Music For Two Podcast: Season 2, Episode 1

Intro

Hiya all!!! Silver and Emptyeye here! Bringing you Season 2 of the “Music For Two Podcast.” This Quarter, we discuss Metallica’s “72 Seasons” and New Kids On The Block “Still Kids.” Be aware, “72 Seasons” does include some very heavy subject matter. This is your warning…

YT Videos used in the making of this video:

Metallica, 72 Seasons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OeC9CGtWcM
New Kids On The Block, Magic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC-GAW3vTGQ
New Kids On The Block, Dance With You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UL2xO2vUH0
New Kids On The Block, Stay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEH5Vjj78I8

EE’s Pick: Metallica – 72 Seasons (warning: heavy topics in the album)

Background
1. Released: April, 14, 2023.
2. 12 songs. 1 hr, 17 mins
3. Recorded: March 2021 – November 2022
4. From Hetfield: “72 seasons. The first 18 years of our lives that form our true or false selves. The concept that we were told ‘who we are’ by our parents. A possible pigeonholing around what kind of personality we are. I think the most interesting part of this is the continued study of those core beliefs and how it affects our perception of the world today. Much of our adult experience is reenactment or reaction to these childhood experiences. Prisoners of childhood or breaking free of those bondages we carry.“
Tracks
1. 72 Seasons (note in a titlecard, thatI sped up our reactions, and due to copyright, we had to mute the audio from us listening to it…)
  1. S: Alot of usual drum kick. Recognize this as a Metallica album, even if I didn’t know. Drumming along. Still impressive licks. MORE SPEED. Seemed to be a battle. Love the key chords. Investigate the lyrics. Too taken by the beat/music beat.
  2. E: Start reminds me of “Blackened”. Lots of reverb on vocals. Interesting key change in middle section. Weird way to fit “72 Seasons” into that meter.
2. Shadows Follow
  1. S: All new rhymes. Ironically meant? Good backbeat, though. Shadow imagry. Interesting. The demons following the licks. “muddy” feeling @ some points. But makes sense with lyrics. Over all, bob, though. Almost like my brian didn’t know what to do with it, so I head bopped to the timing.
  2. E: I feel like I’m listening to a better-produced Death Magnetic. Actual harmony?
3. Screaming Suicide
  1. S: “Listen well.” Def anxious thoughts always there. Like…Trying to keep that person’s demons away. Heavy subject matter. Good balance of heavy-handed guitar riff behind. Cool. CAN relate, as so many people can. Hmm… Overall. Pretty good.
  2. E: Ooh, different key. Blame-ah? He hasn’t done much of that! Metallica albums are mostly good music and baffling production decisions. Spoken part kind of “Judas Kiss”-y.
4. Sleepwalk My Life Away
  1. S: Liking the bass. Almost distracted by it. Syncopated beat at the beginning got behind it. Something about it I liked. Made me loose the lyrics, though. “sleepwalk my life away.” 2:30: Powerful lyric. Hmm. 5:05: That awesome guitar beat down was pretty good too.Something “sinister” about the ending. Btu I like it.
  2. E: Very bass driven. Very “We have ‘Enter Sandman’ at home” for a bit. Hey, less reverb?
5. You Must Burn!
  1. S: Questioning themselves. Heavy images meet heavier licks. Cool. Burning. Yeah…. Good down beats are what I’m thinking account for the heavyness. Maybe. But this is a good contrast/accompanient to the lyrics… I almost recognize that guitar riff. 5:20: as a signiture. Lol. Dancing feel to it at points, as if the guitarest was playing with flames/the singer’s demons in this song.
  2. E: Oh, slow groove. How long will that last? Oh there’s a “Ya!” And a bunch of others. Middle section kind of Alice in Chains-y. Witch burn?
6. Lux Aeterna
  1. S:More dancing in the guitar. “frenzied situation”. Yeah. Good accompanient for this lyric. Almost a pre-planned last song for concerts? I dunno…
  2. E: Wonder if they were going for “Motorbreath”? Now I really want to listen to this on my computer.
7. Crown of Barbed Wire
  1. S:Video game music, almost, in the first 30. Thorny crown. Heavy wears the crown. Heavy the knowledge/destiny. Interesting. Crushing dear, what is real. Allegoriacl christ story being taken as fact. Almost like this is a Christ viewpoint. That he knows what’s coming. MANY more religious allegories in this one…Good back beat for this story. If this isn’t what they meant, I’ll eat that damn barbed wire crown.. lol.
  2. E: Religious imagery in the title. Kind of “Cyanide”-y. Still reverb-y. Alice in Chains again.
8. Chasing Light
  1. S: Something off in the vocals. On purpose? It’s just that scream. “lean on me.” lost me at points.. Like WHAT is that transition. Maybe this track could have been cut? I dunno.
  2. E: “Harvester of Sorrow?” Very reverb-y. Re-listen to this one. Clicky bass drum.
9. If Darkness Had A Son
  1. S: What. Are we in a drumline. In first 20 sec Almost on purpose. Back to basics?? Okay. Temption. “Back to basics” on a “typical rock band” theme of “stay away from temptation.” Some points of basics. Others… It was like “just go nuts with the solo!” Something bothers me about this, and I have NO idea why… Got distracted VERY quick in this one. Again… I dunno why..
  2. E: Drums also reverby? Snare in particular. “End of the Line”? Middle section of vocals.
10. Too Far Gone?
  1. S: Good guitar riff. Self-doubts. Alot of peeps can relate… Almost has a “Metallica meets Pop” feel to it. Which is kind of intriguing… A pep-talk almost. As one does with their demons. Cool.
  2. E: Like the odd time signature in the riff. EQing weird even when not reverby. Not used to harmony in a Metallica song.
11. Room of Mirrors
  1. S:Interesting back beat. Intriguing mix of textures. Dunno what to follow at first, once the main vocals come in. Def a Metallica feel. Setting free. Nice. Almot a wierd transition. But, there is something about it.
  2. E: This could be slow if not for the drums. Also very (???? Going to guess “reverby” based on past notes). Classic riff–kind of “Mountain Song”-y.
12. Inamorata
  1. S: Heavy feel. Buried in cotton, but bopping at start. Misery.. Metalica’s love/break up song. Not my fave. At all. Something about it… They’ve done similar things, but 100% times better… 4:45 would have been long enough. Harmonies WHAT? Not in my Metallica Songs!
  2. E: So far very unlike typical closer for a Metallica album. Let’s see where it goes in the next 11 minutes. This is closer to something you’d hear post-Black album. This could have been two songs.

Silver’s Pick: New Kids On The Block – Still Kids

Background
1. Released: May 17, 2024
2. 14 songs, 44mins, 9 sec.
Tracks
1. Magic
  1. S: NKOTB Track, for SURE! Non-ending.
  2. E: NKOTB-ish! Autotune. Otherwise very 80s.
2. Summer Love
  1. S: Falsetto I know. Lol. Same feel as their original albums. Falsetto is same, but more grown up.
  2. E: That’s a weird way to hit that note. Some traditional R&B stuff in there. “Holding Out For a Hero”?
3. Long Time Coming
  1. S: More mature. But still same. Love long time, missing, etc.
  2. E: Most modern song yet?
4. Kids
  1. S: Like they took the best lyrics from teh 90s in a super mix. “Dancing On The CeilingL etc. Sort of lyrics we all know put together.
  2. E: Autotune. “Danger Zone”. The autotune reminds me of another band, but not sure what. 21 Pilots
5. A Love Like This
  1. S: “There’s the Joey I know.” The vocals/falsetto we all know. Got Roller Skating Derby vibes. EE says it was “Prom song.” Inspired by other genres too.
  2. E: This could be straight out of the 80s. “Hysteria”? Session guitar player like “This is my time to shine!” No fadeouts!
6. Dance With You
  1. S: Def dance feel.
  2. E: “I Wanna Dance With Nobody?” Beatles? Fave!
7. Come Back
  1. S: Maybe TOO influenced by othre genres. Can take or leave this one.
  2. E: Kind of “This Is Me”-like. Feels like this could be on the radio today. Again, no fadeout.
8. In The Night
  1. S: Flashdance influence. Especiall in the lead-up to the chorus.
  2. E: Very “What a Feeling”-y! Fadeout
9. Runaway
  1. S:A few have the same feel. Almost. But still, I like it!
  2. E: See “Summer of Love” notes. Not the Bon Jovi song.
10. Pop
  1. S: Falsetto. “Funky Town” feels. Almost their “usual” type of lyrics. What we are used to, which is awesome.
  2. E: Very 80s. Also very Bee Gees with the first verse. Sort of “Jump” by Van Halen.
11. Get Down (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff): https://www.twitch.tv/djjazzyjeff
  1. S: “Upside Down” feel. Bop.
  2. E: (No notes, unlike the rest)
12. Old School Love (feat. Taylor Dayne)
  1. S: Def bop. Love the themes too. Kind of Boys 2 Men feel to it. Like “Too Close” vibes. Which is awesome!
  2. E: No fadeout!
13. Better Days
  1. S: Most original. Less 80s.
  2. E: This could be a bunch of different songs. Kind of John Mellencamp-esque (“Pink Houses”).
14. Stay
  1. S: “Greatest Showman” vibes.
  2. E: 2010s wee-ooh.