1994

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I was seventeen. I greatly enjoyed Pavement. Also I seem to remember spending loads of time listening to the Cocteaus and the Bunnymen, the former in particular. And Ride and Catherine Wheel. And Velocity Girl, Red House Painters, Kitchens of Distinction, and the Breeders. Plus I spent a lot of that winter listening to the Beatles—the only Beatles-listening period in my life, really—and I also recall having a momentary obsession with the Candyskins. Other stuff I remember buying that year: Elastica, first Psychedelic Furs record, Dirty, Isn’t Anything, and Men Without Hats. And Wally Pleasant.

Nitsuh, Friday, 15 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I was 28 doing a lot of long distance commuting. My list is broadly similar to Marcello's i.e Parklife, Dummy, SAW II. Also catching up with a lot of stuff from the previous year of course, Bjork, Wildwood, Lemonheads, Tindersticks. But what I listend to most was Promenade by the Divine Comedy, I used to play it back to back on my travels. How the mighty have fallen.

I actually bought Talking Timbuktu a couple of weeks ago, is his orther stuff (Ali Farke Toure ) worth searching out? I see that his project with Damon Blur get's a rave in Mojo this week.

Billy Dods, Friday, 15 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Oh, and World of Leather too. How could i forget them?

Billy Dods, Friday, 15 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

eleven months pass...
I 1994, I hated anything recent, and usually bought older albums from the 70s and 60s.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

hell yes am I cooler. I thought REM's Monster was one of the best albums ever made at the time.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 6 March 2003 00:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...
best. fucking. year. ever.

jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:08 (twenty years ago) link

Maybe it was good for hiphop or dance. I don't know. I was a bit out of touch by then. For indie, it was rubbish. Not as bad as the following two years, but still.

Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:37 (twenty years ago) link

a heady mix of grunge-lite, britpop and BLURRRDDDDCLARRRRTTT JUNGLE TEKNAAAA

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago) link

I was 11.

Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:52 (twenty years ago) link

getting your 'Positive Education' under 'Narcotic Influence'

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:54 (twenty years ago) link

narcotic influence was 1996

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:57 (twenty years ago) link

compilations released in '95 feature it but whatever eh

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:01 (twenty years ago) link

I had a flash of a theory yesterday that 1994 and 1997 were the best years of the nineties because they marked the beginning and end of a period where both dance/pop and rock/alternative were equally accepted. Pre-1994, dance and electronica was for druggies and weirdos and not considered "proper music". Post 1997, rock music was for boring old twats who hate fun.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:35 (twenty years ago) link

1994 was also my transition from listening to whatever was in the charts to listening to Nirvana, Blur, Offspring, Prodigy, Orbital etc.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:36 (twenty years ago) link

I get what you mean but it seems odd to think of the beginning and end being better than the middle. what kind of party goes like that?! ;)

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:38 (twenty years ago) link

(xpost) Which were all in the charts in 1994.

Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:38 (twenty years ago) link

I am trying to think, stevem. There must be one.

Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:39 (twenty years ago) link

I get what you mean but it seems odd to think of the beginning and end being better than the middle. what kind of party goes like that?! ;)

the transition was more interesting. The middle was kind of all nice and settled and perhaps a little dull i.e. Britpop, Big Beat

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:44 (twenty years ago) link

it's seen as a good year because of all the big stuff that happened in so many genres. kurt died and took much of the ethos of his music with him, green day and weezer laid the foundations for a decade of whiny emo punky/pop/rock/whatever, jungle lived, take that peaked, oasis entered, blur and suede on good form, manics meltdown, house and techno declined only to rise again next year, prodigy had a #1 album...i had a big hip hop re-awakening in '94 too thanks to seeing more of it on MTV Raps. all pretty seismic.

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:46 (twenty years ago) link

argh here we go with that fucking 'big beat = dull' sentiment again, wtf

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:47 (twenty years ago) link

Weird, I was just thinking about 1994 when I woke up today.

jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:51 (twenty years ago) link

Do we have any big beat threads? I fancy an argument.

R.I.M.A. (Barima), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:53 (twenty years ago) link

my first ever ILM thread was about Big Beat i think

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:54 (twenty years ago) link

In '94 I was listening to a lot of: Captain Beefheart, Pavement, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, John Zorn/Naked City, Sun Ra, Boredoms, Stereolab, Ween, and so on.

o. nate (onate), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:58 (twenty years ago) link

x-post
anyway big beat doesn't fit Dog Latin's theory seeing as it peaked (commercially at least) in 1998 no?

when i moved to london some of the very few records that i left behind were my big beat ones. i think i have big beat guilt.

pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:59 (twenty years ago) link

Basically, I was listening to a lot of alt-rock.

10 CDs I either bought or borrowed from friends in 1994:

Dambuilders, Encendedor
Green Day, Dookie
Morrissey, Vauxhall and I
Oasis, What's the Story (Morning Glory)
PJ Harvey, 4-Track Demos
R.E.M., Monster
Seal, Seal (1994)
Sonic Youth, Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Soul Coughing, Ruby Vroom
Veruca Salt, American Thighs

jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:00 (twenty years ago) link

I like big beat.

Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

argh here we go with that fucking 'big beat = dull' sentiment again, wtf

Hey look, it's not everyday that I'll say Britpop was dull but I did for the sake of argument. I'm just saying that 1994 was when a whole load of exciting stuff was happening because everyone was coming to terms with "hey dance isn't really so bad after all" but after that it got watered down with shit like Bentley Rhythm Ace and stuff.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

For some reason, when I heard Oasis in 1994, I became very interested in "British music," which I imagined was all glammy. I'm not sure that really lasted beyond liking a Manics song on a Sony compilation, though.

jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:02 (twenty years ago) link

I'd say big beat peaked in 1997 with Dig Yr Own Hole and Fatboy.

Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:03 (twenty years ago) link

i should've nominated 'Theme From Gutbuster' for the 00s poll

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:04 (twenty years ago) link

Hey - I like that BRA one that goes 'la la, la la - I LIKE IT!'

Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:05 (twenty years ago) link

1997 is when the term "big beat" became known in the U.S., at any rate.

jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:06 (twenty years ago) link

bentley's gonna sort you out! what a classic.

pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

Big Beat was on the up in '94 due to the variuos attempts to emulate the Chemicals and there's an argument for the Prodge's 'Poison' to be made too. It peaked in '98 after we were done with Fatboy and the Propellerheads hooked up with Dame Shirley.

I was still listening to Now Compilations for the most part in '97 but the Prodge, Snoop and Dummy changed all that.

R.I.M.A. (Barima), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:11 (twenty years ago) link

interesting to note

The Wire - 1994 Records of the Year

Portishead - Dummy
Massive Attack - Protection
David Toop & Max Eastley - Buried Dreams
Peter Brotzmann - Die Like a Dog
Laika - Silver Apples of the Moon
Charles Gayle - Live at Disobey
Jeru the Damaaja - The Sun Rises in the East
John Oswald - Grayfolded
Orang - Herd of Instinct
Jan Garbarek/The Hilliard Ensemble - Officium
AMM - Newfoundland
Bill Frisell - Music for the Films of Buster Keaton
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Earthling - Nothing/Nothingness
FM Einheit/Caspar Brotzmann - Merry Christmas
Nick Cave - Let Love In
Orbital - Snivilization
Paul Schutze - The Surgery of Touch
4 Hero - Parallel Universe
Craig Mack - Flava in Ya Ear
Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet
Warren G - Regulate...G-Funk Era
Plastikman - Musik
Mu-ziq - Tango N'Vectif
Cheb Khaled - N'ssi N'ssi
Kristin Hersh - Hips and Makers
Robin Holloway - Concerto for Orchestra No.2
Trans-Global Underground - Internationsal Times
MC Solaar - Prose Combat
Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer
Tricky - Ponderosa
Jeff Buckley - Grace
God - The Anatomy of Addiction
Roni Size - Music Box
Fun-Da-Mental - Seize the Time
Suns of Arqa - Govinda's Dream (A Guy Called Gerald Remixes)
Blur - Parklife
Mouse ON Mars - Vulvaland
Scorn - Evanescence
Nirvana - Unpugged in New York
Ascension - Five Titles
Ken Ishii - Innerelements
Moody Boyz - Product of the Environment
Frnk Zappa - The Yellow Shark
Baaba Maal - Firin' In Fouta
Roger Sessions - Chamber Music
Metalheads - Inner City Life
Joshua Redman - Mood Swing
Bary Guy/London Jazz ComposersÕ Orchestra - Portraits
Jon Hassel & Bluescreen - Dressing for Pleasure

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, oh, other stuff I was listening to in 1994:

Sugarcubes, Stick Around for Joy (after hearing this and the Bjork singles that were still in rotation -- "Human Behavior," "Big-Time Sensuality" -- I really wanted to buy Debut, but the one-star review in Rolling Stone put me off)

The Cure, Staring at the Sea: The Singles

and LEST I FORGET:

Reality Bites OST!

jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:20 (twenty years ago) link

re: Orang - Herd of Instinct

has this been nominated for the 90s albums list yet?, that album bleeds with sonic emotion

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:21 (twenty years ago) link

Warren G in The Wire!

pete b. (pete b.), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:21 (twenty years ago) link

That's a pretty uninspiring list. The Face's isn't much better.

I'm sticking to my guns and saying that 1994 was rub.

Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:28 (twenty years ago) link

do you hate Sugar?

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:47 (twenty years ago) link

alba likes Sugarcubes and Sugababes

DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:50 (twenty years ago) link

That's like the inverse of 'Do you hate fun?', stevem

Alba (Alba), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:50 (twenty years ago) link

'Copper Blue' always sticks out like a sore thumb when you look at NME's Albums Of The Year year by year for the 90s. I've still not heard it.

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:57 (twenty years ago) link

I moved to London in the summer of 1994 - almost ten years ago to the day, so it all still seems very vivid. I remember being obsessed with Grace and Dummy and, erm, the Divine Comedy's Promenade. Also lots of Pavement and Aphex Twin and old seventies back catalogue stuff on CD: Buckley Snr, Drake, Eno, Cale, Martyn, Steely Dan etc. I was terribly daunted by the big city, skint and depressed.

Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:03 (twenty years ago) link

do you mean Grace as in 'Not Over Yet'?

the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:04 (twenty years ago) link

I hope so. God, that was a lovely track. This sort of stuff was all over those Now comps I mentioned, so they're responsible for my 90s dance education.

R.I.M.A. (Barima), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:06 (twenty years ago) link

xpost

Sadly, no.

Jeff Buckley played in my local pub - the Red Lion - in Stevenage Old Town in the spring of 94, as a very weird date on his mini-tour to promote the Sin-e ep. Well, he played a lunchtime gig in the pub, had a kip under his big fur coat, and then played third on the bill to some local punk groups at the Bowes Lyon Youth Club in the evening. He was gorgeous.

Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:12 (twenty years ago) link

The Face's 80s lists are gonna be a big help soon...

Yeah, thought it was gonna be Buckley, but more Grace love makes us gladder.

R.I.M.A. (Barima), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:15 (twenty years ago) link

Blur, Beasties, Soundgarden, Green Day, Senser, 'Bug Powder Dust', 'She Don't Use Jelly'... um, Credit To The Nation, 'Unplugged In New York', 'Regulate', being at the very least intrigued by jungle at a time when rave to me was something that came in outsized plastic tape packs and I pretended to like while sitting on top of the school bus home.

Select magazine is pretty pivotal in all of this, from my vantage point

DJ Mencap0))), Thursday, 2 September 2004 14:19 (twenty years ago) link


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