Crack The Record
Do albums still matter in the playlist era? Ben and Nick think so.
On Crack The Record, they break apart classic and not-so-classic albums and build them into unique playlists by discussing what works and what doesn’t work with each tracklist. There’s song analysis, background context, petty disagreements, and mostly great music.
Hosts Ben and Nick have decades of experience in the music and entertainment industries. They’ve also been friends since middle school and spent thousands of hours discussing music. Most importantly for Crack The Record, they still care about albums and think that you should too.
Crack The Record
Latest Episodes
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life is 50 years old, so Ben and Nick are going to crack Stevie Wonder’s legendary album. What were the expectations for the record? How is an album with 130 contributors clearly the work of one artist? Isn’t who lovely? Whe...
2001
Ben and Nick decided that they didn’t want to crack a record, so instead they’ll discuss the music of 2001. Why aren’t they cracking an album? Are “xennials” and “zillennials” two different things? What are their favorite albums? Who would be i...
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
25 years ago, Jimmy Eat World broke into the rock mainstream with Bleed American and now Nick and Ben are cracking the record. What makes the creation of this album a great story? Can a really good song get lost in the wrong spot on a track lis...
Beck - Odelay
It’s the 30th anniversary of Beck’s landmark album Odelay, so Ben and Nick are cracking the record. Why did this album almost not happen? How did the Dust Brothers aid the creative process? What helps keep Odelay on greatest album lists? Where ...
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Nick and Ben are cracking the record that inspired the podcast - Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2006 double album Stadium Arcadium. Can too much good material dull the impact of the individual songs? Why is this album John Frusciante’s masterpiece? Who...