1996 in music. • Page 2

The Fugees album is really good.

 

This is such a fucking incredible song. Heard the rest of the album is terrible, I think I tried once and nothing I got through stood out to the contrary. But one of the all time one hit wonders for me.

 

1. The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
2. Matchbox Twenty - Yourself or Someone Like You
3. Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites

My first three favorite bands. A huge amount of the music I like can probably be traced back to falling in love with these records when I was six years old.

Bringing Down the Horse is an incredible pop album dressed up in roots rock production. Just an absolutely stacked collection of smart, catchy, tightly constructed songs played like gangbusters and produced to sound like solid gold by T. Bone Burnett. Before I knew I loved Springsteen or Petty or Dylan, Jakob Dylan and co. were repackaging those sounds in a '90s radio rock package that I just ate up. "One Headlight" was my first favorite song, and this was my first favorite album. I still adore every last second of it.

I wrote about it when it turned 25 last year: The Wallflowers – Bringing Down the Horse

Similarly to Horse, Yourself or Someone Like You was a record I loved from when I was very young. Driving to school when I was in first grade, my brother used to slide this CD into the player in my mom's car. I think most of the time we'd just get through the first half on the drive, which was fine because the first half is where all the hit singles are. But I remember going back to this record five or six years later and really falling for some of the back half gems. Matchbox Twenty are probably easy to mock, because they were so ubiquitous for so long, and represented, for a lot of people, the scourge of "corporate rock." But Rob Thomas had such innate pop writing chops that, for a kid like me who loved big soaring melodies set against big guitars, just clicked. I'm not sure any album fills me with as much nostalgia as this one.

Recovering the Satellites, in contrast, took me a long time to love. It's probably the first album where I can actually remember the day it came out, and going to the store with my mom and my brother so that my bro could buy a copy. I don't think we expected it to be so much louder and angrier than August. It wasn't until 2003/04, when the Counting Crows greatest hits album came back and sent me back through the band's catalog, that I really rediscovered this one and fell in love with it. These days, it's THE great Crows record for a lot of fans. I don't necessarily agree with that, but it's definitely got something beguiling about it. Most of all, I think I just love the way the guitars sound on this album.

I wrote about this one last year, too: Counting Crows – Recovering the Satellites

Shouts, also, to the incredible albums that Sheryl Crow, Jay-Z, and R.E.M. dropped this year.

 

Endtroducing coming out in 96 is blowing my mind a little.

 

I never have the energy to put the thought into these threads, but just wanna do one album to make sure it gets reca nd some points because I love it haha

1. "Weird Al" Yankovic-Bad Hair Day

 

Outkast-ATLiens
Fugees- The Score
Type O Negative- October Rust

HM- Stone Temple Pilots- Tiny Music

 

which one were you referencing - I can't tell from your quote! But for my money, any of those is a contender for all-time one-hit wonder, so hell yeah.

 

01. Less than Jake - Losing Streak
02. Descendants - Everything Sucks
03. Goldfinger - Goldfinger

 

I put this on my 95 list too because I saw it on yours Great, great album.

 

The best rapper of 1996, by the way, was Biggie, even without an album.

 

1. Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
2. Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
3. Zakk Wylde - Book of Shadows

Excruciating cuts:
Matchbox 20 - Yourself or Someone Like You
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - She's the One

Others I love:
The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
2pac - All Eyez on Me
Weezer - Pinkerton
Metallica - Load
Phil Collins - Dance Into the Light
Alice in Chains - Unplugged
Wilco - Being There
Lyle Lovett - The Road to Ensenada
Mary Chapin Carpenter - A Place in the World
Rush - Test for Echo
Soundgarden - Down on the Upside
Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Good ones:
Fiona Apple - Tidal
Texas Is the Reason - Do You Know Who You Are?
Prince - Emancipation
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
Patty Griffin - Living with Ghosts
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Heatmiser - Mic City Sons
Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
Beck - Odelay
Vince Gill - High Lonesome Sound
Fountains of Wayne - Fountains of Wayne
Dave Matthews Band - Crash
The Fugees - The Score
Jamiroquai - Travelling without Moving
Journey - Trial by Fire
Jimmy Eat World - Static Prevails
Hootie and the Blowfish - Fairweather Johnson
Gin Blossoms - Congratulations, I'm Sorry
Deana Carter - Did I Shave My Legs for This?
Prince - Chaos and Disorder
Donna Lewis - Everything in a Minute
Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
Paula Cole - This Fire
The Tony Rich Project - Words
The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon

Not a fan:
Celine Dion - Falling Into You
The Verve Pipe - Villains

Decided not to count it but it would be top 3 if I did:
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve and Other Stories

Targets for listening:
Aaliyah - One in a Million
Braid - The Age of Octeen
Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
The Frames - Fitzcarraldo
The Lemonheads - Car Button Cloth
Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Nas - It Was Written
Pearl Jam - No Code
The Roots - Illadelph Helflife
George Strait - Blue Clear Sky
Tool - Aenima
Barry Adamson - Oedipus Schmoedipus
Ash - 1977
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
L.T.J. Burkem - Logical Progression
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
Charlatans - Tellin' Stories
Divine Comedy - Casanova
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
Eels - Beautiful Freek
Everything But the Girl - Walking Wounded
Fatboy Slim - Better Living Through Chemistry
Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Now I Got Worry
Screaming Trees - Dust
Sepultura - Roots
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Underworld - Second Toughest in the Infants
Babyface - The Day
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
Patti Smith - Gone Again
Brooks and Dunn - Borderline
Johnny Cash - American II: Unchained
Alan Jackson - Everything I Love
Curtis Mayfield - New World Order
Shawn Colvin - A Few Small Repairs
R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi

 

I did feel really bad about not fitting that Sheryl Crow album into my top 3. Probably my toughest cut yet.

 

phone booth, it puts me in such a chill mood

 

Probably about the same as I felt leaving off Yourself or Someone Like You. Three slots is just so tough sometimes.

 

That Dr. Octagon album is really cool.

 

Some truly god tier level '90s radio singles on both those albums. I have "If It Makes You Happy" on a bunch of playlists, and I've had multiple friends and family members comment on how they forgot about that song and how great it is.

 

1. Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop
2. Beck - Odelay
3. Pearl Jam - No Code
---------------------------------
4. Sublime - Sublime
5. Weezer - Pinkerton
6. Tool - Aenima
7. Matchbox Twenty - Yourself or Someone Like You
8. Fountains Of Wayne - Fountains Of Wayne
9. Soundgarden - Down On The Upside
10. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi-Fi
11. Kula Shaker - K
12. Jimmy Eat World - Static Prevails
13. Wilco - Being There
14. Dave Matthews Band - Crash
15. Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire
16. Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes Under The Stars
17. Bush - Razorblade Suitcase
18. CAKE - Fashion Nugget
19. The Wallflowers - Bringing Down The Horse
20. The Roots - Illadelph Halflife

Honorable Mention:
Ash - 1977
At The Drive In - Acrobatic Tenement
Bad Religion - The Gray Race
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk
Better Than Ezra - Friction Baby
Butthole Surfers - Electriclarryland
Chavez - Ride The Fader\
Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites
The Cranberries - To The Faithful Departed
The Cure - Wild Mood Swings
Eels - Beautiful Freak
Failure - Fantastic Planet
Fu Manchu - In Search Of
Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry
Korn - Life Is Peachy
Local H - As Good As Dead
Metallica - Load
Modest Mouse - This Is A Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About
MxPx - Life In General
Nada Surf - High/Low
The Ocean Blue - See The Ocean Blue
Outkast - ATLiens
Placebo - Placebo
Porno for Pyros - Good God's Urge
Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
Social Distortion - White Light White Heat White Trash
Soul Coughing - Irresistible Bliss
Sponge - Wax Ecstatic
Spoon - Telephono
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot
Stabbing Westward - Wither Blister Burn + Peel
Sting - Mercury Falling
Superdrag - Regretfully Yours
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - She's The One
Tonic - Lemon Parade
The Verve Pipe - Villains

First Full Album Listens:
The Afghan Whigs - Black Love
Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
The Cardigans - First Band On The Moon
Descendents - Everything Sucks
Girls Against Boys - House of GVSB
Goldfinger - Goldfinger
Hootie & The Blowfish - Fairweather Johnson
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Less Than Jake - Losing Streak
Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill
Phish - Billy Breathes
Primitive Radio Gods - Rocket
Refused - Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent
Sepultura - Roots
Silver Jews - The Natural Bridge
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes & Life

 

1. Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
2. Pearl Jam - No Code
3. Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music...
4. Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
5. Outkast - ATLiens

 

First listen with Sheryl Crow's album from this year (and first album I've heard from her in general), and I enjoyed it. She's an excellent storyteller, some really evocative and memorable lyrics here in just the first listen I had - I'm sure there's loads more great lines and great imagery that I missed for a first listen. Musically, it's country (ish) pop music, but lots of variety here, within that sort of style of music.

Lots of charm to it, and was really impressed with it from a lyrical perspective. Great stuff.

 

I love the way it uses those modern (for the ‘90s) touches to decorate the edges of classic, sturdy roots rock.

 

yeah it's great

had a first listen of the Super Furry Animals debut today and really enjoyed it

 

They also released a stand alone single in 1996 called “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck”, that’s absolutely essential listening for them I think.

The times I’ve seen them, this is always their final song, and it’s always absolute carnage. A great band.

 

yeah this rules

 

Enjoy seeing some Tiny Music love. That album is underrated as fuck

 

agreed. they got unfairly lumped in with some post-grunge, when they were never really grunge to begin with. cool band.