07/09/1996

 

R.E.M. - E-Bow The Letter

 

 

After the almost complete disappointment of a follow up to Automatic which was Monster (apart from Tongue and Let Me In) Ebow the Letter made me fall in love with them all over again.

 

There's a few parts of this song that are not exactly selling points. The chorus is not their best and Patti Smith's vocals are needless but the verses are almost effortlessly great, Michael babbling away, affirming that even if he just spoke his songs it could still rip your heart out. The music in the background in the verses just doing what R.E.M songs should be doing.

 

The parent album was quite a return to form too - although it's slightly overrated, probably because it was such a relief to have them back.

 

2 Week

 

07/09/1996

1 - Ebow the Letter - R.E.M

2 - On Standby - Shed Seven

3 - 12 Reasons Why I Love Her - My Life Story

4 - Becoming More Like Alfie - The Divine Comedy

5 - Woman - Neneh Cherry

 

14/09/1996

1 - Ebow the Letter - R.E.M

2 - On Standby - Shed Seven

3 - Ready or Not - The Fugees

4 - Woman - Neneh Cherry

5 - 12 Reasons Why I Love Her - My Life Story

 

 

 

21/09/1996

 

The Fugees - Ready or Not

 

 

Now I really didn't like Killing Me Softly - I just felt it was quite boring. Ready Or Not was a whole lot better. Sampling one of Enya's darker songs it has a resigned sense of dread that Lauren Hill's rap and mellifluous tones offset beautifully.

 

2 Week

 

21/09/1996

1 - Ready or Not - The Fugees

2 - On a Rope - Rocket from the Crypt

3 - Ebow the Letter - R.E.M

4 - One to Another - The Charatans

5 - This Summer - Squeeze

 

28/09/1996

1 - Ready or Not - The Fugees

2 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

3 - Stripper Vicar - Mansun

4 - If It Makes You Happy - Sheryl Crow

5 - On a Rope - Rocket from the Crypt

 

05/10/1996

 

Ocean Colour Scene - The Circle

 

 

A song without a chorus - but who needs one when you've got that hook filled riff to snag everyone. Their peak for me. Nice funky coda too. Denying the Manics a third number 1 in a row with the stupendous Kevin Carter.

 

2 Week

 

05/10/1996

1 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

2 - Ready or Not - The Fugees

3 - Single - Everything But the Girl

4 - Stripper Vicar - Mansun

5 - Teenage Angst - Placebo

 

12/10/1996

1 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

2 - Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers

3 - Single - Everything But the Girl

4 - Teenage Angst - Placebo

5 - Ready or Not - The Fugees

 

19/10/1996

1 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

2 - Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers

3 - Single - Everything But the Girl

4 - Teenage Angst - Placebo

5 - Sugar is Sweeter - CJ Boland

 

 

26/10/1996

 

Insomnia - Faithless

 

Absolute classic that influenced many other dance tunes that followed. It really is all about that riff after a masterclass in tension building.

 

2 Weeks

 

26/10/1996

1 - Insomnia - Faithless

2 - Beautiful Ones - Suede

3 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

4 - Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers

5 - Single - Everything But the Girl

 

02/11/1996

1 - Insomnia - Faithless

2 - Beautiful Ones - Suede

3 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

4 - Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers

5 - Single - Everything But the Girl

 

09/11/1996

 

DJ Shadow - Stem

 

 

I first heard this on Irish radio in 1996 and I was instantly entranced. That sort of hypnotic Depeche Mode-like motif in the intro, the fluttering organ, the textured drums, the oboe. Like the album it came from it was totally made up from samples.

 

The following year it turned up on the Guinness ad so I knew it would be coming out on single! The percussion work is still astonishing. For the fourth time a 1996 track enters my Top 10 of all time.

 

It made number 74 in the UK chart. Shame!

 

5 Weeks

 

09/11/1996

1 - Stem - DJ Shadow

2 - Insomnia - Faithless

3 - Beautiful Ones - Suede

4 - The Circle - Ocean Colour Scene

5 - Tricky - Christiansands

 

16/11/1996

1 - Stem - DJ Shadow

2 - Christiansands - Tricky

3 - Insomnia - Faithless

4 - Beautiful Ones - Suede

5 - If You're Thinking Of Me - Dodgy

 

23/11/1996

1 - Stem - DJ Shadow

2 - Christiansands - Tricky

3 - If You're Thinking Of Me - Dodgy

4 - Milk - Garbage

5 - Thirty Three - Smashing Pumpkins

 

30/11/1996

1 - Stem - DJ Shadow

2 - Christiansands - Tricky

3 - Thirty Three - Smashing Pumpkins

4 - Milk - Garbage

5 - If You're Thinking Of Me - Dodgy

 

07/12/1996

1 - Stem - DJ Shadow

2 - Wide Open Space - Mansun

3 - Thirty Three - Smashing Pumpkins

4 - Christiansands - Tricky

5 - Twisted (Every Day Hurts) Skunk Anansie

Edited April 18, 201411 yr by AnthonyT

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Edited December 24, 20159 yr by Ever After

Anthony, which song is your favourite from Divine Comedy ?

 

 

Tonight We Fly, I think.

 

14/12/1996

 

Manic Street Preachers - Australia

 

1996 was their year end this slice of euphoric rock ended it nicely. The most exhilarating song on Everything Must Go (which is quite a feat because it contains The Girl Who Wanted to Be God and the title track) this was their 4th Top 10 hit in a row and came backed with Stealth Sonic Orchestra remixes of Motor Cycle Emptiness.

 

Ashamedly, when I bought Australia on single, this was the first time I'd heard that song.

 

4 Weeks

 

14/12/1996

1 - Australia - Manic Street Preachers

2 - Wide Open Space - Mansun

3 - Stem - DJ Shadow

4 - Twisted (Every Day Hurts) Skunk Anansie

5 - Thirty Three - Smashing Pumpkins

 

21/12/1996

1 - Australia - Manic Street Preachers

2 - Wide Open Space - Mansun

3 - Stem - DJ Shadow

4 - On My Way Home - Enya

5 - Twisted (Every Day Hurts) Skunk Anansie

 

28/12/1996

1 - Australia - Manic Street Preachers

2 - On My Way Home - Enya

3 - Salva Mea - Faithless

4 - Wide Open Space - Mansun

5 - Twisted (Every Day Hurts) Skunk Anansie

 

04/01/1997

1 - Australia - Manic Street Preachers

2 - On My Way Home - Enya

3 - Salva Mea - Faithless

4 - Wide Open Space - Mansun

5 - Twisted (Every Day Hurts) Skunk Anansie

 

 

Top 20 of 1996

 

It was really really difficult to whittle these down to just 20 because it was such an amazing year for singles. :(

 

1 A Design for Life (1)

2 Street Spirit (1)

3 The Box (2)

4 Stem (1)

5 Firestarter (1)

6 Hyperballad (2)

7 Hey Jupiter (1)

8 Not So Manic Now (1)

9 Everything Must Go (1)

10 If I Ruled the World (3)

11 I Got Five On It (1)

12 Insomnia (1)

13 Real Love (1)

14 Beautiful Ones (2)

15 Ebow the Letter (1)

16 Ready or Not (1)

17 12 Reasons Why I Love Her (1)

18 Caught a Lite Sneeze (1)

19 Until it Sleeps (1)

20 The Circle (1)

 

1997 up next!

Love "Ready Or Not", Lauryn Hill has a fantastic voice! I think the Enya sample works really well, though that too is a classic in itself. I also really like "Australia", I think I first heard it on a 90 kids TV show a few years later called Renford Rejects (does anyone remember that?) which always played fantastic music throughout - anyway when I found out it was the Manic's I instantly bought the album and fell in love.

 

Pumped for 97!

Predictions for 1997, then DB?

 

And how come we've lost all the other commentators? :D

1997 predictions:

 

 

Blur "Beetlebum"

Eels "Novocaine For The Soul"

White Town "Your Woman"

Daft Punk "Around The World"

Gene "Speak to Me Someone" :wub:

Natalie Imbruglia "Torn"

Chemical Brothers "Block Rockin' Beats"

The Prodigy "Smack My Bitch Up"

Supergrass "Richard III"

Monaco "What Do You Want From Me?"

James "She's A Star"

Radiohead "Paranoid Android"

Olive "You're Not Alone"

 

97 - what an amazing year for singles.

3 number 1s there and a handful of others made the Top 3.

2 of my number ones in there too B-) I'm still reading even if not saying.. :lol:

Ebow The Letter! :wub: I love the parent album, my favourite of theirs in retrospect.

 

Catching up on your thread, nothing here that I don't at least like - although a bit too much Manics from the past year, I only really like A Design For Life from the Everything Must Go album. Really liked the Divine Comedy during 1996 - 2001 so good to see Something For The Weekend topping your chart. No Jamiroquai with 'Virtual Insanity' though, disappointed by that as I adored that single.

 

 

1997 was all about OK Computer for me, a quick look back saw the following being other highlights from the year though:

 

Orbital 'Satan (Live)'

Blueboy 'Remember Me'

Placebo 'Nancy Boy'

Blur 'Beetlebum' / 'Song 2'

Lamb 'Gorecki'

Daft Punk 'Around The World' / 'Da Funk'

Massive Attack 'Risingson'

Depeche Mode 'Useless' (although any of the other singles from Ultra would be good too)

Björk 'Bachelorette'

Prodigy 'Smack My Bitch Up'

Duran Duran 'Out Of My Mind'

White Town 'Your Woman'

Eels 'Novocaine For The Soul'

The Source 'You Got The Love 97'

Brainbug 'Nightmare'

Republica 'Ready To Go'

Smash Mouth 'Walking On The Sun'

Propellerheads 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

Beck 'The New Pollution'

Beth Orton 'She Cries Your Need'

The Verve 'The Drugs Don't Work'

Monaco 'What Do You Want From Me'

Pet Shop Boys 'A Red Letter Day'

Paula Cole 'Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?'

Sneaker Pimps 'Six Underground' (if you're doing the re-release)

Sandy B 'Make The World Go Round'

The Chemical Brothers 'Elektrobank'

Supergrass 'Richard III'

Erykah Badu 'On And On'

Portishead 'All Mine'

Rosie Gaines 'Closer Than Close'

No Doubt 'Just A Girl'

The Wannadies 'Hit'

Slacker 'Scared'

Bentley Rhythm Ace 'Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out!'

The Cardigans 'Lovefool'

Fatboy Slim 'Going Out Of My Head'

Primal Scream 'Kowalski'

BT 'Flaming June'

Olive 'You're Not Alone'

Echo & The Bunnymen 'Nothing Lasts Forever'

The Space Brothers 'Shine'

Janet Jackson 'Got 'Til It's Gone' / 'Together Again'

DJ Shadow 'High Noon'

 

 

That's probably slightly excessive as a prediction!!! They're certainly my faves of the year though, it was actually quite a slow year for me.

 

 

Lots of those will feature, Dand.

 

11/01/1997

 

Orbital - Satan (Live)

 

After extended spells at number 2 (five weeks for Chime and seven weeks for The Box) Orbital finally make it to number 1, albeit with a lesser track. It is however, still great.

 

 

In the official chart it was their biggest hit (#3) beating The Box's position by 8 places. This was down to it being released on 3 discs backed with an array of live versions of many of their classic songs. And also on 12" with the same set of songs. A January release helped it peak higher also as it was almost totally a fan-purchased product.

 

 

3 Weeks

 

11/01/1997

1 - Satan (Live) - Orbital

2 - Professional Widow - Tori Amos

3 - On My Way Home - Enya

 

 

18/01/1997

1 - Satan (Live) - Orbital

2 - Professional Widow - Tori Amos

3 - On My Way Home - Enya

 

 

25/01/1997

1 - Satan (Live) - Orbital

2 - Professional Widow - Tori Amos

3 - Your Woman - White Town

 

 

Orbital :wub:

 

Never been much of a fan of "Satan", annoying that it became their biggest hit when songs like "Chime", "Halcyon" and "Belfast" deserved it a lot more.

Lots of those will feature, Dand.

I basically just recapped the ones that made the higher end of my chart at the time and assumed they would be similar to yours! :D

 

 

I like Satan (Live), it didn't click with me at all at first but in the context of the whole 'big beat' era it sounded just perfect and made them quite relevant again for a while.