Crucial Tracks 006: Patrick Rhone

I am very excited to bring you Patrick Rhone for the latest edition of Crucial Tracks, our interview series where we learn about the songs that made each of us who we are today.

My introduction to Patrick goes back about 10-15 years or so and I'm sure it originated on Twitter, as that was an easy way to discover and talk with cool people at the time. (Sadly not so much, anymore.)

Anyway, Patrick's writing always spoke to me. His calm, thoughtful, and thought provoking words always seemed to hit my feed at the right time. He certainly was one of the first people to introduce me to the concepts of minimalism and mindfulness (and probably small 'b' Buddhism if we lump all that together), with his blog posts and books Enough, Keeping it Straight, and This Could Help.

Through the years we've had small and infrequent, but very interesting, conversations about music on Micro.blog, including one that led to his quote being included in my 2021 post on Nirvana's Nevermind. Once I started doing this interview series, I knew Patrick would be one of the folks I would want to approach. And I am very thankful and appreciative that he agreed!

So, with that said... let's dig in to the interview:

To start out, can you tell us a little about yourself and where people can follow your work?

I'm Patrick Rhone. My official, self-assigned, title is Master Generalist. If you knew the full breadth of everything I do, the title makes perfect sense. I'm a writer, technology consultant, old home restorer, and circus rigger, to name just the few main bits. The best place to follow me is my blog at patrickrhone.net but if you'd like to find pointers to much of my work you can go to patrickrhone.com.

How do you listen to music? (albums, playlists, radio?)

Gosh. All of the above? In general, Radio and CDs in my car. Streaming over Apple Music when I'm at home and occasionally via Bluetooth in my car — especially if I'm letting my teenage daughter play DJ which, if you have kids, I VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND [very much agree! - Ed.] because it is the #1 way I discover cool new music as well as find out how a kid who introduced me to Chappell Roan can also know every single word to every Billy Joel song (even the deepest tracks). I still listen to vinyl on occasion because there's something very pure about listening to four or five songs and then stopping whatever it is you're doing to carefully turn the record over and listen to the rest. I love that.

[I also like that it acts as a pomodoro timer, which is very helpful in taking breaks during the work day - Ed.]

Digital or physical releases? What service or media (vinyl, CD, tapes, etc)?

I have no real preference (as you might be able to tell from answer #2) but I would say that if forced to get more specific it depends on the recording. I would argue that Depeche Mode's Violator (Listen) I prefer on CD because it was made for that (and still sounds as freshly produced today as when it was released). Boston's first album (one of the best engineered ever IMHO) begs for vinyl on a really great pair of speakers. But, with most music I'm agnostic about the media.

In terms of picking music, do you stick to your favorites or search for new music or is it a mix?

A mix for sure. The radio (my main local station is The Current and it's great) keeps me up to date on a lot of the new stuff I'd be interested in. My daughter does as well. There are a number of albums and artists I'll put on regularly, especially if I'm having a hard time deciding what to play. But, I'm quite the musical omnivore and my taste runs all over the place. Some albums that spring immediately to mind are anything by Radiohead, the Spring Awakening original Broadway cast recording (Listen), and Sarah Jarosz Build Me Up From Bones. (Listen)

If you try to find new music, how do you go about finding new artists or albums?

I think I accidentally mostly answered this above but, to summarize... The Current, My wife, My kid. Occasionally, my friends.

Patrick's Crucial Tracks

What's your earliest song/music memory?

Sitting under my grandmother's baby grand while she played. Lots of Chopin and Beethoven, etc. My Grandmother was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in piano performance and generally practiced for a few hours every day. My Mom, though an actress, was also classically trained on piano, was active in musical theater, was an incredible singer, and played and sang daily. So, music surrounded me every day from the day I was born.

I'll choose Chopin's Piano Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 because it is one I remember her playing a fair bit.

What is an important song from your childhood?

I can't choose just one song. Because I come from a musical family, was around music daily, I guess the best answer I can give here is a short story... I fell so in love with Jesus Christ Superstar after seeing the film in the theater that I played the the Original Cast Recording of it so much I actually wore out the vinyl. My Mom had to buy me another copy for my birthday that year. If forced to choose one song on the album it would be "Heaven On their Minds".

What's one song that's important to your teenage years?

Gah! One song? Seriously!?!?

The thing is, I'm a musical omnivore. I like and listen to so much, from Classical to Country to Punk to Jazz to R&B to Rock... I love it all. If you met me in high school and asked me to show you what was on my Walkman right now, you'd be just as likely to find Vivaldi one hour and Van Halen the next.

Fine. Literally, at random I'll choose "Through Being Cool" by DEVO because they happen to be one of my all time favorite bands. I've seen them live at least a couple of dozen times including when they were a surprise act at a music festival when I was in high school and were billed as DOVE: The Band of Love.

What's one song that stands out from your college years (or early adulthood)?

I'll choose "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" by The Smiths. I'd never really paid all that much attention to The Smiths until this came on the radio (WTUL) late one night when I was in college and it absolutely blew my mind and I immediately marched down to the record store the next day, bought every single thing I could find by them, and pretty much listened to nothing else for a few weeks after.

What's a song that stands out from your current/most recent relationship?

"Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova from the Once - Motion Picture Soundtrack. I remember seeing this film with my wife and both of us absolutely falling in love with it. It is not the typical love story one sees depicted on screen. Instead, it is full of angst and heartbreak and longing and truth.

[oh my! I stumbled onto this song on YouTube back shortly after it was released. Loved it and forgot about it until now. So beautiful. - Ed.]

What's your favorite song from the last year?

OK, I've only come to this artist recently. Even with my daughter's interest and urging I'd largely paid little attention. It was not until a couple of weeks ago as I write this that I bothered to really listen to her latest album and my interest was peaked. Then, her recent performance at The Grammy's sealed the deal... I believe Sabrina Carpenter is the rightful heir to Madonna's Pop music throne.

Lady Gaga tried to take that mantle a over decade ago with hits like Born This Way (a derivative, near copy, of Express Yourself) as well as bringing the same "club kid" heritage bona fides but, despite my respect for her musical talents I found the attempt to replace the Material Girl all too obvious.

Sabrina Carpenter, on the other hand, is much more subtle. Her rise less breakout. Her overt and frank feminine sexuality even more on-the-nose. Her use of explicit and frank language unrestrained. Her honesty unguarded. As if she's seeing Madonna's four aces and throwing down a royal flush in return.

But, like I said, it was her Grammy performance that really dialed this opinion in for me. Where as Madonna's send up of Marilyn Monroe in her Material Girl video and performance were meant to solidly communicate the assumption of the sex goddess throne, Ms. Carpenter in her recent Grammy performance did a tongue-firmly-in-cheek one up by mimicking Goldie Hawn. At once it was a humorous deep cut reference to another icon while also being a wink to her own self awareness of the joke. That joke being that the industry always pits women against each other fighting for the same spaces and she would, like Hawn, self-deprecate and laugh both along with and at that misogynous idea. She knows her fans get the cheeky humor riding as background harmony in the delivery of her songs. They too, are both in on and tired of the joke.

So, this is why I'm going to choose "Please Please Please" by Sabrina Carpenter. A song that sounds like it could have been a late stage hit for Diana Ross and The Supremes if not for the suggestive lyrics and the delicious phrasing of the word motherf*cker.

You live in Saint Paul, MN. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul are historically known as having a great music scene (Prince, The Replacements, etc.). Are there any current artists or tracks from that area we should check out?

For sure! I'm a big fan of everything Dessa does. She does a great hybrid rap and soul thing that seems to be a staple coming out of here. Same with Lizzo who also built her musical career here.

But, there's still some decent rock and power pop coming out of her. I'm really enjoying Ber right now. Clever and inventive songwriting and catchy danceable hooks. Also, though they don't live here now, Call Me Spinster has some really beautiful sister harmonies that hit my heart just right.

Listen to this issue of Crucial Tracks

Find this issue’s playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

The Playlist:

• Chappell Roan - "My Kink Is Karma"
• Billy Joel - "Zanzibar"
• Depeche Mode - "World in My Eyes"
• Boston - "Foreplay/Long Time"
• Radiohead - "15 Step"
• Spring Awakening - "Totally Fucked" (Original Broadway Cast Recording/2006)
• Sarah Jarosz - "Build Me Up From Bones"
• Chopin - "Piano Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2"
• Jesus Christ Superstar - "Heaven on their Minds"
• DEVO - "Through Being Cool"
• The Smiths - "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"
• Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - "Falling Slowly"
• Lady Gaga - "Born This Way"
• Madonna - "Express Yourself"
• Madonna - "Material Girl"
• Sabrina Carpenter - "Please Please Please"
• Dessa - "I Already Like You"
• Lizzo - "About Damn Time"
• Ber - "Boys Who Kiss You In Their Car"
• Call Me Spinster - "Feet Are Dirty"

Thanks

Thanks to Patrick for sharing his Crucial Tracks! Patrick can be followed online via his blog Rhoneisms, on Bluesky, and on Mastodon. You can also learn about Patrick's books and professional work.