"SADNESS PART 1" IS JUST SO MUCH DEEPER THAN "SADNESS"

Artist - Enigma
Album -MCMX A.D.
Song - Sadness (Part 1)
Status - Acquired

There is something overtly art house and self serving about "Sadness Part 1", like a philosopher creating a ethical system to justify his own selfish desires. You don't understand the words, but you want it to be true. No matter how wrong it feels you can't bring yourself to strike it down. Its European, its Dance, its Fantasy, but its also very earnest and completely original and maybe there is something to spiritual enlightenment through corporal exploration. Maybe its sublime sadness. 

EVERYBODY NEEDS MARY J.

Artist - Mary J. Blige
Album - Share My World
Album - Love is All We Need
Date - 2-18-97
Status - Not Acquired

Every generation has a heart breaking soul singer. Our generation's was Mary J. She was also THE star of hip-hop  R&B. Synthetic beats behind a huge R&B voice. That voice is just real. With other singers "love is all we need" would sound saccharin and false, but through Mary it sounds prophetic. 

The version with Nas' versus is also worth checking out. He's very under-rated.

THAT'S LOVESHLY

Artest - The Shamen
Album - Boss Drum
Song - Ebeneezer Goode
Date - September 1992
Status - Not Acquired

My buddy Joe LaVall and myself saw this video one day on MTV and couldn't stand it. We couldn't tell if we loved it or hated, but we were addicted to these Scottish dance masters. We spent a good six weeks screaming "Ee's an Ebeneezzer Goode!" every time one of saw the other in the hallways between classes. Then we'd hit each other.  Eh, teenagers.

And yes, Ebenezeer is a not very vague drug reference. "Veras" rhyming slang for weed, plus lots of other drug references.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE

Artist - Freedy Johnston
Album - This Perfect World
Song - Bad Reputation
Date - 1994
Status - Acquired

My wife introduced me to Freedy Johnston, who was introduced to her by a youth minister. See, good things come out of organized religion. She was recently reading through a journal she kept while attending a summer photography course at Prat. She'd been to the Park that day and seen Freedy playing for free. Very excited.

Opening lines of this song just cut to the quick. "I couldn't have one conversation, if it wasn't for lies." We've all been there.

THE VERBING RANDOM NOUN

Artist - The Smashing Pumpkins
Album - Gish
Song - Siva
Date - August 1991
Status - Not Acquired

One of the great things about 90's bands was that people of different races or gender just showed up in bands and it didn't really matter. Case in point, the Smashing Pumpkins (stupid band name), Asian guy playing guitar, woman playing base, not really the point. Not even really a big deal. Just a rock band.

I love Siva. Its much more rock than latter Pumpkins' albums that became more studio oriented and precious, but in parts it breaks down and establishes that something that would make the Pumpkins stand out.

SO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, IS THE TANK IN BOUNDS OR OUT OF BOUNDS

Artist - Master P
Album - Ghetto D
Song - Make'em Say UGH
Date - January, 1998
Status - Not Acquired

Two, things. One, after the East Coast / West Coast thing burned out after 2Pac and Biggie were killed rap started to splinter stylistically. Suddenly acts from places like Atlanta and Houston started showing up on the radio, and like early R&B each city had a very distinct sound. New Orleans No Limit definitely did.  New Orleans, like so many things, has its on flavor. and Two, Master P is a straight up hustler, and not even an original one. Puff Daddy had already mastered the trick of getting a lot of other rappers to rap on a track and throw his voice on the hook and call it his trick. What Master P added was well...I mean look at the video, what didn't he add. Platinum tank? check. Tank shoots into crowd? check.

P.S. No Limit crew definitely proving that a southern diet high in fat will require 9ft hoops for your video, because no one wants to watch lay ups.

GET AFTER YOUR THURSDAY!

Artist - R.E.M.
Album - Green
Song - Get Up
Date - September 1989
Status - Not Acquired

I know, I know. Their older stuff is where its at. That's what all the phony hippies say, but Green was the album that brought REM to public at large. "Get Up" was the fourth single from the album, and if the song wasn't awesome enough, the video should have warm fuzzies all over your face. Its a good thing.

YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE

Artist - 2Pac
Album - N/A
Song - California Love
Date - 1995
Status - Acquired

In somethings in life you have to pick sides: Beatles or Stones, Chocolate or Vanilla, and 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. I'm not saying you can't like both of them, but when push comes to shove you have to pick one over the other. You can't like each the same. Its impossible. Anyone who won't choose should be thrown in a river. If they float, burn them at the stake, they're a witch.  If they sink, pull them out of the river and burn them, they're also a witch.

Personally, I'm a Biggie man. 2Pac's perfectly fine, but if the final battle for this mortal rock comes down to Biggie or 2Pac, I'm lining up on the East Side.  Sadly things almost came to that in the 90's for some in the Hip Hop industry.  Imotocon says ":-("

Isn't this just the weirdest pairing of images to song? Plus, long ass 90's video intro.

Historic note: this song was released to celebrate 2Pac getting out of jail.

RAPPID EYE MEN AT WORK ...SAVING THE PLANET

Artist - Midnight Oil
Album - Earth and Sun and Moon
Song - Truganini
Date - 1993
Status - Not Acquired

Midnight Oil was definitely political. Maybe a too much. A little bit of ambiguity helps the medicine go down after all. Not saying they weren't right, but you know, make a person think a little. One verse into an Oils song and you know if you agree or not, and then the arguing starts. Then again, it's a great world where powerful political and social messages go so well with funky beats, and everyone can use a good argument once in a while.

This song has some great guitar riffs strung throughout.

SUPER GROUP

Artist - Temple of the Dog
Album - Temple of the Dog
Song - Pushin Forward Back
Date - 1991
Status - Acquired

As many know by now, Temple of the Dog was formed by Chris Cornell as a tribute to departed Mother Love Bone lead singer Andrew Wood. Wood died of a heroine overdose. The band, though a super group in retrospect was made of local Seattle musicians. Cornell and drummer Mat Cameron would become famous as half of Sound Garden and the rest of the band would go on to form Pearl Jam out of the remains of Mother Love Bone. Its hard to imagine that at the time the recorded this album Eddie Vedder was just some dude from San Diego with a mix tape of vocals.

Pushing Forward Back is a real fusion of Pearl Jam and Sound Garden. The guitar work sounds very Pearl Jam, and Cameron's drumming is unmistakable.

DEEP CUT FRIDAY

Artist - Tinstar
Album - The Thrill Kisser
Song - Head
Date - 1999
Status - Not Acquired

This isn't really going to be a regular feature. That would require way more energy and organization than I'm willing to put into this, but what else is there to say about Tinstar. The end of the 90's went slightly techno and Britishy.

But listen, do yourself a favor, download the song, and as you step out of the office at the end of the day, push play. Slide on some dark sunglasses, light up a cig, and just stand their smoking right outside the door in clear violation of California health codes and watch the rabble clear out.

META SYMMETRY

Artist - Tori Amos

Album - Under the Pink

Song - Cornflake Girl

Date - 2-14-94

Status - Acquired

Really an amazing song, and deep, real deep. I read about it. Before reading, and thank god for reading, the only thing I knew about the lyrics to this song is they were real important and the meant something...

But that is the wonderful thing about Tori Amos songs from the 90's. They managed to make the piano unpredictable. They redeemed the idea of a singer song writer with serious literary aspirations. They married musicianship and emotional kick. Seriously think of a the kind of act that sells itself on complex lyrics, meaningful subject maner and a piano. Sounds terrible doesn't it? But its awesome.

Her voice is just ridiculous. 

GET UP AND DO THE BUMP, RIGHT THERE AT YOUR DESK

Artist - MC Hammer
Album - Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
Song - U Can't Touch This
Date - 1-13-90
Status - Not Acquired

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! BIG OLE' PANTS SHUFFLING BACK AND FORTH.  HELLS YEAH ITS WEDNESDAY BABY. SOMETIMES CALLED HUMP DAY, BUT NOT TODAY! TODAY IS BUMP DAY, FOR LIKE A MINUTE.

Seriously someone bought five million copies, sure they then burned 4.5 million of those copies. Shame really, because this is one of the greatest believing it, owning it and letting the rest of us just bask in your reflected glories of it of all times.

Special shout out to Rick James. He and Freddy Mercury are telling some stories right now.

NIHILISTIC LEISURE LOUNGE

Artist - Nine Inch Nails
Album - The Downward Spiral
Song - Piggy
Date - December 1994
Status - Not Acquired

Like your brooding geniuses with a heavy does of self destructive nihilism, then Trent Reznor was the pop idol of your teenage, not giving a shit, "whatever" mall rocking goth heart. Piggy sounds like a song Frank Sinatra would right in the middle of a cold turkey heroine purge.  Enjoy!

.... man, tomorrow better be a serious pick me up or I'm not sure we're going to make it to Friday.

MY HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR LET ME DOWN

Artist - Primus
Album - Suck on This
Song - John the Fisherman
Date - 1990
Status - Not Acquired

Happy Monday. Right now I bet you are sitting behind a desk, staring another 40 hours in the face and wishing you'd run off to Alaska to become a high profile harvester of the sea. You should have listened to Primus. They were way ahead of the reality TV curve. Right now you could be cruising the Bearing Straights in the S.S. Big Brown Beaver as the star of Deadliest Catch. Well hear, live the chaos for the next three thirty eight.

P.S. pretty sure the internet is right and the fourth guy on the boart is Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. The fifth guy? I don't know, maybe the first mate. Guy's sixth, seventh, eight and ninth, just some dudes out trolling for sea bass.

IN A WORLD WHERE FURBIES GO TO WORK, ONLY ONE BAND CAN SAVE US.

Artist - Cake
Album - Fashion Nugget
Song - The Distance
Date - 10-15-96
Status - Acquired - Way Acquired

Something about lead singer John McCrea's laid back vocal stylings and ripping guitar riffs...is...well awesome. Plus melodica! Cake songs always have a few odd ball musical tweaks. Great song, maybe an even better video.

DAMN I'M PRETTY

Artist - Terence Trent D'Arby
Album - Introducing The Hardline According to Terrence Trent D'Arby
Song - Wishing Well
Date - 1987
State - Not Acquired

Going way back to  middle school for this one. We may have all ended up in flannels, but we started out in tight rolled acid wash jeans, and don't you forget it.

In many ways Wishing Well seems very 80's, very produced, very synth, but D'Arby teases something totally unique out of it. Something that's unique, that defines uniqueness.

SO GOOFIE / SO SERIOUS / SO WHAT

Artist - Green Day

Album - Dookie (duh)

Song - She

Date - 5-5-95

Status - Acquired

Dookie is one of those albums no one wants to take seriously, but you just have to. Somehow it feels like a joke, but no, its not a joke, it just doesn't care what other people think. 

"She" is a surprisingly earnest call to self-actualization. If there was theme to my teenage years it was that "Darren ole' boy you have to self-actualize". Seriously, bull-shit and $20 words aside, that is what being a teenager is about, going from a child to an adult that we all hope thinks about things for themselves. If banging your head and screaming at a punk rock concert helps get you there, then get on board and self actualize my man.

A WHOLE NEW FREAK

Artist - Adina Howard
Album - Do You Wanna Ride?
Song - Freak Like Me
Date - 1-25-95
Status - Aquired

Freak like me stands out for two reasons. One would be the Hip-Hop influenced backing track. The trend in R&B had been towards the more up-beat, danceable sounds of New Jack Swing. In comparison Freak's sound is heavily influenced by G-Funk and the work of Doctor Dre. It's slow, its slinky. Its not a song to dance to. Its a song to bob your head (and likely several other body parts) to.
Second, its sexual, aggressively so. Howard, and many other female R&B singers and rappers in the mid 90's actively (and appealing to young men who buy records) adopted blatantly sexual imagery that had previously been the domain of men.

Was this good or bad for relationships between the sexes? That's not really the point? The point is, she's a freak, and she's looking for a freak who can bump-bump to the early morn' and really when you're eighteen its hard to see though that to anything else. Even at 28 and 38 the song still has that affect.

ALTERNATIVE TO ALTERNATIVE

Artest - The The
Album - Dusk
Song - Love is Stronger than Death
Date - June 1993
Status - Not Acquired

Record companies generally like songs about whipping your hair and videos full lithe young women, not songs about death accompanied by videos which graphically depict the onset of death. Not really a foot tapper kind of thing. then in the early 90's weird, self-aware bands with strange names and deep thoughtful songs seamed to find a broader audience at that time. There wasn't anything big and horrible going on in the world. It just seemed like a lot of people where tired of all the smiling and wanted the freedom to be serious even if all there needs had been provided for. The The fits the bill nicely. Love is Stronger than Death is wise, melancholy and honest. Its about the meaning of life, but yeah, you can still tap your foot to it.