political exile

Like I previously said, there were some things I liked about Britpop, namely a fair number of singles. You guessed it: this was one of them. In what constituted a proof that even the most uselessly derivative of acts have the right to brilliance, Bluetones defied all expectations to deliver this jaunty and undeniably catchy-as-all-hell number, a love-gone-wrong song dressed as a happy-go-lucky summery song. No need to dress it up. 3T were only temporarily successful for one reason, and one reason only: nepotism. That said, "Anything" wasn't half-bad; it was a passable piece of love-longing in form of a standard-issue mid-90's pop&B slow-jam. It doesn't really hold up in terms of long-term appeal, but it doesn't really shame any of the involved. The next singles, though... This one seemed kind of like a big deal then. And with the benefit of hindsight, we can surely agree that it DID become an even bigger deal afterwards. No matter where you stand in terms of preference, it's undeniable that "Children" had a very active part (for both good and bad) in opening the doors for the late-90's Eurotrance trend. As for me, not only do I not mind, I definitely enjoy it quite much. I certainly loathed it much more at the time, when the combination of overplaying and a temporary surge of half-baked knockoffs (including from the man himself) made me turn off of it a lot. As Gezza said, it was nice as a 30-second snippet, not so much as a full-length single, as it just droned on and on and on. As they say, some bad things turn out good. Richey Edwards had disappeared almost exactly one year previously and all bets were on to see if the Manics would survive such a challenge, as he was not only one of the band's main songwriters but also (and that's pretty much undeniable) their main attention drawer/selling point. In the name of justice, it must be said that almost half of the lyrics on Everything Must Go came from Edwards, so that part wasn't really much of an issue. What was at stake though was the fact that they had lost what was pretty much their most charismatic member. Turned out that Richey's disappearance almost seemed to add not only an even bigger gravitas to the band, it ended up (unintentionally, I'd pretty much wager) serving as an attention-grabbing gimmick in itself, securing the Manics their biggest album to date and, in this single, also their biggest hit. It's not much use to debate if this song really did deserve that accolade; I think it's rather more useful to point out how utterly brilliant and majestic the song is. In a year where Britpop had inevitably turned into a big karaoke party, the Manics pretty much constituted a lesson in how to make classicist rock without having to resort to miming your parents' record collection. Of course this is better than 98% of Britpop, but that's far from its point. They key, of course, is in the infamous "lager, lager, lager" shout. Besides being a reference to the film it soundtracked (Trainspotting, in case you have forgotten) and to Begbie's drinking problem in particular, it was a reminder of an even more important message: that alcohol might probably do even more harm than E could ever do, and yet it's legal. Or in other words: maybe criminalising drugs isn't really the correct policy, you know. As far as cries of freedom go, this one feels quite trapped, thank you very much! You mean you don't see the obvious contradiction in crying freedom from an act where you weren't allowed any songwriting input and start your solo career with a cover? To each its own, I guess... This was already kind of old news in continental Europe by the time it reached its peak in the UK, so I guess the Mediterranean holiday ritual played a part here. I guess there really is no point discussing the artistic validity of this, as I'd wager it was never meant as such in the first place. But you could dance and have a laugh to it, so I guess it did the trick and then some.

Guys, could you wait for me? I have 1996 to do and then I can finally catch up! -_-

Where the switch was complete: instead of Jovi following Leppard's steps, it became the other way around. Yup, how the mighty have fallen and never really came back up! Wherein Meat Loaf got back to his irrelevance. Good riddance! Why don't some people just let the dead be? "What's a wonderwall anyway?", sang Fran Healy four years later. In the name of fairness, this is a brilliant song by any means. Yes, the lyrics are vage, as are Oasis lyrics in general. But Liam sings it as if his life was dependent on it and the melody is just too strong and too affecting to be denied. Too bad the video was such rubbish, but hey, nothing's perfect. Why don't some people just let the dead be, part 2. I said enough about Boyzone already. But really, covering such a song when you're barely of clubbing and/or drinking age and with no children of your own? OK... It was a funny joke... for a week or two, mind!

I certainly prefer this disjointed, almost uncertain era of U2 to the ultra-conservative, self-important, self-mythologising U2 of 2000 to today. They might not have always hit the right notes during the 90's, but at least it seemed like they were trying to challenge themselves and settle into a comfortable groove. So where does this leave "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"? Somewhere in the middle, I guess. Halfway between Achtung Baby and the coming controversial dance experiments of Pop, it was U2 somehow in transition mode. And all the better for it, really, whether this was tied to the beginning of the end of the worth of the first batch of Batman films or not. Remember what I wrote about Britpop? Well, you can forget it for a little while. However derivative this was of The Small Faces, the unconstrained joie de vivre Supergrass so clearly show in this song is just too much for you to resist. Furthermore, it was the perfect soundtrack to a Summer where you just knew the Tory bast*rds fall from grace was just around the corner and optimism was in the air. No need to tell where all that sense of joy went afterwards; but for the time, it seemed really possible that everything could change. Now this was a surprise in the most negative way. I came to it expecting it to sound just as good (if not even better) than it did back then. Alas, it wasn't meant to be and time and distance show how absolutely limp-wristed this song is. I guess its soundtrack tie-in with half-surprising Summer blockbuster Bad Boys was the thing that made its success possible. Otherwise, I just can't see the appeal in this half-baked confection of R&B and dancehall. Another one I expected to sound better after all these years than it did end up. Unlike "Don't Give Me Your Life", this just sounds too connected to a certain superclub era (this screams "Cream anthem" to a tee!) to really hold up today. And here it is, the infamous Britpop Battle. One which Oasis were just condemned to lose, as the limp trad-rock of "Roll With It" was no match for "Country House"'s sneering critique of the emptiness of superstardom dressed as a jolly Summer anthem. Listen to your mother when she says that if you don't have anything good to say, then don't say it! Let's just put it this way: the whole tabloid hysteria around "Sorted..." just proved the song's point even further. How's that for a show of the near-genius of Jarvis?

And so it started with a whimper! Appropriately so, in more ways than one, I must add. It must not have been totally intentional. But starting out with an Osmonds cover should really tell you what the feck was going on here, as the Osmonds were nothing but the flavourless (and yes, White) answer to The Jackson 5. Similarly (and unaware were we all of what came next), Boyzone were Take That minus the clever gay subtexts/duality (no, Gately's coming out doesn't have anything to do with anything whatsoever) or, well, a talented songwriter like Gary Barlow. It would take a reunion and the untimely death of Gately to lend "Gave It All Away" some gravitas and, you know, give Boyzone a shot at a decent song. Absolutely, positevely love this! How could I not? The rave stabs, the silly euphoria, THAT synth in order with the disjointed beat. And on top of it, Kelly Llorena belting it out like there was no tomorrow. It was a pop record, alright, through and through. And this was where Annie Lennox, the MOR peddler, came out and never went away. Enough said. The JLS of their day. I could leave it at that, as it would be much funnier. But the fact is this song isn't that bad, really. Of course the innuendos are silly, but they came as a nice variation on the boyband concept, especially considering that the likes of Bad Boys Inc, Worlds Apart and Boyzone were active at the time! :puke2: They weren't the nice boys promising you roses, they were out for the prowl and let you know about it. And since honesty is the best policy... Of course MN8 could have left it at that, as the next singles were as paperthin as they could be. I guess one of my biggest personal surprises is to find out how much some of these superclub era dance tunes actually hold up better than I expected. Or maybe it's just my nostalgic side clouding my judgement, but let's not get too hung up on it. Previous single "Alex Party (Read My Lips)" didn't age that much either. As for Alex Natale's next singles though... And we all thought dusting up songs from the past because of commercials ended when Levi's made a U-turn and adopted Biosphere's astounding "Novelty Waves" to soundtrack one of its campaigns. Turns out the beast wasn't entirely dead after all! First of all, a disclaimer: I have a love/hate relationship with Britpop. I think there were some good things coming out of it. But let's face it: Britpop was a false new dawn, a facsimile of a revolution; on the whole, it was as reactionary a "movement" as they come musically speaking. But most importantly, its long-term effects on British music (and the indie scene in particular) aren't that dissimilar to what grunge did to the alternative scene in America: it corporatised something which had been genuinely counter-cultural at one point. Call me hyperbolic, but if such things as "landfill indie" and "mortgage rock" exist, you can squarely blame them on Britpop's staid attitude. That said, Pulp were always an exception. Unlike others, they weren't afraid of appearing literate, and yes, pretentious. Furthermore, instead of just aping their influences, Pulp wisely chose to take them and subtly turn their original spirit around. "Common People" was such an example, as Manifesto-era Roxy Music got rid of its hedonistic vibes and put clever, sarcastic social critique in its place. There's no need to emphasize how bloody brilliant the lyrics were and how Jarvis delivered them with all the style and panache only he could. A timeless piece of music!

Now THIS is proper chart Jamaica! A lovers rock rhythm, an inspired toasting (that's what they call rapping in the Treasure Isle) by Red Dragon and smooth crooning from Tony & Brian Gold was all it took to capture the British public imagination. But it sure was enough, as it was one irie shot to nice up di dance, bwoy. Gwan! :D And here was Kylie, mk. III! Signing with prestigious dance label deConstruction, La Minogue now attempted a dance-based renaissance, having flown finally free from S/A/W's clutches. For a little while it worked, as this shot directly to #2 and seemed to signal a new era for her; one where top of the pops longevity AND credibility seemed really possible. Alas, it wasn't to be (for the rest of the decade anyway), as follow-ups complied with the Law of Diminishing Returns. But maybe that stroll around the desert was necessary, as it probably gave her the kick up the bum (quite literally sometimes) she needed to come back strong once the 1990's ended. Being a continental European myself, I was already well familiar with this by the time it hit the success trail in the UK. What I could use though was the UK's (and a few months later America's) edit of the song, as it made it feel far more rounded and complete than the quite tinny original. Still, I was a bit surprised to find out how this actually holds up quite nicely these days. Out of curiosity, I listened to all of Corona's other singles - I shouldn't have bothered, as they all belong to that era and that era alone! As I said earlier, Bon Jovi managed to change their sound and attitude in both the right doses and at the right time, unlike other pop-metal bands of their ilk, like the aforementioned Def Leppard. That didn't mean it was a change for the better, as "Always" symbolised everything that Jovi became known for later down the road: adult contemporary-friendly dullness of the highest order. But it paid the bills and guaranteed them another slew of hits, which come in handy when you're one of the most successful touring acts of the last few years. A big hit this was back then. Too bad it just sounds so dull and unremarkable these days. Best leave it there, really. Let's face it: such high expectations could never be fulfilled. And yet "Love Spreads" disappointed nonetheless, as it was a piss-poor stab at Zeppelin-esque rock not worthy of the band that had made classicist guitar pop sound modern and important with their brilliant debut album and their even more brilliant "Fool's Gold" single. And sure enough, the Second Coming album was very much a letdown. As Gezza rightfully said, this is Mariah's pension fund. It's just not less insufferable because of it after all these years!

I could pretty much cut my "Please Forgive Me" comment and paste it here. The only things deserving of being pointed are the fact that this was part of the zillionth The Three Musketeers film adaptation soundtrack and that he roped in Rod Stewart and Sting - thus making them one, two, three musketeers, geddit? And thus began Toni Braxton's run of 90's success in Britain and the rest of Europe - the Babyface duet "Give You My Heart" and "Another Sad Love Song" already had been Top 40 hits in America for her, with the latter going Top 10. Still far from "Un-Break My Heart's" runaway smash status, yes, but nonetheless a solid hit she had with "Breathe Again". And was it any cop? Not really, to be very honest. It was quite a run-of-the-mill R&B mid-tempo jam with enough of an adult contemporary vibe for it to crossover to a Pop audience and especially Europe, as American Urban music still wasn't that saleable around these shore at the time. When you take time to think about it, Ace of Base were quite an alien at the time. Not really Eurodance but not "proper" pop either, they stood somewhere in the middle. And in a musical scenario where a clear trend wasn't dominating at the core centre, multi-format appeal like this came went down like a blessing for all concerned in the industry. So it was that Ace of Base managed to bag a splendid run in the 1993/94 season, with their singles routinely going Top 10 and the Happy Nation album doing solid business itself. As for this song, you can say it's pretty much a condensation of everything that sold singles in Britain back then: a little Euro flavour here, a little pure pop there and a twist of Jamaican influences thrown in for good measure and voilà, a surefire hit single was borne! We were just mere months away from the double attack of Portishead's Dummy and Massive Attack's much anticipated second album Protection. And just what does this have to do with The Boss? Well, in some ways, "Streets of Philadelphia" had some trip-hop flavour to it just before those two albums made the term common currency. The slow-mo hip-hop beat, the eerie atmosphere, the orchestral touches, it's all pretty much there, really, just in a more streamlined, mainstream-friendly version. As such, it was quite a departure from the usual roots-rock-based material The Boss made his fortune from. Of course being tied to an Oscar-nominated film like Philadelphia helped it in spades, but you can't deny the sheer brilliance of this song. Not a matter of opinion, but pure fact: this is the most bovine song ever to make to any chart. Now that we got this out of the way, let's get on with the matter at hand. And I say this is quite a fine song, actually. This triple-tale of down-on-their-luck kids set to a very left-of-center (even for those "alternative"-friendly days) backing certainly stuck out in the middle of all the dance, teen-pop and MOR clogging the charts. On the other hand, being so unique was probably CTD's very own loss, as they couldn't simply follow up such a tune in the charts game. But hey, more than being one-hit wonders, they're one-decent-song status better than most! In the middle of the second consecutive Jamaican Summer, it's a bit heartening that some of the biggest hits in this trend were actually some of the worst! In many ways, Big Mountain weren't so much an American reggae band insomuch as they were an MOR act big on reggae - which is basically another way to say they were America's own answer to post-1986 UB40, with the penchant for cover versions and all - in this case, Peter Frampton's well known 70's staple. And yes, this was also another film tie-in, as this was one of the songs to the soundtrack of the generation-defining Reality Bites - which definitely helped it along the way. Even so, it would always be hard for such a non-entity like Big Mountain to follow up a hit cover. They did try one more time with another cover in 1995 - the Chet Powers original (popularized by The Youngbloods) "Get Together". Alas, it only reached #44 on the Hot 100, sealing their fate once and for all. My sweet Lord, what year was this, 1986 or something? Because that's what this song sounded like: a Lionel Richie outtake that even Mr. MOR himself would deem too drippy for release. The truth of the matter is that this was a cover of a song first recorded by then rising country music star John Michael Montgomery, which had reached the summit in its respective component chart in America a few months prior. And alas, I guess I was in the very minority, as this David Foster-produced take by the R&B vocal quarted All-4-One stormed to #1 in their homeland and into the top of the charts pretty much everywhere. Still, it's soap opera soundtrack fare at its worst, always and forever. As someone already pointed out, Let Loose were, for a short time, the kind of boyband it was actually alright to like. Of course, the fallacious (because never a good criteria for valuing whatever it is) fact that they were an act who could actually play their own instruments instead of just singing and performing choreographies somehow helped in that perception. Still, "proper" boyband or not, "Crazy For You" was the kind of song that you just couldn't deny. It had been released once in 1993, to no big avail. Thanks to a slightly altered remix, it finally reached mass success, only to become one of five songs to be denied the top spot by That Other Soundtrack Single Which Shall Remain Nameless. Oh well, such is life!

I've now noticed I left Kylie's "Give Me Just a Little More Time" slip by. And you know what? I'm not terribly bothered by that, as it's not that much of a tune in the first place. So I guess we'll leave it at that.

This is one of those dance tracks that still gets remixed/revamped/etc. from time to time, but never with the same success. Quite frankly, it's one of those tracks that, at this distance, seems to leave me cold for a reason. It's not a bad dance track (or even a pop record) per se, but there's just something seriously lacking here. The one good thing about this is that the singer in it, Diane Charlemagne, would be borrowing her vocals to some of the tracks in Goldie's utterly classic Timeless album in two years' time. In the Jamaican Summer of 1993, I'd say there were definitely better tunes than this one. Still, it's a nice enough one, with Bitty crooning longingly over a vintage lovers rock rhythm. If it came on the radio by chance these days (and it doesn't much often), I'd wager I wouldn't change the station by any means. I still hold Very (and previous album Behaviour) as the jewels in the crown of PSB's entire long-form oeuvre. As such, the appearance of "Go West" is more than welcome to me. This happily twisted reading of the Village People's camp original certainly stands as one of the best examples of what became PSB's specialty: take what's commonly thought of as garbage and put a cutting, very intelligent reading on it. And as far as turning shite into shine, you can hardly do better than this! Taking us back to the days when the "M" in them didn't mean MOR Makes Money. Or something. Anyway, apart from being their one sniff at an American hit (#34 practically a year to the letter later), "Moving on Up" is also one of the best examples of the disco (and 70's) revival going on at the time. Unlike those dreary Sister Sledge and Gloria Gaynor remixes being released then, this is disco moving on up (ha!) into the present and acknowledging its debt in launching house music into the world. The fact that it did in the best possible way by pouring a little pop craftsmanship over it was just the cherry on top. There's just no other way around it: this is a product of its time. Borrowing heavily from Alphaville's "Sounds Like a Melody" synth line and adding a vocal sample from JM Silk's "Let The Music Take Control" as its main hook, "U Got 2 Let the Music" would never win any awards for creativity, no matter what material it sampled. It was a generic club groove, not really Eurodance as such, but also not really "proper" house music either, as was a lot of Italian-made dance music then. It tried to be all things to all people, and apparently it worked, as this #2 placing indicates. Unfortunately for Cappella, when they went full-on Eurodance, chart positions started dwindling and thus was their short brief in the limelight. I guess That Song That Shall Remain Nameless pointed the way. And judging from what I recently heard from him, it's not as if he's in a hurry to get out of there any time soon. Too bad the music got lost on the way to the cash register, then. They say you can't make magic twice. And sure enough, "True Love" was no "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". It was the type of song which was appropriate to the very season we're in the midst now, simple background music to accompany your Xmas shopping. And as such, it was promptly forgotten once January blues set in.

Quite frankly, I don't see anything particularly wrong with this. Then again, my slant towards breakbeat hardcore probably helps in my view of this track. I'm not sure if anyone pointed this out, but "Exterminate!" isn't so much a remix but an almost complete reshuffling of album track "Ex-Terminator". Nikki Harris was then a new addition to the panel of Snap!'s singers/collaborators, as both Turbo B. and Thea Austin had left by the end of 1992; so this single was, in many ways, a Nikki introduction as a "member" of Snap!. But as I was saying, I don't see anything particularly wrong with this track. It might not be your average verse-chorus-verse dance tune, but it only adds to its period charms. On the other hand, I agree that it also bears too many marks of its time to truly stand up. But as a timepiece snapshot, it's certainly a deserving ditty. In retrospect, the decision to remix this track for single release in a new jack swing-style which was already starting to sound dated by early 1993 wasn't the wisest one, as all those who only heard this song through the radio or MTV Europe would think of it as dull. The original, piano-led minimal version though is an unheralded piece of pop craftsmanship, pointing towards Gary Barlow's emancipation as a songwriter of worth in the near future. As someone rightfully pointed out, this was to Dangerous what "Dirty Diana" was to Bad - and "Beat It" was to Thriller too. And while "Give in to Me" was quite the decent song, this game of parallels also illustrates just why Michael was starting to be seen as passé by this point, however successful he continued to be. In many ways, Thriller was both a blessing and a curse, as Michael seemed content to mirror that record's formulas and adapt them to current trends just slightly so as to not completely lose touch. It was enough for a few moments of pop craftsmanship, but the fact of the matter was that Jackson no longer signified the centre of pop's heart. He was an icon, and one who managed ride on it to have the kind of success during the 90's others would die for. But we all know that wasn't really enough for him, right? Ah, what to say about this? A Canadian white bloke delivering a cod-ragga tune, then. Much was made out of it back then, enough to basically condemn Snow to one-hit wonder status. But you know what? It's not half-bad. Of course the next couple of singles are best left forgotten as they already are, but "Informer" was a decent-enough piece of not-really-ragga. The same way "Better The Devil You Know" marked a transformation in Kylie, so did this in Janet. The OTT bent was gone, in favour of a more sensual approach. Furthermore, "That's The Way Love Goes" was, musically speaking, in thrall with what was happening in American R&B at the time, when new jack swing was already considered the past and an edgier brand dubbed hip-hop soul was emerging strongly. Thus it was the right change at the right time, securing Janet with a very much deserved sultry hit single which would pave the way to a decade where it seemed like she could do no wrong. Until... If you ask any of your American friends who were the same age as us at the time, they'll more than happily link this song to the famous (and hysterically funny, it must be said) "Roxbury Guys" sketches of Saturday Night Live in the mid-90's. Those of us with a European origin though will more than happily link this song to what was one of the most timeless songs of the Eurodance genre - and let's face it, there aren't many of them! It's probably Haddaway's only real song of worth in his catalogue, but how worthy is this? A lot, I say! And the secret is in its insidious melody, as classicist as any Eurodance song might get. So if you still look at this from a guilty pleasure standpoint, I say you should just relax, let it all out and just enjoy it for its sake, bugger! Dear Lord, how overplayed was this on radio and MTV Europe? You don't have to answer this, it's a rhetorical question. And sure enough, what is clear to me is how absolutely calculated this song sounded. Even with its relatively stripped-down arrangements, "What's Up?" sounds for the whole world as some 1989 AOR group hurriedly applying some earthy alternative rock stylings so as to fit in with whatever was going on in commercial rock music at the time. Apparently the whole world was fooled, but only for a little while, as 4 Non Blondes had trouble following it up with other hits. But i do remember Bigger, Better, Faster, More! not selling badly at the time.

A bit like Shanice's "I Love Your Smile", this was new jack swing's having its final moment in the limelight to give way to an edgier hip-hop-inflected brand of R&B. As such, this song is very emblematic of its (waning) days, but it's a nice enough tune nevertheless. In the slew of dance covers clogging up the charts back then, I'm in agreement that this was one of the most deserving. Of course it helped that the original song was such a strong beast, but it could have all gone tits up anyway. Not here though, as Undercover manage to retain the longing spirit of the original while making us dance to it. Unlike the majority, I don't think it's so much the female chorus that makes this work. Rather it's the production; in particular the "oomph, oomph" siren which opens the track and pops up occasionally during it the one true killer moment in it. Of course Dr. Alban's rapping isn't much cop, but that's expected of Eurodance. But as I was saying, it's the production that really makes it work, as it didn't really sound like your average Eurodance production at all. It was starker, heavier and certainly gloomier all around. And maybe that's why it holds up better than most of the big Eurodance hits of the era. Arrested Development seemed like a big future prospect for a moment, didn't they? And sure enough, I still hold 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... as a great album. Sure, it wasn't to become the future of rap music by any stretch, as AD preached an altogether far peaceful point of view on society's ills. That doesn't mean it didn't reach occasional brilliance, such as this take on the Sly & The Family Stone's classic "Everyday People". Curiously, the way rap music has been heading lately, it probably would have a good chance of being a hit again these days. I'm with everyone here, this was Michael Jackson at his worst: preachy and altogether mushy, even if his heart was in the right place - or was it? Anyway, not really worth giving it much thought beyond this.

Unlike many here, I absolutely love this track! Why? Because of the way it turns such a drippy MOR tune and twists its meaning in a clever way. Let me explain it. While it's easy to take this as a celebration of raving, in fact there's a certain eerie warning about its perils there. The track starts with the signature piano riff straight out of Marc Cohn's tune, while MC Pete Bouncer apparently croons happily about putting on his raving shoes. But the key is in the part where he says "raving, I'm raving/but do I really feel the way I feel", which then segues into a darker-tinged breakbeat confection. The climax of this darkside occurs when rave synth stabs appear to adorn a female voice bellowing "for me, for me" as if losing herself out of any consciousness, only for us to return to the very cheery beginning. When looked at like this, it becomes obvious that "Raving, I'm Raving" was a clever denunciation of the dangers of getting yourself too much into everything that comes with the act - re: the drugs. Oh, it's easy to dismiss this as just another piece of kiddie-rap these days. What this does not take into account though is how the production of the track manages to make such a too-used Jackson 5 track sound so fresh and thoroughly modern. And even if the kids weren't the most skilled of MC's, you couldn't deny the joy that brims out of them. All in all, a nice track. Dear Lord, I'm not even going to further comment on such rubbish! Frankly, I can't get behind this. And unlike some here, I actually think this is an example of everything that made Mariah such an easy target over the years. Everything is there: the melisma, the over-emoting, the showy vocal technique. And when it all comes in the guise of a cover of a song that exemplified emotion such as "I'll Be There", it's only adding insult to injury. All in all, it's no wonder Mariah was so successful during the 90's, as she provided the necessary MOR lots of older people always need. Of course it's a novelty record, but that's beside the point. What I enjoy about this record is the same thing that makes others irksome: the way it twists babyish innocence and manages to introduce a not-that-subtle drugs reference in the context of a children's programme. Yes, Freddie was dead (apropos: "Freddie's Dead" is the name of a great Curtis Mayfield tune); therefore, a lot of goodwill towards everything related to him was to be expected. Still, it doesn't excuse the fact that this was a four-year old tune re-released to capitalise on someone's death - and the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, since we were at it.

This really wasn't their last hurrah - "1992: America, What Time is Love" would follow it to the Top 5 in a few. But I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking this was their real last impression on a grand scale. And as far as those goes, they went out with a bang! There had been some unusual pairings before (Elvis Costello and Hall & Oates, anyone?; Happy Mondays and Karl Denver, people?), but none such as this! And all the better for it, as Tammy acquits herself really well when holding it down with the Kings of Pop Sarcasm. And even if this duet started a whole monster of its own (namely, the horrendous "guilty pleasures" phenomenon), THIS is still pretty much a cheat-sheet of how to do this sort of thing. Unlike Gezza, rave and I have always been friends, even though I wasn't exactly of raving age at the time. In so many ways, "Everybody In The Place" (especially in its most popular "Fairground Remix" form) still sounds like a future-possibility which never really took off. The disjointed beat was, it's no secret, jungle/drum-n-bass before the term was even coined - they called it hardcore or breakbeat at the time. The synth stabs sounded brutalist and dangerous in a way only hardcore hip-hop was then, even at a time when grunge supposedly made rock music cool again. But what's more, "Everybody In The Place" did work as a pop record, so chock-full of hooks it was. From the "everybody in the place/let's go!" vocal loop to the already referred synth-stabs, this is the kind of record which screams anthem from all sides. And what's more, it still sounds positively and relatively alien these days. An unheralded pop classic, it's what it is! Again, take this for the instrumental version. And if you do, it's another rushing stab of brutalist Belgian techno brimming with undeniable energy. It was the real punk rock for the ages and I still stand by that today. Don't get me wrong, this song is almost Heaven on Earth. But in a 1992 brimming with futurism and modernity through all the dance music clocking up the charts, things like these were utterly unnecessary, even if you took into account the fact that this kind of soul music constituted modern dance music's roots. A piece of sugar-coated poppy R&B this might have been. But unlike The Temptations, it was a piece of sugar-coated poppy R&B that at least had some approximation to the Sound of Now. In many ways though, "I Love Your Smile" was one of new jack swing's last chances at the limelight, as an edgier sort of hip-hop inflected R&B was looming on the horizon, rendering things like this song inoffensive fluff. Believe it or not, drop this on a dancefloor at the right time and it still works wonders! No, er, wonder, as it's as timeless as house music can get. The production is classicist to a tee, Ce Ce's delivery denounces her classic soul influences to a tee and the song's melody is the kind to make you hum along without you even noticing. All in all, a timeless dance-pop ditty. This is why looking at the History of Pop Music through the lens of charts makes it sometimes more fascinating than through the filters of Best Album of All Time lists or retrospective press articles. If you believe the official recounts of the era, you'll think it was nothing but "faceless" dance music and the rise of grunge. In truth, things are never as black and white as such. And so it was that such an 80's relic like Def Leppard managed a #2 placing (and a #1 album) bang in the middle of a musical revolution. As for the song itself, it was alright, even if it was paint-by-numbers Leppard, something which ended up hurting them in the mid-to-long run, unlike Bon Jovi - who knew when and how to change their sound at the right time. I'll wager that I might be in the minority here when it comes to appreciating heavy metal. And it is through that prism that I declare "Be Quick or Be Dead" to be just like "Let's Get Rocked": alright, but paint-by-numbers Maiden. In fact, Bruce Dickinson even left the band one year later, leaving the band (and Dickinson himself) to face a very uncertain decade. As we now know, Dickinson rejoined the band at the start of the new century, one which saw Maiden gain a new lease of life and cement their status as deserved heavy metal heroes. Even moreso than "Everybody In The Place", the basis for what became jungle/drum-n-bass were here: the disjointed rhythm, the reggae sample pushing the dub influences of the genre to the fore. But unlike hardcore jungle's prevalence of pre-millennium doom, this was the rave party still at its honeymoon phase. And all the better for it, as (again) like The Prodigy, it also functioned brilliantly as a pop record. Another unheralded pop classic. Remember what I said about Def Leppard and their success bang in the middle of grunge? Well, as Gezza already pointed out, GN'R were the biggest rock band in the world at the time, an act as emblematic of the previous decade's glam metal genre as it could be, even if they were a little heavier and filthier than LA's usual pretty boys. But the fact that their biggest British chart hit came with this - a cover version - should have immediately spelt doom ahead for the band, as it now meant that the Most Dangerous Band in the World tag was, quite frankly, inappropriate. I mean, what could signify your entry to the System more than covering a song by an iconic singer who had marked the generation which was then holding down the Power?

This certainly gains a new meaning since Heavy D's untimely passing almost a month ago. Yes, its hip-house production might scream 1991 all over. But like I said, the recent onslaught of rappers doing their thing over a 4/4 dance beat ultimately gave records like this a new light. And for the time, "Now That We Found Love" was definitely one of the best examples of the subgenre. What to say about an Everly Brothers-style acoustic tune from a funk-inflected hard rock band hitting such dizzy heights at the, er, height of dance music mania? That it stuck out like a sore thumb? Probably. What I do know is that Extreme had much better material than this in their oeuvre. There's something to be said about quirkiness. But I'll be darned if this isn't a brilliant pop song dressed as ironic commentary on the fashion world! It's typical, but rather fun, 1991-style pop-rap with a social conscience. It's become a wedding disco classic, you know. Its heart was in the right place, even if the years proved that the fall of Communism wasn't the Bright New Dawn it was hoped to be. But more importantly so, if you took away the whole political tone out of the song, what you'd be left with was another run-of-the-mill power ballad. No more, no less. If you take into account the instrumental version, you'll see how this wasn't so much Eurodance but rather a piece of brutalist Belgian techno in tandem with similar singles of the time like T-99's "Anasthasia", Human Resource's "Dominator" or Quadrophonia's self-titled track. And just like these, "Get Ready For This" is an exciting stab of pure energy that gave reason to those who compared this type of rave-inflected techno to punk rock. Yes, you read it well: punk rock! If you take away the guitars and put in the synths and computers, you'll agree that the same primal energy is there. And just why did we have to end the year with such a piss-poor proto-Disney soundtrack theme unworthy of Ms. Ross's stature?...

Ah, the days when Sealhenry Samuel could be counted upon as a deliverer of the finest dance-inflected pop tunes and when Trevor Horn was still in the peak of his powers. Of course it's a classic pop song, dummy! Unlike Gezza, I've always enjoyed dance music, even when I still wasn't of clubbing age. Sure, it's pretty much of its time, but something about this just makes it still sound like a fun record after all these years. Of course the rap part isn't top banana if you're looking for Rakim-like mic brilliance, but it does its part well. And the point of releasing this was?... It might have had the shuffle beat, but this was only Madchester insomuch as James were, well, a Manchester band. Other than that, this was as anthemic as an indie band ever had gotten by that point and all the better for that. It's a timeless pop classic, simple as that. The best-selling singles act in the world in 1991 delivers us one of the reasons for thus. Even today this would go down a treat, I reckon, such is its anthemic drive! Stadium House it was indeed. And when delivered with this cheekiness, it only adds to its charm. A dance classic, through and through. Another undeniable dance classic! Where Gezza might think of this as novelty, I actually think of it as quirky. Crystal's vocals were certainly not your average dance diva business back then, and they still aren't these days, adding a bit of leftfield risk to what might have otherwise been a rock-solid but ultimately business-as-usual club groove. Of course the lyrics also helped it rise above the average dance single of the day; but the vocals alone elevated it to another level, helping to cement its iconic status in the dance music pantheon. I get the feeling that, were it not for the fact that Amy Grant's Christian leanings being so emphasized at the time, this song would not have been that big, as it was just a run-of-the-mill MOR pop song so typical of the time. And true to form, she never had another big hit in Britain after this.

Well, it was Madonna (still) at the height of her Pop Icon era, so I guess anything she released then was "condemned" to be a hit, whether this was associated with a blockbuster film or not. Anyway, there's a good reason this isn't really part of her canon: it's unmemorable to the tilt. I talked about the early 90's fad for megamixes as a sort of proto-mashups. Well, this one certainly fits even better. No need to recap the story behind it. What needs to be told is how pertinent this still sounds after all these years. It almost hasn't aged at all, really! I'd be lying if I said I remembered this EP's (ah, the days when EP's charted as singles!) whole contents. I do remember very well how their take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" sounded so wistful and ethereal though. That take alone was worth the price of the EP, I'd wager. Feckin' Steve Miller had to deny this of its much-deserved time at the top! But I guess Deee-Lite had the last laugh though, as both these songs are still rightfully considered dance classics. "What Is Love" in particular still retains an out-there quality to it. But of course "Groove is in the Heart" is the pop gem here. It might sound like a late-80's dance song released in late 1990, but it's still a quite good dance-pop tune at it. And while the production might sound dated, it has a strong enough melody to still sound good these days. Deserved classic slice of traditional pop this might be. But in context of 1990, this just sound hopelessly dull. Pass! The less said about this, the better! Ditto! In many ways this still bears hallmarks of the S/A/W machine, just not quite as catchy (or annoying, depending on the perspective). Like some said, I guess goodwill from her sister's death carried into this single. Too bad it didn't carry on until the real gem that was "G.L.A.D.", but such is life! Now THIS is more like it! First of all, I dare anyone name anything better than this that Lenny Kravitz had a hand on! Wait, you at the back, what did you say? Nothing? Thought so. Because that is the right answer: this is surely, positively the best thing dear old Leonard has ever been involved in. And in many ways, "Justify My Love" seemed to anticipate trip-hop in some ways. The hip-hop-based beat is there, as also is the doped vibe and the general sense of paranoia. Furthermore, Madonna doesn't so much sing as recites the lyrics, which just helps make this even eerier than it already is. Even without the video, this would always be part of Madonna's canon one way or the other. It's also the sound of a star so big she could have the luxury of releasing such leftfield material as this and still score a bonafide hit.

This one is very much of its time, yet at the same time hasn't aged that much. This recent onslaught of rappers doing their thing over a 4/4 dance beat certainly gave things like Technotronic a new cool cache. And as I already know, that combination will be something to find quite a lot of times down the road. Ah, the megamix trend of the early 90's! I guess the closest thing we have these days are DJ Earworm's annual United States of Pop mixdowns. Which brings us to what these megamixes are in many ways: proto-mashups. In this particular case though, it can't be seen as anything other than an era-stamping novelty, however brilliant some of those records were, are and probably always will be. In no way can I agree with Gezza here. There's a reason why The B-52's are still so well-regarded these days: they make this kind of quirky pop better than most. And while "Love Shack" might be a streamlined version of The B-52's, it's one that actually fits them good. Certainly having Nile Rodgers producing them had something to do with it. Like some said, it's surprising how this song seems to be forgotten these days. And while it certainly bears the hallmarks of the commercial rock that (still) dominated US airwaves (and some European too) back in the day, the undeniable fact is how utterly classicist in construction this song sounds. One-hit wonder status she might have. But it's certainly one-decent-song status better than many acts will probably have in their whole career! It's true: while released as a single in 1990, this sounds for the whole world as the 1988 of which the album where this was taken from was released. Halfway between new jack swing and freestyle with a mainstream pop bent in its shiny surfaces, this certainly did it's job in appealing to the widest cross-section of audiences possible while prolonging Forever Your Girl's shelf-life. It's no work of art, but it's still quite a nice, inoffensive song. The production is quite of its time but the apparent go-get-that-money sentiment of the lyrics certainly isn't dated. Yes, I wrote "apparent". That's because I always felt like, far from advocating a straight-up greedy attitude, there's something about the lyrics of this song and the way they're delivered that actually sound to me like a first-person narrative of someone who knows what she does is morally wrong but is just now too entrenched in it to go back. So unlike some, I don't really think Dizzee Rascal's take on it in "Dirtee Cash" sounds that far-off. Like some said, this marks Kylie's transition from Girl Next Door to Emancipated Nymphet. The title alone gives it away: we're in a territory where sex actually exists and all the better for it. I also agree with the gay subtexts, as Kylie is certainly winking to har by then already established gay audience. All in all, a great New Beginning. Although we all know now how the NKOTB train was fast-approaching derailment, at the time it seemed like they could do no wrong. And such was the feeling that they hit #2 with a song that screamed half-baked at every turn. Like some said, it already sounds dated by the time it's finished, so I guess it's no wonder things started falling apart mere months after this. Like pretty much everyone here, I'd assume, I'm no expert in opera. So this one will be left at this. The best thing to be said about this song is that Bo Diddley had a chance at making some money. Apart from that, it's MOR pop/rock with absolutely no distinguishing marks, apart from the fact that this was Henry Ramsay of Neigbours singing. And even then that trick was starting to sound tired, so it's no wonder Craig only had this as a "real" hit.

To say I'm massively late for this thread would be an understatement! Well, here's the rundown: I'm three years younger than Gezza. And the 90's are certainly the decade in which my "pop conscience" took hold. So just like Hitstatic is doing, I'll try and add my personal view of each and every one of these songs! See why I said I'm massively late for this thread? :lol:

Are they still hoping any 15-year old girls will swoon over them? :P

Berlusconi can have all the media he wants in his own country. Next to these technocrats, he's an angel. By the way, has anyone here read this recent New Scientist article? http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2122...-the-world.html

Well, aren't you a troll. :rolleyes:

I mean, I get him - he compares the slaughtering of people to that of animals. But you know what, Steven? As much as fast food companies disgust me for their "promotion" of cancer and other diseases, what they're doing is still KILLING FOR FOOD. Much different than killing for hatred, Steven!

Oh dear, I've just remembered now! :puke2: FCj_C-Yb3xI

http://thequietus.com/articles/06669-silly...sses-self-again :D My suggestion? Just let him talk to himself. He's beyond repair.

Oh Mandy Well you came and you gave without taking but I sent you away :D