Double Album Reviews: Are You Experienced? By Jimi Hendrix & Malibu By Anderson. Paak

Double Album Reviews of The Velvet Underground & NIco (1967) and Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True (1977)

The "2 & 1/2 Hippys Podcast #42" features hosts Alex and Jack discussing various topics, starting with bizarre product launches (0:00) and then delving into a lengthy conversation about podcasting and its origins, crediting Tom Green as a major inspiration for Joe Rogan (1:12-2:42). They also mention their own podcasting inspirations, like The Makeshift Project, and their goal to review music that is often overlooked (3:08-4:44).

The main segment of the podcast is an in-depth review of two albums: Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (4:45-26:45) and Labi Siffre's "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" (27:00-39:57).

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (4:45-26:45):

• The hosts discuss how they chose to review this album due to its connection with Labi Siffre's music (5:00-5:10).
• They provide background on Simon & Garfunkel, highlighting their long-standing friendship and musical partnership (6:58-8:28).
• They debate whether Simon & Garfunkel can be considered "pop stars" (8:31-9:19).
• The album's massive success, selling 35 million copies, is noted (9:20-9:36).
• They praise the title track, "Bridge Over Troubled Water," for its angelic and emotionally moving qualities, noting it was recorded in LA and New York with The Wrecking Crew and that the vocals were recorded in a church (14:15-16:40). This song was a huge hit, reaching number one on Billboard in 1970 (15:56-16:16).
• They discuss other songs on the album, including "Cecilia," "Keep the Customer Satisfied," and "The Only Living Boy in New York" (17:25-21:00).
• A "blind rank" of five songs from the album is conducted (23:37-25:00).
• The album cover, featuring Paul Simon covering Art Garfunkel's mouth, is discussed, with Alex jokingly theorizing it reflects tension between the duo (25:12-26:10).

Labi Siffre - Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying (27:00-39:57):

• Jack explains how he discovered Labi Siffre through sampling, specifically Kanye West's use of "My Song" in "I Wonder" (27:44-28:57).
• They discuss Labi Siffre's song "Saved," an a cappella track with ironic religious undertones (30:00-31:16).
• The hosts touch on the possible impact of Labi Siffre's openly gay identity on his fame, comparing it to other artists of the era (31:20-33:10).
• They emphasize Labi Siffre's musical genius, noting he wrote, produced, arranged, and played most of the instruments on the album (35:58-36:28).
• The song "It Must Be Love" is highlighted, which was famously covered by the band Madness in the 80s (38:52-39:16).