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Fave albums released in the 90s

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Perplexio
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« on: July 12, 2010, 09:19:39 am »

First off, I have to admit can't stand grunge... and I couldn't stand it in the 90s either.  I steadfastly clung to the 80s until about 1996 when, from what I could tell, grunge was finally to an end.  Luckily, for me, it's time came and passed even faster than disco did back in the 70s. 

But there are a handful of albums from the 90s I do like and still find myself listening to:

Collective Soul s/t (1996) - Their sophomore album, there's not a bad song on it.  This remains one of my favorite albums of the decade.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Don't Know How to Party (1993) - Their major label debut.  And as much as I enjoy most of their albums, this one remains my favorite.  I had my ska phase in the 90s, but this is about the only ska album I still find myself listening to from time to time.

Third Eye Blind s/t (1997) - Their debut, the first 6 tracks are all thoroughly enjoyable.  From then on the quality got kind of spotty.  But on the strength of those first 6 tracks I listened to this album quite a bit when it first came out.

Guns 'n' Roses Use Your Illusion I & II (1991) - Two good albums, but if they'd taken the best material from both and whittled it down they would have had a fantastic single album. 

Matchbox 20 Yourself or Someone Like You (1996) - What a fantastic debut!  While they've had the ocassional strong song here and there, none of their material has been as consistent as their debut.

Collective Soul Dosage (1999) - Not quite as good as their s/t 1996 album but close and as close as the band has come to matching the consistency and quality of that album.

The Cruel Sea The Honeymoon Is Over (1993) - Eclectic Aussie surf-rock band's 3rd album and I believe the only of their albums released in the US.  The title track received some airplay on MTV (and was used in an MTV Sports segment at one point) but otherwise they've been largely forgotten in the US).

Dream Theater Awake (1994) - The Progressive Metal band's 3rd album and lyrically one of their best.  Their final album with founding member/keyboardist, Kevin Moore, who left the band to take his music in a different direction.  While 1992's Images & Words still gets mentioned as a "classic"  by fans of the band and the genre (for good reason), it's Awake that hit me like a ton of bricks when I finally "discovered" it in 2001, several years after its initial release.

Toto Kingdom of Desire (1992) - If you think you know Toto, you've never heard this album.  Jeff Porcaro's final album before his untimely passing.  This is easily the band's heaviest and most up-tempo album mixing elements of hard rock with jazz fusion.  After a revolving door of lead singers, the band decided to give it a try as a quartet (Steve Lukather, David Paich, Mike Porcaro, and Jeff Porcaro).  The album, unfortunately, went largely unnoticed by many but remains one of my favorites by the band.

Steve Lukather Luke (1997) - Steve Lukather's best solo album.  Written and recorded not long after his divorce from his first wife, Marie Curie (sister of the Runaways, Cherie Curie) the album is full of **** and vitriol and is easily the most raw and nakedly personal that Lukather has ever been with his fans/listening audience.

What are some of your favorites from the 90s?
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Saxman
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« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2010, 03:57:16 pm »

The 90s are a decade when I sort of stopped listening to a lot of new pop/rock music and concentrated more on jazz and classical and (now-gag!) new age, most of which I'd never listen to now (the new age stuff).  That being said, here are my pop/rock/soul favorites, in no particular order:

Sade - Love Deluxe, Best Of

Seal - Seal (1990), Seal (1993), Human Being

Tower of Power - Monster on a Leash, TOP, Souled Out, Rhythm and Business, Soul Vaccination Live

The Iguanas (New Orleans roots/Mexican/jazz fusion with two sax players!) -  The Iguanas, Nuevo Bugaloo, Super Ball, Sugar Town

Liquid Soul (Acid Jazz/Funk fusion with some rap) - Liquid Soul, Make Some Noise, Here's The Deal.  If more people followed this model, jazz might have become more popular instead of fading into fringe music.

Loreena McKennitt (Celtic/pop/rock fusion) - The Visit, The Mask and Mirror, The Book of Secrets, Live in Paris and Toronto

Anything the jazz/world music fusion band Oregon released in the 1990s is worth acquiring, IMHO.  The same for Yellowjackets, a more electric jazz fusion band that has never relied on drum machines, even in the 1980s.  Another example of a band that knows how to tastefully employ synthesizers!

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Saxman
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« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2010, 03:39:12 pm »

I would be remiss if I skipped Citiheat, an obscure smooth jazz with vocals group from the Orlando area.  I know no one has heard of them, but they put out three great self-produced albums in the 1990s: "Heat of The City," "Live" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It!"  The wife and I caught them at the late Pleasure Island Jazz Company at Disney World in 1995.  The club and the entire Pleasure Island area is now gone from Disney World.  There were a lot of nice fusion/smooth jazz bands that passed through that late, lamented jazz club.  It seems like a million years ago.

The band still exists, after having broken up for a time, but they've never cut another album as far as I know, don't have a web site anymore (not one that's updated since 1998 anyway) and only do 1-4 gigs a year.  SNIFF!
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Perplexio
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« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2010, 03:49:23 pm »

I would be remiss if I skipped Citiheat, an obscure smooth jazz with vocals group from the Orlando area.  I know no one has heard of them, but they put out three great self-produced albums in the 1990s: "Heat of The City," "Live" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It!"  The wife and I caught them at the late Pleasure Island Jazz Company at Disney World in 1995.  The club and the entire Pleasure Island area is now gone from Disney World.  There were a lot of nice fusion/smooth jazz bands that passed through that late, lamented jazz club.  It seems like a million years ago.

Isn't that area now known as Downtown Disney and is now full of upscale restaurants, bars, a multi-plex, Cirque du Soleil, and a few dance clubs?  Or did Disney do away with THAT as well?  I've not been to Disney since about April 2002.
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Saxman
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« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2010, 07:44:12 pm »

I would be remiss if I skipped Citiheat, an obscure smooth jazz with vocals group from the Orlando area.  I know no one has heard of them, but they put out three great self-produced albums in the 1990s: "Heat of The City," "Live" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It!"  The wife and I caught them at the late Pleasure Island Jazz Company at Disney World in 1995.  The club and the entire Pleasure Island area is now gone from Disney World.  There were a lot of nice fusion/smooth jazz bands that passed through that late, lamented jazz club.  It seems like a million years ago.

Isn't that area now known as Downtown Disney and is now full of upscale restaurants, bars, a multi-plex, Cirque du Soleil, and a few dance clubs?  Or did Disney do away with THAT as well?  I've not been to Disney since about April 2002.

I last went in December 2006, likely to never return given the way the prices constantly spike.  No thanks.  I think you may be right about the name change.  The last time we went it was still called Pleasure Island, but 95% of what was there and we liked in 1995 was gone, replaced by super high priced attractions and clubs.
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KATH
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« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2010, 11:53:18 am »

...OH MYYY.  Where to start?  oh...well, I'll start with a quick few, and will be back later...good ones so far!! 

Supernatural--Santana
Cracked Rear View--Hootie And The Blowfish
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge/Balance--Van Halen
Nevermind--Nirvana (say whatcha will.  I would've said BLEACH--MY favorite--but it came out in '89.  I like 'em.)
Shake Your Moneymaker--The Black Crowes
Metallica--Metallica (it's the disc that put 'em on the map...and some say the beginning of their downfall...)
Gish--Smashing Pumpkins (It's the ONLY ONE I LIKE.  Don't even try.  My buddy Autumn is a pumpkin FREAK.  She can't even do it. heh.)
Devil Without A Cause--Kid Rock
MI: 2--OMPS/various.  (omg. Never saw the movie...The Soundtrack ROCKS.)
Rant and Roar--Great Big Sea (a GH comp...but what turned me onto this AMAZING BAND.)

That'll do for the time being.  THOSE ARE ALL IN MY CD CASE...heh. 
PEACE--Kath



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Hourman
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« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2010, 01:11:48 pm »

Pleasure Island still exists, but Downtown Disney has been built up all around it.

I've taken my kids in 2005 and 2009 -both times during the Mardi Gras holiday.

I saw KC and the Sunshine Band (when he first was touring again) on the main stage there in 1990.
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« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2010, 06:41:54 pm »

Meatloaf- Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
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