Your favorite podcast co-hosts share some exciting news regarding new episodes of Listen Closely with Jon & Chris, as well as a subpar Michael McDonald impression.

Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones (1981)

Jan 19th, 2021 58m 31s

Jon and Chris are joined by Jim Moscater and Listen Closely newcomer, Mike Slatky, for the finale of season two. The four take an insightful and entertaining look at Tattoo You from The Rolling Stones. Released nearly forty years ago and consis

Beautiful Noise - Neil Diamond (1976)

Jan 12th, 2021 55m 3s

In a career that has spanned an impressive sixty years, the great American troubadour, Neil Diamond, has given the world plenty of hits (and a few misses). One of the more fascinating moments in this career came when he joined forces with Robbi

Lost in the Dream - The War on Drugs (2014)

Jan 5th, 2021 41m 39s

Starting 2021 off with the most contemporary album they have discussed to date, Chris and Jon do a deep dive into 2014s Lost in the Dream from American indie rock band, The War on Drugs. Upon its release, this album quickly garnered praise from

Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto (1964)

Dec 29th, 2020 44m 14s

Jon and Chris welcome Jim Moscater back to the podcast, and the three say goodbye to 2020 in style by paying homage to the Brazilian Bossa Nova craze of the 1960s, and the album that started it all. Featuring the brilliant American saxophonist,

Have Yourself a Listen Closely Christmas

Dec 15th, 2020 1h 10m

In this very special (and somewhat long) episode, hosts Jon and Chris take a fond and sentimental look back at their favorite Christmas music of all time, and each of them count down their top five Christmas carols. The duo also discuss their D

The Raw and the Cooked - Fine Young Cannibals (1989)

Dec 8th, 2020 46m 16s

There was no escaping the Fine Young Cannibals and their chart-topping album, The Raw and the Cooked, in 1989 and 1990. Combining new wave, techno, and soul sounds, the album was #1 for seven consecutive weeks during the summer of 1989, and the

The David Gates 80th Birthday Tribute

Dec 1st, 2020 59m 24s

As the lead singer and principal songwriter of the pioneering 1970s soft rock group, Bread, David Gates was one of the decade's most successful and accomplished songsmiths. Releasing six studio albums in their less than a decade together, Bread

Different Class - Pulp (1995)

Nov 24th, 2020 53m 30s

Though they had been together since the late 1970s, Sheffield, England's Pulp would ride the Britpop wave of the 1990s to finally achieve superstar status in the UK and beyond. Fronted by the cheeky and lanky singer/songwriter, Jarvis Cocker, t

Fleetwood Mac (1975)

Nov 17th, 2020 50m 19s

By the mid-1970s, Fleetwood Mac were a well-established blues/rock band with a cult following and a revolving door of guitarists. Widespread commercial success, however, had eluded them. That would all change in 1975 with the addition of a bril

Genesis (1983)

Nov 10th, 2020 43m 13s

Though it had been fifteen years since their debut, Genesis released their eponymous album in the fall of 1983. This was a fitting move, as the album signaled both a change in the group's songwriting process, and also a move toward a new, more

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominos (1970)

Nov 2nd, 2020 49m 22s

Rock and Roll can often times be a bit of a soap opera, and the circumstances surrounding the making of this landmark album were no exception. Addicted to heroin, drinking heavily, and obsessed with a gorgeous blonde model (who happened to be m

All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2 (2000)

Oct 22nd, 2020 59m 26s

The 1990s were quite the decade for U2. They reinvented their sound and style with the daring album, Achtung Baby, and then quickly released the equally impressive follow-up album, Zooropa, less than two years later. But 1997s Pop proved to be

The Bends - Radiohead (1995)

Oct 14th, 2020 50m 24s

Despite the massive commercial success of their debut single, Creep, in 1993, most critics dismissed Radiohead as a one-hit wonder. But two years later, their sophomore effort, The Bends, took the world by storm and by surprise. Filled with dar

Bonus

Remembering Eddie Van Halen: A Listen Closely with Jon & Chris Special

Oct 9th, 2020 22m 38s

Jon and Chris take a look back at the career and legacy of the great Eddie Van Halen, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 65, and the music of Van Halen.

Making Movies - Dire Straits (1980)

Oct 6th, 2020 45m 11s

Released nearly five years before their commercial blockbuster, Brothers in Arms, made them MTV superstars, 1980s Making Movies is considered by most critics and fans to be Dire Straits' true masterpiece. Though it contains only seven tracks, e

Hot Fuss - The Killers (2004)

Sep 29th, 2020 45m 45s

When it was released in the summer of 2004, Hot Fuss- the debut album from the Vegas-based band, The Killers- took America (and eventually the world) by storm. Chock-full of catchy, anthemic songs and a synth-laden sound that calls to mind the

Bete Noire - Bryan Ferry (1987)

Sep 22nd, 2020 45m 52s

From his early days as the frontman for the pioneering art-rock band, Roxy Music, right up until present day, the great Bryan Ferry has crafted both a sound and style that has been imitated countless times, but never quite duplicated. In honor

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 - George Michael (1990)

Sep 15th, 2020 43m 56s

His upbeat and snappy 1988 solo debut, Faith, made him an unexpected global superstar and- in his own words- ‘every little hungry schoolgirl’s pride and joy.’ But with his 1990 follow-up, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, the late George Michael

Hotel California - Eagles (1976)

Sep 8th, 2020 59m 49s

There isn't much to be said about the 1976 masterpiece from the Eagles, 'Hotel California,' that hasn't already been said. And yet, in the Season Two premiere of Listen Closely with Jon & Chris, the two manage to devote an entire hour to the al

Flesh + Blood - Roxy Music (1980)

Aug 10th, 2020 47m 48s

Widely regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time (they're Jon’s #1 favorite band) and long praised by critics, Roxy Music were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 2019. Yet their 1980 album, Flesh + Blood, was lar

Aja - Steely Dan (1977)

Jul 31st, 2020 42m 21s

In the penultimate (a word both Jon and Chris are quite fond of) episode of season one of Listen Closely with Jon & Chris, the guys are joined by longtime friend and fellow popular music enthusiast, Jim Moscater. The three discuss the jazzy, fu

Ten New Songs - Leonard Cohen (2001)

Jul 20th, 2020 35m 54s

After a five-year disappearing act which landed him on a mountaintop surrounded by Buddhist monks, the charming and eloquent Canadian singer-songwriter/poet/ladies man returned to the music scene refreshed and reinvigorated with several new son

Live Aid 35 Years On

Jul 13th, 2020 58m 19s

On July 13th, 1985, the Live Aid concerts were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia. They featured the top pop and rock musicians of the day, and over sixteen hours of live music. Organized by a fading post-punk/new wave performer (B

Silk Degrees - Boz Scaggs (1976)

Jun 30th, 2020 46m 45s

Perfect July 4th Weekend listening, this landmark album from the legendary Boz Scaggs is blue-eyed 70s soul at its absolute finest. Featuring incredible musicianship, smooth vocals, and slick production, the album is filled with infectious mel