Michael's Record Collection

Episode 7: Dave Cousins - The Strawbs' / "Settlement"

Dave Cousins is the leader of the legendary band The Strawbs, who have been recording albums since the late 1960s. He's also, as it turns out, a delightful fellow with which to have a conversation. Dave joined me to discuss his band's latest release, "Settlement." The album was recorded remotely by the band during the pandemic lockdown and Dave talked about how he hasn't been able to go back to his own home due to his basement flooding, having to buy gear to record the album at home, and various lyrical and musical stories behind the songs. 

Find out more about The Strawbs here.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 6: Eternal Return - Once Only

In this episode of MRC, I jump into a musical genre a bit outside my usual comfort zone. Eternal Return is an interesting new post-rock/ambient/experimental project that entered my radar because of the involvement of Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin. The five musicians in Eternal Return all started the project while living in different countries and got together in Germany to record the album before the pandemic. 

The core of the group is the ambient duo Dogon (Paul Godwin and Miguel Noya), along with Edwin, Estonian guitarist Robert Jürjendal, and drummer Miguel Toro. I spoke with Paul, Robert, and Miguel Noya about the making of this record, its theme of nomadism, and their process. 

You can check them out on Spotify or other streaming services, and visit their Bandcamp site here.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 5: Billy Sherwood - Yes/Arc of Life

In Episode 5, musician/producer Billy Sherwood, probably best known for his work with progressive rock giants Yes, joined me to discuss his newest project, Arc of Life. Recorded before the pandemic, Arc of Life began with some simple writing sessions with Jon Davison while Yes was on tour and grew from there. Billy talks about the making of the record, being in Yes, serving as a good steward of Chris Squire's legacy in that band, and many other topics. 

Keep up with Arc of Life on their Facebook page.

Find out more about Billy on his Facebook page and his page on the YesWorld site.

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 4: Lee Abraham - Harmony/Synchronicity

Welcome back to Michael's Record Collection! For Episode 4 I spoke to British musician Lee Abraham about the making of his eighth studio album, Harmony/Synchronicity. The album was put together while he was in lockdown for the pandemic. Lee is a great guitarist and bass player and has been a member of the storied British prog band Galahad. Generous with his time, as ever, Lee spoke about his recent AOR influences, writing and recording the album, the equipment he used, and more. He also broke some news here about his forthcoming ninth album.

Find out more about Lee on his website.

Order Lee's music here: progrock.co.uk - the home of Progressive Rock

I appreciate you listening! Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on your podcast service of choice. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

 

Episode 3: Robert Berry on 3.2 and Keith Emerson

Robert Berry is a talented guy and he's worked with a lot of other talented musicians. His latest release is "Third Impression" under the moniker 3.2. The 3.2 project emerged out of the band 3 from the late 1980s when Berry connected with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer of ELP to record and release "To the Power of Three." The project was shelved for years until he convinced Emerson the time was right for a follow-up. Unfortunately, before all the recording had been completed, Emerson took his own life. 

In this interview, Berry talks in depth about working with Keith, why and how the second 3.2 release (and third of the trio including 3) came about, and working with Palmer. He even talks a bit about meeting and playing with Greg Kihn. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Enjoy Episode 3!

Episode 2: Randy George of The Neal Morse Band

Randy George is a terrific multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He may be best-known as the bassist in progressive rock supergroup The Neal Morse Band, but he's done a lot of other things. I spoke to Randy about he and his wife Pamela's Sweet Invention project, playing live during the pandemic, his christian prog rock band Ajalon (and whether we'll see another album from that band), meeting and recording with Neal Morse, the early sessions for the forthcoming fourth Neal Morse Band album, and a lot more.

Check out Sweet Invention and Randy's solo works on Spotify and Neal Morse's Waterfall streaming app. You can also listen to select Neal Morse solo (with Randy on bass) and Neal Morse Band music on public streaming or all of it on the Waterfall app with a paid subscription. You can watch my interview with Randy on YouTube or go there to check out Randy's episode of Neal's chat show Musicians Having Coffee & Talking About Stuff. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.

Episode 1: Little Atlas - Wanderlust

In 2005, the Miami-based progressive rock quartet Little Atlas was one of South Florida's best bands and recorded what I believe to be their best album in a catalog full of great music. I interviewed lead vocalist and keyboard player Steve Katsikas and we were joined in mid-discussion by bassist Rik Bigai. The two musicians are great guys and talked me through the making of the 2005 album Wanderlust. 

I appreciate you listening! You can become a patron of the show at the new MRC Patreon page, with supporter benefits that escalate at each level.

Please hit the like button and leave a rating/review on Apple Music if you consume this podcast on that platform. You can read my Michael's Record Collection newsletter for free by signing up here. Follow MRC on Twitter, like MRC on Facebook, and check out my Instagram.