#46: 'Graceland' by Paul Simon

To mark the album's 20th anniversary, we’re diving into the highs, the heartbreak, and the melodrama of an album that helped define a generation of eyeliner-wearing outsiders, while asking whether its grand ambitions hold up two decades later. Does The Black Parade deserve a place among the greatest albums of all time?Album Recommendations:All Killer No Filler - Sum 41Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming LipsFollow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover Art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

We're kicking off Gothtoberfest with the seminal goth rock album by the seminal goth rock band. We discuss Robert Smith's apparently healthy relationship with his wife despite his numerous songs about heartbreak as well as the apparent influence "Lullaby" had on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But in the end, we must decide whether this belongs on the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.Album Recommendtions:Burials - AFISongs from the Big Chair - Tears for FearsFollow Please No Moss on Instragram!Cover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

Hey there, Mr. Jambo! We're celebrating the 40th anniversay or Paul Simon's landmark album, Graceland. With Graceland, Simon heads to South Africa and comes back with one of the most ambitious, and most controversial, albums of the 1980s. We dig into the irresistible hooks, the complicated cultural politics, and whether the whole album was even his to make. Album Recommendations:Pata Pata - Miriam MakebaGoing Up - The RAH BandFollow Please No Moss on Instragram!Cover Art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

With "In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins turned heartbreak, bitterness over his recent divorce into an unforgettable piece of music. We’ll explore the song’s mysterious mythology, its unlikely rise to iconic status, and why that drum fill still hits with such force decades later. While we all remember "In the Air Tonight" for it's iconic drum break, is it enough for it to be considered on the greatest songs of all time?Follow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover Art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

On a special Halloween episode of Please No Moss, Pat and Derek talk about vampires and Ezra Koenig's thoughts on religion.This episode was originally released on October 29, 2024Follow Please No Moss on Instagram!Album Recommendations:Turn Off the Light - Kim PetrasHellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International - Rob ZombieCover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin is one of the most emotionally devastating albums ever recorded, capturing a legendary voice at its most fragile, weathered, and unforgettable. In this episode, we explore the album's creation, Holiday's deeply personal performances, and the lush orchestral arrangements that make this final masterpiece so haunting.Album Recommendations:Lady Sings the Blues - Billie HolidaySita Sings the Blues - Nina PaleyBack 2 The Bit - Anthony RodriguezFollow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

Punk exploded into the mainstream when the Sex Pistols unleashed Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, an album that outraged critics, thrilled fans, and helped redefine rock music forever. Join us as we dig into its snarling riffs, provocative lyrics, chaotic legacy, and the cultural firestorm that still surrounds one of punk's most influential records. But is Never Mind the Bollocks one of the greatest albums of all time or is it all just hype created by the band's manager?Album Recommendations:Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death - The Dead Kennedys...For the Whole World to See - DeathFollow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

The Go-Go's burst onto the scene with Beauty and the Beat, delivering infectious hooks, sunny California energy, and a landmark debut that became one of the defining albums of the new wave era. Join us as we explore its creation, the band's rise to fame, and the lasting impact of hits like "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat." But does "We Got the Beat" deserve a place among the greatest songs of all time?Album Recommendations:Girlfriend - Grace IvesGrowing Up - The Linda LindasEat to the Beat - BlondieFollow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

She's been mentioned on almost every other episode we've done, so we'd thought we'd kick off Season 3 with album #3 from the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. On Blue, Joni sings perhaps the most personal songs we've covered so far, but is it the third-greatest album ever made?Album Recommendations:Clouds - Joni MitchellBetween the Lines - Janis IanFollow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover art by Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton

To mark the end of Season 2, we re-rank all 47 albums we've covered on the podcast so far. We also decide which albums should be removed from the list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and which albums that we've recommended should be added.Follow Please No Moss on Instagram!Cover Art: Katherine EvansTheme Music: "Tagalong" by Blaise Gratton