1001 Album Complaints

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Frank Sinatra shot to fame in the 1940s but his star was waning as the 1950s started off. Add a need to reinvent oneself artistically to a very public failing marriage and you get what might be the very first album as we now know it. The boys talk Celesta tones, 1930s songwriting, and singing at night. Em...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Siouxsie and the Banshees were early post-punk darlings who simultaneously invented and eschewed a new genre called goth rock. The boys gather together live in the room and discuss Robert Smith, spitting at punk shows, and their latest cover band ideas. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) a...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Fun Lovin' Criminals were working as bar backs when they got their earliest club gigs in New York. They sampled extensively and smashed together genres to become a major hit in the UK. The boys discuss hip hop lyricism, sampling workarounds, and one hit wonders of the 1990s. Email us your complaints (...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Adam and the Ants took the UK pop scene by storm, but then the entire band struck out on their own and frontman Adam had to start over. He searched for new players, writing partners, and an array of musical influences that led him to create Kings of the Wild Frontier . The fellas get together to talk abou...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. REM had just signed a their first major label contract when they headed into the studio to record their 6th album "Green". The fellas welcome a special guest from the @VerseChorusVerse music podcast and discuss whiny vocals, the history of college radio, and the curse of a successful first album Email us...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Specials sought to combine punk energy with traditional ska rhythms on their eponymous debut produced by Elvis Costello. The boys discuss the political landscape of late 70s UK, classic clapping patterns, and Egyptian scales. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gm...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Electric Prunes were early psych pioneers in 1960s LA but bad contracts and a lack of creative control thwarted their attempts to hit the big time. The team discuss tremolo, shouted vocal takes, and the Sesame Street recording catalog. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumCom...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Led Zeppelin were breaking huge and touring the world while recording the followup to their smash hit debut. The boys discuss (what else?) hard-panning, extended song breakdowns, and drunken tour antics. We are celebrating our 100th episode by taking things all the way back to the beginning. We kicked off...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Black Crowes were a throwback American rock band long before throwback American rock bands were cool. They had a huge hit with their debut record Shake Your Money Maker . The gents discuss open tunings, corporate tour sponsorship, and, of course, the Hammond organ. Email us your complaints (or questio...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Devo started as an art project in Akron, Ohio but garnered enough attention to have David Bowie consider producing their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! The boys welcome special guests and discuss robots, brown notes, and circuit-bending. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) a...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Tina Turner rose to stardom in the 60s before she fell on hard times and launched a comeback in her mid-forties with Private Dancer . The fellas discuss synth harmonica, prog saxophone, and embracing the cheese. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen to...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Pixies were ahead of their time when they released their debut album Surfer Rosa. The teams discuss stage names, questionable lead guitar , and spelling your band's name during the song. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen to our episode companion pla...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Beck got his start in the anti-folk scene of LA, then scored a huge hit with "Loser" before holing up with the Dust Brothers to make his follow up album Odelay . The team discuss sampling strategies, playing every instrument, and not caring what the world thinks. Email us your complaints (or questions / c...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Norah Jones grew up in Texas as the estranged daughter of the world's most famous sitar player Ravi Shankar before getting noticed by Blue Note and recording her smash hit debut Come Away with Me . The fellas discuss impeccable production, the concept of repertoire, and klezmer music. Email us your compla...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sam Cooke was already one of the biggest selling artists of the early 1960s when he took the stage at this small club in Miami. Unfortunately the recording was shelved for 20 years. The team discuss vocal control, audience participation, and arc of Sam Cooke's career. Email us your complaints (or question...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Love was the hippest band on the Sunset Strip in mid-1960s, and Forever Changes was their magnum opus of baroque psychedelic pop. The gents discuss the Wrecking Crew, poets as lead singers, and late 1960s paranoia. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Spiritualized rose from the ashes of Spaceman 3 in the early 90s and debuted to the world on Lazer Guided Melodies. The gents discuss white noise variations, mixing "spaciness", and the rules of songwriting. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.com Listen to our...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Red Hot Chili Peppers were ready for a change when they recruited Rick Rubin to produce their 5th album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The boys discuss Anthony Kiedis' gibberish lyrics, Frusicante's syncopated guitar parts, and Flea's legacy as a bass player. Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Mac Rebennack left New Orleans only to reunite with NOLA musicians in LA and create what would be his most successful persona Dr John. The boys discuss sonic textures, 9 finger piano playing, and the lures of the sacred swamp Email us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail....

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Guns and Roses were the hottest band to come out of the Sunset Strip scene of the 1980s, but Appetite for Destruction wasn't the instant hit you might think. The boys discuss drone notes in song intros, guitar solos in a different key, and the sleazy antics of an unhinged Hollywood rock and roll band. Ema...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Big Star were critical darlings from early 70s Memphis but struggled to find distribution or sell many of their meticulously-produced pop records. The team discuss harmonies sent through a leslie, the rise and fall of Ardent records, and how Alex Chilton makes $70 every time an episode of That 70s Show ai...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Earth, Wind & Fire were a band that cared about raising the spiritual consciousness of the people, and when Maurice White finally assembled his desired lineup, they went into the studio and made That's the Way of the World . The gents discuss kalimba playing, pocket bass heroes, and falsetto that coul...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Tori Amos was a piano prodigy discovered at age 5 and classically trained from there. She signed a 6 record deal and set out to conquer the world with solo debut "Little Earthquakes". The boys discuss acoustic piano dynamics, "lead singer" voice, and this record's connection to grunge. Email us your compl...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Rolling Stones were in a period of transition when they went into the studio to record their 8th record Let it Bleed . Founding member Brian Jones was on his way out, as were the 1960s and the Stones biggest UK rivals The Beatles. The team gets together in person and talks about drunken uncle porch mu...

Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Stereolab have their first critical breakthrough on 1996's Emperor Tomato Ketchup and the french avant-pop scene would never be the same. The boys discuss looping as a writing strategy, giving a pass to bad lyrics in other languages, and instrumental songs with ridiculous titles. Email us your complaints...