|
Post by americanscientist on Sept 28, 2020 18:36:46 GMT -5
As a 90s kid, I have to agree with Simon as I now have little regard for what seemed so significant at the time. Save for Nirvana, most of the grunge bands that dominated the first half of the 90s have not aged well.
There are indeed some stellar 90s bands and albums that I revisit often, but the diversity of the 80s is astonishing.
Just take 1989 for example: Stones Roses debut, Doolittle, Disintegration, Technique, Automatic, Pretty Hate Machine, Three Feet High and Rising, Paul’s Boutique, Like A Prayer, The Real Thing, Mother’s Milk, Bleach, Sonic Temple, Stone Cold Rhymin’, Louder Than Love, Pump, Full Moon Fever and Rhythm Nation. Just to name a few
I can’t think of a year from the 90s with a lineup that strong and that diverse ( maybe 1997 but it would be a reach)
|
|
|
Post by Dew on Sept 28, 2020 19:30:27 GMT -5
I think people just gravitate towards the era of music when they were most passionate about it, and had the time to be.
Agree that the 90s seemed a bit flatter by comparison to 80s, but still lots of great music.
1994 by example (listed only what I would still enjoy now) Massive Attack - Protection Portishead - Dummy Blur - Parklife Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation Beastie Boys - Ill Communication Liz Phair - Whip Smart Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom Everything but the Girl - Amplified Heart Lush - Split Jesus & Mary Chain - Stoned & Dethroned Orbital - Snivilisation Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
But there's lots of good stuff in other genres this year. Just check any best of lists for 1994 The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die Jeff Buckley, Grace Weezer, Weezer Hole, Live Through This Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain Beck, Mellow Gold Madonna - Bedtime Stories Suede - Dog Man Star Johnny Cash - American Recordings Nas - Illmatic Green Day - Dookie
|
|
|
Post by heskethbang on Sept 29, 2020 1:42:45 GMT -5
I found most of the 90s very derivative, whereas the 80s, new sounds were being made that genuinely couldn't have happened earlier as the technology was rapidly developing. Because of this, it's quite possble to tell the difference between a 1979 and a 1981 record due to the development of synths (VCO's to DCO's, more financial accessible to bands), and then a 1983 record with a 1985 (sampling starting to really become common place in studios, Ensoniq and Akai producing the first affordable sample synths around 1985). It was genuinely exciting.
There were innovations during the 90s, but not at such a prolific rate, and it shows in the sound.
|
|
|
Post by goldengun on Sept 29, 2020 7:59:15 GMT -5
The start of the 90's was promising - as mentioned it was definitely material written and recorded from 1988/89.
Anyone else here like the group Pop Will Eat Itself (PWEI)??
From the 90's - I remember a great many "boy bands", auto-tune singing and group dancing. And when Rage released that dance cover of Bryan Adams' song "Run To You" in 92' that's what set the example for a plethora of others to follow - rerecord great songs into a dance number. I did not like that.
|
|
|
Post by americanscientist on Sept 29, 2020 8:44:33 GMT -5
Simon may have been referring to the derivative nature of 90s music with that quote and he would be right.
With a few exceptions, there was nothing truly groundbreaking from that decade.
And the latter half of the decade was VERY rough with nu metal co-opting maninstream rock (Korn, Limp Bizkit, etc) and the return of manufactured boy bands. Most of my favorite 90s albums are from earlier in the decade when the adventerous spirit of the 80s was still informing a lot of work.
Violator - 1990 Low End Theory - 1991 Achtung Baby -1991 (favorite U2 album and perhaps favorite album of the decade) Blue Lines - 1991 Ten - 1991 The Chronic - 1992 Check Your Head - 1992 Dirt - 1992 Automatic for the People - 1992 A Storm in Heaven - 1993 Siamese Dream - 1993 Wedding Album - 1993 In Utero - 1993 August and Everything After - 1993 Jar of Flies - 1994 Grace - 1994 Ready to Die - 1994 Uplugged in New York - 1994 Superunknown - 1994 The Bends - 1995 A Northern Soul - 1995 The Score - 1996 Ok Computer - 1997 Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - 1998 Aquemini - 1998
Sadly, I think many best of 90s lists get pretty thin after 1996, especially for rock music.
|
|
oakey
PAPER GOD
Posts: 2,600
|
Post by oakey on Sept 30, 2020 1:13:44 GMT -5
The start of the 90's was promising - as mentioned it was definitely material written and recorded from 1988/89. Anyone else here like the group Pop Will Eat Itself (PWEI)?? From the 90's - I remember a great many "boy bands", auto-tune singing and group dancing. And when Rage released that dance cover of Bryan Adams' song "Run To You" in 92' that's what set the example for a plethora of others to follow - rerecord great songs into a dance number. I did not like that. That also happened in the 80s a lot, only then the originals seemed from another era. In reality they were often less than 10 years old: Tainted love, Don't leave me this way, Come back and stay, Venus, Always on my mind, I think we're alone now, The tide is high, Simply the best, Let's stay together, Red red wine. Many were performed in the style of the 80s, high energy for instance, not dissimilar to artists covering songs in the 90s dance style. And for boy bands: an endless list in the 80s: NKOTB, Big Fun, Wham!, Brother Beyond, Bros etc. There is no difference between Simon Le Bon, George Michael or Robbie Williams in my perspective. As for group dancing: remember Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson and Janet? People like the period when they were young. And there are always exceptions: millenials who like the 80s better than the 10s etc. There have been plenty of 90 revivals by the way.
|
|
|
Post by Max Zorin on Oct 1, 2020 18:10:48 GMT -5
For me 1994-1999 years were the worst in popular music. The only album I really liked was "Ultra" Depeche Mode, unfortunately it has no big hits.
|
|
|
Post by Max Zorin on Oct 1, 2020 18:18:10 GMT -5
IMO, the 80s party definitely ended on the day Freddie Mercury died.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2020 9:19:53 GMT -5
IMO, the 80s party definitely ended on the day Freddie Mercury died. I remember that period well. I recall listening to These are the Days of our Lives - which I think was Queen’s penultimate release, the last being ‘Going Slightly Mad? It was such a sad time - even sadder than Bowie’s / Prince passing. Freddie looked so ill in those video’s. Queen’s albums started to break into the charts again and still to this day both Greatest Hits 1 and 2 stay in the chart. Amazing. I miss him.
|
|
|
Post by stopdead on Oct 2, 2020 11:33:33 GMT -5
I enjoyed the 90's, but for different reasons than the 80's. The 80's were my introduction to music. I was 5 to 15 in the 80's. It was a magical time. I was in discovery mode. The 90's represented my coming of age. 15 to 25. High school, college, the bar scene. So both the 80's and 90's are very special to me in a way that anything before or after can never be, no matter how much I might enjoy music from those other eras...
|
|