The "Rock A Little" album discussion podcast
 

Hey friends!

Here it is, all two a half hours of talking about 1985's "Rock A Little" in depth. And of course the beloved "Live At Red Rocks" --- have no fear - I did no refilm and of the podcast with new close ups LOL!!

Thanks to all who joined it was blast!

https://youtu.be/OkW7aNln9Ag

Thank you Jeremy for having me on your podcast again. Once again it was fun and I learned a few things. Having 7 on the panel worked fine and adding more would only add to the fun. Until next month once again thank you.

Amazing discussion of what is really her most interesting album. I will not easily recover from the negativity about my beloved Rock a Little and The Nightmare, though.

This is a cool discussion. I’m digging these. How about doing some of these for the various tours?

“Nightmare” is my favorite!

Not my favourite album but thoroughly enjoyed your discussion of it. As with many Stevie eras, so much material to choose from and a few of the forgotten tracks could've really given it a boost, most of which you touched on- Mirror,Mirror, Battle of the Dragon, Running Through the Garden etc. Nice work guys, "I Can't Wait" for the Other Side of the Mirror!

Blinded by the light of the day!

Jeremy.....my brother, I have 3 words to say: This. Is. Serious.

OMG! This was incredible. It made me late for work this morning and I could not stop watching. What an amazing panel of Stevie experts. Fans are so diverse but I was in awe how I agreed with the panel 90% of the time. It was like being stranded on an island for 40 years and finally finding someone that speaks your language. I was shouting AMEN after multiple comments from the panel. This was so good that I wanted to smoke a cigarette after watching this. Its long but I could not get enough. I will give my thoughts as if I was part of the panel. IMHO fans view this album differently of those who followed Stevie's career real time vs being young and working backwards. Like many of the panel the 2 year wait for this album was almost too much to take. I was 15 when it was released and at the peak of my cult worship. I remember hearing Talk To Me on the radio on Halloween night 1985. I was so excited but sort of let down. Nothing spectacular. When I bought the album several weeks later, I played the hell out of it convincing myself to like it but even at my cultist level, I was so disappointed. WTF was this crap? What made Stevie special was her incredible writing and when that writing was put into good music with a good hook, those epic songs became hits. I agree with the one panel member who stated you almost could sense many of these songs that were written by other people were brought in at the last minute to try and salvage and save the album. And those songs are meh at best. What happened to the Stevie who said she needed a solo career because she had such a huge catalog and 3 songs every 3 years was not enough for her? I also appreciated the precise knowledge of a few panel members who reminded me of a few things. You have to read between the lines but Stevie was so out of control that the release of this album and videos were not done in typical fashion. After a 2 year wait, Stevie did no press about the album. Her reps kept her from talking to most everyone. Talk to Me was released in late October 1985 but the world premiere video on MTV did not happen to December. For such a release, any artist would have the video ready to go. Not Stevie. The shooting for the Talk To Me video was cancelled because she was "sick." That delayed the video until the song was already on the charts. I just remember searching and watching for the video constantly during the month of November. She was in Australia with Tom and was asked why she was not in the states promoting her new album. She was probably more out of control than Whitney Houston. Also the RAL tour started when the album was already leaving the charts. IMHO, HAEWFY was released purposely to kill the album after the tour. Stevie desperately needed help and a possible 3rd single like Sister Honey or If I Were You would have extended her problems. RAL destroyed Stevie's rock chops. She was now shunned by rock stations. I will write my comments on the songs later today. The album starts out with an electronic orchestra of sound where Stevie needs to yell to be heard of the music. The next track (title track) is so odd and has no direction. That is followed up by a funky Prince-esq song Sister Honey. LMAO. I never could stand a funky Stevie as much as I hated her Madonna like neon gloves in the Talk To Me video. Girl, you are 38 and the queen of rock, why are you playing to the cheap seats of current bubble gum pop trends. I will say your joke when a panelist asked what contribution did Stevie's brother make to The Nightmare for him to get credit made me fall out of my chair laughing. True story!


Panelist asked what Chris did to deserved writing credit on the song?
Jeremy: He wheeled in the same glass table into the room while she was writing

OMG that killed me. THANK YOU. I have always said how the glass table is a drug reference when people sit across a glass table. But is not any glass table....it the SAME glass table i.e. this table has a purpose.

I myself was surprised that we went on for that long. :nod:

Being that 'RAL' is generally less beloved than 'BD' or' TWH', I thought there would've been much less to say. But add in the demos, the hilarity of 'Red Rocks', the craziness surrounding Stevie at this time, etc., etc... :lol:

Roland

It went on that long because there is SO MUCH to talk about. The songs are a mess and the choices are strange and fascinating. I fell out of my chair laughing at Jeremy's top 10 Red Rocks list. The album and concert video are a train wreck so there is so much to dissect and talk about.

I was disappointed in the Rock a Little tour because she didn’t sound like she did on the album.

Another interesting topic re Rock a Little- was there a scrapped Mirror Mirror album?

There was alright ..she should just release it now. It might be better than RAL.

I thought the discussion was great and entertaining! I really hope, Jeremy, that you will do the same treatment for FM albums, too.

My thoughts about RAL: I love Talk to Me and was surprised at the general apathy towards it by the panelists. It’s one of her highest charting hits, it was nominated for a Grammy, and she sang the heck out of it! And she looked beautiful in the video, and she wore dresses that weren’t just black, for God’s sake LOL! I don’t care whether she wrote the song or not, she gave it an incredible vocal and that’s what’s important, not who wrote it.

I’ve always said that RAL seemed to be Stevie’s attempt to lighten up. Her best friend died, she got divorced, she was on drugs, and BD and TWH were fairly dark albums, all of which probably contributed to, maybe subconsciously, her attempt to make a poppier, brighter album. And if she wanted a brighter album, it made sense she would go to other songwriters- after all, this is the woman who wrote Rhiannon, Nothing Ever Changes, Gold Dust Woman, and Sisters of the Moon, all pretty dark songs. Talk to Me, If I Were You, Some Become Strangers were all very optimistic. I just think RAL was Stevie’s attempt to go for a brighter sound and maybe went in that direction too far.

Surprised there was a pronounced appreciation for “Imperial Hotel.” I have always felt this song was the best song (by far) on RAL, though I know I’m in the minority. Most dismiss it.

When I first heard it, I laughed out loud with pure joy and relief. It was, for me, the only glimpse of the Stevie I had come to love through previous records in and beyond FM. It showed that even at one of her lowest points she could still turn in powerful performances.