And in this item, let's take a longer view and limit ourselves to items actually released in the 1990s. "Spin" magazine picked Nirvana's NEVERMIND for their album of the decade; what's your choice?48 responses total.
Hedningarna, KAKSI and TRA My personal favorite discovery of the decade was the electric folk music coming out of Scandinavia, and these two albums from the Swedish band Hedningarna were the best: I played them constantly, over years. Emmylou Harris, WRECKING BALL Gillian Welch, REVIVAL Emmylou's brilliant album with a great choice of songs, and contemporary production from Daniel Lanois. Gillian Welch created a masterfull illusion that she was from the 1940s backwoods, when actually she's from LA. She's an exceptional songwriter. Oyster Band, Deserters Oyster Band, Holy Bandits Oyster Band, Trawler British folk-rock band which was brilliant in the 1980's; in the 1990s these three pretty good albums launched them on a graceful downhill slide. The next three albums, alas, I can barely listen to. The Tansads, UP THE SHIRKERS To Hell With Burgundy, ONLY THE WORLD Two bright, chirpy English folk-pop bands. I've never heard the genre done better. Richard Thompson, RUMOR AND SIGH Thompson's 1991 mostly-rock album was his best since his divorce from Linda, and his contemporary ballad "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" seems destined to go into the folk canon. The Walkabouts, RAG & BONE / CATARACT Just barely a 1990s release. This Seattle band was staking out some of the territory which would become alt.country. Unfortunately they were signed to SubPop, and that label had lost interest in anything which couldn't be marketed as grunge. They lost their label, and then they lost their songwriting gifts; one of several casualties of the post-Nirvana grunge craze.
(( Music #56 <---> Winter Agora #223 ))
R.E.M. - Automatic for the people. A typical REM album, but one of their best. Melancholy rules on this retrospective album. Stipe on his best but not too pathetic. Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little pil. Like jumping the bandwagon. The first album as this was more pure than the second. Portishead - Dummy Again triphop music. I like these desolate soundscapes. it's a relict from my eighties post punk (goth) time. Tori Amos - Little earthquakes. Tori at her best. I could, in fact, mention any of her albums, but will stick to this one as it gives me the best feel. Nick Cave - Murder Ballads. I simply like Nick Cave. (btw, not live, he can be an utter a@@s when on stage). Crowded House - Woodface. great song structures, intelligent melodies.
Hmmm.... Earthling - David Bowie Bowie purists don't like this one, but I don't like almost anything else he's done, so we're even. Boys For Pele - Tori Amos I can see I'm gonna have to fight clees over the "best Tori album" thing. This one is after her songwriting's had a chance to get a bit deeper, but before she went all electronic. My Secret Life - Sonia Dada. These guys are my favorite recent discovery. A good rock/soul band from Chicago. This is their third album, when they finally got their act together and started writing good songs; the first two are okay, but nothing special. Bitter - Me'Shell Ndegeocello I read a review comparing this album to Joni Mitchell's "Blue," which makes a lot of sense. This is hip-hop and Joni Mitchell...uh....isn't, but still...
Exit Planet Dust - Chemical Brothers Kick ass electronica.
No, you don't have to fight me over Boys for Pele. I have got the album.
Hmmmm... this is a toughie. I'll go glance at my CD collection and report back on a few classics... Jello Biafra, "No More Cocoons": Spoken word from a former punker, very political, extremely funny. Nine Inch Nails, "The Fragile": OK, it only came out this year, but I'm gettinga lot out of it. Southern Culture on the Skids, "Ditch Diggin'": 2nd major release, and my long term favorite. Aimee Mann, "Whatever": I can't believe she doesn't get more recogition. This CD is on the short list if I'm ever in that unlikely desert-island-with CD-player situation. Tom Waits, "The Black Rider": Maybe I just need another year to really appreciate "Mule Variations", but this early 90's release is a big favorite. Primus, "Sailing the Seas of Cheese": The classic Primus album. The Crow, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: This is the one that spawned the whole "songs from and inspired by" craze in movies. Needless to say, the imitators aren't quite as good as the original. Danny Elfman, "Batman soundtrack": Not that pop album by The Artist We Still Refer to as Prince, but the original movie orchestral score. Massive, brooding, and wonderful computer programming music.
(I'm sure we could find earlier movie song compilations, but "The Crow" was the one that really made the genre)
Lists, lists, lists... Neutral Milk Hotel - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" Demented yet incredibly moving "folk-pop," complete with singing saw, zanzithophone, accordion, horns, and raw, powerful voicals. I almost always cry at some point while listening to this. Elvis Costello - "All This Useless Beauty" I think I'm the only person in the world who likes this album. The songwriting is brilliant and Elvis sings better than ever. Kristin Hersh - "Hips and Makers" Hersh leaves the Throwing Muses behind to record one of the best albums of her career, featuring oblique but beautiful songs, perfect sparse production, and of course Hersh's harrowing vocals. Robyn Hitchcock - "Eye" Hitchcock works through a broken relationship in his own distinctive way, with a naked honesty not seen elsewhere in his music, plus his usual dry humor and sinister surrealism. Olivia Tremor Control - "Dusk at Cubist Castle" Who said psychedelia was dead? Densely-layered pop with bemused lyrics floats along on a gentle wave of ambient sound. Warning: prolonged exposure may cause addiction. (Great live show, too!) Uh, that's enough for now, I think.
I second Kristen Hersh Hips & Makers: The guitar and cello, and voice come together in a way sensous raw, yet refined. This is the album I put on at 3 am when nothing else will do. Beck Mellow Gold: zany, funky polymath music Utah Phillip & Ani DiFranco The Past Didn't Go Anywhere: Utah Phillip's intelligent moving anarchist stories combine well with DiFranco's understated folk/hop production. Dee Lite World Clique: This 1990 album was influential on techno, acid jazz, trip hop etc, sometimes you just have to shake your booty. :-) Sonic Youth Goo: Yeah it's their first "sell out" album but I could listen to "Kool Thing" on repeat for hours. Bachir Attar The next Dream: Morrocan oboe like instruments in disonant massed wailing sounds with dumbeks & a guest appearence by Maceo Parker. Annabouboula Greek Fire:Greek club music with funky drums, clarinet, and violin. Thinking booty shakin' music.
Im partial to the two albums topped many of the decade-best lists REm's AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE and U2's "ACHTUNG BABY"
I suppose my favorite pop music discovery of the decade was Tori Amos,
although I hardly listen to her albums any more. ("Little Earthquakes"
best, and dropping off rapidly in chronological order from there.)
Favorite classical music composer discoveries of the decade: most
emphatically Michael Nyman and Michael Torke, whom I stumbled across
almost simultaneously in 1991/2, and have been listening to obsessively
ever since.
Hmm. "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars" by Guided by Voices is a big favorite of mine, though it's a bit of an acquired taste. Many of the songs are intentionally low-fi. (Often they were mastered on four-track equipment.) All of them are quite short. But there's some killer hooks in there.
re #13 Yep, another vote for Guided by Voices. I have bee Thousand, "I am a scientist" is the ultimate lo-fi geek rock song. :-)
re. #13 - 4-track doesn't necessarily equal lo-fi. "Sgt. Pepper's" was done on 4-track, I believe. I never got into GBV very much, but "Teenage FBI" is brilliant.
Depends on the four track. Cassette four-track *is* low-fi, by modern standards. I don't know what exact variety of equipment GbV's stuff was done on.
Liz Phair: "Exile in Guyville" Sarah McLachlan: "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" Cure: "Wish"
Re #9: You aren't the only person who likes Elvis Costello. I'd have shelves full of his stuff except that I play very little music with lyrics, so it's not a good deal for me.
I was referring just to that particular album ("All This Useless
Beauty"), I think. Deemed by many to be one of Elvis's low points,
but I highly disagree.
I can't say I thought much of "All This Useless Beauty" but then I haven't *really* liked any album he's put out since the mid-80s (IMHO he peaked in 1986 with two brilliant albums, "Blood & Chocolate" and "King of America")
(IMHO he peaked in 1978 with his second album, THIS YEAR'S MODEL)
In no particular order, Pearl Jam: Ten. The first album I ever listened to as a music fan. It hooked me the moment the guitars began blazing, and I haven't escaped since. There are so many wonderful layers and pieces to this album, and it gets better with age. Ironically, it sort of defies the alternative trends it helped to create, possessing far more creativity and mainstream sense than its successors. Tool: AEnima. The album that brings cerebral intensity to the somewhat testosterone-filled medium of heavy metal, and the blend is incredible. You can listen for the noise, of course, but the real treasure is in the textures and extra touches in this album. It features the brilliant "AEnema" (different spelling) as the climax to "Third Eye's" denoument. Music doesn't get better than this. Well, unless you prefer something a bit more mellow. If so, try REM's Automatic For the People. It spawned the requisite radio singles, but the best parts of the album are hidden for those who keep the cd playing. "Sweetness Follows" provides an excellent follow-up to the well-known "Everybody Hurts," and Nightswimming is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard. I'm more of a sucker for OK Computer, by Radiohead. There is little not to like about this album. Other than kicking the amps up a bit for "Electioneering" (a poor choice for a single), the album is haunting and mellow. I find little not to like, and Radiohead is capable of doing many great things before they're done. Their artistry is astounding. Special citations go to NIN:Broken, Radiohead:The Bends, Smashing Pumpkins:Siamese Dream, and Rage Against the Machine. Lots of quality for my cd players. There are two albums which really ran the table and uphended music in the decade, and I enjoy listening to both of them. They are Nirvana:Nevermind, and Alanis Morissette:Jagged Little Pill. Nevermind's afterglow is still obvious today, and it will go down as one of the monumental groundbreaking albums in rock history. Morissette had a slightly different effect. She 1. Laid the groundwork for hordes of female artists to get a foothold, a movement that would peak in such events as Lilith Fair, and 2. Ended the grunge age with a grunge song, "You Oughtta Know," and bridged into an ear-friendly pop- rock medium with the rest of her singles, all wildly successful. Post- Pill, there has been a clear delineation between cheese alternative and hard alternative, particularly on the radio.
I think you have your history a little skewed Senna. Alanis was the *culmination* of an industry search for female acts that began in the late 80s/early 90s. I would also suggest that Lillith Fair would have happened regardless of Alanis, as many of the LF artists were well on their way to success long before Alanis appeared on the scene. It is those other artists who laid the groundwork for her . . . .
Seems to me like both things happened: the better the Lillith musicians were doing, the more the industry looked for acts in that genre, and the more the industry looked, the better the musicians did. But I would agree that Alanis Morisette didn't lay the groundwork for anything. Try Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro.
Good show Steve. I simply overlooked Nirvana and Pearl Jam. And when we stay in guitar I should add Smashing Pumpkins too, but the album would be Gish.
Good point. After Alanis, though, female artists exploded. I'm not sure what the cause-effect relationship is, but I know that things have really improved recently. I neglected to mention Superunknown, by Soundgarden. My second rock album. Pretty much an example of a good band hitting their peak.
Alanis. Eh. I am suspect of people who sing about angst, pain, blah blah blah, but do not write their own songs.
re #27 Nice... Yes about the only angst rocker I have respect for is Kristen Hersh.
I'm suspect of people who sing of love, joy, and longing without writing their songs, too :)
IMO, Kristin Hersh is much more than an "angst rocker"... and as far as female 90's artists go, she and PJ Harvey could kick Morrissette's butt all over creation. :)
first -- a disclaimer.. I know I've probably forgottenn something utterly brillinant, perhaps the defining musical moment of the 90s (for me, anyway.) so I'm not going to claim that these are the best albums of the 90s, or even my favorite albums from that period, just that they're remarkable albums that I think deserve attention..
Eight Unforgettable Albums from the 1990s:
the Mekons -- "Curse of the Mekons" (1991)
Combining the best elements of rock and roll with their love of
traditional country and folk music, the Mekons (originally from Leeds,
England, now headquartered in Chicago, IL) hit their high point with
this album (and its pre-1990 predecessor "Rock 'n' Roll") Intelligent,
pointed songwriting, gorgeous vocals from Sally Timms, and an enjoyable
balance between straightforward rock guitar and more traditional
instrumentation (always a difficult mix to pull off properly, IMHO)
combine to make this one of my favorite albums, period.
My Bloody Valentine -- "Loveless" (1991)
A totally amazing sonic collage. Parts of this recording supposedly
consist of hundreds of overlaid guitar tracks and the claim is believable.
At any rate, Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" had nothing on MBV's Kevin
Shields. I'm not capable of explaining how an album that can best be
described as "multilayered guitar drone" can nevertheless be so intricately
and beautifully textured. Takes many, many listens to fully appreciate.
Yo La Tengo -- "Painless" (1993) and "Electr-o-Pura" (1995)
Brilliant pop music created by Yo La Tengo, Hoboken, NJ's most
prominent Velvet Underground worshippers (and my favorite band
of the 1990s.) Although they have yet to produce a perfect album,
these are two of their most consistent and I highly recommend either
of them.
Various Artists -- "The Soul of Black Peru" (1995)
The best thing to come out of ex-Talking-Head David Byrne's post-Heads
infatuation with the music of Latin America, this album showcases the
remarkable music of Peru's black ghettoes. Mixing Latin and African
influences, this is music that's really worth checking out. I'm really
not sure what else I can say about it without sinking into world-music
cliches, but this is a really, really, really good album..
Massive Attack -- "Protection" (1995) and "No Protection" (1996)
Although Portishead's "Dummy" was the album that brought England's
trip-hop scene widespread recognition in the States, Massive Attack's
"Protection" represents the pinnacle of the genre (in my opinion.)
Smoky female vocals combine with note-perfect production to remarkable
effect. Perhaps even more remarkable, the following year Massive Attack
and Mad Professor collaborated to produce "No Protection", a song-by-song
dub re-mix of the "Protection" album. In dub, an originally Jamaican
musical form, a studio wizard creates a new work of art by starting with
a musical recording and manipulating it in the studio, combining, editing,
playing with rhythm and tempos.. Mad Professor, usually not one of my
favorite dub masters, managed to re-work "Protection" into the best dub
album in twenty years, in the process producing a shining example of the
relationship between a dub creation and the original work that inspires it.
Various Artists -- "The Soul of Cape Verde" (1996)
Despite the similar name this album has no relation to the aforementioned
"Soul of Black Peru". Instead, this wonderful recording is a collection
of music from the Cape Verde islands, a former Portuguese colony off the
westernmost tip of Africa (off the coast of Senegal.) Mournful and
particularly lovely music.
Spiritualized -- "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" (1998)
A powerful statement about the price of substance abuse, this is
Jason Pierce's best work. Sincere songwriting, killer pop hooks,
just a great album.
the Magnetic Fields -- "69 Love Songs" (1999) Up until this fall my
"best of the 90's" list would have featured another Magnetic Fields
album, the country-themed "Charm of the Highway Strip", but when I
finally got my hands on this fall's massive (3 CDs, 69 songs) release
I was hooked within minutes. Leader Stephin Merritt's quirky songwriting
is the only unifying theme as the band covers every musical style you
can think of over the course of these 69 songs about love and hate.
The element that I truly didn't expect was the humor. Not above making
fun of himself or the whole grandiose project, Merritt has produced a
simply amazing work of pop music -- I can't think of anything else that's
even remotely similar.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical order):
Catherine Wheel -- Ferment
Shoegazer pop that's heavier than normal on the guitars, brilliantly
produced by Tim Friese-Greene (Talk Talk)
Donald Fagen -- "Kamakiriad"
Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker get back together on
Fagen's second solo album, a futuristic excursion through America
in a steam-powered car. Painstakingly produced and almost as good
as Steely Dan.
Mojave 3 -- "Ask Me Tomorrow"
After the band Slowdive dissolved, several of the members formed
Mojave 3. They traded in their electric guitars and studio electronics
for a more acoustic sound and recorded this very mellow album.
Nirvana -- MTV Unplugged
Recorded shortly before Kurt Cobain's suicide, this performance
features versions of several songs that are substantially superior
to the original album versions as well as a number of well-chosen
and unexpected covers.
Pet Shop Boys -- Very
I'm not really a big Pet Shop Boys fan, most of their music is too
sterile and club-oriented for me. And there are many who will be
put off by the fact that this album is just flamingly queer. But
it's filled with some of the best-crafted pop songs of the 90s and
absolutely deserves a listen even if you've convinced yourself you
"don't like that kind of music."
Ride -- "Carnival of Light"
British band Ride abandoned their shoegazer style and went back to
their roots, producing a remarkable homage to their favorite 60s acts
(most especially the Byrds) and pissing off 90% of their fans in the
process. Anyway, I loved this album because it celebrates many of
the things I love about 60s music.
The The -- Hanky Panky
What a bizarre concept for an album -- The The's Matt Johnson does
an entire album of Hank Williams (Sr.) covers. The thing that makes
this a great album is that these are *not* slavish re-recordings of
the songs the way Hank (and countless others) have recorded them,
but in several cases are stunning re-imaginings of classic songs,
casting them in a whole new light. High point of the album --
"I Saw the Light"
U2 -- "Zooropa"
After I spent 1986-1987 living in a college dorm during the period
when nobody seemed to be listening to ANYTHING except "The Joshua Tree"
and/or "The Unforgettable Fire", prospects seemed dim that I would ever
again be able to listen to a U2 album without developing a pronounced
facial tic. Who knew that in the mid-90s they'd team up with producer
Brian Eno to record an album that was completely unlike anything they'd
done before (and all the better for that..)?
Ok point taken Kristen Hersh is much more than an angst rocker, I know I have all her cds both Muses and post Muses. I also agree about PJ harvey though i think I lean more towards her early guitar distored cello efforts like Dry. i also have to agree My Bloody Valentine made some of the most intricate gorgeous music of the 90s.
To me, this item is the musical equivalent of the compiler discussion in Item 47. I'm sure you all know what each other is talking about.
Gee. Reading all these responses I must say that the average appreciation for non-mainstream music here outscales the Dutch by far. I have seen so many names that are prominently present in my collection I am awed. Maybe it's a Grex thing, but you certainly rock/kick more ass than the general Dutch does. As amatter fof act, what's considered underground is pretty main stream around here. Worthy of being mentioned: Kristin Hersch Throwing Muses the Breeders Ride Curve My bloody Valentine Massive Attack Tricky Radiohead Rage against the machine Moon 7 times Rose chronicles the Verve Fat boy slim Prodigy Ned's atomic dustbin Mighty mighty bosstones need I go on? (I have got a lot of cd's)
re. 33 - yeah, I like PJ Harvey's earlier stuff too. I liked it when she played guitar! I don't think she does anymore. I remember that MTV footage of her in a fuzzy pink dress belting out "Wang Dang Doodle" - wow! My Bloody Valentine are/were amazing. I wish I could have seen them live - I heard their noise freak-outs used to drive people screaming for the exits.
They're *such* a studio band I can't even imagine how different they'd sound live..
I've never heard of Moon 7 Times, but that's gotta be the best band name I've heard in ages. What're they like?
Moon 7 times are a bit dreamy. I often compared them to a mixture between Cocteau Twins and even more obscure stuff like Love is colder than death. In fact Moon 7 times is less icy than the Coteaus are. I think they are Canadian. Try getting to the albums 7=49 and Moon 7 times. My bloody valentine did that yes. The one concert I visited is still regarded as legandary as they drove out all the people (except for five or so, including me, although I had covered my ears by that time) from Amsterdam rock temple Paradiso by feedbacking for more than 15 minutes on one chord. As a given times it was like the music started to enevelop you entirely (at this point it started to hurt) coming from the front and the back walls at the same time. It was somekind of painful trip. Later I heard that some people even had thrown up as the result of this feedback. As for me, well, I started it off by saying "I can take it, I have heard this all before." (Jesus and Marychain, Pill, Bad religion and such stuff). That wasn't entirely true, as I found out.
How's your hearing?
Hmm.. best of the decade? I'm gonna have to go with a three way tie, Maria McKee's 'you gotta sin to get saved', 10,000 Maniacs 'Our time in Eden', and Grey Eye Glances 'Eventide' none of which I think I'll ever tire of playing over and over and... Also.. someone mentioned Moon 7 times, I saw m7x's singer, Lynn Canfield last year, a really good, but somewht strange show, compleat with a couple of birds as backup singers. I bought a boxed set of CDs from her various projects including m7x, pretty nice stuff.
Re MBV: I saw them live at St. Andrews. They did do the 15 minute feedback finale and it was impressive, as well as loud. Reminded me of the sensory overload at the end of 2001. As a musician, I damaged my hearing years ago, but I'm sure MBV contributed. I now take ear plugs to all concerts.
Always tend to forget that. Although my hearing still is fine enough, such concerts left a buzz ringing for a couple of days. That can't be good. But still I think I beat people that always got walkmans on or go to raves every weekend. Sonic overload has slipped my style some time ago. I have mellowed down a bit.
I just got Liz Phair's "Girlysound" CDs, from an Ebay auction. It's two CDs that she recorded in her bedroom, probably in 1990 or so. It's what got circulated to record people, and some of the songs are on her professionally done albums. But "Girlysound" was never released to the public. Except.... for dubbed copies! Yippity!! Now I can rock out to modern classics like "Black Market White Baby Dealer" and "Six Dick Pimp". :)
I don't buy enough CDs nor am I snobby enough to quote what best
craftsmanship the industry did in the 90's.
Frankly, I was bored most of the time.
Seal's self-titled 1992 album is pure gold to me-- it was good enough to
be featured on NPR and stuck the name "Trevor Horn" in my mind, the
ex-lead singer of the Buggles ("Video Killed The Radio Star") and famous
music producer. It's very, very smooth listening, and the songwriting
is decent. I can expect this from a UK artist-- sometimes production
can be fabulous.
Suzanne Vega's _Nine Objects of Desire_ was also featured on NPR, and I
was really impressed with her improvement in songwriting. The entire
work is also very, very good.
Although I don't rate this album as highly as the first two, I was very
impressed with Depeche Mode's album _Ultra_, especially as they've been
a favorite of mine. I had feared the band would break up, and yet this
album proves the 3 that were the core of the group still had the desire
and the magic there.
Hmm, most of the CDs I own are either very old or very obscure. I'm afriad I was too absent-minded to pay attention to much pop culture in the nineties. I seem to be a decade or two behind. But I'd second REM's "Automatic for the People" and Tori Amos' "Little Earthquakes," and perhaps add Sting's "The Soul Cages."
(I'm dying to see Carson's response to this item . . . )
Best album of the 90's Polvo-Today's Active Lifestyles; completely destroyed any notion of what "music" was for me. Honorable Mention: Yo La Tengo - I can hear the heart beating as one My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers Quasi - Featuring "birds" Shellac - At Action Park Weezer - S/T Jesus Lizard - Liar Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque GZA - Liquid Swords Storm and Stress - We write threnodies, we write with explosions Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (I know it was made 20 years ago, but it's the best record of any decade, as far as I'm concerned.) The Clean - Vehicle Kool Keith - Black Elvis/Lost in Space Um...every other good album came out in the 60's and 70's
You have several choices: