An Ear For An Era: 1992

I think I remember watching the olympics in 1992. Not sure what else happened. The gulf war happened. And growing up and whatnot. Lots of music came out. Eventually, I would discover lots of it. And here I am, rediscovering or whatever. But again, let's start with "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Off The Deep End represents a transition to me. 1992 must have been around the time I was really getting into Weird Al because most of his music was pre-existing when I did so. But then my friend Bryden had his brand new album. I think it took me a while to get this one personally. Just listened to it at his house. I think it was the first Weird Album I got on CD too as opposed to tape. So what of the content? Well, the famous "Smells Like Nirvana" was my first exposure to Nirvana. Which is a fine way to be introduced to them I think. "Trigger Happy" was a song I listened to a lot last time the gun control debate got all fired up. "I Can't Watch This" tells me that MC Hammer must have been popular around this time, which gives me some context for the less cool hip hop of the time. Overall though it's kind of an average Weird Al CD. With some great standouts.

Another quick hip hop rundown!
Beastie Boys Check Your Head. I guess this had them playing their own instruments for the first time since the early days so that was the big deal there. There's no insano production on this, a few showy instrumental tracks, and a lot of fun attitude. Like they are known for. Yep. Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde may have been my favorite hip hop album of 1992 because it's so gleefully weird. Like...bizarre! Is it wack? Is that was Del was rapping about when he rapped about wack MCs? Whatever, I dig it a lot.

The Pharcyde "Officer"

Gang Starr's Daily Operation had one of the greatest DJs ever in Premier. So did Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Mecca & The Soul Brother. My buddy raves about this album and for good reason. The beats are pretty amazing and overall it just kind of reminds me of the natural progression from Paid in Full. Speaking of them, I hit another Eric B & Rakim album Don't Sweat The Technique. Rakim hits a little harder this time and got political. Like on "Casualties of War" about PTSD. There was a war going on, wasn't there? A little one called Desert Storm. The several tracks across different genres addressing this reminds me of that war. As a pre-political 9-year-old I didn't know much about it and today it seems quaint compared to the more recent Iraq war, but it sucked for many people.

So that takes us to punk rock, which also had a lot to say about Desert Storm. Fifteen's album Swain's First Bike Ride feels like the new hippie movement or something to me. Tons of songs about loving your neighbor, nonviolent revolution, etc. Very idealistic. Bikini Kill's first record (I have it in the format of "The C.D. Version Of The First Two Records" but this was the self-titled EP) had a lot to say in the era of malls and whatever else stereotypical girls were doing in this time, making "Double Dare Ya" that much more poignant. Back to Desert Storm, Skankin' Pickle was still the goofiest band around and had "The Hussein Skank" on Skankin' Pickle Fever. Not a very political take on the war. They had a few political songs but continue to be remembered for the goofy stuff like "Pseudo Punk," "Whatever Happened," and of course "I Missed The Bus," which is a way better song about missing the bus than Kris Kross.

And Green Day! Those guys. I got Kerplunk after Insomniac was popular. I think I had a gift card to Best Buy so I got that one. I remember getting it because it was a Green Day album my brother didn't already have. In retrospect I can say that it is proof that they've always done catchy punk pop songs and people couldn't justifiably call them sellouts for Dookie. At the time though I mostly just got amused by the joke song "Dominated Love Slave" and liked the cover of "My Generation."

Plays Pretty For Baby by Nation of Ulysses is a very strong, hard album that seems like the midpoint in the path from Gang of Four to Refused. Maybe closer to the side of Refused. Anarchy, hardcore, post stuff, passion. I can't find "Last Train To Cool" on youtube but seek it out. Seek out this whole album. I don't know if I'm in the minority, but I put Plays Pretty For Baby over 13 Point Program in my NoU rankings.

Enough serious punk rock, NOFX were (are still?) the kings of jackass punk rock. White Trash, Two Heebs & A Bean takes me right back to high school. There are some decent straight up punk rock tracks (but Punk in Drublic is better for that purpose) but mostly this album is memorable for its jackass tracks. "Bob" about a guy going straight because his liver is shot, set to a ska beat. A Louis Armstrong style cover of "Straight Edge" by Minor Threat (so dripping with irony). Etc. Etc. And this song, which is probably the snarkiest thing they did.

NOFX "Please Play This Song On The Radio"

What about the super serious punk rockers? Or emo rockers? Bivouac was always my go-to Jawbreaker CD. I never got 24 Hour Revenge Therapy so Bivouac was mine. Very solid, some feel good tracks and some feel bad tracks. I also got it in the midst of a breakup. So kind of my go-to emo album as well.

OK how about Pavement? They made their big debut here. Slanted & Enchanted is a brilliant indie rock album that is so 90s indie rock. My brother got me into them soon after he went to college. Full of great mixtape fodder like this one.

Pavement "Here"

I think diRty is one of my favorite Sonic Youth albums as far as catchy noise goes. It's a catchy one, that's for sure. Were they getting popular around this time? Asking for a friend.

Pulp was really starting to get to be a great band around this time. That is a baseless accusation about their earlier work. I did enjoy the earlier songs I have. But here's where "Death Comes To Town" (and remix "Death Goes To The Disco") come in. A song I was told to put on a dance mix back in '04 or so and have been obsessed with ever since. Separations is the album. Those are bonus tracks though. Separations is great too though.

Pulp "Death Goes To The Disco"

What about those veterans? I've already written so much about them but they had to go and keep putting out solid stuff!

Neil Young's Harvest Moon is one of his best, maybe his best of the 90s. I need to give it more spins. But opening track "Unknown Legend" holds a special place in my heart because Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio sang it in the movie Rachel Getting Married and my wife is from a small town too.

Tom Waits' Bone Machine. My one thing about this album is that it shares its name with a Pixies track. Not sure if that's a coincidence or what. But the album! So great! I can't even figure out how to write about it! But for someone who has put out so much gold, this one manages to stand out as one of his best.

Sorry about all the super short paragraphs about brilliant albums. It's getting late.

Other Stuff:

• Friday I'm in Love. Apparently The Cure were still at it, making giant hits and stuff.
• R.E.M. continued to push boring 90s rock forward. "Everybody Hurts" is so ridiculously sad it's almost funny though.
• A sound clip from Army of Darkness came up. Crazy that that was 1992. I didn't get into it until around '97 but one of my all time favorite movies!
• Thanks to Going Simpsonic With The Simpsons, I know that the softball episode aired in 1992. A long time favorite.
• There's Rage Against The Machine, doing their thing being pissed off about war as well.
• I have some Don Caballero material from 1992 thanks to the Singles Breaking Up collection but I don't yet have much to say about it. Quintessential math rock.
• "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" speaks to me as a white collar white male working in a corporate environment. Thanks, Office Space!
• Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell was my first Social Distortion studio album back in the day. It confused me because I thought it'd be more punk rock. Still enjoyable to this day though.
• My first instance of the Flaming Lips! Good spacey indie rock that would be developed and developed more and more.

Next Time...

I might be a minute. I just got some more new stuff that I need to listen to at least a couple times to fully appreciate. Tune-Yards, Cloud Nothings, Lykke Li, The People Under The Stairs...artists that will eventually come up in this thing but it'll be a while still. Here's what's 1993 though:

Indie: My wife got me into Archers of Loaf. Thanks, Wife! Brainiac rules too. Mercury Rev is great. Polvo. Smoking Popes actual album! 

What do you mean "alternative?": An iconic Breeders album. The Flaming Lips break out!Nirvana bows out. Some band called Radiohead debuts (I might have a thing or two to say about this album on a personal level). Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, whatever. Frank Black goes solo! 

Punk?: Fugazi is still amazing. Man or Astroman? I do love Mekons. Mighty Mighty BossTones! And Mustard Plug (ska punk is really rolling!). Emo is extra emo with Sunny Day Real Estate. 

Hip Hop Still Golden: De La Soul continues. So does Del. Digable Planets debut! Did you know A Tribe Called Quest released a landmark album on the same day as Wu-Tang Clan?? Guru is already going jazz? I didn't realize he did that so early in his career! KRS One goes solo. 

Speaking of solo: Liz Phair

And you know the rest: Weird Al.

An Ear For An Era: 1990

Another decade begins. I actually didn't have much of note from 1990. It was another case of the late 80s sounding more like what I think of the 90s than 1990, which sounds more like an extension of the late 80s. If that makes any sense. Like a regression or something. Still though, some stuff was pushing stuff forward. That's what I'm bothering to talk about here. Bah. Words.

Punk rock of 1990. The seeds of the popular punk rock of the mid-to-late-90s continued to be sowed. The self-titled album by Social Distortion is one I didn't actually have back in high school, but I did have their live album (to be released later) and considered myself a fan of several of these songs. This one kind of toes the line between punk and mainstream rock, was released on Epic Records, but it's got a lot of heart. And dig that Johnny Cash cover!

"You're not a punk and I'm telling everyone" "Save your breath, I never was one." Sorry Jawbreaker, but I'm going to file you under punk rock for now because Unfun has lots of <3 about="" album.="" album="" and="" call="" emo="" first="" i="" if="" jawbreaker="" ll="" minute="" my="" or="" post-hardcore="" prefer="" punk="" rock="" s="" something="" songs="" there="" this="" ultimately="" very="" was="" while="" you="">Bivouac
. Then I got Unfun and did not like it at all. It just seemed sloppy by comparison. But in retrospect I have come to quite enjoy a few of the songs on this album. It has most of the aspects I love about Jawbreaker, just in condensed formats.

Jawbreaker, "Down"

I guess I'll keep Fugazi in the "punk rock" section of this. Repeater is the definitive statement of the early works of Fugazi. +3 songs, which I have on vinyl as a 7" by the way! It's a pretty accessible album as far as Fugazi goes. I know it helped make a convert of my friend's little brother, as my friend proudly told me he caught him singing the title track. "Merchandise" is a good summary of the band's position on commercialism in music (and they lived up to that standard forever! Even when I finally saw them in 2001 it was a $6 show with no merch!), there are some great instrumentals featuring the rhythm section, plenty of energy, and what is possibly my favorite Fugazi song of their whole catalog... (here is an insane live version I found...I believe from the Instrument documentary)

Fugazi "Shut the Door"

How about that alternative scene that defined the 90s like how that new wave scene defined the 80s and that disco scene defined the 60s?

I feel like Goo is Sonic Youth's most popular album but I have no idea what that's based on. About as poppy as you get from Sonic Youth I think, which is not very. But "Kool Thing" features Chuck D, so that's pretty damn cool. I think it's the playfulness that gives me that impression. After Daydream Nation it's kind of refreshing to just have faster, simpler songs with almost a punk rock vocal delivery. Not that that's a particularly apt description of the full album, but it fits the mood that I get from it in general with songs like "Mary-Christ" and "My Friend Goo."

I picked up the Treepeople album Guilt Regret Embarrassment the first time I visited Seattle. I had looked for Treepeople all over in Denver but had no luck. I'd been kind of a fan of Built to Spill so I wanted the earlier incarnation. It's definitely a harder edged version of BTS and suits the pre-grunge or whatever era this was. Very lo-fi and rocking. But the melody in there, such as the one in this song, is what keeps me coming back.

Treepeople "Every Time When I Fall Down & My Head Hits the Floor Hard"

They Might Be Giants will go here for whatever reason. Completely different from their surroundings but that may make them the most alternative of all! Flood was their big album (lots of big popular albums this year!) with their big hits. I can't get enough of those big hits, "Particle Man" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and someday when I have a kid I'm totally going to make him/her listen to "Whistling in the Dark" because as I said earlier, that's the kind of nerdy I want my child to be. (Here they are on MTV performing it...technically in 1989. MTV must have been actually pretty awesome back then if they had this!)

They Might Be Giants "Whistling In The Dark"

The Breeders' album Pod kind of showcased Kim Deal's songwriting skills as she was kind of overlooked by the Pixies. Plus they covered "Happiness is a Warm Gun!" But what I really love about The Breeders are the harmonies the Deal sisters create. And I'll have more to say about Last Splash in 1993.

The Pixies' quality didn't exactly drop off a cliff after Doolittle. Bossanova still has a lot of creativity going into it, plenty of three-star songs, and a few that have lots of energy. It's just not quite there though. I don't know if they were trying to get more popular or what. It feels like a retread of ideas from the earlier albums though without being as quirky or dynamic. Almost going through the motions. Especially toward the end of the album, it just starts to wear off. I feel like I'm being overly critical but they raised the bar so much that it's going to be disappointing when they slide under it.

Speaking of influences on Nirvana, the few Daniel Johnston songs I have from 1990 are among his best. "Some Things Last A Long Time" is very sweet and simple, but the most sweet and simple track is this one. I had some good friends dance at their wedding to a cover of this song and it was just perfect. This is the polar opposite of the cynicism and sarcasm of the coming 90s.

Daniel Johnston "True Love Will Find You In The End"

Other stuff about things:

• The Vandals' Fear of a Punk Planet took me back to high school a little bit. Closer to the Vandals that I actually listened to then.
• Strangely the only hip hop I had of 1990 was two Public Enemy songs off Fear of a Black Planet. One is "911 is a Joke," which is an ok Flava Flav song. The other is the gigantic song that reminds me of Do The Right Thing, "Fight The Power." Great song there.
• I have a bunch of songs from some sort of post hardcore band called Pitchfork. Not bad. I wonder what rating they would get on Pitchfork.
• A song called "Pizza Power!" TMNT!
• Some Simpsons songs came up. I was a gigantic Simpsons fan. The whole family was. I'll say more about it when we get to that Simpsons Sing The Blues album in 1991.
• I kind of got bored listening to Sinead O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (probably just because I was driving on a sunny day and would have rather listened to something upbeat) but that "Nothing Compares 2 U" cover is pretty phenomenal.
• Some more Mr. T. Experience...Making Things With Light isn't quite there for me but it's not bad either.
• Boom Chicka Boom is considered one of those lesser Johnny Cash albums, but it includes a song Elvis Costello wrote for him, "Hidden Shame," so that's rad. 

Next Time:

The 90s kick into high gear! Or whatever! That golden age of hip hop in the 90s I've heard of has to be this age, with albums from De La Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Gang Starr, Main Source, Organized Konfusion, and A Tribe Called Quest. Also another quality Elvis Costello album, Punk rock keeps going different directions with Fifteen, Fugazi, that Jawbreaker album I mentioned earlier, The Jesus Lizard, Nation of Ulysses, Skankin' Pickle!, and Slint... Fishbone has a big popular album, and good ol' Magnetic Fields make their first appearance! Oh and My Bloody Valentine. And some album called Nevermind. At 465, 1991 is the highest number of songs for any year so far (although that number gets way bigger as we move along)