Crosby, Stills & Nash

This song is called "If I Ever Get Around To Living." And it represents this freaky end of the record thing where I was like, give me another one. I'll write another one. And I was playing a rousing game of Jenga one night listening to "Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and there's something about the way these guys used to write suites. Where they'd go from one thing to another thing—these scene changes.

JM: That’s actually a better way to put it. Three records you all have to go out and buy. Can you help me with this? [Laughter] 

I will assist. I will take out greatest hits as an answer. Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life? I mean, Pet Sounds is truly great. D’Angelo's Voodoo I just love it. It’s one of my favorite records. I’m trying to think now. The way I have to put this in my mind is like were hanging out, like, what would I put on to be like you gotta hear—Oh! Crosby, Stills & Nash. I would say not even Deja Vu. I’d say Crosby, Stills & Nash [the album]. 

DW: The very first one. 

JM: There’s a real love of life in that one. There’s a real, that’s like pre-Ohio. You know? It’s a pre-Ohio world on that record. So I would definitely say Crosby, Stills & Nash.

So like, if you're listening to, like, Crosby, Stills & Nash, there's a lot of little bumps, and—because it's live—if you listen to, like, "Wooden Ships," you know, it's a gorgeous three-part sort of tune, there's an entire measure that's just a fret too low. But something weird happens, where if you listen to it long enough—and if you've listened to a lot of really well-charted stuff or, like, well-produced stuff for so many years, your ear sort of gets tired of it—you start realizing, like, that's a moment unto itself. I mean, isn't that as much of a hook as a memorable lyric is? If you go, “here comes the part where they—oh yeah," they sort of mark time in the song, you know what I mean?

JM: No I was—this is when I couldn't talk at all—and, I guess Don [Was] gave me Working Man's Dead back when I was making Born and Raised, but I didn't really pay attention to it. I paid attention to "Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills & Nash and then I got on a Crosby, Stills & Nash kick—those two records are just insane.