1990

I’m transported to the year 1990. Hey, talking dog, stop playing with your Game Boy. I swear I have to keep an eye on him sometimes.

It’s a golden year for the most part. Germany is reunited though the Beatles aren’t and Mandela is freed so now they can’t sing Free Nelson Mandela anymore. I guess they’ll have to sing Free Marion Barry now. England and France are getting connected with this really long tunnel. Gertrude Ederle must be pissed. She had to swim across the English Channel in her day and now all they have to do is take the tunnel. Andy Rooney’s in trouble for making a racist statement because the gays don’t like him; take that, Andy! And Mike Tyson actually gets knocked out; that wasn’t nice, Buster!

And of course the big story is Iraq invading Kuwait because they don’t have enough oil. Now President George wants to invade Iraq because the US doesn’t enough oil either. Well, maybe you shouldn’t beach your oil tankers off Alaska, dummies! Frank Sinatra is singing the theme of Married With Children. Homer Simpson is pissed because Frank wouldn’t appear on his show. Oh, don’t have a cow, man. I’ve never seen a cowman, have you? I saw a batman once, but he flew away. He left some guava though.

And the guys in Goodfellas aren’t all that good, that figures. Anyway, let’s see what’s  on my list for 1990. I promise not to sing; I won’t even lip sync.

Talking dog, stop chasing the Energizer Bunny!

Event of the year: Michael Jackson wins the Oscar for Best Actress.

Fad: thinking Furby is real

Babe of the Year: Marge Simpson

Scandal of the Year: President Bush admits to not liking broccoli causing world markets to collapse.

Movie or TV show to barf to: Cop Rock

What we could have done without: dependence on Middle East oil

Pet of the year: The Energizer Bunny

Other Tidbits: President Bush and Saddam have a tiff, Contrary to popular opinion, Saddam Hussein’s last name isn’t Obama, Kuwait tells Hussein his soldiers can’t rape their women; only they can rape their women, Saddam invites human shields as his guests, Nelson Mandela freed and is signed by the New York Yankees, Hubble is launched into space and dies of starvation, the Keating Five become bigger than New Kids on the Block, The White House Dog, Millie, wins the Pulitzer, Margaret Thatcher becomes the spokeswoman for Florida Orange Juice, Bush says Saddam Hussein killed Laura Palmer.

So how was 1990 album wise? Well, let’s face it; I’m a sixties kind of guy so I’m not seeing the same quality as I would have earlier. Still, there is some great stuff this year so shall we?...

1) Depeche Mode- Violator

2)  The Pixies- Bossanova

3)  Midnight Oil- Diesel and Dust

4)  Mazzy Star- She Hangs Brightly

5)  Robyn Hitchcock- Eye

6)  Happy Mondays- Pills n Thrills n Bellyaches

7)  Jellyfish- Bellybutton

8)  They Might Be Giants- Flood

9)  Public Enemy- Fear of a Black Planet

10)  Daniel Johnston- “1990”

11)  Neil Young and Crazy Horse- Ragged Glory

12)  The Reverend Horton Heat- Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em

13)  The Breeders- Pod

14)  Sonic Youth- Goo

15)  Cocteau Twins- Heaven or Las Vegas

16)  World Party- Goodbye Jumbo

17)  Social Distortion- Social Distortion

18)  Billy Bragg- The Internationale

19)  Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- The Good Son

20)  Jeff Lynne- Armchair Theatre

21)  The Posies- Dear 23

22)  Jane’s Addiction- Rio De La Habital

23)  Concrete Blonde- Bloodletting

24)  Sinead O’Connor- I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

25)  Dead Milkmen- Metaphysical Grafitti

This was the year Depeche Mode was all over the place. It is perhaps my favorite electronically based album ever. They peaked with Violator though and they wouldn’t reach these heights again, at least not with me. Nor would the Pixies who again have to settle for the silver, but what a run they had circa 1988-1990. Midnight Oil gets the bronze while two big surprises in Mazzy Star and Robyn Hitchcock round out the top five. It’s an interesting bottom half of the top ten too with the funky Happy Mondays. The psychedelic Jellyfish, and the lo-fi Daniel Johnston, who basically recorded a partially live gospel album. Other gems in my twenty five include the wacky Reverend Horton Heat, who doesn’t record a gospel album, Social Distortion, a solid Jeff Lynne effort and, in the Honorable Mentions, Uncle Tupelo.

Biggest Surprise- Robyn Hitchcock- Eye.

Okay, I’ve already established that Robyn Hitchcock, at least to this point, has already surprised me beyond compare but, with this album, it didn’t dawn on me just how excellent he is when doing acoustic albums. This album and I Often Dream of Trains have to be the two best Hitchcock albums. It makes me look forward to listening to his future stuff though I suspect the quality may begin to wane a bit after this. Then again, I could be wrong.

Biggest Disappointment- The Replacements- All Shook Down.

This used to be a damn good band, but I guess Paul Westerberg was trying to guide them in a more commercial direction. You kind of saw the writing on the wall on Don’t Tell a Soul, but it’s very obvious here. When It Began sounds like it could have been a Purina Dog Chow commercial or something. After this turkey, Westerberg broke the band up and went on to a brilliantly mediocre solo career. Yeah, definitely not a favorite album of mine.

Honorable Mention-  Uncle Tupelo- No Depression, Alice In Chains- Facelift, The Connells- One Simple Word, Sisters of Mercy- Vision Thing, Galaxie 500- This Is Our Music

Stinker of the Year-  Zamfir- Plays the Most Beautiful Melodies.

I had to include this one. I can’t listen to this one in this entirety but I sure remember the TV commercial. Zamfir, the master of the pan flute as if only a few people could be as adept as he. Listen as he soothes you with the Theme From Cats and Annie’s Song. It made me want to drop everything and buy a pan flute. Do they even sell those things?

Well, we’re on the verge of grunge now. We’ll see you next time as we get more into the early nineties. See you.