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We're joined by the C-side by MASTAS's William Joel third chair Dan Rogge to rank "Storm Front," Joel's melodramatic 1989 paean to fish, weather, marriage to a model, and Boomer guilt. As we make our way through the ten tracks, we're also talking about the Eisenhower vaccine, capital-A Album Openers, covers that expose structural problems, SNL's '80s line-up, making the best of bad tattoos, and the alternate universe where B-minus pop songs are icons. Grab some water wings and have a listen! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Billy Joel's "Glass Houses," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) Billy Joel's "The Stranger," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) The Slow Roll on YouTube Blankenship Projects Tomato Nation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The days are getting short, but we're wrapping up the Summer Of Soundtrack at MASTAS with the longest ep of the three -- on the 17 non-score soundtrack cuts of Almost Famous. Along the way, we talk about the lost America of dressing up for bus rides, liking The Who except when we hate them, if midcentury rock reviews said more about the reviewers than the rock, lyrically exhausting surf-band tracks, and the universal irresistibility of a Reg singalong. When you're done serenading room-service ketchup, we hope you'll have a listen. Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne; for more information, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Episode 220A: "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Ranked An American Tune America's Damp 40, Episode 02: The Next 5 Summer Of Soundtrack Episode 2: City Of Angels Episode 18: Led Zeppelin/Dread Zeppelin/Dolly Parton, "Stairway To Heaven" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The MASTAS Summer Of Soundtrack swelters on with a look at the soundtrack for City Of Angels, a reimagining of Wings Of Desire that did fairly well at the box office, and even better at Tower Records...and then kind of disappeared? As we join our Patreon supporters in ranking the ten non-instrumental tracks, we're talking about the days when radio wielded power, the 1889 sound of 1969 Hendrix, and the right blues song for a bar-fight scene in a political thriller. Take a break from glazing your compunctions and join us! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli; for more information, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Summer Of Soundtrack Episode 1: Hughes Highlights SDB wrote about Wings Of Desire for Modern Vintage News, which you can sort of find here? More on the leaking of "Uninvited" from Rhino Episode 109: Def Leppard, "Pour Some Sugar On Me" The Lilith Fair 40, Episode 08: The Final Ranking Episode 97: Hit-Single TV Themes Of The '90s Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're declaring 2026 the Summer Of Soundtrack, contemplating film soundtracks across the decades -- and we're starting with 10 selections from the 1980s John Hughes teen oeuvre, some you'll remember and some you'll forget...or regret. As we contemplate the definitive Hughes tunes (or, for one of us, speak truth to Thompson-Twins power), we're also discussing NuRo wallpaper, post-prom fire hazards, keyboardist video indicating, and the Nirvana-Clash pipeline. Grab that Sport Walkman, folks: it's a very hot! very hot! new episode of MASTAS. Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne; for more information, visit patreon.com/mastas. SHOW NOTES Jonathan Bernstein's Pretty In Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies Kevin Smokler's Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to '80s Teen Movies The Lost Songs Project March MASTAS Single 01: Welcome To The '80s British Band Bracket! Ira Newborn's NYU-faculty page Episode 80: Pat Benatar's Greatest Hits, Ranked Our esteemed colleague Danny Elfm-- uh, Adam Sternbergh A 2019 oral history of Some Kind Of Wonderful that suggests Sarah isn't completely off-base about Watts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan Rogge returns -- with our new friends L.V. Beethoven and Phyllis Domain -- to discuss his least favorite William Joel album, 1983's "An Innocent Man." The recurring Diane character, elegant internal rhymes, car-tape-deck privilege, protecting the children from doo-wop, wedding-band improv exercises, and how big a pop star you have to be to get away with pairing Uggs and a tux: keep the faith that we're talking about all of that and much more. Grab a harmonica and join us! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Billy Joel's "Glass Houses," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) Billy Joel's "The Stranger," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) The Easy Money trailer America's Damp 40, Episode 00: An Introduction Adam Blau Episode 125: ABBA-sode! The Best Evidence newsletter Give Dan a job! The Lady Doth Protest Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The moment has arrived: the selection of the Dolliest Dolly Parton song of them all. As we investigate whether all Parton-narration roads pass through "Jolene," we're also discussing insightful user comments, the perils of a glass and a half of Chablis, the ugly weakness of love, audition songs, and The Aeneid. Pause that Starsky & Hutch rerun and listen now! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Where it all began with the Dolly 64 The Dolly 64 E09: The Final 4 Episode 33: Beyoncé, "Countdown" Episode 125: ABBA-sode! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And you think about it, don't you? ...As much as we'd like every one of these Dolly Parton songs to get a participation tiara, we will forge ahead with choosing the championship pair. Along the way, we hear medleys of two of the finalists, contemplate the difference between a "bad" song and a "correct" one, and speculate on Mr. Jolene's double album. Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Where it all began with the Dolly 64 Episode 5: Cam, "Mayday" "Dolly Parton Says New 'Jolene' Rendition 'Son of Jolene' Is 'Clever.' Belles Agrees: 'I Can Die Happy Now' (Exclusive)" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we select our Final 4 in the Dolly 64, after struggling with self-imposed rules that don't serve us, identifying the Dolly songs that won't end up in a commercial for floor polish, and speculating on that waterboy's future coot prospects. Why did it take us this long to come up with the phrase "the Fortress of Dollitude"? Maybe because we inhaled too much pink Partonclave smoke...you'll have to listen to find out. Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Where it all began with the Dolly 64 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's the hardest round in every bracket season in some ways, and the Dolly 64's Sweet 16 ep is no different. How many different lists did Sarah have? Is Mark's "Dolly didn't write it" rule going to last? These questions and many more -- which one old coot shall rule them all; whether every "typical" Dolly is good; how to embody "kuntree" without making it a moral position -- as we rest our boobs on the points scale for our latest episode. Find out whether we ended up with an Elite Eleven and listen now! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Billy Joel's "Glass Houses," Ranked (with Dan Rogge!) Episode 62: "Ode To Billie Joe" And "Harper Valley PTA" Episode 91: 2018 Oscars Best Song Nominees, Ranked (With Joe Reid!) Episode 135: Shakira, "She Wolf" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The second half of our Dolly 64 Round Of 32 is still confronting the question of which Dolly Parton narrative voice is the most typical and/or dominant. It's also confronting hashtag coot songs, clarified Miracle Whip, the fine gradations of Tennessee mountain-home ownership, and identifying as kuntree without defensiveness. How many aprons does feminism wear? Listen and find out! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Episode 18: Led Zeppelin/Dread Zeppelin/Dolly Parton, "Stairway To Heaven" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"What a way to make a living," indeed -- the Dolly 64 Round Of 32 raises a lot of tough questions. Which Dolly are we talking about when we ask which song is the Dolliest? Which tracks unite the coffee shop, or go in a college syllabus? We've really got some feelings about pitiless Southern stories, meeting the old-coot brief, the importance of conveying tumescence in pop music, overrated crayons, and Barry Gibb's avant-garde prepositions, so listen now! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES America's Damp 40, Episode 04: The Roaring 20 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're wrapping up the Dolly 64 opening round this week with songs that work better in theory than in practice, the difference between "not for me" and "not good," countrymaxxing without slagging "coastal elites," and Vrbo text art in song form. Is it weird that this is the section in which a Dolly Parton song finally bats a thousand points-wise? Maybe...but not really. Whatever you came in here looking like, listen now! Intro and outro by Laura Barger and Jack Baldelli. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Christine Ebersole sings "Single Women" on SNL The Dolly 64 E03: Round Of 64 Beats Around The Bush, Episode 04: May The JVC Force Be With You Episode 91: 2018 Oscars Best Song Nominees, Ranked (With Joe Reid!) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Dolly 64 season has reached perhaps the strongest bracket section in our third ep, with the joyful chaos of mis-alphabetizing, growers and showers in the holler, songs about things men don't want to hear, and multiple hauntings by Little Andy and the narrator of "The Bridge." Find out which Dolly Parton track got ranked "Richard Bachman," how to take control of a cover, and much more in our latest episode! Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Extra Hot Great 316 The Dolly 64 E01: Round Of 64 "Encores! Shows Why Big River Isn't Coming Back Anytime Soon"  The Famous Ghost Monologues, No. 1: Resurrection Mary "Miriam" Episode 195: Dolly Parton's Underrated Hits Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Dolly 64 season continues with our second set of first-round contenders, including overplayed classics, underrated '80s gems, toothless platitudes, tempo no-man's lands, brand ambassadors to the Lord, and things Dolly Parton does well that might not make the first paragraph of her musicianship wiki. Here WE come again, and we hope you'll have a listen! Intro and outro by David Gregory Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES The Crime Seen podcast "How Willie Nelson Sees America" Episode 195: Dolly Parton's Underrated Hits Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 2: 1975-1990 Record Of The Year Showdown, Episode 3: 1991-2006 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to our Dolly 64 season -- in which we use a highly scientific*, legally binding* March Madness-style bracket to determine the most quintessential Dolly Parton track of all time! In our first episode, we make Final Four predictions, scheme in the style of Tammany Hall, wonder why Mark's parents aren't president, distinguish between country and kuntree, and honor the "old coot at the edge of town" Partonian subgenre. Daddy, come and get an all-new episode of MASTAS! *...no Intro and outro by Andrew Byrne. Visit us on Patreon for more! SHOW NOTES Dolly the sheep March MASTAS: Britpop Edition The "5 to 9" Squarespace ad The "Sad Ass Songs" episode of Dolly Parton's America Episode 62: "Ode To Billie Joe" And "Harper Valley PTA" Episode 133: Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, "Islands In The Stream" Just a couple of what Wikipedia diplomatically calls Chuck Berry's "controversies" Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.