Winter greetings from Ithaca!! Since it's the beginning of 1992, it's a great time to look back at 1991 in the...
MUSIC YEAR IN REVIEW
Since I too, like my friend Mike Faloon, have no publisher, I figure people I know are hit by this recession enough to almost want a rambling essay on music to laugh at, so here it goes.
THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
20 Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion (The Greatest Hits)
Okay, I know this is cheesy, but if you take the best 12 tracks off I & II, and cut through the hype, you have a great hard rock album.
19 John Mellencamp Whenever We Wanted
Mr. Name-Changer is back, and rocks, sounding like, to quote Scott Wells, "a lite AC/DC."The songwriting is solid as usual. Check him out in 1992 on his tour. He's great live.
18 The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies
A band that sounds like soul circa 1975. Nuff said.
17 The Smithereens Blow Up
Another platter of pure pop. There's no song as strong as "A Girl Like You," but the shot o' 70's entitled "Too Much Passion" comes close. Saw them a 2nd time this year. Killer.
16 Nirvana Nevermind
I've never seen this much reaction for a modern rock band this quickly. I mean, it took R.E.M. 8 years. This album rocks almost like no other of this year. (However, see # 9)
15 Sting The Soul Cages
An album that is quite, well, hypnotic. I think it's the best solo work of his career. The title track kicks ass.
14 Richard Thompson Rumor And Sigh
This guy has been making great albums for years. He is a fantastic songwriter and a very tasteful guitarist. It has two should've been hits ("Read About Love," "I Feel So Good).
13 Van Morrison Hymns To The Silence
Van is always quality, and this is no exception. The single "Why Must I Always Explain" has caused my car speakers damage from the volume while playing the tune.
12 Prince & The N.P.G. Diamonds And Pearls
His purplenesses best album since Sign O' The Times. The New Power Generation provide a cool band sound that fits the straight ahead pop songs Prince cooked up for this LP. "Gett Off" is quite....well...uh...sexy. It'll make you sweaty.
11 Neil Young & Crazy Horse Arc-Weld
Of course he's on the list. Some things don't change.
10 Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble The Sky Is Crying
There's more than the sky crying on this end.
9 Metallica Metallica
They made an album that almost everyone can listen to, and it still peels the paint of the walls. Wow.
8 Dire Straits On Every Street
Skip the first two singles, and you have their best LP since Making Movies. Mark Knopfler is a guitar deity.
7 Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Their most eclectic LP, and funk, funk, funk, and more funk.
6 Public Enemy Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Rap's dopest group once again show the crap in this society, and they sound bitchin' while doing it. Shows why rap is on the verge of being the dominant music of the 90's.
5 Bonnie Raitt Luck Of The Draw
Raitt is great. Nuff said.
4 Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Perspex Island
Modern rock's best songwriter serves up pop nirvana. (Not the group) "So You Think You're In Love" should've been a # 1.
3 Chris Whitley Living With The Law
I saw him open for Petty, and was quite impressed. Then I listened to the disc, and understood that this LP is brilliant. The album sounds ancient and modern at the same time. Get this CD, right now...I mean it.
2 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Into The Great Wide Open
Once again, Petty shows why he is truly an American musical treasure. It doesn't much better than this.
1 R.E.M. Out Of Time
So they hit number one. It's still a fantastic album. And they should have another album out by next summer. Thank god for these guys.
THE TOP 20 SINGLES OF THE YEAR
20 "Baby Baby" Amy Grant-I'm serious. A great pop song.
19 "Fun Day" Stevie Wonder-From Jungle Fever, sounding like it is from the early 70's. Welcome back Stevie.
18 "Crush Story" Too Much Joy-Fun, fun, fun.
17 "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style” Dream Warriors Jazz meets rap.....and it's truly innovative.
16 "Poundcake" Van Halen-The speeding ticket song. Makes you put the pedal to the metal.
15 "All Of A Sudden" Joe Walsh-A gorgeous ballad. Great mush.
14 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana-What's that sound I hear? A band from out of nowhere changing the face of CHR? Yup.
13 "Set A Drift On Memory Bliss" P.M. Dawn-These guys take a page from the Dream Warriors. (And a hook from Spandau Ballet)
12 "Cream" Prince & The N.P.G.-Perfect pop, Prince style.
11 "Give It Away" Red Hot Chili Peppers-Funk with a capital F.
10 "Silent Lucidity" Queensryche- Floyd comparisons aside, a fantastic, intelligent, well produced song.
9 "Something To Talk About" Bonnie Raitt-I lust, um, love her.
8 "O.P.P" Naughty By Nature-Yeah, you know me.
7 "It Ain't Over Till It's Over" Lenny Kravitz-I love the 70's.
6 "I Feel So Good" Richard Thompson-Why wasn't this a huge song?
5 "So You Think You're In Love" Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians See # 6.
4 "Bring The Noise" Anthrax and Public Enemy-Wow....Rap & Heavy Metal come together to make a ground breaking song. Yes.
3 "Right Here, Right Now" Jesus Jones-The other direction of music in the 90's. It defies categorization.
2 "Enter Sandman" Metallica-Everybody knows this song. (And I think almost everybody likes it) Big Bam BOOM.
1 "Losing My Religion" R.E.M.-So they take both top spots. Before it was played to death, I got shivers up my spine, the song impressed me so much. Perfect, and timeless.
20 Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion (The Greatest Hits)
Okay, I know this is cheesy, but if you take the best 12 tracks off I & II, and cut through the hype, you have a great hard rock album.
19 John Mellencamp Whenever We Wanted
Mr. Name-Changer is back, and rocks, sounding like, to quote Scott Wells, "a lite AC/DC."The songwriting is solid as usual. Check him out in 1992 on his tour. He's great live.
18 The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies
A band that sounds like soul circa 1975. Nuff said.
17 The Smithereens Blow Up
Another platter of pure pop. There's no song as strong as "A Girl Like You," but the shot o' 70's entitled "Too Much Passion" comes close. Saw them a 2nd time this year. Killer.
16 Nirvana Nevermind
I've never seen this much reaction for a modern rock band this quickly. I mean, it took R.E.M. 8 years. This album rocks almost like no other of this year. (However, see # 9)
15 Sting The Soul Cages
An album that is quite, well, hypnotic. I think it's the best solo work of his career. The title track kicks ass.
14 Richard Thompson Rumor And Sigh
This guy has been making great albums for years. He is a fantastic songwriter and a very tasteful guitarist. It has two should've been hits ("Read About Love," "I Feel So Good).
13 Van Morrison Hymns To The Silence
Van is always quality, and this is no exception. The single "Why Must I Always Explain" has caused my car speakers damage from the volume while playing the tune.
12 Prince & The N.P.G. Diamonds And Pearls
His purplenesses best album since Sign O' The Times. The New Power Generation provide a cool band sound that fits the straight ahead pop songs Prince cooked up for this LP. "Gett Off" is quite....well...uh...sexy. It'll make you sweaty.
11 Neil Young & Crazy Horse Arc-Weld
Of course he's on the list. Some things don't change.
10 Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble The Sky Is Crying
There's more than the sky crying on this end.
9 Metallica Metallica
They made an album that almost everyone can listen to, and it still peels the paint of the walls. Wow.
8 Dire Straits On Every Street
Skip the first two singles, and you have their best LP since Making Movies. Mark Knopfler is a guitar deity.
7 Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Their most eclectic LP, and funk, funk, funk, and more funk.
6 Public Enemy Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black Rap's dopest group once again show the crap in this society, and they sound bitchin' while doing it. Shows why rap is on the verge of being the dominant music of the 90's.
5 Bonnie Raitt Luck Of The Draw
Raitt is great. Nuff said.
4 Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Perspex Island
Modern rock's best songwriter serves up pop nirvana. (Not the group) "So You Think You're In Love" should've been a # 1.
3 Chris Whitley Living With The Law
I saw him open for Petty, and was quite impressed. Then I listened to the disc, and understood that this LP is brilliant. The album sounds ancient and modern at the same time. Get this CD, right now...I mean it.
2 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Into The Great Wide Open
Once again, Petty shows why he is truly an American musical treasure. It doesn't much better than this.
1 R.E.M. Out Of Time
So they hit number one. It's still a fantastic album. And they should have another album out by next summer. Thank god for these guys.
THE TOP 20 SINGLES OF THE YEAR
20 "Baby Baby" Amy Grant-I'm serious. A great pop song.
19 "Fun Day" Stevie Wonder-From Jungle Fever, sounding like it is from the early 70's. Welcome back Stevie.
18 "Crush Story" Too Much Joy-Fun, fun, fun.
17 "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style” Dream Warriors Jazz meets rap.....and it's truly innovative.
16 "Poundcake" Van Halen-The speeding ticket song. Makes you put the pedal to the metal.
15 "All Of A Sudden" Joe Walsh-A gorgeous ballad. Great mush.
14 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana-What's that sound I hear? A band from out of nowhere changing the face of CHR? Yup.
13 "Set A Drift On Memory Bliss" P.M. Dawn-These guys take a page from the Dream Warriors. (And a hook from Spandau Ballet)
12 "Cream" Prince & The N.P.G.-Perfect pop, Prince style.
11 "Give It Away" Red Hot Chili Peppers-Funk with a capital F.
10 "Silent Lucidity" Queensryche- Floyd comparisons aside, a fantastic, intelligent, well produced song.
9 "Something To Talk About" Bonnie Raitt-I lust, um, love her.
8 "O.P.P" Naughty By Nature-Yeah, you know me.
7 "It Ain't Over Till It's Over" Lenny Kravitz-I love the 70's.
6 "I Feel So Good" Richard Thompson-Why wasn't this a huge song?
5 "So You Think You're In Love" Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians See # 6.
4 "Bring The Noise" Anthrax and Public Enemy-Wow....Rap & Heavy Metal come together to make a ground breaking song. Yes.
3 "Right Here, Right Now" Jesus Jones-The other direction of music in the 90's. It defies categorization.
2 "Enter Sandman" Metallica-Everybody knows this song. (And I think almost everybody likes it) Big Bam BOOM.
1 "Losing My Religion" R.E.M.-So they take both top spots. Before it was played to death, I got shivers up my spine, the song impressed me so much. Perfect, and timeless.
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