Music Gourmets Presents 60 Years of Great Music - 1994

[Zeeba Neighba]

Welcome to the next year in our "Great Music" series - 1994!

Here's the rules:

Each Friday (typically) we'll introduce a new year from 1957 through 2016. Each member selects an album released in that year with a few lines (or more) on why you picked it/enjoy it. Your selection does not have to be the most important release or the most admired release of that year (though it certainly can be), simply an album that grabs you and that you really love.

However, once an album is selected by a member, you must choose a different album.

Together we will compile quite the canon of "Great Music" and, who knows, maybe inspire each other to check out some new artists (or to revisit old forgotten classics).

This week - the albums of 1994

 

[axolotl]

You heard it here, first.

https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/1994

 

[patrikc325]

Oasis - Definitely Maybe

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Weezer - Blue Album



And nothing else they ever did equalled this.

 

[LeslieC]

Blur - Parklife

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Man! My favorites are flying off the shelf

 

[axolotl]

Man! My favorites are flying off the shelf

Great. That should make your choice so much simpler.

 

[axolotl]

Aphex Twin ~ Selected Ambient Works Volume II

 

[lpfreak1170]

Weezer - Blue Album



And nothing else they ever did equalled this.

Pinkerton for me.

 

[lpfreak1170]

Suede - Dog Man Star

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Pinkerton for me.

I’m just glad I didn’t take your choice away, again.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Oh shoot. My top four choices are all taken
Why, God? Why! Why didn’t I post Suede

 

[Postalboy]

Tom Petty- Wildflowers

 

[Old Uncle Toe]

Buddy Guy - Slippin' In



To be honest, as far as blues icons go, I'm not a giant Buddy Guy fan. Much of his highlight work is just playing blistering fast which, as a non-musician, can be lost on me. But on this album he balances that with many tracks of evenly paced, careful blues guitar work. And reviewers have noted that unlike the previous two releases, he skipped the revolving door of guest artists, which actually makes this a more consistent album. The exception being that several of the tracks utilize Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, who were Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section. And that's an exception which definitely does not take away from the recordings.

 

[Worm]

Toad the Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea

Portishead -Dummy was one of my very first incomings from Ye Olde L@L@. I sent it right back out, though. Not my cup of tea.

 

[Mattafett]

Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Get yer 1994 posts in - next year's post coming later today

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

In the beginning of the week, after my first four choices fell like dominoes (SIMILES!), I was torn between Nirvana's live album (which transcends the usual weakness of live albums) and Johnny Cash's American Recordings (which not only brought a great icon back into focus but paved the way for several past artists releasing new albums aided by interesting production). I was leaning towards Nirvana and a quippy post about Rick and I pulling a Freaky Friday with me picking Nirvana instead of him and him picking my favorite album of the year (Weezer's debut).

As the week went on though, I thought more about Ill Communication, even giving it not one but two listens this week. I don't play this one as often as their first two and, for the life of me, I can't tell you why. If the Boys debut was a silly breath of fresh energy and their second is a well-crafted masterpiece, I must say Ill Communication is their most interesting album. The guys still throw everything but the kitchen sink into the album, but, instead of a ridiculous amount of Samples (like in Paul's Boutique) they meld styles together effortlessly. The album has "fat bass lines like Russell Simmons steals money" with many songs delving into some cool deep funk. The album opens with a flute lick with another song "Flute Lick" later; there's some great Hammond organ too. Other styles are here too from the hard rock of the classic "Sabotage" to the Eastern drone of "Shambala". My biggest complaints with a lot of 90s albums is that groups decided to stretch out over a whole CDs length when maybe the material wasn't there (or decided as with many hip hop albums to use filler interludes), and this too is a tad lengthy at an hour, but it's very listenable and quite funky and cool.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

HMs:

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain



Soundgarden - Superunknown



Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand



Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love



Shellac - At Action Park

 

[axolotl]

Aphex Twin ~ Selected Ambient Works Volume II

Is it appropriate to alter my choice at this late date? This is not a knock on Aphex Twin; however, I have at least one selection from this year that I rated much higher, for good reason.

If it can be changed, here is my selection:

Madredeus ~ Espirito da Paz