1001 Album Complaints

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Neneh Cherry was born cool as the daughter of international musicians. The boys discuss 1980s drum programming, bad rhymes, and strange spoken word intros. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Loretta Lynn is a coal miner's daughter who writes about her life in a plain and occasionally shocking way. The team dives into professional songwriting inside the Nashville machine, how Loretta pushed the envelope throughout her career, and how 1960s mixing techniques affect our perception of this music....

The boys come together for a very special Christmas episode to share the songs that they truly love but make them feel "uncool" to listen to at the stoplight. We ceremoniously release each other of any guilt as nearly every song is (secretly?) great. Listen to our Guilty Pleasures playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0EUq9eJmuD892eop1biPYD?si=d95e715c74d74664 Email us your complaints (...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Elvis Costello and the Attractions come off the road and into the studio to record their second album with a batch of songs honed on the stage. The boys talk about killer bass breaks, varied vocal stylings, and how the echoes of another Liverpool band made their way onto the tape. Email us your complaints...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Elliot Smith was a Portland darling when he started recording his 3rd record Either/Or and rocketed to national stardom after a handful of these songs appeared in the movie "Good Will Hunting". The boys talk about the origins of the "sad bastard" genre, vocals doubled and then doubled again, plus how the...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Violent Femmes rolled out of their native Milwaukee like a freight train, conquering college radio for a couple decades to come. The crew discuss the benefits of simply constructed songs, the perennial marketability of teenage angst, and the recording studio swagger needed to "reinvent" rock and roll....

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Ice Cube's 3rd solo release comes in the wake of the 1992 LA riots and is lyrically topical at every turn. The boys discuss tips on how to sample the 1970s effectively, Cube's various forays into acting, and the origins of G-funk. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@g...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Madonna is already a hitmaker as she enters the studio to make her 4th album "Like a Prayer", but she's looking to expand her musical scope and win true artistic credentials for the first time. The boys discuss her collaboration with Prince, the use of modes in hit singles, and how a series of well-produc...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Touted as proto-prog rock, Spirit throws the sounds of the upcoming decade of the 70s into a blender on their album 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus . The boys talk about mixing genres, how age is just a number when you're a rock drummer, and the potential payoff of bringing a 300lb hammond organ to a show for...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. As the son of Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian political activist Fela, Femi Kuti has a lot to live up to. The boys discuss the wisdom of not changing chords, ways to get live energy on a studio recording, and the long legacy of Afrobeat on Western music. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Steve Earle dreamed of being like his idol Townes Van Zandt. The boys discuss cookie-cutter country production tropes, the 1980s as a nadir of country music popularity, and why very experienced songwriters sometimes miss their mark. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Velvet Underground cut their first record in a nearly condemned building with Andy Warhol peering over their shoulders. The boys have a contentious conversation about bad drum takes, out of tune guitars, and the visceral punch that a 2-chord song can pack. Email us your complaints (or questions / comm...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Iron Maiden kicks off a true heavy metal institution with their 1980 eponymous debut album. The boys talk about time signature changes creating tension and release, 70s prog rock's connection to 80s metal, and stacking up quadruple guitars. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumCo...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. ZZ Top, aka the little ol' band from Texas, head into a Memphis studio to record their 3rd album, unaware that chart-topping success is just around the corner. The boys discuss double guitar tracking, seamless song transitions, and public domain grooves. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments)...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. TLC were assembled as a female answer to BelBivDevoe, but with CrazySexyCool they far surpassed the comparison and entered the music industry record books. The team talks about the tasteful use of horns, the downstream effect of signing a bad contract, and the delicate bass production on "Waterfalls". Ema...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Count Basie conducted his world famous orchestra across 6 decades, and this 1958 release was one of his most commercially successful. The crew look to a more expert jazz opinion this week while getting into economical piano playing, large-band recording techniques in the 1950s, and the origins of the Kans...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Police went out on top as one of the biggest bands in the world, releasing their final album Synchronicity at the apex of their popularity. This week, the gang talks unlikely collaborations, dentist office soundtracks, and how smash hit singles influence the critical perception of an album. Email us y...

This week we have a special episode! The boys come together to "add back" 5 albums to the "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" list (Harry Belefonte's Calypso , Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia , Weird Al Dare to Be Stupid , The Meters Look-Ka Py Py , and Dr Dog's Easy Beat ) Everyone sounds off on a personal favorite that's been omitted and plays a couple representative tracks from the album whil...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Zombies called it quits 4 months before their 2nd album was even released. This week, the boys dig into identity theft in the pre-internet age, World War I (again), and just who holds the power in a band. Can a mix of pop, experimentation, and a second-hand mellotron re-animate this 60-year old album?...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The 9th studio album by Bee Gees is an examination of divorce, pivotal historic events, and money problems. Listen as the boys dig into a pre-disco Bee Gees album and discuss if Beatles-esque vocal harmony can save trite lyrics, and how much you can borrow from another song before it becomes outright thef...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Rock legend Iggy Pop's second solo album shows a blue collar hero coming into his own as a lyricist and songwriter. The boys dish up hot takes on indulgent song lengths and questionable romantic relationships, as well David Bowie's penchant for rehabilitating struggling musicians. Email us your complaints...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Fiona Apple's breakout album showcases a young artist with an old soul. The boys dig into the record and discuss high school crushes, tasteful production choices, and the Real Book. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen to our episode companion playlist...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Prodigy takes “Big Beat” to the States, freaking out squares but racking up record sales along the way. The crew explores the practice of sampling samples, ill-conceived royalty structures, and how manufactured angst was big business in the late 90s. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments)...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Beastie Boys revamp their image and are crowned hip hop innovators on their second release, Paul's Boutique . The boys discuss the title's origins as an inside joke, the history of sampling the Beatles, and what it's like to make your living in a cover band. Email us your complaints (or questions / co...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. MIA travels the world to record her 2nd studio album Kala . In this episode the boys discuss how sampling creatively moves art forward, how borrowing lazily undermines your message, and how club music has always made them feel old, even when they were young. Email us your complaints (or questions / commen...