

1001 Album Complaints
The Chop Unlimited
Musicians give irreverent takes on "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", delivered every Monday morning.
We do all the research, help you better understand why you love the things you love, plus introduce you to new music and musical ideas you should care about. Want to sound informed, intelligent, and funny when talking about music, even the records you don't like? Want to laugh while you learn more about music production and music history? Then welcome to your new favorite weekly podcast.
We do all the research, help you better understand why you love the things you love, plus introduce you to new music and musical ideas you should care about. Want to sound informed, intelligent, and funny when talking about music, even the records you don't like? Want to laugh while you learn more about music production and music history? Then welcome to your new favorite weekly podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 13, 2025 • 1h 46min
The Story Behind: The Cars - The Cars, Ep 230
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Cars had years to learn and perfect their pop rock craft before locking in a becoming just what America needed (I know), The team get together to discuss metronomic timing, Berklee shredders, and J Geils Band's Magic DickSupport Stay Puft and win an invite onto the show here: https://thechopunlimited.bandcamp.com/album/stay-puftJoin our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7I5ljymNdNa2Ni5mz9n95e?si=ed0506f321ef4a5dListen to The Cars here:https://open.spotify.com/album/4tJPWT4r4FSKwy784Qs1Fq?si=lkdUEfzjT8Kvr1ZrrQ6MbAIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Tom Waits - Nighthawks at the Diner

Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 29min
The Story Behind: Merle Haggard and The Strangers - I'm a Lonesome Fugitive
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Merle Haggard was in and out of prison several times before being discovered by Lefty Frizzell and launching a musical career based on the latest and greatest country music movement: the Bakersfield sound. The guys get together to discuss rumdums, second-story men, and bone orchards. Support Stay Puft and win an invite onto the show here: https://thechopunlimited.bandcamp.com/album/stay-puftJoin our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JHKBXk7Hzq8dJUvXMFH9o?si=d3b6821f2bc34135Listen to I'm a Lonesome Fugitive here:https://open.spotify.com/album/3sWVVl0RzliQSiN5OTRGlM?si=QiOMrwcgQlyj926zLoa4TwIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: The Cars - The Cars

Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 40min
The Story Behind: Blur - Parklife, Ep 228
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Blur were London's answer to the Madchester movement up north but grew into Brit-Pop force to be reckoned with (or competed against) in the charts after Parklife became a hit. The fellows welcome a very special first time guest and discuss bellends, geezers, and being knackered in the village green. Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4n6OkH0FE81aHvon71TjYp?si=2ff51a56eaf74219Listen to Parklife here:https://open.spotify.com/album/0YS25Dr3hMtMFlVTfuvzl4?si=rbbRyxUBQ7ONBmFT3sRMvgIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Merle Haggard - I'm A Lonesome Fugitive

Sep 22, 2025 • 1h 44min
The Story Behind: Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run, Ep 227
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Paul McCartney was feeling left behind by his ex-bandmates' solo careers and dealing with an ever-shifting roster of players in his new band when he decided to head for the tropics of Lagos, Nigeria to record his next album. Things only got wilder from there. The gang get together to talk about Linda's high notes, stringing different songs together, and how Fela Kuti felt about the first 60s pop star to come to his homeland.Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7rlpUQizjJZyepqslqfbTF?si=2f049010c1794e0fListen to Band on the Run here:https://open.spotify.com/album/257oomaawruFknt5wYCPDh?si=ef4FK2h0RVuww28WmEOZeQIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Blur - Parklife

Sep 15, 2025 • 1h 37min
The Story Behind: Sonic Youth - Evol, Ep 226
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Sonic Youth set out to reinvent rock music by merging avant garde art world ideas with noisy guitars. By doing so they set a template for indie bands that came after them. The guys welcome a special guest and talk about prepared instruments, car crashes, and Ferris Bueller.Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comSpecial Thanks to our guest complainer Dave Gebroe! Check out his amazing podcast Discograffiti here: https://podfollow.com/1592182331Listen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CXL8ruSrzqinhF1QKrKvD?si=c32f83902a62465dListen to Evol here:https://open.spotify.com/album/5Bf5U1Zw9gsJh6bWaM2VY2?si=OMR_KvjqQQmURuVdBupHEQIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run

Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 28min
The Story Behind: Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power, Ep. 225
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Pantera transitioned from a glam metal band into the sludgy groove pioneers we know them to be today and tried to scrub the record of their previous KISS-like excess. The guys get together to discuss Dimebag's precision, Phil Anselmo's growling, and how Rob Halford figures into the Pantera story.Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2mLo5AFIVJImBj0ObvLNgJ?si=3266456a08a44743Listen to Vulgar Display of Power here:https://open.spotify.com/album/7kW0cpKgSVsEqcc8xgbSb0?si=FB3lVFd9RsiTvjwVpK_h5AIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Sonic Youth - EVOL

Sep 1, 2025 • 1h 45min
The Story Behind: The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs, Ep 224
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Stephin Merritt set out to write a songbook's worth of material and record it in his bedroom in Manhattan with the help The Magnetic Fields. He never expected it would become an indie darling. The guys meet to discuss the final listener pick of the summer and touch on universal truth via zither. Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0VBonQ7tg7JsV91P5lV5fi?si=bab06d9d8ea74f6fListen to Soulla's single LP playlist here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ilJyK21fG50M0DWijaALB?si=c1c800d79ace4f23Listen to Rob's single LP playlist here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7CC0zOmKE0qcQ17sbEntoz?si=0db4cd95a6e44592Listen to 69 Love Songs here:https://open.spotify.com/album/2GuROKcqyHdpIDcgxml1C7?si=gJEuFcR4RiKWpIorJRKOpAIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 35min
The Story Behind: Television - Marquee Moon, Ep. 223
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. Television helped kick off the New York music scene of the 1970s by building the stage bands played on - literally. The guys get together live in Wilmington Delaware to discuss a complete lack of choruses, Jimi Hendrix's only guitar student, and Tom Verlaine's connection to the complainers' beloved home state.Join our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/25TzFB72txtXBMp2NdvTXl?si=c5e38d5d15de4c7bListen to Marquee Moon here:https://open.spotify.com/album/630o1rKTDsLeIPreOY1jqP?si=v6OuVf10Q6KSCcx2DxTqUQIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs

Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 56min
The Story Behind: The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, Ep. 222
Musicians recount the strange and unexpected story behind the making of your favorite albums. The Pogues were born out of the Irish diaspora in London and out of Shane McGowan's love of the downtrodden. The guys welcome a special (and very relevant) guest to discuss gritty vocals, the ulian pipes, and punk energy filtered through traditional music.Check out Stephen's record club here and reach out to him about joining up if you're in Australia: https://www.youtube.com/@shortcutsrecordsJoin our Mailing List here: https://linktr.ee/1001albumcomplaintsEmail us your complaints (or questions / comments) at 1001AlbumComplaints@gmail.comListen to our episode companion playlist (compilation of the songs we referenced on this episode) here:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Pf64NxZp1IjG3xQKB2Jvo?si=d7e11b6e462e4774Listen to Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash here:https://open.spotify.com/album/5uy9pvgfvVAlZnegK6fPLU?si=Z2bQ2TN4RIq-WrQO8141UgIntro music: When the Walls Fell by The Beverly CrushersOutro music: After the Afterlife by MEGAFollow our Spotify Playlist of music produced directly by us. Listen and complain at homeFollow us on instagram @thechopunlimited AND @1001AlbumComplaintsJoin us on Patreon to continue the conversation and access 40+ bonus shows!https://www.patreon.com/1001AlbumComplaintsWe have 1001 Merch! Support us by buying some.US Merch StoreUK Merch StoreNext week's album: Television - Marquee Moon

Aug 15, 2025 • 43min
BONUS: Song Battle: 90s 1 Hit Wonders - Ep. #1
On our Patreon-only bonus show Song Battle - we pick 16 songs to enter a bracket competition, write tweets about each one while telling a short backstory about how they were made, then vote on who should advance. This is episode 1 of 5 in total in the series. If you like this episode - listen to the entire series right now over on Patreon - it's free to join and it means a heck of a lot to us. Plus there's 40+ more bonus episodes available there including other Song Battle series, Guilty Pleasures, and Vanity Project where we complain about celebrities dabbling in music.https://www.patreon.com/c/1001AlbumComplaintsOur full 16 song bracket playlist for this Song Battle:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0PXHDS6yH8vwEcocDm7F9v?si=7122ca246f3e4470Episode companion playlist (all the songs we randomly mentioned across all 5 SB episodes)https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qtXvWCGujLns2QO4aXbZS?si=bdb1fd0c0d054594