Radiohead -
The BendsAlternative rock
Sophomore album
In spite of the fact that I've never really been hugely into Radiohead, this album—according to Wikipedia—is consistently cited, and among thousands of publications, to be the single best album released in the year 1995. This is it. This is the one. I can stop this thread right now, because this album is #1.
Eh, but not really. It's good and all, but I can already think of fifteen records from '95 that I would rank higher. In fact, I think I actually prefer Radiohead's debut,
Pablo Honey, just a little bit more, to be perfectly honest. People often dismiss that album as a bog-standard grunge affair that's carried entirely by the one Radiohead song everybody knows, and that's fair, but here's the thing—"Creep" is still a really fucking good song, and
The Bends, while undeniably more inspired, consistent, and closer to the cutting edge than their debut was overall, simply lacks a single that I consider to be as good or as powerful.
In fact, of the record's many singles, "My Iron Lung" is one of only two that I would consider to be particularly good. Songs like "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" fail to leave an impression, but not as much as the title track, which straight-up bores me to tears.
That said, it's still a solid rock album, but that's all there is to it for me. If it turned out that this really WAS the best album of 1995, I would probably cut my journey short, because it wouldn't be worth it.
My favorite song, "Street Spirit," happens to be the closing track. I'll link it here, but just keep that in mind before listening to it.
7/10
Mad Season -
AboveGrunge
Debut album
Mad Season was a short-lived supergroup that combined the talents of vocalist Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), guitarist Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), and bassist John Baker Saunders (The Walkabouts). This was their only album, and I'm happy to report that it's a fucking great one.
That being said, I
am a little biased. Layne Staley happens to be my favorite vocalist of all time, across all genres, and this record showcases his talents very well. It's also just an aural feast for grunge fans, because unlike so many of the other supergroups I've covered already, these guys actually managed to get together and do exactly what you'd hope a supergroup would be able to accomplish.
Every song is unique and has its own modus operandi, from the warm and nostalgic "River of Deceit," the woozy and discordant "I Don't Know Anything," or the chilling and cavernous "All Alone." The lyrics are about as introspective and as soul-baring as you'd expect, and the bluesy grooves are prominent and intoxicating.
This is my favorite March '95 album so far, and it's gonna be difficult to top. I recommend this one to ALL rock fans, really. Even if you're not into the style, I think you have to appreciate what they were able to accomplish here, considering how often supergroups tend to disappoint.
8/10
Goo Goo Dolls -
A Boy Named GooAlternative rock
5th album
Before they came out with "Iris," which is an incredible song, Goo Goo Dolls actually started out as a punk band—and not a very good one, either, if I'm honest. It was either this album or the album just before that marked a transitional period for the band, where they began to adopt a much more palatable alt-rock sound in the same way that many-a-punk act would do back in the day.
This usually results in the group making considerably worse music in order to appeal to a broader mass, but in the case of the Goo Goo Dolls, it wound up being a good decision for them, since the quality of this album (though it's by no means outstanding) does eclipse pretty much all of their previous work, in my opinion.
This is the record that produced "Name," a soft ballad that wound up becoming the group's most successful pre-"Iris" single. I'm not crazy about it, but it's easy to see how, with singles like this, the band really was beginning to start playing into their newfound strengths.
All-around, the album is decent, but frankly a little sonically blasé for my tastes. I can't deny that it's an improvement over what they were making in the late '80s to early '90s, though.
6/10
Collective Soul -
Collective SoulPost-grunge
2nd album
This record is kind of similar to a
Pablo Honey, in the sense that, while the band isn't really doing anything new or creative or adventurous on this album, and at the time, it may have seemed a little redundant or even boring when it was released, I think we can kinda look back to albums like this in the current year with a little bit more appreciation.
Redundant or not, these guys really knew how to jam. Ed Roland's charismatic and energetic vocals are pretty infectious, and the band seems to have a powerful grasp of how to carry a groove while making some simple, bona fide rock music with some grunge-y Pearl Jam-esque undertones.
The other similarity the record shares with
Pablo Honey, however, is that it has one major stand-out single a la "Creep" that kinda overshadows the rest of the album and, in some ways, the band's entire discography. The song "Shine" from their debut album is still my favorite Collective Soul song, but "December" is one of the higher-ups as well. It's just such a cool song, even if it's a little overplayed.
7/10
Elastica -
ElasticaPunk rock
Debut album
The "new wave of new wave," Elastica was a short-lived Britpop band who made some off-kilter alternative punk music in the '90s, starting with this very album. It's pretty cool, and it seems pretty popular in retrospect. Don't overlook it.
7/10
Moby -
Everything Is WrongElectronica
3rd album
Finally, something outside of rock music.
EDM mastermind Moby did not sleep through 1995, giving us an album that is not only as blood-pumping and gratifying as his previous two LPs, but finds a way to combine, quite beautifully, what made them work so well—the ecstatic, inventive, and adrenaline-fueled breakbeats of his self-titled debut with the gorgeous, layered, and meticulously produced ambient soundscapes of his sophomore album.
The result is pretty awesome, to say the least—the album art paints a nice picture of what it feels like to listen to—but it does tend to suffer a bit from sounding a little bit dated at points, and your ability to stomach some of these moments will probably inform how much you'll ultimately enjoy the record.
I, for one, think there's a charming cheesiness to a lot of the record's production, and that's not even to say it's all cheese—there's some genuinely kick-ass beats on this record. I'm just trying to say that the era in which it was created is very transparent, and I hope you don't let that bother you too much.
Of course, if you hate electronica or rave music in general, stay far away from this one. There's nothing for you here.
8/10
E-40 -
In a Major WayHip hop
Sophomore album
Another solid rap record, but compared to the Smif 'n' Wessun album that I covered way back when I first made this thread, this one is gonna seem pretty standard by comparison.
Still, E-40 is no pedestrian on the mic. I'm still gonna give it the same score by virtue of the man being a VERY talented spitter and lyricist (even though his weird vocal inflections are somewhat of an acquired taste), and the production here is by no means bad—it's just not breaking new ground for '90s hip hop in the way that the Roots were, for example.
7/10
2Pac -
Me Against the WorldHip hop
3rd album
I was pretty stoked when I noticed I had a 2Pac album in the March section to listen to. It wasn't
All Eyez On Me, but it
is the only album he has where he doesn't intentionally misspell a word in the title, so for that, I was expecting to listen to some very down-to-earth, introspective rapping from one of the legends.
And yeah, sure, I got that. But the overall experience of the album can be summed up with the phrase, "That was pretty good," which is somewhat of an underwhelming response when we're talking about one of, if not THE most beloved and legendary emcees to ever do it.
I just don't really have much to say, which feels lame to say, but I'm just being honest.
The production was pretty good. I really like how chilled out it is. Every song had a place and purpose. His rapping was pretty good. The lyrics were pretty good. It was all just... pretty good. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess I can say that the quality of consistency throughout the tracks is absolutely through the roof on this one, because every single song is precisely as good as the last one you heard. I couldn't say the same about his first two records, which all had their definite peaks and valleys. Here, everything is good. But nothing is all that GREAT.
I'd definitely rank it above the E-40, though.
7/10
Annie Lennox -
MedusaAdult contemporary
Sophomore album
Annie Lennox was the vocal half of the '80s British synthpop duo Eurythmics. If you don't immediately recognize the name, you've no doubt heard the song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" at the very least.
After splitting up in 1990 or so, Lennox went off on a solo career, and, after releasing her debut
Diva in '92, decided that her next record would be comprised entirely of covers.
I'm not usually one who finds this concept terribly compelling—obviously, I think covers are great, but fifty minutes of nothing
but covers is not exactly my idea of an interesting album. I'd simply rather spend that time listening to original material. Of course, Matt Johnson was able to pull it off, so it's not like there are no exceptions to this rule, but in order to make a great covers album, you not only have to make each and every song your own, but I must be able to walk away from the record thinking that I just listened to a completely original work.
Does Lennox succeed here? Eh, maybe partially.
On
Medusa, Lennox offers her take on a bunch of old songs from a relatively broad variety of decades, eras, and genres, providing them with silky smooth yet vocally-focused pop instrumentation. There's a minimal dance vibe, but this style of pop music is truthfully more about showcasing how good of a singer Lennox is (yawn).
There are songs by '60s MoTown groups like the Temptations on this thing, as well as some relatively obscure British synthpop and new wave bands, such as the Blue Nile and the Lover Speaks, from which the opening track and most popular cut from the album is derived: "No More 'I Love You's," which is a song you'd immediately recognize upon hearing it, assuming you didn't recognize the title.
Honestly, though, beyond that track and the covers of "Downtown Lights" and "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" by the Persuaders, there's really not much here to talk about. Lennox is a very talented vocalistm to be sure, but if you're like me, and you don't care to listen to good singing for the sake of it, most of the material found here will likely just bore you, or (worst case scenario) make you want to listen to the original songs instead. Look no further than the Neil Young cover for an example of that.
6/10
Matthew Sweet -
100% FunAlternative rock
5th album
Possibly the shittiest album cover so far?
It's okay, though. I would just listen to his previous album
Girlfriend instead.
6/10
I was supposed to listen to a Linda Ronstadt album, too, but her back catalog is way too extensive for me to care right now. Same with Stevie Wonder, who would be coming up, but I can't be assed.
Instead, we got:
Sleeper
Seefeel
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
The Tea Party
Monster Magnet
A BUNCH OF NOTHING (maybe i'll be surprised, though)
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