A Lifetime-Plus of Music

     Today begins a double-header of massive grunge albums, as we kick it off with the huge debut album from Pearl Jam, “Ten”.  After the band Mother Love Bone had dissolved following the death of vocalist Andrew Wood, inspiring the recently discussed Temple of the Dog album, Eddie Vedder was invited to audition for the band, which proved to be a brilliant choice.  I can’t say that I’m a huge Pearl Jam fan, but I do love this record, and I have always been a big fan of Eddie Vedder.  His deep voice is a great contrast to the shrill falsettos of many ‘80s metal bands, including the band Motley Crue, who he has been verbally sparring with as of late, and his insightful and intense lyrics and views on life make for great musical theater.  He now stands as the sole survivor of the great grunge vocalists, and he is definitely an icon of Seattle music.  “Ten” is rated as #160 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and is the #3 rated grunge album of all time by loudwire.com.

     I’m not one to pick on song sequencing on a record very often, but if I was producing or marketing this record, I would have had the band switch the first two songs.  “Once”, which opens the album is a dark and intense song, but even as a good song, it isn’t the explosive attention-getter that you get with “Even Flow”.  With the best riff on the record meshing perfectly with Vedder’s heavy tone, this song absolutely rocks and it had to be what first pulled me into this band.

     As I noted, the lyrical contents of Pearl Jam songs are full of substance, and the powerful song “Alive” confronts the time Vedder learned who he thought was his father was actually someone else.  Like in many areas of pop culture, there is some embellishment in the actual story, but the lyrics paint a vivid and disturbing picture of betrayal that is very believable in the imperfect world we all exist within.

    “Why Go” is another good up-tempo rocker with great guitar work from Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, but it is the next song that is the other real emotional centerpiece of this album.  Joining the Hall of Fame of angry devastation along with “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse and “The Kiss” by the Cure, “Black” by Pearl Jam guts you with its musical and lyrical sadness, reinforced by the haunting outro.

“I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star, In somebody else’s sky…”

“But why… Why… Why can’t it be me, Oh can’t it be mine…”

     The profound intensity continues with “Jeremy”, a song that has grown sadly much more relevant with the continued proliferation of bullying and resulting gun violence.  Originally written about a student named Jeremy Delle who shot himself in front of his high school class in 1991, how many stories have we witnessed and read about the horrific byproducts of bullying and abuse in our schools?  I know I saw some absolutely unacceptable acts during my days in school, and I wish I had the courage to stand up then for those who didn’t have the voice, strength and support to stand for themselves.  We can all do better, and I hope we will.

     The last five songs aren’t as well recognized, but the consistency of excellence sustains through the end of the record.  Throughout their long career, the music of Pearl Jam has not always had the hook, compelling interest or appeal that brings me back as a listener, but I respect the band immensely, and admire the impact Eddie Vedder has had on popular music.  There is a place for dark and thoughtful music like Pearl Jam, just as there is a place for frivolous debauchery like Motley Crue.  Even if Vedder and Nikki Sixx don’t see the appeal in each other’s contributions, I can and will continue to enjoy both sides of the musical coin here, especially on a masterpiece like “Ten”.

     As I entered the 1990s, both my lifestyle and musical interests were evolving significantly.  Realizing that I could listen to more than Led Zeppelin, the Neville Brothers and U2, I spent a lot of the early ‘90s exploring new avenues of music and looking for alternative music wherever I could find it.  Latching on to WPRK in Orlando as well as being fed suggestions by many friends, one of the acts I really claimed was Toad the Wet Sprocket.  Ultimately, their album “fear” produced two highly successful singles that expanded their appeal into the mainstream, but the roots of their sound originate in southern California indie rock.  In case you have wondered, they took their name from a naturally absurd Monty Python sketch.

     The record opens with one of those two big hits, “Walk On the Ocean”.  I was always drawn to this song by the unusual but appealing harmony vocals on the chorus, the overall drive of the melody and the meaningful lyrics.  The rest of the album around their singles is easy to listen to and a solid listen, even if it lacks many other really catchy hooks.  “Is It For Me” is an up-tempo rocker, as is “Butterflies”.  Their music really thrives with acoustic guitars, and “Nightingale Song” is a great example of this sound.

     The real hidden gem on this album for me is “Pray Your Gods”, a soft and slow tune that features some beautiful haunting vocals in the outro from Laurel Franklin.  “Before You Were Born” is an intense and angry song, serving as proof of their diverse range of feelings and songwriting.  “In My Ear” is a very typical ‘90s indie pop-rock song, of which many bands like the Gin Blossoms and the Goo Goo Dolls would follow behind.

     “All I Want” is the other big hit from this album, and it is probably the song that first led me to Toad the Wet Sprocket.  Similar to “Walk On the Ocean”, it has a very catchy harmony chorus and is just a great song with what seemed like a very fresh sound at the time.

     In time, my interests shifted again, and Toad the Wet Sprocket struggled to sustain the success of this album, but for a time, this CD was on repeat and I enjoyed looking back on it one more time.

     The explosion of grunge rock music, emerging primarily from the Seattle region, takes an interesting turn today with the supergroup Temple of the Dog and their self-titled album.  One of the more interesting factors is the timing of the release of this record, from a band that contained Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam on vocals, along with other musicians like Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam, along with drummer Matt Cameron who played with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.   The group was founded by Cornell as a tribute to his friend Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, a predecessor of Pearl Jam, who had recently died from a heroin overdose.  Interestingly enough, this album was released before Pearl Jam or Soundgarden hit it big with their own releases later this same year, so it ultimately did not garner too much attention until after Cornell and Vedder had ascended to star status.  Respected in total, “Temple of the Dog” stands as the #9 rated grunge album of all time by loudwire.com.

     When I look at the “Big Five” of grunge vocalists, even if they all arrived at a common genre, each of their sounds originate from different roots.  Cornell had the range to front a power metal band like Iron Maiden, while Vedder had the deeper baritone who would have been a perfect option to step in for the Doors.  This fit was so natural he even sang for the band when they were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain could have seamlessly led a hardcore punk band like Black Flag, Alice In Chain’s Layne Staley was well suited to fill in for the Prince of Darkness (Ozzy Osbourne) in Black Sabbath, and Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots had a glam side that would have suited him well in front of Aerosmith.  Different sounds and styles converging in one musical movement, and much more tragically, a musical lifestyle of grim dark depression and heavy drug consumption.  Sadly, only Vedder escaped and survived to today, with all of the others losing the battle to mental health and drug addiction.

     With this dark reality already present as a backdrop for “Temple of the Dog”, it isn’t surprising that the first two songs, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, and the way-too-long plodding track “Reach Down”, directly address this premature loss of life, relating to their friend Andrew Wood.  The one track most will clearly recognize is “Hunger Strike”, which is the only track to primarily feature Vedder on vocals, with Cornell providing complementing lead vocals and some unique harmony contrasts.  It is the best song on the record, and the titanic performances from these two legends define the song.

     “Pushin’ Forward Back” is a riff-driven rocker, reminiscent of some of the best Soundgarden tracks, and a really good tune.  “Call Me A Dog” is a slower sad song that is a great showcase for the range, power and emotion of Chris Cornell on a softer scale.   Other favorites on this album include “Your Savior”, powered by another great riff, and “Times of Trouble”, which is a slower, bluesy grind.

     I wasn’t sure what to expect from this record, having only heard “Hunger Strike” prior to today.  Other than the excessiveness of “Reach Down”, that did have me hesitant as track number two, the rest of this album was a pleasant surprise and stands as a tribute to friendship and a representation of true collaboration by several of the biggest rock names of the 1990s.

     If there was any doubt R.E.M. was moving closer and closer to mainstream success with each album, that doubt was erased with the release of “Out of Time”.  Two massively successful hit singles lifted them fully on the perch of most successful bands in the rock-pop world, sitting side by side with U2.  I’ve given up on finding the secret undiscovered gem (for me) R.E.M. album, as they only get more familiar and mainstream from here, but like with each R.E.M. album, there are moments of greatness along with some odd sidesteps.

     The record opens with one of the later singles on the album, “Radio Song”, featuring rapper KRS-One as the hype voice and backing vocal throughout the track.  Even with that collaboration, it sounds like a traditional R.E.M. song and even has a similar opening chord sequence to “Nightswimming”, which comes on their next album.  It is one of my favorites on this record. “Losing My Religion” has to be the biggest commercial success the band ever released, and I have always loved the lyrics, vocals, and driving rhythm from the mandolin on this song.  It may be a bit worn from overplay fatigue, but to this day I still love this song.

     “Low” is one of those sidesteps that wanders and really doesn’t go anywhere, but another really upbeat tune comes on “Near Wild Heaven”, featuring Mike Mills on lead vocals.  “Endgame” is a quirky song that is almost all instrumental, but it gives Peter Buck a spotlight moment on their busy stage.

     Oddly enough, one of their most successful and oddly ironic tracks is the seemingly upbeat tune “Shiny Happy People”, featuring Kate Pierson from the B-52’s, from their same hometown of Athens, Georgia.  Mike Mills also adds some three-part vocals during the chorus.  Even if it seems like an unusually joyous track, it is a satirical take on the overt propaganda of the Chinese government after their authoritative crushing of resistance of protests in Tiananmen Square.  Over time this interpretation faded into the background, and bizarre outlets emerged such as Sesame Street (where R.E.M. performed “Furry Happy Monsters” with the Muppets, complete with a Kate Pierson look-alike Muppet) and the TV show Friends, where this song was originally planned as the theme song before being replaced by “I’ll Be There for You” by the Rembrandts.  Accepted by the general public as an overly sweet song of happiness, Michael Stipe withdrew his affection for the song and seemingly regretted its production and performance.

     The rest of the album has more of a country feel to it, while retaining that jangly guitar feel, and Kate Pierson makes another appearance on the last track, “Me In Honey”.  Even with the two most overtly commercial and successful singles the band ever released, the album stays true to the good and bad of previous R.E.M. albums.  At their very best, they were highly insightful, thoughtful and deliberate in their delivery of alternative rock; at their worst they were scattered and lacking some strong allure in the hooks of their tracks.

     Another big name from the world of hip-hop emerges today, with the 4^th album from LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out”.  Short for Ladies Love Cool James, LL Cool J has never been my favorite MC but there are some good moments on this album, which is rated #246 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     The sound system gets an early test with the opening track, “The Boomin’ System”.  I like this track as it is subtle and smooth LL Cool J, who we don’t always get to hear.  “Around the Way Girl” sounds more like a new jack swing track, with a flowing R&B background.  Something about “Eat Em Up L Chill” just really annoys me, and this song is a good representative of why I have never doubled down on LL Cool J.

     “Mr. Good Bar” has a much better groove and feel to it, and “Murdergram”, “Cheesy Rat Blues” and particularly “Farmers Blvd. (Our Anthem)”, which goes into his past as an upcoming rapper, are three of the funkier grooves on the album.  As my friend Morgan says, “don’t call it a comeback!”, and that stern warning bursts open the beginning of the intense and angry title track.  LL Cool J was always a visual rapper who had the physique and intensity to back up his fury, and this song fits that persona perfectly.  It is definitely one of the boldest highlights of the record.

     The rest of the record is OK but not amazing, with the best groove emerging from “6 Minutes of Pleasure”.  It has more of a pop feel and is on the smooth side of LL Cool J, but I do really like the hook and chorus.  This record will never make my list of greatest hip-hop albums, as there are other MCs and production teams I prefer, but I definitely appreciate the quality of this album as a whole and understand its commercial and critical success as hip-hop presses on past its 1980s roots.

     As we head into a 1991 that was full of big releases, no artist had more success on the charts than Mariah Carey and her self-titled debut album.  Stepping into the forum of female megastars, Mariah and her infamous five-octave range is on full display on this first album.  The first single of the album, which is also the opening song, “Vision of Love” shows you all you need to know about the power and range of her voice.  While I’m not a massive fan of her music overall, I acknowledge how strong of a singer she was and would probably rate this as my favorite track on the album.

     Working her way up the ladder of the New York City recording scene, once discovered by record execs, including her future husband Tommy Mottola, who ran Columbia Records, Mariah was surrounded by the best in songwriting and production teams to help craft this big first album.  To her credit, Mariah was always a big part of the songwriting, even in this controlling environment, but her struggles to have full artistic control over her work would be a recurring theme as she worked to emerge from all of many people seeking to profit from her talent.

     As I noted, there is nothing on this album that really blows me away, and even though they are very polished pop songs, I do feel there are moments when they exist as a framework for over-displaying her range.  Just because you can go up four octaves in your range, it doesn’t mean you have to in every song, and just like a guitarist doesn’t always have to play the highest note on the fretboard, I often finding myself wishing Mariah could have actually dialed it back as her natural starting point is of course, perfect in tone.

     The first four singles on the album, “Vision of Love”, “Love Takes Time”, “Someday”, and “I Don’t Wanna Cry” all reached #1 on the charts, and in most part, those are probably the songs that stand out most to me.  If I had to pick one other, I would go with “There’s Got to Be a Way”, which was the 5^th single from the record.  Like I said, this pop-heavy, sometimes over-sung R&B sound is not usually a big favorite of mine, but I have immense respect for Mariah Carey’s raw talent and her successful navigation through a music business full of manipulation and control.

     As we begin the onslaught of grunge music today, we have who I consider to be perhaps the most interesting and unique of all of these bands with the debut album from Alice in Chains, “Facelift”.  A great kickoff to this evolution of rock music, “Facelift” is rated #8 on loudwire.com’s Top 10 Grunge Albums of All Time.

     Even though lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell was and still is the primary creative force within Alice in Chains, any discussion on this band, at least for me, has to start with lead vocalist Layne Staley.  Even as he rapidly was consumed by an ultimately fatal heroin addiction, the tone and sound of his voice is like no other I have ever heard.  The closest by comparison was hearing young Ozzy with Black Sabbath, as when I hear Staley sing, it is the voice of darkness and evil.  As much of grunge music focused on the pain and challenges of daily life, no voice better reflected this agony than Staley.  And as an amazing compliment, Cantrell almost always adds in a haunting harmony vocal that further enriches the sound of the band.

     From the first notes of the sadly prophetic “We Die Young”, the mix of Cantrell’s guitar and Staley’s growl is intoxicating.  Their most visible hit from this first album comes next, “Man in the Box”.  I read a great description of grunge recently.  It stated that Metallica took Black Sabbath and sped it up, and grunge took that intensity and slowed it back down, and this song is a perfect example of that.  Almost funky and slowly pounding, Staley is in full force describing the pain of the day.  I know this will shock you, but I also read that he indicated he was very high when he wrote this song.  This has to be one of the best Alice in Chains songs ever, and I think it is the most complete song on this record.

     The slow jam grinds on with “Sea of Sorrow”, “Bleed the Freak” and “I Can’t Remember” all emit the same darkness and terrifying rhythm, with Layne front and center weaving around Cantrell’s riffs and chords.  “Love, Hate, Love” is actually Cantrell’s favorite song on this album, although there are others I like better.  Probably my other favorite track on this album is the filthy song “It Ain’t Like That”.  It is just so raw and has a great opening riff, and their harmony vocal pairing on this song is outstanding.

     “Sunshine” has another great plodding riff, and “Put You Down” even has some hint of Guns N’ Roses.  There are definitely some similarities between Axl Rose in his low register and the wicked zombie vocals of Layne Staley.  One last song I will cite is “I Know Somethin (Bout You)”, which opens like “The Crunge” from Led Zeppelin.  Eventually, the cutting riffs from Cantrell take over and we have another intense rocker, representative of every great song on this album.

     There will be more to come from grunge and Alice in Chains as we are just getting started here, but this band absolutely dropped a monster with this first release.  A lot to look forward to over the coming years…

     Today I have my next bonus pick from my son, an unusual act and album from a band called Uncle Tupelo, who are labeled as “alternative country”.  I think I would rephrase it as alternative with an occasional flavor of country.  Their debut album was “No Depression”, and I would definitely compare them to an act like the Gin Blossoms, with subtle references to artists like the Georgia Satellites and even a hint of Neil Young.  They are a trio of musicians from southwestern Illinois, and they created a very American sound that bridges many generations and genres.

     As I described it to my son, I would say I liked, but not loved this record.  It is definitely a unique blend of sounds, as I don’t think I have heard this particular combination before, but as I have noted many times, at the end of the day, a song has to have some kind of hook to pull me in, and I found most of these songs to be a bit monotone and lacking much of a draw.  I will say that my favorite songs are more on the acoustic side, most of which tap further into the country feel.  The title track is a good one, and I also like “Screen Door”.  My third favorite tune is “Life Worth Livin’”, and I like the story-telling appeal of “Whiskey Bottle”.

     My son’s preferred tune is “Factory Belt”, which is on the rougher and rawer side, especially near the end.  I think this is a good example where I prefer their country influence more than their punk roots, and the lack of large flowing melodies is somewhat reminiscent of the coming grunge sound.  All of that said, it was another new musical experience, and particularly when I consider the source, I’m glad I spent the time getting to know Uncle Tupelo.

     Of all of the hip-hop albums I will listen to during this journey, none is more familiar or personal than today’s pick, “Fear of a Black Planet” by Public Enemy.  It may seem odd that a privileged white kid from the relatively affluent suburbs could relate to and fully appreciate this album, but in addition to being as empathetic and hopefully conscious as I can be about the inequities and injustices faced by black Americans, I channeled much of the defiance and resistance of this album personally in the early ‘90s as I struggled to conform to the daily rigor and bureaucracy of working for a massive corporate entity.  Each day as I drove into work in these earliest days, I would put on this record (cassette, specifically) and leverage the intensity of the opening tracks “Contract on the World Love Jam” and its follow-up, “Brothers Gonna Work It Out”.  I cranked up these tracks in order to sharpen my own resistance and as much as possible, be successful while still taking as little shit as possible from anyone as I silently clung to my independence.  Even now when I hear these songs or some of the other music on this album, and I mean this in the most constructive manner possible, I’m ready to start busting things up.  It is intense, powerful, and fully captures the anger Public Enemy built their entire sound on top of, and the end result is a masterful album that is rated as the #176 album on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     The obvious and primary theme on this record is the oppression of black Americans, and they take it on directly from a variety of angles.  “911 is a Joke”, written and performed by Flavor Flav, mocks the lack of urgency of emergency services in black communities.  “Pollywanacraka” confronts the ugly reaction in white and black communities to interracial relationships.  “Burn Hollywood Burn”, with one of the earliest “features” in hip-hop, brings in Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane to take on the racial stereotypes of legacy Hollywood.  “Who Stole the Soul” addresses the historical abuse in the music industry where white businessmen used and took advantage of black recording artists.  The title track questions the puzzling reality that any offspring of white and black parents are automatically relegated to minority status.  This is an angry album that takes on very real issues, including the controversial reputation the group had developed.  Even as social activists, Public Enemy was not above their own prejudices and gaps.  One of their lead members, Professor Griff had recently been removed from the group for anti-Semitic commentary, and like many other hip-hop and artists of music and comedy of this age, they were fully insensitive to the rapid spread of HIV & AIDS and its unfair association with the gay communities of America.

     For all of their imperfections, I still love the collective work of this album, including their willingness to bring the public reaction to their issues into the record through a variety of soundbites and talk-radio samples.  The Bomb Squad does more amazing work producing this record, and back in the age when sampling was unbound by legal challenges that would eventually follow, the album emits a massive kaleidoscope of sounds from all genres.  Listening to the intense bass and beat of “Reggie Jax”, you understand how well they immersed their message in really powerful music.  Tracks like “Welcome to the Terrordome” and “Fight the Power” have the same militant intensity of the two opening songs, and I don’t know how you wouldn’t be compelled to fight back against all injustice with this great record as your soundtrack.

     We kick off the 1990s with a band I would naturally associate much more closely with the new wave revolution of the 1980s, Depeche Mode.  In early 1990, they released “Violator”, named in jest as a goof on the British metal acts of the ‘80s, and although the title may have been a bit flippant, the music produced and performed on this record represents the career peak for this powerful and highly talented British band.  “Violator” is rated #167 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

     There are several recognizable hits on this record, and for the most part, they stand out as my favorite tracks, but the rest of the record is consistently strong as well.  Martin Gore does all of the songwriting on this album, and the keyboard grooves open “World in My Eyes”, soon followed by the quickly identifiable vocals of Dave Gahan.  An entirely different sound than Janet Jackson’s music yesterday, but this album also resonated through the dance clubs, particularly those with an alternative feel to them.  “Sweetest Perfection” is a bit unbalanced and disturbing in its delivery, yet very much in line with the sound of Depeche Mode.

     The first single, and perhaps most enduring song from the album, is “Personal Jesus”.  With an unforgettable riff and dark undercurrent, this song is a classic, and one I have loved since its release.  “Halo” was not a hit single, but it is a catchy tune and one of my favorite new discoveries on this record.

     The second single released was “Enjoy the Silence”, another act-defining song for Depeche Mode.  You begin to realize how good and comprehensive this record is as the hits continue to follow with “Policy of Truth”.  Another big hit with a quirky and funky riff, with some really strong harmonies leading into the chorus, this song leaves you with the consistent blend of happy and sad you come to expect from a great Depeche Mode song.  “Blue Dress” and “Clean” successfully close out this outstanding record, and it is a consistently great performance with no gaps.  My appreciation for Depeche Mode has only grown with time and listening to “Violator” today was the perfect reinforcement of this keen enjoyment.