685. Loveless

Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
1990

Tracks
1. Only Shallow
2. Loomer
3. Touched
4. To Here Knows When
5. When You Sleep
6. I Only Said
7. Come In Alone
8. Sometimes
9. Blown A Wish
10. What You Want
11. Soon

Back to back shoegazing albums, and this is clearly the superior of the two. Or, at the very least, is the more memorable entry. Their sound was very distinct; it was like the offspring of the Cocteau Twins and Brian Eno.

It was strange, it was almost as if this album was being played underwater. At times, it felt more like a soundscape than music, but I still enjoyed the experience. Tomorrow, we achieve Nirvana.

RATING: 4/5

684. Nowhere

Nowhere
Ride
1990

Tracks
1. Seagull
2. Kaleidoscope
3. In a Different Place
4. Polar Bear
5. Dreams Burn Down
6. Decay
7. Paralysed
8. Vapour Trail

I am pleased there are more shoegazing albums on the List. It doesn't seem to be a genre that stuck around very long and I assumed our shoegazing days were already behind us. Fortunately, we appear to have a couple more entries before this genre morphs into something completely different.

This was a pretty mellow album and the perfect thing to listening while reading on a Saturday morning. Maybe not as good as My Bloody Valentine, but still a solid entry on the List.

RATING: 4/5

683. Goo

Goo
Sonic Youth
1990

Tracks
1. Dirty Boots
2. Tunic (Song For Karen)
3. Mary-Christ
4. Kool Thing
5. Mote
6. My Friend Goo
7. Disappearer
8. Mildred Pierce
9. Cinderella's Big Score
10. Scooter And Jinx
11. Titanium Expose

Any album that has a song called "Mildred Pierce" is probably going to win my approval. This wasn't quite as memorable as their first album, but it was still pretty good.

Some of these songs were really catchy, like "Kool Thing" and "Mote" but they seem to have departed from their sprawling noise suites that made them so distinct. I guess that's okay, and they are slightly more accessible now, but they might have lost some of their magic along the way.

Any "My Friend Goo" was just weird.

RATING: 3/5

682. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
1990

Tracks
1. Push It Along
2. Luck Of Lucien
3. After Hours
4. Footprints
5. I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
6. Public Enemy
7. Bonita Applebum
8. Can I Kick It
9. Youthful Expression
10. Rhythm (Devoted To The Art Of Moving Butts)
11. Mr Muhammad
12. Ham 'n' Eggs
13. Go Ahead In The Rain
14. Description Of A Fool

So yet another hip hop album, but I actually liked this one, primarily because it didn't contain any hate speech or try to incite violence against women. In fact, "Description of a Fool" felt like a direct reaction to some of Ice Cube's more venomous work.

This is obviously an improvement lyrics-wise, but I also enjoyed the use of sampling from all different music genres. Speaking of sampling, like every person with a soul, I love Hamilton and noticed our boy Lin-Manuel Miranda paid homage to this band with many of his lyrics. 

So a nice reminder that hip hop music can be good, which I sorely needed right now.
RATING: 3/5

681. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
1990

Tracks
1. Feels So Different
2. I Am Stretched On Your Grave
3. Three Babies
4. Emperor's New Clothes
5. Black Boys On Mopeds
6. Nothing Compares 2 U
7. Jump In The River
8. You Cause As Much Sorrow
9. Last Day Of Our Acquaintance
10. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

I have been hoping/begging/complaining/bitching for a non hip hop/gangsta rap album and it seems my pleas were answered. This is very different than anything I've heard before, and was a refreshing change of pace. I had forgotten we could get through an album without using the words "bitches" or "fairies."

This was an unusual album. I felt like each song grew and developed so much, that the beginning of a track was completely different than the ending, but the experience still felt whole and cohesive. 

I also loved the vocals. Thank you, Sinead, this was gravely needed.

RATING: 4/5

680. Fear of a Black Planet

Fear of a Black Planet
Public Enemy
1990

Tracks
1. Contract On The World Love Jam
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3. 911 Is A Joke
4. Incident At 66.6 FM
5. Welcome To The Terrordome
6. Meet The G That Killed Me
7. Pollywanacraka
8. Anti-Nigger Machine
9. Burn Hollywood Burn - Ice Cube, Public Enemy
10. Power To The People
11. Who Stole The Sole?
12. Fear Of A Black Planet
13. Revolutionary Generation
14. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man
15. Reggie Jax
16. Leave This Off Your Fu*Kin Charts
17. B Side Wins Again
18. War At 33 1/3
19. Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned
20. Fight The Power

Ugh, I am getting so tired of these (can you tell?). More gangsta rap. Actually, this wasn't as bad as the last two entries on the List. I feel like they were more interested in making a black nationalism album here, rather than just boasting about all the women they bang and treat horribly (well, there is a little of that too of course).

So not nearly as bad as other gangsta rap albums on this List and I become more and more convinced that East Coast hiphop is much better than West Coast hiphop. 

Still, will never be a favorite genre.

RATING: 2/5

679. Mama Said Knock You Out

Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
1990

Tracks
1. The Boomin' System
2. Around The Way Girl
3. Eat Em Up L Chill
4. Mr. Good Bar
5. Murdergram
6. Cheesy Rat Blues
7. Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem)
8. Mama Said Knock You Out
9. Milky Cereal
10. Jingling Baby (Remixed But Still Jingling)
11. To Da Break Of Dawn - LL Cool J, Marly Marl
12. 6 Minutes Of Pleasure
13. Illegal Search
14. The Power Of God
15. Mama Said Knock You Out

And we're back. Not quite as bad as Ice Cube's violent misogyny but still just more degrading comments about women and self aggrandizing. And a super annoying song about cereal.

I'm sick of wasting time on these guys, so I'll just cut to the chase.

RATING: 0/5

678. Ritual De Lo Habitual

Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
1990

Tracks
1. Stop
2. No One's Leaving
3. Ain't No Right
4. Obvious
5. Been Caught Stealing
6. Three Days
7. Then She Did
8. Of Course
9. Classic Girl

This is a nice reprieve from the onslaught of hip hop we've been subjected to lately. 

It's interesting to Jane's Addiction lay the groundwork for 90s rock, and again, it's a nice reminder that other genres besides gangster rap exists. I enjoyed the first half more than the second half, since sprawling rock epics aren't exactly my thing, but it still was a consistently good album.

A nice change of pace, but unfortunately only a temporary respite.

RATING: 3/5

677. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
1990

Tracks
1. Better Off Dead
2. Nigga Ya Love To Hate
3. Amerikkka's Most Wanted
4. What They Hittin Foe
5. You Can't Fade Me
6. Once Upon A Time In The Projects
7. Turn Off The Radio
8. Endangered Species
9. Gangsta's Fairytale
10. I'm Only Out For One Thang
11. Get Off My Dick And Tell Yo Bitch To Come Here
12. Drive By
13. Rollin' Wit' Tha Lench Mob
14. Who's The Mack
15. It's A Man's Man's Man's World
16. Bomb

I am a bit behind in writing about these albums, even though I just finished listening to 679. This is because I am finding this recent trend of hip hop albums very taxing, with the constant barrage of misogyny, homophobia, and/or anti semitism. I have really tried to approach each album with understanding about where these artists are coming from, but it is wearing being degraded everyday, as any person in a marginalized community knows.

So yeah, I don't want to listen to an album where someone gleefully raps about kicking a pregnant woman. I thought it was disgusting. I think it is really sad and scary that this is celebrated or tolerated in any way. 

RATING: 0/5

676. Ragged Glory

Ragged Glory
Neil Young and the Crazy Horse
1990

Tracks
1. Country Home
2. White Line
3. Fuckin' Up
4. Over And Over
5. Love To Burn
6. Farmer John
7. Mansion On The Hill
8. Days That Used To Be
9. Love And Only Love
10. Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)

"Past their prime" is such a mean phrase, and I am not saying it applies here, but I certainly didn't expect to see a Neil Young album show up in 1990. I am glad it did, though, even if it was not quite as impressive as his previous work.

This was fairly unpolished, and I got the feeling he was trying to develop more of an edge than he had previously. I particularly enjoyed "Over and Over" and "Love to Burn." 

So maybe not as offbeat or edgy as he was going for, but still an enjoyable album. 

RATING: 4/5

675. Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1

Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1
George Michael
1990

Tracks
1. Praying for Time
2. Freedom
3. They Won't Go When I Go
4. Something to Save
5. Cowboys & Angels
6. Waiting for That Day/You Can't Always Get What You Want
7. Mother's Pride
8. Heal the Pain
9. Soul Free
10. Waiting (Reprise)

I think we all weren't taking George Michael seriously enough for his liking, so he reacted with this album. Consequently, it is a little bit cringey as he strives to be seen as a respectable artist. Still, there are some good tracks hidden here as well. 

"Praying for Time" and "They Won't Go When I Go" were both stand out tracks, and "Freedom" was impressive as well. The second half of the album really dragged, making me miss Wham era George Michael.

So another fair to middling album, hoping for another entry that will knock my socks off soon. 

RATING: 3/5

674. Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyaches

Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyache
Happy Mondays
1990

Tracks
1. Kinky Afro
2. God's Cop
3. Donovan
4. Grandbag's Funeral
5. Dennis And Lois
6. Bob's Yer Uncle
7. Step On
8. Holiday
9. Harmony

I suppose the experience of listening to this album would be greatly enhanced with drugs, which is the case for about 70% of these entries. Fortunately, it's still pretty good without molly.

According to Shaun Ryder, the producer Paul Oakenfold instructed them to make Bob's Yer Uncle "sexy for the ladies." This is interesting to me, because very few of these musicians seem to write for a female audience in mind. And, of course, they hilariously missed the mark. The song was okay, but the lyrics betrayed their own cluelessness. 

So I guess we are wrapping up the stage where every other album comes from Manchester. If this was our farewell, it was a pretty solid goodbye.

RATING: 4/5

673. Behaviour

Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
1990

Tracks
1. Being Boring
2. This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave
3. To Face the Truth
4. How Can You Expect to be Taken Seriously?
5. Only the Wind
6. My October Symphony
7. So Hard
8. Nervously
9. The End of the World
10. Jealousy

I remember the previous Pet Shop Boys album on the List was a rather unimpressive but harmless affair. This was definitely an improvement, in terms of lyrical quality and music.

That being said, synthpop hasn't exactly aged gracefully as a genre. Still, I enjoyed the more introspective lyrics and really enjoyed "Jealousy" and "Being Boring" in particular. 

So not an especially memorable album but still rather enjoyable. In other words, a solid 3. 
RATING: 3/5

672. Sex Packets

Sex Packets
Digital Underground
1990

Tracks
1. Humpty Dance
2. Way We Swing
3. Rhymin' On The Funk
4. New Jazz (One)
5. Underwater Rimes
6. Gutfest '89
7. Danger Zone
8. Freaks Of The Industry
9. Doowutchyalike
10. Packet Prelude
11. Sex Packets
12. Street Scene
13. Packet Man
14. Packet Reprise

So that was pretty strange. It began as pretty standard hip hop fare. I can have sex with any woman I want, don't try to match my rhymes, I swear my penis isn't that small, etc. Then we transition into this strange concept where you can buy sex packets, which are pills you can take to have sex with whoever is on the cover of the packet (which includes Black virgins, sisters, and Chinese girls). 

I guess it is meant to be a parody of all the hip hop songs that glorify selling drugs. I am not a huge fan of novelty albums; they tend to wear out their welcome pretty quickly, and this was over an hour. 

For that reason, I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the latter half. The first idiot that came up with the idea of having a woman moan in the background while they rapped about "hitting it" must have been enormously pleased with himself.

RATING: 2/5

671. Rust in Peace

Rust in Peace
Megadeth
1990

Tracks
1. Holy Wars...the Punishment Due
2. Hangar 18
3. Take No Prisoners
4. Five Magics
5. Poison Was The Cure
6. Lucretia
7. Tornado Of Souls
8. Dawn Patrol
9. Rust In Peace...Polaris

I had convinced myself that metal had died in the 1980s, apparently we have to endure the death throes of this genre for a little longer, with yet another Megadeth album.

So it doesn't feel like Megadeth is doing anything different here, but I suppose it would be enjoyable enough for any metal fan. Even if the album cover looks like it's from a terrible 80s Atari game.

Entirely skippable unless you're a metalhead. 

RATING: 2/5

670. Bossanova

Bossanova
Pixies
1990

Tracks
1. Cecilia Ann
2. Velouria
3. Is She Weird
4. All Over The World
5. Down To The Well
6. Blown Away
7. Stormy Weather
8. Rock Music
9. Allison
10. Ana
11. Dig For Fire
12. Happening
13. Hang Wire
14. Havalina

This isn't an opinion that often gets asked to the dance, but I actually liked this album better than the previous two Pixies albums. The individual tracks stood out to me on this album, with "Stormy Weather" and "Is She Weird" among my favorites.

I've heard this album described as less polished than their previous albums, but I don't think polish is necessarily such a good thing in music, particularly with the kind of music the Pixies play. 

After a somewhat shaky start, the 90s continue to impress. 

RATING: 4/5

669. Violator

Violator
Depeche Mode
1990

Tracks
1. World in My Eyes
2. Sweetest Perfection
3. Personal Jesus
4. Halo
5. Waiting for the Night
6. Enjoy the Silence
7. Policy of Truth
8. Blue Dress
9. Clean

Violator? I hardly know her!

Ahem. Anyway, we are happily continuing our streak of good albums as this was very enjoyable. I've always associated synthpop with tackiness, which isn't always a bad thing; sometimes that can be quite fun. But this was sophisticated synthpop, which isn't the easiest thing to achieve.

So a solid and unique entry on the List, and I am digging the 90s more and more.

RATING: 4/5

668. Shake Your Money Maker

Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
1990

Tracks
1. Twice As Hard
2. Jealous Again
3. Sister Luck
4. Could I've Been So Blind
5. Seeing Things
6. Hard To Handle
7. Thick 'n' Thin
8. She Talks To Angels
9. Struttin' Blues
10. Stare It Cold

I expected the Listmakers to make us suffer after presenting us with such a good album yesterday, so as not to disturb the equilibrium. However, this was also a decent album, and maybe I am wrong about the Listmakers sinister proclivities. 

This felt like a bit of a throwback to the Stones era of hard rock and I was here for it. Maybe it wasn't the most unique sound, but not every album has to turn a genre on its ear. I didn't feel like there was a bad track in the entire album, which is a unique enough experience for me.

Recommended.

RATING: 4/5

667. The La's

The La's
The La's
1990

Tracks
1. Son Of A Gun
2. I Can't Sleep
3. Timeless Melody
4. Liberty Ship
5. There She Goes
6. Doledrum
7. Feelin'
8. Way Out
9. I.O.U.
10. Freedom Song
11. Failure
12. Looking Glass

I absolutely love this album and am fairly devastated that this is the only album that The La's ever made. I guess it's better to quit while you are ahead, but damn. 

Most people are probably familiar with "There She Goes" but honestly, there is not a bad track in this entire album. It seems clear to me that they were influenced by REM and XTC, but they have their own distinct sound that sets them apart. 

This is the first 90s album that has really blown me away. Highly recommended.

RATING: 5/5

666. World Clique

World Clique
Deee-Lite
1990

Tracks
1. Good Beat
2. Power Of Love
3. Try Me On...I'm Very You
4. Smile On
5. What Is Love
6. World Clique
7. ESP
8. Groove Is In The Heart
9. Who Was That
10. Deep Ending

We've reached the devil's entry, which is actually not that devilish at all, but light-hearted and fun. Regardless, we are two-thirds of the way through this journey! It seems like only yesterday that I was...shit, never mind, that was literally a decade ago.

I'm discovering that dance music really isn't my thing and this was no exception. There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but it felt dated and didn't leave much of an impression.

Probably skippable, but certainly not the worst thing to appear on this List.

RATING: 2/5