You, Me and An Album

Al Melchior
  • 5.0 (17)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

On each episode, a guest introduces the host, Al Melchior, to an album they love but that he doesn't know.

  1. JAN 29

    219. I Get So Emotional: What Makes These Sad Songs Sad? with Mary Beth Melchior

    Send us a text This is an excerpt from the first-ever Patreon-only episode of You, Me and An Album, aka Bonus Tracks. On the original version of this episode, Mary Beth and Al Melchior discuss four songs, two that Mary Beth experiences as sad and two that Al experiences as sad. Al's choices were “Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)" by James and “Murmurations” by Amy Millan. Mary Beth’s were “Remember My Name” by Sons of Legion and “Hallelujah” by k.d. lang (specifically, her performance of the song at the 2005 Juno Awards). This excerpted version features the discussions of "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)" and "Hallelujah." Mary Beth and Al wound up having very different reactions to each of the songs, and they try to figure out why each song made one of them sad but not the other. To hear k.d. lang's Juno Awards performance of "Hallelujah," you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE&list=RDP_NpxTWbovE&start_radio=1. Mary Beth has a wonderful poetry channel on YouTube! Check it out and subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@OnThePath88. You can also follow Mary Beth on Instagram at @mbmelchior. To hear the full version of this episode, plus all of the other Bonus Tracks episodes, join the YMAAA Patreon at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 1:47 What to expect from Bonus Tracks 4:38 Mary Beth joins the show 5:57 The theme of this episode was Mary Beth’s idea 7:05 Mary Beth and Al deal with sadness in music very differently Discussion of specific sad songs 8:37 James, “Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)" 29:36 k.d. lang, “Hallelujah” 45:10 Other versions of “Hallelujah” 48:39 Mary Beth helps Al to understand why he doesn’t get “Hallelujah” 58:15 Mary Beth’s final thoughts about comparing reactions to the songs Support the show

    1h 1m

  2. JAN 21

    218. Storey Littleton Discusses Madi Diaz, History of a Feeling

    Send us a text Woodstock, NY-based singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Storey Littleton joins Al to talk about Madi Diaz’s 2021 album History of a Feeling. Storey explains why she chose to discuss this album, even though she doesn’t always listen to it regularly, and she highlights certain tracks that are among her favorites. She also talks about how the album is a departure from the breakup albums that she used to listen to. Storey and Al chat about Storey’s soon-to-be-released debut album At a Diner (Feb. 6 on Don Giovanni Records), and Storey goes into detail about how the writing and recording process for her recent single “January” developed. You can pre-order At a Diner from Storey’s website, and while you’re there, you can also check out her videos, tour dates and more. Just go to https://storeylittleton.com/. Also, you can follow Storey and her bands on the following platforms… Storey: @storeylittletn on Instagram @storeylittleton on YouTube Monogamy: @m0nogamy on Instagram Ida: @talesofbraveida on Instagram Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first six episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum 1:33 Storey’s introduction 2:17 Storey chose History of a Feeling, even though she doesn’t always listen to it frequently 6:25 Storey’s mother was instrumental in her discovery of this album 9:01 Storey explains why she has such a strong affinity for the album 10:40 Storey talks about her most recent experience with listening to History of a Feeling 16:57 Al explains why he listened to the album backwards 20:27 Storey expounds on the indirectness of some of Diaz’s lyrics 21:54 Storey found listening to History of a Feeling to be a shocking experience 27:49 Al talks about a lyric that stood out for him 30:07 Storey and Al take note of the harmonies on “Do It Now’ 30:49 Storey explains why “Man in Me” is one of her favorite songs on the album 35:39 History of a Feeling was a gateway to other music for Storey 37:51 Storey talks about a couple of other tracks that are among her favorites 40:33 Storey mentions the various drummers who performed on At a Diner 42:33 Storey discusses her parents’ contributions to At a Diner 43:27 Storey talks about the development of “January” 51:11 Why does Storey like playing at Tubby’s? 53:13 What’s next for Storey? Outro music is from “At a Diner” by Storey Littleton. Support the show

    59 min

  3. JAN 15

    217. Exploring Unfamiliar Albums with Fretted Dulcimer Player Sam Edelston

    Send us a text This is an excerpt from a Bonus Tracks episode published on the You, Me and An Album Patreon on Sept. 25, 2025. You can hear the entire episode, plus all of the other Bonus Tracks episodes, by joining the YMAAA Patreon at patreon.com/youmealbum. Dulcimer player Sam Edelston joins Al to talk about listening to albums that are off the beaten path. Whether we're listening to genres we're unfamiliar with or music that we come across unexpectedly, finding the key that allows us to enjoy that music can be a challenge. Sam and Al talk about their experiences with listening to albums on a list that Sam created, which features artists ranging from Tom Lehrer to Bobby Bare to Kazuhito Yamashita. Sam also discusses how he has discovered and reimagined music through the fretted dulcimer—and he and Al chat about his terrific dulcimer rock album Making Waves. You can keep up with Sam and his music at the following places: https://www.samthemusicman.com/ @contemporarydulcimer on Instagram and YouTube @Sam.Edelston.Music on Facebook Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 0:17 Introduction: Sharing excerpts from Bonus Tracks 2:55 Sam joins the show 3:08 Al explains how he is approaching this episode 4:36 Sam talks about why he took up fretted dulcimer 7:44 “Mellow Yellow” got Sam started on his exploration of rock songs on dulcimer 9:20 Sam talks about the advantages of playing a three-stringed instrument 11:49 Sam explains how he varies some of the arrangements on his cover songs 16:09 Sam aims to take the integration of dulcimer into rock music to another level 19:33 Al didn’t connect with some of the music on Sam’s list 24:02 Sam found each of the albums on his list in unexpected ways 28:03 Hearing a cappella versions of songs sometimes gets Sam to explore the originals 35:49 Sometimes record store recommendations fill in the gaps that radio listening leaves 37:05 Al highlights some of the music from Sam’s list that he liked the most 39:09 Arranging songs for dulcimer enhances Sam’s enjoyment of songs that are new to him Outro music is from “Wild Horses” by Edelston & Dulcimer. Support the show

    49 min

  4. JAN 9

    216. Maia Sharp Discusses Lord Huron, Vide Noir

    Send us a text On this episode, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Maia Sharp gets Al acquainted with Lord Huron’s 2018 album Vide Noir. (Maia was previously a guest on Ep 124, when she and Al talked about Historian by Lucy Dacus.) Maia explains why Vide Noir is on heavy rotation at her home and how this album—and Lord Huron’s music more generally—has informed her own songwriting. She also discusses the making of her latest album Tomboy, delving into some of the lyrical themes, arrangements and songwriting processes. Learn more about Maia and her music at https://www.maiasharp.com/! To hear exclusive songs, previews and much more, check out Maia’s Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/maiasharp. You can also follow Maia on Instagram at @maiasharpmusic and on Facebook at @maiasharpofficial. At the end of this episode, Al mentioned the song that Maia co-wrote as part of the Songwriting With Soldiers program. To learn more about the making of “Strumming Hand,” see the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDhW4szERds. To learn more about Songwriting With Soldiers, visit their website at https://songwritingwithsoldiers.org/. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first six episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum 1:19 Maia’s introduction 2:19 Al had heard of Lord Huron before…barely 6:03 Maia explains why she picked Vide Noir for this episode 11:02 Maia talks about songwriting lessons she has learned from Lord Huron 16:04 Al and Maia compare the experiences of listening to Lord Huron and Bon Iver 21:20 Al and Maia talk about the lack of action in Ben Schneider’s story 24:51 Maia loves the slackness of the drums on Vide Noir 30:16 Why doesn’t Maia usually like music that sounds theatrical? 32:18 Maia and Al note the album’s blend of retro and futuristic sounds 34:21 Maia appreciates how listening to Vide Noir is a full experience 39:04 There’s not much suspense as to how the protagonist’s story is going to end 40:13 Maia took a different approach to listening to Vide Noir in preparing for this episode 43:13 Maia talks about the use of percussion on Tomboy 48:08 Maia recounts the process of writing “Better Story” with Matthew Perryman Jones 52:30 Maia talks about her upcoming plans Outro is from “Strumming Hand” by Maia Sharp. Support the show

    1h 3m

  5. 12/26/2025

    215. Scott Dudelson Discusses Dillard & Clark, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark

    Send us a text For the final YMAAA episode of 2025, music photographer, podcaster, entrepreneur and record collector Scott Dudelson introduces Al to Dillard & Clark’s 1968 debut album The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. Scott talks about how he first encountered the album, why it had special significance for him during an important time in his life and why it continues to be a favorite album of his. He also discusses how bluegrass legend Doug Dillard and rock icon Gene Clark became a duo and how Bernie Leadon came to be an important contributor to their work. Scott also talks about his Legends podcast, his work as a music photographer and rebuilding his substantial record collection after losing his home in the Palisades Fire. You can check out Scott’s interviews on his @alldayvinyl YouTube channel or at the home for his Legends podcast, https://musiclegendspodcast.com/. Scott mentioned his Instagram account, and you can follow him there at @alldayvinyl. He also has an IG account for his photography at @photos_by_the_dude. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first five episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum 1:15 Scott’s introduction 2:08 Scott explains why he picked this Dillard & Clark album for this episode 3:40 Learning about Dillard & Clark helped both Scott and Al to better see the connections between country and rock 5:24 Scott revisits his experience of buying The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark 9:08 Scott recalls what impressed him about the album initially 10:33 Scott talks about Bernie Leadon’s role on the album 13:10 Scott discusses some of the details regarding the album that he learned from interviewing Leadon 17:21 Scott explains why this album resonates for him personally 22:35 Scott spotlights the songs that stand out for him 25:58 “Train Leaves Here This Morning” sent Al on a musical exploration 27:44 "The Radio Song” reminded Scott and Al of other songs 30:41 The Dillard & Clark album inspired Scott to explore other music 33:35 Scott talks about starting All Day Vinyl and interviewing Leadon 35:30 Scott discusses the process of rebuilding his record collection with help from donations 39:44 Scott doesn’t just listen to music on vinyl 41:33 Scott mentions some interviews he has done for his Legends podcast 43:02 Scott explains how he got started as a music photographer Support the show

    48 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    214. Madison Cunningham Discusses Silver Apples, self-titled

    Send us a text Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-guitarist Madison Cunningham joins Al to introduce him to the 1968 debut album by Silver Apples, Madison talks about how she became acquainted with the album, the unusual way the album was made and why it has become a meaningful album for her personally. She and Al highlight their favorite tracks and discuss how they relate to the album’s lyrics. Madison also discusses the making of her latest album, Ace, and the process of selecting its three singles. For Madison’s tour info, merch, newsletter and more, go to her website at https://www.madisoncunningham.com/. You can also follow Madison on the following platforms: Instagram: @madicunningham Facebook: @madisoncunninghammusic Tiktok: @madisoncunningham_ YouTube: @madisoncunningham Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first five episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum 1:26 Madison’s introduction 2:21 Madison explains what makes Silver Apples special for her 4:49 Madison shares how she first discovered this album 5:52 Madison talks about her initial experiences with listening to the album 9:08 Al describes his listening experience 11:35 Madison got some songwriting insights from listening to Silver Apples 13:39 Sliver Apples reminded Al of another artist covered on YMAAA 16:19 Madison and Al talk about the surprisingly human quality of the music, even though it’s electronic 19:09 Madison talks about Silver Apples' performance in Central Park for the moon landing 21:29 Madison recounts how Silver Apples disbanded after the release of their second album 23:57 Al explains why he finds “Oscillations” amusing 25:51 Madison and Al discuss their favorite tracks from the album 31:07 “Dancing Gods” left both Madison and Al confused 34:09 Madison appreciates Danny Taylor’s approach to drumming 36:39 Madison talks about her reactions to the album’s lyrics 41:52 Madison sees bands like Silver Apples as an antidote to the negative side of the singer-songwriter scene 43:46 Is there a common link between Silver Apples and Madison’s work? 47:36 Madison talks about her mindset during the time of making Ace 50:58 Do the singles from Ace feel like singles? 54:51 Madison explains why she recorded new live versions of songs for music videos 59:28 Madison talks about her upcoming tour and plugs one of her favorite albums of 2025 Outro music is from “Goodwill” by Madison Cunningham Support the show

    1h 5m

  7. 12/01/2025

    213. Jack Cooper Discusses Michael Head Introducing The Strands, The Magical World of the Strands

    Send us a text On this episode, UK-based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Jack Cooper of Modern Nature introduces Al to the 1997 Michael Head Introducing The Strands album The Magical World of the Strands. Jack talks about how and when he first learned about Head’s work and how he eventually became familiar with The Magical World of the Strands. He explains why he thinks this particular album stands out in Head’s discography and why it has a timeless quality. Jack also discusses Modern Nature’s latest album, The Heat Warps, and the ways in which it is a departure from the band’s prior releases. To learn more about Modern Nature, their music and tour schedule, visit their website at modernnature.band. Also, you can follow the band on Instagram at @m0dernnature and on Facebook at @modernnatureuk. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first four episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 1:18 Jack’s introduction 2:11 Jack was first introduced to Head’s music through Shack 6:58 Head’s music was never heavily marketed 8:54 Jack recalls how he wound up exploring The Magical World of the Strands 15:06 Jack explains what makes The Magical World of the Strands stand out among Head’s albums 17:32 Al shares his initial reactions to the album 20:33 Jack theorizes how Head and the Strands were able to make an album that sounded like it was from a different time 23:02 Jack and Al talk about the album’s “horizontal” nature 25:42 Al discusses the circumstance in which he did most of his listening to the album 27:49 Jack is a fan of Head’s more recent work with the Red Elastic Band 33:33 Jack shares his final thoughts about the album 36:13 Al sees a link between a comment made by Miki Berenyi and the themes on The Heat Warps 38:45 Jack talks about his perception of the U.S. based on his tour experiences 41:16 Jack stresses the importance of artists showing solidarity with those who resist the rise of fascism 43:37 Al explains why he finds The Heat Warps to be a rewarding listen 45:16 Jack talks about the importance of making albums sound cohesive 48:39 Jack explains why he referenced a line from “Stairway to Heaven” in “Jetty” 54:54 Jack shares the upcoming plans for Modern Nature Outro music is from “Pharaoh” by Modern Nature. Support the show

    59 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    212. Wreckless Eric Discusses Tom Petty, Full Moon Fever

    Send us a text On this episode, English alternative rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and engineer Wreckless Eric talks to Al about Tom Petty’s 1989 multi-Platinum solo debut Full Moon Fever. Eric explains how he was belatedly introduced to the album, and what he loves and doesn’t love about it. He also makes the case for Full Moon Fever being the original Dad Rock album. Eric talks about his new solo album, England Screaming, which is a remaking of A Roomful of Monkeys, the lone album released by his mid-‘80s project Captains of Industry. You can find all things Wreckless Eric-related on his website, wrecklesseric.com. You can also follow Eric on Instagram at @thewrecklesseric. For Eric’s videos, check out his YouTube channel at @wrecklessericericgoulden6001. You can buy or stream England Screaming—and some of Eric’s other work—on Bandcamp at https://wrecklesseric.bandcamp.com/. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first four episodes of Bonus Tracks—YMAAA’s subscriber-only podcast series—are now available at patreon.com/youmealbum. More monthly episodes and other good stuff are soon to come. Please consider subscribing! Your support will make it possible for Al to keep this podcast going. To keep up with You, Me and An Album, please give the show a follow on Instagram at @youmealbum. 1:25 Eric’s introduction 2:11 Eric explains why he chose Full Moon Fever for this episode 5:10 Eric talks about the homemade nature of the Full Moon Fever recording 9:24 Eric was not listening to Petty around the time that Full Moon Fever came out 12:47 Eric recalls what impressed him about the album when he first listened to it 15:28 Eric talks about the unique way the drums were recorded 20:40 Eric thinks Full Moon Fever could be the first Dad Rock album 28:06 Does “Free Fallin’” fit the theme of the album? 33:52 Eric explains how the bright acoustic guitar sound was created on “Free Fallin’” 36:41 Eric recalls an encounter with producer Denny Cordell 41:17 Eric has a theory for why Petty included a cover of “Feel a Whole Lot Better” on the album 45:28 Eric talks about how Full Moon Fever was initially going to have fewer tracks 47:28 Al didn’t realize Full Moon Fever preceded The Traveling Wilburys 49:16 Eric explains why the album wasn’t called Songs from the Garage 52:32 Eric discusses what makes Full Moon Fever a complicated listening experience for him 1:04:17 Eric and Al talk about features of “Runnin’ Down a Dream” they like 1:07:14 Eric recommends that the “haters” listen to the whole album 1:08:13 Eric explains why he remade A Roomful of Monkeys as England Screaming 1:14:33 Eric talks about recording England Screaming with drummer Sam Shepherd 1:21:43 Eric extols the virtues of playing slow 1:25:09 Eric explains why A Roomful of Monkeys didn’t turn out the way he envisioned 1:28:09 Eric talks about his upcoming live events 1:29:29 Eric discusses the importance of the arts Outro music is from “Land Of The Faint At Heart” by Wreckless Eric. Support the show

    1h 39m
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About

On each episode, a guest introduces the host, Al Melchior, to an album they love but that he doesn't know.

Information

  • Creator
    Al Melchior
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    220
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 You, Me and An Album
  • Show Website
    You, Me and An Album

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