AlexdeParis said:

great to see that the Finn Brothers are getting some props here!

abierman said:

Mr Paris's praise made me dig Woodface out - I'm playing it this moment, in fact (Weather With You just came on). I bought it at some point last year, but I've never really given it a proper listen.

damosuzuki said:

Neil collaborated with Wendy & Lisa on his second solo-album 'One Nil'.

damosuzuki said:

That means my favorite ("Whispers and Moans") is next! And it all wraps up with "How Will You Go."

abierman said:

I bought that album at the same time as Woodface - found them both in the 2nd hand bin - and it kinda suffered the same fate: I listened to it a few times, filed it and never went back. I'll take another stab at it tonight.

damosuzuki said:

Safesurfer!!! Love that song.

AlexdeParis said:

I adore "Woodface" as well... but my favorite Crowded House album is "Temple of Low Men". Beautiful beautiful record from start to finish.

NorthernLad said:

Together Alone just edges Temple of Low Men as my favorite. They're all excellent, of course. No such thing as a bad Crowded House album...

a few records that immediately stand out for me in the 90's are...



Star Turtle - Harry Connick Jr. the greatest funk/pop/rock work i have ever heard, i wish Prince could do a record like this.

Human Wheels- John Mellencamp Human Wheels is one of the best songs i have ever heard and that has been recorded by anyone. This album cleary put Mellencamp past Springsteen in my book

Automatic for the People- REM their finest Acoustic work, songwriting top notch.

III sides to every story- Extreme one of the most underrated rock bands, mainly because they had long hair and had a ballad for a hit. This album is one of the last concept albums made by anoyone, it mixes Rock Opera with Funk amazing harmonies, their QUEEN moment.


[Edited 2/10/07 17:28pm]

I'm so glad so see many people exposing their favorite albums..

Also it's so good to see Come and Vibrator being meantioned!

And Also so much Tori love here!

MikeMatronik said:

amazing i actually have 3 of those. Come,Jagged Little Pill & the Shakespears Sister cd

motownlover said:

not everybody thats for damn sure!

Mazerati said:

Word up!

EDIT: And I not only love "grunge" but like Nirvana. All of their other albums are far better, IMO.
[Edited 2/10/07 18:12pm]

MikeMatronik said:

I'm glad you mentioned the Shakespeare's Sister CD... great pick. My personal fave is "The Trouble with Andre"... I always thought that should have been a single.

MikeMatronik said:

I really dig the SS. Got my wife into it recently on our long east coast-west coast road trip.

I'd add Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream, Jeff Buckley's Grace, Poe's Hello to the list.

The albums I can think of(off the top of my head) are:

Tori Amos - From The Choirgirl Hotel
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Prince - The Gold Experience
Radiohead - OK Computer
Beck - Odelay
Tool - Aenima
Madonna - Bedtime Stories
Smashing Pumpkins - Adore
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Stone Temple Pilots - No. 4
[Edited 2/10/07 22:41pm]

in no particular order, and because they just are (there's your "why?")


Madonna - Erotica
Prince - The Gold Experience
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs
Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory
Johnny Cash - Unchained
Bjork - Homogenic
Janet Jackson - janet.
Paula Abdul - Spellbound (sorry, i love it )
Meshell Ndegeocello - Bitter
Rufus Wainwright - self-titled



some of these might get edited out and replaced as i think of others.

Michael Jackson - Dangerous (1991)
Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
Michael Jackson - HIStory (1995)
Prince - The Gold Experience (1995)
Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals (1998)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (1999)

Doing this has made me realise that the 90s was actually a very good decade in music. I had never given it much credit before, but in all fairness there was some very good music released in the 90s.
[Edited 2/11/07 3:27am]

TonyVanDam said:

Take your time Dr.

i'd say [b] tevin campbell's i'm ready album, with cuts such as : i'm ready, shhh, can we talk, always in my heart, what do i say, don't say goodbye, brown eyed girl, the whole album was bad...

then i'd say tony toni tone' sons of soul album, with joints like if i had no loot, anniversary, lay your head on my pillow, real good album, for the children who have soul...

mikes dangerous album, really not to many albums from the 90's, can go song for song with this one, people talk that thriller talk, but this one is creative, funky, and street, with jams like in the closet, remember the time, who is it (so creative production wise), she drives me wild, the heart felt gone too soon, and the inspirational will you be there (to me could've left all that classical jive off, still to this day, i can't feel the idea of that intro to the song), and other ones on there...


to those who named maxwells urban hang suite, is right on point, this one is what the r&b scene today is missing, or either just can't do, reunion, don't ever wonder, something-something, the urban theme, and the nicely thought of whenever, wherever, whatever..



jay-z in my lifetime vol. 1, this one is real cool, him still grinding, the where i'm from, imaginary player, and streets are watching is joints that hip hop is missing now, and the real talk on rhyme no more, and you must love me....

big's ready to die, dude got creative rhyming with him self on give me the loot, suicide thoughts is creative, big poppa the song that put on, and really the one that said i'm here, juicy, and respect are the ones i've got to hear when i throw this cd in, the album is about his birth up to him killing himself, kinda sick to some, but creative in the hip-hop world for others.....


now that i look back, it was some great joints, and nice albums that came from the 90's, even kriss kross first, second, and last one was bad, but i'm still 60's, and 70's, but the 90's was cool though....

I know a lot of you don't really think of this one as one of 's best,...but this is the one that introduced me to the purple genius. always have a special love for this gem


The last real tour the force of the king...not his best but definitly his most consistent.


like the versions of this EP better then those on 'inside wants out' (also a great album but not 90's)


what can i say...genius at work here. A sole voice of quality in the noise-pool that was the 90's


just when you thought it was over...


One of the few artists that stayed true to music...if this guy hadn't been around this music-fan would have gone nuts.


prefer this one to earthling, 'strangers when we meet' 'I'm deranged' 'hearts filthy lesson' 'hello spaceboy'...some of bowie's strongest work right here


the 90's seemed the decade of the old generation refinding it's course...thank god they did, cause most of the new generation $*cked...this was the musical shot heard around the world in the past decade


the closest madonna ever got to an artistic statement...right in tune with the 90's and her best album right here...spend the next decade trying to reacreate the magic, with various degrees of succes.


the guy that defined the 90's for me! probably the only guy i could say i was a 'fan' of during that wasteland of a decade.
[Edited 2/11/07 6:14am]

In no order:

Oasis- What's The Story Morning Glory

Nirvana- Nevermind

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood Sugar Sex Magic

Us3- Hand On THe Torch

Lauryn Hill- The Miseducaion Of

Silverchair- Freakshow

Marilyn Manson- Mechanical Animals

Prince- Come

Lucious Jackson- Electric Honey

The Verve- Urban Hymes

also:

Crash Test Dummies- God Shuffled His Feet

Superjesus- Sumo

The 1990's was the worst decade ever for me. I hated grunge and most of the Brit Pop and trip hop stuff didn't do much for me. Therefore I think it quite easy to come up with a top ten where as the 1970's, 1980's and 2000's are almost impossible. So here goes.

1. Terence Trent D'arby / Symphony Or Damn
2. Prince / The Gold Experience
3. U2 / Actung Baby
4. World Party / Goodbye Jumbo
5. Prefab Sprout / Jordan The Comeback
6. Crowded House / Together Alone
7. D'angelo / Brown Sugar
8. Prince And The NPG / Diamonds And Pearls
9. Lewis Taylor / Lewis Taylor
10. Jellyfish / Split Milk.

honorable mentions should also go to Suede for Dog Man Star, Tori Amos Boys For Pele and Donald Fagen for Kamakiriad.
[Edited 2/12/07 14:24pm]
[Edited 2/12/07 14:25pm]

Romeoblu said:

Nice job.

AlexdeParis said:

The World Party and Prefab Sprout albums are excellent as well, I think. I've heard that Jellyfish album is meant to be quite good as well, but I've yet to listen to it.

damosuzuki said:

I have the Collection, by Prefab Sprout. Haven't gotten into World Party. I also have Achtung Baby and Diamonds & Pearls, which have their share of high points.

1. U2 - Achtung Baby: The album that saved U2 from becoming an 80's relic, Achtung Baby is one of their greatest works. Not only is Achtung one of the darkest things U2 ever released, it is also one of their most forward looking albums. Instead of duplicating the stadium rock that made Joshua Tree such a success, the band embraced irony and European techno music. From the opening 'Zoo Station', you can immediately tell that this isn't going to sit nicely next to Rattle and Hum. Even though the CD is far from avant-garde, many of the songs were pretty different for a U2 fan in 1991. The fact that it was such a departure for a U2 album might make it an interesting curiosity, but the material wouldn't be so hailed if it wasn't this consistently great. From "Zoo Station" to "So Cruel", from "The Fly" to "Love is Blindness", I'm not sure if Bono ever wrote better lyrics, or if the band ever sounded tighter.



2. Depeche Mode - Violator: As much as I love Music for the Masses, it feels more like a collection of great songs than an album proper. Violator, however, sounds like a mission statement. Right from the beginning, "World in my Eyes" sets out to redefine Depeche, and does an excellent job of it. I feel like this album was EVERYWHERE in 1990-1991; radio was all over the singles, MTV played the videos ad. naseum, and even my parents got in on the fun; I vividly remember my father taping the video for "Enjoy the Silence'" and my mother playing "Policy of Truth" in the car. Finally, Flood's production is on point here. There is nary a misplaced note on this entire album. They just don't make records like this anymore.



3. REM - New Adventures in HiFi: I think this is probably the most overlooked album in REM's catalog. New Adventures... plays like a double album; it successfully encapsulates all of REM's strengths on one disc. NAIHF contains both some of their most beautiful material ("E-Bow the Letter", "Electrolite", "New Test Leper") and some of their best rock songs ("So Fast So Numb", "Departure") and also experiments with electronic textures ("How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us"), glam rock ("The Wake Up Bomb"), and noise-rock ("Leave"). I think the album flopped because people were expecting an album full of "What's the Frequency Kenneth" and "Shiny Happy People", and instead the band offered "E-Bow the Letter" as the lead single. It's a shame, because I think that it's probably the best thing Stipey and Co. ever released.



4. Pet Shop Boys - Behavior: Whereas previous PSB albums were ironic, sardonic, and upbeat, Behavior is a much more serious, contemplative, downbeat work. Songs like "Being Boring" and "To Face the Truth" never could've worked on earlier PSB albums; they're far too personal and beautiful. When I first bought the album, I really didn't think too much of it. I wanted the cheeky Pet Shops of "Opportunities", I wanted the fun Pet Shops of "Heart". Thankfully, upon repeated listens, the album really grabbed me and never let go. I think it's the best thing they've ever done. It certainely contains my favorite (I think) PSB single: "Being Boring". It's achingly gorgeous.



5. Pearl Jam - No Code: By 1996, grunge was on it's last legs. Cobain had been dead for two years, scrunge (second-generation grunge) had taken over the airwaves, and hip hop had become the new music of the suburbs. Lesser bands might have crumbled under the pressure of the changing times, Pearl Jam simply used them as an excuse to experiment. "Who You Are" can only be described as a mantra, "Red Mosquito" is more blues-influenced than anything they ever could've attempted on Ten and "Smile" definitely bears the mark of the collaboration with Neil Young on Mirror Ball.



6. Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies: It's not classified as an album, per say, but at 7 songs, it feels like more of an album than an EP. I wasn't sure whether to include this or Dirt, but ...Flies wins out. I love the fact that they followed up their breakthrough with such a different release. Sure they had already given us a taste of their acoustic side on Sap, but I can't believe that anyone would've been expecting this in 1994. Just listen to "Rotten Apple" or "Don't Follow"; Alice had some of the most beautiful, strange vocal harmonies ever.



7. Radiohead - The Bends: When OK Computer came out, I was blown away. I think I played that CD for 4 months straight. And I didn't know anyone else that liked it, so I felt very smart and indie. When I met another Radiohead fan, he told me that I needed to check out The Bends, because it was even better than Computer. I was really sceptical, but seeing as how he had a spare copy of the album, I willingly traded my copy of Life is Peachy and prepared to be amazed. I didn't like it. I almost wanted my Korn CD back (I said almost). But I listened again. And again. And again. And I finally realized that The Bends was just as incredible of an album. In fact, OK has been out for almost 10 years now, and I have a hard time listening to it anymore because I played it out so much in the summer it came out. However, when I play The Bends, I still hear what I fell in love with about the album. To me, it holds up better.


8. Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Ah, to go back to 1995/1996; I was young, summers were long, and the Smashing Pumpkins were all over MTV. "1979" is still one of the most potent songs ever written.



9. Madonna - Ray of Light: I remember setting the VCR to record the world premiere of the "Frozen" video. It was February of 1998, and I was out eating pizza and watching South Park with my friends. When I got home, I couldn't believe my eyes (and ears)! I'd never thought Madonna could so thoroughly reinvent her sound and image again. Needless to say, when the album came out, I wasn't disappointed. Despite being almost 10 years old, I still think the album is relevant today. Sure, some of the music may have dated somewhat, but I still think a lot of this would sound fresh in '07.



10. Hole - Celebrity Skin: Came out in September of 1998, and it still sounds like early fall to me. WHile people consider it Courtney's ultimate sell out, I think that the So-Cal sound of Celebrity Skin fits her just as well as the grunge queen of Live Through This. I wish I could go back to '98 and hear this all over again for the first time.

Axchi696 said:

It's definitely my favorite Radiohead album.

And here are some more that didn't quite make it:

Tom Petty - Wildflowers
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
Peter Gabriel - Us
Prince - Come
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
TLC - Crazysexycool
Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Elton John - The One
Electronic - Electronic
Counting Crows - This Desert Life
Notorious BIG - Life After Death
George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice
Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Jeff Buckley - Grace
David Gray - White Ladder
Lauren Hill - The Miseducation Of
Prodigy - The Fat of the Land
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Bloodsugarsexmagik
Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Alanis Morisstte - Jagged Little Pill
Tool - Aenima
Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
Weezer - Weezer
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

Just looking over this list makes me realize just how much I love the 1990s.