You, Me and An Album

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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