Another Kind of Mind: A Different Kind of Beatles Podcast - Podcast Rankings and reviews

AKOM has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts, Beatles-related or otherwise! Phoebe and Daphne (and co) have awesome chemistry, and frequently make me lol. Like, actually laugh out loud. Their depth of knowledge is super impressive, with excellent sourcing practices, and they cover topics that are actually fun and interesting to ponder — no boring gear-head talk, no rhapsodizing about chart positions or album personnel. They offer insightful and nuanced takes on old Beatles narratives that were in desperate need of reexamination, and offer emotionally intelligent interpretations based on facts and evidence. Can’t get enough!

Two podcast hosts challenge the outdated Beatles narrative, backing up every theory they thoroughly outline with tons of objective data. And they do it with humor and highly entertaining wit. It blew my mind upon first listen! Those who still worship at the altar of Lewisohn will cry foul, but all true Beatles fans owe themselves a listen with an open mind. After viewing (hearing) the evidence through a more modern lens of emotional intelligence and empathy, the Beatles story makes SO MUCH more sense. This podcast is a mix of in-depth series and one-off episodes. I recommend starting with A Mistake in Many Ways (re-examining the Beatles divorce), continuing with Pizza and Fairytales (analyzing Paul and John’s relationship in the 70s), then Fine Tuning (appraisal of bias in Lewisohn’s Tune In), and then filling in with all the other episodes! Thank you for doing the hard work 🙏 absolute favorite Beatles podcast!

I really love AKOM and appreciate the fresh take on the Beatles’ mythology and dispelling some of the tired tropes about them (especially Paul) that have been repeated mindlessly for decades. The show is well researched to support their ideas, views and theories, some that seem so obvious now. They’re funny and lighthearted while being very respectful. I really enjoy this podcast and especially love having women speaking on the subject.

If you’re looking for a Beatles podcast which rehashes all of the old tropes, this isn’t for you. Phoebe and Daphne look at the Beatles, and John and Paul in particular, with a fresh perspective, focusing on the relationships in the band and band dynamics. I also love that they look at the Beatles as real people, and are willing to call them out for not-so-good stuff they’ve done, along with praising them when they deserve it. Some people think the podcast is anti-John, but I haven’t found that at all. Phoebe and Daphne just aren’t willing to perpetuate the “Paul is inferior to John” stance that so many people in Beatles world have taken for granted, and repeated without ever examining it.