The Stranded Soundtrack: 3rd Matinee – Meanwhile (1994)

Music is a huge part of my life. I've posted about favorite albums on the socials before, but now I'm giving it a proper home with this series called The Stranded Soundtrack. These are albums I'd want with me if I ever found myself stranded away from civilization on an island in the middle of the ocean or just stuck in traffic. These aren't necessarily "best of" lists or critical darlings. They're records that mean something to me, albums I never get tired of...music I'd need to stay sane while waiting for rescue. And depending on how many of these albums I have with me, rescue can wait. In these posts, I'll share a little background on each title, some favorite tracks, and why each album matters to me.

You have probably never heard of 3rd Matinee or their 1994 album, Meanwhile. This is what happens when two incredibly talented musicians find each other after their previous commitments are complete or simply fall apart. Patrick Leonard had just come off a project called Toy Matinee (another superb album), and Richard Page was post-Mr. Mister (mid-’80s #1’s “Broken Wings” and “Kyrie”). Both of these guys were established songwriters who had already worked together (they'd co-written Madonna's hit “I'll Remember”), so I was sure that when they formed 3rd Matinee, the result would be something worth hearing.

Patrick Leonard is, in my opinion, a musical genius. He produced some of Madonna's most iconic work (“Like a Prayer,” “Frozen”) and collaborated with artists including Roger Waters and Leonard Cohen.

I’ve been a fan of Page since Mr. Mister and have also enjoyed his solo work. The fact that he was born in Keokuk, Iowa, gives me a little hometown pride—we're both river town kids.

To me, Meanwhile is a great-sounding album that didn’t get the attention it deserved. Page’s voice has a timeless quality, and Leonard has almost always been more interested in songs than production trends, which is probably why Meanwhile still sounds fresh thirty years later. The collaboration between the two means there’s something to love about every track. A few of my favorites are "Freedom Road," "She Dreams," "Trust Somebody," and the title track "Meanwhile." But it’s "All The Way Home" that never fails to remind me why I still love this album that so many have never heard of.

Meanwhile has been in my collection for thirty years, and if I’m stranded in the middle of the ocean, it's earned its spot on the island. Give it a listen and let me know if it belongs in yours. You can find it on YouTube here.