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The toughest part of this week’s episode was the art.
I put nearly as much effort into the art these days as I do the actual content. It’s fun. I’m by no means a graphic designer – I’m not even using the right software for this – but I have a laugh coming up with an image that works for the episode and then trying to make something semi-professional out of it. Or at least goofy enough for people to laugh at. I don’t feel any pressure with the art. Nobody expects much from me when it comes to design.
This week I’ve borrowed the visual motif and title from a famous on-court explosion by the great John McEnroe, who you will find out in the episode is my favourite tennis player of all time. People think of Johnny Mac and his outbursts come to mind, which is really too bad, because beneath the temper was a magnificent tennis player. Definitely one of the all time greats and, whether you like him or not, one of the sport’s biggest personalities. I was just coming online as a sports fan when McEnroe was at his peak. A majestic serve-and-volleyer. A tremendous competitor. Needless to say, a polarizing figure. You just couldn’t look away.
And yes, I know that my photo in this week’s art makes me look far more like McEnroe’s great rival Bjorn Borg than the man himself, but as I said, I’m by no means a graphic designer.
It’s Q&A week on the JHP this week! I had a couple of gigs I needed to prep for last week, as well as a few other important things going on, so I didn’t have time to dig in for something more topical. Fortunately, the listeners answered my call for questions and we have what I think is a fun episode. The cool thing about Q&A episodes is that they take you to places you might not otherwise go. This week I share some memories about tennis (I’ve traditionally been a big tennis fan), as well as concert memories and thoughts about bass players and drummers and the connections that rhythm sections need to form in order to be effective.
There's also a fairly in-depth discussion not only of the technical side of making this podcast, but of its evolution over time. This is the creative process at work, as I've written about for other episodes. The way to do a thing is simply to do it. Begin and let it evolve. You can sit for years being theoretical, but until you bring it to life, it will only ever be theory. Set your perfectionism and your doubt aside and simply begin. The art, whether it's a podcast or an album or a book or whatever you're creating, will reveal itself only in the doing. This program is the evidence.
There’s also a confession and an apology about overlooking the fabulous Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, which I have in the past (and perhaps so have you). I love Fleetwood Mac, and it dawned upon me one fine day that Christine McVie wrote my favourite Fleetwood Mac song. It was a changing day for me, and I have never underappreciated or overlooked her since. Just take a minute and squeeze past Stevie Nicks long enough to have a look at the other lady on the stage. She doesn’t belong in the shadows.
You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out what my favourite Fleetwood Mac song is.
My thanks to everyone who sent in questions for the episode. There were too many for me to cover this week, so we’ll do another edition soon to answer the remainder. If you have questions or comments for the next Q&A – or just want to drop me a line – contact me here. I always enjoy hearing from the listening public!
If you want to hear some of the music that I talked about on this episode and the others from this year, check out the John Huff Podcast Referenced On The Podcast 2022 playlist on Spotify.
This week’s bit for your viewing pleasure could only be Johnny Mac, live in Stockholm, 1984. Who says the man can’t hit a two-handed backhand?
Vintage McEnroe