Why 1995 Rocked

1995 was a stellar year for music. While the rest of the world was experiencing such historic and tragic events as OJ Simpson's acquittal, the Unabomber terror, Michael Jordan's return to basketball, the Korean War Veterans Memorial unveiling, and the founding of eBay, the alternative music scene was fresh and thriving. Just take a looksee at a small sample of the great music that hit shelves 13 years ago, changing their landscape forever:

Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters. Okay, I admit I didn't take them seriously in the beginning. Yeah, they had Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer, and the music was killer. But what kind of a name was Foo Fighters? (I've just recently, after all these years, found out that the term dates back to WWII, when UFO-like objects were witnessed in the sky by Allied troops. The phenomenon was never explained, but the objects were given the name foo fighters.) For some reason Big Me always sounded like a spoof to me, and I was skeptical that the whole gig was nothing more than a Nirvana spinoff. But I'm not too proud to beg forgiveness for my obvious lack of judgement. Dave and his boys have stood the test of time, as evidenced by their hugely successful latest album, which has won them multiple Grammys and a new generation of fans.



Better Than Ezra, Deluxe. My favorite band (along with Dave Matthews Band), Better Than Ezra, was expected to be written off as a one-hit wonder, riding the coattails of "Good" forever. But, ha!, they played on, and to date have several studio albums, a live album, and even a greatest hits album to their name. Good isn't even close to being their best song, although one could contend that its fellow track In the Blood is. It's also one of the few tunes I remember hearing for the first time. Before the days of internet music-on-demand, when we were all at the mercy of the radio, I would blast our family record player/radio when it came on, my ears pressed up against the speakers. Much more about Kevin, Tom and Travis to come in future posts...



Collective Soul, Collective Soul. The first CD that yours truly ever purchased with my own money. And, my oh my was it worth the $15, which in 2008 would translate to about $500 in my world. The sophomore album has everything you could ever want: an inspiring ballad with gospel touches (Reunion), a headbanging classic (Gel), the defining hit (December), and a moving message tune (The World I Know). In a future blog post, I'd like to dissect the fact that CS has managed to remain mainstream notwithstanding their frequent Christian references and refusal to portray anything other than lyrical and musical class and dignity in the mostly dirty world of rock and roll.



Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill. Similar to her country counterpart Shania Twain, Alanis is Canadian born, brunette, has sold heaps of records, and has an unusual name. Unlike Shania's music, however, Alanis' debut album was unlike anyone had ever heard before. It was angry. It was gritty. Her lyrics were full of carefully placed curse words and unlikely rhythms. The bitterness was there, yes, and it was aimed at parents, exes, Catholicism. But at least there was one straight forward love song: Head Over Feet. Isn't it ironic, though, that that one's the worst on the album? It was the unrestrained soul baring that really had us head over feet for Alanis.



Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun. Mr. Sweet was already practically a music veteran when Sick of Myself introduced him to a whole new set of willing fans, myself included. His signature style is true, good old rock and roll. Comfortingly predicatable rhythms stave off surprises, but that's the beauty of it. That and Sweet's impossibly sweet voice. Smog Moon remains to this day one of my favorite rock ballads.



Dishwalla, Pet Your Friends. A largely underestimated band, as they are tragically thought by most to be a one-hit wonder. This is justified though, since they did only manage one Top 40 song (Counting Blue Cars). The problem with the one-hit wonder label is that it disregards the quality of future recordings that didn't "sell." The more music you hear, the more you realize that truly great songs don't always make a ton of money. That's just the way it is. The whole of Pet Your Friends is classic nineties alternative, with all the great music we expect of such a genre, as well as a surprisingly bold and noble lyric in the opening track, Pretty Babies: "Everything about the world is sex / It's a message of a popular culture / Telling all our children how to do it right / And all through their innocence you can ask yourself why / Why the need? / Why the need to eroticize our children? / Oh, our pretty babies / How they're ready / Oh, our pretty babies / How they're not ready." I applaud these guys (one of whom is reportedly LDS) for making such a desperately needed statement at the risk of being called, gasp!, "uncool."



Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Much like this blog post is turning out to be, the Pumpkins' two-disc, Grammy-winning CD set is incredibly long, self-indulgent, and perfect. The masterpiece secured ciritical and commercial success by reaching Number One status, and accomplishing the rare task of making loads of dough without selling out.

A grunge girl's R&B picks

Although, like Remy Nicole, I prefer rock and roll, every once in a while a hip hop or R&B song catches my ear, and as much as I'd like to disdain it with all my alternative might, I can't deny the love. As part of my catharsis, and at the risk of losing all street cred that I may have as a suburban, church-going, middle class mom, I'm going public. After all, I did do a report on The Temptations in 8th grade. That makes me a pseudo-expert at the very least. Here are some of my top R&B/hip hop picks, plucked right from, yes I admit, my personal collection. Enjoy.

You Don't Know My Name, Alicia Keys. My first Alicia Keys song. The background vocals provide a right-on Motown throwback feel, and the piano is positively heavenly.

With You, Chris Brown. The kid can sing, yes, but he can also dance like nobody's business. Indeed, Mr. Brown is bringing dancing back (with a little help from some highly rated television talent shows).

Rhymin and Stealin, Beastie Boys. An unprecedented blend of hip hop and caucasian-ness, with a twist of rock guitar in there for good measure.

Thank You , Boyz II Men. I'm a 90's child, aren't I? And I'm known for my loyalty. With its feel good beat and message, this song has seeped into my DNA, forever to stay with every other album that made the top 40 while I was in middle school.

Party's Goin' On, Busta Rhymes. Must be the opening line: "Ever since Jimmy cracked corn / Rockin' on ever since the day I was born."

Dreamlover, Mariah Carey. Ever since I was in grade school, Ms. Carey's voice has utterly enchanted me. It inspired me. How is that upper, upper register opener even freaking possible for a human? Astounding. It's been sad to watch apparent plastic surgery do the opposite of what it's supposed to do in her case, but I'll die a fan, no matter how glamorized and self-absorbed Mariah becomes with each passing decade.

Chante's Got a Man, Chante Moore. The counter attack to man-hating feministas, this slow jam features Chante's soulful voice melodically explaining to her luckless friend that she's sorry that the friend's boyfriend is cheating on her, but "there's good men around" and she's got proof: "she's got a man at home." Love the gospel choir near the end, too. Come to think of it, the next song on the album talks about making her man breakfast and says "Loving you is easy." Men could use more chicks like Chante, and less like Carrie Underwood (see "Reverse Sexism" blog below).

Rollin' With My Homies, Coolio. I just keep thinking of Brittany Murphy (pre mind blowing makeover) doing the little hand jive on Clueless. Classic.

I Wanna Know, Joe. One of my husband's and my songs. The chorus lyrics are a little trite: "I wanna know what turns you on" sounds more like infatuation than long lasting partnership. But the music is top notch.

Doo Wop (That Thing) One of the few that I can still actually rap every word to. Of course, I don't think I'm in the minority, since this song was EVERYWHERE when it came out. It's downright tragic that Lauryn Hill is no longer making award show headlines like she was in 1998. Something in this world would be missing if The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill never happened.

It's All Good, R. Kelly. I have no clue what "Trackmaster" means, and I firmly believe that Mr. Kelly should be locked up for a very long time if he has had inappropriate relations with underage girls. Regardless, this song is groovin'.

Bag Lady, Erykah Badu. So authentic, it's ridiculous. I cannot physically stand still when this song comes on. It transforms me into a soulful gospel singer. Yeah, it's that good.

Dual Meanings

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that about 99% of songs out there are dedicated to lovers. From "Baby Love" to "Bizarre Love Triangle" to "Lover Lay Down," romantic love, with its ups and downs, has inspired more poetry set to music than any other emotion. However, some songs are special in that the lyrics allow for dual interpretations. My sister, Rachel, came up with three examples of songs that, upon first listen, are presumably romantic love songs, like all the rest. But a closer analyzation reveals lyrics that could be sung to any loved one. The first is "Our Last Night" by Better Than Ezra. It's pretty obvious, after listening closely, that the song is about a father losing his child. Listen here:

http://www.last.fm/music/Better+Than+Ezra/_/Our+Last+Night

The next song is much more familiar. In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone hasn't heard the Grammy-winning song whose lyrics invite the listener to stand under the crooner's metaphorical umbrella, a beautiful message meant for anyone, especially considering the "I'll always be your friend" bit. Instead of the obvious choice, here's Marie Digby's take on the already classic tune:




From classic to classy, "No One" embodies the word more than Miss Alicia Keys. This woman is nothing short of a miracle of music. Besides sharing a birthday with yours truly, she actually has many other accomplishments, including awards galore and a staggering 25 million albums sold. And she deserves it all. The beauty of Ms. Keys' success is that she has reaped all these rewards based solely on her talent (her good looks don't hurt, though). Devoid of publicity stunts to her name, she saves the tabloid covers for her contemporaries and focuses on producing celestial music, and I hope it never ends. As if I didn't love her enough, she went and brought out my man, John Mayer, at the Grammys. The event tied with Foo Fighters' operatic performance, for my favorite Grammy moment. This song, as with the others mentioned above, gives voice to anyone feeling protective over a relationship of any kind.

When a video ruins a perfectly good song...

I don't think many would disagree when I say that most products do not live up to their advertising. $4 mascara will not make you look like Eva Longoria, and health food will NEVER taste like chocolate cake. It may sound like a vast consumer conspiracy, but it's necessary to sell products. And smart consumers know to take each sales pitch with a grain of salt. Music videos are, essentially, an advertisement produced to boost album and concert ticket sales. Of course, Michael Jackson transcended this simplified definition with his cinematic masterpieces, but even then, the music videos didn't generate money directly - they supported the other products that did. So, the video should, at the very least, live up to the song they're representing. But there are times when a video actually makes me like a song LESS than I did before viewing it. Tegan and Sara are twins who, against all odds, make mullets look hot. And on top of that seemingly impossible feat, the chicks can rock. Walking With A Ghost, their 2004 single, is so unique it demands to be heard, and the video is actually pretty cool. But then, three years later came Back in Your Head: another ultra-catchy song that is aptly titled, since it's impossible to listen to without it getting stuck in your head for hours. Still, I really liked the song, especially since it's a favorite of my 5-year-old daughter. Then I watched the video. It's really beautiful for the first five seconds, when all you can see is the girls and their music equipment on a colorful stage. Then it cuts to an audience of dudes in white suits, eerily like some kind of futuristic KKK meeting. It kind of goes down hill from there. So which is worse: high hopes for a product that may not measure up, or a high quality product that is sabotaged by its own marketing?

Reverse Sexism

Close your eyes (do it!) and imagine a music video in which an impossibly good-looking guy vandalizes his cheating soon-to-be ex-girlfriend's most prized possession. Oh, let's say it's a cute little Mini Cooper or something. The three-minute montage consists of the guy growling provocatively about how he really got her good, while displaying quick takes of his artful destruction. Kinda sounds like a controlling, abusive, psychotic, right? Yet, this is a pretty fair description of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" video. It seems that a sexy young woman who commits a crime of avenging passion is not only appealing, but empowering to women whose significant others are unfaithful, and in turn, all women. Okay, it's just for entertainment, I get it. But, really, ladies, is this what feminism has come to? When did becoming the oppressors free us from centuries of oppression? Carrie Underwood is talented, and I wish she'd resisted the tempation to openly condone a radical, vicious feminista attitude. It really doesn't do us any favors in the journey toward respect, which is infinitely more valuable than intimidation tactics.

Appropriate Titles

What's in a band name? Seriously, I don't understand where they come up with some of these names. In some cases, that's by design. In their 20 years of togetherness, Better Than Ezra has refused to disclose the origin of their name. Gotta admit, it's a great marketing strategy. Some bands' titles are peppered with rumors: Green Day allegedly referring to marijuana, and Pearl Jam possibly referencing Eddie Vedder's grandmother and her peyote-laced-jam-making Native American husband...ooookaaay. For some groups, a bizarre name is forgiveable. I'd rather Modest Mouse nixed the rodent, but the music is good enough to make up for the folly. On the other hand, some bands choose titles that are strangely appropriate. If Friday and Just Like Heaven, by The Cure, don't heal you of your pessimism and lack of faith in love (corny as it sounds), I don't know what will. Based on The Cure's model of christening, Plain White T's have indeed chosen the correct identification. Not to say their music is ear-splitting. No, it's much worse: supremely mediocre. Or plain, in their words. I know plenty of kid guitar players who could strum out a Hey There Delilah-esque little ditty in their bedrooms before their parents call them down for dinner. This explains why the aforementioned single was released a year before it went number one. People didn't catch on until they were beat slowly over the head with it for a year, inluding a major re-release. Okay, now I'm sounding Simon Cowellishly brutal, but it's nothing personal, Tom! Still, the question is, why some and not others? Looks like sometimes it's all in the marketing, kids.

At odds

"I ain't got no money / I ain't got no car to take you on a date / I can't even buy you flowers / But together we'd be the perfect soul mates"

The Timbaland lyrics describe a male fantasy present in music, poetry, literature and film: a woman's unconditional love. "Love is all you need," right? Westley (The Princess Bride) and Jack (Titanic), have nothing, but beautiful women fall hard for them regardless, on their charm (and looks) alone. But this seems in conflict with the familiar TLC refrain: "A scrub is a guy that thinks he's fly / And is also known as a buster / Always talkin' about what he wants / And just sits on his broke *** / So (no) I don't want your number..." The guys are singing about wanting true love without any strings, while the girls are crooning that they don't want anyone who doesn't have a house, car, etc. Of course, there's a solution here. Guys: get it together. Girls: no gold digging.