Music: Is 1991 the Best Year Since the 70s?

[Roo Returns]

I like your reasoning, but I disagree with you. That you mention the production and arrangement aspects is.. solid analysis, imho.

My memory of that era is that 1989 & 1990, though a few gems came out, were the weakest years of the 80's. Change was in the air, though at the time it felt like music was dying... Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, and Milli Vanilli were huge... Hair metal was on it's last legs. There was a desperate need for a new direction and the albums/bands you are referencing hit at the right place at the right time. The shift you mention was already going on and the bands you mentioned were there to fill the void. Right place, right time. Nature abhors a vacuum.

1989 and 1990 also had Janet Jackson, Prince at the top of their game, and "young veteran" bands like RHCP, R.E.M. among many others continuing growth and momentum. You also had Madchester, alternative bands like Love and Rockets, The Church, The Cure, and XTC all putting out great releases, and that doesn't even get into hard rock and heavy metal. Neneh Cherry, LL Cool J, Biz Markie, etc. had some hit albums. Mazzy Star was an underground/college rock hit. The B-52s.

The void fillers? Are you referring to Nirvana/Soundgarden/RHCP/Pearl Jam/Metallica/Smashing Pumpkins all of whom had big records come out in the summer-fall 1991 window, or the later in 1994? I'd say the 1991 gang was organic and from hard work, touring, getting better at their craft.

The bands like The Pixies and Jane's Addiction who were supposed to be the stars of the 90s both imploded with Jane's being done by late-September 1991, but The Pixies still road some of that momentum and were part of it as Trompe le Monde was released in the fall on 1991.

 

[#37]

1989 and 1990 also had Janet Jackson, Prince at the top of their game, and "young veteran" bands like RHCP, R.E.M. among many others continuing growth and momentum. You also had Madchester, alternative bands like Love and Rockets, The Church, The Cure, and XTC all putting out great releases, and that doesn't even get into hard rock and heavy metal. Neneh Cherry, LL Cool J, Biz Markie, etc. had some hit albums. Mazzy Star was an underground/college rock hit. The B-52s.

The void fillers? Are you referring to Nirvana/Soundgarden/RHCP/Pearl Jam/Metallica/Smashing Pumpkins all of whom had big records come out in the summer-fall 1991 window, or the later in 1994? I'd say the 1991 gang was organic and from hard work, touring, getting better at their craft.

The bands like The Pixies and Jane's Addiction who were supposed to be the stars of the 90s both imploded with Jane's being done by late-September 1991, but The Pixies still road some of that momentum and were part of it as Trompe le Monde was released in the fall on 1991.

Yeah, there were a couple of gems... as I said above. But, for me and my tastes, it was all kind of bleak at that moment. Prince, as brilliant as he is, and Janet, as lovely as she is, were not my taste .... But I can appreciate Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam for what they accomplished.

I think we are approaching this from different angles. To me, you sound as though you are speaking from a retrospective angle, er, knowing what you know now. Where I am speaking from what I actually remember. Those years were bleak, as far as new things that I actually liked... My friends were of the same opinion.

Also, I am telling you I disagree, while you are telling me I am wrong... It's all subjective anyway, so does it really matter?

 

[Roo Returns]

Yeah, there were a couple of gems... as I said above. But, for me and my tastes, it was all kind of bleak at that moment. Prince, as brilliant as he is, and Janet, as lovely as she is, were not my taste .... But I can appreciate Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam for what they accomplished.

I think we are approaching this from different angles. To me, you sound as though you are speaking from a retrospective angle, er, knowing what you know now. Where I am speaking from what I actually remember. Those years were bleak, as far as new things that I actually liked... My friends were of the same opinion.

Also, I am telling you I disagree, while you are telling me I am wrong... It's all subjective anyway, so does it really matter?

What is your taste?

I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong or "prove a point". Believe me I have better things to do. The main purpose is to bring up a lot of albums and artists and bands and add protein to this thread while introducing others to good music and along the way hopefully learning about some new stuff. E.G I just learned about Akiko Yano last month (unrelated to 90s music as she's still going strong).

I think as a society anytime we disagree it's viewed very personally or with chest beating. I had an old manager who actually encouraged it when necessary.

Anyway back to the thread and diplomacy, you are right there is no wrong or right answer. I was looking back at it as someone who was there and very impressionable/young so I watched a lot of MTV and listened to a lot of radio in those days. 1991 was a seismic shift. I look back at it very fondly as I generally do for most music made from like 1967-2015ish.

You may have hated the 1989-1991 Era, I know I hated the 1998-1999 Era (was in HS and not into that vibe).

20-30 years from now when we're older and HF is telepathically linked, someone will come up with a "Is 2023 The Best Year Since The 2000s?" thread and I'll throw up because personally I'm having a very hard time finding even 7 albums that I actually really truly love this year (and I'm not into the Taylor Swift hype machine, boygenuins is ok at best, and Sam Smith.....nope).

 

[TCTC]

1994 is better

Illmatic
Ready to Die
Superunknown
Vitalogy
Nirvana Unplugged
Crazy Sexy Cool
Weezer Blue Album
Dookie
Downward Spiral
Grace
Ill Communication
Smash
Throwing Copper
Cracked Rear View
Korn self titled
Under the Table and Dreaming
Purple
Four
Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Far Beyond Driven

So many great albums from 1994 year missing here.

Definitely Maybe, Music for the Jilted Generation, Dummy, Protection, Welcome to Sky Valley, Selected Ambient Works Vol. II

 

[todeskultes]

Great to see Cows, Caroliner, and :zoviet*france: getting some much deserved attention.

These are some of my favourites (that haven't been mentioned already):

Slint - Spiderland
Slowdive - Just for a Day
The Ex + Tom Cora - Scrabbling at the Lock
Death Side - Bet on the Possibility
The Bats - Fear of God
Assück - Anticapital (not as good as Misery Index but still great IMO)
Skin Chamber - Wound
Swans - White Light from the Mouth of Infinity

 

[#37]

I think as a society anytime we disagree it's viewed very personally or with chest beating. I had an old manager who actually encouraged it when necessary.

Sorry for the delayed response, I have had a lot going on. You put some effort into that post, so I should answer it.

Obviously, it's all situational. Context is important. But, tbh, I don't really care if people agree with my opinions or not, in general. But I think today's society is populated by people who absolutely have to prove that their opinion is the correct opinion. It's an unhealthy compulsion. I used to know several people like that, but I ditched them. For them, appearing to be right is more important than actually being right. For some of them, it's about ego, self-esteem, and perhaps other underlying issues. It's why we are so politically divided at the moment. I don't suffer from that problem. My ego and self-esteem aren't tied to a need to be perceived as 'right'. I get my ego and self-esteem from actual accomplishments.

So, I disagree with your former manager... heh. To be fair to the manager, I lack certain contextual information like: The industry you were working in and the manager's motivation. If it was sales, I assume they were trying to make their staff more aggressive.

Anyway... back to the topic at hand. Thinking about it, I would say that 'my current opinion' is that the early days of Mtv caused the largest 'seismic shift' in music ever. Over night long careers ended while new ones were kick-started based solely on looks. Great songs with no video flopped, while bad songs with great videos became hits.

 

[Roo Returns]

Sorry for the delayed response, I have had a lot going on. You put some effort into that post, so I should answer it.

Obviously, it's all situational. Context is important. But, tbh, I don't really care if people agree with my opinions or not, in general. But I think today's society is populated by people who absolutely have to prove that their opinion is the correct opinion. It's an unhealthy compulsion. I used to know several people like that, but I ditched them. For them, appearing to be right is more important than actually being right. For some of them, it's about ego, self-esteem, and perhaps other underlying issues. It's why we are so politically divided at the moment. I don't suffer from that problem. My ego and self-esteem aren't tied to a need to be perceived as 'right'. I get my ego and self-esteem from actual accomplishments.

So, I disagree with your former manager... heh. To be fair to the manager, I lack certain contextual information like: The industry you were working in and the manager's motivation. If it was sales, I assume they were trying to make their staff more aggressive.

Anyway... back to the topic at hand. Thinking about it, I would say that 'my current opinion' is that the early days of Mtv caused the largest 'seismic shift' in music ever. Over night long careers ended while new ones were kick-started based solely on looks. Great songs with no video flopped, while bad songs with great videos became hits.

Don't worry, it's only HF. I went about a month without posting here due to traveling, weddings, etc.

Not sales, loosely in a white collar area.

I'm not going to argue with you, not worth it. We are probably different ages and have different tastes so it will seem different. I was too young to go to concerts in 1991, I remember watching a boatload of MTV, listening to a lot of radio, and seeing other channels even Nickelodeon cover music. The alternative era exploded. There were definitely changes due to MTV in the early 1980s. Some of the old guard stuck around and adapted, but definitely new blood. I don't know how much of that was from the president of Arista threatening to pull all videos because they weren't featuring enough African American music, or a year later when Bowie called them out for it. The 80s had their sound.

 

[Voight]

Currently, an image posted on Twitter by user @QueenCityJamz is having a viral moment. The photograph shows a stack of cassettes — seven legendary albums all released during 44 days in 1991. What’s more, the last three albums debuted on the same day!

• Metallica, Metallica
• Pearl Jam, Ten
• Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion I
• Guns N’ Roses, Use Your Illusion II
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik
• Soundgarden, Badmotorfinger
• Nirvana, Nevermind

+ Ozzy Osbournes No More Tears.