 | ||
 | Album: 1 of 11 Artist: Oasis Title: Definitely Maybe Released: 1994-08-30 Tracks: 27 Duration: 2:10:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Rock ’n’ Roll Star (05:22) 2 Shakermaker (05:08) 3 Live Forever (04:36) 4 Up in the Sky (04:28) 5 Columbia (06:17) 6 Supersonic (04:43) 7 Bring It on Down (04:17) 8 Cigarettes & Alcohol (04:49) 9 Digsys Dinner (02:32) 10 Slide Away (06:32) 11 Married With Children (03:12) 1 Columbia (white label demo) (05:28) 2 Cigarettes & Alcohol (demo) (04:37) 3 Sad Song (04:29) 4 I Will Believe (live) (03:48) 5 Take Me Away (04:32) 6 Alive (demo) (03:58) 7 D’Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman? (02:41) 8 Supersonic (live) (05:15) 9 Up in the Sky (acoustic) (03:34) 10 Cloudburst (05:23) 11 Fade Away (04:16) 12 Listen Up (06:42) 13 I Am the Walrus (live Glasgow Cathouse June ’94) (08:18) 14 Whatever (06:20) 15 (It’s Good) To Be Free (04:23) 16 Half the World Away (04:27) |
| Definitely Maybe : Allmusic album Review : Definitely Maybe begins with a statement of aspiration, as Liam Gallagher sneers that "tonight, Im a rock & roll star" -- the words of a bedsit dreamer hoping hed break out of those four walls and find something greater. Maybe all he could muster is a fleeting moment of stardom as he sings in front of a fleet of amps pushing out power chords, or perhaps hed really become a rock & roll star; all that matters is he makes the leap. This dream echoes throughout Oasis debut, a record which takes the dreams of its listeners every bit as seriously as those of its creators. Both the artist and audience desire something greater than their surroundings, and that yearning gives Definitely Maybe a restlessness that resonates. Certainly, Oasis arent looking to redefine rock & roll here; theyd rather inhabit it. They scour through the remnants of the past three decades to come up with a quintessentially British rock & roll record, one that swaggers with the defiance of the Rolling Stones, roars with the sneer of the Sex Pistols, thieves from the past like the Happy Mondays, and ties it all together with a melodicism as natural as Paul McCartney, even if Definitely Maybe never quite sounds like the Beatles. All the Fab Four comparisons trumpeted by the brothers Gallagher were a feint, a way to get their group considered as part of the major leagues. Soon enough, these affirmations became a self-fulfilling prophecy -- act the way youd like to be and soon youll be the way you act, as it were -- but that bravado hardly diminishes the accomplishment of Definitely Maybe. It is a furious, inspiring record, a rallying cry for the downtrodden to rise above and seize their day but, most of all, its a blast of potent, incendiary rock & roll. Soon after its release, Noel Gallagher would be hailed as the finest songwriter of his generation, an odd designation for a guy drawn to moon/June rhymes, but his brilliance lies in his bold strokes. He never shied away from the obvious, and his confidence in his reappropriation of cliches lends these bromides a new power, as do his strong, sinewy melodies -- so powerful, it doesnt matter if they were snatched from elsewhere (as they were on "Shakermaker" or the B-side "Fade Away"). The other secret is of course Noels brother, Liam, the greatest rock & roll vocalist of his generation, a force of nature who never seems to consider either the past or the present but rather exists in an ever-present now. He sometimes sighs but usually sneers, shaking off any doubt and acting like the rock & roll star Noel so wanted to be. This tension would soon rip the group apart but here on Oasis debut, this chemistry is an addictive energy, so Definitely Maybe winds up a rare thing: it has the foundation of a classic album wrapped in the energy of a band who cant conceive a future beyond the sunset. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 11 Artist: Portishead Title: Dummy Released: 1994-08-22 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 1995 | 1 Mysterons (05:06) 2 Sour Times (04:13) 3 Strangers (03:58) 4 It Could Be Sweet (04:19) 5 Wandering Star (04:53) 6 It’s a Fire (03:49) 7 Numb (03:57) 8 Roads (05:05) 9 Pedestal (03:41) 10 Biscuit (05:04) 11 Glory Box (05:04) |
| Dummy : Allmusic album Review : Portisheads album debut is a brilliant, surprisingly natural synthesis of claustrophobic spy soundtracks, dark breakbeats inspired by frontman Geoff Barrows love of hip-hop, and a vocalist (Beth Gibbons) in the classic confessional singer/songwriter mold. Beginning with the otherworldly theremin and martial beats of "Mysterons," Dummy hits an early high with "Sour Times," a post-modern torch song driven by a Lalo Schifrin sample. The chilling atmospheres conjured by Adrian Utleys excellent guitar work and Barrows turntables and keyboards prove the perfect foil for Gibbons, who balances sultriness and melancholia in equal measure. Occasionally reminiscent of a torchier version of Sade, Gibbons provides a clear focus for these songs, with Barrow and company behind her laying down one of the best full-length productions ever heard in the dance world. Where previous acts like Massive Attack had attracted dance heads in the main, Portishead crossed over to an American, alternative audience, connecting with the legion of angst-ridden indie fans as well. Better than any album before it, Dummy merged the pinpoint-precise productions of the dance world with pop hallmarks like great songwriting and excellent vocal performances. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 11 Artist: Guy Barker Title: Into the Blue Released: 1994 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:03:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Into the Blue (06:45) 2 J J Swing (06:10) 3 Oh Mr Rex! (10:52) 4 Low Down Lullaby (06:02) 5 Did It n Did It (03:50) 6 The Sphinx (04:11) 7 Enigma (07:28) 8 Ill Wind (05:40) 9 This Is the Life (For Stan Tracey) (08:48) 10 Weather Bird Rag (03:10) |
 | Album: 4 of 11 Artist: Van Morrison Title: Days Like This Released: 1995-06-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 58:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Perfect Fit (04:36) 2 Russian Roulette (04:00) 3 Raincheck (05:54) 4 You Don’t Know Me (04:35) 5 No Religion (05:17) 6 Underlying Depression (04:38) 7 Songwriter (02:51) 8 Days Like This (03:13) 9 I’ll Never Be Free (03:41) 10 Melancholia (03:58) 11 Ancient Highway (08:55) 12 In the Afternoon (06:23) |
| Days Like This : Allmusic album Review : Van Morrisons 22nd album of new studio material will have a familiar sound to anyone who has followed his career thus far. The songs are set to steady mid-tempo grooves, with tasty guitar and organ solos and warm horn charts, over which Morrison sings in his butterscotch baritone, employing his characteristic slurs and repetitions, exploring topics that have interested him over the years. If there is any difference from earlier works, it is one of degree: Days Like This is typically introspective and given over to spiritual, psychological, and romantic concerns, but its songs are unusually straightforward. Beginning with a direct, up-tempo love song, "Perfect Fit," Morrison provides a statement of purpose in "Raincheck" ("Wont let the bastards get me down...I dont fade away, unless I want to"), yet confesses to doubt ("Underlying Depression," "Melancholia"). He matter-of-factly describes his profession ("Songwriter"), and discounts spirituality, at least in formal terms ("No Religion"), though in the extended song "Ancient Highway" he prays to "my higher self." In the title song, he turns the usual cliché on its head -- the "Days Like This" he means are the good ones, "when everything falls into place like the flick of a switch." Morrison changes the pace with two covers of 1950s oldies, the 56 Eddy Arnold hit "You Dont Know Me," and the 50 Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie Ford hit "Ill Never Be Free," on both of which he duets with his daughter Shana. As he approaches 50, Van Morrison remains interested in the same subjects and is able to sing about them with the same forcefulness. "I cleaned up my diction, I had nothing left to say," he confesses at one point. Nothing new, perhaps, but on Days Like This Morrison says some of the same things with a new clarity. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 11 Artist: Elastica Title: Elastica Released: 1995-03-13 Tracks: 15 Duration: 38:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Line Up (03:15) 2 Annie (01:13) 3 Connection (02:20) 4 Car Song (02:24) 5 Smile (01:40) 6 Hold Me Now (02:32) 7 S.O.F.T. (03:58) 8 Indian Song (02:46) 9 Blue (02:21) 10 All-Nighter (01:33) 11 Waking Up (03:15) 12 2:1 (02:33) 13 Vaseline (01:22) 14 Never Here (04:26) 15 Stutter (02:23) |
| Elastica : Allmusic album Review : Elasticas debut album may cop a riff here and there from Wire or the Stranglers, yet no more than Led Zeppelin did with Willie Dixon or the Beach Boys with Chuck Berry. The key is context. Elastica can make the rigid artiness of Wire into a rocking, sexy single with more hooks than anything on Pink Flag ("Connection") or rework the Stranglers "No More Heroes" into a more universal anthem that loses none of its punkiness ("Waking Up"). But what makes Elastica such an intoxicating record is not only the way the 16 songs speed by in 40 minutes, but that theyre nearly all classics. The riffs are angular like early Adam & the Ants, the melodies tease like Blondie, and the entire band is as tough as the Clash, yet they never seem anything less than contemporary. Justine Frischmanns detached sexuality adds an extra edge to her brief, spiky songs -- "Stutter" roars about a boyfriends impotence, "Car Song" makes sex in a car actually sound sexy, "Line Up" slags off groupies, and "Vaseline" speaks for itself. Even if the occasional riff sounds like an old wave group, the simple fact is that hardly any new wave band made records this consistently rocking and melodic. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 11 Artist: Supergrass Title: I Should Coco Released: 1995-05-15 Tracks: 34 Duration: 1:47:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 I’d Like to Know (04:02) 2 Caught by the Fuzz (02:17) 3 Mansize Rooster (02:34) 4 Alright (03:01) 5 Lose It (02:39) 6 Lenny (02:42) 7 Strange Ones (04:19) 8 Sitting Up Straight (02:20) 9 She’s So Loose (02:59) 10 We’re Not Supposed To (02:03) 11 Time (03:10) 12 Sofa (of My Lethargy) (06:18) 13 Time to Go (01:56) 1 Caught By The Fuzz (acoustic) (03:01) 2 Odd? (04:10) 3 Wait for the Sun (04:08) 4 Sex! (02:34) 5 Just Dropped In (To See What My Condition Was In) (02:44) 6 Je suis votre papa sucre (01:45) 7 Stone Free (03:15) 8 I Believe in Love (Unfinished Out-take) (04:46) 9 Id Like To Know (Demo) (02:47) 10 Caught By the Fuzz (Backbeat version) (02:18) 11 Mansize Rooster (Backbeat version) (03:18) 12 Alright (Demo) (02:45) 13 Lose It (Demo) (02:35) 14 Lenny (Demo) (02:42) 15 Strange Ones (Backbeat version) (04:00) 16 Sitting Up Straight (Backbeat version) (02:05) 17 Shes So Loose (Demo) (02:46) 18 Were Not Supposed To (Demo) (02:06) 19 Time (Demo) (03:50) 20 Sofa (Of My Lethargy) (Instrumental) (07:16) 21 Time To Go (Demo) (01:57) |
| I Should Coco : Allmusic album Review : Tearing by at a breakneck speed, I Should Coco is a spectacularly eclectic debut by Supergrass, a trio barely out of their teens. Sure, the unbridled energy of the album illustrates that the band is young, yet what really illustrates how young the bandmembers are is how they borrow from their predecessors. Supergrass treat the Buzzcocks, the Beatles, Elton John, David Bowie, Blur, and Madness as if they were all the same thing -- they dont make any distinction between what is cool and what isnt, they just throw everything together. Consequently, the jittery "Caught by the Fuzz" slams next to the music hall rave-up "Mansize Rooster," the trippy psychedelia of "Sofa (Of My Lethargy)," the heavy stomp of "Lenny," and the bona fide teen anthem "Alright." I Should Coco is the sound of adolescence, but performed with a surprising musical versatility that makes the records exuberant energy all the more infectious. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 11 Artist: Leftfield Title: Leftism Released: 1995-01-30 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:09:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Release the Pressure (07:40) 2 Afro‐Left (07:34) 3 Melt (05:12) 4 Song of Life (07:03) 5 Original (06:22) 6 Black Flute (03:46) 7 Space Shanty (07:15) 8 Inspection (Check One) (06:29) 9 Storm 3000 (05:44) 10 Open Up (06:51) 11 21st Century Poem (05:45) |
| Leftism : Allmusic album Review : Leftism spans most of Paul Daley and Neil Barnes singles output from 1992 to 1995 (excepting only "Not Forgotten") and adds several new tracks. Far from being just a stale progressive house LP, it spans a wide range of influences (tribal, dub, trance) and includes a good mixture of vocal tracks (with Toni Halliday, John Lydon, and Earl Sixteen) and instrumental workouts. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 11 Artist: Tricky Title: Maxinquaye Released: 1995-02-20 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:16:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Overcome (04:30) 2 Ponderosa (03:30) 3 Black Steel (05:40) 4 Hell Is Round the Corner (03:47) 5 Pumpkin (04:30) 6 Aftermath (07:38) 7 Abbaon Fat Tracks (04:26) 8 Brand New You’re Retro (02:54) 9 Suffocated Love (04:53) 10 You Don’t (04:39) 11 Strugglin’ (06:38) 12 Feed Me (04:03) 1 Pumpkin (edit) (04:07) 2 Moody Broody Buddhist Camp (05:18) 3 Brand New Youre Retro (Alex Reece remix) (04:51) 4 Pumpkin (ambient) (04:44) |
| Maxinquaye : Allmusic album Review : Trickys debut, Maxinquaye, is an album of stunning sustained vision and imagination, a record that sounds like it has no precedent as it boldly predicts a new future. Of course, neither sentiment is true. Much of the music on Maxinquaye has its roots in the trip-hop pioneered by Massive Attack, which once featured Tricky, and after the success of this record, trip-hop became fashionable, turning into safe, comfortable music to be played at upscale dinner parties thrown by hip twenty and thirtysomethings. Both of these sentiments are true, yet Maxinquaye still manages to retain its power; years later, it can still sound haunting, disturbing, and surprising after countless spins. Its an album that exists outside of time and outside of trends, a record whose clanking rhythms, tape haze, murmured vocals, shards of noise, reversed gender roles, alt-rock asides, and soul samplings create a ghostly netherworld fused with seductive menace and paranoia. It also shimmers with mystery, coming not just from Tricky -- whose voice isnt even heard until the second song on the record -- but his vocalist, Martine, whose smoky singing lures listeners into the unrelenting darkness of the record. Once theyre there, Maxinquaye offers untold treasures. There is the sheer pleasure of coasting by on the sound of the record, how it makes greater use of noise and experimental music than anything since the Bomb Squad and Public Enemy. Then, theres the tip of the hat to PE with a surreal cover of "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," sung by Martine and never sounding like a postmodernist in-joke. Other references and samples register subconsciously -- while Isaac Hayes "Ikes Rap II" flows through "Hell Is Around the Corner" and the Smashing Pumpkins are even referenced in the title of "Pumpkin," Shakespears Sister and the Chantels slip by, while Michael Jacksons "Bad" thrillingly bleeds into "Expressway to Your Heart" on "Brand New Youre Retro." Lyrics flow in and out of consciousness, with lingering, whispered promises suddenly undercut by veiled threats and bursts of violence. Then, theres how music that initially may seem like mood pieces slowly reveal their ingenious structure and arrangement and register as full-blown songs, or how the alternately languid and chaotic rhythms finally compliment each other, turning this into a bracing sonic adventure that gains richness and resonance with each listen. After all, theres so much going on here -- within the production, the songs, the words -- it remains fascinating even after all of its many paths have been explored (which certainly cant be said of the trip-hop that followed, including records by Tricky). And that air of mystery that can be impenetrable upon the first listen certainly is something that keeps Maxinquaye tantalizing after its become familiar, particularly because, like all good mysteries, theres no getting to the bottom of it, no matter how hard you try. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 11 Artist: James MacMillan Title: Seven Last Words from the Cross Released: 1995-05-01 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:07:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Seven Last Words from the Cross: I. Father, Forgive Them, for They Know Not What They Do (06:09) 2 Seven Last Words from the Cross: II. Woman, Behold Thy Son! (05:46) 3 Seven Last Words from the Cross: III. Verily, I Say UntoThee, Today Thou Shalt be with Me in Paradise (08:22) 4 Seven Last Words from the Cross: IV. Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani (06:37) 5 Seven Last Words from the Cross: V. I Thirst (04:57) 6 Seven Last Words from the Cross: VI. It Is Finished (06:33) 7 Seven Last Words from the Cross: VII. Father, into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit (07:21) 8 Cantos Sagrados: I. Identity (08:41) 9 Cantos Sagrados: II. Virgin of Guadelupe (07:36) 10 Cantos Sagrados: III. Sun Stone (05:49) |
 | Album: 10 of 11 Artist: PJ Harvey Title: To Bring You My Love Released: 1995-02-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 To Bring You My Love (05:33) 2 Meet ze Monsta (03:29) 3 Working for the Man (04:49) 4 C’mon Billy (02:50) 5 Teclo (04:58) 6 Long Snake Moan (05:15) 7 Down by the Water (03:14) 8 I Think Im a Mother (04:02) 9 Send His Love to Me (04:20) 10 The Dancer (04:05) |
| To Bring You My Love : Allmusic album Review : Following the tour for Rid of Me, Polly Harvey parted ways with Robert Ellis and Stephen Vaughn, leaving her free to expand her music from the bluesy punk that dominated PJ Harveys first two albums. It also left her free to experiment with her style of songwriting. Where Dry and Rid of Me seemed brutally honest, To Bring You My Love feels theatrical, with each song representing a grand gesture. Relying heavily on religious metaphors and imagery borrowed from the blues, Harvey has written a set of songs that are lyrically reminiscent of Nick Caves and Tom Waits literary excursions into the gothic American heartland. Since she was a product of post-punk, shes nowhere near as literally bluesy as Cave or Waits, preferring to embellish her songs with shards of avant guitar, eerie keyboards, and a dense, detailed production. Its a far cry from the primitive guitars of her first two albums, but Harvey pulls it off with style, since her songwriting is tighter and more melodic than before; the menacing "Down by the Water" has genuine hooks, as does the psycho stomp of "Meet Ze Monsta," the wailing "Long Snake Moan," and the stately "CMon Billy." The clear production by Harvey, Flood, and John Parish makes these growths evident, which in turn makes To Bring You My Love her most accessible album, even if the album lacks the indelible force of its predecessors. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 11 Artist: The Boo Radleys Title: Wake Up! Released: 1995-03-27 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:24:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 1995 | 1 Wake Up Boo! (03:36) 2 Fairfax Scene (02:14) 3 Its Lulu (03:04) 4 Joel (06:10) 5 Find the Answer Within (04:34) 6 Reaching Out From Here (03:02) 7 Martin, Doom! Its Seven OClock (06:21) 8 Stuck on Amber (05:24) 9 Charles Bukowski Is Dead (02:39) 10 4am Conversation (02:43) 11 Twinside (04:45) 12 Wilder (06:56) 1 Janus (03:07) 2 Blues for George Michael (08:48) 3 Friendship Song (05:24) 4 Wake Up Boo! (Music for Astronauts) (08:55) 5 And Tomorrow the World (04:37) 6 The History of Creation Parts 17 & 36 (04:38) 7 Find the Answer Within (The High Llamas mix) (05:45) 8 The Only Word I Can Find (03:06) 9 Very Together (03:19) 10 Dont Take Your Gun to Town (03:52) 11 Wallpaper (04:03) 1 This Is Not About Me (04:02) 2 Reaching Out From Here (The High Llamas mix) (02:53) 3 Martin Doom! Its Seven OClock (Stereolab mix) (06:39) 4 Joel (Justin Warfield mix) (04:49) 5 Tambo (01:47) 6 Donkey (01:54) 7 From the Bench at Belvidere (04:23) 8 Hi Falutin (03:23) 9 Crushed (03:23) 10 Almost Nearly There (03:36) |