One Song, Four Debuts, and a Fade into the Ether – Episode 1295

It all started with a blog post.

Earlier this week, I asked Alexa to play “Roxanne” by The Police—and just like that, I was back at the Memorial Union in Madison, Wisconsin, hearing it for the first time. That post turned into a deep dive on how one song can anchor a memory, reshape a morning, or even spark a radio show. That’s exactly what happened here.

This week’s Rolling with Scissors setlist is built entirely around that moment.

“Roxanne” took us back to 1978, and the deeper I went, the more I realized what a landmark year it really was. We explored four debut albums that helped shape the end of the ’70s and set the tone for what came next. It all started with The Police and ends somewhere near the clouds with Kate Bush.

We were going to work in Talking Heads, but I didn’t have the records in time. That’s already being fixed. I’m in the process of collecting the entire Talking Heads discography, and we’ll be doing a deep dive next week. So if you’re a fan of art-school funk, paranoia, and awkward brilliance, stay tuned—next week is for you.

This one goes out to anyone who remembers hearing a song in a corner of their childhood and never being able to forget it.

Stream it live or on demand.

And if you missed the blog that inspired this week’s episode, go find “Alexa, Play My Childhood” in the Prince of Darkness Chronicles category.