Without having read the rest of this thread: That's a great list of albums right there.
― beard papa, Sunday, 5 November 2017 07:27 (six years ago) link
In 1990 I turned 27 and a friend turned me into indie music. And I was very surprised how much excellent stuff was out there. Definitely one of the greatest years of rock music. Albums I love to pieces which have been mentioned:The House of Love - "Butterfly" (my fave of 1990 what a glorious record, they should have been as big as The Smiths)Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas (still my fave of theirs, the word ethereal was invented for them)Sonic Youth - Goo (accessible but still rough and edgy)The Pixies - Bossanova (their most pop album, almost smooth)Blue Aeroplanes - Swagger (still a milestone of half spoken word indie, campfire music)The Chills - Submarine Bells (where the Beach Boys and Daniel Johnston meet)Neil Young - Ragged Glory (where Neil rocked out again)Lou Reed & John Cale - Songs for Drella (the tribute album of 1990, each song immediately recognisable as by Reed or by Cale)
Not mentioned yet:The Breeders - Pod (their best)Swell - s/t (almost as good as their seminal 41)
― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Sunday, 5 November 2017 07:43 (six years ago) link
Eno/Cale - Wrong Way Up came out in 1990, and a perfect amalgam of their talents it is.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 5 November 2017 20:54 (six years ago) link
Wrong Way Up is great. It didn't make a broad impact at the time but it remains in my collection, unlike so many of the other titles listed ITT.
I recall the New Zealand music scene starting to gain wider notice in North America in 1990. Maybe not as influential as the Pacific Northwest was about to become but definitely longer lasting for me. SPIN did a story around that time and a friend brought me back a copy of the Tuatara comp that she picked up while on a trip to NZ that summer. There are several significant NZ releases from 1990 already noted but I'd also suggest the Plagal Grind EP and TKOP's A Beard of Bees, which is still an absolutely magical listen.
― doug watson, Monday, 6 November 2017 15:24 (six years ago) link
My mistake, Beard of Bees was actually 1984 release. It was the Xpressway cassette that dropped in 1990. Fantastic album, even if it doesn't strengthen this particular argument.
― doug watson, Monday, 6 November 2017 15:36 (six years ago) link
One massive NZ album from 1990:
The Dead C. - Trapdoor Fucking Exit
― plp will eat itself (NickB), Monday, 6 November 2017 16:00 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LWN9d9X-6o
― boxedjoy, Friday, 10 November 2017 09:44 (six years ago) link
To answer the question, maybe?
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 March 2020 02:21 (four years ago) link
Maybe I'll use this thread to document the completely random trail I've found myself on over the last couple of days. Namely, listening (without prejudice) to a long string of pop albums from 1990 that I've never heard before. Thus far:
Oleta Adams - Circle of OneAl B. Sure! - Private Times...and the Whole 9!Laura Branigan - s/tBernadette Cooper - Drama According to Bernadette CooperDeee-Lite - World CliqueDigital Underground - Sex PacketsDino - Swingin'
The best of the lot has been the Bernadette 'Klymaxx' Cooper album, a sharp and fun Prince-not-Prince jam in the same league as another long-standing 1990 favorite, A'me Lorain's Starring in...Standing in a Monkey Sea. The Branigan album was surprisingly solid if a bit sonically anachronistic. The Deee-Lite album was, aside from the obvious outlier, kind of a disappointing snooze tbh. Oleta is good value but I guess not much of a pop album per se. The rest...eh.
I guess I'm continuing with this experiment for the time being, to the extent that anyone cares.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:14 (four years ago) link
Wow -- I was listening to Circle of One again yesterday! I enjoy Adams' voice and piano playing and her modest little tunes. I'll admit, though, that I listened again because at a friend's service two weeks ago one of his other buddies played Adams' cover of "Everything Must Change," which devastated me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDlYyjDOzko
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:19 (four years ago) link
I love World Clique, full stop. I regard it as a collection of exemplary house pop.
Sex Packets was fine, with some definite fun highlights, but it's pretty uneven. Seems like an early victim of 'must fill every available minute of time on this new CD format!' bloat.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:20 (four years ago) link
We might've been listening to Circle of One at the same time! I'm definitely going to listen to more Oleta Adams now, for sure. I've always really liked her cover of 'Get Here' and was pleasantly surprised by her stylistic breadth and, yeah, her voice.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:22 (four years ago) link
Rather generous of Roland Orzabal to produce it without turning it into TFF.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:22 (four years ago) link
Here was this week in 1990 on American Top 40. Conclusion: 1990 was awesome fuiud.
1 2 BLACK VELVET –•– Alannah Myles – 12 (1)2 4 LOVE WILL LEAD YOU BACK –•– Taylor Dayne – 9 (2)3 1 ESCAPADE –•– Janet Jackson – 10 (1)4 3 ROAM –•– The B-52’s – 14 (3)5 8 I WISH IT WOULD RAIN DOWN –•– Phil Collins – 8 (5)6 14 I’LL BE YOUR EVERYTHING –•– Tommy Page – 6 (6)7 12 ALL AROUND THE WORLD –•– Lisa Stansfield – 8 (7)8 6 I GO TO EXTREMES –•– Billy Joel – 11 (6)9 15 KEEP IT TOGETHER –•– Madonna – 8 (9)10 17 GET UP! (BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER) –•– Technotronic – 9 (10)11 10 C’MON AND GET MY LOVE –•– D-Mob – 15 (10)12 24 DON’T WANNA FALL IN LOVE –•– Jane Child – 7 (12)13 16 NO MYTH –•– Michael Penn – 12 (13)14 7 NO MORE LIES –•– Michel’le – 19 (7)15 21 HERE AND NOW –•– Luther Vandross – 14 (15)16 22 ALL MY LIFE –•– Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville – 7 (16)17 23 FOREVER –•– KISS – 8 (17)18 9 JUST A FRIEND –•– Biz Markie – 10 (9)19 19 SACRIFICE –•– Elton John – 11 (19)20 5 PRICE OF LOVE –•– Bad English – 14 (5)21 11 DANGEROUS –•– Roxette – 15 (2)22 18 OPPOSITES ATTRACT –•– Paula Abdul & The Wild Pair – 15 (1)23 26 WHOLE WIDE WORLD –•– A’me Lorain – 10 (23)24 31 I WANNA BE RICH –•– Calloway – 7 (24)25 13 TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE –•– Richard Marx – 10 (12)26 33 WITHOUT YOU –•– Motley Crue – 5 (26)27 20 SOMETIMES SHE CRIES –•– Warrant – 12 (20)28 36 HOW CAN WE BE LOVERS –•– Michael Bolton – 4 (28)29 25 HERE WE ARE –•– Gloria Estefan – 15 (6)30 32 LOVE ME FOR LIFE –•– Stevie B – 8 (30)31 37 HEARTBEAT –•– Seduction – 5 (31)32 39 WHIP APPEAL –•– Babyface – 5 (32)33 63 NOTHING COMPARES 2 U –•– Sinead O’Connor – 2 (33)34 28 THE DEEPER THE LOVE –•– Whitesnake – 10 (28)35 27 WE CAN’T GO WRONG –•– Cover Girls – 16 (8)36 42 HEART OF STONE –•– Cher – 7 (36)37 40 YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN –•– The Brat Pack – 8 (37)38 29 ANYTHING I WANT –•– Kevin Paige – 10 (29)39 44 IF U WERE MINE –•– The U-Krew – 9 (39)40 43 THE HEART OF THE MATTER –•– Don Henley – 6 (40)
11 10 C’MON AND GET MY LOVE –•– D-Mob – 15 (10)12 24 DON’T WANNA FALL IN LOVE –•– Jane Child – 7 (12)13 16 NO MYTH –•– Michael Penn – 12 (13)14 7 NO MORE LIES –•– Michel’le – 19 (7)15 21 HERE AND NOW –•– Luther Vandross – 14 (15)16 22 ALL MY LIFE –•– Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville – 7 (16)17 23 FOREVER –•– KISS – 8 (17)18 9 JUST A FRIEND –•– Biz Markie – 10 (9)19 19 SACRIFICE –•– Elton John – 11 (19)20 5 PRICE OF LOVE –•– Bad English – 14 (5)
21 11 DANGEROUS –•– Roxette – 15 (2)22 18 OPPOSITES ATTRACT –•– Paula Abdul & The Wild Pair – 15 (1)23 26 WHOLE WIDE WORLD –•– A’me Lorain – 10 (23)24 31 I WANNA BE RICH –•– Calloway – 7 (24)25 13 TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE –•– Richard Marx – 10 (12)26 33 WITHOUT YOU –•– Motley Crue – 5 (26)27 20 SOMETIMES SHE CRIES –•– Warrant – 12 (20)28 36 HOW CAN WE BE LOVERS –•– Michael Bolton – 4 (28)29 25 HERE WE ARE –•– Gloria Estefan – 15 (6)30 32 LOVE ME FOR LIFE –•– Stevie B – 8 (30)
31 37 HEARTBEAT –•– Seduction – 5 (31)32 39 WHIP APPEAL –•– Babyface – 5 (32)33 63 NOTHING COMPARES 2 U –•– Sinead O’Connor – 2 (33)34 28 THE DEEPER THE LOVE –•– Whitesnake – 10 (28)35 27 WE CAN’T GO WRONG –•– Cover Girls – 16 (8)36 42 HEART OF STONE –•– Cher – 7 (36)37 40 YOU’RE THE ONLY WOMAN –•– The Brat Pack – 8 (37)38 29 ANYTHING I WANT –•– Kevin Paige – 10 (29)39 44 IF U WERE MINE –•– The U-Krew – 9 (39)40 43 THE HEART OF THE MATTER –•– Don Henley – 6 (40)
― coronoshebettadontvirus (Eric H.), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:25 (four years ago) link
Man, that top twenty. No "meh," just good-to-great vs The Hague.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:26 (four years ago) link
Looking through that American Top 40 list, I guess a lot of the attendant albums must be from '89 because they would otherwise be in the playlist I'm jamming. I've got Tommy Page and Michel'le on the way, at any rate!
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:30 (four years ago) link
Just started Was (Not Was) - Are You Okay?. Will report back.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 14:31 (four years ago) link
Equivalent UK chart for same week. There’s some horrors in it but feels like something special especially the run between 11 and 18.
1 12 THE POWER SNAP! 2 2 LOVE SHACK THE B-52S3 6 STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER CANDY FLIP4 3 BLUE SAVANNAH ERASURE5 1 DUB BE GOOD TO ME BEATS INTERNATIONAL FEATURING LINDY LAYTON6 7 LILY WAS HERE DAVID A STEWART FEATURING CANDY DULFER7 5 I'LL BE LOVING YOU (FOREVER) NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK8 17 BIRDHOUSE IN YOUR SOUL THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS9 4 THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO MEJIVE BUNNY AND THE MASTERMIXERS 10 8 HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU MICHAEL BOLTON11 10 INFINITY (1990'S TIME FOR THE GURU) GURU JOSH12 14 DON'T YOU LOVE ME 49ERs13 11 MOMENTS IN SOUL JT AND THE BIG FAMILY14 15 THIS IS HOW IT FEELS INSPIRAL CARPETS15 19 EVERYTHING STARTS WITH AN 'E' {1990} E-ZEE POSSEE16 16 LOADED PRIMAL SCREAM17 28 CHIME ORBITAL18 34 MAMMA GAVE BIRTH TO THE SOUL CHILDREN QUEEN LATIFAH AND DE LA SOUL 19 9 THE BRITS 1990 VARIOUS ARTISTS20 13 NOTHING COMPARES 2 U SINEAD O'CONNOR21 36 ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE JAM TRONIK22 New DON'T MISS THE PARTYLINE BIZZ NIZZ23 33 ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE LOVE TO YOU HEART 24 New GHETTO HEAVEN FAMILY STAND25 21 HANDFUL OF PROMISES BIG FUN26 32 READ MY LIPS (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH) JIMMY SOMERVILLE27 New BETTER WORLD REBEL MC28 New PICTURES OF YOU THE CURE29 18 NATURAL THING INNOCENCE30 New KINGSTON TOWN UB4031 New ESCAPADE JANET JACKSON 32 20 ENJOY THE SILENC DEPECHE MODE33 48 BLACK VELVET ALANNAH MYLES34 Re SHE BANGS THE DRUMS THE STONE ROSES35 New WHAT U WAITIN' 4 THE JUNGLE BROTHERS36 New I REMEMBER YOU SKID ROW37 22 I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY ELSE BLACK BOX38 29 HERE WE ARE GLORIA ESTEFAN39 40 YOUR LOVE TAKES ME HIGHER {1990} THE BELOVED40 38 TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE RICHARD MARX
― Dan Worsley, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 17:34 (four years ago) link
Old Lunch, I think you need to listen to World Clique again. And again. And again. Keep listening to it. You must. Do not stop. Just play it again. Now. And forever. Our clique is the world. The world is our clique.
― DJP, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link
xp top 10 starts strong, ends very badly
― Wuhan!! Got You All in Check (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link
Forgot about that weird Brits 1990 megamix single
― Wuhan!! Got You All in Check (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link
I'd managed to completely forget about Jive Bunny
― DJP, Wednesday, 25 March 2020 17:52 (four years ago) link
I still own a cassette of the Jive Bunny LP, I remember being disappointed that it didn't include their abysmal Christmas single.
― Wuhan!! Got You All in Check (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 18:00 (four years ago) link
"Here We Are" is among my favorite guilty pleasures from that era.
― coronoshebettadontvirus (Eric H.), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 18:40 (four years ago) link
Ain't nothin' guilty about the pleasure of an Estefan ballad.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 19:08 (four years ago) link
Seems like an early victim of 'must fill every available minute of time on this new CD format!' bloat.
The CD has half a bonus track over the LP; the cassette has four.
― Dollarmite Is My Name (sic), Wednesday, 25 March 2020 20:28 (four years ago) link
Orbital Top 20 singles artist. Oh yeah.
― kraudive, Thursday, 26 March 2020 11:42 (four years ago) link
Again, for me - something I find common in this period - is the “indie” stuff stinks the chart up more than anything else (not a big Madchester/baggy person so there is that); the chart looks more interesting without it
― Master of Treacle, Thursday, 26 March 2020 12:28 (four years ago) link
Goddamn, I had thought 'This is Ponderous' (1991)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gYIbMwswKM
was some sort of unfortunate outlier from this era, but there are tracks exactly like it on the Was (Not Was) and Will to Power albums from '90. WTF was happening.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Thursday, 26 March 2020 12:39 (four years ago) link
From a purely anecdotal standpoint, listening to albums from this particular year feels incredibly schizophrenic to me inasmuch as, between the summer of '90 and the fall of '91 (when singles from some of these albums were still charting), I lived in four different cities (we moved at the end of my seventh grade year, then again in the middle of eighth grade, and then again just before my freshman year). So I have an array of geographical associations with these songs, and then also the thing where a song hits big in one part of the country long before another catches up, etc. The fact that 'U Can't Touch This' and 'Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Move)' were released in the same year seems to strain all temporal credulity.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Thursday, 26 March 2020 13:24 (four years ago) link
Defining the Poppy Bush Interzone.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 26 March 2020 13:29 (four years ago) link
Yes, I always forget but, upon remembering, greatly appreciate your coinage of the PBI. It is an extremely resonant era of pop for me.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Thursday, 26 March 2020 13:46 (four years ago) link
Phenomenal year.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 26 March 2020 13:58 (four years ago) link
The slate from yesterday and this morning...
Was (Not Was) - Are You Okay?Vanessa Williams - The Right StuffWill to Power - Journey HomeWilson Phillips - s/t
...has been fine I guess, fair-to-middlin', not many album tracks exceeding the better singles that I already knew, occasionally real bad (about half of that WNW album...sheesh), mostly making me wonder how inclined I am to continue with this project.
But hey whattayaknow, listening to Salt-N-Pepa's Black's Magic rn and it's real effing good. Which may be news to precisely no one but me.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Thursday, 26 March 2020 15:20 (four years ago) link
Bands just felt really compelled to do an updated 90s take on Eric Burdon and War's "Spill The Wine".
― MarkoP, Thursday, 26 March 2020 15:33 (four years ago) link
These songs are a much different animal (no pun intended). It makes me wonder if Joe Frank just started to blow up around then.
― Unparalleled Elegance (Old Lunch), Thursday, 26 March 2020 15:36 (four years ago) link
I heard punk broke, not sure if anybody fixed it.
― Stevolende, Thursday, 26 March 2020 15:37 (four years ago) link
A corporation did
― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Thursday, 26 March 2020 19:29 (four years ago) link
I'm sorry to have to report that it died
― Wuhan!! Got You All in Check (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 26 March 2020 19:42 (four years ago) link