758. Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Venus Luxure No.1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
1993

Tracks
1. In Like Flynn
2. Go Be Delighted
3. Rockets Are Red
4. Satin Down
5. Let Me Come Back
6. Learned It
7. Get Down
8. Bullet Proof Cupid
9. Seven Seas
10. Billy's One Stop
11. Bug House

I don't have a lot of time today, so I'll just pop in here quickly to say that this entry was pretty good. I always appreciate a shout out to Errol Flynn, so the first track endeared me to the album.

Actually the first few tracks were probably the best; it was mostly downhill from there. It was still pretty good post punk music, but nothing really stood out.

Sorry for the terseness but there is work to be done, and someone has to go and complain about it.

RATING: 3/5

757. Teenager of the Year

Teenager of the Year
Frank Black
1993

Tracks
1. What Ever Happened To Pong?
2. Thalassocracy
3. (I Want To Live On An) Abstract Plain
4. Calistan
5. The Vanishing Spies
6. Speedy Marie
7. Headache
8. Sir Rockaby
9. Freedom Rock
10. Two Reelers
11. Fiddle Riddle
12. Ole Mulholland
13. Fazer Eyes
14. I Could Stay Here Forever
15. The Hostess With The Mostest
16. Superabound
17. Big Red
18. Space Is Gonna Do Me Good
19. White Noise Maker
20. Pure Denizen Of The Citizens Band
21. Bad, Wicked World
22. Pie In The Sky

Like the previous entry, this album features an artist from a well known band striking out on their own. It's very admirable and brave, so naturally I am going to reward their efforts by saying that the solo album is not as good as their previous band's discography.

Of course, the Pixies are a tough act to follow, so this is to be expected. My biggest complaint would be that it felt a little bit scattered. 22 tracks is a lot, and because most of them were so short I had a tough time getting a grip on this album.

But there are still some great tracks on here and Frank Black is amazingly talented.

RATING: 3/5

756. Tical

Tical
Method Man
1993

Tracks
1. Tical
2. Biscuits
3. Bring the Pain
4. All I Need - Method Man, Diggs, Robert
5. What the Blood Clot
6. Meth Vs. Chef
7. Sub Crazy
8. Release Yo' Delf
9. P.L.O. Style
10. I Get My Thang in Action
11. Mr. Sandman
12. Stimulation
13. Method Man

We just had the Wu-Tang Clan. Now we have Method Man's solo effort which very much sounds like the Wu-Tang Clan. This is to be expected obviously and is clearly a deliberate nod with all the shoutouts to the Clan. Still, it seems like he doesn't have much to say as a solo artist.

So if you really liked the Wu-Tang Clan album, you will love this, as it is a continuation of the same sound. I like the more laid back vibe of this hip hop style and the production was very good. Kind of gritty but still smooth.

I can't help but compare this to Ice Cube's first solo effort after N.W.A, and this is far superior. Still derivative though.

RATING: 3/5

755. Strange Cargo III

Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
1993

Tracks
1. Water From A Vine Leaf
2. Into The Paradise
3. Time To Get Wize
4. Harry Flowers
5. A Touch Of The Night
6. The Story Of Light
7. Gringatcho Demento
8. A Hazy Shade Of Random
9. Best Friend, Paranoia
10. The Monkey King
11. Deus Ex Machina
12. Water Babies

I guess this is the type of music that is supposed to serve as background noise. As a concept, that's a bit difficult for me to wrap my head around. I can't think of any other form of art where you are encouraged to not pay attention. 

Maybe some people do get pleasure from concentrating on this music and that baffles me even more. I just found it pretty boring and long. I guess it's just one of those things I don't get, like the Monty Hall problem or Republicans. 

To me, it felt pretty empty. 

RATING: 2/5

754. Giant Steps

Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
1993

Tracks
1. I Hang Suspended
2. Upon 9th And Fairchild
3. Wish I Was Skinny
4. Leaves And Sand
5. Butterfly McQueen
6. Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)
7. Thinking Of Ways
8. Barney (...And Me)
9. Spun Around
10. If You Want It, Take It
11. Best Lose The Fear
12. Take The Time Around
13. Lazarus
14. One Is For
15. Run My Way Runway
16. I've Lost The Reason
17. The White Noise Revisited

If a band uses a literary character as their name, they have already scored big points with me. Then again, I never loved To Kill a Mockingbird. I think it's strange they use that novel in American high schools ostensibly to discuss racism in America. Why not cover a novel from the point of view of a black person? Why does it always have to be from the perspective of a white person? We should give that slot to Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou.  

Ahem, but we were discussing the band. Right. This was an impressive mix of genres, with elements of shoegazing, britpop, psychedelia, and rock. The result was outstanding and they didn't sound as dated as some of the other early 90s bands here.

I won't be able to complain about To Kill a Mockingbird for about three hundred more books on my other blog, so I had to get my kicks here. Still a good album though.

RATING: 4/5

753. Bubble and Scrape

Bubble and Scrape
Sebadoh
1993

Tracks
1. Soul And Fire
2. Two Years Two Days
3. Telecosmic Alchemy
4. Fantastic Disaster
5. Happily Divided
6. Sister
7. Cliche
8. Sacred Attention
9. Elixir Is Zog
10. Emma Get Wild
11. Sixteen
12. Homemade
13. Forced Love
14. No Way Out
15. Bouquet For A Siren
16. Think (Let Tomorrow Be)
17. Flood

I was wondering why this album sounded so disjointed. Then I read that different members of the band created different tracks, which explained a lot. I am not sure who was responsible for what song, but the result wasn't cohesive.

That being said, a few of the songs were okay, but didn't leave much of an impression. I had never heard of them before, and if somebody did mention them, I would probably miss it because I don't know how to pronounce the name of the band. Then once I realized my mistake, I would probably be too embarrassed to correct it and just go along with it as they told about this new band I have to listen to. 

In conclusion, not an essential album.

RATING: 3/5

752. Doggystyle

Doggystyle
Snoop Doggy Dogg
1993

Tracks
1. Bathtub
2. G Funk (Intro)
3. Gin And Juice
4. Shiznit
5. Lodi Dodi
6. Murder Was the Case
7. Serial Killa
8. Who Am I (What's My Name)?
9. For All My Niggaz & Bitches
10. Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
11. Doggy Dogg World
12. GZ And Hustlas
13. Pump Pump

Yawn. Yet ANOTHER gangsta rap album that is demeaning towards women, more commonly known as bitches and hoes. And it's not shocking, groundbreaking, or brave. Misogyny is old, old, old.

I will point out the things that made this album different for me. I like the funk samples, and Snoop Dogg's delivery. He really takes his time with his lyrics and seems completely at ease throughout the album. Which I am sure he was.

I'm just bored with these albums. I feel like the List has represented this genre well enough, can we please move on? Preferably with a large helping of Bjork?

RATING: 2/5

751. Orbital II

Orbital II
Orbital
1993

Tracks
1. Time Becomes
2. Planet Of The Shapes
3. Lush 3.1
4. Lush 3.2
5. Impact (The Earth Is Burning)
6. Remind
7. Walk Now
8. Monday
9. Halcyon And On And On
10. Input Out

Technically, I believe this also counts as a milestone, as I now just have 250 albums left. I'm glad it's a list of 1001 albums and not 1000 albums. It really lets me draw out my preening. 

I needed to keep that milestone in mind as I suffered through this album. It was obnoxious from its opening track, which pretty much consisted of the somebody's voice saying "where time becomes a loop" over and over again. It was a slight improvement from there, but did the tracks really have to be ten minutes long? 

It was just a miss for me, even though it probably represented its genre well.

RATING: 2/5

750. Debut

Debut
Bjork
1993

Tracks
1. Human Behaviour
2. Crying
3. Venus as a Boy
4. There's More to Life Than This
5. Like Someone in Love
6. Big Time Sensuality
7. One Day
8. Aeroplane
9. Come to Me
10. Violently Happy
11. The Anchor Song
12. Play Dead

750! I was very excited to reach this milestone, hence the album marathon this weekend. I love me my milestones, and 750 feels like a big one. 

Usually I approach each of the albums on this List with the innocence of a newborn fawn, but I have actually heard this album in its entirety before. I've been a fan of Bjork for awhile. I just love her style, which is completely original, strange, and authentic.

This is a very eclectic album that somehow fits together perfectly. Bjork sounds like she is having fun. 

RATING: 5/5

749. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
1993

Tracks
1. Bring Da Ruckus
2. Shame on a Nigga
3. Clan in da Front
4. Wu Tang : 7th Chamber
5. Can It Be All So Simple
6. Da Mystery of Chessboxin'
7. Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit
8. C.R.E.A.M.
9. Method Man
10. Protect Ya Neck
11. Tearz
12. Wu Tang : 7th Chamber - Part II
13. Method Man (Skunk Mix)
14. Conclusion

More hardcore hip hop. This is all sounding so samey lately; I guess West Coast hip hop has taken over for good. I wish everybody had imitated De La Soul instead.

Thankfully, this album did a few cool things which made it feel fresh. Yes, it was the same style of self aggrandizing lyrics which is never particularly interesting to me, especially when it involves ass torture. But I liked the low-fi production and at least the martial arts gimmick was original. 

I also liked all the pop culture references they made in between boast seshes. Will never be my favorite style of music, but this was more bearable than some other hip hop entries on this List.

RATING: 3/5

748. The Infotainment Scan

The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
1993

Tracks
1. Ladybird (Green Grass)
2. Lost In Music
3. Glam-Racket
4. I'm Going To Spain
5. It's A Curse
6. Paranoia Man In Cheap Shit Room
7. Service
8. The League Of Bald-Headed Men
9. A Past Gone Mad
10. Light/Fireworks
11. Why Are People Grudgeful?
12. League Moon Monkey Mix

I just looked at an earlier review I had written about the Fall. Okay, so that was pretty harsh. I must have woken up on the wrong side of the casket that day. I don't have as strong as a reaction to this one. I'm not sure if I've evolved or the band has.

There are a lot of covers in this album, which I guess isn't a flaw necessarily, but it does make me feel like the Fall didn't have much to offer in way of originality on this album. I did enjoy Mark E. Smith's vocal style more this time around; it's distinct, and that's something. 

So a decent album but it didn't blow me away. The List has been spoiling me lately and now I'm feeling fussy.

RATING: 3/5

747. Tuesday Night Music Club

Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
1993

Tracks
1. Run, Baby, Run
2. Leaving Las Vegas
3. Strong Enough
4. Can't Cry Anymore
5. Solidify
6. The Na-Na Song
7. No One Said It Would Be Easy
8. What I Can Do For You
9. All I Wanna Do
10. We Do What We Can
11. I Shall Believe

I had never really listened to Sheryl Crow before, but I understood her to be a slightly less embarrassing version of Shania Twain. I was actually really impressed with this, and might have been selling Sheryl short over the years. Sorry Sher.

Crow doesn't have the edge of Liz Phair or PJ Harvey, which is a little disappointing, but she still comes up with plenty of quality songs here. Of course, I always prefer it when songwriters seem to really be mining their personal life for lyrics, because I am nosy like you wouldn't believe, and I don't get sense Crow does that here. I still enjoyed it; it would be an excellent road trip album. Highlights for me were definitely "Strong Enough" and "Run, Baby, Run."

Overall, a pretty great album by an underrated (by me) lady.

RATING: 4/5

746. Modern Life is Rubbish

Modern Life is Rubbish
Blur
1993

Tracks
1. For Tomorrow
2. Advert
3. Colin Zeal
4. Pressure on Julian
5. Star Shaped
6. Blue Jeans
7. Chemical World
8. Intermission
9. Sunday Sunday
10. Oily Water
11. Miss America
12. Villa Rosie
13. Coping
14. Turn It Up
15. Pop Scene
16. Resigned
17. Commercial Break

I feel like anything labeled as britpop never comes across as particularly original. I still enjoy it, but I feel like we are hearing the same music again and again.

That's okay, though, because this is pretty good. It can be obnoxious and repetitive at times; I didn't care for "Advert" very much or any of the novelty songs really. Other tracks had more of a Kinks/Brian Eno kind of charm that was appealing. 

Not terribly interesting but not offensive either.

RATING: 3/5

745. Rid of Me

Rid of Me
PJ Harvey
1993

Tracks
1. Rid Of Me
2. Missed
3. Legs
4. Rub 'Till It Bleeds
5. Hook
6. Man-Size [Sextet]
7. Highway '61 Revisited
8. 50 Ft Queenie
9. Yuri-G
10. Man-Size
11. Dry
12. Me-Jane
13. Snake
14. Ecstasy

I like PJ Harvey quite a bit, but I wish she would settle on a volume. And that's the only gripe I can come up with for this album.

I really like how she seems to restrain herself, emotionally and vocally, and then lets it all out in energetic musical bursts. I also love any song that mixes anger and female sexuality. The lyrics are sexy, clever, and never dull.

PJ Harvey is just so cool, probably too cool for me, and I just really adore her music. I don't think we are hearing from her again on this List, which is a shame.

RATING: 4/5

744. Very

Very
Pet Shop Boys
1993

Tracks
1. Can You Forgive Her?
2. I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
3. Liberation
4. A Different Point of View
5. Dreaming of the Queen
6. Yesterday, When I Was Mad
7. The Theatre
8. One and One Make Five
9. To Speak is a Sin
10. Young Offender
11. One in a Million
12. Go West

The multi entry story arc of me cleaning out my closet will be ending soon, and what a rollercoaster it's been. There are no significant twists, but methinks perhaps that's a twist in itself.

This was such a quality batch of albums for my cleaning soundtrack. I can't imagine if I tried to motivate myself with some of the other entries on this List. Like Jamiroquai, this was just fun music. I guess this could be considered dated, but I enjoyed the nostalgic feeling.

Great music to dance to, with quality lyrics. You can't ask for much more than that.

RATING: 4/5

743. Emergency on Planet Earth

Emergency on Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
1993

Tracks

1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo)
2. Too Young To Die
3. Hooked Up
4. If I Like It I Do It
5. Music Of The Mind
6. Emergency On Planet Earth
7. Whatever It Is I Just Can't Stop
8. Blow Your Mind
9. Revolution 1993
10. Didgin' Out

I didn't think acid jazz was the genre for me, so I was surprised by how much I genuinely enjoyed this. That's not to say the ten minute long tracks didn't feel excessive, but I enjoyed a lot of this, particularly "Too Young To Die" and "Emergency on Planet Earth."

The lyrics were pretty standard hippy fare, and didn't stand out much but the energy behind the vocals was fun and infectious. It at least powered me through most of my closet cleaning, although I have to admit the process is getting demoralizing (what happens to all my socks? And perhaps more alarmingly, what happens to all my underwear?). 

A fun, light hearted album that is difficult not to enjoy.

RATING: 3/5

742. In Utero

In Utero
Nirvana
1993

Tracks
1. Serve The Servants
2. Scentless Apprentice
3. Heart Shaped Box
4. Rape Me
5. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
6. Dumb
7. Very Ape
8. Milk It
9. Pennyroyal Tea
10. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
11. Tourette's
12. All Apologies/Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip

You might have predicted my reaction to this album already based on the fact that there's a track called "Rape Me." While that certainly wasn't the most thought provoking song (and the List has been spoiling me lately with beautiful lyrics), I was still able to enjoy most of this.

The production quality of this album is really superb. It's less commercial friendly than Nevermind, so it feels rawer. I think it is the superior album because it feels more authentic, to the band and to the grunge movement.

Sad that such a talented artist couldn't control his demons. 

RATING: 4/5

741. Fuzzy

Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
1993

Tracks
1. Shining Hour
2. Jupiter And Teardrop
3. Fuzzy
4. Wish You Well
5. Hook
6. Soft Wolf Tread
7. Stars 'n' Stripes
8. Dixie Drugstore
9. America Snoring
10. Grace
11. You Just Have To Be Crazy

Okay, is 1993 the greatest year ever? So far it's been a parade of talented songwriters with no end sight. 

The stand out track for me is "America Snoring" which I felt was a wonderful combination of Nick Cave, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. The lyrics were clever and beautiful, and I was really digging Buffalo's vocals.

It's was nice listening to some Americana that didn't make every muscle of my body cringe. This is one of those albums that benefits from repeated listenings.

RATING: 4/5

740. Whatever

Whatever
Aimee Mann
1993

Tracks
1. I Should've Known
2. Fifty Years After The Fair
3. 4th Of July
4. Could've Been Anyone
5. Put Me On Top
6. Stupid Thing
7. Say Anything
8. Jacob Marley's Chain
9. Mr. Harris
10. I Could Hurt You Now
11. I Know There's A Word
12. I've Had It
13. Way Back When

I am loving this trend of fabulous female singer/songwriters. Aimee Mann isn't as caustic as Liz Phair, or as weird as Bjork, or as cool as P.J. Harvey, but I still really enjoyed this.

Mann is a very talented lyricist, and her arrangements are amazing. Actually the whole album has really impressive production quality. It almost doesn't need it, because the lyrics are so good, but the songs are very polished, without being too shiny.

We are on a really great batch of albums right now, I hope it continues. At least until I finish cleaning out my closet. 

RATING: 4/5

739. Gentlemen

Gentlemen
The Afghan Wigs
1993

Tracks
1. If I Were Going
2. Gentlemen
3. Be Sweet
4. Debonair
5. When We Two Parted
6. Fountain And Fairfax
7. What Jail Is Like
8. My Curse
9. Now You Know
10. I Keep Coming Back
11. Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer

I had never heard of the Afghan Whigs before, but apparently they have a fairly large cult following. This is probably not the most original album on the List, but I think they are worthy of more attention than they get.

I like the bands that pull elements of grunge into their music, while including other influences to temper the genre. Here, they pull in soul and R&B and it works really well. 

Not every track was a banger, but I liked it the more I listened to it. 

RATING: 4/5