Day 0821 - Roots

Sepultura "Roots" (1996) - got it

Following the integration of traditional Brazilian percussion into their music on previous album “Chaos AD” (see entry ), Sepultura decided to plunge further into this direction.   They travelled and met with the Xavante Tribe to record the track “Itsári”.

Many of the other tracks feature interesting, tribal-style percussion, including "Ratamahatta" and "Roots Bloody Roots".   The band still had vestiges of their thrash metal sound in distorted hellish dervishes like “Dictatorshit", but mostly it leans more into the 'groove-metal' and 'nu-metal' sounds of slower, angrier, down-tuned riffs with the thumping tribal drumming.

If the album has any problems it's a lack of editing.   The band were trying a lot of different things and they didn't want to to leave any stone unturned.   The resulting 16 tracks across 72 minutes can get to be a bit too much Sepultura for one sitting.. even with the mellower tracks like "Itsári” and "Untitled" mixing up the pot.

Day 0820 - Being There

Wilco "Being There" (1996)

Following the dissolution of his band Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy and the majority of his bandmates formed the new band Wilco.

 

Initially Wiclo carried on Uncle Tupelo's alt-country sound, but with this, their second album they branched out, both stylistically (genres) and sonically (production).   The opening track "Misunderstood" mixes mellow piano with loud, fuzzy guitar... kind of starting off by letting you know that this is going to be a different kettle of fish.  There is brash rock in "Monday" which, with its bluesy rock and sassy horns doesn't sound a million miles from the Rolling Stones.  

The album is not without its alt-country tracks though.  "What's the world got in store" is a nice bit of banjo heavy balladry.   "Red-eyed and blue" is a beautiful song with almost a sort of jazzy undertone to its mellow country.  The bridge features an atmospheric roomy sounding whistle solo (love a good a whistle solo).  

The penultimate track "The lonely 1" starts with lush strings, letting you think that the album will end on a gentle emotive tack, until the closing track "Dreamer in my Dreams" comes crashing in with its raunchy honky tonk and rocks you out to the close.

A double album and probably a bit long for me, but another one where there no songs I actively disliked and I could happily listen to this in bits and pieces (my wife has a few Wilco albums so this one might even be around the house somewhere).   Actually it'd probably be quite a good road-trip album with its mix of reflective and rocking tracks.

Day 0819 - Tidal

Fiona Apple "Tidal" (1996) - got it

It is my opinion that Fiona Apple improved with each of her releases, peaking with "Extraordinary Machine".   I mean all of her albums are brilliant, but that one just hits the right songwriting and production sweet-spot for me.

Apple was classically trained on the piano and had been writing songs since she was 8 years old.   Apple got some of her compositions in front of Sony records thanks to a friend who babysat for a music publicist ('who you know' and all that).

This is Apple's debut, and she comes with her sound pretty well formed (I guess working on songwriting from childhood gets you good and ready).   Apple's love of jazz, particularly artists like Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald translates into beautiful, jazzy, moody piano with her voice that ranges from a gentle croon through to almost a passionate roar.

Right from opener "Sleep to Dream" she comes out shooting (featuring the brilliantly caustic line "you say love is a hell you cannot bear, and I say give me mine back and then go there for all I care"), raging over its jittery percussion and its string-like oblique background sounds.  "Criminal" also feels vaguely unsettled and dangerous.   But there are moments of serene beauty too with "Slow like Honey" and "Pale like September".

Day 0818 - Casanova

The Divine Comedy "Casanova" (1996)

This has a heavy '60s Scott Walker' vibe to it and.... no, in fact that's probably about the entirety of its vibe... but with Scott himself having abandoned that sound in pursuit of a more avant-garde approach, it doesn't feel quite as much like stealing/copying.

The sound is poppy, 60s, orchestral, and a little bit cheeky.   Hints of Serge Gainsbourg, and references to Michael Caine's 1966 film "Alfie" add to that period feel.

"Middle-Class Heroes" is pure Walker with the crooning vocal and orchestral flourishes and a little middle-section cinematic freakout.  "Charge" goes from tango to Latin jazz rock to a kind of subtle jazz groove with vocals mixing from falsetto to a low rumble, then back into the crazy rock chorus.
Then you hit "Songs of Love" and you realise "oh wow, that's the Father Ted theme tune" (Divine Comedy's only constant member singer Neil Hannon had written the theme tune the previous year and repurposed it as a song here, he also wrote the song "My lovely horse" featured in an episode of that show).

The album continues its high-theatre vein, wrapping up with "Theme from Cassanova" the Bacharach-esque tones of which feature a polite, plummy spoken word introduction.  Before ending with the incredibly Walker-esque "The Dogs & the Horses".

I really enjoyed this album and it is definitely going on my mental record store watchlist.  Hopefully I'll get around to checking out some more of DC's music after I'm done with the 1001 albums.

Day 0817 - Beautiful Freak

Eels "Beautiful Freak" (1996) - got it

If the Eels' sound seems to come somewhat fully formed, perhaps that's because the band was always more or less centred around singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett.  Prior to forming the Eels with drummer Butch and bassist Tommy Walter, Everett had honed his skills across two solo albums under his moniker 'E'.  

Lately I've been more focussed on the more recent Eels albums like "Hombre Lobo" and "Wonderful Glorious" (good) and "End Times" (less great), so it's been nice revisiting this great album.

On the face of it, it's a kind of downbeat indie pop and rock album, but there's plenty more here.   Opening track and single "Novocaine for the soul" features a sample of Fats Domino, some tinkling piano, strings and looped beats.   Track "Flower" opens with what sounds like a church choir then drops in some tasteful slide guitar, giving the track a hint of country.

E and his rotating cast of musicians would go on to plumb emotional depths, investigate harder rock sounds and string-backed mellowness but this album is already just bursting with musical information.  E lays out self-analysis, observations of the world around him and his offbeat take on love songs (as on the title track).

Day 0816 - Endtroducing...

DJ Shadow "Entroducing..." (1996) - got it

Surely, one of the most impressive debut albums ever.  True, Shadow had been DJing and recording singles for 6-7 years by this stage, but this was his first full-length.   In addition to that, the record is composed entirely of samples from old records, and in addition (again) to that, the album was put together largely just using three pieces of kit: a sampler, a turntable and a tape recorder.

Shadow recorded the album in Dan the Automator's home studio which (as per entry 0811) was also being used around this time to put together Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon album.

Shadow combines everything from Metallica basslines to "Twin Peaks" dialogue, there are film scores, funk beats, synth patterns, odd noises and a blizzard of scratching.   

Despite (or perhaps because of) the disparate range of sources, and despite the longish runtime, this album sucks me in every time and leaves me wanting more.

Day 0815 - Tigermilk

 Belle and Sebastian "Tigermilk" (1996)

Belle and Sebastian was formed by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David, who had enrolled in a course in Glasgow for unemployed musicians.  Their drummer Richard Coburn was in a music business course that would release a single each year as part of their programme.  Not only was the Stuarts' single chosen, but the music business course were impressed enough to back them for a full  album release.
The players the two Stuarts had been working coalesced into a band proper and the album was recorded quickly.

The songs were all written by Stuart Murdoch and have a great sort of indie-pop vibe which delves alternatively into folk and rock sounds.   The track "Expectations" is great and sounds like a blueprint for the band Beirut (who I also enjoy).   About halfway through the band takes a bit of a left-turn into electronic pop just to keep you guessing.

My main link to Belle and Sebastian's music had been through now-former band member Isobel Campbell's excellent albums with Mark Lanegan.   I'd previously been so-so about what I'd heard from B&S themselves, but this album was definitely enjoyable.

Day 0814 - Odelay

Beck "Odelay" (1996) 

Early on, Beck was ensconced in the folk scene (and would return to a folk/alt-country vibe on several albums after this one) but found himself experiencing and experimenting with other genres.   Beck also spiced up his live performances with visual and aural oddity to keep people from getting complacent and ignoring him.

That splicing of styles comes to the fore on "Odelay" which, as it turns out, is Beck's fifth album.   He joins forces with the Dust Brothers (them of Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" album fame) for production of the album.   

There's blues guitar, rap, beats, fuzzy 60s-style rock and even some easy listening 1950s commercial sounding stuff on the intro to "New Pollution".   All of these styles are mixed in with a range of odd non-musical noises.  Beck's vocal delivery too runs the gamut, ranging from drawling laidback collage-style rap (e.g. on "Devil's Haircut"), to more melodic moments and a few distorted yelly bits thrown in, again, just in case you were getting complacent.

Interestingly, that image on the cover was not created specifically for the album.  It's taken from a 1970s dog magazine and features a rare breed of dog called a Komondor.

Day 0813 - Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" (1996)

So the age-old question "what's the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?" is answered.  Turtle is a 60s psychedelic rock band, and Tortoise is instrumental post-rock.

The band was formed by a group of multi-instrumentalists, including two separate rhythm sections.   The liner notes for their albums just list the band members and not what instruments they place which suggests that either they either mix it up a bit, or they are just mysterious mofos.

The music is subdued, hypnotic repetitions, often with Krautrock vibes to them (such as on the epic "Djed").  There are John Zorn-esque jazz-flavoured rock grooves ("the Taut and Tame") and almost Morricone-esque soundscapes ("Restless Waters").

Day 0812 - Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab "Emperor Tomato Ketchup" (1996)

Knew the name, hadn't really heard the music.

Stereolab was formed from the ashes of the band 'McCarthy' by lovers Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier.  The latter, having become disillusioned with the French pop/rock scene moved to the UK where she met Gane.

Stereolab were named after a division of Vanguard Records who delved into hi-fi effects.

I really loved this album.  In some ways it reminded me of another British band with a French connection, Saint Etienne.   Both bands have a 1960s pop vibe, with a more modern beat and sample-based approach applied.

The book makes comparisons to Nico, (both her solo releases and her work with the Velvet Underground) and I could certainly hear that.   There's a kind of naive, almost childlike 60s pop charm to the vocals and some of the music, but again through that modern filter.

Day 0811 - Dr Octagonecologyst

Dr Octagon "Dr Octagonecologyst" (1996)

Originally a founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith started working on solo material.  He completed a couple of tracks with collaborator Kutmasta Kurt which they sent out to radio stations and local DJs.   The tracks got into the hands of producer Dan 'the Automator' Nakamura who came on board and recorded the album with the two KKs in his home studio in his parents' basement.

It's a concept album featuring (particularly for a rap album) surreal lyrics about Kool Keith's alter-ego, a time-travelling gynaecologist Dr Octagon.   Though Keith would go on to downplay the input of Kurt and the Automator on the sound of the album, Nakamura is a sorely underappreciated producer.   From his own projects such as Handsome Boy Modelling School, Lovage and Got a Girl, to his production work for bands like Kasabian and Head Automatica, to his collaborative work such as Peeping Tom, the first Gorillaz album and several projects with Del tha Funky Homosapien.

The music here is inventively produced, loaded with film samples, and cinematic production, mixing strings, sci-fi/horror cues and interesting beats.

I'd say that as a fan of the Automator I wanted to like it more than I did.  I enjoyed the music and didn't actively dislike Keith's rhymes but for some reason the whole thing didn't really 'capture' me.

Day 0810 - Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim "Better Living Through Chemistry" (1996)

Norman Cook was the bass player for an indie rock band called the Housemartins.  Following the breakup of that band he formed the electronic group Beats International, Cook already had a few years of clubbing and DJing under his belt by then.

Cook then adopted the moniker Fatboy Slim to begin his solo career proper.    

This first Fatboy Slim album features tracks already recorded and released by Cook at different times throughout his career, but, despite this and the mix and match of sounds, it's a fairly cohesive collection of fun and funky big-beat tracks.   It already has that Fatboy Slim feeling of mixing a little bit of old with a bit of new to create something fun enough to dance to, but universal enough it its appeal that non-dance fans can get in on it too.   

Pretty sure I recognised "Going out of my head" from different tv shows and/or commercials.   I'm guessing that that commercialism may have earned Cook some criticism.   Accusations of 'selling out' and all that.  Who cares though, when the music is good.

Day 0809 - Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals "Fuzzy Logic" (1996)

 
I am smitten.   This is another band where I'd heard their name enough but wasn't really sure who they were or what they were about.

Turns out they're a band from Wales who had initially been into techno, got signed by Creation Records (along with every second Brit-rock band at the time, it seems) and then produced an album of brilliant pop rock.

"Fuzzy Logic" is equal parts David Bowie and Blur.   Fuzzed out guitar in "God! Show me Magic" collides with the gentle folk-pop of "Gathering Moss" which itself sounds suspiciously like something that Damon Albarn might have borrowed from for his the "Good, the Bad and the Queen" album.   The most prominent sound though is glorious baroque pop like on tracks "If you don't want me to destroy you" and "Fuzzy Birds".   

The album closes off with a strident slice of singalong fuzz-rock that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Weezer album.

Definitely interested in checking out more from SFA. 

 

Spoiler: because I'm further through the list in my listening than my posts here show.   There is another SFA album in the list and it is somehow even better!

Day 0808 - Dust

Screaming Trees "Dust" (1996)

Screaming Trees and their dust-throated vocliast Mark Lanegan have always drifted in and out of my orbit.   I first heard the Screaming Tress through their brilliant song "Nearly lost you" from the soundtrack Cameron Crowe's grunge-centric film "Singles".   Even though I loved that song I didn't really think to check out any more of their music.

A few years later a friend was well into the Mark Lanegan band and I listened to a couple of their albums but left it at that again.   Then a few years later, I saw Lanegan perform with the band the Soulsavers and a friend who is very much a Lanegan afficiando helped me discover a lot more of his work (solo, with Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell, with Duke Garwood, Gutter Twins, Twilight Singers...).   Basically, sometimes I'm a slow learner.

Anyway, back to "Dust".   The basic foundation of this album seems to be the Beatles' Revolver and Rubber Soul albums, it has that mix of hard rock with middle-eastern sounds and a wash of psychedelia.   I guess those sounds, mixed with a little more distortion and with Lanegan's gravelly voice somehow manages to sound rock hard, the album is too good to fob off as "just another grunge record".

Great songs with occasional touches of gospel backing vocals that seem to signpost what was to come as far as Lanegan's work with the Soulsavers goes.

Day 0807 - Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette "Jagged Little Pill" (1995)

Another of those albums that was EVERYWHERE while I was in high school.

I remember being vaguely aware even at the time that Alanis had had albums before this.   Reading up on it, her self-titled album and "Now is the Time" were Canada-only releases in more of a dancey pop vein.  The release of those two records completed the two-album deal she was signed to and she was free to move to Toronto, get together with producer/writer Glen Ballard to put together "Jagged Little Pill".

A lot of people view it as her debut, and certainly it is her first international release and her first album in the more raw, alt-rock vibe.

Morissette seemed to be up for trying different things.  The single "You Oughta Know" was given to Dave Navarro and Flea (at the time both in Red Hot Chili Peppers) to essentially jam out a new arrangement over the existing beat and vocal.    

My favourite track "Head Over Feet" has fuzzy and acoustic guitars blending over a drum-machine beat that gives it almost a hint of the UK's 'baggy' scene.   Lyrically, Morissette covers topics from sexual guilt, predatory music industry types, hope, a little humour, and that lyrical stalwart: the ex-relationship. 

Yep, let's not even talk about "Ironic" and whether it's actually ironic (don't ya think?)

Day 0806 - Timeless

Goldie "Timeless"

Things I learned from this entry:

• Thing the first - Goldie didn't get his name from his golden grill.  He was known as Goldilocks back when he was rocking dreads   
• Thing the second - Goldie has a freakin' MBE
• Thing the third - before he started making music (and possibly after?) Goldie gained a level of notoriety for his graffiti art.
  

Musically this album is enjoyable, but it's a lot.   There's nearly 2 hours of music, and while I could put on any part of this album and get enjoyment from it; it's not something where I'd sit and listen to it in its entirety.

The beats are unconventional and skittish, the bass deep and low.   Some of the tracks are lushly orchestrated and punctuated with some soaring female vocals.

The beautiful "State of Mind" is possibly my favourite.  Though the sprawling title track is well worth a listen too.

Day 0805 - (What's the Story) Morning Glory

 Oasis “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” (1995) – got it

The band were signed to Creation records, released their successful debut “Definitely, Maybe”, fired and replaced their drummer then set about recording this, their second album.
 
The recording sessions went quickly though (as seems to be standard) not without fighting between the two Gallagher brothers.

The band have been accused of possibly wearing their influences a little two prominently on their sleeves with the Beatles being a very obvious influence, touches of David Bowie and even a possible lifting of an REM riff ("the One I love" for the song "Morning Glory").  Regardless of this, Morning Glory remains a great rock record, that takes the band's established swaggering rock ("Hello") and expands out into more melodic areas such as Lennon-esque balladry ("Wonderwall"), to vaguely psychedelic pop ("Champagne Supernova") to acoustic power ballads ("Cast no Shadow").

This album and the debut were everywhere when I was in high school.  The band have never really topped them with subsequent Oasis albums or their other projects, but these two albums are worthy enough to have stood the test of time.

Day 0804 - Brown Sugar

D'Angelo "Brown Sugar" (1995)

D'Angelo is another musical lifer, getting into music as a child, taking part in amateur nights at the Apollo Theatre, and eventually dropping out of school to pursue a music career.

D'Angelo handled most of the production and vocals on "Brown Sugar" himself, crafting a sound that was like a modernised Marvin Gaye.   Similar to (and probably a source of) a lot of current modern RnB but without the now seemingly obligatory rap guest spot.

The sound was dubbed 'neo-soul' and, slowly but surely worked D'Angelo into the public consciousnes.   Love his take on "Cruisin" and his own eloquent "Sh*t, Damn, Motherf**ker".

Day 0803 - Leftism

Leftfield "Leftism" (1995)

 

Formed by two percussionist DJs, Leftfield had previously released a number of singles with various guests.   Though their music is very much in the electronic genre with trancey soundscapes mixing with house synths, they brought in vocalists from other genres like rock (Toni Haliday and John Lydon), reggae (Danny Red, Earl Sixteen) and even a poet (Lemm Sissay).

The duo started their debut album by tweaking and re-purposing some of the tracks they'd released as singles over the previous years then went from there, developing new music.

I heard enough here to enjoy, though I wouldn't say that the album really seized my attention for the duration.    Another "I'll listen to it if someone puts it on, but I won't seek it out" album.

Day 0802 - Different Class

Pulp "Different Class" (1995) - got it

If Blur were drawing on the Kinks, and Oasis on the Beatles, Pulp is like some weird smash together of the Pet Shop Boys and Scott Walker (would later produce their final album "We Love Life").   There are some minimalist keyboardy pop tracks and then some more cinematic mixes of acoustic guitar backed with strings, occasional jabs of rock guitar.

These sounds back singer Jarvis Cocker's stories that reflect both his northern upbringing and his geeky outsider status.  He has a certain theatrical flair to his delivery, moving between sultry whispers and spoken word, from sleepy croons, through to impassioned howls.

Many of his stories are a little downbeat, while still not without a sense of humour and a shrug of the shoulders.  Whether it's his scathing yet amused take on rich twats glamourising working class life in "Common People":

"Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they're laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do
Because you think that poor is cool"

Or this line from album opener "Mis-shapes" which seems to sum up the band's self-image:

"We don't look the same as you
And we don't do the things you do
But we live around here, too"

As I've said a few times, I'm not really much of a lyric fan, but Jarvis has a way with words that I can get behind.   He does seem to be very sex-focussed, but in kind of an awkward, unconventional way.

Another pillar of Britpop/Cool Brittannia.

 

Day 0801- Liquid Swords

GZA/Genius "Liquid Swords" (1995)

The Wu Tang Clan were on a roll.   From their debut "Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)" to solo releases from Method Man, Ol Dirty Bastard and Raekwon.

Like those albums, "Liquid Swords" was recorded in RZA's basement studio.   The album features samples from the film "Shogun Assassin" and GZA said that he was going for a more cinematic approach to the album.

It's kind of like what I was saying about the Smashing Pumpkins in entry 791 - when artists are firing creatively it feels like everything they touch is gold, and it makes sense to mine the vein while that's happening.  While I wasn't a fan of some of Raekwon's rhymes, I have to admit that everything RZA was doing around this time is solid.   I liked GZA's rhymes too, the two work well together.

Multiple other Wu members and affiliates feature, almost suggesting they could have just popped a new Wu album out every month if they'd wanted to.  But nice that they gave each other the space to do their own things without alienating each other.

Day 0800 - A Northern Soul

 The Verve "A Northern Soul" (1995)

 

Okay, I have to admit that my only real experience with the Verve was the "Urban Hymns" album.   This whole psychedelic rock with hints of droney shoegaze took me (pleasantly) by surprise.

There are some almost dance-influenced beats like on "Life's an Ocean", mixed with the noisy wash of guitar that is reminiscent of bands from My Bloody Valentine, Ride and maybe the Happy Mondays.

The long, slow moody mellow atmospheric "Drive you home" is quite dreamy and wonderful.  

The  band broke up after this, but reformed and hit new commercial heights.

Day 0799 - Femi Kuti

Femi Kuti "Femi Kuti" (1995)

 

Femi was the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and played in his band for a time.   Femi started his own band 'the Positive Force'.

This self-titeld album was his first solo album and was released on Motown's Tabu label.

It's long drawn out Afro-beat jams with Femi alternatively on vocals or saxophone.   A lot of it is probably a bit 'too' drawn out for me, but I enjoy the funkiness of "Nawa" and "No Shame", not to mention the brief yet crazy intro to "Nawa" that sounds like a high velocity smashing together of Afro-beat and ska.

Day 0798 - Alien Lanes

Guided by Voices "Alien Lanes" (1995)

Packing 28 tracks in barely more than 40 minutes, this is GBV's eighth full-length album, and their first for Matador records.   The band were given a sizeable advance, yet reverted to type and mostly patched the album together from home recordings and bits.

The songs don't really overstay their welcome, with most being either less than a minute, or at most, less than two minutes.   Many of the songs seem to fade out abruptly at the end, like the band had suddenly grown bored of them and pulled the plug.

The sound is a lo-fi noisy, jangly pop-rock with bursts of punkiness.   Kind of like a mix of Velvet Underground and the Violent Femmes (maybe a touch of John Frusciante's early solo work).   

Enjoyable sounds, though I find it hard to really lock into it with everything being so brief in an almost accidental way.

Day 0797 - the Bends

Radiohead "The Bends" (1995) - got it

The heady days, before many Radiohead fans became insufferable snobs who crapped over the bands they perceived Radiohead to have influenced.  When Radiohead themselves were just "that band who sang Creep" with everyone waiting to see if they could follow up their 'hit'.

While the bleeps and bloops of "Kid A" are often pointed out as the big change in direction for Radiohead, arguably their first few albums all displayed fairly major stylistic shifts.   "The Bends" saw the band move away from their straight-ahead alt-rock to a more densely nuanced, melodically sophisticated sound, but still with more of a rock-guitar sound than follow-up "OK Computer" would have.

The band worked more collaboratively on songrwiting and arranging, instead of creating a wall of guitars, they played with arrangements that put together different parts for each of the three guitarists that worked together.  In some places the sound was still dense, like on single "Just" a bit of a favourite of mine, and something of a good middle point between their rock sound and their intelligent melodic directions.  Elsewhere, they stripped things back on songs like the acoustic, atmospheric "Bullet Proof... I wish I was" and album-closer "Street Spirit (Fade Out)".... damn, actually Radiohead always have the best album-closer tracks.

Most of the tracks start small and build their arrangements, as can be heard in songs like "Fake Plastic Trees", "My Iron Lung" and "Nice Dream".   

An argument could be made for this being the album where Radiohead really found their sound, with that more melodically sophisticated vein being mined; but you could also argue that Radiohead are another of those good bands who never quite fix on their sound and are constantly trying to forge new ground.

Day 0796 - I Should Coco

 Supergrass "I Should Coco" (1995)

The band, originally called Theodore Supergrass was formed by singer/guitarist Gaz Coombes and bassist Mickey Quinn.   They recorded "I Should Coco" at Sawmills recording studio, an old mill in Cornwall.

The band were young (late teens/early 20s) and ready to have fun.   They were trying different things with the upbeat and fun "Alright" or the rocking-yet-melodic opener "I'd like to know" which itself was created by playing their song "the Strange Ones" backwards on cassette and writing a new song around that sound.

The album is bursting with youthful energy and little cheekiness and actually led to Steven Spielberg approaching the band about making a Monkees-style tv show; they declined.

I prefer their second album "In it for the Money" but this a fun and varied record.

Day 0795 - Elastica

 Elastica "Elastica" (1995)

Wasn't sure if I'd heard any Elastica songs, but was definitely familiar with their name.  On listening I knew right away that I recognised   "Connection", and "Line up" isn't totally unfamiliar.

Ex-Suede members Justine Frischmann and Justin Welch formed Elastica and cut their own path.   Elastica have a harder rocking sound than Suede... in fact they sound almost like their former band mixed with the abrasive attitude-laden rock of Hole.   There are touches of post-punk to the first track "Line up".   "Smile" is almost punk, but with some luscious vocal harmonies on top.

A groovy, hard, angular record that I could totally see being something that influenced a future British band the Long Blondes, of whom I'm a fan.   Good too-cool-by-far Britpop.

Day 0794 - Me Against the World

 Tupac "Me Against the World" (1995)

Tupac started off rapping with Digital Underground.  As he developed his sound, he moved away from their sound and more towards Dr Dre's developing 'G-funk' sound.

Despite having been recorded at multiple different studios and with different producers, the album has a certain cohesion.   Tupac covers a number of different sounds, including the ballad "Dear Mama" and the heavy reality of "So Many Tears".   That seems to be something that is repeatedly noted about this album, that Shakur was wearing his heart on his sleeve a bit more with these songs.  Digging deep and honest with his lyrics.

He definitely had plenty of drama to draw from, he'd shot at cops, been accused of sexual assualt and was even in prison as the album went to number one.

The album opens with an oddly prescient series of newsreaders talking about Tupac having been shot and checked himself out of hospital.  Ultimately Tupac was murdered in his mid-20s, a victim of 'the game' that he rapped about so much here.   

Day 0793 - Exit Planet Dust

 Chemical Brothers "Exit Planet Dust" (1995)

The album title is likely a nod to the fact that the Chemical Brothers used to be called the Dust Brothers... until they were sued by the Beastie Boys' producers of the same name.   The duo were forced to change their name to the Chemical Brothers, which somehow feels like it suits them better anyway.  Another hangover from this previous moniker is the second track title "In Dust we Trust".

The Chemical Brothers' formula (see what I did there) is already pretty well established here, with its synthesizer loops, occasionally vaguely psychedelic soundscapes, and big beefy beats.

The duo were acknowledged in liner notes for albums from Fatboy Slim and Daft Punk following the release of their debut, showing the spread of their influence.  The big beat style also sounds very similar to that adopted by the Propellerheads, who are a bit of a favourite of mine.

Day 0792 - Scream, Dracula, Scream!

 Rocket From the Crypt "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" (1995) - got it

 
RFtC to me are like Elvis Costello's older, cooler-yet-dumber brother.   Like Costello they have that mix of punk rawness with 1950s melody and vibes of greaser rock-n-roll.

As per day 772, John Reis had formed this band as well as the band Drive Like Jehu.  RFtC had started off as a kind of mix of rock, punk and kind of a rockabilly style.  By the time they released "Scream Dracula Scream" they had added a horn section which really fleshed out their sound and gave it a bit of a fun vibe.    

Right from opener "Middle" there seems to be a party in every other groove.   Even the more melodic songs like "Used" or "Misbeaten" are punctuated by Reis' bleeding-throat howl.  

The band had originally planned for the gaps in between the songs to be filled with instrumental passages including strings, woodwind and other instruments not typically found on rock records.   The idea being to make one cohesive chunk of music.  The record company balked at the idea and instructed them to remove the instrumental passages and leave it as a more traditional collection of songs.

I came to the band through the puppy and sideburn-heavy video for single "On a Rope"... honestly, those sideburns.

Day 0791 - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" (1995) - got it

 

This is another of those albums that I did not really need to listen to for the list (but did anyway) because it is imprinted firmly on my brain.    This was one of the first albums that was 'mine' as opposed to listening to my parents' or siblings' music.   I used to sit and listen to this album (all 2+ hours/28 tracks of it) at LEAST once a day.  Not doing anything else (except maybe making up music videos in my mind) just listening to the music.  Some days I wish I had the luxury of and concentration for doing that now.

It had been decided before the songs had even been written that the Mellon Collie would be a double-album.   Corgan stated they'd almost had enough songs to make the previous album "Siamese Dream" a double album too, which probably explains the full-length b-sides album "Pisces Iscariot" that was released between the two studio albums.

What could easily have been a giant overindulgent mess ends up being quite a cohesive musical journey (remembering that this is wound so deep into my synapses that I can't be entirely unbiased towards it).

While the vibe is largely angst, loneliness and nihilism, there is also joy and fear and love and the whole spectrum of human emotion.  The music has range too, with a delicate piano opening track seguing into "Tonight Tonight" with its interesting mix of prominent strings with a melodic alt-pop track (also the first Pumpkins song that I ever heard).   I won't got track by  track through the album, but suffice to say it has punishing riffs (Tales of a Scorched Earth, Bodies), subtle melodic tracks (Galapagos, Stumbleine), ventures into prog (Porcelina of the Vast Ocean), dabbles with electronic elements (1979, Beautiful) and a dozen other genres.   The whole thing is divided into two disks "Dawn to Dusk" and "Twilight to Starlight" and the final track "Farewell and Goodnight" features all four band members taking turns on the vocals to wish the viewer sweet dreams, again letting you feel like you've taken a musical journey. 

I think an important part of the success of this album is that Billy and the band were just creatively on fire at this point (or maybe it's just that this is when their songwriting most aligned with my own personal tastes).   All 28 songs from the album are enjoyable, most of the 25-30 B-sides associated with the album are really good, even the unreleased demos I've heard from this period are mostly decent.   Nowadays I'm lucky if a new Pumpkins song sticks with me past the first listen.