Volume 9, Track 19
“Connection” by Elastica (1995) Elastica kind of appeared out of nowhere in the U.S. with their single “Connection” as well as the track “2:1″ from their debut album being put on the Trainspotting soundtrack the following year[1]. Simply put, “Connection” is two minutes and twenty seconds of pop-rock bliss: the short guitar riffs at the [...]
Volume 9, Track 18
“Asking For It” by Hole (1994) Live Through This cemented its instant classic status with the singles “Violet,” “Miss World,” and “Doll Parts.” But, to me, the real center of the album lies with “Asking For It.”[1] “Violet” ultimately relies too much on Love’s proclamation of “Go on, take everything!”; “Miss World” works perfectly—especially as [...]
Volume 9, Track 17
“Creep” by Radiohead (1992) The thing about “Creep” was that when you heard it for the first time you thought you knew what the song was ultimately going to sound like. It opens with a guitar that is vaguely reminiscent of the opening to “Come As You Are”; the drums and Thom Yorke’s vocals are [...]
Volume 9, Track 16
“Ricky’s Theme” by Beastie Boys (1994) To the casual fan who is only familiar with the Beastie Boys’ radio hits, it may come as a surprise to find out that the Beastie’s have produced some really phenomenal instrumental songs. “Ricky’s Theme,” the penultimate instrumental on Ill Communication, has that best of qualities that only a [...]
Volume 9, Track 15
A preface: one of the things that I try to be extremely conscious of when either writing about songs on this site (or, likewise, when I wrote about any of the albums that appeared on the top 80 albums site) is to never use any variation of “this song sounds like [song name]…” or “these [...]
Volume 9, Track 14
“23 Minutes In Brussels” by Luna (1995) When I first had the idea to post a list of overlooked songs with summarized reviews as to why I thought they deserved more attention, I initially planned on just incorporating it into my Grigr site. A few posts here and there. “23 Minutes In Brussels” is one [...]
Volume 9, Track 13
“Sober” by Tool (1993) I am just a worthless liar I am just an imbecile I will only complicate you Trust in me and fall as well I will find a center in you I will chew it up and leave I will work to elevate you Just enough to bring you down “Sober” is [...]
Volume 9, Track 12
“Interstate Love Song” by Stone Temple Pilots (1994) Simply put, “Interstate Love Song” is one of the best songs of the ’90′s and it only seems to get better as more years go by (and as more mediocre bands graciously follow their moth-like trajectory to their respective fluorescent lights). To be sure, Stone Temple Pilots [...]
Volume 9, Track 11
“The City Sleeps” by MC 900 Ft. Jesus (1995) Everything about this song, on paper, should possess enough red flags about it to make me run for the hills and never give it a chance. It is basically a spoken word-style song, complete with a jazz organ, a saxophone, someone scratching a turntable, and a [...]
Volume 9, Track 10
“So Cruel” by U2 (1991) I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with U2. On the one hand, I find them capable of making some really terrific rock (see: all of Achtung Baby, the first half of The Joshua Tree, “All I Need Is You,” “Bad”); on the other hand, I think Bono is [...]
Volume 9, Track 9
“Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos (1994) Never was a cornflake girl Thought that was a good solution Hanging with the raisin girls Tori Amos is probably best known amongst casual music fans for her song “God,” which is the second track on Under The Pink.[1] Six tracks later is where you will find “Cornflake Girl,” [...]
Volume 9, Track 8
“Human Behaviour” by Björk (1993) Björk’s music is sometimes so weird it can transcend Weird. Naturally equipped with a voice that might bring to mind a European version of Yoko Ono at times, and with a look and image whose eccentricity would have surely made her a muse for Andy Warhol or someone within his [...]
Volume 9, Track 7
“Wildflowers” by Tom Petty (1994) “Wildflowers” just might be, musically speaking, Tom Petty’s prettiest song; the melody is almost breathtaking and its beauty is complimented by the softness of Petty’s delivery of lyrics like “Run away, go find a lover/Run away, let your heart be your guide/You deserve the deepest of cover/You belong in that [...]
Volume 9, Track 6
“Wish” by Nine Inch Nails (1992) While “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is rightfully credited with making a larger, more full-bodied impact on the early ’90′s music scene, “Wish,” for me anyway, had an almost measurable effect. And while the lyrics didn’t fully speak to me per se (as angry as I guess I could be [...]
Volume 9, Track 5
“Killing In The Name” by Rage Against The Machine (1992) Here is a summary of all of the lyrics that appear in “Killing In The Name” in chronological order, and then, in parentheses, how many times each line is repeated: “Some of those that work forces/Are the same that burn crosses” (x 8) “Killing in [...]
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