck’s Frank Sinatra book wound up contributing to a level of unvarnished honesty that’s super-rare for The Beach Boy universe. 
Here’s just a few of the many things that Bruce discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
Bruce’s opinion of Smiley Smile;
What it’s like to be scolded in a session and to have it actually make the final mix;
Bruce’s efforts to promote Pet Sounds in England at the time;
Bruce’s advice to Chuck on how best to approach the various Beach Boys in order to get the most out of his interviews with them;
And the roles that the group members played, both in the vocal blend and in their importance to Brian.
There’ll be a short sneak peak running publicly for free, but the entirety of this podcast will only be accessible on the Major Tier of Discograffiti’s Patreon. Don’t miss it, or you’ll only be getting part of the story. Get it as a one-off, or better yet just subscribe…and then we’ll all have world peace.
Full Episode: Patreon.com/Discograffiti (available on the Major Tier & up)
Free Sneak Peek: linktr.ee/discograffiti
Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. It’s completely free to be a basic member, $1 to get your backstage pass, $5/month for the weekly Sunday show by & for our community, $10 for weekly early release, ad-free, super-extended Director's Cuts of the main show plus access to half our Patreon episode archive, & $20 for Discograffiti’s weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire Patreon episode archive. There are now over 300 Patreon episodes.

UNREST’S MARK ROBINSON TACKLES BILLY JOEL'S DISCOGRAPHY (PART 5: Glasses Houses & The Nylon Curtain) (Ep. 237)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives.  In this episode, host Dave Gebroe talks with the epitome of DIY punk spirit (who can also write a pop hook like the best of ‘em), the great Mark Robinson (of Unrest, Grenadine, Air Miami, Flin Flon, Uncomfortable Police, et al), and together they discuss Billy Joel’s entire recorded output with commentary, stories, and star ratings for every release. If you’re a long-time listener, then you know that Dave has harbored a long-time hatred of Billy Joel…so why the sudden turnaround in taste? Discograffiti’s Mark Robinson Tackles Billy Joel (But Only Metaphorically) Series dissects every last release Billy Joel’s ever had a hand in creating. Part 5 covers the last two records that Billy made before marrying Christie Brinkley and entering his tabloid uber-superstar phase: Glass Houses and The Nylon Curtain. 
Here are just a few of the many things that Mark discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
Which of us—Mark or Dave—feels like there isn’t a single bad song on Glass Houses;
The song Billy Joel considers the worst he’s ever written, and why he wrote it;
An overview of Billy’s live album, Songs In The Attic;
The recording of which Billy is most proud;
The moment that for Billy led directly to his first divorce;
The lengthy evolution of “Allentown”;
The one time that Billy Joel tried heroin, and the song he wrote about it;
And an in-depth deep dive on every song off Glass Houses and The Nylon Curtain.
Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti
I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 
If you’re a Mark Robinson & Billy Joel superfan like me, The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features 6 additional minutes of essential material.  Support Discograffiti by opting for this clearly superior version.
Either subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Lieutenant or Major Tier, or just grab the episode as a one-off at the same link.
The Director’s Cut: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

AN INTERVIEW WITH BEACH BOYS ARCHIVAL PRODUCER MARK LINETT (Ep. 236B)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. In this episode, we feature the next entry in The Chuck Granata Pet Sounds Interview Series. It’s Chuck’s dizzyingly inspired chat with legendary producer Mark Linett, the producer and audio engineer best known for his remixing and remastering of The Beach Boys’ catalog. Since 1988, he’s been the engineer of choice for Brian Wilson’s recordings. In 1996, Linett created the first true stereo mix of Pet Sounds. He’s also co-produced nearly all of the band's archival releases, including 1997’s The Pet Sounds Sessions, 1998’s Endless Harmony Soundtrack, 2003’s Hawthorne, CA, and 2011’s The Smile Sessions, as well as the Feel Flows (2021) and Sail On Sailor (2022) box sets.  In addition to earning three Grammy Awards, he was nominated for Best Engineered Album for his work on 2004’s Brian Wilson Presents Smile. He’s also worked with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Los Lobos, Rickie Lee Jones, and Randy Newman. 
This is Chuck’s lengthy and consistently fascinating interview with Mark from the early 2000’s for his Pet Sounds book…stay tuned for my own more recent interview, which covers completely different territory.
There’ll be a short sneak peak running publicly for free, but the entirety of this podcast will only be accessible on the Major Tier of Discograffiti’s Patreon. Don’t miss it, or you’ll only be getting part of the story. Get it as a one-off, or better yet just subscribe…and then we’ll all have world peace.
Full Episode: Patreon.com/Discograffiti (available on the Major Tier & up)
Free Sneak Peek: linktr.ee/discograffiti
Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. It’s completely free to be a basic member, $1 to get your backstage pass, $5/month for the weekly Sunday show by & for our community, $10 for weekly early release, ad-free, super-extended Director's Cuts of the main show plus access to half our Patreon episode archive, & $20 for Discograffiti’s weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire Patreon episode archive. There are now over 400 Patreon episodes.

UNREST’S MARK ROBINSON TACKLES BILLY JOEL'S DISCOGRAPHY (PART 4: 52nd Street & Glass Houses) (Ep. 236)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives.  In this episode, host Dave Gebroe talks with the epitome of DIY punk spirit (who can also write a pop hook like the best of ‘em), the great Mark Robinson (of Unrest, Grenadine, Air Miami, Flint Flon, Uncomfortable Police, et al), and together they discuss Billy Joel’s entire recorded output with commentary, stories, and star ratings for every release. If you’re a long-time listener, then you know that Dave has harbored a long-time hatred of Billy Joel…so why the sudden turnaround in taste? Discograffiti’s Mark Robinson Tackles Billy Joel (But Only Metaphorically) Series dissects every last release Billy Joel’s ever had a hand in creating. Part 4 covers the first couple records that Billy made after becoming a superstar: 52nd Street and Glass Houses. 
Here are just a few of the many things that Mark discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
The vibe and feel that Billy Joel was shooting for on the first album he made after becoming a superstar;
The rock star’s wife about whom he wrote “Big Shot”;
The song that Billy referred to as “the most bullshit song I ever wrote”;
A debate over whether “My Life” inspired the sitcom Bosom Buddies or vice versa;
The beginning of Billy’s struggle to maintain quality across side two of his albums;
Billy’s wild and wacky swerve from jazz to punky new wave;
The huge hit whose lyrics he dashed off lightning quick on the car ride to the studio;
And an in-depth deep dive on every song off 52nd Street and the first side of Glass Houses.
Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti
I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 
If you’re a Mark Robinson & Billy Joel superfan like me, The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features 6 additional minutes of essential material.  Support Discograffiti by opting for this clearly superior version.
Either subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Lieutenant or Major Tier, or just grab the episode as a one-off at the same link.
The Director’s Cut: Patreon.com/Discograffiti

AN INTERVIEW WITH PRODUCER PHIL RAMONE (Ep. 235B)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives. In this episode, we feature the next entry in The Chuck Granata Pet Sounds Interview Series. It’s Chuck’s chat with legendary producer Phil Ramone, Billy Joel’s most relied-upon right-hand-man, the producer of every Billy Joel record during the height of his popularity, from 1977’s The Stranger to 1986’s The Bridge. Phil won his first production Grammy for his work on Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years in 1975, eventually becoming chairman of The Recording Academy. He also helped produce, with Quincy Jones, 2001’s televised A Tribute To Brian Wilson. His credits and accomplishments in the industry are almost literally endless, and what better place to learn about them than Chuck Granata’s 2007 memoir (co-written with Phil) Making Records: The Scenes Behind The Music. Phil passed away a few years after this interview in 2013, which makes this posthumously released “Chuck Chat” yet another priceless buried treasure.  
Here are just a few of the many things that Phil discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
The dysfunctional Wilson family dynamic, which Phil talks about with great candor;
Digging into the history of harmony, and the experience of working with The Beach Boys on Chicago’s “Wishing You Were Here”;
Working with Burt Bacharach, and Phil’s transition from engineer to producer;
The differences between east coast and west coast records in the 1960s & 1970s;
The Nylon Curtain’s debt to both The Beatles & Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys;
Why Elton John was nervous to perform at the Brian Wilson tribute;
And stereo vs. mono with regard to hearing Pet Sounds.
There’ll be a short sneak peak running publicly for free, but the entirety of this podcast will only be accessible on the Major Tier of Discograffiti’s Patreon. Don’t miss it, or you’ll only be getting part of the story. Get it as a one-off, or better yet just subscribe…and then we’ll all have world peace.
Full Episode: Patreon.com/Discograffiti (available on the Major Tier & up)
Free Sneak Peek: linktr.ee/discograffiti
Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week!) of must-hear binge-listening. It’s completely free to be a basic member, $1 to get your backstage pass, $5/month for the weekly Sunday show by & for our community, $10 for weekly early release, ad-free, super-extended Director's Cuts of the main show plus access to half our Patreon episode archive, & $20 for Discograffiti’s weekly bonus episodes and access to our entire Patreon episode archive. There are now over 400 Patreon episodes.

UNREST’S MARK ROBINSON TACKLES BILLY JOEL'S DISCOGRAPHY (PART 3: TURNSTILES & THE STRANGER) (Ep. 235)

Discograffiti is the deep-dive podcast for music obsessives.  In this episode, host Dave Gebroe talks with the epitome of DIY punk spirit (who can also write a pop hook like the best of ‘em), the great Mark Robinson (of Unrest, Grenadine, Air Miami, Flint Flon, Uncomfortable Police, et al), and together they discuss Billy Joel’s entire recorded output with commentary, stories, and star ratings for every release. If you’re a long-time listener, then you know that Dave has harbored a long-time hatred of Billy Joel…so why the sudden turnaround in taste? Discograffiti’s Mark Robinson Tackles Billy Joel (But Only Metaphorically) Series dissects every last release Billy Joel’s ever had a hand in creating. Part 3 tackles the two mid-1970s records that, after their release, wound up turning him into a superstar: Turnstiles & The Stranger.  
Here are just a few of the many things that Mark discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:
The audible differences between the original James Guercio-produced version of Turnstiles and his self-produced, released version;
The band that Billy poached in order to find the musicians with whom he’d spend most of his career playing;
The Turnstiles track that most Billy Joel die-hards hold to their hearts as an all-time favorite;
What generally happens when Billy tries his hand at reggae;
The massive producer that almost helmed The Stranger before Phil Ramone stepped in;
The mind-blowing level of success which The Stranger achieved;
The song Billy wanted to drop from the track list, which wound up exploding wildly;
The hit whose melody Billy had accidentally stolen before re-writing it as “Movin’ Out”;
The connective thread between 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” and “Just The Way You Are”;
The three separate songs that were combined into “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant”;
Why, regardless of your favorite Billy Joel track, “Vienna” may just be Billy Joel’s best song of all time;
And an in-depth deep dive on every song off Turnstiles and Streetlife Serenade.
Listen: linktr.ee/discograffiti
I support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. 
The Director’s Cut of this episode is ad-free and features a plethora of additional essential material. Support Discograffiti by opting for this clearly superior version.
Either subscribe to Discograffiti’s Patreon at the Lieutenant or Major Tier, or just grab the episode as a one-off at the same link.
The Director’s Cut: Patreon.com/Discograffiti