1995 in music. • Page 4

What!

 

hard to believe but yes oasis is better.

 

I only got deeper into Smashing Pumpkins somewhat recently but the first few records are all great

 

it’s no slight to the pumpkins. mc is a very good record, with some fat like any double album, that just also happens to be the band’s third best album. WTSMG is a perfect album lol

 

I've listened up through both Machina albums and enjoyed everything to varying degrees, at some point I gotta keep going but their discography is so dense and sprawling

 

I was a pretty active music listener in 1995 so here are some brief thoughts both about the albums as well as some context regarding perception at the time in case anyone is curious:

SMASHING PUMPKINS - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness

I know opinions will vary but as someone obsessed with this band in the mid-90's this was a monumental achievement by Billy Corgan in terms of his prolific songwriting. One of the rare double albums that justifies it's length, the band tries out many different styles while still keeping a rooted foot in big muff-based alternative rock distortion jams. Future double albums from other bands of this era like RHCP and Foo Fighters could never provide the type of diversity this record has. Additionally, it was a huge commercial success spinning off multiple hits and conquering the VMA's that year. I'd like to say that the alt-rock mania officially ended the night SP took home all these awards in Sep of 1996 as pop/hip-hop began to dominate in 1997.

OASIS - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?

Seems like this album is the most loved around here so far and, while I will conceed that it's great, I was around for the Gallagher brothers megalomania in the mid-90's which somewhat affected how I processed this at the time. I still prefer this album to Definitely Maybe due to Noel dipping his toe into ballad territory more often. The deluxe version with all the B-sides is crucial as many of the songs are just as excellent as the album tracks.

RADIOHEAD - The Bends

Definitely the last time anyone associated Radiohead with Britpop but, as others have pointed out, these are there best traditional songs. At the time, Radiohead were still seen as just another UK import along with the likes of Blur, Suede, etc. in America and many people still assumed they wouldn't break big in the States. One interesting piece of trivia around this album is that while it had a somewhat lukewarm reception at modern rock radio (aside from some of the cooler stations like KROQ and Live 105), MTV played a big hand in featuring their videos which helped it go gold.

GREEN DAY - Insomniac

Green Day fatigue was real in the summer of 1995, even after they released the excellent "J.A.R" as a stopgap. Insomniac's harsher tone pretty much shed off the more mainstream fans as they migrated towards more pop-friendly albums like Alanis Morisette, Bush and Live. For people with a too-cool-for-school attitude at the time, this album wasn't probably even on their register as they were probably listening to Rancid and Pennywise. I still think it's a great alternative to Dookie and "Stuart and the Ave" is still one of my favorite Green Day rippers.

311 - 311

Didn't break big until the next year but this album is 311 at their most concise and hooky. Some of the raps are a little dated but, interestingly enough, I think this album still sounds fairly fresh over 25 years later and they are one of the few rap-rock hybrids who have been able to agre gracefully.

ALANIS MORSIETTE - Jagged Little Pill

There's obviously no denying the influence of this album and the singles are definitely still spot on. Some of the album tracks are a little "Meh" to me and I can't claim to have spent a ton of time with in '95-96 compared to other releases but a few recent revisits have confirmed that it's stood the test of time. "Right Through You" should have definitely been a 6th single if they went down that route.

NO DOUBT - Tragic Kingdom

Like other big releases at the time (Sixteen Stone, Throwing Copper, Jagged Little Pill) there seems to be a BIG gap in quality between the singles and the album cuts (which is still fine as half this record contains singles). The big hits are great and there's nothing downright BAD on this album but I can't claim it's stacked front-to-back (Rock Steady is actually my preferable album).

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - One Hot Minute

This is the one that almost every RHCP hardcore fan will claim is under-rated which, at this point, might mean it's slightly over-rated. I actually don't think Dave Navarro was as strange of a fit as many people claimed he was at the time. If anything, One Hot Minute is a little long without many new ideas to be introduced but still solid. "Tearjerker" is a lovely deep cut btw.

GOO GOO DOLLS - A Boy Named Goo

One of the interesting tricks in modern rock is when a band hits big with a ballad or sound that isn't really reminiscent of their overall sound (like what Sugar Ray did in 1997). Goo Goo Dolls had always had a few acoustic songs but "Name" was EVERYWHERE in late 95-96. The rest of the album is also great, as it's the last time the band really embraced their midwest punk influences before diving into Lite-FM Pop/Rock on their next album.

GARBAGE - Garbage

There was a lot of "women in alt-rock" chatter in 1995 which would constantly lump Garbage in with No Doubt, Alanis Morisette and others. The reality was Garbage was a totally different beast and consisted of multiple studio whiz's who needed a personality to front their project. I will die on this hill saying that Garbage's debut is downright a much better overall listen than either Alanis or No Doubt but, since it's 2021, there's really no need to pit female acts against each other like the press loved doing in 1995.

FOO FIGHTERS - Foo Fighters

For those too young to be there, before Foo Fighters became a mainstay on the arena/stadium circuit, Dave Grohl had to continuously prove himself to be able to live outside the shadow of Nirvana. When this album was released, a microscope was taken to every lyric in order to see how he was grappling with Kurt's suicide and Courtney Love's antics (even though 9 of these 12 songs were written before Kurt died). This isn't my favorite Foo album but it's definitely in the top 3 and it's the one and only time Grohl doesn't seem that concerned with writing FM radio staples.

ALICE IN CHAINS - Alice In Chains

Grunge was on its last leg in 1995 with Nirvana being out of commission and Pearl Jam making it difficult for fans to see them. This album is....interesting. A lot of plodding songs due to the fact that Layne contributed to more of the songwriting. Definitely not better than Dirt or Facelift but still an essential entry in their catalog.

RANCID - ...And Out Came The Wolves

With Green Day and The Offspring leading the charge, this album continued punk's dominance in the mainstream. Still a killer record which unfolds at a break-neck pace. I don't usually reach for Rancid because I find their catalog a little same-y sounding but this record definitely contains their best songs.

EVERCLEAR - Sparkle And Fade

Before Art Alexakis led Everclear firmly into pop/rock territory, this album was a neat little combination of their "cow-punk" genre. It's one of these rare records that can sound both clean and messy at the same time. At 14 songs, there are a few duds but overall holds up pretty well.

SILVERCHAIR - Frogstomp

I probably loved this album because I was younger than Silverchair at the time. Even if some of the lyrics are clunky, a lot of these riffs still rule and for a band of 15-16 year olds, it's amazing how well developed they were at the time. Daniel Johns would prove himself to be an exceptional songwriter in his later years but this was a great record to inspire young kids to form their own grunge bands.

Other honorable mentions that I got into later as I got older: Hum, Blur, The Rentals and Sunny Day Real Estate

 

Even the rap fans here are sleeping on too many albums tbh I was counting on you

 

AGREED.

I don't think that it necessarily outstays its welcome like some say, because that was truly the point for Billy at the time.... BUT I do 100% agree that I THINK I like it better than I really do.

 

This goes back to when I was a kid, too. I was more fascinated by the mystique of the album than I was by (many of) the actual songs. But also, cutting it down to a single LP would diminish its brilliance.

 

I also know it's by far their worst album, but considering the site that we are on I am somewhat shocked I haven't seen ONE mention of Cheshire Cat.

 

I just prefer the sound of Billy's vocals on the first two albums. It's a warmer vocal production than Mellon Collie.

 

That Big L album though guys

 

I'm not a RHCP hater (musically) like some but I also think they are really a singles band

 

I will say that the back half of disc 2 with stuff like Lily and We Only Come Out At Night isn’t all that essential. They could have swapped in a few choice cuts from the b-sides on the Aeropoane Flies High box set.

 

I’m not as big of a Blink stan as the majority on this site so take that as you will but, honestly, I find the majority of Cheshire Cat unlistenable and would only recommend it to new fans who want to uncover the whole history after exhausting all the other records.

 

Damn Return of the Rentals probably wouldn’t have cracked my list, but I totally forgot about it. Great record.

 

damn, same

 

agreed - agh SO many great cuts on that box set.

 

I don't think we're going to have an RHCP winner. Blood Sugar Sex Magik probably would have been the most likely. Only other one with a shot of appearing on any/many lists is probably Californication, and no way that beats out Clarity or Enema for '99.

 

definitely think californiacation or by the way can win

 

Yeah I'd be surprised if they won a year but since I don't like them I haven't really been in any threads about them so I wouldn't know if there's a big fanbase on here. Can't recall ever really seeing anyone mention them.

 

1. Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
2. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
3. 311 - 311 (Blue Album)
-----------------------------------------
4. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters
5. Radiohead - The Bends
6. Deftones - Adrenaline
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute
8. Green Day - Insomniac
9. Our Lady Peace - Naveed
10. Wilco - A.M.
11. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
12. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
13. Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains
14. Clutch - Clutch
15. Everclear - Sparkle And Fade
16. Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo
17. Collective Soul - Collective Soul
18. Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves
19. Silverchair - Frogstomp
20. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

Honorable Mention:
Ben Harper - Fight For Your Mind
Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
Blink 182 - Cheshire Cat
Blur - The Great Escape
Chavez - Gone Glimmering
David Bowie - Outside
Elliott Smith - Elliott Smith
Filter - Short Bus
Fugazi - Red Medicine
Fu Manchu - Daredevil
Garbage - Garbage
Hum - You'd Prefer An Astronaut
Jawbreaker - Dear You
Kyuss - ...And The Circus Leaves Town
Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun
MxPx - Teenage Politics
Neil Young - Mirror Ball
Pavement - Wowee Zowee
Pearl Jam - Merkin Ball (EP)
The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America
Pulp - Different Class
Quicksand - Manic Compression
The Rentals - Return of the Rentals
Rocket From The Crypt - Scream Dracula Scream
The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
Spacehog - Resident Alien
Sunny Day Real Estate - LP2
Superchunk - Here's Where The Strings Come In
Superdrag - The Fabulous 8-Track Sound of Superdrag
Supergrass - I Should Coco
Tears For Fears - Raoul and the Kings of Spain
Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix
Toad The Wet Sprocket - In Light Syrup
White Zombie - Astro Creep: 2000 Songs....
Yo La Tengo - Electr-o-pura

Checking Out in Full for the first time:
The Apples In Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
Archers of Loaf - Vee Vee
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
Bjork - Post
Blind Melon - Soup
Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad
Dishwalla - Pet Your Friends
Dog's Eye View - Happy Nowhere
Face To Face - Big Choice
Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime
The Flaming Lips - Clouds Taste Metallic
Lifetime - Hello Bastards
Mad Season - Above
Pennywise - About Time
Primus - Tales From the Punchbowl
Sonic Youth - Washing Machine
Slowdive - Pygmalion
Son Volt - Trace
Texas Is The Reason - Texas Is The Reason
Tricky - Maxinquaye
The Verve - A Northern Soul

 

Yeah, I've never gotten the sense that there were a ton of fans around here. Definitely not enough to get them over "scene" classics like the aforementioned for '99, or Tell All Your Friends for 2002.

 

RHCP fan here and I'll take Clarity over Californication 365 days out of the year.

 

i was joking about smashing pumpkins but if taking back sunday wins a year i’ll be mad online. i’ll abide jimmy eat world but i cannot abide that lol.