🎧 Episode 103 – Modern AOR, Prog Detours & Covers Gone Completely Sideways

Curtis and Jonathan return for Episode 103 with a mix that somehow bridges pristine modern AOR, adventurous progressive rock, and two cover songs that take very different creative risks.Curtis opens the episode with a sleek, emotionally driven track from Lionville, showcasing modern melodic songwriting with classic sensibilities. Jonathan follows by heading into more complex territory with a progressive-era selection from Spock’s Beard, full of shifting moods and ambitious arrangements.The category songs take a sharp turn into cover-song chaos. Curtis brings a wildly unexpected reinterpretation from Don Ho, applying an unmistakable style to a song that probably never asked for it. Jonathan counters with a vintage-flavored reimagining from Postmodern Jukebox, transforming a rock staple into something entirely different—stylish, clever, and debatably necessary.It’s an episode built on contrasts: polished vs. complex, sincere vs. ironic, and covers that force us to ask the eternal question—just because you can, should you?Curtis Gross is a self-employed video editor.Jonathan Workman is an adult learning consultant based in Wichita, KS.---Make sure you are subscribed to Why Is This So Hard For You. Type Why Is This So Hard For You in your podcast provider, hit that subscription button, and leave us a five-star review. This will make it easier for other podcast listeners to find the podcast.---The intro music is the first 30 seconds of the Ornette Coleman tune "Song X" fed into AI software that attempts to output the song to a solo piano transcription. The outro music is the first 30 seconds of Sonny Rollins' version of the tune "St. Thomas" fed into the same software.