You, Me and An Album

Al Melchior
  • 5.0 (18)
  • 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. 6D AGO

    Joe Adragna and Mary Beth Melchior Discuss The Monkees, Head (film and soundtrack) - originally published on Bonus Tracks Patreon

    Send us Fan Mail This episode was first published in February 2026 on the You, Me and An Album Bonus Tracks Patreon. Joe Adragna (The Junior League) and Mary Beth Melchior join me for this episode to discuss the Monkees’ film Head, as well as its soundtrack, both released in 1968. We talk about our impressions of the movie, what we liked about the songs from the soundtrack and the ways in which the film and songs were and weren’t a departure for the group. We also discuss why the film, the soundtrack and the Monkees in general have not received more acclaim.’ Joe talks about his new album The Moon Neither Noticed Nor Ignored (out Feb. 6), and Mary Beth delves into her YouTube poetry channel OnThePath88. 0:00 Re-introducing Joe and Mary Beth 1:43 Joe encouraged Mary Beth and Al to watch the Head movie 2:55 Mary Beth explains why she hadn’t yet watched Head 6:10 Joe talks about when he first saw the movie 7:47 Joe and Mary Beth talk about the different way that the Monkees were presented in the film, as opposed to the TV series 14:12 The darkness of the Monkees' new image came more from the story than from the music itself 16:19 Mary Beth talks about the use of “Daddy’s Song” in the film and compares it to “Cuddly Toy” 21:33 Joe and Mary Beth discuss how topical Head was (and still is) 26:44 Joe explains how the movie came together and the degree to which the Monkees were involved 31:56 Joe and Mary Beth talk about how the film exposes the ways the Monkees were trapped in their TV series personas 39:02 Head was a difficult film to market 41:40 Joe relates an encounter he had with Peter Tork regarding the movie 44:18 Can the soundtrack be experienced as separate and distinct from the movie? 46:43 Joe recalls a live performance of “Porpoise Song” that he saw 47:55 Mary Beth ponders the strangeness of being a Monkee after the band’s heyday 48:58 Joe and Mary Beth celebrate the catalog of songs written by the Monkees themselves 54:47 Mary Beth and Joe discuss how Mickey Dolenz continues to build on the Monkees’ legacy 56:31 Is there a scenario where the Monkees could have continued the direction signaled by Head? 59:16 Al is more motivated now to explore more of the Monkees’ discography 1:00:42 Contrary to public perception, the Monkees were real musicians 1:02:20 Could there be another Monkees episode in the future? 1:03:19 Joe talks about his new album The Moon Neither Noticed Nor Ignored 1:06:53 Mary Beth shares the latest developments on her YouTube poetry channel, OnThePath88 Outro music is from “Forget Forget Me Nots” by The Junior League. Support the show

    1h 14m

  2. MAY 15

    Jesca Hoop Discusses Joni Mitchell, For the Roses

    Send us Fan Mail Manchester-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Jesca Hoop joins Al to introduce him to Joni Mitchell’s 1972 album For the Roses. Jesca talks about how she first discovered For the Roses as well as the earlier albums in Mitchell’s catalog after having minimal exposure to popular artists during much of her childhood. She explains why she connects with this album and why it’s a notable part of Mitchell’s discography. Jesca also discusses her new album Long Wave Home and delves into her experience as the album’s sole producer. You can find Jesca online in each of the following places: https://www.jescahoop.co.uk/ @jescahoopster on Instagram @JescaHoopMusic on Facebook @JescaHoop on YouTube 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. Al has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, but you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. 1:28 Jesca’s introduction 2:21 Jesca explains why she chose to talk about For the Roses 5:26 Jesca shares how she first encountered For the Roses and some of the other albums in Mitchell's catalog 8:29 Jesca talks about Mitchell’s progression from her earliest albums to For the Roses 11:49 Jesca explains why the album resonated for her during a lonely period of her life 14:34 Jesca singles out the first track that she felt a connection to 17:03 Jesca identifies a key element that separates Mitchell from many other musicians and songwriters 18:59 Jesca talks about the adventurousness of Mitchell’s poetry on For the Roses 21:35 Jesca discusses the artistry behind Mitchell’s arrangements and pacing 25:53 Did Mitchell make better singles on Court and Spark than on For the Roses? 29:02 Jesca explains why she listened to For the Roses a lot while on tour with Mark Knopfler 32:07 Jesca and Al contrast “For the Roses” with “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” 38:44 Jesca notes the recent Record Store Day reissue of For the Roses 39:53 Jesca talks about being the sole producer of Long Wave Home 45:48 Jesca explains some of her lyrical choices for “Designer Citizen” 51:48 Jesca discusses the comforting feel of “Long Wave Home” 55:15 Jesca talks about upcoming plans for The Songs of Joni Mitchell and her solo tour Outro music is from “Big Storm” by Jesca Hoop. Support the show

    1 hr

  3. MAY 7

    Ryan Sollee Discusses No Knife, Fire in the City of Automatons

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode, The Builders and The Butchers frontman Ryan Sollee joins Al to introduce him to No Knife’s 1999 album Fire in the City of Automatons. Ryan shares why he chose to talk about this No Knife album for this episode, and he explains what is special to him about this band and this album. He delves into his favorite tracks from Fire in the City of Automatons and talks about the rare encounter he had with another No Knife “mega-fan.” Ryan also talks about the new Builders and The Butchers album, No Tomorrow, the band’s recent performances with the Portland Cello Project and the band’s new board game. Note: The clip of No Knife performing “Minus One” at The Casbah in San Diego in 2009 comes from the YouTube account for Mvideojukebox. Ryan talked about The Builders and The Butchers’ Patreon on this episode. You can check it out and join at https://www.patreon.com/TheBuildersandtheButchers. He also mentioned the band’s Bandcamp page. Find their music there at https://thebuildersandthebutchers.bandcamp.com/. You can also learn more about The Builders and The Butchers at the following places: https://www.thebuildersandthebutchers.com/ @thebuildersandthebutchers on Instagram and 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. Though Al mentioned that he has put a pause on publishing new Bonus Tracks episodes, you can listen to the past ones at the You, Me and An Album Patreon for $1/month. Just go to https://www.patreon.com/youmealbum. 1:13 Ryan’s introduction 1:48 Ryan explains why he chose Fire in the City of Automatons and cites some of his other favorite albums 3:51 Ryan revisits his introduction to No Knife, and Al shares his reaction to first hearing them 6:10 Ryan explains what he thinks sets No Knife apart from other emo-adjacent bands 8:51 Ryan shares what he liked about Fire in the City of Automatons right from the first listen 10:30 Al and Ryan really like No Knife’s vocals 11:49 Ryan and Al talk about the No Knife-Mission of Burma connection 14:34 Ryan discusses his favorite tracks from the album 16:55 Al was impressed by the album’s sonic variety 18:41 Ryan found another No Knife superfan while he was on tour 20:03 Ryan and Al try to understand why No Knife didn’t build a larger following 25:18 Ryan recommends another No Knife album 26:09 Ryan gives No Knife’s bassist (Brian Desjean) his props 27:52 Are there connections between No Knife and The Builders and The Butchers? 30:10 Ryan talks about No Tomorrow’s closing track, “A Wall/A Fire” 36:05 Ryan discusses The Builders and The Butchers’ album release shows with the Portland Cello Project 38:37 Ryan talks about the new Builders and The Butchers board game 40:21 Ryan explains how the band commemorated their 20th anniversary 41:28 Ryan discusses how The Builders and The Butchers keep in touch with their fans outside of social media Outro music is from “Mother Mary” by The Builders and The Butchers. Support the show

    49 min

  4. APR 30

    James Petralli (White Denim) Discusses Stevie Wonder, Music of My Mind

    Send us Fan Mail L.A.-based singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer James Petralli of White Denim joins Al for this episode to introduce him to Stevie Wonder’s 1972 album Music of My Mind. James talks about the album’s “value system,” and why it appealed to him so much when he first started listening to the record. He also discusses the ways in which Music of My Mind was a departure from Wonder’s previous work and how it foreshadowed his run of critically- and commercially-successful albums in the ‘70s. James talks about White Denim’s new album 13 and explains how the band’s songwriting process works. You can follow James and White Denim in all of the following places: Instagram and Facebook: @whitedenimmusic YouTube: @whitedenim https://whitedenimmusic.com/ whitedenim.substack.com 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. 1:20 James’ introduction 2:00 There will be a second episode where Music of My Mind will be discussed 2:44 James explains why he likes the “value system” of Music of My Mind 5:38 James and Al talk about how Music of My Mind was a pivotal album for Wonder 6:48 James recalls his initial experiences with the album 8:53 James appreciates the album’s combination of virtuosity and emotional feel 10:23 Al shares what he learned about Bernard Purdie’s involvement with the album, and why he doesn’t appear on it 12:16 James talks about some of the album’s great imperfect moments 15:59 James discusses similarities he hears with other artists’ work (and a disclaimer) 20:13 James explains why Music of My Mind is nostalgic for him 23:30 The songs on Music of My Mind were a precursor to Wonder's future hits 26:04 James recommends one of Wonder’s albums from the ‘80s 30:28 James talks about White Denim’s songwriting process Outro music is from "(God Created) Lock and Key" by White Denim. Support the show

    42 min

  5. APR 25

    Amelia Fletcher Discusses Girls at Our Best!, Pleasure

    Send us Fan Mail On this episode, singer/songwriter/guitarist/economist Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly, Swansea Sound, Catenary Wires, Talulah Gosh) introduces Al to Girls at Our Best’s 1981 album Pleasure. Amelia revisits her teenage fandom of Girls at Our Best!, and she explains why they were—and continue to be—one of her favorite bands. She also talks about how their songwriting style has influenced her approach to writing songs and how that is reflected in Heavenly’s work. Amelia discusses several of the songs on Heavenly’s new album, Highway to Heavenly, and talks about how the recent virality of their 1993 song “P.U.N.K. Girl” contributed to the band’s reuniting. Finally, Amelia explains how balancing her careers as a musician and economist can sometimes be challenging. You can keep up with Amelia, Heavenly and her Skep Wax label in the following places: Instagram @ameliafletcher56, @heavenlyindie, @skepwax Facebook @amelia.fletcher.980, @HeavenlyGroupOfficial Tiktok @heavenlyindie https://www.skepwax.com/ 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. 1:25 Amelia’s introduction 2:30 Amelia explains why she chose Pleasure for this episode 3:57 Amelia recalls how she first got into Girls at Our Best! 8:12 Amelia was not fooled by the band’s name 9:02 Amelia singles out the aspects of the band’s music that initially appealed to her 12:26 Amelia and Al share their observations about the album’s lyrics 17:26 Girls at Our Best! were influential to the sound of Heavenly 18:16 What ever happened to Girls at Our Best!? 23:00 Amelia likes other bands from the Leeds scene 25:29 Amelia and Al talk about their favorite tracks from Pleasure 30:48 Al noticed the connection between the songwriting style on Pleasure and on Highway to Heavenly 32:03 Is “Portland Town” based on Amelia’s experience? 34:20 Amelia talks about the real-life events she wrote about in “The Last Day” 38:11 The songs on Highway to Heavenly cover a wide range of moods 40:18 Amelia discusses Heavenly’s tour plans 41:30 Amelia explains why Heavenly decided to return to touring and recording 45:10 Amelia talks about her dual careers in music and economics Outro music is from “Deflicted” by Heavenly. Support the show

    55 min

  6. APR 17

    Matt Smith Discusses Songwriting in Politically Charged Times, Writing about Grief and More

    Send us Fan Mail Austin-based producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and educator Matt Smith joins Al for the second part of their conversation. (You can hear the first part, in which they discuss Robert Plant’s Mighty ReArranger, on the previous episode.) This time around, Matt talks about the features of music that he enjoys listening to, his approach as a music producer and what he aimed to achieve as a songwriter on his latest album …this is not okay… Learn more about Matt and his work at https://www.mattsmithsworld.net/. You can also get information on Matt’s studio and music school, Six String Ranch, in the following places. Website: https://6stringranch.com/ Facebook: @6stringranch YouTube: @6stringranch148 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. 1:00 Matt shares what he looks for in the music he listens to 3:44 Matt talks about his approach to producing music at his studio 9:57 Matt explains how the focus of his songwriting has changed over time 13:18 Matt talks about how his last three albums reflect his feelings about the political climate over the last decade 23:28 Matt also wrote about the loss of his parents on …this is not okay… 29:52 Matt explains why he consciously tempered the angry tone of the album 33:46 Matt talks about his various educational forums Outro music is from “Bad Man” by Matt Smith. Support the show

    40 min

  7. APR 10

    Matt Smith Discusses Robert Plant, Mighty ReArranger

    Send us Fan Mail Austin-based producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and educator Matt Smith joins Al to talk about Robert Plant’s 2005 album, Mighty ReArranger. Matt discusses why he chose this album for his short list of albums to talk about, and Al explains why he picked Mighty ReArranger from the albums on Matt’s list. Matt talks about the elements that make this album a high point in Plant’s solo discography and the role that members of Portishead played in making the album. Learn more about Matt and his work at https://www.mattsmithsworld.net/. You can also get information on Matt’s studio and music school, Six String Ranch, in the following places. Website: https://6stringranch.com/ Facebook: @6stringranch YouTube: @6stringranch148 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. 2:35 Matt’s introduction 4:09 Matt and Al talk about how they arrived at deciding to talk about Mighty ReArranger 10:26 Matt explains how Plant incorporated elements of world music into the songs on the album 14:13 Matt makes note of the parts of the album that harken back to Led Zeppelin 18:36 Matt and Al talk about the challenges Plant faced when he began his solo career 23:04 Matt has a theory about why Plant was able to reach new heights as a solo artist on Mighty ReArranger 28:34 Matt discusses how he borrows from music that he admires 33:31 Matt compares the arcs of Plant’s and Jimmy Page’s solo careers 35:02 Matt breaks down various sections of “The Enchanter” 39:31 Matt talks about “Freedom Fries” and the counting trick he learned from Trey Anastasio 42:25 Matt discusses the origins of the guitar pattern and rhythm on “Mighty ReArranger” 46:51 Matt talks about the lengths to which he geeks out on musical analysis Outro music is from “World Is a Wheel” by Matt Smith. Support the show

    52 min

  8. MAR 26

    225. Ben Vaughn Discusses Alex Chilton, Like Flies on Sherbert

    Send us Fan Mail Singer, songwriter, musician, producer, TV and film composer, radio show host and podcaster Ben Vaughn drops by to introduce Al to Alex Chilton’s 1979 debut solo album Like Flies on Sherbert. Ben talks about the negative impression he got the first time he was exposed to Chilton, when he appeared on a local 1960s television show in Philadelphia, and how he eventually became a fan, friend and collaborator of Chilton’s. He explains why he thinks Like Flies on Sherbert is Chilton’s best album, digging into several of the album’s tracks and discussing the circumstances under which the album was recorded. Ben also talks about his recently-launched podcast Straight From The Hat, as well as his upcoming album with Deer Tick. Follow Ben on Instagram! He’s at @benvaughnmusic. You can also learn more about Ben and his work on his website https://benvaughn.org/. Ben also mentioned that Straight From The Hat has a website. Check out episodes and the extra goodies that Ben talked about at straightfromthehat.com. Be sure to sign up for the YMAAA Newsletter at youmealbum.ghost.io.  The first eight 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. 1:48 Ben’s introduction 3:00 Ben revisits his earliest memories of Chilton 6:59 Ben shares the story of how he got introduced to Big Star 9:27 Ben explains how he first heard Like Flies on Sherbert 14:43 Ben talks about the circumstances under which Like Flies on Sherbert was made, as he learned from Chilton himself 18:09 Ben discusses the eclecticism of the album 21:06 Al talks about the album’s different versions 23:33 Al shares his reaction to the album 25:17 Ben talks about the musicians who played on Like Flies on Sherbert and the challenges they must have faced 27:48 Ben discusses the mysterious quality of the title track 30:10 Ben and Al talk about how the album feels unfinished 32:10 Ben explains why he thinks the album resonated with him 33:38 Ben talks about how he became friends with Chilton and how he and Chilton wound up working with Alan Vega 43:12 Chilton’s music used to be hard to find 49:53 Ben discusses the origins of his new podcast Straight From The Hat 57:21 Ben shares news of an upcoming release with Deer Tick Outro music is from “Magdalena ’94 (live)” by Ben Vaughn. Support the show

    1h 6m
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5
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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
    233
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 You, Me and An Album
  • Show Website
    You, Me and An Album

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