Podcast
Verse Chorus Verse
Hosted by David Leisten · EN
dl is a life-long music obsessor and student. With the help of friends Evil Jimmi and Rachel Pollio, Verse Chorus Verse tackles band dissections, album reviews and interviews of fantastic guests from all parts of the industry.
Also. Drinks. Lots of drinks.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Neil Young's Harvest
3d ago00:55:39Tap to summarizeThe podcast episode features a discussion about Neil Young's album 'Harvest' and its impact. The hosts explore the album's significance, its orchestral elements, and its place in Neil Young's catalog. They also touch on the Neil Young-Leonard Skynyrd rivalry and share their personal experiences with the album. A deep dive into Neil Young's album 'Harvest' reveals a complex mix of orchestral arrangements, songwriting brilliance, and the artist's resistance to traditional rock stardom. The album's impact on listeners and its place in Neil Young's discography are explored in detail.TakeawaysNeil Young's album 'Harvest' is a significant and complex work that evokes strong reactions.The orchestral elements in the album are jarring and raise questions about their place in the overall composition. Orchestral arrangements and songwriting brilliance create a complex mixNeil Young's resistance to traditional rock stardom is evident in the albumThe album's impact on listeners and its place in Neil Young's discography are explored in detailChapters00:00 The 'Yours, Mine, and the Truth' Theme43:31 The Impact of the Album on Listeners and Its Place in Neil Young's Discography
Transcribe →Rory Gallagher's Calling Card
1w ago01:01:25Tap to summarizeThe conversation delves into the legacy of musician Rory Gallagher, exploring his impact on the music industry and his unique approach to music. It also touches on the personal experiences of the speakers, including their interest in live music and their album exchange. The discussion covers the album 'Calling Card' and its production, band members, and musical influences. The conversation delves into the life and impact of Rory Gallagher, highlighting his refusal to conform to commercial pressures and his unwavering dedication to his craft. It also explores the unique qualities of his guitar playing and the influence he had on other musicians. The conversation delves into the influence of blues legends on Eric Clapton, the authenticity of his music, and comparisons with other guitarists like Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The discussion also explores the album 'Calling Card' by Rory Gallagher, highlighting its standout tracks and the impact of Gallagher's live performances.TakeawaysRory Gallagher's influence on the music industryThe personal experiences and interests of the speakers Unwavering dedication to craftInfluence on other musicians Influence of blues legends on Eric ClaptonAuthenticity in music and comparisons with other guitaristsExploration of 'Calling Card' album by Rory GallagherChapters00:00 Album Exchange and 'Calling Card'37:19 Reception and Influence52:26 Exploring 'Calling Card' Album by Rory Gallagher
Transcribe →Radiohead Pablo Honey The Bends: How Creep Almost Destroyed the Greatest Band of Their Generation
2w ago01:13:44Tap to summarizeDL kicks off the Verse Chorus Verse Radiohead series with the first two albums — solo, no Evil, no Rachel, just a man and his favorite band.Pablo Honey (1992) gets a 7/10. It's a gateway drug, not a masterpiece — a Brit rock album from the early 90s that happens to contain one of the most important songs ever recorded. The story behind Creep: recorded in one take, initially hated by the band, ignored until Arsenio Hall found the tape in his car, made enormous by a Beavis and Butt-Head segment. Top songs: Creep, Rip Chord, You.The Bends (1995) gets a 9/10 and a full reassessment — DL argues this album is massively underrated and better than he'd ever given it credit for. Jonny Greenwood's octatonic guitar work on "Just" (inspired by an obscure French composer), the story of EMI threatening to drop them after Pablo Honey, Tom York's stage breakdown and the NME calling it a "temper tantrum," and why Fake Plastic Trees is great even if it's not a personal favorite. Top songs: Just, My Iron Lung, Bulletproof I Wish I Was.Part 1 of a 6-episode Radiohead dissection series. OK Computer with Rachel and Evil is next.
Transcribe →System of a Down's Toxicity: The Most Political Metal Album Ever Made? (2001 Deep Dive)
3w ago01:02:03Tap to summarizeDL, Evil, and Rachel dig into System of a Down's Toxicity (2001) — one of the biggest metal albums ever made, debuting at #1 the week before 9/11 and getting Chop Suey immediately pulled from radio.The central argument: Toxicity is not a nu-metal record. It's one of the most coherent political albums ever made — a sustained meditation on apathy, incarceration, the Armenian-American experience, and what happens when society stops giving a shit about each other. Prison Song, Needles, ATWA, and "somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep" hit completely different when you actually listen to what Serj Tankian is saying.Along the way: why "Chop Suey" was originally titled "Suicide" (and how the rename was pure SOAD genius), the story of Rick Rubin seeing them at the Viper Room in 1997 and immediately knowing, Daron Malakian's insistence the album fit on one side of a tape at exactly 40 minutes, the time signatures and hemiola that make Toxicity sound heavier than it should, and the direct sonic DNA connecting Faith No More's Epic piano outro to Chop Suey's ending.The influence arc: System of a Down directly cited Faith No More as a key influence — this episode is part of a two-week influence-to-influence series starting with The Real Thing.Scores: Rachel 10/10, Evil 10/10, DL 9.8/10.Part of Verse Chorus Verse's album-by-album deep dive series.System of a Down,Toxicity,Chop Suey,Serj Tankian,Daron Malakian,Rick Rubin,metal album review,Armenian rock,2001 albums,political metal,Faith No More influence,music podcast
Transcribe →Faith No More's The Real Thing: How a 19-Year-Old Mike Patton Changed Rock Forever (1989 Deep Dive)
May 401:12:16Tap to summarizeDL, Evil, and Rachel dig into Faith No More's The Real Thing (1989) — the album that accidentally invented nu-metal, made "Epic" a cultural phenomenon, and was written entirely by a 19-year-old Mike Patton who had never met the band before.The central debate: did Epic's massive MTV success actually hurt Faith No More's legacy by making casual listeners think they were a one-hit wonder? And is The Real Thing even their best album — or does Angel Dust win that argument by a mile?Along the way: the story of how Courtney Love almost got the singer job, the Chuck Mosley firing, why Billy Gould's bass on this album is the direct ancestor of Fieldy in Korn, how "Surprise You're Dead" at the 38-second mark contains one of the best gear shifts in rock, and a deep dive into why Epic's piano outro resolves a tritone (the "devil's interval") that the main riff deliberately left open.The influence argument: System of a Down have cited Faith No More as a direct influence — and the parallels between Serj Tankian and Mike Patton, and between Daron Malakian and Jim Martin, are hard to ignore. This episode sets up next week's Toxicity deep dive.Scores: Rachel 7/10, Evil 8.5–9/10, DL 8.3/10.Part of Verse Chorus Verse's influence-to-influence album arc.Faith No More,The Real Thing,Mike Patton,Epic,alt-metal,nu-metal,1989 albums,Angel Dust,System of a Down,album review,music podcast,funk metal
Transcribe →Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums: Miranda Lambert, Howlin' Wolf, The Kinks, and Selena (#477–481)
Apr 2700:51:53Tap to summarizeDL works through the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, reviewing four albums and four songs from entries #477–481 — and handing out scores along the way.Albums covered: Miranda Lambert's The Weight of These Wings (2016) gets an 8.7/10 — a genuine surprise, with DL arguing it's more Orville Peck than generic Nashville country. Selena's Amor Prohibido (1994) gets a 7/10, with praise for Los Dinos and the vocal performances but honest limits on Tejano expertise. Something Else by The Kinks (1967) gets a thoughtful take on a band that was the real rock stars of the '60s — even when they were chasing the Beatles. Howlin' Wolf's Moanin' in the Moonlight earns a 10/10 and a full Delta Blues sermon, with a side argument that it deserves to be ranked way higher than #487.Songs covered: "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie, "Oye Como Va" by Santana, "Back That Azz Up" by Juvenile, and "Our Lips Are Sealed" by the Go-Gos.Plus: the Radiohead solo episode series explained, listener questions on which Radiohead album to give Evil and Rachel as a gateway, and DL's current ranking with Howlin' Wolf sitting at #2 behind Arcade Fire's Funeral.Part of Verse Chorus Verse's ongoing Rolling Stone 500 album-by-album coverage.Rolling Stone 500,Miranda Lambert,Howlin Wolf,The Kinks,Selena,Biz Markie,Santana,album review,Delta Blues,country music,music podcast,Radiohead
Transcribe →2001 in Music: Our Top 10 Albums (Gorillaz, Toxicity, Lateralus, Is This It and More)
Apr 2001:28:06Tap to summarizeDL and Evil Jimmy go deep on the best and worst albums of 2001 — a year that somehow produced Gorillaz's self-titled debut, The Strokes' Is This It, System of a Down's Toxicity, Tool's Lateralus, Jay-Z's The Blueprint, and Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American all at once.They build a collective top 10, trading picks and hot takes: Gorillaz at number one, Toxicity at two, Is This It at three — plus arguments for Opeth's Blackwater Park, Converge's Jane Doe, Tool's Lateralus, Muse's Origin of Symmetry, Jay-Z's The Blueprint, White Stripes' White Blood Cells, and Neurosis rounding out the list.Along the way: why Nickelback and Creed represent everything wrong with 2001 mainstream rock, the case for Built to Spill's Ancient Melodies of the Future, Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the Toadies' Hell Below Stars Above, Ben Folds' Rockin' the Suburbs, Tenacious D's self-titled, and Tupac's Until the End of Time. Plus favorite songs of the year, a Stone Temple Pilots deep cut, Andrew W.K.'s She Is Beautiful, and a Clint Eastwood / Morgan Freeman life philosophy detour courtesy of the Gorillaz track.Part of Verse Chorus Verse's year-by-year and album-by-album music coverage.2001 music,Gorillaz,The Strokes,System of a Down,Tool,Jay-Z Blueprint,Jimmy Eat World,album rankings,year in music,indie rock,metal,music podcast
Transcribe →2001 part 1
Apr 1301:06:41Tap to summarizeThe conversation delves into the year 2001 as a time of musical transition, influenced by the impact of 9/11. It explores the rise of electronic music, the release of albums, and personal reflections on music preferences during that time. The conversation delves into the musical journey between the release of Lateralis and 10,000 Days, exploring the impact of Lateralis and Anima on the artist. Additionally, the topic of Juggalos is discussed, providing insight into the cultural phenomenon. The conversation delves into the exploration of music labels and management changes, highlighting the impact of streaming on the music industry. The discussion provides insights into the evolving landscape of the music business and its influence on artists and their careers.Takeaways2001 was a year of musical transitionThe impact of 9/11 on the music industry Musical journey between Lateralis and 10,000 DaysImpact of Lateralis and Anima on the artist Exploration of music labels and management changesImpact of streaming on the music industryChapters00:00 Reflecting on 2001 and Personal Music Preferences13:42 Musical Journey and Impact25:30 Exploration of music labels and management changes
Transcribe →Quickfire part II
Apr 601:01:03Tap to summarizeThe conversation covers a range of topics including gear troubleshooting, health concerns, alcohol choices, album reviews, and a detailed discussion on Zach Bryan's lengthy album. The importance of curating and editing music is highlighted, along with the impact of excessive tracklists on the listening experience. The conversation covers diverse album reviews and evaluations, including Zach Brian's album, 'Erg' by Mandy Indiana, 'Dry Cleaning' album, and 'The Mountain' by Gorillaz. Each review is accompanied by a detailed assessment and critique, providing a comprehensive analysis of the music and its impact. The conversation delved into diverse opinions on the albums reviewed, exploring different music genres and personal tastes. The hosts expressed disappointment with the albums and compared Metallica and Megadeth's catalogs. They also discussed their favorite albums of the batch and ranked the reviewed albums. Additionally, they shared their thoughts on the Soilwork album and upcoming episodes.TakeawaysAlbums with excessive tracklists can be overwhelming and lack focusThe importance of curating and editing music to maintain quality Diverse opinions on Zach Brian's albumEvaluation of the album 'Erg' by Mandy IndianaReview and assessment of the album 'Dry Cleaning'Discussion and critique of the album 'The Mountain' by Gorillaz Diverse opinions on the albumsExploration of different music genresChapters00:00 Favorite Songs and Final Thoughts42:17 Evaluation of 'The Mountain' by Gorillaz01:13:02 Discussion on Music Preferences and Upcoming Episodes
Transcribe →Quickfire part I
Mar 3001:04:26Tap to summarizeThe conversation covers a range of topics including technical issues, family anecdotes, health updates, and a discussion about albums and music. The hosts also talk about a book on horror scores and plan for future episodes. The conversation covers a review of two albums, Silver Sun Pickups' 'Tenter Hooks' and Mumford and Sons' 'Prizefighter'. The hosts and guests share their thoughts and critiques on the albums, discussing specific tracks, production, and overall impressions. The conversation covers multiple album reviews, each with its own unique musical style and themes. The hosts and guest provide in-depth reviews and insights into each album, discussing their favorite tracks, overall impressions, and the impact of the music on the listener. The conversation also delves into the evolution of the music industry and the changing landscape of music consumption.TakeawaysTechnical issues with audio and video setup can impact podcast recording and require troubleshooting.Family anecdotes and personal stories add a relatable and humorous touch to the podcast.Health updates and discussions about music and albums provide variety and engagement for the audience. Album reviews and critiquesExploring individual tracks and productionComparing the albums to the band's previous work Diverse Musical StylesImpact of Music on the ListenerChapters17:53 Book on Horror Scores and Future Episode Plans41:11 Mumford and Sons' 'Prizefighter' Review47:16 Album Review: Run Together58:59 Album Review: Conflict DLC01:07:39 Album Review: Love Is Not Enough
Transcribe →