1001 Album Complaints

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Joni Mitchell had hits, fame, and lots of famous friends when she decided to head out on a cross-country roadtrip and craft her jazziest album yet with a little help from Jaco Pastorious. The fellas discuss alterante tunings, triple tracking bass parts, and the long lonesome highway of a rock and roll lif...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Robbie Williams started his career in a manufactured boy band phenomenon, then left all that to try his hand at a solo career. The boys discuss the zero edge approach to modern pop music, buying songs from grieving fathers, and the worst of 1990s CD culture excess: the secret track. Join the comment threa...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Napalm Death had a vision for exactly what they wanted their band to sound like and after many personnel changes they manages to release their debut record and change the grindcore genre forever. The gents discuss blast beats, the wisdom of mastering, and writing lyrics after the album's completed. Join t...

Weezer's demo tape made it into David Geffen's hands and with a little help from MTV, they quickly became stars. The guys discuss falsetto harmonies, nerdy song topics, and emotional payoffs in the bridge. Join the comment thread NOW available on our free Patreon to continue the conversation about this episode and get early access to the weekly show 100% ad free, plus 60+ bonus shows like Song Bat...

The Monkees were brought together for a TV show about a band, then slowly morphed into a real band over the course of a few eventful years in the late 60s. The guys discuss folkies selling out, the Brill building songwriting industry, and carrying eggs just in case you see your least favorite artist on the street. Join the comment thread NOW available on our free Patreon to continue the conversati...

PJ Harvey spent 6 months living as an artist in New York City and decided that her next record had to take a different direction. The fellows discuss strumming guitars, ultra-realistic lyrics, and the spiritual connection to New York at rock pioneers The Velvet Underground. Join the comment thread NOW available on our free Patreon to continue the conversation about this episode and get early acces...

Lynyrd Skynyrd practiced for hours, weeks, months and years before finally getting a chance to record their debut album of southern rock anthems. The boys talk about rock and roll excess, sweaty practice spaces, and arrangements that keep long songs moving forward. Join the comment thread NOW available on our free Patreon to continue the conversation about this episode and get early access to the...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Motorhead was formed after Lemmy was fired from psych rock pioneers Hawkwind. They aimed to combine the energy and defiance of the MC5 with the early rock and roll spirit of Little Richard. This week the fellows discuss Lemmy's growl, title-first songwriting, and accident-prone drummers. Join our Mailing...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Ween set their hearts and spleens to being the brownest rock band on earth. And with The Mollusk, they made their undersea hallucinations a reality. The boys talk about deranged confidence, acid-tinged rock star humility, and the artistic history of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Join our Mailing List here: http...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. James Taylor was recovering from a horrific accident after a false start to his music career in London when he went in to record his sophomore effort Sweet Baby James. The team discuss the intersection of dad rock and blues music, the piano playing of Carole King, and D sus chords. Join our Mailing List h...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Deee-Lite arose from the 80s club scene in New York City as an eclectic and diverse DJ crew. Their debut album produced the mega hit Groove is in the Heart. The boys discuss hooky melodies, swirling and Ron Carter bass lines. Join our mailing list here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaints Email us your...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Doors formed their sound on stage night after night on the Sunset Strip, then headed into the studio for this fiery debut album. The guys discuss latin drum rhythms, sparse arrangements, and buying into your own hype as a front man. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumCompla...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Dusty Springfield remade her image from shy girl to soulful pop idol in 1960s England. The guys discuss Dusty's repertoire choices, how cover songs worked in the 60s, and the stylings of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Liste...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Jesus Christ Superstar started with a hit single and a followup concept album, before any stage show or film was considered. The boys talk about their Catholic upbringing, killer rhythm sections of the 60s, and rock and roll Jesus. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Marilyn Manson grew up in Florida playing dungeons and dragons and trying his hardest to get a reaction from his loving family. He got exactly what he wanted with the band / persona he created. The team get together and discuss 90s hard rock production techniques, open tunings, and the studio antics of Tr...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Duran Duran set their minds to take over the world with their music, and smartly leveraged their image (and MTV) to international success. The boys talk about killer bass playing, sequencers out of time with the band, and well crafted interlocking song arrangements. Email us your complaints (or questions...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Herbie Hancock had hits, a solo career, and the best possible jazz pedigree as a sideman but he still wanted more. His evolution led to the formation of the HeadHunters band and a deeper connection to the funk genre. The boys talk about drummers who keep it interesting, bass players who miss the chance to...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Guess Who started earlier than you think they did and came from a place that produces very few hit rock and roll bands. The guys discuss long outros, Canadian winters, and the rock and roll growl of Burton Cummings. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Li...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Tito Puente fused Latin rhythms with big band jazz arrangements and became an ambassador for Latin music throughout the world. The fellas discuss marimba solos, laying back on the piano, and starting your professional music career before puberty. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001A...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Outkast upended expectations for what a hip hop album could be and continued to defy the norms on their first self-produced album Stankonia. The fellas welcome a special guest from the VerseChorusVerse podcast and discuss "tornado" productions, sticking to a positive message, and the magic of self-editing...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Bon Jovi put the hours in on the Jersey Shore club scene before hitting the big time in the 1980s with their breakthrough album Slippery When Wet . The guys discuss Jon's golden retriever good looks, Ritchie's overused pinch harmonics, and the power of an entire stadium singing back at you. Email us your...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Mudhoney were the early success of the Seattle grunge scene but never quite hit mainstream success like their many local peers and former bandmates. The fellas discuss noise guitar solos, drummer Dan Peters' stint in Nirvana, and how punk it is to never ever have band practice. Special guest Conan Neutron...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Zutons came bursting out of the cosmic scouse scene of early 2000's Liverpool and were immediately hyped as the UK's next big thing. The team discuss scooby doo theme music, trusting in your material, and leaning into odd melodic choices. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001Album...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Killers came roaring out of Las Vegas desert with the flashing lights behind them. The boys discuss underbaked melodies, Bono's love for the SM58, and a the power of a kicking band to make even the dorkiest of singers confident. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sleater-Kinney pushed Riot Grrrl and the Olympia, Washington music to the masses with their breakout album Dig Me Out . The boys discuss excellent drumming, the "1st idea is best" aesthetic, and the dreaded goat vibrato. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com L...