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Conference mr1pst::music

Title:MUSIC V4
Notice:New Noters please read Note 1.*, Mod = someone else
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Wed Oct 09 1991
Last Modified:Tue Mar 12 1996
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:762
Total number of notes:18706

341.0. "Top Ten Albums of 1992" by DPE::STARR (Love and hope and sex and dreams) Tue Dec 22 1992 21:04

It's that time of year again, time to pick out my favorite albums of the
year. It was another somewhat weak year for music, in my opinion (although
not quite as weak as last year). Although there was a lot of good music
released, there wasn't a lot of *great* music released; at least not to 
my ears, from what I've heard.

But that never stops me from finding 10 that I like a lot, and without further 
ceremony, here they are:

Pearl Jam - 10
--------------
Simply put, this is the best hard rock debut album since Guns and Roses 
'Appetite For Destruction' in 1985. This is a "rock band" in the purest 
sense of the words. They play riff-oriented music with killer hooks and
interesting lyrics. Combined with both an explosive live show and their
triumphant appearance on MTV's Unplugged, and you have America's best hope
for a great hard band in the 90's. 

Already one of the top sellers of the year, the album contains hits like 
"Alive", "Evenflow" and "Jeremy". Those are all great songs, but there's
also even more worth listening to (check out "Black" and "Porch"). Unlike
most bands that have 1 or 2 decent songs, this album is strong from beginning 
to end.

Lindsey Buckingham - Out Of The Cradle
--------------------------------------
I already posted a pretty in-depth review of this album in the notesfile 
already (see Note #260.6). A pop music masterpiece.


Melissa Etheridge - Never Enough
--------------------------------
The best album of her career so far! Combines the great songwriting of the
earlier albums with some experimentation into updating her music to the 90's,
and it all works. Check out the techno-funk of "2001" for an example.
There's also the stunning "The Letting Go", and the usual assortment of
acoustic rockers like "Meet Me In The Back". (This album was also backed
up with a *fantastic* live show at the Orpheum!)


Black Crowes - Southern Harmony and Musical Accompanionment
-----------------------------------------------------------
Retro. Unoriginal. Rolling Stones clones. Faces clones. It's all been done
before. Blah Blah Blah. You've heard all the complaints about this band 
(some of them in this notesfile probably). But when all the smoke clears,
it comes down to this - the Black Crowes are one damn fine rock and roll
band. Strong songwriting, even better execution, and a "cool attitude"
all help make this the best bar band in America since the Georgia 
Satellites broke up.

Neil Young - Harvest Moon
-------------------------
Simply put, a beautiful album, ranking as one of Neil's best.

Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction
----------------------------------
The heaviest of the heavies. Forget Metallica, who have become overblown
with themselves and seem about as heavy as Poison nowadays. Dave Mustaine
might be an egotistical jerk, but he is at the helm of one mighty band. And
their latest album is easily the best in the genre since Metallica's 
'Master Of Puppets'.

John Cougar Mellencamp - Whenever We Wanted
-------------------------------------------
I remember reading a quote from JCM, saying that after he took a two year
hiatus, he went back and listened to his last two albums. And his main
thought afterwards was "Where's the guitar?". Well, from the monster riff
of "Love and Happiness" that opens this album, it's ovbious that John
put the guitar back into this music! This album is a bit of a step back
for him, more towards the 'Scarecrow' and 'American Fool' days. But that's
ok for me - as much as I liked the later albums, it's always good to hear
just some plain, rock-solid music from him too.

Sonic Youth - Dirty
-------------------
Noise. Noise. Noise. That's about the best way to sum up Sonic Youth. Although 
they've been around forever, I had never gotten a chance to hear them before.
Shame on me - if 'Dirty' is any indication, I've got a lot of catching up
to do! This album is not for the faint of heart at all, and it sometimes
even grates on me, but I really like it (although I must admit that I usually
listen to it in small amounts, rather than the whole album all the way 
through). "100%" is the single and really catchy, but my personal favorite
is "Swimsuit Issue", where bassist Kim Gordon slowly reels off the names
of famous models.

Izzy Stradlin' and the JuJu Hounds
----------------------------------
Guns and Roses' ex-rhythm guitarist teams up with ex-Georgia Satellites lead
guitarist Rick Richards, and they produce an album that sounds more like
Keith Richards than Keith does! Maybe not the glorious album that I was 
hoping for, but still a very nice album that slowly grows on you. Check out
"Shuffle It All" for a good example of the music. Also check out the Clash
influence on their version of "Pressure Drop" - sounds like it is right
off the 'London Calling' album!

For tenth place, I'm gonna just quickly mention some of the other albums
that have caught my ear over the past year:

Love/Hate - Wasted In America: great garage metal with cool hooks. 
Robbie Robertson - Storyville: nice album, though not as good as his first
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch/Lucky Town: might have made my Top Ten, but
		    I haven't heard them enough to really judge 'em. I love
		    what I hear on the radio though!
Eric Clapton - Unplugged: Unlike most, I *like* the rework of "Layla"! The
	       rest of the album is just a bonus! Not quite as stunning as
	       the '24 Nights' collection, but a nice side-track for EC.
Sass Jordan - Racine: a very promising debut album! 



And a quick listing of a couple of the better live shows I saw this year:
	Melissa Etheridge/Jeffery Gaines - Orpheum (incredible!)
	Peter Frampton - Paradise (guilty pleasure)
	Eric Clapton - Great Woods (as always)
	Elton John - Great Woods (first time I'd seen him)
	Ringo Starr - Great Woods (fun!)


alan
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
341.1unexhaustiveRAGMOP::T_PARMENTERWed Dec 23 1992 11:446
    Matthew Sweet
    
    Teenage Fan Club
    
    Kiko by Los Lobos
341.2Eight Plus TwoTECRUS::ROSTGive me Beefheart or give me deathWed Dec 23 1992 12:54100
    Top ten albums?  I'm trying to remember if I bought ten albums yet that
    came out this year, seems like so much of my purchasing these days is
    back catalog stuff.  Also, I suspect my tastes are going to be a little
    off-center and that some of you will have never heard of this stuff, so
    with that disclaimer, here we go.

    Alison Krauss and Union Station "Everytime We Say Goodbye" (Rounder)

    I've gotta say it, after two solo albums and two band albums I like the
    solos better because Alison gets to sing all the songs.  The other
    singers are good, but... The songs are strong and the playing flawless. 
    I don't get blown away by Alison the way I used to, but this is an
    album I'll be listening to a lot over the years.  Surprise cover tune:
    "I Don't Know Why" by Shawn Colvin. 

    Michelle Shocked "Arkansas Traveler" (Mercury)

    I didn't get the bug for Michelle from her three previous albums, but
    this one hits the spot.  A curious concept record where she plays
    mostly traditional tunes with various big names, Pops Staples, the
    Band, Taj Mahal, Doc Watson, Uncle Tupelo, etc.  The tune she does with
    Alison Krauss, "Prodigal Daughter", is the high spot but the rocking
    "Come A Long Way" is a close second.

    Morphine "Good" (Accurate/Distortion)

    Mark Sandman's claim to fame is that he wrote Treat Her Right's lone
    hit "I Think She Likes Me".  Imagine that stripped down sound stripped
    down *further*.  Sandman plays a two string slide bass (!!!) and is
    backed up by baritone sax and drums.  His partners have jazz
    credentials (Either/Orchestra for instance) so the sound is like Lou
    Reed jamming with Gerry Mulligan.  This is rock music, but it got a
    surprising amount of airplay on Boston jazz stations.  Worth searching
    out.

    Joan Armatrading "Square the Circle" (A&M)

    Every two years or so, Joan puts out another album that sounds similar
    to her last one but has a batch of fine songs nonetheless.  Hey, she's
    more consistent than Elton John is.  Guilty pleasure of the year.

    Lucinda Williams "Sweet Old World" (Chameleon)

    Finally following up her Rough Trade debut after a nightmare with RCA,
    Lucinda actually has gotten better.  Great songs, crack band,
    sympathetic production, what more could you ask for?  Brownie points
    for covering Nick Drake.

    John and Geno Delafose "Pere et Fils Zydeco" (Rounder)

    That means "father and son zydeco" for non-Francophiles.  John Delafose
    is one of the rawest zydeco accordion players, he seems to prefer one
    and two chord stomps to uptown R&B. His son Geno gets to front the band
    on about half the tunes (thus the title).  Nothing new here, a lot of
    the songs are obvious variants of other zydeco tunes, but the joint
    rocks when the band gets cranking.

    Sonny Landreth "Outward Bound" (Zoo)

    Sonny gets the big label push here, but he's an unlikely star, a Cajun
    guitarist who's done stints in both zydeco bands and straight rock
    outfits.  The album showcases his liquid guitar tone and has some nice
    original songs.  I really like the Cajun touches to some of the tunes,
    as well as the otherworldiness he brings to songs like the title tune.

    Robert Cray "I Was Warned" (Mercury)

    Hey, you *know* Bob is gonna be tortured in each and every song, this
    guy brings the heartbreak of C&W into the R&B format and scores every
    time.  This is his best in years.  Demerits for the abscence of bassist
    Richard Cousins, who has been Cray's right hand man since the 70s.

    That's eight, I think that exhausts the 1992 stuff that I bought! 
    Still on the lookout for: Steve Swallow, Ginger Baker, Praxis, Jonathan
    Richman

    Not-quite-92-but reissues:

    Spirit "Time Cycle" (Epic Legacy)

    This may have come out in 91, but it is a great box.  It covers almost
    all of the first four classic Spirit albums, the omissions of course
    include a couple of tracks I loved, but in general this is good enough
    to satisfy the fans.  A good booklet describing the band's history,
    very interesting.  Drummer Ed Cassidy is now 69 years old and still
    performing!  These songs were *way* ahead of their time, except for the
    somewhat dated mixes (pingpong stereo and dry by modern standards) this
    stuff sounds awfully contemporary.

    Grin "1 + 1" (Epic)

    Surprise!  A Nice Price reissue of one of the greatest cult albums of
    the early seventies, now you don't have to shell out $35 for a worn
    vinyl copy.  Not sure when it came out but saw my first copy about a
    month ago. Grin was Nils Lofgren's band and this album, split into
    "Rocking" and "Dreamy" sides on LP is the best of the four that band
    did. Power pop meets country rock and everybody wins.  A better buy
    than the "Best of Grin" set if you can only have one.

								Brian
341.3My two bobs worth.WELCLU::BROWNIThe Man who sold the WorldWed Dec 23 1992 14:109
    Not sure about a top ten, but here's my top 5......
    
    1) K.D.LANG - Ingenue
    2) MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER - Come On, Come On
    3) JOHN LEE HOOKER - Boom Boom
    4) SUGAR - Copper Blue
    5) STEREO MC'S - Connected
    
    Ian
341.4ICS::CROUCHSubterranean Dharma BumWed Dec 23 1992 14:216
    Peter Gabriel - US , Not as great as SO but pretty close.
    
    Pearl Jam - 10 , Ditto to .0. Great Rock album from start to finish.
    
    Jim C.
341.5a couple fewNEMAIL::CARROLLJThe Bright-Eyed BoyWed Dec 23 1992 17:3812
    
    'nuther voter for Pearl Jam ( called Hurl Jam by my tasteless buddies )
    Spin Doctors -Pocket Full of Kryptonite
    John Wesley Harding - Why We Fight
    Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
    Bim Skala Bim - Bones
    Heretix - Continuous Soft Hits on the Head
    They Might Be Giants - Apollo 17
    
    	many more I can't think of right now . . .
    
    				- Jimbo
341.6more votesWBC::DEADY"...that's as green as it gets..."Wed Dec 23 1992 19:389
    
    10,000 Maniacs - Our Time in Eden
    Lindsey Buckingham - Another vote for
    Pearl Jam          - Another vote for
    Fleetwood Mac Box-set - A must have
    Neil Young         - Another vote for
    
    Patti Loveless - Country great sound
    Suzy Boggus    - Country must have
341.7My top 10USABLE::GOODMichael GoodMon Dec 28 1992 15:5049
    I found this a much better year for pop music than 1991, where it was
    hard to even scrape up 5 albums for a top 10 list.  There was no
    problem this year in finding 10:
    
    k.d. lang - "Ingenue"
    
       Certainly my biggest discovery of the year!  A gorgeous album.
    
    Bruce Springsteen - "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town"
    
       My 2 favorite rock albums of the year, especially remarkable
       after disappointing outings from Seger and Mellencamp in their
       latest albums.
    
    Melissa Etheridge - "Never Enough"
    
       ... and a great #3 in that category.  I just hope she releases her
       next album much more quickly!
    
    Indigo Girls - "Rites of Passage"
    
       I didn't like this one all that much when it came out, but it
       has really grown on me over the year.  Amy Ray's cover of
       "Romeo and Juliet" is stunning.
    
    John Wesley Harding - "Why We Fight"
    
       Finally, a JWH album where the production enhances rather than
       detracts from the songs!
    
    Mary-Chapin Carpenter - "Come On Come On"
    
       Another discovery from a "country" artist.  Beautiful and witty
       songs.
    
    Prince - "o-+->"
    
       Not my favorite of Prince's albums, but there are several
       great tunes that carry it onto the list despite some of the
       album's dull stretches.
    
    Michelle Shocked - "Arkansas Traveler"
    
       Michelle strikes again with her folksiest album to date.
    
    Knots and Crosses - "Creatures of Habit"

       Thanks to WBOS for breaking this New England band!  The title track
       is particularly beautiful.
341.8HERE'S TO '93 & MORE GREAT MUSICAKOCOA::CHENARDMon Dec 28 1992 16:1416
    Here's my list of the best of '92:
    
    Robbie Robertson - STORYVILLE
    
    Allman Bros. - LIVE AT THE ORPHEUM
    
    Tears for Fears - GREATEST HITS
    
    Simple Red's last release (can't remember the title right now)
    
    & an Honorable Mention to:
    
    Knots & Crosses (I'm a WBOS listener too)
    
    Mo
341.9My 10!AKOCOA::MOONEYTue Dec 29 1992 11:2513
    My list. I'm sure I forgot a few and I don't heve the new Niel Young 
    or Dylan yet.
    
    REM			Automatic for the People
    Lou Reed		Magic & Loss
    Los Lobos		Kiko
    Black Crows 	Southern Harmony
    Little Village
    John Mellencamp	Whenever We Wanted
    Arc Angels
    Richard Thompson	Rumor & Sigh
    Zappa		Best Band you Never Heard in your Life
    Bruce		Human Touch/Lucky Town
341.10ELWOOD::VEDUCCIOMon Jan 04 1993 13:0329
      Best Of 92' 
   1. Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old World   (Chameleon)
   2. Lou Reed - Magic And Loss (Sire/Warner)
   3. Los Lobos - Kiko (Slash/Warner)
   4. V.A. - A Town South Of Bakersfield Vol.3 (Restless)
   5. The Texas Tornados - Hanging On By A Thread (Reprise)
   6. Little Village - Little Village (Reprise)
   7. Tish Hinojosa - Culture Swing  (Rounder)
   8. Sonny Landreth - Outward Bound (Zoo/Praxis)
   9. Flaco Jiminez - Partners  (Reprise)
  10. Ann Peebles - Full Time Love (Rounder)
   
      Runners Up 
   1. Rosie Flores - After The Farm (Hightone)   
   2. Sue Foley - Young Girl Blues (Antones)
  
      Best Reissues 92
   1. Wilson Pickett - A Man And A Half (Rhino/Atlantic)
   2. Buck Owens - The Buck Owens Collection 1959-1990 (Rhino)
   3. Elvis Presley - The 50's Masters (RCA)
   4. The Trashmen - Tube City, Best Of (Sundazed)
   5. Ella Mae Morse - Collectors Series (Capitol)
   6. Elmore James - King Of The Slide Guitar (Capricorn) 
   7. Doug Sahm & Friends - Atlantic Sessions (Rhino)
   8. The MC5 - Back In The USA (Rhino/Atlantic)
   9. V.A. - Rockin'In The Farmhouse Vol.2 (Sundazed) 
  10. Jimmy Reed - At Carnegie Hall (Mobile Fidelity)

      Mike
341.11A different style listCGVAX2::LEMIREMon Jan 04 1993 18:4543
    I think I have a little different taste than some of you, Who is pearl
    jam?
    
    Here is my list
    
    1. Pattie LaBelle Live
    A great album, with singles from her latest "Burning" album as well as 
    her clasics.
    
    2. Michael Bolton - Timeless the classics.  I can hear all of you
    groaning now.  This album re introduced me to some of the music I loved
    as a teenager, but since forgot about in the hustle and bustle of pop
    music.  
    
    3. Whitney Houston & other artist _ soundtrack to Bodyguard
    Whitney has 5 new singles that could all be hits.  Plus singles
    from Kenny G with Aron Neville and other artist.
    
    4. En Vogue - funky divas
    A brilliant blend of soul and pop rock.  Not to mention the ladies are 
    fine!
    
     Here is another one to groan at
    
    5. Michael Jackson - Dangerous
    Yes I choose this one because for the first time, I think MJ has put
    aside his obsession of making it the best for the fans, and just made
    music that he wanted to do.  the album has it's high's and low's (so
    doesn't the artist) but I have heard some of his best work on this
    album.
    
    6. Kenny G - Breathless
    
    A great relaxing album.  Sweet sounds and rythum, and most important,
    no overdone, boring, 5 minute long, repeditive rifts. A good album for 
    those cold winter nights.
    
    I think that is it.  There wasn't much to choose from with my type of
    music year, although I may be fogetting a few.
    
    David
341.12Votes from BavariaRTOEU::RWINTERTue Jan 05 1993 10:2816
    My list:
    
    Sonny Landreth - Outward Bound
    Cowboy Junkies - Black Eyed Man
    Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds
    Pearl Jam - Ten
    Little Village
    Danzig - How The Gods Kill
    Brandos - Gunfire At Midnight
    Omar & the Howlers - Live At Paradiso
    
    If non-US albums can also be named, my top 10 are completed by
    Mary Coughlan's "Sentimental Killer" and Dave Hole's "Short Fuse
    Blues".
    
    Ryener
341.13SAHQ::LUBERAtlanta Braves: 1993 World ChampionsTue Jan 05 1993 12:376
    I can't think of ten good albums, but a few that I liked are:
    
    Patty Smyth       Patty Smyth
    The Rembrandts    Untitled
    Susanna Hoffs     When Your a Boy  (or was this 1992?  can't remember)
    Help Yourself     Julian Lennon
341.14My Top 10POWDML::BUCKLEYLet the light surroundedFri Jan 08 1993 16:3070
    Here is my Top 10 album list of 1992 -- in no particular order:

    
Annie Lennox - Diva
-------------------
    Hauntingly soulful tunes from one of my favorite female vocalists!  Her
    strong vocal style shines through much clearer on this release than on
    the previous releases with the Eurythmics.  Highly recommended!
    
Shotgun Messiah - Second Coming
-------------------------------
    Yeah, this is your average pop-metal band, but I like their punk-influenced
    metal riffs, which have been incorporated into well-crafted, AOR songs.
    This, imho, was one of the stronger releases in it's genre for the past 
    few years.

Bee Gees - Box Set
------------------
    An outstanding collection of some oustanding compositions from one of
    the best British bands ever (imho)!  
    
Pearl Jam - 10
--------------
    Strong and simple.  The quintessential rock formula taken into the 90s
    with a fresh sound and outlook.  One of *the* bands to watch in this
    decade.
     
Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
---------------------------------------------------------
    One of the other bands to watch in this decade.  While many pawn this
    band off as a 'clone/rehash' band, I think the crowes are one of THE
    best bands to emerge onto the rock scene in years!  The sound may be
    familiar to themes of past, but oddly enough they're right in keeping
    with the current trends in the fashion world.  Although, whereas
    fashion trends change, I think the Crowes will stay loyal to their
    roots.
    
Alice in Chains - Dirt
----------------------
    Another ground-breaking band out of Seattle.  AiC hits hard and heavy,
    with a strong rhythm section topped off with *excellent* vocal work
    (odd for bands of this genre imho)!!

Lou Reed - Magic and Loss
-------------------------
    Lou's strong lyrical poetry and odd sense of harmony is not everyone's
    cup of tea, but this is one of Lou's strongest statements to date!!  A
    very heavy album (mentally).
    
Dream Theater - Images and Words
--------------------------------
    Sure, these guys can play, and then some.  But it's the manner in which
    these 5 outstanding musicians have harnessed their talent and chops
    into a melodic mixture of songs which lends itself to the ears of the 
    general public.  Enough bebop lines and timing chanes for the jazz
    purist at heart, enough crunch for the metalist at heart.  Another band
    I think will go places in the 90s.
    
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
------------------------------
    Maybe a tad mellow for this bunch, but this is one GREAT album!!  Sort
    of reminds me of the latter Til Tuesday stuff, but with a bit more 
    maturity.  

Arrested Development - ...in the life of...
-------------------------------------------
    I'm not a big rap fan, but this is a SMOKIN album!!!  Groovin R&B-laced
    rhythm section vibes strongly support lyrical and haunting rap lyrics,
    which feature a STRONG moral and social message!!  This is a very
    upbeat and belodic album ... highly recommended...
341.15CSC32::B_KNOXRock'n'Roll RefugeeFri Jan 08 1993 20:0417
    
    RE: -1
    
    Given the musical tastes of many of the guitar-noters, I'm amazed to
    see that only Buck has mentioned Alice In Chains, Shotgun Messiah
    and Dream Theater (3 of my current favs!!)
    
    I've never heard of "Little Village"... Can some of you who included 
    them in your list of top albums please expound on the virtues of this
    group ???
    
    
    PS> Buck, it's comforting to hear another rocker come out of the closet
        and admit to listening to the BeeGee's (especially Pre-Disco BG's)
    
    
    /Billy_K
341.16Ten for the Vine ...CSC32::A_PARRACOStarless and Bible Black Fri Jan 08 1993 21:4222
    
    1)   US, by Peter Gabriel
    
    2)   Secret Story, by Pat Metheny
    
    3)   Illicit, by Tribal Tech (Scott Henderson and Gary Willis)
    
    4)   Diva, by Annie Lennox
    
    5)   UFO Tofu, by Bela Fleck and The Flecktones
    
    6)   A Little Light Music, by Jethro Tull
    
    7)   Sailing the Seas of Cheese, by Primus
    
    8)   Pop-Pop, by Rickie Lee Jones
    
    9)   Live from the Apollo, by the New York Rock and Soul Revue
    
    10)  Red Light, Blue Light - by Harry Connick Jr.
    
    - acp
341.17Approximate Top 10 of 1992FUNYET::ANDERSONAnother snowless winterMon Jan 11 1993 01:3410
	 1  Last Rights		Skinny Puppy
	 2  Duality		In the Nursery
	 3  Gipsy Kings Live	Gipsy Kings
	 4  Us			Peter Gabriel
	 5  Ferment		The Catherine Wheel
	 8  Green is the Sea	And Also the Trees
	 6  Psalm 69		Ministry
	 7  Spooky		Lush
	 9  Your Arsenal	Morrissey
	10  Love of Life	The Swans
341.18It's a small town...ELWOOD::VEDUCCIOTue Jan 12 1993 13:035
    RE .15  
    
        See note 155 for Little Village info.
    
        Mike
341.19WELCLU::HEDLEYLock up your wildebeest, it's the RCC!Thu Jan 21 1993 11:1919
341.20Top Five for '92VAXWRK::STHILAIREdo i care what your hobbies r?Tue Jan 26 1993 19:4611
    1) Neil Young - Harvest Moon
    2) REM - Automatic
    3) Peter Gabriel - US
    4) Black Crowes - Southern Harmony (besides being a very good band
                                        *I* think Chris Robinson is
                                        very attractive)
    5) 10,000 Maniacs - Our Time In Eden
    
    
    Lorna
341.21make that top sevenVAXWRK::STHILAIREdo i care what your hobbies r?Wed Jan 27 1993 11:446
    re .20, I forgot two of my favorite albums.  I'd add Bruce's Human
    Touch and INXS' Welcome To Wherever You Are to my list.   In fact, I
    liked both better than 10,000 Maniacs.
    
    Lorna