1988

                My biggest takeaway from 1988 is that a lot of the music that I associate with the early-90s alt-rock boom actually started years earlier (some of it last year in ’87, but a lot here in ’88).  So it’s a good year in that regard, although with some exceptions, few of these artists are at/near their peak yet (the exceptions are most prominently Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies).  Of course, all of this excitement was in the underground.  If you were listening to the radio in ’88 (as your faithful blogger was just starting to do), it was a much more miserable musical experience, dominated by the style-over-substance likes of the hair metal and synth-pop bands.  Most of the established “worthy” acts of the ’80s stumble to one degree or another, if they put out an album at all this year.

                R.E.M. and U2, for instance, probably the biggest two acts to come out of the post-punk/alt-rock world in the 80s, both put out their weakest albums to date.  For R.E.M., Green is an even further move toward rock music, but a different kind of rocking than they did on their last two, sounding a lot more like the “big” stadium post-punk of Midnight Oil and U2 (on both the ballads and rockers) than themselves.  It’s all coated with a shiny studio gloss that doesn’t really suit them at all, especially on the more folky numbers on the second side.  It’s unsurprising that this sound got them more radio-play, but it’s a poor fit stylistically.  U2 also stumble by moving away from their core sound.  Bono apparently somehow got it in his head that it was a bad thing that they didn’t have blues-folk roots, so attempts to graft some roots-rock branches onto what was previously a sleek post-punk act.  There’s probably a salvageable single LP on Rattle & Hum, but it’s kind of a mess otherwise.  The original soul-pop stuff works better than you might think, largely because Bono’s got a great voice.  But the live stuff especially is pretty dire.  The remakes of older material all basically fail by trying to turn them into roots-rock (the most successful is not coincidentally the least altered, “Bullet The Blue Sky”).  Respectable as an attempt to expand their sound, but a failure.  You can see why we won’t hear from them again for 3 years.  Other established post-New Wave acts also falter.  Devo sound like industrial followers at this point, while the Talking Heads end their career with a just-ok samba-funk record that is a logical if uninspired evolution from their earlier beat-heavy experiments. 

                The roots-rockers do much better than the post-punks this year.  This is true for both the 60’s survivors and the UK post-punk folkers.  Neil Young’s got the last of his genre-experiment records, going blues on This Note’s For You.  It’s not half as weird as his earlier rockabilly and synth experiments, though.  Since the boomers love it when their rock-stars pretend to be bluesmen, if Clapton had put out this record, no one would have batted an eye as a slightly-more-horn-heavy blues-rock album.  The songs are pretty good, though it’ll never be mistaken as either one of the truly bizzare (and thus worth hearing) or truly classic Young records.  Far better (and closer to his classic sound) is Richard Thompson, who probably puts out his best album since Shoot Out The Lights, though it’s just more of his electric-guitar-heavy folk rock.  More surprising (and to the good) is how much fun the Traveling Wilburys are.  This is the best music I’ve heard in awhile from pretty much any of the principals involved, probably because they’ve stopped trying to sound all serious and “important.”  Dylan, especially, remembers that he used to be not just “important,” but one of the funniest songwriters out there. 

                Meanwhile, both the Pogues and the Mekons (two bands who are now thoroughly paired in my mind) look south for inspiration and expand their sonic palettes.  The Mekons are as Clash-like as they’ll ever be this year, not so much in actual sound but in approach, creating kind of pan-global literate leftist roots-rock.  (and it’s actually pretty similar in sound to where Joe Strummer will be on next year’s solo debut).  The Pogues mine similar territory, but with less of a political focus.  Just as the country elements drop out of the Mekons’ sound this year, the Pogues are moving beyond their Celtic sound and adding in a mess of Latin American elements.  More or less a natural evolution from the sonic explorations of their last EP.  If you prefer the Pogues as a Celtic-rock act, you probably prefer Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, but if you’re interested in the Pogues as genre-synthesizers, If I Should Fall From Grace With God is their peak.  (and now the title track, about dying unredeemed, is used to sell Subarus to soccer moms…).

                However, if the Pogues and Mekons are carrying on the Clash’s approach, the actual Clash successor group active this year fits with the pattern of decline of the other post-punks.  Big Audio Dynamite probably sound closest to the kind of pop songs Mick Jones was writing on London Calling, but in an uninspired vein, and without the colorful sampledelic approach that made the first two records so much fun.  Their dance-rock doesn’t sound too far from Prince this year, though Prince probably does better.  Prince also starts incorporating (terrible) rapping into his sound this year, coming later to the hip-hop game than BAD, who were there on their debut.

It’s ironic that, as just as BAD falter, groups that sound a lot like them are starting to rise in the Madchester scene.  The Happy Mondays keep going with their thuggish take on funk, but more exciting is that the Stone Roses have cracked their classic formula by adding a new drummer, who promptly starts adding dance beats to jangle-pop songs.  (more conventional jangle-pop just keeps on going this year without much change (but without a significant drop in quality either): Morrissey sounds very Smiths-like on his solo debut, and the La’s release their “There She Goes” single, which doesn’t push the genre forward at all, but does help soundtrack movie trailers for the next 20 years).

                The other big development in the UK sound, however, is the rise of the distorted-guitar-jam sound of shoegaze.  This sound obviously parallels the rise of grunge in the US (and indeed Sonic Youth more or less split the difference between shoegaze and grunge), but shoegaze is (unsurprisingly from UK indie) much more mannered than grunge.  The pretty clear precursors here are the Jesus & Mary Chain, as the formula basically still is more-or-less conventional indie-pop songs with layer-upon-layer of distorted or otherwise highly processed guitars laid on top.  This can be fun, but it lacks the wildness that makes grunge so compelling.

                Grunge in the States, however, is starting to pick up steam.  One thing that’s interesting to note is just how much of an influence Led Zeppelin was on the West Coast bands.  In Seattle, Green River put out and LP and break up, and Mudhoney immediately puck up the pieces.  Honestly, Green River’s split was probably better for all. Their sound was a Zeppelin-Stooges mix, and that mix of technique and primitivism was an odd one.  Split in half, the Mudhoney bit could pursue the Stooges sound, while the Mother Love Bone/Pearl Jam half could focus on a more technically sophisticated take on grunge (but not yet in ’88).  Soundgarden also are starting to put out material this year, and they’re the last metal band I’ll truly love (combining as they do both a compellingly heavy/distorted sound and an actual, honest-to-goodness singer as opposed to the asinine death metal phlegm-rumble).  Finally, and significantly chiefly in retrospect, a little trio by name of Nirvana put out their debut single.  On both single and subsequently-released studio outtakes, they don’t really stand out from the grunge crowd yet, marked maybe my a greater emphasis on punk sounds, being more uptempo than the more mid-tempo (and Zeppelin-influenced) likes of Green River and Soundgarden.  Though the fact that one of Nirvana’s outtakes is titled “Aero Zeppelin” shows that this classic rock influence is in play for them as well, even if it sounds more like Sabbath…

Down in LA, Jane’s Addiction also mine a serious Zeppelin fetish, although they sound a lot more interested in being an art-rock band than their Northwestern peers.  They also have some elements of that LA funk-rock sound, although since Zep also dabbled in funk, that makes some sense as well.  They also (also) still sound as natural next to Guns ‘N Roses (who are mining a less-arty but still classic-rock-based sound) as they do next to the Seattle bands.  GnR showcase their debt to Aerosmith this year, but also their dearth of material, following up their debut with an album that’s half previously (limited) released live EP and half four new songs, of which one is an acoustic remake of an Appetite track, one is a loathsome racist screed (the go-to track for anyone inclined to hate this band on personality), and two actual pretty-good songs. 

                If grunge on the West Coast is still in its formative period, it’s nearing (or at) its peak in the East.  I mentioned previously that Sonic Youth got good mileage out of essentially making a shoegaze record with American sensibilities (read: slightly more distorted guitars, a greater emphasis on Patti Smith-style lyrical abstraction, and diminished focus on pop hooks).  But up in Boston, Dinosaur Jr. are pretty near their peak (it’s likely either last year’s or this year’s album).  Unlike the West Coast grungies, there’s no Zeppelin in the Dinosaur Jr. sound; instead there’s a lot of Neil Young and a splash of Hüsker Dü.  One wonders how much Dinosaur Jr. inspired Young to ultimately return to his classic electric sound.  Even better than Dinosaur Jr. out of Boston this year, though, are the Pixies, whose debut is probably the finest record Steve Albini would be associated with (as producer).  This is the album where they really develop their interest in the quiet-loud dynamics that would be their most significant contribution to the sound of the 90s (esp. through their influence on Kurt Cobain). 

                Elsewhere it’s easy to hear the seeds of sounds that will dominate the 90s being planted in a variety of places.  The Cowboy Junkies lay down the template for the severely-downtempo slowcore bands, while also helping to set the stage for the rise of alt-country.  Camper Van Beethoven have been active for years, of course, but jump to a major label (which CvB head David Lowery will publically rue for years after the fact).  It doesn’t change their sound at all, though adding a touch of country brings them toward the Mekons.  I don’t know if smartasses with eclectic genre-hopping tastes counts as a sub-genre, but Camper are a pretty clear influence on the likes of Cake and Ween, who will be favorites of college kids through the 90s.  Speaking of sounds that will dominate quads for the next decade, the neo-hippie folk rock starts to take off this year.  It’s been awhile since I’ve heard a band with a clear Grateful Dead influence, but it’s definitely there on the bouncy folk-rock of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.  Unfortunately, it’s pretty dire apart from one decent single (“What I Am”).  Both single and album, however, drip with the kind of half-informed intellectualism of college sophomores, though. 

                You also start to get the 90s punk rock revival, with the return of Bad Religion (following an interregnum for band members to acquire advanced degrees – more college rock!).  Bad Religion’s (literal) professor-rock is heavily based in the hardcore sounds of the early 80s, but with a more melodic sensibility.  It’s fantastic, though, and the first actual straight-up punk rock I’ve heard since at least I think 1984.  So likely planting the seeds for the US punk revival in the upcoming years.

Song of the Year:  Public Enemy – “Don’t Believe The Hype,” but really it could be almost anything off of It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.  This is a tremendously exciting debut, and a big sonic step for hip-hop (esp. influential on the harder end of East Coast rap in the 90s; Wu-Tang and the like).  Like Run-DMC, Public Enemy succeed more as a rock band than a hip-hop ground, insofar as what’s compelling is their aggressive & energetic sonic assault more than their just-pretty-good flow or lyrics.  I almost gave It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Album of the Year, but the sound gets a little deadening over an hour.  Every time a PE track came up on shuffle, though, I sat up and took notice…

Album of the Year:  The Pixies – Surfer Rosa.  Influential, sure, but also a fantastic record, exploding with ideas & energy, and despite having a uniform Albini sonic sheen, fantastically diverse in its songcraft.

Artist Most Benefiting from Reevaluation:  Bad Religion, probably.  I kinda though they’d been putting out albums throughout the 80s, but realizing they came later (in their revived incarnation, at least) actually improves their standing for me.  They return to a previously played-out genre and inject new life into it, which is somehow more impressive.  It also sets them up as a clear inspiration for the Epitaph bands, which can be good or bad depending…

Artist Most Diminished in Reevaluation:   Probably the thrash bands, Metallica and Megadeth.                Thrash metal is pretty stagnant this year, with older act Judas Priest doing considerably more to push metal forward (adding industrial beats to their NWOBHM assault) than the newer but more water-treading likes of Metallica and Megadeth.  It illustrates, I supposed, the difference between “progressive” in the sense of technically complex (with shifting meters, song suites, and the like) as found in the thrash bands, and “progressive” in the sense of pushing a sound into new directions by incorporating new elements and experimenting with new types of songwriting.

Album List

Al Green - The Absolute Best

Bad Religion - All Ages

Bad Religion - Suffer

Big Audio Dynamite - Planet BAD: Greatest Hits

Big Audio Dynamite - Tighten Up 88

Billy Bragg - Must I Paint You A Picture?: The Essential Billy Bragg

Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits Volume 3

Camper Van Beethoven – Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart

Camper Van Beethoven - Popular Songs of Great Enduring Strength and Beauty

Cheap Trick - The Authorized Greatest Hits

Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session

Devo - Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology

Dinosaur Jr. - Bug

Dinosaur Jr. - Ear-Bleeding Country: Best Of Dinosaur Jr

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full

Fleetwood Mac - The Very Best Of Fleetwood Mac

Green River - Rehab Doll

Guns N' Roses - G N' R Lies

Happy Mondays - Double Easy: The U.S. Singles

Iggy Pop - Nude & Rude: The Best Of Iggy

Iron Maiden - Misc.

Jane's Addiction - Up From The Catacombs: The Best Of Jane's Addiction

Jerry Harrison – Casual Gods

Judas Priest - Metal Works '73-'93

Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man

Megadeth - Greatest Hits: Back To The Start

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

Mission Of Burma - The Wasted Years

Morrissey - The Best Of Morrissey

Mudhoney - March To Fuzz: Best Of...

Mudhoney - March To Fuzz: Rarities

My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything

Neil Young - Lucky Thirteen

Neil Young & The Bluenotes – This Note’s For You

New Order - Retro

Nick Lowe - Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe

Nirvana - Incesticide

Ozzy Osbourne - The Ozzman Cometh

Patti Smith - Outside Society

Pet Shop Boys - Discography: The Complete Singles Collection

Prince - The B-Sides

Prince - The Hits Disc 1

Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

R.E.M. - Green

Richard Thompson - Action Packed: The Best Of The Capitol Years

Run-D.M.C. - Greatest Hits

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

Soundgarden - A-Sides

Steve Earle - The Best Of Steve Earle

Super Furry Animals - Ffa Coffi Pawb - Am Byth

Talking Heads – Naked

Talking Heads - Sand In The Vaseline

The Fall - 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats

The Flaming Lips - In A The Priest Driven Ambulance

The Flaming Lips - Telepathic Surgery

The Flaming Lips - The Fearless Freaks

The Jesus & Mary Chain - 21 Singles

The Mekons - I Have Been to Heaven and Back..., Vol. 1

The Mekons - So Good It Hurts

The Pixies - Death To The Pixies

The Pixies - Misc.

The Pixies - Surfer Rosa

The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God [Bonus Tracks]

The Replacements - Nothing For All

The Stone Roses - The Complete Stone Roses

The Style Council - The Singular Adventures Of The Style Council

The Traveling Wilburys – Vol. 1

The Vaselines - The Way Of The Vaselines

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Playback VI: Nobody's Children

Toots & The Maytals - Time Tough - The Anthology

U2 - B-Sides 1980-1990

U2 – Rattle & Hum

U2 - The Best Of 1980-1990

Uncle Tupelo - No Depression

V/A - Children Of Nuggets I

V/A - Children Of Nuggets II

V/A - Old School II

Violent Femmes - Add It Up (1981-1993)

Wire - 1985-1990 The A List

Wire – Kidney Bingos

X - Beyond & Back: The X Anthology