My mate Jon-I-Go-Up-The-Arsenal-With emails me with the answer to his last pop quiz question*, which started me thinking about how bleak the Nineties were, musically. I like a lot of Oasis stuff, and Radiohead made two of the finest LPs of all time in that decade. Pulp were, arguably, the last great British pop group, continuing that glorious strand of glamourous, subversive outsiders that links Bowie, Bolan, Roxy Music and the Smiths. But that's about as far as I go with it.
My preference for the (debatable, I know, but I'm gonna stick my neck out anyway) golden era (1965-1980) is well documented. I'd agree that a case could be made for the 90s having in some ways reversed the seemingly irreversible slump that was the 1980s. The Smiths, two decent Bowie albums and the fact that Prince and Kate Bush were at their creative peak in that decade aside, it was also a pretty grim time. But at least there seemed still to be a connection in the 1980s between popular music and society at large. It was certainly the pivotal decade in the transformation of this country and there's at least a modicum of music that was listened to beyond the confines of the music press that documents and critiques that period of rapid social change (I'm thinking of chart stuff like Bronski Beat and even Heaven 17, whose look was very much a parody - or was it an adoption - of the slick, 80s entrepreneurial style. Those listed above excepted, I can't recall the 90s and its attendant cultural outpourings with as much clarity or fondness. Probably just an age thing, but I was still - if less regularly - an enthusiastic record buyer and cultural consumer, so this isn't *entirely* Blimpish, I don't think...
So, is it just me, or were the 90s *really* shit for music?
L.U.V. on y'all,
Bob
Q:."i dont really wanna know how your garden grows"pop quiz opening line to probably the 90s greatest song(taking out achtung baby which was greatest album of 90s.
A: Song is "live forever" by oasis stairway to heaven for 90s.noels dad used to take him to allotment every saturday and lock him in tilltea time.he wrote it in a cupbord at british gas.listen to itnow john it is uptherewith the best.
Bobcasts now available at iTunes!!
Visit me in MunterSpace - 10,000 Goth Girls Splattered in Feck Blood Can't be Wrong!!!!!!!!
Watch Bob's promos on Youtube
Listen to Bob's songs at indie911.com!
Listen to Bob's songs at GarageBand.com!
Listen to Bobcasts here!
© 2007 Swipe Enterprises
I agree that the golden era was 65-80. Especially since the Beach Boys 2nd number 1 hit was in 65.
ReplyDeleteBut you failed to mention that the BackStreet Boys were right up there with the best of the best in the 90's. How could you so carelessly forget about them?
;)
I always preferred their cruder, gay disco rivals Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteFunny how you never hear much about The Back Passage Boys any more, isn't it?
Yes Rhonda, to run the risk of sounding like an old git, "...those were the days..."
Thanks for dropping by, btw - you are the first new recruit in several years. It's a bit like Lost or Lord of the Flies or something around here. You know, there's the boat come to rescue us and we're all throwing mud at each other and dancing around a pig's head or some such...So, welcome, take a pew and I'll throw another classmate on the campfire...
L.U.V. on ya,
Bob
Suede and the Manics (before they lost their respective creative geniuses). Beck. Flaming Lips. Mercury Rev. Magnetic Fields. Air. Stereolab. Spiritualized. Nick Cave.
ReplyDeleteNo, maybe nothing to compare with Pet Sounds or White Light/White Heat or Ziggy or For Your Pleasure. But not an absolute washout either.
It's not just an age thing Robert. Even Jarvis was a faint echo. I pretend to like Lily Allen for my grand children.
ReplyDeleteBritpop?
ReplyDeleteNah, it was a golden age of Welsh pop.
SFA, Gorky's, Manics...
There was some great dance music, R&B and hip hop which troubled the charts, too.
And who could forget the Supernaturals? - Me!
the 90's was the era of the boyband wasn't it ? No wonder it's forgetable or should that be regretable ?
ReplyDeletexx BB
Oh God Geoff- what was that one the Supernaturals did??
ReplyDeleteThat'll bug me all evening now!
I don't - there's always a published author lurking, just ready to spoil everyone's fun with a sensible, balanced, objective overview, isn't there....What's wrong with the Grauniad Ulnitimed Commentische ist Verboten - I thought that was the place to go if you want a fair and reasonable debate...(;?)
L.U.V. on ya,
Bob
It was a bit poor, but there was Bjork, Madchester was good for a while, Blur had their moments.
ReplyDeleteIt was the 80s that sucked big style for pop, although the alternative and indie culture was healthy, well I liked it anyways - the pop was almost completely dire.
I was 13 in 1992 and therefore the 90s had the best music ever. But I'd be worried if anyone preferred the 90s to the music of their own teenage years.
ReplyDelete>curled up in a pew.
ReplyDeletethanks for the invite cuz I'm kinda like a stray cat.
;)
Thanks to Scotty's Supernaturals site (thanks, Scotty) I now remember that song Smile (Chorus = Smile x 15) which persuaded us all to switch to the Co-op's internet banking service.
ReplyDeleteWell, actually I stuck with their telephone banking. Nobody gets me to smile.
Mega City Four, Senseless Things, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Carter USM, Slowdive, a good 90% of 'grunge', a good 90% of Britpop...
ReplyDeleteIt's 'my' decade, but there was an awful lot of shite.
You could say that about any decade though.
Blimey - it's quite like old times, isn't it? All me old muckers (and the lovely, fresh face of Rhonda) round the campf-ire...
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't the one I was thinking of Geoff. It was probably equally irritating, but less overt advert-fodder, if I recall. Thanks for the research, mind. I suppose it keeps your mind off the hapless Hammers....now, *there's* an idea - might work for me and the Arse too...
Senseless Things, Spinny - I used to have a single of theirs (on orange vinyl). They were local (to us) lads. Lebanon Park, I believe.
I was too straight for the Madchester thing, I'm afraid Jane (long time no see, btw - how are you?) It's weird, I probably listen to more contemporary music now than I did then. I guess for someone of my era, who lived through Glam, punk, Post-punk, electronica as well as having to catch up on all the fabulous 50s and 60s stuff, it was maybe just a decade too far. I needed a breather to be able to get back into music again...?
I think Billy's right - it's your era regardless, so you're kind of stuck with it - as I was with the 80s, I suppose.
Yes, those pesky boy bands BB - "We'd have gotten away with if it hadn't been for Robbie et al. going "wooooo-wooooo" behind a white sheet and making the lights go funny...
L.U.V. on y'all,
Bob
Ooh - I must play Zoom by Fat Larry's Band on my next podcast for you! Although, weirdly - most times I hear Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth or Do You Really want To Hurt Me by Culture Club I get transported to sitting with you and other fellow Live Like Piggers pretending to rehearse (by drinking lots of cider and beer) in either The Railway or The Cabbage Patch after college. That was when I had a 26" waist - halcyon 80's days...
ReplyDeleteThe early nineties were good if you happened to like yer actual thrash metal.
ReplyDeleteBands like Slayer and Megadeth produced their finest albums AND there was the joy of listening to Pantera. There was also a very creative funk-metal scene from San Fransisco too.
One day I'll be able to tell my grandchildren: "Yes, I saw Dimebag Darrell play live on stage, not just the once, but a few times..."
I'd say that the late 80's/early 90's house/rave/dance scene was the last great "underground" movement that became popular ... Nirvana, early Oasis, Blur (I'm just mentioning bands who were successful here) all had their moments. There was something quite touching about Oasis playing at Knebworth.
ReplyDeleteThere's always good music around if you look for it, but as you grow older there's a fine line between being the sort of grumpy old git who says "music were better in my day, now it's just a load of shouting and they can't play their instruments" and being one of those forty five year old soul boys with Paul Weller haircuts hanging around record shops. Difficult at times.
The Co-ops!!....now there's a band name. Good one Geoff.
ReplyDelete