Backtracking

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

People just love to play with email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

Men at Work “Business as Usual”

CHAPTERS

0:00: Perhaps Not a Suitable Memorial

0:20: Is Suno Too Polished?

1:19: A Hard A

3:20: Cover the Cover, Brought to You by Michael

18:05: Side B, Track 1: People Jus...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

Who can it be knocking at my email?: ⁠[email protected]⁠

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

Men at Work “Business as Usual”

CHAPTERS

0:00: Northern Virginia

0:25: A New Theme Song Provider!

1:25: JW, Man at Work

11:12: Housekeeping

25:45: Personal Bidness

36:02: The Basics

56:45: Overall Impressions

1:05...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

Open your email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

Asia “Alpha”

CHAPTERS

0:00: Our Engineer Is on a PIP

0:22: Wallow in This Week’s Themesong

1:42: Back Again Again

2:30: Cover the Cover®

9:57: Side B, Track 1: Eye to Eye

15:08: Side B, Track 2: The Last to Know

Asia's 1983 album "Alpha", Side A: "Don't Cry", "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes", "Never in a Million Years", "My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)" and "The Heat Goes On".

With JW away, Dan and Raf get into how Raf discovered Asia, prog's turn to pop, and a production debate over a crowded mix and a buried Steve Howe, plus the album as the soundtrack to an eighth-grade breakup in the Walden Galleria food court.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Asia “Alpha”

CHAPTERS:

...

Asia's 1983 album "Alpha", with Dax Kimbrough, a producer on a number of Asia albums, on Wetton, Downes and 80s prog.

We cover a brief history of Asia, how Dax discovered the band, "Alpha" and the 1980s prog rock transition, the John Wetton and Geoff Downes partnership, album and song sequencing, and a touching personal tale.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Asia “Alpha”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: What happens to the heat again?

- 0:18: Nihau, Asia!

- 1:24: The Barenaked Asian Dynamic

...

Barenaked Ladies' 1992 album "Gordon", Side B: "The King of Bedside Manor", "Box Set", "New Kid (on the Block)" and "If I Had $1000000".

Plus "I Love You", "Blame It on Me", "The Flag" and "Crazy", JW's "Gordon: Dressed Up" retrack, and the best and the worst.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Barenaked Ladies “Gordon”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: You Are What You Eat

- 0:04: Excellent Editing, Not Technical Problems

- 3:02: Michael Presents: Cover the Cover

- 9:14: Side B, Track 1: The King...

Barenaked Ladies' 1992 album "Gordon", Side A: "Hello City", "Enid", "Grade 9", "Brian Wilson", "Be My Yoko Ono" and more.

We place BNL on the comedy music continuum, cover the production, get to "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" and "What a Good Boy", and survive a major technical error.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Barenaked Ladies “Gordon”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Herzog on Schwarzenegger

- 0:18: Hello Podcast

- 1:18: A Major Technical Error

- 2:30: Nein Hauskeepen

- 2:44: Barenaked Ladies, & the Come...

The Chameleons' 1986 album "Strange Times", Side B: "Swamp Thing", "Time / The End of Time", "Seriocity", "In Answer" and more.

Plus "Childhood" and "I'll Remember", why "Strange Times" is out of print, another Backtrack Retrack, and a eulogy for the Columbia House Record and Tape Club.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- The Chameleons “Strange Times”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Social Cohesion

- 0:48: Intro Cathedral

- 1:51: Why is “Strange Times” Out of Print?

- 4:23: Cover the Cover

- 15:18: Side B, Track...

The Chameleons' 1986 album "Strange Times", Side A: "Mad Jack", "Caution", "Tears" and "Soul in Isolation".

Plus the basics, a Chameleons anecdote, and a post-mortem on our interview with Mark Burgess and Reg Smithies.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- The Chameleons “Strange Times”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Elias Was a Waterwalker

- 0:16: Intro Delirium

- 1:20: The Plagues of God

- 3:33: The Basic Basics

- 6:24: Housekeeping

- 12:32: A Chameleons Anecdote

- 18:50: An Interview Post-Mortem

...

The Chameleons' Mark Burgess and Reg Smithies join us to go through 1986's "Strange Times", track by track, from the source.

We cover signing with Geffen and Tom Zutaut, pre-production and writing, guitar influences, the album covers, every song from "Mad Jack" to "I'll Remember", the tour and the breakup, Tony Fletcher's death, the reunion and "Arctic Moon."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- The Chameleons “Strange Times”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Chamellionaires

- 0:23: Enjoy This Week’s Theme Untrammeled

- 1:31: Enjoy JW’s I...

We're taking the week off, nerds! We'll be back next week to tackle The Chameleons "Strange Times." Go soak in the sun!

Rush's 1989 album "Presto", Side B: "Superconductor", "Anagram (for Mongo)", "Red Tide", "Hand Over Fist" and "Available Light".

Then we decide which song gets hand and which gets fist, and roll in the direction of the bones.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Presto”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: King of the Wild Frontier

0:22: Scripted to Manipulate Reaction

0:55: Iranian Aviation

2:22: Side B, Track One: “Superconductor”

17:42: Side B, Track Two: “Anagram (For Mongo)”

30:07: Side B, Track Three: “Red Tide”

39:24: Side B...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where two old friends take a second listen to influential bands' catalogs. For our first season, we've selected none other than legendary Canadian power trio Rush.

All my life I’ve been workin’ them emails: [email protected].

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:
Rush “Snakes and Arrows”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Left what?

0:15: Le Script Petite

0:42: Not Burning for Buddy

5:55: Side A, Track One: “The Way the Wind Blows”

19:30: Side A, Track Two: “Hope”

24:40: Side A, T...

Rush's 2007 album "Snakes & Arrows", Sides A and B: "Far Cry", "Armor and Sword", "Workin' Them Angels", "Spindrift" and more.

We lay out our plans for the rest of Season 1, cover the basics and the Hugh Syme question, and push on through "The Larger Bowl" and "The Main Monkey Business". Two hours in, only halfway there.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

Rush “Snakes and Arrows”

CHAPTERS:

0:00: Your Kernel of Cold

0:41: Tastee Scripts

3:35: Our plans for the rest of Season 1.

8:50: Raf’...

The Tragically Hip's 1994 album "Day for Night", Side B: "Thugs", "Inevitability of Death", "Scared", "An Inch an Hour" and more.

Plus "Emergency", "Titanic Terrarium" and "Impossibilium", the cover, JW's Backtrack Retrack, and the good and the bad.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- The Tragically Hip “Day for Night”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Recycling

- 0:08: O Canada!

- 1:00: Babies Got Back to Side B

- 3:55: Cover the Cover, Sponsored by Michael

- 8:33: Side B, Track 1: Thugs

- 12...

The Tragically Hip's 1994 album "Day for Night", Side A: "Grace, Too", "Greasy Jungle", "Fire in the Hole" and "Nautical Disaster".

We cover the basics, CanCon, Gord Downie and his orchestra, the band and the production, and "Daredevil", "Yawning or Snarling" and "So Hard Done By."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- The Tragically Hip “Day for Night”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Ro-Cha-Cha

- 0:15: The Tragically Introed

- 1:06: America Is Our Copilot

- 7:22: Hoosekeepin’

- 15:22: The Basics, and Raf Opines...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

Wide Awake in Email: [email protected]

LISTEN TO THE ALBUMS

CHAPTERS

0:00: The Coldest Opens, the Deepest Sighs
0:11: A New Intro, a New Era, a New Theme Song?
1:14: Breaking Backtracking Boundaries
4:33: Keeping the House
9:44: We Reveal the Album Reveal
10:30: Raf’s 1st Pick...

Candlemass's 1989 album "Tales of Creation", Side B: "The Edge of Heaven", "Somewhere in Nowhere", "Dawn" and more.

Plus "Into the Unfathomed Tower", "Through the Infinitive Halls of Death" and "A Tale of Creation", a Wilco-versus-Rush bulletin, and the doom worst and the epic best.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Candlemass “Tales of Creation”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: All Things Considered

- 0:24: Epic Doom Intro

- 1:21: Tubi’s Sports Talk

- 5:55: Housekeeping Bulletin: Wilco vs. Rush

- 14:10: Cover the Co...

Candlemass's 1989 album "Tales of Creation", Side A: "The Prophecy", "Dark Reflections", "Voices in the Wind", "Under the Oak" and "Tears".

We also get into an unexpected trilogy, a textual examination, the classic lineup and the tempo debate, and the fade-out problem.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Candlemass “Tales of Creation”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: We best the competition. Period.

- 0:29: Epic Doom Intro

- 1:27: An Unexpected Trilogy

- 2:10: A Textual Examination

- 3:55: The Classic Lineup & the Tempo Deba...

Candlemass's 1989 album "Tales of Creation": an intro to Swedish epic doom, the classic lineup, and JW's metal problem.

We cover teenage metal shows, the basics, the diabolus in musica, the epic production, the Swedishness of it all, and the bands Candlemass influenced.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Candlemass “Tales of Creation”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: World Cup Fever

- 0:30: Epic Doom Intro

- 1:27: The Realm of Metal Is Foreign to JW

- 6:39: Tales of Pubescent Metal Shows

- 10...

Cardinal's 1994 self-titled album, Side B: "Dream Figure", "Tough Guy Tactics", "Angel Darling" and more.

Plus "Singing to the Sunshine" and "Silver Machines", a surprise Backtrack Retrack, and the baroque worst and the chamber best.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Cardinal “Cardinal”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Dorm Decor

- 0:23: A Baroque Theme

- 1:27: The Podcasting Odyssey

- 6:50: Cover the Cover

- 18:51: Side B, Track 1: Dream Figure

- 27:00: Side B, Track 2: Tough Guy Tactics

- 32:39: Side...

Cardinal's 1994 self-titled album, Side A: "If You Believe in Christmas Trees", "Last Poems", "Big Mink" and more.

Baroque and twee, the quotable Eric Matthews, Portland, Tony Lash and the Elliott Smith connection, influencers and influencees, and "You've Lost Me There" and "Public Melody #1."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Cardinal “Cardinal”

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: It’s Gettin’ Hot in the Heat Dome

- 0:20: A Twee Theme

- 1:19: The Quotable Eric Matthews

- 4:46: The Baroque & Twee JW

- 10:38: Housekee...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

Growing up in a biosphere, no respect for bad email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

The Tragically Hip “Day for Night”

CHAPTERS

0:00: Recycling

0:08: O Canada!

1:00: Babies Got Back to Side B

3:55: Cover the Cover, Sponsored by Michael

8:33: Side B, Track 1: Thugs

12:00: S...

Rush's Fifty Something reunion tour at the Forum in Los Angeles, June 9, 2026: setlist predictions, the actual setlist, and reactions.

Hot takes on drummer Anika Nilles, the fan-service setlist, a tearjerker of a show, our favorite and worst songs in the set, and an unrelated Jeff Buckley anecdote.

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Alive She Cried

- 0:15: Progintro

- 1:06: An Explainer, A Disclaimer

- 3:18: En Route, & a Jeff Buckley Anecdote

- 7:45: Expectations of “Bonus Rush”

- 9:30: Setlist Predictions, Drunken & Spastic

- 14:02: The Foru...

Welcome to Backtracking – the podcast where three old friends take a second listen to influential bands' albums, track by track. For our third season, we've each selected five albums that we think deserve a good old Backtracking.

That’s awful close, but that’s not email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

The Tragically Hip “Day for Night”

CHAPTERS

0:00: Ro-Cha-Cha

0:15: The Tragically Introed

1:06: America Is Our Copilot

7:22: Hoosekeepin’

15:22: The Basics, and Raf Opines

23:05: CanCon & Canned Ham

31:13: Gord Downie & Hi...

Dumptruck's 1987 album "For the Country", Side B: "Going Nowhere", the title track, "Dead Weight", "Wire" and more.

Plus a brief summary of the Dumptruck lawsuit, the cover, JW's Backtrack Retrack, and what song trucks and what song dumps.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Dumptruck "For the Country"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: We’re quite professional.

- 0:28: Re-intro

- 1:21: “Come to Albequerque if Someone Buys You a Ticket”

- 4:20: A Brief Summary of the Dumptruck Lawsuit

- 12:50: Cover the Co...

Dumptruck's Seth Tiven joins us to talk "For the Country", Big Time Records, the lawsuit, and Dumptruck in 2026.

Seth takes us from his early years through "D Is for Dumptruck", "Positively Dumptruck" and Kirk Swan's departure, recording "For the Country", the legal mess, and song-by-song thoughts on the album today.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Dumptruck "For the Country"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:08: Big Fan

- 0:30: Themela

- 1:13: An Introduction to Seth Tiven

- 2:02: Seth’s Early Years

...

Dumptruck's 1987 album "For the Country", Side A: "Island", "50 Miles", "Friends", "Carefree" and more.

A brief history of Dumptruck, Uncle Tupelo and the No Depression scene, the Gen X aesthetic, the recording and production, and "Brush Me Back" and "Hung Out on a Line."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Dumptruck "For the Country"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: It’s About Sponsor Fit

- 0:30: Themania

- 1:24: The Smaller the Rabbit, the Deeper the Hole

- 5:05: Keepin’ House Before Dumpin’ Trucks

- 9...

Gang of Youths' 2022 album "angel in realtime.", Side B: "the kingdom is within you", "spirit boy", "brothers" and more.

Plus "forbearance", "the man himself" and "hand of god / goal of the century", Gang of Youths live and the frontman dynamic, and The Best and the Worst.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Gang of Youths "angel in realtime"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: The Earnestness Boost

- 0:29: Themania

- 1:31: Big Intros, Big Music, Big Feelings

- 4:58: An Unexpected Detour into Live<...

Gang of Youths' 2022 album "angel in realtime.", Side A: "you in everything", "the angel of 8th avenue", "returner" and more.

Conflicted feelings in four parts (we are old, the record is new), the Graceland trap, the production, and "in the wake of your leave", "unison" and "tend the garden." Refresh the Kleenex.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Gang of Youths "angel in realtime"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Cardboard Cats

- 0:35: A Big Feelings Theme

- 1:28: The Podcast Mines

- 3:02...

Author Will Hodgkinson joins us to talk Felt, Lawrence and his book "Street Level Superstar".

We cover Lawrence's world, his lyrics and his sense of his own career, the pop star fantasy, the outsider artist spectrum, Felt's influence and collaborators, and whether 2026 is the year of Lawrence. Bonus: Will recommends Bongwater's "Too Much Sleep."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Felt "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: You’re going to have a great time, JW.

- 0:13: The Production Values of Th...

Felt's 1986 album "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word", Side B: "All the People I Like Are Those That Are Dead" and more.

Plus "Gather Up Your Wings and Fly", "A Wave Crashed on the Rocks" and "Hours of Darkness Have Changed My Mind", and Felt's impact on Britpop, revisited.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Felt "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Make Backtracking Last

- 0:28: Another Truly Great Theme

- 1:28: Felt & the Cornucopia of Season 3

- 3:58: Cover...

Felt's 1986 album "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word", Side A: "Rain of Crystal Spires", "Down But Not Yet Out" and more.

We fall into the deep pit of Lawrence: Creation Records history, Felt's influences, the departure of Deebank and arrival of Duffy, a discussion of reverb, and "September Lady" and "Grey Streets."

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Felt "Forever Breathes the Lonely Word"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: The Weekend Edition Delivery

- 0:15: The Best Theme Ever Again

- 1:13: Falling into the Deep...

U2's 1985 EP "Wide Awake in America": live "Bad" and "A Sort of Homecoming", plus "The Three Sunrises" and "Love Comes Tumbling".

A semi-brief, disorganized history of U2, why this EP is the hinge moment for the band, why it matters so much to Raf, and whether an EP is even legal on this show.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- U2 "Wide Awake in America"

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Nature or Nurture?

- 0:10: Anthemic Themic

- 1:03: It’s Not a Religion Ye...

Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 debut "Blizzard of Ozz", Side B: "Mr. Crowley", "No Bone Movies", "Revelation (Mother Earth)" and "Steal Away".

Plus a word on sobriety, JW's fear of metal, the ferrous and the non-ferrous, and a farewell: RIP Ozzy.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Ozzy Osbourne: Blizzard of Ozz

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: A Word on Sobriety

- 0:14: Theme Heaven

- 1:07: JW is afraid of metal.

- 7:19: Side B, Track 1: Mr. Crowley

- 17:10: Side B, Track 2: No Bone...

Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 solo debut "Blizzard of Ozz", Side A: "I Don't Know", "Crazy Train", "Goodbye to Romance", "Dee" and more.

We cover Ozzy and Black Sabbath history, making the band, the lawsuits, the production, "Suicide Solution", and the album as a root of the 1980s metal tree.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Ozzy Osbourne: Blizzard of Ozz

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Lost in them Baby Blues

- 0:15: Another Best Theme Ever?

- 1:21: We shall commune with the Prince of Darkness.

Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think joins us to talk Mind Science of the Mind, D.C. punk, film scoring and what's next.

We cover Swiz, joining Shudder to Think, recording "Pony Express Record", working with Joan Wasser, Mary Timony and Kevin March, Jeff Buckley's influence, "First Love, Last Rites", his solo work as Jealous God, and a new era for Shudder to Think.

GUEST:

Nathan Larson:

Instagram | Spotify

Shudder to Think: Bandcamp

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Welcome Nathan!

...

Mind Science of the Mind's 1996 self-titled album, Side B: "Oceans Don't Need Us", "Do You Rule?", "Aiwass" and more.

Plus "Dutch Ghost Reclamation of the City of New York" and "To the Tender (Beauty Marks/Blisters)", some cross-pollination, and die Besten und die Wurster.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Mind Science of the Mind

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: In the Event of My Kidnapping….

- 0:15: Intro!

- 1:30: It’s about cross-pollination.

- 7:00: Side B, Track 1: Oceans Don’t Need Us

Mind Science of the Mind's 1996 self-titled album, Side A: "Infidels (When Your Hips Came Loose)", "Your Human Spine" and more.

First impressions from all three of us, the basics, the production, and "Skirts to Suffer On", "Does It Rain in Your Womb" and "Science of the Mind." Plus a major announcement.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM:

- Mind Science of the Mind

CHAPTERS:

- 0:00: Bosch: The Fixer

- 0:28: The Best Theme Ever

- 1:30: Every journey begins with an ill-considered step.<...

Season 3 album reveal: Ozzy Osbourne, U2, Asia, Sting, Candlemass, The Chameleons, The Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies and more.

Dan, Raf and JW each pick five: "Blizzard of Ozz", Men at Work's "Business as Usual", "Alpha", "Wide Awake in America", "Strange Times", Felt, Dumptruck, "Tales of Creation", "The Soul Cages", "Gordon", Cardinal, "Day for Night", Mind Science of the Mind, Idaho and Gang of Youths. The most diverse list of albums ever, asterisk included.

LISTEN TO THE ALBUMS:

- Dan’s 5 Albums

- Raf’s 5 Albums

- JW’s...