Tag: 1989

The Best Record of 1989: Day 11

by Kevin2 Comments on The Best Record of 1989: Day 11

Prince’s Batman soundtrack takes on The Durutti Column’s Vini Reilly


Today we’re taking a look at Prince’s Batman record as it faces off against Durutti Column’s Vini Reilly.

Note: As many of you know, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 1989 challenge and noted that I’d be occasionally writing some of these up.

I’ve started doing some quick hits of each matchup and posting them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably definitely be some typos.

Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks are always appreciated.

KA—

I won’t bury the lede here; when I think of Batman, it’s of the Adam West Cesar Romero era. I want camp and bad jokes. I want the dorky Biff! Bam! Pow! graphics that popped on the screen during fight scenes. I want the Batusi.

When I think of Prince, I want that irresistible funk and nasty groove that can only come out of Paisley Park. And I want a bit of controversy sprinkled across the top. I want, well, “Controversy.”

I’m also not the biggest fan of soundtracks- whether the OST ones or the “songs from” type. There are a few exceptions (e.g., Singles and 24 Hour Party People), but as a rule, those are full of bands/songs I’m already listening to.

Sometimes, a soundtrack spits the difference, and a single artist/band crafts a soundtrack to a movie that catches my ear, but off the top of my head, only Wang Chung’s To Live and Die In LA fits that bill.

To put it another way, Prince’s Batman record did not check a lot of boxes for me. It’s not the OST (Danny Elfman wrote that). Instead, it’s nine tracks, of which two got some decent screen time, the rest relegated to bits and pieces here and there.

Perhaps that’s part of why it’s not memorable compared to the rest of his discography. Prince is not known as a guy who puts filler on his records (at least not in this era, anyway), and yet here we are: an entire album of formulaic tracks. Of little bits that do well to augment a film scene but grow tiresome quickly in their entirety. And on the other end of the spectrum, a 6+ minute Batdance track that is about 3:30 too long.

Again, give me the Batusi over whatever this is.

Not even Sheena Easton can save the awful “Arms of Orion.” This is the same pair that knocked it out of the park with “U Got the Look” just a couple of years earlier. Where’s that heat?!

This is a record that relies on the film itself to work; without that symbiosis, it fails to take off. I’m mindful that I’m measuring it against Price’s other work– an unfairly high bar–but still.

Reading up on this ahead of listening, I came across the idea that this was initially supposed to be an album split between Michael Jackson and Prince. MJ would take on the role of Batman, with Prince taking on the Joker.

If only. That kind of dichotomy would’ve made this a much more vibrant release! If nothing else, it would’ve made it more interesting.

As we go through this list, I’m finding myself surprised at how many bands I thought I’d heard (or had an idea of their sound), only to be proven dead wrong. If you looked at my music history, Durutti Column is a band—or a one-man band, mainly—that would be a logical fit. That one man would be Vini Reilly, the record’s namesake.

They were on Factory, which by default meant I was likely to check them out at least. Their name came up often enough in the circles I was swimming in. In ’89, Reilly was riding high after playing guitar and keys on Morrissey’s Viva Hate record. Listening now, I’m hit with the realization that I have absolutely never heard this before. Whatever the opposite of déjà vu is, I’m experiencing it in real time as I type.

The first thing that strikes me is that, in hindsight, this makes sense. In 1989, I wanted music with a pulse. With pace. And this ain’t it. This is gorgeous, experimental, and largely instrumental. And at that point in my life, instrumental was fine—as long as the BPM rate was above a certain threshold, and/or the bass hit hard enough. We don’t get any kind of verve until the mellow funk of People’s Pleasure Park at track 4. I was not a patient kid- no way would I have made it to this stage without passing.

The other thing that would’ve kept this from my tape deck or CD player was the aesthetics. I was in high school in 1989, and even amongst the indie crowd, there were fractures and factions. This seems like it would’ve appealed to the uber-pretentious among us. They were the people who wore black turtle necks year-round and performatively carried copies of The Stranger under their arms. My tribe wore skateboard T-shirts and over-indexed on louder, faster, and messier. As noted, there was plenty of techno & EDM and much love for anything “Madchester,” but this is something teenaged me almost certainly wouldn’t have got. I was a junkie— addicted to the rush sound gave me, and this was too low of a dose.

Back to today: listening now, I find this record genuinely interesting. It’s pleasant. I’m not saying either of those as a nicety. It’s varied. It has texutre. For a record, that’s now 36; it’s aging well—certainly compared to some of what came out of Factory during that era. I’m not sure I’d second the genius label Reilly had slapped on him, but his talent is not in question. This is a record I’d pick for a deep work session, but I worry it might be a little too interesting and prove a distraction. I can also say this is a record that I likely won’t listen to again after writing this piece. There’s just not enough of a pull to bring me back to it. Not enough “there” there.

Bottom Line: “You have so much potential” is a line that can trigger PTSD in a TAG kid decades later, and I’m loathe to invoke it here. Still, both these records need to hear it. Perhaps in a different universe, these records would’ve blown me away. But not in this one. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

My vote: No heed/heart split here. My bracket and vote will both go to Prince; I think this is case of name recognition carrying an otherwise underwhelming matchup.

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!

2 responses to “The Best Record of 1989: Day 11”

  1. Ray Van Horn, Jr. Avatar
    Ray Van Horn, Jr.

    I still play that Prince Batman album A LOT. One man show, funky as eff.

    Reply
    1. Kevin Avatar
      Kevin

      I’m happy to hear it! Didn’t land for me, but you’ll get no argument from me about Prince being funky.

      Reply

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Best Record of 1989: Day 10

by KevinLeave a Comment on Best Record of 1989: Day 10

Mudhoney’s self-titled record takes on Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians’ Queen Elvis

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at Mudhoney’s self-titled release (#57) as it squares off again Queen Elvis by Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians (#72)

Note: As many of you know, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 1989 challenge and noted that I’d be occasionally writing some of these up.

I’ve started doing some quick hits of each matchup and posting them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably definitely be some typos.

Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks are always appreciated.

KA—

On day 4, we covered Screaming Trees, and here we are less than a week later in the Emerald City. As a PDX native, this is not my favorite place. As a music fan, I’m willing to overlook some things.

The reality is that Mudhoney—or rather, Mark Arm — had a hand in a lot of the bands we all know and love. In the 80s and 90s, the overlap in personnel was common. Many people were in the same bands. You sometimes needed a scorecard to keep track at home. Arm was in more than a couple, including Green River, which gave way to Mudhoney, but also Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, and more. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard were there. I wonder what ever happened to them? I hope they’re still playing somewhere.

They went one way, and Arm went another. There was Mudhoney, and there was this record —a bar-burner of white-hot rock ‘n’ roll. There’s some psych here. Some punk. Some metal. It sounds like every opening band that ever played a sweaty club with low ceilings and a sound tech learning the ropes— and I 100% mean that in the best way possible,

“Flat Out F*cked” drops the hammer and never lets up. It’s an insistent piledriver that dares you not to sing along. “Get Into Yours” sounds like every song we’d hear from out on the street if we were late getting to a show. This is an admittedly clunky description, but one I hope both makes sense and is relatable. It’s also high praise. “Here Comes Sickness” has an infectious, scuzzy groove.

With maybe the exception of “Come To Mind,” the whole record goes on like this. It’s a one-note recording, but it never gets old.

The guitars and Arm’s vocals are out front here, but to discount the rhythm section of Matt Lukin (yes, the same Lukin PJ named a song after) and Dan Peters would be a disservice. Someone had to keep things tethered to the Earth.

Some groups aspire to a higher calling. They write records they hope will change the world. This record isn’t trying to do anything of the sort.; it’s just trying to have a good time.

It’s trying to rock — and that’s exactly what it does.

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents would try to get you to taste new food? It’s got everything you like in it! they’d plead, while you sat there with your arms crossed. Just take a bite! You’ll see.

And it’s true that you likely would’ve liked whatever it was on the plate in front of you. But for whatever reason, that wasn’t the day. Maybe you’d eventually come around. Perhaps you never would.

A few years would go by, and instead of food and your parents, it would be your friends and an artist.

And yet

This record is great! They’d say. It’s got intelligent lyrics and wry humor! They’re on top of some of the sunniest, jangly music going! There’s a video on 120 Minutes! It’s got everything you like! The record would be Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians’ Queen Elvis….and I still wasn’t biting (heh).

Look, there is nothing wrong with this record. It’s objectively good! It’s generally regarded as one of the best in his extensive discography. It’s extremely British. It was quirky before that became a thing.

Lyrics like this from Devil’s Coachman are the sort of thing I would’ve pored over:

I remember everything as if it happened years ago
Probably it did, so I remember it
You are just your feelings. It might give you vertigo
Falling off a high place and into it
And I was into you

And yet.

“Madonna of the Wasps “is an excellent peek at the sort of thing 120 Minutes might expose you to. For many people, I suspect this was their on-ramp to Hitchcock, doubly so if you lived somewhere with cable but without a decent college radio station. Listening to the record ahead of this, I wondered if that’s how whoever nominated this first found him.

“Freeze” is a track I genuinely dig. It’s about as hard as things get on the album. There are bits of horns, too, which I always dig. No less than REM’s Peter Buck makes a balance here. Another thing I like.

And yet.

Bottom Line: Rooting for my Pacific Northwest homeland can make for strange bedfellows. Sometimes it even means rooting for a band from Seattle. Mudhoney it is.

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!

Check out the full bracket here.

Info on the tourney, voting, and more is here.

As always, thanks for being here.

KA—

The Best record of 1989: Day 9

by KevinLeave a Comment on The Best record of 1989: Day 9

NWA’s Straight Outta Compton vs. Inner City’s Paradise

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton (#8) and Inner City’s Paradise (#121)

Note: As many of you saw, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 1989 challenge and noted that I’d be occasionally writing some of these up.

I’ve started doing some quick hits of each match up and posting them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably be a few typos.

Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks always appreciated.

KA—

Portland has an NBA team but no NFL or NHL teams. Most people pick one based on proximity; thus, lots of Seahawks and 49ers fans. In 1989, if you didn’t know any better, you’d think everyone was an LA Kings or Raiders fan. Those hats with their distinctive script and Starter jackets were everywhere. And it was all down to NWA. We were nowhere near South Central, but you coulda fooled me. That fashion—and this record— were inescapable.

So why was a record about the gritty life in LA so popular in suburban Portland? Good question. The easy answer is that the sound was novel, and it sounded hella good coming out of our car speakers. Looking at the record through a clinical lens, the sound was new, the flow was different from what we knew, and the beats were 10/10.

There were larger cultural forces at play, of course. There is a point where kids rebel against whatever structures are in place: school, social systems, whatever. This was also the era of white paranoia, the explosion of the prison industrial complex, and Willie Horton. Tipper Gore was peaking. Parents were freaking out, and we were here for it. A few years earlier, we’d had the satanic panic; now it was hip hop’s turn in the barrel.

On a local level, law enforcement shifted from a community policing model (the one where cops would hand out Trailblazer trading cards) to a much more militarized version. Regular uniforms were out in favor of military ones. In my part of the world, they overindexed on firepower, too. It was not unusual for them to now show up at the basketball courts with assault rifles. Again, this was suburban Portland. It was absurd, and we (rightfully) bristled against it. To have an anthem like “Fuck Tha Police” was catnip, and we all ate it up. At one point, I saw a map of Compton in someone’s locker. Like a literal paper map. I wish I were kidding.

Back to the record itself for a second:

When writing up Dr. Dre’s The Chronic I mentioned that

listening to his record through a 2024 lens isn’t easy. There’s a reason every track has an “explicit” label. The N-word is used liberally. The F-word is used like a comma. It’s snarling. It’s misogynistic. It’s…all the things, and I wouldn’t dare try to excuse, rationalize, or explain away any of it. It is what it is. Listen at your own risk…and maybe not at work.

That said, this was a record that literally everyone I knew had a copy of; the wannabe gangsters at my school, the jocks, the heads, and everyone in between. And we were listening to it on repeat. It’s been over 30 years since I’ve played this front to back, and I can remember almost every word— and I’m at that point where I spend a lot of my days looking for my glasses only to realize I’m wearing them.

Same goes in 2025 and for this record.

Straight Outta Compton is a look into a world that many of us will never see, and many others wish they could escape. Where earlier records had reflected the realities of this, like gang violence and misogyny, Straight Outta Compton glorified them.

And then there is the uncomfortable truth that this was a bot of socioeconomic voyeurism. A bit of ghetto tourism, if you will. America is very good at squirreling away its more unpleasant realities and keeping up appearances. This record ripped the lid off the reality of life in a place like Compton and put it all on display. There is, of course, some poetic license and a bit of aggrandizement in play. Was Ice Cube really gonna cook people up like gumbo? I doubt it, but the wordplay was on point).

It was all edgy and dangerous…and we could all visit that world without ever having to leave our very safe reality.

Perversely, the howls of protest from adults about the record proved the point NWA was trying to make. White America focused on how the message was delivered (profane, vulgar) and not the meaning behind the lyrics and the statements they were making. It was all a deflection of attention—a jingling of keys distracting us from the real issue. For our part, we were distracted by beats and the thrill of hearing taboo subjects being rapped about.

The members of the group eventually went their separate ways to varying degrees of success, but the marks they left were indelible. This was a statement record, a proclamation that they were here, and an indictment against any sucka who tried to say otherwise.

There’s a popular meme going around that reads “still punk AF as I…(insert something very not punk here). My contribution to the canon was that I was still punk AF as I turned down the car stereo so I could see better.

Sometimes, I wonder if there’s a hip-hop version. Was Ice Cube still gangster AF when he acted in “Are We There Yet?”? Yeah, probably.

Much like The Chronic, Straight Outta Compton upended an entire genre, carved another one out in gangster rap, and put Compton on the map.

Looking at this bracket, there are a few records that left me wondering, “How did this make the cut?!” A few others have left me wondering: How did I miss this? To be fair, The preliminary list of submissions for this bracket clocks in at just over 700 entries. Something slipping through the cracks was bound to happen.

Inner City’s Paradise is squarely in the latter category. For all of the punk and hardcore I was listening to, I was also spending a good bit of time listening to dance, techno, and house.

Before this, Kevin Saunderson’s main claim to fame was being part of the Belleville Three and being one of the originators of Detroit techno, referred to as such (as opposed to Detroit House) to distinguish it from Chicago house. I’m telling you, midwest rivalries run deep.

At any rate, Saunderson and vocalist Paris Grey teamed up, and the result is Paradise. Not to get too far into the weeds here, but Detroit techno differs from the Second City in a few ways; it’s a little more stripped down, with the instrumentation more rapid-fire and the beats more strident.

Similarly, a lot of tech records are best suited for after sunset. The association with the club is too much to overcome. Dusting off of a 12″ midday on a Sunday isn’t always the first thought that comes to mind. Paradise was one you could play. Grey’s vocals lend a brighter feel to it all (not as in disposition, as in “feels okay to play at 11 AM). There are faces on the album cover instead of a plain white or black sleeve.

Furthermore, this was a stylistic departure from the Detroit techno scene. The instrumentals are warmer. The concept of futurism is never far away in this genre, but here, that sterile vision of tomorrow comes up against things like string arrangements and warm synths. Even the drum machines take an occasional breather.

Again- another difference is that the genre is still built mainly on the 12″ single or SoundCloud download. Inner City made an entire record of techno tracks, and one I’ve found myself listening to repeatedly over the last few days.

With the benefit of hindsight, I can hear Inner City’s influence on many groups that came after them. This feels like a record that should be in the crate of any self-respecting DJ, and now, it needs to be in mine as well.

Bottom Line: That both of these records are/were influential isn’t up for debate. The ripple effects of Paradise can be felt far and wide, and no one should doubt the role Straight Outta Compton played in hip-hop culture and the larger cultural discussion. That said, I have to think name recognition will carry NWA here (I mean, it is #8 vs #121). If Inner City pulls it off, that’ll be one for the record books. And hey, my bracket’s trash anyway, so why not?

For me, the word “best” is doing a lot of work in this tourney. As I consider(ed) which way to go in a given match, I thought about the objective quality of the record (obvs), but also the aftershocks it set off, the wider ramifications in the industry, etc.

Taking all of that into consideration, it’s got to be NWA.

Vote & bracket pick: NWA’s Straight Outta Compton

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!

Check out the full bracket here.

Info on the tourney, voting, and more is here.

As always, thanks for being here.

KA—

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The Best Record of 1989: Day 8

by KevinLeave a Comment on The Best Record of 1989: Day 8

Weird Al’s UHF takes on 11 by The Smithereens

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at Weird Al Yankovic’s UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff (#48) as he takes on 11 by The Smithereens (#81)

Note: As many of you know, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 1989 challenge and noted that I’d be occasionally writing some of these up.

I’ve started doing some quick hits of each matchup and posting them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably definitely be some typos.

Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks are always appreciated.

KA—

I want to preface this by adding a few points for context. First, writing humor is hard. Like, really hard. If you think it’s not, just try it and show your work to a couple of friends. See what happens. Anyone who can do it once is worth noting—anyone who can do it for four decades plus is nothing short of amazing.

Weird Al‘s parody songs have delighted generations of fans, and it won’t be me that says anything bad about that.

UHF (the movie) was itself a parody- a parody of all the bad TV we used to be subjected to, where the channels were still changed by hand via a clunky dial. Before there were 57 channels and nothing on. It’s a fun enough premise and the sort of film you might’ve watched on a Saturday afternoon when it was pouring with rain. Yankovic plays a schlub who gets a job running a TV station his uncle won in a card game. Michael Richards plays one of the main characters. Hijinks ensue!

My second point? I have a very low capacity for humor in music. I’ve never gotten the appeal of a novelty band like Ween, and don’t get me started on that fistful of late 90s/early 00’s groups whose whole mission was to make “Zany” a new sub-genre. That goes double for all the ska groups that tried. Christ, some of that was interminable.

There’s none of that pretense here. The value prop with Weird Al is that he’s gonna take a song you love, and tweak the lyrics just enough to make you laugh. Maybe there’ll be enough of us smirking to make it a hit. There’ll be a metric ton of puns, some wordplay, and a liberal dose of accordion—all part of the schtick, and all good things.

The UHF soundtrack is no exception. There’s a take on Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” that’s solid. Ditto the spoof of Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy.”

Among a few of my friends, Spatula City was an inside joke for so long that it had morphed into something unrecognizable —one of those things that would be impossible to reverse engineer.

And hey, Yankovic’s songs are cool…the first time you hear them. But for me, they’re like a Carolina Reaper or Dave’s Insanity Sauce; you really only need to try them once every few years.

Speaking of movies, the title of The Smithereens’ 3rd record was actually a nod to Spinal Tap (as in “This one goes up to 11”). I am not entirely sure that’s true, but I’ve heard it enough over the years to think it might be. Besides, I want to believe it, so…

Even if you don’t recognize the record, you’ll likely recognize “A Girl Like You,” which cracked the Top 40. That was supposedly written for the movie Say Anything, but didn’t make the cut. Just imagine Lloyd Dobler blasting that out of his boombox instead of Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes.’

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

That song would be their biggest hit, and it would be easy to assume that every track went as hard as it did. But the band owes much more to pop bands than rock bands. There are family-sized riffs and plenty of power chords, but those are balanced with plaintive lyrics and plenty of catchy choruses purpose-built for singing along. I wrote a whole ass love letter to Ed Stasium about his treatment of The Replacements’ Tim LP, and his touch behind the boards here is just as on point.

You get “A Girl Like You,” but also tracks like “Baby Be Good” (this writer’s fave on the record), and “Maria Elna,” which would be equally at home on a Gin Blossoms record.

Anyway, like Weird Al, the value prop with the Smithereens is simple; you get Mack truck-sized riffs, a groove so in the pocket, you owe it some change, and Pat DiNizio’s vocals. With 11, you get a record that is best enjoyed loud.

Bottom Line: My streak of playing the odds on my brackety and voting with my heart aligning was short-lived. But hear me out here: Somehow, Weird Al made the cut to get into this tourney. Do enough people actually like this record for it to be taken seriously, or was it, well, a parody of sorts? When making my picks, I went with the former. Each had to meet a threshold of votes to be invited to the dance, and I just can’t see there being a viable path to collusion. Maybe there’s an inside joke from previous tourneys that I’ve missed. I dunno. Either way, once again, my bracket pick is for one record, and my vote will be for another.

Head: Weird Al

Heart: The Smithereens

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!

Check out the full bracket here.

Info on the tourney, voting, and more is here.

As always, thanks for being here.

KA—

The Best Record of 1989: Day 7

by KevinLeave a Comment on The Best Record of 1989: Day 7

Faith No More’s The Real Thing vs. Voivod’s Nothingface

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at Voivod’s Nothingface (#112) and Faith No More’s The Real Thing (#17)

Note: As many of you saw, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 1989 challenge and noted that I’d be occasionally writing some of these up.

I’ve started doing some quick hits of each match up and posting them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably be a few typos.

Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks always appreciated.

KA—

One of the things that can make a record above its weight are the memories one might associate with it. Experiences are enhanced with a soundtrack. For those of us who are analog natives, there is also the bonus of having (likely) discovered a band via a friend or listening to them together.

In my case, Faith No More checks both boxes. I first found this band when a friend pressed the tape into my hand during passing time at school. Listening on the bus on the way home, it was hard to stay still in my seat. It grabbed a hold of me from the start. There are a lot of opening tracks in this challenge. Few go from 0-100 as fast as “From Out of Nowhere” does.

It’s 6:17 in the morning as I write this, and just playing on these janky-ass work speakers is getting my feet moving. People pay good money to feel that sort of high.

This is their 3rd record, but it might as well be their debut. Apologies to fans of We Care A Lot and Introduce Yourself (and Chuck Mosley, for that matter), but for all intents and purposes, this is ground zero for the band. Alternately threatening and cloying, Mike Patton was completely unhinged, a whirling dervish with a several-octave vocal range.

‘Epic’ was a smash hit and the track most people think of when asked about the band. A lot of bands would kill to have something like that on their resume. Here’s the thing, though: for as good as it is, Epic isn’t the best song on the record. It’s not even the 2nd best; I might be 3rd after ‘From Out of Nowhere’ and ‘Falling to Pieces’. ‘Underwater Love’ might give it a run for its money as well.

Epic also became a weight around the band’s neck, sentencing them to one hot wonder purgatory and pigeonholing the band. A lot of people stopped at ‘Epic’ and missed out on a whole lot of great stuff that came afterward.

For its part, ‘Falling to Pieces’ is a little something for pop fans. It’s catchy. It’s bouncy. It gets in your head and makes itself comfy. ‘Underwater Love’ is a bit more funky, but no slower.

There’s even a cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ here, which, while admittedly a pretty faithful rendition, is, for me, the one song that I could do without. But it’s one mistake in an otherwise solid record.

That’s down more to my tastes than anything else, but why include a cover in the middle of something so original?

If FNM pivoted with The Real Thing, Voivod did almost a 180 with Nothingface. Their previous records were much faster and more reckless. Not quite thrash metal, but close. This is…prog? It’s got all the usual hallmarks: multiple time signatures squished into a song, discordant riffs, etc. There’s even a song about planets here (“Astronomy Domine”), which also happens to be a Pink Floyd cover.

(sigh) okay, I guess.

Look, I try and listen with an objective ear, but this record was a test. If I’m honest, it became unlistenable at about the halfway point. The record doesn’t get worse; I was just at capacity.

Nothingface feels like the band had a brainstorming session, and “Rush, but make it more metal” won out. The end result is a (relatively) slower, much more complex record than earlier ones, but I’m not sure it’s an improvement. Growing up, we often ended nights at a local 24-hour restaurant. There was a regular who would sit in a booth and spend the small hours making his own chain mail. I can’t help but think this record was tailor-made for him.

I know this record is regarded as a significant influence in a small corner of the music world, but man, I’m just not seein’ it. I want to, I really do.

Bottom Line: The streak of voting against my own bracket is over (for now). Sorry Quebecois; my vote is going for the boys from The bay, and it’s not even close.

Vote & bracket pick: The Real Thing

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments

Check out the full brackethere.

Info on the tourney, voting, and more is here.

As always, thanks for being here.

KA—

The Best Record of 1989: Day 4

by KevinLeave a Comment on The Best Record of 1989: Day 4

#33 Elvis Costello, Spike vs. #96 Screaming Trees, Buzz Factory

In this round, my bracket pick reflects what I thought would be the favorite. I picked with my head and not my heart. Tough call to go against the record you prefer, but here we are.

There’s some relief in knowing both are objectively good records, and both serve as inflection points for their respective careers. Having to pick between two good records is a good problem to have!

And if I’m honest—and can predict how the bracket will play out—there are some seriously tough calls on the horizon. Like some Solomon-level shit.

But for today, let’s look at each of these:

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There are a handful of Seattle bands everyone knows. The Q-ratings of Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam are off the charts. Nothing wrong with that;  we (collectively) like what we like.

But those bands tend to cast a long shadow, and underneath them were a whole ‘nother tier of bands that were just as good, who for whatever reason never hit critical mass the same way. Bands like Mudhoney, Tad, and Skinyard.

Bands like Screaming Trees.

1992’s Sweet Oblivion briefly put them on the map, and the hit single “Nearly Lost You” gave a glimpse of what their breakout might look like. But before that—before the hope/hype of the Seattle Sound (or whatever we were callin’ it) the band was grinding away on SST records, and in 1989 put out what was, IMO, their best record; Buzz factory.

The band’s fourth record shows them in fine form. Mark Lanegan’s voice is as strong as ever. Gary Lee Connor’s unique guitar sound delivers weapons grade levels of fuzz and wah-wah but never overwhelms. The rhythm section delivers a consistent muscular beat. Any questions are answered with the slinking groove that kicks off “Where the Twain Shall Meet.” This is a band much more similar to Led Zepplin than to their punk labelmates.

There are a couple of missteps here (take a bow Yard Trip #7), but those are the rare exceptions to the rule. Besides Where the Twain Shall Meet, standouts include “Subtle Poison” and closer “End of the Universe.” In between is some of the most solid, heavy-sounding grunge/psych rock to ever come out of Washington State.

In 1989, Elvis Costello was determined. New label, no Attractions, and after 2 years a new record to follow up two (relatively) well regarded releases.

I don’t know if “statement record” fits here, but I can’t help but think Costello went into the studio looking to prove something. With the benefit of hindsight, a demarcation line between the early era of Armed Forces and This Year’s Model and subsequent releases appears. I have to assume that if pressed, most people would recognize “Pump It Up.” As late as ’82 you might still be able to make the case with “Everyday I write the Book” off of Punch the Clock. But that’s an exception in a run of records that is largely a dry spell chart-wise. Even Costello didn’t much care for Goodbye Cruel World.

So! Back to Spike: There were no Attractions, Costello instead tapping a roster of, well, all kinds of musicians. T-Bone Burnett was there, as was Chrissie Hynde. Benmont Tench and Mitchell Froom, too. It’s a long list. And with that sort of variety comes a greater than zero chance that the result will be well done but inconsistent….or just a jumbled mess.

Having an anchor like Costello helps keep everything from spinning out of orbit. The horns on “Deep Dark Truthful Mirror” are a nice early touch. “Chewing Gum” is a strutting funk number. And of course, there was “Veronica,” a genuine hit, peaking at 19 on the Billboard Top 40, and topping the modern rock chart.

In the end, the variety is a positive. For better or worse, urgent tracks like “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and understanding” and the aforementioned “Pump It Up” are what first come to mind when I think of Elvis Costello. But there are several years between those release and Spike. People change and sounds evolve. Listening to this again after several years (and maybe for the first time front to back?) the biggest upside for me are the little surprises. The horns here, the samba beat there.

Mixing it up keeps things moving right along

Bottom line: Head-to-head, Buzz Factory more closely aligns with my tastes. Had I voted my heart, that would’ve been my pick. But having Spike penciled in on my bracket is nothing to regret.  

Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!

Check out the full bracket here.

Info on the tourney, voting, and more is here.

A Fun Music Bracket You Should Check Out

by KevinLeave a Comment on A Fun Music Bracket You Should Check Out

Have some thoughts on the best record of 1989? You’re in luck!

Photo: Becky Alexander

Good morning!

For the weekend, I thought I’d share something fun

Do you like music? Do you miss March Madness or things like this?

Maybe you like making your case for specific records and/or years?

Then you’re in luck! Kent Beeson is running another bracket- this time for the best record of 1989. Nominations are open for a few more days, so get your picks in!

Some rules to avoid chaos:

  1. To use the form, you’ll have to sign in to Google, like with the voting. If you won’t/can’t, let me know at kentmbeeson@hey.com and like the Beatles we’ll work it out.
  2. Until the nomination period ends, you can go back and edit it at any time. So feel free to load up your faves now, listen to some new stuff (like what we got below) and then update it if you find something that really floats your boat.
  3. Try to hit return after entering each album into the form — it makes for a nice clean list to export later. Thanks!
  4. Are you concerned about what qualifies? Don’t be. Just nominate it. Nominate anything, I don’t care. Nominate Taylor Swift’s 1989 if you want. If it doesn’t end up making the cut on nomination votes, it didn’t matter anyway. It’ll all come out in the wash.
  5. Nomination period is two weeks — April 7 2025 to April 21 2025.

Want to see what’s already in the mix? Click here to see all 744 submissions (as of this writing). On a side note, 1989 was a seminal year for me music-wise, and I will likely be writing about more of these in some form over the coming weeks/months.

Once you’re done nominating, check out Kent’s newsletter, and if you’re on Bluesky, give him a follow—this is also a great way to see what everyone is picking once the bracket opens up.

For what it’s worth, here are a few of my picks:

Top 5 (okay, 6) S-Tier type stuff.

If you’ve been here long, none of these will surprise you.

  1. New Order-Technique
  2. Wire-It’s Beginning to and Back Again
  3. The Cure- Disintegration
  4. Pere Ubu-Cloudland
  5. The Replacements-Don’t Tell A Soul
  6. Throwing Muses- Hunkpapa

Just a bit outside: Stuff that’s awesome, but the S-tier’s a small table.

Will I totally agonize over some of these after sending this your way? You better believe it.

  1. Pixies- Doolittle
  2. NIN-Pretty Hate Machine
  3. Beastie Boys- Paul’s Boutique
  4. B52s- Cosmic thing
  5. Fugazi-13 Songs
  6. Camper Van Beethoven- Key Lime Pie
  7. Bad Religion-No Control
  8. Einstürzende Neubauten- HAUS DER LÜGE
  9. Goo Goo Dolls- Jed
  10. De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising
  11. Kate Bush- The Sensual World
  12. Nirvana- Bleach
  13. The Call-Let the Day Begin
  14. The D.O.C.- No One Can Do It Better
  15. The Jesus & Mary Chain- Automatic

Maybe not top-tier for me, but still deserve to make the cut:

  1. Madonna- Like a Prayer
  2. 10,000 Maniacs- Blind Man’s Zoo
  3. Beat Happening-Black Candy
  4. Big Audio Dynamite- Megatop Phoenix
  5. Bonnie Raitt- Nick of Time
  6. Gorilla Biscuits- Start Today
  7. EPMD- Unfinished Business
  8. Faith No More-The Real Thing
  9. Galaxie 500- On Fire
  10. Janet Jackson- Rhythm Nation 1814
  11. Jesus Jones-Liquidizer
  12. Jonathan Richman- S/T
  13. Maria McKee- S/T
  14. Ministry- The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
  15. Ofra Haza- Desert Wind
  16. Queen Latifah- All Hail the Queen
  17. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Mother’s Milk\
  18. Tears for Fears- The Seeds of Love
  19. The Stone Roses- S/T
  20. Tom Petty-Full Moon Fever
  21. Yo La Tengo-President Yo La Tengo

Records from the “It Takes All Kinds” department.

  1. Dan Reed Network-Slam- This is an incredibly niche pick, and shoutout to the (I assume) PDX native who put it on the list.
  2. Barbara Mandrell- Precious Memories
  3. Dangerous Toys- S/T
  4. Ozric Tentacles- Pungent Effulgent
  5. Starship-Love Among the Cannibals
  6. Debbie Gibson-Electric Youth
  7. Michael Bolton-Soul Provider
  8. Ace Frehley- Trouble Walkin’

If you have some strong thoughts on any of these (or any on the full list), please weigh in! Don’t forget to vote early and often for Technique!

Thanks for being here,

KA—

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