Tag Archives: 1990

279. enjoy the silence [the quad: final mix]

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“In 1981 or thereabouts, if you told me that Depeche Mode would still be around come the 1990s, I would’ve laughed in your face. They were just pretty boys pushing buttons, and not even as well as other boys were pushing buttons. And yet there they still were nine years later, and not just surviving – actually relevant. Case in point Enjoy The Silence – The Quad: Final Mix which seamlessly blends four separate Silences into one  beautiful fifteen plus minute monster. Adrian Sherwood, David Harrow, Gareth Jones, Holger Hiller, Mimi Izumi Kobayashi and Tim Simenon were all involved but it’s the overall flow that matters. What did 1990 sound like, you may ask? Some of the silences were amazing.” (Philip Random)

DepecheMode-wordsUNnecessary

282. I am the resurrection

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“Speaking of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, call this one punk rock, Ecstatically inspired. In other words, blame it on the drugs. Or whatever it was that got the Stone Roses mixing up mystical insight and balls out provocation in such a way as to declare themselves both the resurrection and the son (singer Ian Brown anyway). I Am The Resurrection being the epic final track of their 1989 debut album that really did blow the roof off of things. The whole album, that is, every song essential. Call it a masterpiece, messianic even. These Roses really were perfect, they had all the answers, they were showing the way. But then, I guess, they started doing different drugs.” (Philip Random)

StoneRoses-1989-studioLive

287. freak scene

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“I kept hearing about Dinosaur Jr. back in the late 1980s but I never consciously heard them. Apparently, they were a throwback to the pre-punk days of big wild guitar solos, epic intentions … but in a good way, which sounded promising. Then I finally did heard Freak Scene some time in 1990 and hell yeah, truth in advertising. Except they were anything but a throwback — guitar so sheer and beaming with fractal light, it was carving gateways into the future. Or at least that’s what it felt like that time at the Commodore, the top of my head lysergically removed from the rest of my body. In a good way. Later, I drove home, still quite high, listening to classical music on the radio – some Shostokowich as I recall. And it all made perfect sense.” (Philip Random)

DinosaurJR-1988-studio

719. we gotta get out of this place

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-AeyJLwHxw

“In which Jello Biafra hooks up with Vancouver’s own DOA to deliver a surprisingly faithful cover  of one of the essential Rock Anthems (speaking of Eric Burdon). Maybe the essential rock anthem. I think I heard Bruce Springsteen say that once. This situation’s killing me. Might be school, might be a job, might be prison, a bad relationship, your family, your own asshole. Doesn’t matter where you are, there’s only one way to go, and that’s OUT. With a vengeance.” (Philip Random)

(art: Winston Smith)

750. ain’t no justice

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It’s 1973 and the times may be grim but the Temptations (and producer Norman Whitfield) are in full, expansive, beautiful bloom (riding as they are on the mega-success of 1972’s Papa was a Rolling Stone). But the focus now is not the past, but seventeen years into the future, the dawning of the 1990s, not that not much has changed.  There still ain’t no justice.

Temptations-1990-1973

1027. flood of sunshine

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“As I heard it put once, The Posies were the Seattle band of the early 90s that didn’t get mentioned much during all the grunge hype because they didn’t play to type, being more about big rich melodies and smart pop finesse than roaring chest rock. My friend Mike says they sound like the early 1970s Hollies taking on Led Zeppelin here. I’ll take his word for it. Epic and not unsweet.” (Philip Random)

(image source)