1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die was first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Edited by Robert Dimery, it contains a chronological list of albums chosen by a panel of music critics to be the most important, influential, and best in popular music between the 1950s and the 2000s. It was reissued in 2008 with a revised list, and again in 2011, 2013 and 2016. From first publication the list has been a topic of much debate, with some disagreement regarding albums left out or included; however, it is widely regarded as a very useful starting point for the main musical references of the late 20th century. As the 2005 book is the first and has the most impact, that is the list I've used here.
I'm working my way through the list, and also comparing it with other lists.
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| The Nineties |
Brought forward = 642
Albums marked $ are ones I agree with (so far = 155)
Albums marked ?? are being considered for adding (8)
Albums marked + are ones I have added to the list (so far = 65)
Albums marked @ are ones I am thinking of removing (-5)
Albums marked ?? are being considered for adding (8)
Albums marked + are ones I have added to the list (so far = 65)
Albums marked @ are ones I am thinking of removing (-5)
Albums marked XX are ones I have removed (so far = -97)
Total albums recommended =870
Total albums recommended =870
Albums marked RS are on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums
Albums marked MC are on Mojo's 100 Records That Changed The World
Albums marked C4 are on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums
Albums marked NM are on NARM The Definitive 200
Albums marked G50 are on The Guardian 50 Albums That Changed Music
Albums marked UC are on Uncut's 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked NME are on NME's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked Q are on Q's 100 Greatest Albums Ever (2006)
Albums marked MC are on Mojo's 100 Records That Changed The World
Albums marked C4 are on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Albums
Albums marked NM are on NARM The Definitive 200
Albums marked G50 are on The Guardian 50 Albums That Changed Music
Albums marked UC are on Uncut's 200 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked NME are on NME's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
Albums marked Q are on Q's 100 Greatest Albums Ever (2006)
$ Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual (RS) Alt-rock. Melodic, inventive, and always surprising. Score: 8 1/2
$ Sonic Youth – Goo Alt-rock Score: 8
$ Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches (C4) (ATT) Awesome. Bummed (1988) is also respected, but it is this album that really got the party started for the general public. Score: 8
$ Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches (C4) (ATT) Awesome. Bummed (1988) is also respected, but it is this album that really got the party started for the general public. Score: 8
+ Dwight Yoakam - If There Was A Way Yoakam made old style honky-tonk country music cool again. The relationship between rock, rockabilly, honky-tonk, and country had been strong in the 50s, had developed in the Sixties with bands like The Byrds, and blossomed in the early 70s with bands like CSN&Y and The Eagles, but had drifted in the late 70s, so there was a gulf in the Eighties. Yoakam brought everyone back together again - growing his audience with each album until by If There Was A Way, he had established himself such that he was no longer quirky and interesting, but was for a while a strutting and confident star, and created a welcoming mood for k. d. lang. Score: 7
+ Codeine - Frigid Stars LP There's a Zuma period Neil Young feel about this that is quite attractive. Codeine, who are one of the bands associated with early slowcore music - an American genre that emerged as shoe-gazing music was at its height in the UK, and there are similarities. The styles developed out of mid 80s indie music, a blend of American bands such as Sonic Youth/Hüsker Dü and British bands such as The Cure/The Banshees. Score: 7
$ Neil Young – Ragged Glory Neil "The Godfather of Grunge" Young returns to splendid form just as grunge emerges for real. This is a blistering album, with smoke and sparks coming out of Young's slow grungy guitar. It may not have the ideas, originality, art and depth of his Seventies albums, but it's close. Score: 6 1/2
$ Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas (ATT) Scintillating and beautiful, though a little goes a long way. Score: 6 1/2
$ Neil Young – Ragged Glory Neil "The Godfather of Grunge" Young returns to splendid form just as grunge emerges for real. This is a blistering album, with smoke and sparks coming out of Young's slow grungy guitar. It may not have the ideas, originality, art and depth of his Seventies albums, but it's close. Score: 6 1/2
$ Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas (ATT) Scintillating and beautiful, though a little goes a long way. Score: 6 1/2
+ Uncle Tupelo - No Depression Modern country-rock, termed alternative country (or alternative country-rock). This album is widely seen as hugely influential on the direction of alt-country. And it's damned good! Score: 6
+ Madonna - The Immaculate Collection Score: 6
$ A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels & the Paths of Rhythm [HH] East coast hip-hop. Alternative rap like The Fugees and jazz-rap like De La Soul. Inventive debut with some ear-catching and amusing tracks, such as the hit "Can I Kick It" with it's clever dancing around the bass line from Walk On The Wild Side, and the very playful and cheeky "Public Enemy". Score: 5 1/2
+ The Three Tenors - Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert Re-released in 1994 as The Three Tenors in Concert, this is the biggest selling classic music album of all time, and signifies the public respect and appreciation not just for the voices of these three men, but for their big characters. During the 70s and 80s they had dominated the opera scene, and had spilled out into the public arena. The songs are a mix of popular arias, American songbook classics, and pop songs. The performances are light rather than compelling. Score: 5 1/2
+ Inspiral Carpets - Life Debut album from popular Madchester band. Contains the excellent single "This Is How It Feels". Score: 5
+ The Brand New Heavies - The Brand New Heavies Acid jazz / funk. Score: 5
$ The Shamen – En-Tact Rock, dance and acid house. Score: 5
$ Mudhoney – Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge Alternative rock/grunge. Fairly simplistic pop focused hard rock. Pleasant, but not on the same level as Nirvana. Score: 4 1/2
$ MC Solaar - Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo [hh] French hip-hop in a jazz-rap style. A curiosity is all. Significant if you're French, but pointless to anyone else, especially if you don't understand French. Actually, the music has won me over, and then I translated the words, and I found this rather cool. Score: 4 1/2
+ Brand Nubian – One for All Alternative hip hop. Melodic and tight like Will Smith and De La Soul. Likeable. This, their debut, is widely considered their best. Not quite as catchy and poppy as Smith, not as inventive as Soul, nor as beautiful as P.M. Dawn, but still an attractive and interesting alternative to listening to aggressive, homophobic, misogynist, arrogant low brow swearing. Score: 4
$ Pearl Jam – Ten (RS) (NM) (Q) (ATT) Alt-rock / grunge. The band's debut album is widely considered their best. More straight hard rock than other grunge bands with rather predictable and boring guitar riffs, song structures, and vocal style. Surprisingly dated for a 1990's alt-rock/grunge band, but the band were hugely popular - it seems the public like their rock bands to be predictable and familiar. Score: 4
$ Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour Less obnoxious than Very. Score: 4
$ Digital Underground – Sex Packets [HH] Debut of funky West coast hip-hop group informed by Parliament/Funkadelic. The raps are inclined toward Eighties Old School like Sugar Hill Gang and Will Smith/Fresh Prince, so it sounds a little simplistic, but it works. This is modest, but attractive. Score: 4
$ Ice T – OG: Original Gangster [HH] West coast Hardcore/Gangsta rap hip-hop . This is hard edgy stuff. Difficult to take. Still pondering. Score: %
***
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| 1991 |
$ Nirvana – Nevermind (RS) (C4) (NM) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) A classic. This is grunge. First, last, and always. Score: 10
$ Primal Scream – Screamadelica (C4) (G50) (NME) (Q) (ATT) Astonishing album. The Rolling Stones meet the Happy Mondays. Score: 9 1/2
$ My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (RS) (NME) (ATT) Totally awesome. Yes, you do need to hear this! It's a landmark of the shoegazing and dreampop genres, and it was the album that brought down Creation Records due to the length and cost of its two year production. Score: 9
$ Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha "indie dance" Lovely. Has an instant appeal yet also has depth. A classic. Score: 8
+ P.M. Dawn - Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience [HH] Contains the dreamy single "Set Adrift On Memory's Bliss". Clearly influenced by (or on the same wavelength as) De La Soul, this is how all hip-hop should be. Imaginative, expansive, melodic, and very, very beautiful. Score: 7 1/2
$ Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (ATT) The Fannies pre-dated Oasis, and delivered better written and more interesting songs, but lacked the anthemic quality, the rootsy excitement, and a frontman like Noel Gallagher. Bandwagonesque is their best album, but after messing up with the follow up, Thirteen, the band lost their momentum, and slid out of sight as Oasis emerged to replace and eclipse them. Score: 7 1/2
+ P.M. Dawn - Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience [HH] Contains the dreamy single "Set Adrift On Memory's Bliss". Clearly influenced by (or on the same wavelength as) De La Soul, this is how all hip-hop should be. Imaginative, expansive, melodic, and very, very beautiful. Score: 7 1/2
$ Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (ATT) The Fannies pre-dated Oasis, and delivered better written and more interesting songs, but lacked the anthemic quality, the rootsy excitement, and a frontman like Noel Gallagher. Bandwagonesque is their best album, but after messing up with the follow up, Thirteen, the band lost their momentum, and slid out of sight as Oasis emerged to replace and eclipse them. Score: 7 1/2
+ Hole – Pretty On The Inside (1991) Recorded before Love met Cobain, and before Cobain recorded Nevermind, this is clearly the main influence on Nevermind. Stunning. Score: 7
+ Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine - 30 Something Great fun. Inventive, tongue in cheek, pop-punk power-pop. This is widely acknowledged as their best album. It's fun and enjoyable and full of ideas. Score: 7
$ The KLF – White Room The biggest selling singles act in the world at the start of the Nineties; they did a controversial performance at the 1992 Brits in which they fired blanks into the audience as their closing act before deleting their entire back catalogue. This is very melodic and commercial hip hop (the most popular form of music at the time) utilising acid house and trance, the two hippest and melodic forms of hip hop. Opinions are divided as to if this or the earlier Chill Out (1990) is the better album. Chill Out is an ambient house concept album so holds a quirky interest, but White Room contains the music they were known for. Tongue-in-cheek, popular, and with a cinematic sweep. Score: 6 1/2
$ The KLF – White Room The biggest selling singles act in the world at the start of the Nineties; they did a controversial performance at the 1992 Brits in which they fired blanks into the audience as their closing act before deleting their entire back catalogue. This is very melodic and commercial hip hop (the most popular form of music at the time) utilising acid house and trance, the two hippest and melodic forms of hip hop. Opinions are divided as to if this or the earlier Chill Out (1990) is the better album. Chill Out is an ambient house concept album so holds a quirky interest, but White Room contains the music they were known for. Tongue-in-cheek, popular, and with a cinematic sweep. Score: 6 1/2
+ Levellers - Levelling The Land A cross between The Waterboys and The Wonder Stuff, and never cutting edge, this was not a band to excite the critics, and with no hit singles (despite the popularity of "One Way"), they were never picked up by the general public. But they caught the spirit of optimism and independence and respect for the past that was around in the early 90s, and became particularly popular with crusties and the festival crowd. Their performance of "One Way" at Glastonbury is fairly typical. Score: 6
$ R.E.M. - Out Of Time (Q) (ATT) Contains "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People", two of the band's best songs. Score: 6
$ R.E.M. - Out Of Time (Q) (ATT) Contains "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People", two of the band's best songs. Score: 6
$ Metallica – Metallica [aka Black Album] (NM) (ATT) This is where hard core heavy metal meets pop music and produces something approaching serious music, and is hugely popular. Fascinating. I don't like heavy metal with the endless screeching lead guitars and the fake raspy vocals, but this has a compelling drive combined with excellent and well controlled (ie, not pointlessly flashy) musicianship. Score: 6
$ Julian Cope – Peggy Suicide Cope sounds at times like the Velvet Underground, Nick Cave, Syd Barrett, Neil Young, and sometimes he sounds very good, but on the whole he doesn't seem to have a voice or style of his own, and that holds back this album for me. Score: 6
$ Massive Attack – Blue Lines (RS) (C4) (G50) (Q) (ATT) Trip-hop Score: 5 1/2
$ Massive Attack – Blue Lines (RS) (C4) (G50) (Q) (ATT) Trip-hop Score: 5 1/2
$ U2 – Achtung Baby (RS) (NM) (Q) (ATT) Into the 90s with a more modern sound - harsher, more electric, less romantic, this is one of the band's most popular and acclaimed albums - a very commercial pop-rock that blends the band's puffed up 80s Romanticism with some of the sharper, dirtier, more realistic and expansive approaches of the 90s. As with other big 80s pop bands, such as Tears For Fears and Depeche Mode, U2 make a good transition into the 90s, and if heard in isolation they sound good, but don't quite match comparison with significant early 90s acts such as Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, The La's, Stone Roses, Pixies, Happy Mondays, Chilli Peppers, Primal Scream, etc. Score: 5
+ Omar - There's Nothing Like This Very tasty neo soul. Score: 5
+ EMF - Schubert Dip Power pop. Contains the excellent "Unbelievable". Score: 5
+ Sebadoh – III Quirky lo-fi indie / alternative rock with interesting and attractive aspects. Hesitant, but with decent songs. Score: 5
$ Slint – Spiderland Interesting early Nineties style alternative rock. Score: 5
+ EMF - Schubert Dip Power pop. Contains the excellent "Unbelievable". Score: 5
+ Sebadoh – III Quirky lo-fi indie / alternative rock with interesting and attractive aspects. Hesitant, but with decent songs. Score: 5
$ Slint – Spiderland Interesting early Nineties style alternative rock. Score: 5
+ Talk Talk – Laughing Stock Talk Talk started as a synth-pop band, then developed into a more interesting ambient-jazz-rock band, though they carried with them some of the synth-pop approach and feel. This album, along with the earlier Spirit of Eden (1989), is widely regarded as either a forerunner of post-rock or the very first post-rock album. Score: 4 1/2
$ Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill [HH] Hip-hop. I like "Insane In The Brain", so I'll keep this around a while and think about it some more, but I'm inclined to remove it from the list. Score: 4 1/2
$ Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik (RS) (C4) (NM) (ATT) Funk metal. Contains the excellent "Under The Bridge". This is the band's most acclaimed album. My preference is for By The Way (2002). Score: 4 1/2
$ Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik (RS) (C4) (NM) (ATT) Funk metal. Contains the excellent "Under The Bridge". This is the band's most acclaimed album. My preference is for By The Way (2002). Score: 4 1/2
***
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| 1992 |
+ Manic Street Preachers - Generation Terrorists (ATT) The band's debut. A breathless blast of glam rock and punk. Great fun, with scorching melodies and some sharp lyrics. Was applauded by critics at the time, but the enthusiasm was somewhat held in check because of the band's Jimmy Rabbite (manager of The Commitments) style of hype, poor production, excessive length which let in some weaker songs, and a unfair comparison with The Clash. Assessment has been more positive as time has gone by, though critics still tend to favour Everything Must Go. Score: 8
$ PJ Harvey – Dry (ATT) This made an impact at the time, especially with critics and musos, but Harvey didn't break big, and while there remains interest in her, and some continuing respect for her, this remains her most significant album. Worth listening to. Score: 7 1/2
+ Shakespears Sister - Hormonally Yours Atmospheric and interesting. This is a project by Siobhan Fahey, one of the founders of Bananarama. Notable that Bananarama became quite bland after she left - indicative that she was the one behind the more interesting and edgy elements of their early songs. Score: 7 1/2
+ Ride – Going Blank Again Score: 7
+ Ride – Going Blank Again Score: 7
$ Sonic Youth – Dirty Alt-rock The band's follow up to Goo is almost as good. Score: 7
+ L7 - Bricks Are Heavy Heavy riffing yet poppy rock (often associated with grunge as grunge was then the big marketing thing) from an all-female band (again, good for marketing - but not for gender politics: we won't have parity until nobody feels they have to point out the gender of musicians ). This has elements of fuzzy hard rock (not quite heavy metal, but heading firmly in that direction) and the attack and pop harmonies of BritPop. Great songs. Great attitude. The hit single "Pretend We're Dead" is brilliant pop-rock. Score: 7
$ Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted (RS) (ATT) There's a Velvets feel about this. One of the big indie bands of the 90s. Score: 6 1/2
$ Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted (RS) (ATT) There's a Velvets feel about this. One of the big indie bands of the 90s. Score: 6 1/2
$ Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies (ATT) Dream pop / shoegazing. Debut album. Though Ladies & Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space (1997) is the more highly regarded album, this is nevertheless a beautiful album of shimmering melodies guided by light. Score: 6
$ R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (RS) (C4) (NM) (Q) (ATT) Widely regarded along with their debut Murmur as their best material. This came out at their commercial height, and is the band's most famous album. Contains what I feel is the band's best song, "Everybody Hurts". Score: 6
$ Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (RS) (Q) (ATT) [hh] The band combine the mindlessness riffing of heavy metal with the simple repetitive beats of hip-hop. Popular amongst young American males. This album is regarded as the first to successfully blend metal and hip-hop, as a precursor of the nu metal scene, and is seen as their best. It contains their signature song "Killing In The Name", which is famous for the ending which has the singer repeatedly screaming "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me." The band are fiery and tight, and compensate somewhat for some dreadful lyrics, but perhaps don't completely overcome them.... It's taken a while, but I have come around to accepting this album. I am also pondering The Battle of Los Angeles (1999) (RS) which is a more tightly focused album, though it didn't have the impact of Rage. Score: 5 1/2
+ ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits (ATT) Very popular pop band who did some well crafted songs. Not really an albums band, so this tight selection of their biggest hits (rather than the 2 CD Collection, which contains too much filler) seems appropriate, and is used to replace both Arrival (1976) and Visitors (1981) Score: 5
$ Koffi Olomidé – Haut de Gamme: Koweït, Rive Gauche This guy has a violent temper, and has three times been taken to court for assault, including the notorious case in which he was filmed kicking one of his dancers at Kenya airport. The video went viral, his concerts were cancelled, he was deported, and promptly arrested and sentenced to prison on arriving back in his home country of Congo. After reading that, I wasn't expecting to like his music, but it is pleasant and melodic, in that attractive Bantu or sub-Saharan style that was popular in the early 80s, especially after Paul Simon's Graceland. I don't know much about African music, but I tend to like what I hear. Score: 5
$ Stereo MCs – Connected Laid back dance / techno. OK. The best track is the lead single "Connected", but the rest follows along in the same vibe, if not quite as sharp. Score: 5
$ Baaba Maal – Lam Toro African (Senegalese) singer. Worth listening to. There isn't one stand out album - different people have their favourites. This is as good as any other, gives a good idea of what he is about, and was his first breakthrough in the West. Albums prior to this are more folky and African. Albums after this are more electronic and melodic. Score: 5
$ The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray Slow, reflective power pop with a heavy dose of Sixties music, especially The Byrds. Light, fun, and enjoyable, though perhaps a tad too nostalgic. Their best moment was the breezy feel good speeded up cover of "Mrs Robinson" - it seemed to typify the mood of the time, when bands were recreating the atmosphere of the Sixties, but in a very modern and forward looking manner. This was the perfect match between the now and the past. Score: 4 1/2
$ Baaba Maal – Lam Toro African (Senegalese) singer. Worth listening to. There isn't one stand out album - different people have their favourites. This is as good as any other, gives a good idea of what he is about, and was his first breakthrough in the West. Albums prior to this are more folky and African. Albums after this are more electronic and melodic. Score: 5
$ The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray Slow, reflective power pop with a heavy dose of Sixties music, especially The Byrds. Light, fun, and enjoyable, though perhaps a tad too nostalgic. Their best moment was the breezy feel good speeded up cover of "Mrs Robinson" - it seemed to typify the mood of the time, when bands were recreating the atmosphere of the Sixties, but in a very modern and forward looking manner. This was the perfect match between the now and the past. Score: 4 1/2
+ Youssou N'Dour – 7 Seconds, The Best of Youssou N'Dour Score: 4
$ Tom Waits – Bone Machine (ATT) Score: 4
+ Vince Gill - I Still Believe In You (ATT) Likeable smooth soulful country. Quite forgettable, but attractive enough when its playing. Score: 3 1/2
+ Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come On Come On Soft country. Perhaps a little bland and wishy washy. Score: 3
+ Curve - Doppelganger A bit like Sneaker Pimps, but not as good. Score: 3
$ Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes (ATT) It's likeable, but I'm not getting anything essential, and it sounds way too much like Kate Bush, with a dribble of Joni Mitchell. Only really worth listening to if you want to join in the debate regarding just how much she is copying Kate Bush compared to just being influenced by her or if the similarity is just a coincidence. According to Amos herself, she was not aware of Kate Bush at all until someone pointed out the similarity, and she feels that people who point out the similarity are being sexist. Phew! Score: 3
$ Morrissey – Your Arsenal (ATT) Thanks to Mick Ronson's glam rock production this is a bright, breezy and attractive album. But Morrissey doesn't seem really to have developed either his voice or his songwriting ability on from what he was doing with The Smiths. I don't think I'll be selecting this as a representative Morrissey album. But I might. Score: 3
$ Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Henry’s Dream, by… Score: %
$ Dr. Dre – The Chronic (RS) (NM) (ATT) [HH] Dr. Dre was part of the groundbreaking West coast N.W.A. who developed gangsta rap, and here as a solo artist he creates G-Funk, which was influential on hip-hop during the Nineties. Score: %
$ The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II [HH] Alternative hip-hop in the style of De La Soul. Not as important, but likeable. Score: %
$ Ice Cube – Predator [HH] Hardcore West coast gangsta rap hip-hop. This is full of tension and very focussed. Score: %
$ Ice Cube – Predator [HH] Hardcore West coast gangsta rap hip-hop. This is full of tension and very focussed. Score: %
***
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| 1993 |
$ Suede – Suede (NME) (ATT) I got caught early on in the excitement of the emergence of Suede, and looked forward to each release of their first singles with increasing anticipation. When this debut album arrived I was disappointed that the best songs on the album were the previously released singles, and that the new material didn't quite match the power of the b-sides which had been omitted, so I didn't quite share in the general adulation at the time, though it's an audacious and beautiful debut album, and away from the emotion of the time, this is still a great album to listen to. Score: 9 1/2
$ Portishead – Dummy (RS) (Q) (ATT) Pioneering trip-hop. Beautiful, fragile, shimmering, emotional, fascinating, exciting, stunning. Score: 9
+ The Breeders - Last Splash The critics like Pod, while the public prefer this. I think I'm with the public. Score: 8
+ Slowdive - Souvlaki Beautiful example of dream pop / shoegazing Score: 7 1/2
+ Slowdive - Souvlaki Beautiful example of dream pop / shoegazing Score: 7 1/2
+ Frank Black - Frank Black Tight, playful, varied, intelligent and knowledgeable, fascinating and hugely enjoyable. The Pixies main man breaks out his solo career in fine style. Sadly after this and the double album follow up, things went a bit downhill, and he reformed The Pixies. At times this album sounds a little too close to The Pixies, but when he ventures into more melodic and pop focused territory, the album really shines. Score 7
$ Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (RS) (ATT) There's something pleasantly Velvet Underground about Pavement, something a bit Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel and other sixties icons, along with a grunge / indie rock sound that made them immediately appealable to a young early 90s audience. They are America's version of Britpop. All that, and they are damn good. This and Slanted & Enchanted are their best albums, and there's not a lot between the two. Both are hot albums. Score: 6 1/2
+ Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See Musical and interesting. Score: 6
$ Björk –Debut (C4) (ATT) Bjork is quite idiosyncratic. Her music is beautiful but quite distinct and potentially challenging. I should imagine that those who don't get into her music, would still appreciate the beauty of it, and recognise that it is worthwhile, but not everyone would fully embrace and totally enjoy it. This was her first solo work, and made the biggest impression. It sets out her style, which has not really changed that much over her career - she has continued to make interesting and attractive albums in a ethereal Cocteau Twins meets Kate Bush, Tangerine Dream and the Sugarcubes style. Score: 6 1/2
$ Grant Lee Buffalo – Fuzzy I had dropped this from the list. But I'm rethinking.... Also consider Mighty Joe Moon (1994). The Waterboys comes to mind as soon as the album opens. Attractive and interesting. Indie rock in a folk-rock stylie. Score: 5 1/2
$ The Fall – Infotainment Scan Interesting and entertaining. Score: 5 1/2
$ Morrissey – Vauxhall & I (Q) This is likely the one to keep. Score: 5
+ The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (ATT) Score: 5
+ The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (ATT) Score: 5
$ Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (ATT) Cross between Avril Lavigne and Hole. Not quite getting it, but it's interesting enough to hold my attention. Phair claimed the song structure is patterned on Exile On Main Street - that might be bullshit, but it caught my curiosity. Score: 5
+ James - Laid (ATT) A band typical of the underground Indie bands of the 80s which captured the zeitgeist of the early 90s and the Madchester scene with their hits "Sit Down" and "Born of Frustration". This Brian Eno produced album is widely considered to be their best, and is representative of British Indie pop. Score: 4
$ William Orbit – Strange Cargo: III This guy later worked with Beth Orton and Madonna developing the folktronica sound with both of them. And there are elements of that in this otherwise electronica album. Modest, but interesting stuff. Score: 3 1/2
$ The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (RS) (Q) Score: 3
$ The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (RS) (Q) Score: 3
$ Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (RS) (ATT) [HH] Pretty hard-going, but the group are claimed to be pretty important in hip-hop. Gee. I'll have to come back to this, it's not fun stuff to listen to..... Score: %
$ Jeru the Damaja – Sun Rises in the East [HH] Hip-hop Score: %
$ Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (ATT) [HH] Hip-hop Score: %
$ Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (ATT) [HH] Hip-hop Score: %
***
 |
| 1994 |
$ Pulp – Different Class (C4) (NME) (Q) (ATT) The greatest "overnight success" in the history of pop was when the hard working Pulp who had been around since the early Eighties and released five albums, had a sudden unexpected huge success with "Common People", and were then used by Micheal Eavis as the headline act at Glastonbury when Stone Roses pulled out at the last minute. Jarvis Cocker's confident and sublime performance, making best use of the opportunity gifted him, was broadcast live into people's homes by Channel Four, and made him something of a super star. Pulp were an intelligent pop-rock/indie-pop band taking ideas and loose inspiration from glam rock, disco, and other sources to craft attractive non-heroic songs around everyday lives and everyday people. They became suddenly very popular during the height of the Britpop movement, and so are regarded as one of the top bands of that period. Exceptional album. Score: 10
$ Oasis – Definitely Maybe (MC) (C4) (NME) (Q) (ATT) The debut album contains the songs that propelled them into stardom - awesome songs of noise, power, beauty and swagger like "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Live Forever", "Cigarettes and Alcohol", "Slide Away", "Supersonic", etc. The follow up album was not quite so intense, as it was spread over four sides, and more considered and ballad focused, but contained some of the band's most iconic and successful songs. It was not more of the same - it was a different album that is equally as good, in similar but different ways. The band were not original, they were not even very good, the playing is fairly ordinary, often plodding and murky, and the tunes are often a little too close for comfort to their influences. Oasis are not The Stone Roses, are not Pulp, and not Suede, are not Blur, but by fuck they were good in ways those others could never dream. They had attitude, swagger, and in Liam a front man as sexy and compelling as Jim Morrison. And they wrote anthemic lads songs that girls also loved. They were, for a few blistering years in the Nineties, the world's biggest and best band. Score: 10
$ Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York (RS) (Q) (ATT) Simply awesome. The cover of Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" is breath-taking. And the generosity to a lesser artist, the Meat Puppets, is impressive. Score: 10
+ Beck - Stereopathetic Soulmanure (Feb 1994) There's a bit of grunge and angst in here alongside the country and the Zappa and the Beefheart and the hip-hop and the Sonic Youth and the Tom Waits. Bloody fascinating. This man throws everything in. He has no fear. And he has the talent and the intelligence to keep it all together and keep it totally compelling. Score: 8
$ Suede – Dog Man Star (NME) (ATT) This is the hugely anticipated Suede second album, and, as with the debut, on release I was disappointed. Clearly rather Bowie influenced (and sometimes copies Bowie a little too closely), and rather over-blown - leaving behind much of the sharpness and audacity of the early singles, it is still a very rich, bold, and enjoyable album. Very glam, yet also highly serious. Away from the emotions of the time, I can appreciate it rather more these days. However, the best work of the band was done in those stunning first three singles in 1992. Score: 7
+ Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman (ATT) Techno Underworld was an Eighties synthpop band who split up after two indifferent and unsuccessful albums. Two of the members, Hyde and Smith, teamed up with DJ Darren Emerson in the early 90s to create fluid dance and techno based music which would incorporate whatever musical ideas took their fancy, with meaningless lyrics they used merely as sound, and which could be swapped from one track to another as just another competent in the finished sound. What they created was something original, though they were only really successful with two albums, Dubnobass, the debut album of Underworld Mark II, and the better known follow up, Second Toughest. Their later albums are attractive and interesting enough, but not on the same level as Dub and Second. Score: 7
+ Terrorvision - How To Win Friends And Influence People Power Pop at its best. Energetic and tongue in cheek. Big power riffs in a driving, bouncy, fast yet highly melodic and anthemic style. "Alice What's The Matter", which opens the album, was a hugely engaging single, and that's swiftly followed by "Oblivion" - truly pop, truly power riffs, truly gleeful! The Monkies on cocaine! This emerged during Britpop, yet has affinities with Nu-Metal, though less metal, more pop. Score: 7
$ Radiohead – The Bends (RS) (C4) (G50) (Q) (ATT) The band's second album has been appreciated more than the first. It is quite melodic, in a stadium anthemic rock way, with Yorke's angsty voice and Greenwood's slashing guitar. A key track for me is "My Iron Lung", which, though written about how much "Creep" had made the band successful, but had - they felt - trapped them by its very success, which they were struggling creatively to repeat (even now, 25 years later, they've never had the same success with any other song), is ironically written in the style of "Creep" with a quiet, gently plucked song suddenly attacked by aggressive guitar chords. There appear to be influences from Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted (1992). Decent album, though perhaps somewhat over acclaimed - we are likely to see the acclaim settle down over the years, as it did for Sgt Peppers (1967) and Pet Sounds (1966). Score: 6
$ Radiohead – The Bends (RS) (C4) (G50) (Q) (ATT) The band's second album has been appreciated more than the first. It is quite melodic, in a stadium anthemic rock way, with Yorke's angsty voice and Greenwood's slashing guitar. A key track for me is "My Iron Lung", which, though written about how much "Creep" had made the band successful, but had - they felt - trapped them by its very success, which they were struggling creatively to repeat (even now, 25 years later, they've never had the same success with any other song), is ironically written in the style of "Creep" with a quiet, gently plucked song suddenly attacked by aggressive guitar chords. There appear to be influences from Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted (1992). Decent album, though perhaps somewhat over acclaimed - we are likely to see the acclaim settle down over the years, as it did for Sgt Peppers (1967) and Pet Sounds (1966). Score: 6
$ Frank Black – Teenager of the Year Second solo album from The Pixies founder and leader. A sprawling, varied, yet always infectious and interesting double album with its mix of melody and hard, at times spiky, rock. Score: 6
$ Supergrass – I Should Coco Cool. Score: 6
$ Weezer - The Blue Album (RS) Emerging in the post-grunge era, and with those influences heavy on their sleeve, Weezer also had the (albeit being American) Britpop sensibilities of Sixties British pop, so had the feel of Nineties power pop - Teenage Fan Club and Oasis spring to mind. That combination of grunge and power pop sat uncomfortably with critics initially, but they are now embraced into the fold. "Buddy Holly" was a big hit and is representative of their sound. Score: 5 1/2
$ Orbital – Snivilisation Score: 5
$ Sebadoh – Bakesale By this date the band have found themselves and moved away from poorly recorded low-fi to professional production so they sound good. A lot of the original energy and ideas have gone, so the band sound more like a wannabe Pavement, than anything genuinely unique, but this is cool. Score: 4 1/2
$ G. Love & Special Sauce - G. Love & Special Sauce [hh] There's a feel of Fun Lovin Criminals about this. There's a similar blend of hip-hop, rock, funk, and blues. This came earlier. But there's also a feel of Beck, who was a contemporary. It's interesting. Not on the same level as Beck, Eels, and the Criminals, but pointing in their direction two years earlier. Score: 4 1/2
$ Massive Attack – Protection (ATT) I like this, particularly the title track. But I question if we need both this album and Blue Lines. Score: 4
$ Green Day – Dookie (RS) (MC) (NM) (ATT) Green Day are pure power-pop, though are usually classed as punk or pop-punk. This is more The Jam (and through them, The Who) than The Sex Pistols. Interesting as part of that continuum, and interesting to see that audiences return anew to that maximum R&B sound, and that the 90s, same as the 70s, brought about a new interest in energetic yet melodic RnB. For me, this band is lesser than their influences. I find them fairly limited, and lacking in ideas and imagination. The album contains "Basket Case", their best known and most popular song. They followed their obvious influences The Who, and in 2004 made a "rock opera" (the band termed it a "punk rock opera") - American Idiot. Dookie is the more successful, appealing, and representative album, though a healthy number of Green Day fans regard American Idiot as the band's more significant release, and it is a decently developed and interesting album, somewhat more accomplished and varied than Dookie, but less catchy. Score: 4
$ Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters (ATT) This is an attempt by Nirvana's drummer, Grohl, to keep the Nirvana sound going. It is a long way from the beauty, power, and anguish of Nirvana, and while it copies Nirvana and grunge in general, it is more like mainstream hard rock, with grunge elements married to pop melodies - it sort of sits between grunge and alt rock. It's decently done, and the band were (are) popular, but there's a distinct lack of originality as well as substance in this. Grohl plays all the instruments. "This Is A Call", the opening track, is the peak of the band's achievements - Grohl never bettered the pop-Nirvana joyous thrash of that track. Score: 4
$ Jeff Buckley – Grace (RS) (MC) (C4) (Q) (ATT) Only album of Tim Buckley's son. It's a mixed bag. Suggestions of Radiohead about it. Critics like it. Score: 4
$ The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (RS) (NM) (ATT) Overblown album from an "indie by numbers" band who were commercially successful and rather over-rated. Not sure if any indie bands were genuinely influenced by them seeing as they just took a bit of this and a bit of that and appeared to do nothing original. Score: 4
$ D’Angelo – Brown Sugar Neo Soul - building on what artists like Terence Trent D'Arby had done, and preparing the way for Lauryn Hill. This is his debut - most critics and fans prefer his later albums, either Voodoo (2000) or Black Messiah (2014). Score: 3 1/2
$ Mary J. Blige - My Life (RS) [HH] A popular and critically acclaimed hip-hop artist. This is generally considered her best album. Generally considered important in that she is a female hip hop singer. More significant is that when Puff Daddy produced her debut What's the 411? (1992) he blended modern R&B, and hip hop and so created "hip hop soul", which is more fully developed on this album. Score: 3 1/2
+ Hootie & the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View Simple rootsy singalong rock. This proved very popular with American audiences. Score: 3 1/2
+ Guided by Voices – Bee Thousand Indie rock with elements of R.E.M., Velvet Underground and The Byrds. Quirky, but feels a little lost and misplaced, consisting of undeveloped ideas cheaply recorded (lo-fi). I suspect that is the idea, but perhaps they are over-thinking it, and putting the idea before the music. Alien Lanes (1995) was a slightly more developed and better produced album, though still feels a little inconsequential, and misses the unpolished diarrhoea charm of Bee Thousand. Score: 3 1/2
$ Live - Throwing Copper (NM) (ATT) Post-grunge, which is commercial pop-rock blended with some of the sounds of grunge. Quite commercial idea, but the resulting sound here is rather lifeless and unimaginative - quite safe, unthreatening, and a bit boring. It doesn't have the thrill, the ideas, and the angst of Nirvana, nor the simple appeal of soft rock riffing. You can nod your head to it, and find it all quite familiar and comforting, but if you are looking for more, you will be disappointed. Score: 3
$ Low - I Could Live In Hope Part of slowcore and dream pop, there are elements of shoe-gazing and the music of Spiritualized and Radiohead. The influence of Neil Young and The Velvet Underground is clear. This is their debut album and is largely seen as their best, though Things We Lost In The Fire (2001) is also highly regarded. Quiet. Score: 3
$ Stina Nordenstam - And She Closed Her Eyes Dream pop. Apparently often compared to Rickie Lee Jones. I also feel there's a bit of Bjork going on. Modest but pleasant. Score: 2 1/2
$ The Prodigy – Music for the Jilted Generation (ATT) Score: %
$ The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust Score: %
$ The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust Score: %
 |
| 1995 |
$ Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (RS) (C4) (NM) (Q) (ATT) Sometimes things just come together to allow a perfect album to be created... Score: 8
$ Cast - All Change Beautiful guitar driven rock pop in the style of The La's (founder John Power had been the bass player in The La's). Good stuff. Score: 8
+ Paul Weller – Stanley Road (Q) (ATT) Widely regarded as Weller's best album. A solid re-engagement with 60s British RnB and soul. Light touches of psychedelia. Some good songs. Like Traffic, but perhaps a little better. Yes, it's out of time, and was looking backwards not forwards, but it did it very well. Score: 7
$ Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (RS) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) The first album is the important one, but lots of people bought this as their first Oasis album because by then the band were better known. It's a sprawling inconsistent album, though it does have some of the band's best known songs on it, like "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back In Anger". The band were big, popular and iconic, though the anthemic simplicity of their songs which drove them to such immediate success will also tend to let them down in the legacy stakes. The further away we get from the Nineties, the less relevance the band will have. Meanwhile, their more involved and intelligent rivals Blur, tend to resonate more and more as time goes by. Score: 5
+ Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo (ATT) Moving on from Grunge and embracing the Sixties power-pop melodies that were about to emerge in BritPop, combined with the speed and energy of fast post-punk that, combined with hip-hop, would develop into nu-metal. Listenable and attractive. Score: 5
$ Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive Attractive poppy modern soul duo, who had a slow but significant success with the well crafted, gospel tinged "Lifted". Score: 5
$ Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (ATT) Debut album. A bit like Randy Newman meets Steely Dan. Not sure about this.... I think I prefer the second album, Whatever And Ever Amen (1997). (ATT) Score: 4 1/2
$ Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (ATT) Debut album. A bit like Randy Newman meets Steely Dan. Not sure about this.... I think I prefer the second album, Whatever And Ever Amen (1997). (ATT) Score: 4 1/2
$ No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom (NM) (ATT) Pop informed and infused with ska, which had attained an underground popularity in America during the early 1990s. Score: 4
$ Nightmares on Wax – Smokers Delight Quite pleasant trip hop from a British DJ, but I wonder if there is something more interesting or important in this genre? Score: 4
$ Goldie – Timeless A popular jungle variant of drum and bass (or is it the other way round?), or rave music. It's more about the speed than anything else. Essentially it is moderate trippy R&B with fast and rather tinny drum beats. Moderately pleasant, but more for dancing to while high than something to listen to. Score: 4
$ The Verve – A Northern Soul (ATT) I like the Verve, but I think one album is enough to convey what they were about, and Urban Hymns is generally acknowledged as the more significant album, as, while this album is excellent in itself, it was Urban Hymns that really showed what Ashcroft could do, and really had an impact. Score: 4
$ Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante Ska, metal, jazz, whatever. A playful mash-up of musical styles which doesn't always work, and lacks authenticity, but is quirky and mostly quite melodic. There are echoes of Faust and Throbbing Gristle about this, but without their authenticity. This all too often feels just like messing around, but we have room for the playful. This is band of the lead singer of Faith No More, Mike Patton, which he was in before, during, and after Faith No More. Score: 3
$ Femi Kuti – Femi Kuti Jazz / Afrobeat This is pleasant stuff - but it was his dad, Fela, who pioneered Afrobeat, and while this is good stuff, it doesn't seem to be cutting edge or essential. It's like easy listening bossa nova and reggae with an African twist. Score: 2 1/2
$ Femi Kuti – Femi Kuti Jazz / Afrobeat This is pleasant stuff - but it was his dad, Fela, who pioneered Afrobeat, and while this is good stuff, it doesn't seem to be cutting edge or essential. It's like easy listening bossa nova and reggae with an African twist. Score: 2 1/2
***
 |
| 1996 |
$ Beck – Odelay (C4) (NM) (Q) (ATT) [hh] This hit like a nuclear bomb! Wow! Spectacular! There was something erotic and original and yet so familiar about this. Country music on ahcid mixing it with hip-hop. The sound was going round - The Eels and Fun Lovin' Criminals and G. Love had a similar thing going on, but this hit biggest and lasted longest and was just so much more awesome than what anyone else was doing. Score: 10
+ Kula Shaker - K (ATT) Kula Shaker confused and divided the music community, while the public adored their accomplished and creative romp through late 60s/early 70s psychedelic rock. Firmly part of the BritPop revival of 60s British music, Kula Shaker absorbed it and redelivered it better than anyone else. Awesome. Score: 9
$ The Divine Comedy – Casanova I like this. Intelligent and interesting and melodic. Orchestral pop, apparently. Gosh - I say! Score: 8
$ Belle and Sebastian – Tigermilk B&S have inherited the quirky folk sensibility of the Incredible String Band. This is a lovely album. Score: 8
$ Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Come Find Yourself [hh] I like this. I kind of got Fun Lovin' Criminals mixed up with Eels. Both are light, melodic, quirky and fun with elements of hip-hop. Do we need both? Yes. Score: 8
$ Radiohead – OK Computer (RS) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) This is quite a thoughtful, melodic and interesting album full of sound. It lacks heart, beat and drive, but is in the scope of the shoe-gazing / ambient school of music, which tends to favour sound over rhythm, drive, beat and energy, so it is appropriate to focus on the sound. For a number of people this is not just Radiohead's best album, not just the best album of the 90s, but the best album ever made. Phew! That's quite a claim. But then, Pet Sounds (1966), Sgt Pepper's (1967), Forever Changes (1967), Astral Weeks (1968), The Stone Roses (1989), The La's (1990), and Loveless (1990) have had similar claims, and these are equally thoughtful, melodic and interesting albums that can be considered to be full of sound more than heart, beat and drive. OK Computer is an album that rewards repeated patient listening. In places it reminds me of Dark Side of The Moon, and it is growing on me, and though I am not yet seeing it as being on the same level as the other thoughtful, melodic albums I mentioned, it does not feel inappropriate to discuss it in their company. By reputation and acclaim alone it deserves to be listened to, but it is also an attractive and accomplished album. Score: 7 1/2
$ Belle and Sebastian – Tigermilk B&S have inherited the quirky folk sensibility of the Incredible String Band. This is a lovely album. Score: 8
$ Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Come Find Yourself [hh] I like this. I kind of got Fun Lovin' Criminals mixed up with Eels. Both are light, melodic, quirky and fun with elements of hip-hop. Do we need both? Yes. Score: 8
$ Radiohead – OK Computer (RS) (C4) (NM) (NME) (Q) (ATT) This is quite a thoughtful, melodic and interesting album full of sound. It lacks heart, beat and drive, but is in the scope of the shoe-gazing / ambient school of music, which tends to favour sound over rhythm, drive, beat and energy, so it is appropriate to focus on the sound. For a number of people this is not just Radiohead's best album, not just the best album of the 90s, but the best album ever made. Phew! That's quite a claim. But then, Pet Sounds (1966), Sgt Pepper's (1967), Forever Changes (1967), Astral Weeks (1968), The Stone Roses (1989), The La's (1990), and Loveless (1990) have had similar claims, and these are equally thoughtful, melodic and interesting albums that can be considered to be full of sound more than heart, beat and drive. OK Computer is an album that rewards repeated patient listening. In places it reminds me of Dark Side of The Moon, and it is growing on me, and though I am not yet seeing it as being on the same level as the other thoughtful, melodic albums I mentioned, it does not feel inappropriate to discuss it in their company. By reputation and acclaim alone it deserves to be listened to, but it is also an attractive and accomplished album. Score: 7 1/2
$ Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants Techno This and Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) are among the greatest electronic ambient/techno albums ever made. Score: 7 1/2
+ Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X Sharp, edgy, poppy post-Portishead trip-hop. Full of pop ideas and mesmerising melodies - this is power-pop and dance-rock done pretty much to perfection. Sadly they dropped their female lead singer, Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton), and never again approached the beauty or success of Becoming X. Score: 7
+ Babybird - Ugly Beautiful Quirky, individual, intelligent, and quite beautiful. Score: 7
$ Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic Great debut. Some critics prefer later albums, and the public in particular will go for Rings Around The World (2000) as that was their first major label release. But everything they are and will be is here. In keeping with the spirit of the times - the Britpop movement in particular - the band combine Sixties pop and psychedelia with modern ideas. A bit like The Kinks on ecstasy. Score: 6 1/2
+ Eels – Beautiful Freak (ATT) I quite like this. I remember this from the time - but had forgotten it since. It's my sort of thing, quite melodic, quite interesting, and quite quirky, with some hip-hop beats. Mix of speaking and singing. Odd noises stage left. Score: 6
+ Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X Sharp, edgy, poppy post-Portishead trip-hop. Full of pop ideas and mesmerising melodies - this is power-pop and dance-rock done pretty much to perfection. Sadly they dropped their female lead singer, Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton), and never again approached the beauty or success of Becoming X. Score: 7
+ Babybird - Ugly Beautiful Quirky, individual, intelligent, and quite beautiful. Score: 7
$ Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic Great debut. Some critics prefer later albums, and the public in particular will go for Rings Around The World (2000) as that was their first major label release. But everything they are and will be is here. In keeping with the spirit of the times - the Britpop movement in particular - the band combine Sixties pop and psychedelia with modern ideas. A bit like The Kinks on ecstasy. Score: 6 1/2
+ Eels – Beautiful Freak (ATT) I quite like this. I remember this from the time - but had forgotten it since. It's my sort of thing, quite melodic, quite interesting, and quite quirky, with some hip-hop beats. Mix of speaking and singing. Odd noises stage left. Score: 6
+ Placebo - Placebo (ATT) The debut, which contains the attention getting "Nancy Boy". The follow up, Without You I'm Nothing (1998) (ATT), which contains "Pure Morning", is also a damned fine album. Score: 6
$ Barry Adamson – Oedipus Schmoedipus Quirky.... The first track uses Jarvis Cocker so has a Pulp feel to it. Other tracks sound like jazz rock or Nice Cave. The range is eclectic and fascinating. I like it. Score: 6
+ Joyrider - Be Special They had a brief hit with a cover of "Rush Hour". Strong power-pop similar to Terrorvision. Good energy. Good tunes. Youthful attitude. Good stuff. Score: 6
+ Sublime - Sublime [hh] Pop ska hip-hop rock. Something a little different.. Yeah, I like this. Score: 5 1/2
+ Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals (ATT) Part of the retro scene during the Britpop era - liked by Paul Weller and Oasis, this was the band's best album, an engaging collection of songs soaked in late 60s/early 70s nostalgia. Very listenable and attractive. Score: 5
+ Joyrider - Be Special They had a brief hit with a cover of "Rush Hour". Strong power-pop similar to Terrorvision. Good energy. Good tunes. Youthful attitude. Good stuff. Score: 6
+ Sublime - Sublime [hh] Pop ska hip-hop rock. Something a little different.. Yeah, I like this. Score: 5 1/2
+ Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals (ATT) Part of the retro scene during the Britpop era - liked by Paul Weller and Oasis, this was the band's best album, an engaging collection of songs soaked in late 60s/early 70s nostalgia. Very listenable and attractive. Score: 5
$ Maxwell – Urban Hang Suite I like this. He is an important developer of neo-soul apparently. I still struggle with the differentiation between soul and modern R&B. This seems to me to be in the same area as folks like Soul II Soul. Wait, hang on, are they neo-soul as well? If so, how come Maxwell is an important developer of a sound that was already established and popular nearly 10 years earlier? In, but only by its fingernails. Score: 5
$ Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup Female voiced alt rock band sometimes described as Ambient Pop or Avant Pop. Interesting. This is widely seen as their best album. Reminds me of Saint Etienne, and (less so) of Eighties band Everything But The Girl. OK. Keep for now. Score: 5
+ The Spice Girls - Spice (G50) (ATT) The debut single "Wannabe", along with the video, is breathtakingly awesome - the girls' bold and infectious and iconoclastic attitude: sexy, sassy, naughty, disrespectful, fun, messy, out of control, and unified as a friendship group that would not be broken or even messed with, made a huge impact. Nothing the band did after was anywhere near as good, but the band had huge sales based entirely on the premise offered by the positive and sassy attitude and energy displayed in those barely three minutes. The album, while weak compared to that single, is not simply composed of filler, there are professionally written and competently produced songs that have a wide appeal. The main thing though is the social impact the band had. Score: 5
$ Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup Female voiced alt rock band sometimes described as Ambient Pop or Avant Pop. Interesting. This is widely seen as their best album. Reminds me of Saint Etienne, and (less so) of Eighties band Everything But The Girl. OK. Keep for now. Score: 5
+ The Spice Girls - Spice (G50) (ATT) The debut single "Wannabe", along with the video, is breathtakingly awesome - the girls' bold and infectious and iconoclastic attitude: sexy, sassy, naughty, disrespectful, fun, messy, out of control, and unified as a friendship group that would not be broken or even messed with, made a huge impact. Nothing the band did after was anywhere near as good, but the band had huge sales based entirely on the premise offered by the positive and sassy attitude and energy displayed in those barely three minutes. The album, while weak compared to that single, is not simply composed of filler, there are professionally written and competently produced songs that have a wide appeal. The main thing though is the social impact the band had. Score: 5
+ Shed Seven - A Maximum High Poppy indie rock. Part of the Britpop scene. Listenable, but perhaps kinda ordinary. Score: 5
+ Andrea Bocelli - Romanza Bocelli is the foremost operatic pop singer, for what that is worth, and this is his huge breakthrough album - a compilation of his first albums. Can be compared to, but has had more impact than Sarah Brightman (Eden - 1996) and Katherine Jenkins (Believe - 2009). The Three Tenors, who were genuine opera stars, later wandered into operatic pop (Christmas - 2000). Likeable, and reflective of public interest in this period for operatic pop. Score: 5
+ Faithless - Reverence Electronica house. Fairly minor, but well constructed and varied. Score: 5
+ Paula Cole - This Fire (ATT) Modern indie/country rock-tinged singer-songwriter with echoes of Kate Bush (via Tori Amos). Had a hit with "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" Quietly satisfying. Score: 4 1/2
+ Andrea Bocelli - Romanza Bocelli is the foremost operatic pop singer, for what that is worth, and this is his huge breakthrough album - a compilation of his first albums. Can be compared to, but has had more impact than Sarah Brightman (Eden - 1996) and Katherine Jenkins (Believe - 2009). The Three Tenors, who were genuine opera stars, later wandered into operatic pop (Christmas - 2000). Likeable, and reflective of public interest in this period for operatic pop. Score: 5
+ Faithless - Reverence Electronica house. Fairly minor, but well constructed and varied. Score: 5
+ Paula Cole - This Fire (ATT) Modern indie/country rock-tinged singer-songwriter with echoes of Kate Bush (via Tori Amos). Had a hit with "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" Quietly satisfying. Score: 4 1/2
+ Matchbox Twenty - Yourself or Someone Like You (NM) Post-grunge apparently (gee, folks do like to compartmentalise don't they?). This is rocky-pop or poppy-rock or power-pop, with a touch of country rock and MOR adult rock - the only grunge I can detect is that the singer has the throaty growl of Pearl Jam. Hmm. Anyway, these guys have been quietly selling a lot, slipping under the radar of music critics. I like this. Worth holding on to for a while. Score: 4 1/2
+ Beth Orton – Trailer Park (ATT) Modest but pleasant trip-hop folk in a style about to be explored more successfully by Dido. Her limited release album issued before this official debut is moderately more interesting: Superpinkmandy (1993). Score: 4
+ Tool - (ATT) Sort of Jethro Tull style heavy metal prog rock with schoolboy crude lyrics. Curious. Was very popular. Score: 3 1/2
+ Cake - Fashion Nugget A bit Divine Comedy, a bit They Might Be Giants. Quirky and worth hanging onto for a bit. A quite like it. Not all of it, but enough, perhaps. Score: 3 1/2
$ Dr Octagon (Kool Keith) – Dr Octagonecologyst [HH] hip-hop Score: %
$ DJ Shadow – Endtroducing (ATT) [HH] Hip-hop Score: %
+ 2Pac / Tupac – All Eyez On Me (NM) [HH] Gangsta rap. Score: %
$ Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads Score: %
$ Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol 4: Live 1966 [rec: 1966 at Free Trade Hall, Manchester] (ATT) This is simply awesome. Score: 10
***
1997
$ Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol 4: Live 1966 [rec: 1966 at Free Trade Hall, Manchester] (ATT) This is simply awesome. Score: 10
$ The Verve – Urban Hymns (C4) (Q) (ATT) It opens with one of the finest tracks of the 90s, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" which is going to hold everyone's attention and put them in a good mood for what follows, and there's some great stuff in what follows. Score: 8
$ Cornershop – When I was Born for the 7th Time Contains "Brimful of Asha", which became a big hit when remixed by Fatboy Slim: "Brimful of Asha". Album full of rich ideas that work - mixing Indian music with techno, all held together with the glue of 90s Britpop fuelled indie pop. Great. . Score: 8
$ The Prodigy – Fat of the Land (C4) (ATT) The launch of big beat. Techno. Some critics prefer the band's previous album Music For The Jilted Generation, however this is the album that contains "Firestarter", which outshines everything else the band did, and pretty much defined, popularised and created an interest in big beat and drum n bass all by itself. You need nothing else. But, the rest of the album is also interesting and listenable, so you might as well have the whole album. Score: 7
$ The Prodigy – Fat of the Land (C4) (ATT) The launch of big beat. Techno. Some critics prefer the band's previous album Music For The Jilted Generation, however this is the album that contains "Firestarter", which outshines everything else the band did, and pretty much defined, popularised and created an interest in big beat and drum n bass all by itself. You need nothing else. But, the rest of the album is also interesting and listenable, so you might as well have the whole album. Score: 7
$ Spiritualized – Ladies & Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space Dream pop / shoegazing. Reminds me of Primal Scream in places. A little more expansive than the debut, and more highly regarded. Though both have similar charms. Score: 6
$ Manu Chao – Clandestino Latin flavoured world-pop/rock. Very loose, playful, upbeat and likeable. Score: 6
+ Will Smith - Big Willie Style (NM) (ATT) [HH] Pop-rap. That is rap (hip-hop) without the swearing, racism, misogynism, violence, and resentment; so cleaner than critics would like, as there are no issues to talk about. More melodic than most rap. Tongue in cheek. Fun. I like pop, so I'm OK with this. The lack of issues is not an issue for me. (See what I did there?) Score: 5 1/2
+ Will Smith - Big Willie Style (NM) (ATT) [HH] Pop-rap. That is rap (hip-hop) without the swearing, racism, misogynism, violence, and resentment; so cleaner than critics would like, as there are no issues to talk about. More melodic than most rap. Tongue in cheek. Fun. I like pop, so I'm OK with this. The lack of issues is not an issue for me. (See what I did there?) Score: 5 1/2
+ Stereophonics - Word Gets Around (Q) (ATT) Solid pop-rock during the later part of the BritPop period. Well crafted, and delivered with energy, attitude and the cool voice of frontman Kelly Jones. Score: 5 1/2
$ Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind (RS) (ATT) I quite like this on first hearing. He played one of the songs, "Love Sick", at Bournemouth when we saw him there in May, 2017. Score: 5
$ Robert Wyatt – Shleep Rock Bottom is widely acknowledged as Wyatt's best and most representative album. This is also very attractive, but if push comes to shove.... Score: 5
$ The Dandy Warhols – ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down Major label debut. I'm still unsure about this band. They are a worthy indie band, typical of that genre, but I'm not seeing how they are doing anything distinctive, interesting, quirky, better than anyone else, or are even that representative of the genre. Their actual debut was Dandys Rule OK, a more spirited and interesting record which attracted mixed reviews (generally a useful indicator of an interesting album) and which contained the power pop blast "TV Theme Song" followed by a tribute/pastiche of Ride called, cough cough, "Ride", and later a (poor) VU pastiche "Lou Weed" with a nodding and amusing nod at David Bowie's "Andy Warhol" in the full title: "(Tony This Song Is Called) Lou Weed", and "Grunge Betty" a tongue in cheek blend of grunge and swamp/boogie rock using some of the swagger and rhythm of "Black Betty", while their next album, Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, contains their hit "Bohemian Like You", a spirited piece more in line with Rules OK, which had been used in an advert, so this is the album that sold and got the attention, but the rest of the album is rather mediocre. However, the opening track, "Godless" starts with the sound of "My Sweet Lord", so they hadn't lost their playfulness, but the album, other than "Like You", does lack the spirit and energy of Rules OK. "Shakin'" is a piece of Britpop blending Elastica ("Connection") with other elements, but the pastiche joke has now worn thin. Essentially then, a bit of a throwaway joke band whose debut holds some charm in the sense of a new band being bold and cheeky, but were unable to develop on from that, and resorted back to pastiche which now sounds tired and strained. Score: 4 1/2
+ Everclear - So Much For The Afterglow (ATT) Power Pop in the post-Grunge period. Lots of energy and good time melodies. They gained attention with the modest poppy post-grunge hit "Santa Monica" from their 1995 album Sparkle and Fade. This album built on and developed the pop sensibilities in the band, transforming them from simplistic Nirvana bandwagon jumpers to something a little more interesting and appealing. Score: 4 1/2
+ Sarah Mclachlan - Surfacing (NM) (ATT) Popular New Agey folky Canadian singer-songwriter. This is her most popular album, though Fumbling Toward Ecstasy is not too far behind, and some critics prefer it. There isn't a huge difference between the two albums. I prefer Surfacing, as it's better produced, and has a poppier, more melodic sound. She sounds a bit like Dido, though came a bit earlier. Let down by slight harshness and limitations of voice, and lack of solid songwriting. Score: 4 1/2
+ Sarah Mclachlan - Surfacing (NM) (ATT) Popular New Agey folky Canadian singer-songwriter. This is her most popular album, though Fumbling Toward Ecstasy is not too far behind, and some critics prefer it. There isn't a huge difference between the two albums. I prefer Surfacing, as it's better produced, and has a poppier, more melodic sound. She sounds a bit like Dido, though came a bit earlier. Let down by slight harshness and limitations of voice, and lack of solid songwriting. Score: 4 1/2
$ Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out Alt rock. There's PJ Harvey and Skunk Anansie and Sonic Youth in here. Score: 4 1/2
+ Lori Carson - Everything I Touch Runs Wild American version of Bristol's Massive Attack trip-hop, though a little more ambient, acoustic and country than proper trip-hop, and with few of the mesmerising rhythms. Likeable, and I would prefer more of this stuff and a bit less of the death metal, even if only for balance. Score: 4 1/2
$ Roni Size & Reprazent – New Forms Mercury prize winning drum n bass album. Interesting and likeable. Score: 4 1/2
+ The Corrs - Talk On Corners (ATT) Mostly female pop group from Ireland with light touches of Irish lilting and some acoustic accompaniment. Quite superficial. The album reached 75 on Virgin's Top 1000 Albums, which was a list voted for by the British public who find the inoffensive soft R&B aspects pleasant and sufficiently modern for it not to be seen as "old fashioned". I find the success of this as puzzling and interesting as AC/DC's Back In Black, though this album, for me, is the more attractively listenable. The record label were equally puzzled at the album's phenomenal success (selling nearly 3 million units in the UK alone), as - despite bringing in a squad of professional song-writers to help the band create a commercial album, Atlantic rejected it and asked the band to carry on working. The band felt they couldn't do any better (and that's likely to be true), so the manager had to sign a financial agreement to compensate Atlantic if the album didn't recoup the recording costs. The album had some success but didn't really hit the big time until Mick Fleetwood appeared on stage with them during their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", and that performance was broadcast live on Radio One, creating a demand for that track, which the record company obliged by including it on the next pressing of the album. This is not art, but this is what the Great British Public loved and were listening to in their millions around the time of the millennium. Score: 4
+ The Corrs - Talk On Corners (ATT) Mostly female pop group from Ireland with light touches of Irish lilting and some acoustic accompaniment. Quite superficial. The album reached 75 on Virgin's Top 1000 Albums, which was a list voted for by the British public who find the inoffensive soft R&B aspects pleasant and sufficiently modern for it not to be seen as "old fashioned". I find the success of this as puzzling and interesting as AC/DC's Back In Black, though this album, for me, is the more attractively listenable. The record label were equally puzzled at the album's phenomenal success (selling nearly 3 million units in the UK alone), as - despite bringing in a squad of professional song-writers to help the band create a commercial album, Atlantic rejected it and asked the band to carry on working. The band felt they couldn't do any better (and that's likely to be true), so the manager had to sign a financial agreement to compensate Atlantic if the album didn't recoup the recording costs. The album had some success but didn't really hit the big time until Mick Fleetwood appeared on stage with them during their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", and that performance was broadcast live on Radio One, creating a demand for that track, which the record company obliged by including it on the next pressing of the album. This is not art, but this is what the Great British Public loved and were listening to in their millions around the time of the millennium. Score: 4
$ Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (ATT) (RS) Cuban music as played by the elder generation remembering the days when Cuba was America's playground. This is older music, retro, simplistic, not actually nostalgic so much as locked in the past. It's not great music, and it certainly doesn't speak for now, or even the Nineties when it was recorded, and it's kind of sad that they haven't moved on, but it is an interesting glimpse into an older, static Cuba. Score: 4
+ Shania Twain - Come On Over (NM) (ATT) Significantly popular country-pop singer-songwriter from Canada. This is an enormously successful album of pleasant enough songs. The album does nothing for me (well, other than bores me), but perhaps should be included both for its popularity, and its significance as an album that keeps country music alive and relevant for a modern audience, and brings it to a wider audience. Though I'm yet to really get my head around country music. Score: 4
$ Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly [HH] Hip-hop and RnB. Big reputation. The producer, Timbaland, is the main creative here, as the one responsible for the music and overall sound - he is the main writer and producer. Elliott supplies the lyrics and voice - vocals and rapping, which is pleasant enough, but not that interesting or special. Considered to be a breakthrough album. It's certainly commercial and listenable, but ultimately rather bland. Score: 4
$ Finley Quaye – Maverick a Strike Trip-hop reggae from a black Scotsman. Quite listenable and professional. Compare with Sneaker Pimps. Score: 4
+ Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot [JZ] This band is quirky. I like quirky. Score: 4
$ David Holmes – Let’s Get Killed Irish techno. Fairly interesting and slightly different. I was not sure of this at first, but it has grown on me.... Score: 3 1/2
$ Elliott Smith – Either/Or Modern singer-songwriter with a whispered husky style of delivery. Was unknown until some of his songs were chosen for the film Good Will Hunting, and one of them, "Miss Misery", was nominated for an Oscar. Then he became trendy. There's a sort of low key Nirvana feel about much of his music - especially the Unplugged Nirvana, but it's all very low key. There's also something of the early Paul Simon about him, but again, in a modest way. But something about him, and that film, captured the zeitgeist of late 90s American youth. Score: 3 1/2
+ Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot [JZ] This band is quirky. I like quirky. Score: 4
$ David Holmes – Let’s Get Killed Irish techno. Fairly interesting and slightly different. I was not sure of this at first, but it has grown on me.... Score: 3 1/2
$ Elliott Smith – Either/Or Modern singer-songwriter with a whispered husky style of delivery. Was unknown until some of his songs were chosen for the film Good Will Hunting, and one of them, "Miss Misery", was nominated for an Oscar. Then he became trendy. There's a sort of low key Nirvana feel about much of his music - especially the Unplugged Nirvana, but it's all very low key. There's also something of the early Paul Simon about him, but again, in a modest way. But something about him, and that film, captured the zeitgeist of late 90s American youth. Score: 3 1/2
$ Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Boatman’s Call The first impression is of Leonard Cohen. Cool. Score: %
+ Embrace - The Good Will Out (ATT) This was so beautiful it seemed the band would be the next big thing, but in the end the good didn't come out. This sits between the Verve and Radiohead. Score: 7
+ Catatonia - International Velvet (ATT) The debut, Way Beyond Blue (1996), is bright and poppy and stands up well, but it's their more rocky second album that grabbed all the attention with superbly crafted guitar pop with excellent lyrics, and the two brilliant singles "Mulder And Scully" and "Road Rage". Score: 6 1/2
+ Sparklehorse - Good Morning Spider (also consider It's A Wonderful Life (2001)) I think GMS is highly likely to stay on this list. Gosh, it's good. Score: 6 1/2
$ Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (ATT) Awesome. From the opening notes this soars, and you know it's going to be big, exciting, and inventive. The video for "Praise You", with a fictional dance group created by Spike Jonze, is witty and memorable. Fatboy and the Prodigy shot big beat into the public arena, and delivered the best examples of it at the same time. It rises and falls here, because it goes downhill after this into repetitive and timid copies. Score: 6
$ Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (ATT) Awesome. From the opening notes this soars, and you know it's going to be big, exciting, and inventive. The video for "Praise You", with a fictional dance group created by Spike Jonze, is witty and memorable. Fatboy and the Prodigy shot big beat into the public arena, and delivered the best examples of it at the same time. It rises and falls here, because it goes downhill after this into repetitive and timid copies. Score: 6
Score: 6
+ Gomez - Bring It On (ATT) Intelligent edgy blues based material showing influences (or shared interests) from Beefheart to Beck. Good stuff. Score: 6
+ The Beta Band – The Three E.P.'s Debut album, consisting of the contents of the band's first three EPs, by interesting UK indie band playing around with folktronica and other styles - never quite settling on anything. Suggestions of Beck, of Primal Scream... Attractive. Score: 6
$ David Gray – White Ladder (Q) Hugely popular soulful singer-songwriter album that tends to get classed as folktronica, but I'm not clear why. I'm not getting the electronica connection, other than some softly used samples. I like it. Very pleasant. But the main points of interest appear to be its popularity and its connection with electronica. The songs are nice, but I'm not yet seeing them as being particularly special, they are clearly easy-listening in the same style as the later James Blunt (Back to Bedlam was 2004), Damien Rice (O was 2002) and Ed Sheeran (Divide was 2017) - and Gray himself feels that he is dismissed as "slight" because of this album. However - pleasant soulful, melodic album in the traditional early Seventies singer-songwriter style. Kinda retro in a modern ambiance, which is I suppose where people are finding the "folktronica" tag, and clearly an influence on later modern singer-songwriters. Score: 5 1/2
$ David Gray – White Ladder (Q) Hugely popular soulful singer-songwriter album that tends to get classed as folktronica, but I'm not clear why. I'm not getting the electronica connection, other than some softly used samples. I like it. Very pleasant. But the main points of interest appear to be its popularity and its connection with electronica. The songs are nice, but I'm not yet seeing them as being particularly special, they are clearly easy-listening in the same style as the later James Blunt (Back to Bedlam was 2004), Damien Rice (O was 2002) and Ed Sheeran (Divide was 2017) - and Gray himself feels that he is dismissed as "slight" because of this album. However - pleasant soulful, melodic album in the traditional early Seventies singer-songwriter style. Kinda retro in a modern ambiance, which is I suppose where people are finding the "folktronica" tag, and clearly an influence on later modern singer-songwriters. Score: 5 1/2
+ The Offspring – Americana (ATT) Contains "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)". Melodic and poppy rock somewhat similar to Nu metal. Very bouncy, tongue in cheek, energetic and youthful. Not serious music, but quite enjoyable. Fans of the band prefer their earlier and less imaginative Smash, but the public prefer this one, and it's easy to see why. Likeable. Score: 5 1/2
$ Lauryn Hill – Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (RS) (NM) (ATT) [HH] Modern R&B meets hip-hop in very successful album released just after the Fugee's, with Hill on vocal, had a mega hit with their melodic hip-hop cover of "Killing Me Softly". Not sure that the album will continue to hold interest. The R&B parts are attractive, if a little leaden and uninspired, mostly relying on Hill's voice, but are somewhat spoiled by an attempt to get a hip-hop drum rhythm in there which works against the melodic quality of the R&B elements. OK OK OK - I ended up liking it..... Score: 5
+ Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing (ATT) contains "Pure Morning". A damned fine album, though not as good as the debut. I doubt if I'll keep this. Score: 5
$ Talvin Singh – OK Mercury Prize winning album. A blend of drum n bass (electronica) and Indian classical music. Attractive. (Cornershop) Score: 4
$ Mercury Rev – Deserter’s Songs (ATT) I'm not quite getting this. It may take several listens. Hmm, I'm getting there. I suspect that I'm going to like Mercury Rev, and have at least one album on the list. Score: 4 1/2
$ Mercury Rev – Deserter’s Songs (ATT) I'm not quite getting this. It may take several listens. Hmm, I'm getting there. I suspect that I'm going to like Mercury Rev, and have at least one album on the list. Score: 4 1/2
$ Hole – Celebrity Skin (ATT) Same band as Live Through This, but a different approach and sound. Where Live is bold, loud, soaring, emotional, huge, disturbing, cathartic, original, and unmissable, this album is poppy, anonymous, derivative, bland, and forgettable. I like power-pop so I like this, but is it special enough to recommend? I don't think so. But I'll let it hang around for a while. The first Hole album, Pretty On The Inside, was more interesting than this, though less attractive to listen to. Score: 4 1/2
$ Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue (ATT) Country (or alt-country). A collaboration between Bragg and Wilco who used unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics for songs which sound like Wilco songs. The intention was to put modern music to Guthrie's words, but Guthrie appears to have got lost in the process as there is little of his presence here. Score: 4
***
 |
| 1999 |
+ Tom Jones - Reload Breathless and awesome - one of the greatest voices in pop/rock mixing it on some classic songs with a varied selection of artists who were keen to show their respect to The Voice. Score: 7 1/2
+ Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails (ATT) The band's second album brought the band attention through the success of the single "The Bartender and the Thief". Damn fine album. Score 6
+ Dido - No Angel (C4) Dido's brother Rowlo was part of Faithless, and her early work appears on their albums, such as "Flowerstand Man" on Reverence (1996) and "Hem of His Garment" on Sunday 8PM (1998). This is her debut album, and is associated with the folktronica style of music that emerged around this time with albums by Beth Orton and Madonna that involved William Orbit. Score: 6
$ Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs Indie modern singer-songwriter. Sounds like Babybird and The Divine Comedy. Score: 5 1/2
$ Kid Rock – Devil Without a Cause (NM) Related to nu metal, but also country like Beck. Interesting. Score: 5 1/2
$ Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun Dream pop / shoegazing. This is widely seen as their best album, gathering critical respect and a large popular following mostly by word of mouth. Worth seeking out and listening to. Score: 5 1/2
+ Dido - No Angel (C4) Dido's brother Rowlo was part of Faithless, and her early work appears on their albums, such as "Flowerstand Man" on Reverence (1996) and "Hem of His Garment" on Sunday 8PM (1998). This is her debut album, and is associated with the folktronica style of music that emerged around this time with albums by Beth Orton and Madonna that involved William Orbit. Score: 6
$ Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs Indie modern singer-songwriter. Sounds like Babybird and The Divine Comedy. Score: 5 1/2
$ Kid Rock – Devil Without a Cause (NM) Related to nu metal, but also country like Beck. Interesting. Score: 5 1/2
$ Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun Dream pop / shoegazing. This is widely seen as their best album, gathering critical respect and a large popular following mostly by word of mouth. Worth seeking out and listening to. Score: 5 1/2
$ Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication (RS) (NM) (Q) Yes. Score: 5
$ Moby – Play (RS) (C4) (Q) (ATT) Borderline. Score: 5
$ Bonnie Prince Billy – I See a Darkness Americana. Low-fi punky-folky doodlings. Kinda interesting, but borderline. Score: 5
+ Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Spanish Dance Troupe Hmmmm. Score: 5
+ Ricky Martin - Ricky Martin Got the world to move their hips to Latin pop. A joyous moment of fun and pleasure at the end of the century. Score: 5
+ Blink-182 - Enema Of The State Considered the peak of pop punk (a modern variant of power pop, being generally slightly faster, and with an American male teen slacker toilet humour attitude which may narrow its appeal, but drives sales in its target audience), this is likeable. Score: 5
$ Eminem – Slim Shady LP (RS) (ATT) [HH] Hip-hop Score: 4
$ Travis – The Man Who (Q) (ATT) This is Radiohead without the invention. Any band can copy - it's what you do with the imitation that matters. Travis do nothing. I can hear the influences - Radiohead, Embrace, Sparklehorse, etc - but I can't hear anything new. Score: 3
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