i like it, but then diminishing returns of the Superunknown era is my idea of a good time
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:18 (eleven years ago) link
I still think there's some good stuff on Down On The Upside, although I've always felt the record should have been a lot shorter, with a few of the lesser tracks bumped off. Never been a fan of 'Applebite', for example.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:21 (eleven years ago) link
Weezer's Green album and Make Believe did more than pretty well after Pinkerton, did they not.
― Morrissey & Clunes: The Severed Alliance (PaulTMA), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
should probably be pinkerton but i voted for stone temple pilots, there were some good songs on that album
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
i think the CD-era largesse peaked around '96-'98 where seemingly every album being released was a few songs too long, but Soundgarden did 70-minute indulgence better than many
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:25 (eleven years ago) link
yeah Weezer def had the best sales rebound of any of these bands, but obv they did the whole depressed hiatus thing first
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:27 (eleven years ago) link
Amazing Disgrace has grown over the years into perhaps my favorite Posies album. I saw them on that tour and they were terrific, too. That album might be the closest one to bridging their live sound with their recorded sound.
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:32 (eleven years ago) link
lol oh man do i remember this year
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:32 (eleven years ago) link
yeah Amazing Disgrace was the album that got me into the Posies and i have a huge sentimental attachment to it, even though it is definitely flawed and i probably consider Frosting a better album overall.
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:33 (eleven years ago) link
That's a pretty sad list. I still like the Soundgarden, Tori Amos, and Weezer albums, but New Adventures In Hi-Fi is one of my favorite REM albums so it's an easy choice.
Also, "Volcano" is awesome and probably my favorite PUSA single, but I'm pretty sure I've never heard the whole second album.
― You Don't Throw Oranges On An Escalator (Deric W. Haircare), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:35 (eleven years ago) link
for some reason either my brother or i bought the PUSA album. it's probably as good as the first, but, y'know, what does that even mean.
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:36 (eleven years ago) link
Boy, Veruca Salt just missed this list by two months.
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:40 (eleven years ago) link
a lot of 95/97 albums are in the same boat but i wanted to emphasize what a bloodbath '96 was in particular
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
my firs thoughts about this period were "Belly and Juliana Hatfield."
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:42 (eleven years ago) link
Before I opened this thread I knew I was voting for black love
― l0u1s j0rdan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:43 (eleven years ago) link
album sales in general didn't drop in '96 so i kinda wonder if there was some mass exodus to, like, rap and country among teenagers in that period or if the rock crowd just became really fractured post-Cobain and a thousand different indie bands siphoned off the fans of these 20 platinum acts
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:44 (eleven years ago) link
Was just listening last night to Three Snakes and One Charm and it's still my favorite Crowes album.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:46 (eleven years ago) link
Fond of both of those albums.
― You Don't Throw Oranges On An Escalator (Deric W. Haircare), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
if ship had included '95, yes, King would have been my pick.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
good lord this list is mostly horrible. i have hopes for ilx managing not to vote for pinkerton, not that its bad, just that its what the rest of the internet would vote for and i am elitist scum
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:47 (eleven years ago) link
I voted No Code, my favorite PJ album & one I have a lot of time for still.
Broken Arrow really seemed like one album too far. saw Neil live on that tour & was both rocked & shocked at how pointless it seemed.
― Euler, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
jesus christ, WHIGS
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
I recently burned a CD-R with "Universal Heartbeat" on it.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
i am voting for boys for pele? how did that happen
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, May 3, 2012 2:42 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Heard songs from both of them today!
― i love the large auns pictures! (Phil D.), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:49 (eleven years ago) link
oh wow "Universal Heartbeat," now that's a song i haven't heard or even thought of in 10+ years
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
Why wasn't this a huge hit?
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
― mookieproof, Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:55 (eleven years ago) link
Afghan Whigs were a band i always assumed i'd really dig but never got around to their albums until Spotify made it super convenient and uh...nah, don't really like them nearly as much as i thought i would.
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:57 (eleven years ago) link
^this
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:57 (eleven years ago) link
i'm gonna vote whigs, but cosign - ken stringfellow wrote an incredibly detailed recording diary of amazing disgrace that's somehow still floating around the internet and makes it very clear how much thought went into that record (and/or how much money DGC was willing to blow on it)
― scream blahula scream (govern yourself accordingly), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:58 (eleven years ago) link
oh sweet, thanks for the link!
it is kind of fun to hear about how much money was flushed away in the after glow of those 91-94 boom years.
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 18:59 (eleven years ago) link
some dude, would you have considered Bob Mould's eponymous record? A big disappointment after the Sugar records.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:01 (eleven years ago) link
afgan wigs in a heartbeat
― btw didn't i braek ur heart (NickB), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
i really like the posies, and even ken stringfellow solo, but please
― mookieproof, Thursday, May 3, 2012 1:55 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark
i think you have to be in just the right mood to hear black love, and also listen to it all the way through to get the full effect. it's a real start-to-finish corker imo.
― former personal denim advisor to the mayor, (La Lechera), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:02 (eleven years ago) link
the Mould wasn't major label, was it?
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:04 (eleven years ago) link
Rykodisc, I think
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:06 (eleven years ago) link
yeah ryko was still indie back then
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:44 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
alanis
― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:08 (eleven years ago) link
pinkerton is the only album on this list that i've ever even come close to liking, so that.
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:13 (eleven years ago) link
Another couple of flops (at least in the UK):
Tricky - Pre Millennium TensionThe Auteurs - After Murder Park
Both decent records imo
― btw didn't i braek ur heart (NickB), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:14 (eleven years ago) link
i listened to Pinkerton again today trying to figure out if i'm being stubborn and contrarian about it but no, it's just terrible.
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:14 (eleven years ago) link
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:57 AM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, May 3, 2012 11:57 AM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
afghan whigs are just horrible. so bellowy and gross. like being beaten with a sweaty brick.
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:15 (eleven years ago) link
Weezer were never good for more than four singles.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:15 (eleven years ago) link
it's not a great album, overall, but it does have some great songs on it. suppose a lot of these are half-defensible by that standard...
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:18 (eleven years ago) link
i like the debut pretty much all the way through.
― 10. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” – Tom Cruise (contenderizer), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:19 (eleven years ago) link
No Sammy, Tales Of Great Neck Glory, no credibility.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:20 (eleven years ago) link
I must have listened to that PUSA album 50+ times back in those days. Mostly because it was the only tape I owned and I didn't always have access to a CD player. I actually got the first PUSA disc taken away from me (I was blasting it in my room w/ the window open and my parents came home right as "Fuck you kitty" came on). Dunno if I could stomach II today - I remember "Lunatic to Love" and "Volcano" and maybe "Mach 5" well but the rest was full of so much generic rock riffing and genuinely unclever lyrics, though I remember a few funny moments in retrospect.
I voted Factory Showroom - I remember such a huge backlash at the time since it had things that resembled *real* three-verses-and-a-bridge songs and had ONLY 13 songs on it, but in retrospect it was a pretty tight album. "Spiralling Shape" was my favorite song ever for a while.
― That's a pretty funky dance, Garfield. Show me how you do it. (frogbs), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:20 (eleven years ago) link
some major sophomore slumps on this list!
― tylerw, Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:21 (eleven years ago) link
underperforming major label debuts are a different category re: Sammy
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:22 (eleven years ago) link
between _Spike_ and the Bacharach collab EC inhabited a strange interzone. I'm not sure who was buying his records besides me.
― deep wubs and tribral rhythms (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:17 (five months ago) link
C'Mon Kids is still the best example of this, in theory anyway, but it was in the UK not the US and in the UK 1996 was alt rock (read: britpop)'s 1994 moment
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:20 (five months ago) link
this is almost exactly the year I noped out of radio-based alternative music and started digging more into 'indie' music. I'm surprised All this Useless Beauty may have sold poorly though, they certainly poured a lot of promotion into it
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:23 (five months ago) link
EC was scoring Alternative Radio hits in America up through Brutal Youth, and then immediately dropped off the radar except for his core audience like so many other still-active '80s College Rock faves (Moz, Westerberg, Siouxsie, Peter Murphy etc.).
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:29 (five months ago) link
...and then he embraced Elder Statesman status with the Bacharach album, awards show appearances, famous new wife, more reissue campaigns etc.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:36 (five months ago) link
brutal youth is his best album
― brimstead, Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:38 (five months ago) link
Brutal Youth was almost a UK No. 1 album. Got him on the same TOTP episode as Moz and Mark E Smith. Can only imagine what it was like backstage.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 18 November 2023 17:40 (five months ago) link
funny thing about EC is that he's successful all the way from the 70s through to the 90s, but I'd be surprised if many people would know any of his songs post 1983.
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 18 November 2023 18:24 (five months ago) link
yes I've noticed his UK chart positions
― stuffing your suit pockets with cold, stale chicken tende (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 November 2023 18:28 (five months ago) link
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain),
"13 Steps Lead Down" and "Kinder Murder" got play oh my college station in spring '94, after which...zero. He was on Letterman that season a couple times after Dave said he dug his guitar playing.
― stuffing your suit pockets with cold, stale chicken tende (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 November 2023 18:29 (five months ago) link
13 steps lead down was considered a "return to form"
― deep wubs and tribral rhythms (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 18 November 2023 19:17 (five months ago) link
by then I was way into Aphex Twin and Warp records stuff so it did not revive ym interest in contemporary EC
― deep wubs and tribral rhythms (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 18 November 2023 19:18 (five months ago) link
R.E.M. was my favourite at the time and still is, but the Pixies record is solid throughout and maybe their best, they are less in thrall to their guitar sounds than they were on Frosting on the Beater.
Don't know whether the Soundgarden or the STP records better illustrate a band falling apart in 90s style. I like five songs on each. At least Tiny Music is 24 minutes shorter; the last half of Down on the Upside is a wasteland.
― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 November 2023 03:47 (five months ago) link
I like five songs on each.
...including all the singles on each except for "Ty Cobb". I am obviously the sort of fairweather fan who stifled these bands' creativity by disdaining such bold strokes as "Overfloater" and "Art School Girl".
― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 November 2023 04:12 (five months ago) link
Listening to Tiny Music right now. The '90s were so full of these minute-long instrumental album openers.
― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 19 November 2023 12:24 (five months ago) link
I loved Ty Cobb at the time for the banjo.
― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Sunday, 19 November 2023 12:41 (five months ago) link
OK, the singles are seriously really good! And I do like the mellow jams a bit ("Daisy" is beautiful!), but the rockers are a bit shit. And "I got a girlfriend, she goes to art school. I got an art school girlfriend" strong contender for worst lyric of all-time. Aha! "Referencing the Tiny Music... album in his memoir, Not Dead and Not For Sale, Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland wrote: "We wanted to make a statement. We wanted to deconstruct, go low-tech, get to the dark heart of the matter. I was happy to write Bowie-esque stream-of-consciousness lyrics that didn't need to make sense. Example: 'Big Bang Baby.'" You call it stream-of-consciousness, I call it lazy.
― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 19 November 2023 12:45 (five months ago) link
I listened to Tiny Music earlier too. And it's pretty Britpop?? In a way not unlike Monster, although the production is decidedly different. I guess this is just what happens when you're a 90s alt rock band going glam.
I though tit was a pretty good album but I was maybe expecting a bit more eclecticism, given its reputation as a quasi-art-pop curveball. Isn't No Code meant to be one too? I haven't heard it in about 12 years and remember nothing of it.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 19 November 2023 13:56 (five months ago) link
No Code is more of a shaggy contemplative and atypically acoustic curveball. a few missteps but a good album, and probably did the most of any of these to help the band move forward or find their long-term footing.
― not the one who's tryin' to dub your anime (Doctor Casino), Sunday, 19 November 2023 14:00 (five months ago) link
(well, Load too, but not in a good way)
I enjoy Who You Are (the only song off it I know) because great drums and fun as a deliberately fanbase-slimming choice of lead single a la The 13th and E-Bow the Letter.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 19 November 2023 14:12 (five months ago) link
the Pixies record is solid throughout and maybe their best
Posies record, obviously. I was distracted thinking about K. S.
― Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 19 November 2023 15:12 (five months ago) link