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The Listening Lens

The Listening Lens

By: Stuart Lee
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About this listen

I’m Stuart Lee, welcome to the Listening Lens. Where music meets imagination! Each episode is an album deep dive, sometimes a classic, sometimes a head-scratcher, approached with reckless curiosity. Expect questionable research, half-baked theories, and the odd existential wobble over a drum fill. Want to learn something, laugh a bit, or shout at your speakers then this podcast is for you!Stuart Lee Music
Episodes
  • 17 - Out of Time: R.E.M. Redefines the Mainstream
    Oct 18 2025

    In this episode, we revisit Out of Time, the album that transformed R.E.M. from cult college rock heroes into global superstars. Released in 1991, it’s a record that blends jangly guitars, mandolins, and poetic introspection to create one of the defining sounds of the early ’90s. From the soaring melancholy of Losing My Religion to the bright optimism of Shiny Happy People, put an asterisk by that! Out of Time captures a band expanding its emotional and musical reach.

    We’ll explore how R.E.M. balanced intimacy and accessibility, the creative risks that shaped the album’s sound, and how Out of Time paved the way for alternative music’s rise into the mainstream.

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    49 mins
  • 16 - His ’n’ Hers: Pulp’s Breakthrough Moment!
    Oct 2 2025

    In this episode we step into the witty, cinematic world of Pulp and their breakthrough album His ’n’ Hers. Released in 1994, this record marked the band’s transition from cult outsiders to Britpop trailblazers. With Jarvis Cocker’s sharp eyed lyrics and the group’s lush, dramatic arrangements, His ’n’ Hers captured the humour, desire, and anxieties of everyday life in a way that felt both relatable and daring.

    We explore the songs that set the stage for Pulp’s later fame, from the playful intensity of “Joyriders” and “Lipgloss” to the shimmering melancholy of “Do You Remember the First Time?” This episode uncovers how His ’n’ Hers became a blueprint for the wit and grit of Britpop, and why it remains one of the era’s most essential albums.

    🎧 Featuring
    Highlights from His ’n’ Hers
    Stories behind the making of the album
    Reflections on Pulp’s rise during the Britpop explosion

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    1 hr and 5 mins
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