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 | Album: 1 of 33 Artist: U2 Title: Achtung Baby Released: 1991-11-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Zoo Station (04:36) 2 Even Better Than the Real Thing (03:41) 3 One (04:36) 4 Until the End of the World (04:38) 5 Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (05:16) 6 So Cruel (05:49) 7 The Fly (04:29) 8 Mysterious Ways (04:03) 9 Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World (03:52) 10 Ultra Violet (Light My Way) (05:30) 11 Acrobat (04:30) 12 Love Is Blindness (04:23) |
| Achtung Baby : Allmusic album Review : Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2s sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for postmodern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowies electronic, avant-garde explorations of the late 70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early-90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive. Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects, and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isnt surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, its filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note. Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 33 Artist: Erasure Title: Chorus Released: 1991-10-14 Tracks: 10 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Chorus (?) 2 Waiting for the Day (?) 3 Joan (?) 4 Breath of Life (?) 5 Am I Right? (?) 6 Love to Hate You (?) 7 Turns the Love to Anger (?) 8 Siren Song (?) 9 Perfect Stranger (?) 10 Home (?) |
| Chorus : Allmusic album Review : No longer making a big American splash outside of its fanbase and alternative radio -- and about to be turned into yesterdays news thanks to the techno/hardcore explosion -- Erasure on Chorus concentrated on just sounding like itself. With the notable exception of the hypersassy "Love to Hate You," Bell steers away from campiness in favor of a series of gentler meditations and impassioned pleas. "Chorus" itself is another great Erasure anthem, Clarke providing just the right combination of beat and melody for Bells surprisingly effective tackling of environmental degredation. Other cuts like "Breath of Life" and "Turns the Love to Anger" keep the quicker, more specifically high-paced dance pace going, but most of the best cuts come with the quieter numbers. Happily, rather than revamping the basic ballad format often used on earlier albums, Clarke keeps throwing in unexpected touches while Bell comes up with some inspired and often affecting lyrics. "Am I Right?" reflects on love and aging with a gentle tone and soft hip-hop beat, while "Joan" adds a touch of gospel in Bells backing harmonies to a more prominent breakbeat with equally fine results. Also intriguing is how the final songs of the album, while individually not among the bands best, still blend together to provide an excellent conclusion, from the wistful philosophy of "Siren Song" and the romantic entanglement of "Perfect Stranger" to the concluding "Home." Something of a sequel to "Hideaway" set a few years later, Bell sings of continuing to follow his own path over lovely backing from Clarke, a fine way to end the album. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 33 Artist: Saint Etienne Title: Foxbase Alpha Released: 1991-09 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 This Is Radio Etienne (00:43) 2 Only Love Can Break Your Heart (04:29) 3 Wilson (01:59) 4 Carnt Sleep (04:44) 5 Girl VII (03:46) 6 Spring (03:44) 7 She’s the One (03:07) 8 Stoned to Say the Least (07:41) 9 Nothing Can Stop Us (04:20) 10 Etienne Gonna Die (01:29) 11 London Belongs to Me (03:57) 12 Like the Swallow (07:39) 13 Dilworth’s Theme (00:39) |
 | Album: 4 of 33 Artist: Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart Title: Rising Above Bedlam Released: 1991-09-30 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Visions of You (05:36) 2 Relight the Flame (04:13) 3 Bomba (05:55) 4 Ungodly Kingdom (04:28) 5 Rising Above Bedlam (03:46) 6 Erzulie (07:03) 7 Everymans an Island (06:28) 8 Soledad (05:40) 9 Sweet Divinity (04:17) 10 Wonderful World (03:57) |
| Rising Above Bedlam : Allmusic album Review : The second album by Jah Wobbles Invaders of the Heart continued the bassists exploration into ethnic fusion, merging together music from different world traditions with pop production and his own dub-influenced bass guitar. Fans of Wobbles earlier work with Holgar Czukay and Public Image Limited might be surprised and a bit dismayed at first by the glossy production and pop nature of some of the tracks here; one would never have guessed that Wobble would come up with something as commercial as the Latin pop of "Ungodly Kingdom." However, much of the music is remarkable and on each listen seems to contain something new. Wobble is far more interested in experimentation than simply adding world sounds to pop music. The tracks with Middle Eastern influences, including the amazing "Everymans an Island," are quite remarkable and most feature the fine talents of Natasha Atlas. Meanwhile, the trance-like opener, "Visions of You," which guests Sinéad OConnor on vocals, is absolutely beautiful. On the title track, Wobble even returns to his past, with he and guitarist Justin Adams bringing the sound of early PiL forward ten years. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 33 Artist: Young Disciples Title: Road to Freedom Released: 1991 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Get Yourself Together (Parts 1 & 2) (06:12) 2 Apparently Nothin’ (Soul River) (05:21) 3 Funky Yeh Funki (Mek It) (00:41) 4 Talkin What I Feel (04:07) 5 All I Have (In Dub) (02:59) 6 Move On (03:27) 7 As We Come (To Be) (04:35) 8 Step Right On (Dub) (03:56) 9 Freedom Suite (i) Freedom (ii) Wanting (iii) To Be Free (15:58) 10 Young Disciples Theme (01:57) |
 | Album: 6 of 33 Artist: Simply Red Title: Stars Released: 1991 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Stars (04:08) 2 Ramblin on My Mind (02:10) 3 Stars (Comprende mix) (06:39) 4 Something Got Me Started (Hurleys House mix) (05:56) |
 | Album: 7 of 33 Artist: Bheki Mseleku Title: Celebration Released: 1992 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:10:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Celebration (07:52) 2 One for All - All for One (07:45) 3 Angola (07:26) 4 Blues for Afrika (06:19) 5 The Age of Inner Knowing (10:22) 6 The Messenger (04:26) 7 Joy (07:17) 8 Supreme Love (06:52) 9 Cycle (06:37) 10 Closer to the Source (05:58) |
 | Album: 8 of 33 Artist: The Jesus and Mary Chain Title: Honey’s Dead Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Reverence (03:40) 2 Teenage Lust (03:05) 3 Far Gone and Out (02:49) 4 Almost Gold (03:17) 5 Sugar Ray (04:37) 6 Tumbledown (04:10) 7 Catchfire (04:47) 8 Good for My Soul (03:01) 9 Rollercoaster (03:43) 10 I Can’t Get Enough (02:57) 11 Sundown (04:58) 12 Frequency (01:18) |
| Honey’s Dead : Allmusic album Review : Again working with Alan Moulder but now also using a live drummer on most tracks -- namely Monti from Curve, one of the Mary Chains many descendants -- the Reids came back strong with Honeys Dead, on balance a more consistent and satisfying record than Automatic. Theres a sense of greater creativity with the arrangements, while the balance between blasting static rampage and precise, almost clinical delivery is the finest yet, making the album as a whole the best straight-through listen since Psychocandy. Montis drumming finally replaces Bobby Gillespies properly; hes a much more talented musician than the Primal Scream overlord, using the warped funk hits familiar from Curves work to the Mary Chains advantage. Even the drum machine-driven cuts work better than before, especially the brilliant, coruscating opener, "Reverence." Burning with some of the best nails-on-chalkboard feedback the band had yet recorded, combined with a whipsmart sharp breakbeat, all it took was the finishing touch of Jim Reids sneering lines like "I wanna die like Jesus Christ" to make it another stone-cold classic single from the band. Other winners include "Sugar Ray," with beats and melody so immediate and addictive the track was actually used for a beer commercial, of all things, and the steady slap and crunch of "Good for My Soul." If theres a danger in Honeys Dead, its that the near bottomless pit of reworked melodies and lyrics had almost reached its end -- even the final track, "Frequency," combines both "Reverence" itself with the Modern Lovers "Roadrunner" -- which made the stylistic shift on Stoned & Dethroned a logical follow-up. William and Jim Reid split all the vocals almost evenly, the former especially shining on the nearly gentle "Almost Gold," the closest the record comes to a sweet ballad. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 33 Artist: Stan Tracey Octet Title: Portraits + Released: 1992-03-30 Tracks: 6 Duration: 58:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Newks Fluke (07:33) 2 Rocky Mount (07:57) 3 One for Gil (08:19) 4 ClinkScales (08:54) 5 Spectrum Nr. 2 (14:48) 6 Mainframe (11:18) |
 | Album: 10 of 33 Artist: Barry Adamson Title: Soul Murder Released: 1992-04-06 Tracks: 14 Duration: 47:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 Preface (01:13) 2 Split (03:58) 3 The Violation of Expectation (03:04) 4 Suspicion (04:05) 5 A Gentle Man of Colour (03:50) 6 Trance of Hatred (00:59) 7 Checkpoint Charlie (06:32) 8 Reverie (04:51) 9 Un Petit Miracle (02:55) 10 007: A Fantasy Bond Theme (03:59) 11 The Adamson Family (03:45) 12 Cool Green World (03:31) 13 On the Edge of Atonement (03:16) 14 Epilogue (00:57) |
 | Album: 11 of 33 Artist: East 17 Title: Walthamstow Released: 1992 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:06:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 House of Love (04:41) 2 Deep (04:07) 3 Gold (04:21) 4 Love Is More Than a Feeling (04:02) 5 I Disagree (05:00) 6 Gotta Do Something (04:20) 7 Slow It Down (04:45) 8 I Want It (05:40) 9 It’s Alright (The Guvnor mix) (04:41) 10 Feel What U Can’t C (03:26) 11 West End Girls (Faces on Posters mix) (04:29) 12 Gold (Paws on the Floor) (07:04) 13 Deep (Dark mix) (04:45) 14 Slow It Down (Liverpool mix) (04:53) |
 | Album: 12 of 33 Artist: M People Title: Elegant Slumming Released: 1993-10-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 1994 | 1 One Night in Heaven (06:29) 2 Moving on Up (05:30) 3 Renaissance (05:23) 4 You Just Have to Be There (05:28) 5 Love Is in My Soul (06:17) 6 Don’t Look Any Further (05:31) 7 Natural Thing (05:07) 8 Little Packet (05:22) 9 La Vida Loca (04:34) 10 Melody of Life (04:45) |
| Elegant Slumming : Allmusic album Review : Including no less than five British Top Ten singles and several other chart entries stretching back to 1992, Elegant Slumming is easily M Peoples best album. From the driving British house of "One Night in Heaven" and the nu-disco slant of "Moving on Up" to more downtempo soul on "Melody of Life," vocalist Heather Small is confident and aggressive while the production by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard backs her up with an exquisite touch. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 33 Artist: Take That Title: Everything Changes Released: 1993 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:10:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Everything Changes (03:36) 2 Pray (03:44) 3 Wasting My Time (03:45) 4 Relight My Fire (radio version) (04:10) 5 Love Aint Here Anymore (03:58) 6 If This Is Love (03:57) 7 Whatever You Do to Me (03:45) 8 Meaning of Love (03:47) 9 Why Cant I Wake Up With You (03:38) 10 You Are the One (03:49) 11 Another Crack in My Heart (04:14) 12 Broken Your Heart (03:48) 13 Babe (04:54) 14 No si aqui no hay amor (03:55) 15 The Party Remix (07:17) 16 All I Want Is You (03:22) 17 Babe (Return mix) (04:55) |
| Everything Changes : Allmusic album Review : British group Take That did not have the same worries about releasing Everything Changes as they had with their debut album. By this time they were giant superstars in Europe, and the question in their minds was not whether they could get a hit single, but how many and which would make it to number one. The album spawned six hit singles, four of which made number one, making it Record of the Year and one of the best-selling albums of the decade, proclaiming them the biggest male group since the Beatles. When the hype sets in, it is hard to distinguish the value of the material itself. It is an album of dance-pop and ballads sung by five young men, with a greater maturity than most boy band albums thanks to the writing by lead singer Gary Barlow. Boy bands have their share of skeptics, and getting those to tear down their defenses usually ends up competing with their struggle to please the fan base they already have. With saucy dance tracks like "Relight My Fire" (a hit for Dan Hartman in the 70s) and quality ballads like "Pray" and "Love Aint Here Anymore," as well as pop tracks "Everything Changes" and "Whatever You Do to Me," Take That won over everyone they needed to. What they got in return was a reputation for being a fine group with real talent. Everything Changes marked the height of Take That popularity. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 33 Artist: Gavin Bryars Title: Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet Released: 1993 Tracks: 6 Duration: 1:14:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Tramp With Orchestra I (string quartet) (27:05) 2 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Tramp With Orchestra II (low strings) (15:16) 3 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Tramp With Orchestra III (no strings) (04:48) 4 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Tramp With Orchestra IV (full strings) (06:06) 5 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Tramp and Tom Waits With Full Orchestra (19:38) 6 Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet: Coda: Tom Waits With High Strings (01:47) |
 | Album: 15 of 33 Artist: The Auteurs Title: New Wave Released: 1993-02-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Show Girl (04:07) 2 Bailed Out (03:44) 3 American Guitars (03:31) 4 Junk Shop Clothes (02:42) 5 Don’t Trust the Stars (02:25) 6 Starstruck (02:59) 7 How Could I Be Wrong (03:53) 8 Housebreaker (02:57) 9 Valet Parking (02:56) 10 Idiot Brother (05:45) 11 Early Years (02:40) 12 Home Again / [silence] / They Can’t Find Him (05:59) |
 | Album: 16 of 33 Artist: Apache Indian Title: No Reservations Released: 1993-05-04 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:01:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Don Raja (Prelude) (00:23) 2 Chok There (04:24) 3 Feel It Fe Real (05:03) 4 Fix Up (04:25) 5 AIDS Warning (04:22) 6 Guru (03:49) 7 Wan Know Me (04:09) 8 Come Follow Me (04:43) 9 Dont Touch (04:06) 10 Arranged Marriage (04:32) 11 Drink Problems (04:27) 12 Movie Over India (04:13) 13 Magic Carpet (04:01) 14 Badd Indian (04:33) 15 Don Raja (04:21) |
 | Album: 17 of 33 Artist: New Order Title: Republic Released: 1993-04-27 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Regret (04:08) 2 World (04:44) 3 Ruined in a Day (04:22) 4 Spooky (04:43) 5 Everyone Everywhere (04:24) 6 Young Offender (04:48) 7 Liar (04:21) 8 Chemical (04:10) 9 Times Change (03:52) 10 Special (04:51) 11 Avalanche (03:14) |
| Republic : Allmusic album Review : Pulling back slightly from the raw, dance-oriented Technique, New Order took a break for four years and then crafted another slice of prime guitar pop. In keeping with previous work, Republic simply borrows elements of contemporary innovations in club music to frame a set of effortlessly enjoyable alternative pop songs. As on Technique, the singles ("World," "Spooky") are the most danceable on the record, while lyrical concerns are among the most direct of the groups career, including "Ruined in a Day" and "Times Change," sure signs of the demise of Factory Records. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 33 Artist: PJ Harvey Title: Rid of Me Released: 1993-04-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Rid of Me (04:29) 2 Missed (04:25) 3 Legs (03:40) 4 Rub ’til It Bleeds (05:03) 5 Hook (03:57) 6 Man‐Size Sextet (02:19) 7 Highway ’61 Revisited (02:57) 8 50ft Queenie (02:23) 9 Yuri‐G (03:28) 10 Man-Size (03:16) 11 Dry (03:23) 12 Me‐Jane (02:42) 13 Snake (01:36) 14 Ecstasy (04:27) |
| Rid of Me : Allmusic album Review : Dry was shockingly frank in its subject and sound, as PJ Harvey delivered post-feminist manifestos with a punkish force. PJ Harveys second album, Rid of Me, finds the trio, and Harvey in particular, pushing themselves to extremes. This is partially due to producer Steve Albini, who gives the album a bloodless, abrasive edge with his exacting production; each dynamic is pushed to the limit, leaving absolutely no subtleties in the music. Harveys songs, in decided contrast to Albinis approach, are filled with gray areas and uncertainties, and are considerably more personal than those on Dry. Furthermore, they are lyrically and melodically superior to the songs on the debut, but their merits are obscured by Albinis black-and-white production, which is polarizing. It may be the aural embodiment of the tortured lyrics, and therefore a supremely effective piece of performance art, but it also makes Rid of Me a difficult record to meet halfway. But anyone willing to accept its sonic extremities will find Rid of Me to be a record of unusual power and purpose, one with few peers in its unsettling emotional honesty. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 33 Artist: Dina Carroll Title: So Close Released: 1993-01-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Special Kind of Love (04:40) 2 Hold On (04:51) 3 This Time (05:22) 4 Falling (03:34) 5 So Close (04:54) 6 Aint No Man (03:53) 7 Express (04:36) 8 Heaven Sent (03:45) 9 Youll Never Know (05:57) 10 Don’t Be a Stranger (04:22) 11 Why Did I Let You Go? (03:30) 12 If I Knew You Then (04:17) |
 | Album: 20 of 33 Artist: Suede Title: Suede Released: 1993-03-29 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 1993 | 1 So Young (03:38) 2 Animal Nitrate (03:27) 3 She’s Not Dead (04:33) 4 Moving (02:50) 5 Pantomime Horse (05:49) 6 The Drowners (04:10) 7 Sleeping Pills (03:50) 8 Breakdown (06:02) 9 Metal Mickey (03:27) 10 Animal Lover (04:17) 11 The Next Life (03:32) 12 He’s Dead (Rocking Horse demo) (04:11) 13 Where the Pigs Don’t Fly (05:35) |
 | Album: 21 of 33 Artist: Sting Title: Ten Summoner’s Tales Released: 1993-02-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 If I Ever Lose My Faith in You (04:31) 2 Love Is Stronger Than Justice (The Munificent Seven) (05:11) 3 Fields of Gold (03:40) 4 Heavy Cloud No Rain (03:47) 5 She’s Too Good for Me (02:30) 6 Seven Days (04:39) 7 Saint Augustine in Hell (05:17) 8 It’s Probably Me (05:09) 9 Everybody Laughed but You (03:53) 10 Shape of My Heart (04:38) 11 Something the Boy Said (05:28) 12 Epilogue (Nothing ’bout Me) (03:41) |
| Ten Summoner’s Tales : Allmusic album Review : After two albums of muted, mature jazz-inflected pop, the last being an explicit album about death, Sting created his first unapologetically pop album since the Police with Ten Summoners Tales. The title, a rather awkward pun on his given last name, is significant, since it emphasizes that this album is a collection of songs, without any musical conceits or lyrical concepts tying it together. And, frankly, thats a bit of a relief after the oppressively somber The Soul Cages and the hushed though lovely, Nothing Like the Sun. Sting even loosens up enough to crack jokes, both clever (the winking litany of celebrity pains of "Epilogue [Nothing Bout Me]") and condescending (the sneeringly catchy cowboy tale "Love Is Stronger Than Justice [The Munificent Seven]"), and the result is his best solo record. In places, its easily as pretentious as his earlier work, but thats undercut by writing that hasnt been this sharp and melodic since the Police, plus his most varied set of songs since Synchronicity. True, there isnt a preponderance of flat-out classics -- only the surging opener "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," the understated swing of "Its Probably Me," and the peaceful ballad "Fields of Gold" rank as classics -- but, as an album, Ten Summoners Tales is more consistently satisfying than anything else in his catalog. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 33 Artist: Paul Weller Title: Wild Wood Released: 1993-09-06 Tracks: 43 Duration: 2:37:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Sunflower (04:08) 2 Can You Heal Us (Holy Man) (03:41) 3 Wild Wood (03:22) 4 Instrumental One, Part 1 (01:37) 5 All the Pictures on the Wall (03:56) 6 Has My Fire Really Gone Out? (03:51) 7 Country (03:38) 8 Instrumental Two (00:49) 9 5th Season (04:54) 10 The Weaver (03:43) 11 Instrumental One, Part 2 (00:33) 12 Foot of the Mountain (03:37) 13 Shadow of the Sun (07:36) 14 Holy Man (reprise) (01:50) 15 Moon on Your Pyjamas (04:02) 16 Hung Up (02:41) 17 Wild Wood (The Sheared Wood remix) (03:27) 18 Magic Bus (05:30) 19 Ends of the Earth (02:25) 20 This Is No Time (Royal Albert Hall live version) (06:04) 21 Another News Day (03:21) 22 The Loved (02:59) 1 Sunflower (demo) (04:13) 2 Wild Wood (demo) (04:03) 3 All the Pictures on the Wall (demo) (04:49) 4 Country (demo) (03:33) 5 5th Season (demo) (05:58) 6 The Weaver (demo) (04:16) 7 Shadow of the Sun (demo) (05:31) 8 Moon on Your Pyjamas (demo) (03:45) 9 Ends of the Earth (demo) (02:57) 10 Love of the Loved (demo) (04:42) 11 Price to Pay (demo) (03:37) 12 Changes (demo) (02:51) 13 I’m Only Dreaming (02:54) 14 Ohio (demo) (03:34) 15 Oh Happy Day (03:29) 16 Greetings (03:33) 17 Wild Wood (demo 2) (03:35) 18 Weaver of Dreams (demo 2) (03:28) 19 Foot of the Mountain (03:36) 20 Hung Up (BBC Recording) (02:57) 21 Black Sheep Boy (BBC Recording) (02:09) |
| Wild Wood : Allmusic album Review : Paul Weller deservedly regained his status as the Modfather with his second solo album, Wild Wood. Actually, the album is only tangentially related to mod, since Weller picks up on the classicism of his debut, adding heavy elements of pastoral British folk and Traffic-styled trippiness. Add to that a yearning introspection and a clean production that nevertheless feels a little rustic, even homemade, and the result is his first true masterwork since ending the Jam. The great irony of the record is that many of the songs -- "Has My Fire Really Gone Out?," "Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)" -- question his motivation and, as is apparent in his spirited performances, he reawakened his music by writing these searching songs. Though this isnt as adventurous as the Style Council, it succeeds on its own terms, and winds up being a great testament from an artist entering middle age. And, it helped kick off the trad rock that dominated British music during the 90s. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 33 Artist: Primal Scream Title: Give Out But Don’t Give Up Released: 1994-03-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:01:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Jailbird (03:47) 2 Rocks (03:35) 3 (I’m Gonna) Cry Myself Blind (04:30) 4 Funky Jam (05:24) 5 Big Jet Plane (04:15) 6 Free (05:30) 7 Call on Me (03:50) 8 Struttin’ (08:29) 9 Sad and Blue (03:27) 10 Give Out But Don’t Give Up (06:16) 11 I’ll Be There for You (06:33) 12 Everybody Needs Somebody (05:22) |
| Give Out But Don’t Give Up : Allmusic album Review : The rock undercurrents that ran throughout Screamadelica come to the forefront on the tired Give Out but Dont Give Up. While Primal Scream turn out a couple of good songs, "Jailbird" and "(Im Gonna) Cry Myself Blind," the band sounds too mannered to be a truly successful rip-off of the Stones and Faces. And the colorful, reckless experimentation of their previous album is sorely missed. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 33 Artist: Ian McNabb Title: Head Like a Rock Released: 1994-07-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:07:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Fire Inside My Soul (08:37) 2 You Must Be Prepared to Dream (06:58) 3 Child Inside a Father (09:04) 4 Still Got the Fever (07:31) 5 Potency (04:40) 6 Go Into the Light (04:08) 7 As a Life Goes By (04:44) 8 Sad Strange Solitary Catholic Mystic (04:47) 9 This Time Is Forever (07:38) 10 May You Always (08:51) |
 | Album: 25 of 33 Artist: Pulp Title: His ’n’ Hers Released: 1994-04-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Joyriders (03:25) 2 Lipgloss (03:35) 3 Acrylic Afternoons (04:09) 4 Have You Seen Her Lately? (04:11) 5 Babies (04:04) 6 She’s a Lady (05:49) 7 Happy Endings (04:57) 8 Do You Remember the First Time? (04:22) 9 Pink Glove (04:48) 10 Someone Like the Moon (04:18) 11 David’s Last Summer (07:01) |
| His ’n’ Hers : Allmusic album Review : Pulp had been kicking around since 1981, but for all intents and purposes, their 1994 major-label debut, His n Hers is their de facto debut: the album that established their musical and lyrical obsessions and, in turn, the album where the world at large became acquainted with their glassy, tightly wound synth pop and lead singer Jarvis Cockers impeccably barbed wit. This was a sound that was carefully thought out, pieced together from old glam and post-punk records, assembled in so it had the immediacy (and hooks) of pop balanced by an artful obsession with moody, dark textures. It was a sound that perfectly fit the subject at hand: it was filled with contradictions -- it was sensual yet intellectual, cheap yet sophisticated, retro yet modern -- with each seeming paradox giving the music weight instead of weighing it down. Given Pulps predilection for crawling mood pieces -- such effective set pieces as the tense "Acrylic Afternoons," or the closing "Davids Last Summer" -- and their studied detachment, it might easy to over-intellectualize the band, particularly in these early days before they reached stardom, but for all of the chilliness of the old analog keyboards and the conscious geek stance of Cocker, this isnt music that aims for the head: its target is the gut and groin, and His n Hers has an immediacy thats apparent as soon as "Joyriders" kicks the album into gear with its crashing guitars. It establishes Pulp not just as a pop band that will rock; it establishes an air of menace that hangs over this album like a talisman. As joyous as certain elements of the music are -- and there isnt just joy but transcendence here, on the fuzz guitars that power the chorus of "Lipgloss," or the dramatic release at the climax of "Babies" -- this isnt light, fizzy music, no matter how the album glistens on its waves of cold synths and echoed guitars, no matter how much sex drives the music here. Cocker doesnt tell tales of conquests: he tells tales of sexual obsession and betrayal, where the seemingly nostalgic question "Do You Remember the First Time?" is answered with the reply, "I cant remember a worst time." On earlier Pulp albums he explored similar stories of alienation, but on His n Hers everything clicks: his lyrics are scalpel sharp, whether hes essaying pathos, passion, or wit, and his band -- driven by the rock-solid drummer Nick Banks and bassist Steve Mackey, along with the arty stylings of keyboardist Candida Doyle and violinist/guitarist Russell Senior -- gives this muscle and blood beneath its stylish exterior. The years etching out Joy Division-inspired goth twaddle in the mid-80s pay off on the tense, dramatic epics that punctuate the glammy pop of the singles "Lipgloss," "Babies," and "Do You Remember the First Time?" And those years of struggle pay off in other ways too, particularly in Cockers carefully rendered observations of life on the fringes of Sheffield, where desperation, sex, and crime are always just a kiss away, and Pulp vividly evokes this world with a startling lack of romanticism but an appropriate amount of drama and a surplus of flair. Its that sense of style coupled with their gut-level immediacy that gives His n Hers its lasting power: this was Pulps shot at the big time and they followed through with a record that so perfectly captured what they were and what they wanted to be, it retains its immediacy years later. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 33 Artist: The Prodigy Title: Music for the Jilted Generation Released: 1994-07-04 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:18:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Intro (00:46) 2 Break & Enter (08:24) 3 Their Law (06:40) 4 Full Throttle (05:02) 5 Voodoo People (06:27) 6 Speedway (Theme From Fastlane) (08:56) 7 The Heat (The Energy) (04:27) 8 Poison (06:42) 9 No Good (Start the Dance) (original mix) (06:18) 10 One Love (edit) (03:53) 11 The Narcotic Suite: 3 Kilos (07:25) 12 The Narcotic Suite: Skylined (05:58) 13 The Narcotic Suite: Claustrophobic Sting (07:11) |
| Music for the Jilted Generation : Allmusic album Review : The Prodigys response to the sweeping legislation and crackdown on raves contained in 1994s Criminal Justice Bill is an effective statement of intent. Pure sonic terrorism, Music for the Jilted Generation employs the same rave energy that charged their debut, Experience, up the charts in Britain, but yokes it to a cause other than massive drug intake. Compared to their previous work, the sound is grubbier and less reliant on samples; the effect moved the Prodigy away from the American-influenced rave and acid house of the past and toward a uniquely British vision of breakbeat techno that was increasingly allied to the limey invention of drumnbass. As on Experience, there are so many great songs here that first-time listeners would be forgiven for thinking of a greatest-hits compilation instead of a proper studio album. After a short intro, the shattering of panes of glass on "Break & Enter" catapults the album ahead with a propulsive flair. Each of the four singles -- "Voodoo People," "Poison," "No Good (Start the Dance)," and "One Love" -- are excellent, though album tracks like "Speedway" and "Their Law" (with help from Pop Will Eat Itself) dont slip up either. If Experience seemed like an excellent fluke, Music for the Jilted Generation is the album that announced the Prodigy were on the charts to stay. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 33 Artist: Blur Title: Parklife Released: 1994-04-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 52:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Girls & Boys (04:50) 2 Tracy Jacks (04:20) 3 End of a Century (02:46) 4 Parklife (03:05) 5 Bank Holiday (01:42) 6 Badhead (03:25) 7 The Debt Collector (02:10) 8 Far Out (01:41) 1 To the End (04:04) 2 London Loves (04:15) 3 Trouble in the Message Centre (04:09) 4 Clover Over Dover (03:22) 5 Magic America (03:38) 6 Jubilee (02:47) 7 This Is a Low (05:07) 8 Lot 105 (01:18) |
| Parklife : Allmusic album Review : Modern Life Is Rubbish established Blur as the heir to the archly British pop of the Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Jam, but its follow-up, Parklife, revealed the depth of that transformation. Relying more heavily on Ray Davies seriocomic social commentary, as well as new wave, Parklife runs through the entire history of post-British Invasion Britpop in the course of 16 songs, touching on psychedelia, synth pop, disco, punk, and music hall along the way. Damon Albarn intended these songs to form a sketch of British life in the mid-90s, and its startling how close he came to his goal; not only did the bouncy, disco-fied "Girls & Boys" and singalong chant "Parklife" become anthems in the U.K., but they inaugurated a new era of Brit-pop and lad culture, where British youth celebrated their country and traditions. The legions of jangly, melodic bands that followed in the wake of Parklife revealed how much more complex Blurs vision was. Not only was their music precisely detailed -- sound effects and brilliant guitar lines pop up all over the record -- but the melodies elegantly interweaved with the chords, as in the graceful, heartbreaking "Badhead." Surprisingly, Albarn, for all of his cold, dispassionate wit, demonstrates compassion that gives these songs three dimensions, as on the pathos-laden "End of a Century," the melancholy Walker Brothers tribute "To the End," and the swirling, epic closer, "This Is a Low." For all of its celebration of tradition, Parklife is a thoroughly modern record in that it bends genres and is self-referential (the mod anthem of the title track is voiced by none other than Phil Daniels, the star of Quadrophenia). And, by tying the past and the present together, Blur articulated the mid-90s Zeitgeist and produced an epoch-defining record. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 33 Artist: Michael Nyman Title: The Piano Concerto / MGV Released: 1994 Tracks: 9 Duration: 58:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 The Piano Concerto: The Beach (11:48) 2 The Piano Concerto: The Woods (06:25) 3 The Piano Concerto: The Hut (09:06) 4 The Piano Concerto: The Release (05:13) 5 MGV: 1st Region (04:55) 6 MGV: 2nd Region (04:06) 7 MGV: 3rd Region (08:17) 8 MGV: 4th Region (03:48) 9 MGV: 5th Region (05:17) |
 | Album: 29 of 33 Artist: Therapy? Title: Troublegum Released: 1994-02-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:07:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Knives (01:56) 2 Screamager (02:36) 3 Hellbelly (03:20) 4 Stop It You’re Killing Me (03:50) 5 Nowhere (02:26) 6 Die Laughing (02:48) 7 Unbeliever (03:28) 8 Trigger Inside (03:56) 9 Lunacy Booth (03:55) 10 Isolation (03:10) 11 Turn (03:49) 12 Femtex (03:14) 13 Unrequited (03:03) 14 Brainsaw (25:27) |
| Troublegum : Allmusic album Review : A high watermark of early alternative metal, Troublegum is a spectacular, powerful, clutter-free record. Densely packed at 14 songs in 40 minutes, theres sharpness on every level, demonstrating that the promise evidenced on Nurse was no mirage. Chris Sheldons job on the boards provides separation among all the instruments, avoiding the mashed effect from Therapy?s previous outings. Fyfe Ewing and Michael McKeegan basically do what theyve been doing all along as a rhythm section, but the increased clarity really allows for one to fully appreciate their abilities. Andy Cairns vocal range and ear for melody increase tenfold, and his guitar takes on countless tones and textures only hinted at before. Detractors might claim that the riffs are too predictable and too "metal," which is somewhat understandable but ultimately unfair. One could call them simple, and one could call them focused; its more the latter. Since the songwriting is more direct and less concerned with merely knocking things out and stopping after three minutes or so, everything is fully formed and completely realized. Its the absolute opposite of aimless, which is something Therapy? was sometimes guilty of. Theres much more variety, too. With each play, it becomes increasingly obvious that no two songs sound much like each other, yet each song hangs together to form a singular piece. Metal-phobes cant help but give in to the irresistable pop-punk hooks of "Screamager" and "Nowhere." An obvious influence is acknowledged in a storming version of Joy Divisions "Isolation," which pays tribute and transforms at the same time. "Unrequited" cant be missed, featuring a rattling guitar riff that gets yanked away by a violent cello tug from Martin McCarrick. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 33 Artist: Shara Nelson Title: What Silence Knows Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1994 | 1 Nobody (04:22) 2 Pain Revisited (05:16) 3 One Goodbye in Ten (05:50) 4 Inside Out (03:19) 5 Uptight (05:04) 6 Down That Road (05:15) 7 Chance (03:58) 8 Thoughts of You (04:16) 9 How Close (03:59) 10 What Silence Knows (06:59) |
 | Album: 31 of 33 Artist: John Tavener Title: The Protecting Veil Released: 1998 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:00:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1992 | 1 The Protecting Veil (07:51) 2 The Nativity of the Mother of God (05:02) 3 Annunciation (02:44) 4 The Incarnation (03:48) 5 Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross (08:18) 6 The Resurrection (02:15) 7 The Dormition of the Mother of God (05:02) 8 The Protecting Veil (02:44) 9 The Last Sleep of the Virgin (22:18) |
| The Protecting Veil : Allmusic album Review : The "holy minimalism" of John Tavener and the hotshot American engineering of the Telarc label -- it sounds like a match made in the Eastern Orthodox heaven Tavener tries to evoke in some of his works. And so it is, to some degree. Both works on this album are instrumental, but they are hardly secular; The Protecting Veil (1989), Taveners first major instrumental composition, refers to the Feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in the Orthodox tradition, a commemoration of a tenth century vision of the woman known to the Orthodox as the Mother of God, in which she appeared in the sky and spread a sheltering veil over Greek Christian troops. The solo cello part symbolizes her song, and the work, in Taveners words, was "an attempt to make a lyrical icon in sound rather than wood." This performance by the Belgian orchestra I Fiamminghi and its solo cellist France Springuel is smooth and expert but adds no new dimension beyond what earlier performances have captured. The real highlight of the disc is the lesser-known The Last Sleep of the Virgin for string orchestra and handbells. It also refers to an Orthodox observance, that of the Falling Asleep and Burial by the Apostles of the Mother of God. The added wrinkle here is that Tavener wrote the work as he himself prepared to undergo major heart surgery. It is a remarkable suggestion of a state between life and death, with the handbells serving both to introduce individual sections of the music and to suggest the tolling of church bells at a funeral. Tavener directs the performers to play "at the threshold of audibility" -- and it is here that Telarcs engineers really show their stuff. Its hard to think of another recording with such a consistently low level of dynamics that nevertheless seems richly scored and holds ones attention all the way through. This disc makes a fine present for the audiophile with high-end equipment and for the Tavener lover alike. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 33 Artist: Stereo MCs Title: Re-Connected Released: 2001 Tracks: 5 Duration: 22:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1993 | 1 Deep Down and Dirty (Two Lone Swordsmen remix) (05:53) 2 Deliverance (03:25) 3 Connected (05:12) 4 Step It Up (05:01) 5 Elevate My Mind (03:19) |
 | Album: 33 of 33 Artist: Primal Scream Title: Screamadelica Released: 2015-11-27 Tracks: 29 Duration: 2:47:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 1992 | 1 Movin’ On Up (03:50) 2 Slip Inside This House (05:16) 3 Don’t Fight It, Feel It (06:53) 4 Higher Than the Sun (03:38) 5 Inner Flight (05:01) 6 Come Together (10:21) 7 Loaded (07:02) 8 Damaged (05:39) 9 I’m Comin’ Down (06:00) 10 Higher Than the Sun (A Dub Symphony in Two Parts) (07:38) 11 Shine Like Stars (03:44) 1 Movin on Up (03:48) 2 Stone My Soul (03:02) 3 Carry Me Home (05:16) 4 Screamadelica (10:49) 1 Loaded (Terry Farley 12" mix) (05:59) 2 Loaded (7" mix) (04:22) 3 Come Together (Terry Farley 7" mix) (04:24) 4 Come Together (7" mix Andrew Weatherall) (04:54) 5 Come Together (Terry Farley extended 12" mix) (08:02) 6 Come Together (Hypnotone Brain Machine mix) (05:14) 7 Come Together (BBG mix) (06:25) 8 Higher Than the Sun (Higher Than the Orb extended mix) (05:00) 9 Higher Than the Sun (12″ mix) (06:43) 10 Higher Than the Sun (American Spring mix) (06:22) 11 Dont Fight It, Feel It (7" edit) (04:06) 12 Dont Fight It (Graham Massey mix) (04:58) 13 Dont Fight It, Feel It (scat mix) (07:55) 14 Im Losing More (Than I Ever Had) (04:36) |