Despite All My Rage...1995 Was A Kick Ass Year for Music

So, the last blog post was about re-working my favourite albums of 1994.  I had so much fun writing that one, I decided to re-visit 1995.  This time, I'm not bound by any list I created 31 years ago, so this is going to be a list of the albums from that year that have grown with me.  And there were a lot of amazing albums that came out 31 years ago.

First off, maybe you know this but Oasis' "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" is my favourite album of all time, thus it is my favourite album of 1995.  So it gets the elevated pass.  It's like the CEO on the top of the org chart and, therefore, I'm not going to put it on this list.  Sweet, already breaking non-existent rules I've set for myself.  So, this is the best of the rest so they say, and maybe I'll expand the list to 15 just for shits and giggles.  But I really need a list of 30.  Hmm, okay, we will do this, but only because I've neglected the blog for so long and it's supposed to be a writing outlet.

1995 was the year I graduated from high school and started university.  A "transition" year if you will.  And all these albums helped with that transition.  And they still help today.  As an aside, the first album I bought at university was Lenny Kravitz's "Circus" and it did not make the list of 30...crazy but I recently found the cassette for $3, listened to it for the first time in 30 years, and gotta say it's an uneven album.  Lenny really leaned into irony on "Rock and Roll Is Dead", but did he need to make that track so dour and serious?  

Also, I think Candlebox's "Lucy" was the second or third CD I bought at university.  Their debut is super solid, one of my fave debut albums of all time.  Lead single "Simple Lessons" was also pretty awesome, despite the lack of a guitar solo.  So I was excited for "Lucy".  And unfortunately it did not meet my expectations.  So, it also did not make the list. 

Also x 2, lots of people like The Presidents Of The United States Of America (the band).  I am not one of these people.  The first time I heard the song "Lump" I was like no.  When I heard "Peaches" I was like hell no.  So, this one did not make the list either.  Anyway.

Remember my de-facto #1 is  "WTSMG" by Oasis (it is the CEO of my musical hierarchy) so this is why it is not on the list.  There is a whole blog post devoted to this album, it might be the second blog post I ever wrote, if you are so inclined.

Let's get on with the list!

30. "You'd Prefer An Astronaut" - Hum.  I like all the albums this band has released and I hate to be the person that calls out the hit single, but goddamn "Stars" nails the quiet/loud dynamic so well and still kicks so much ass.  

29. "Balance" - Van Halen.  This was the first VH album I ever bought and while some people dislike this one, I gotta say, it has a lot of killer tracks.  "Not Enough" is such an amazing power ballad, and you should listen to me as I'm a power ballad aficionado. 

28.  "A Boy Named Goo" - Goo Goo Dolls.  Again, lots of people like to pick on the GGD, but they have a lot of solid tracks, many from this album.  "Name" was the big track here.  In the 90's, every rock / alt rock band (unless your name is Rage Against The Machine or Tool) needed a ballad, preferably with acoustic guitars to appeal to like everyone.  Hey, every band likely wants one of their songs to be played in a grocery store.  That said, "Naked" is still my favourite track on this album and I feel it does not get enough love (it does not even appear on the GGD's Greatest Hits album, come on, GGD!).

27. "To Bring You My Love" - PJ Harvey.  How good is the song "Down By The Water"?  So good.  Yes, I'm calling out the hit single again.  This was my first taste of PJ Harvey and is still a great listen.

26. "The Woman In Me" - Shania Twain.  I fully credit my sisters for getting me into this one, and, come on, "No One Needs To Know" is on the "Twister" soundtrack and everyone loves that movie.  I think it was years later I realized that Shania's songs sounded like countrified Def Leppard, and that made me enjoy her music more.

25. "100% Fun" - Matthew Sweet.  Such great power pop.  I have been re-visiting this album a lot lately and the closing tune "Smog Moon" is a gem.  It is a ballad, yet nary an acoustic guitar can be found, which is likely why it wasn't huge and doesn't get played in the grocery store.  Still, get it on your playlists stat!

24. "Medusa" - Annie Lennox.  I love Annie Lennox.  Yes, this is a covers album, but Annie makes the tunes her own.  Also, "No More I Love You's" is such a super weird single but it works in all the best ways possible.  Ah, the 90's.

23. "One Hot Minute" - Red Hot Chili Peppers.  This was the first RHCP album I ever bought.  Have I ever told you I lived in the wilderness era and neglected music between the years 1989 and 1991?  I missed a lot of seminal albums, including "Blood Sugar Sex Magic".  This is their only album with Dave Navarro.  I like this, but to be honest, my fandom of RHCP has fallen off in recent years, so it's harder to connect with their material.  Still, this album has "My Friends", so that RHCP could also jump on that 90's ballad train. 

22. "Mirror Ball" - Neil Young.  Pearl Jam joins as Uncle Neil's backing band and the results are ramshackle and rocking.  I just picked up the vinyl reissue and I forgot how good this record is.

21. "Post" - Bjork.  "Hyper Ballad" is my favourite Bjork song of all time and the rest of this record also delivers.  "Enjoy" is such a jam.

20. "Grand Prix" - Teenage Fanclub.  This band was not on my radar in 1995.  But "About You" is the best song The Hollies never wrote.  Super solid jangle pop (my family still does not believe this is an actual genre of music).

19. "Alice In Chains" - Alice In Chains.  I like this album, but sometimes I find it difficult to listen to, which is why it is not higher on the list, even though the cover shot is quite memorable.

18. "The Great Escape" - Blur.  This is the second or third album I bought at university.  As mentioned in the previous blog post, hearing "The Universal" broke my hatred of Blur.  That said, this album is somewhat uneven, IMHO, but the highs soar above the clouds.

17. "Insomniac" - Green Day.  Is "Walking Contradiction" one of their most underrated singles?  I think it is.  I feel they made a conscious decision to be less commercial on this one, but it's a solid album which I spin more than "Dookie" but less than "Warning".  

16. "Collective Soul" - Collective Soul.  Did he really put Collective Soul ahead of the heavy hitters above?  Yes, he did.  This album is still so super solid.  And the band played homecoming at Guelph for our first year and I'll always respect them for that.  Also, Canada's Rusty opened and their album "Fluke" is an honorable mention for best of 1995.  This album doubles down on the acoustic ballads with two that were released as singles, including one that incorporates strings.  This is also CS' best selling album.  I rest my case.

Like Bon Jovi sang, we're halfway there.  If you aren't bored yet, I invite you to read on!

15. "On" - Echobelly.  I spin this album once a month.  "King Of The Kerb" is what dreams are made of, and if I still could make mixtapes, I'd put "Go Away" on all of them.

14. "Stanley Road" - Paul Weller.  Paul Weller was also not on my radar in 1995, besides being part of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" in some capacity and duetting with Noel Gallagher on "Talk Tonight" on some "White Room" performance from a free cassette I got from Q Magazine in 1995 (RIP Q Magazine).  But Paul Weller has been on my radar since 2008; he is now one of my favourite artists, and this album has aged like fine wine.

13. "Soup" - Blind Melon.  Such an unfairly maligned band...in no universe should they be "one hit wonders".  One, their debut is solid.  Two, "Walk" is so, so good and, three, "Galaxie" legit was on every mixtape I made in the 90's.  

12. "Foo Fighters" - Foo Fighters.  The start of a 30+ year career I don't think anyone saw coming.  I just saw FF in Toronto this summer and I forgot how many good songs they have.  This debut is so assured, even though it is a glorified demo.  "For All The Cows" rules.

11. "...And Out Come The Wolves" - Rancid.  Old people reading this: did you ever have a blank tape at the ready so you could stealth tape a song you liked off the radio?  "Ruby Soho" was that song for me in December 1995.  This album still kicks so much ass.

It's time to break into the Top 10!

10. "A Northern Soul" - The Verve.  Title track rules, as does "This Is Music" and "A New Decade".  And they sneak in an acoustic ballad ("On Your Own"), plus a symphonic acoustic ballad ("History") between extended jams.  Note, both these ballads were released as singles.

9. "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" - Smashing Pumpkins (or is it The Smashing Pumpkins?).  This was a very fertile period in SP's career.  "The Aeroplane Flies High" boxset of b-sides is killer.  However, as with any 28 track double album, there is filler here, but like "The Great Escape" the highs SOAR.  Example:  "Bodies"?  Underrated and amazing.

8. "Jagged Little Pill" - Alanis Morissette.  Crashed towards the earth like the meteor in "Armageddon" and still gives a visceral thrill listening today, even if the examples of irony are questionable.  Wait, is that ironic?

7. "Above" - Mad Season.  Of the two AIC-related records released in 1995, this one has grown with me more.  Bluesy, dark, uplifting, a real showcase for Mike McCready's guitar and Layne Staley's lyrics.

6. "A Different Class" - Pulp.  If someone asked me to define Britpop by one song, I'd pick "Common People".  This is lightning in a bottle stuff.  And Jarvis Cocker is one of the coolest people on the planet.  While I'm glad I was 19 when this album came out, I finally saw Pulp last year live and I'm happy to report that hearing "Common People" live at age 49 with 16,000 others singing along still hits in the same way.

Before we hit the top 5, we will pause for some honorable mentions:

• Aforementioned "Fluke" by Rusty.  Just reissued on vinyl so I can re-visit it regularly!
• "Up" - Great Big Sea.  Great Canadian band that I had the pleasure of seeing multiple times in university.  This is true "feel good" music.
• "Return Of The Rentals" - The Rentals.  Matt Sharp from Weezer's side project that created some super catchy jams like "Friends Of P" (just put it on a playlist the other day)
• "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" - Bruce Springsteen.  I wasn't yet in my Springsteen immersion phase, that took another 5 years.  I respect this album even if I can't fully get into it.

Also, I don't love the entire albums but there are a few that produced amazing songs / singles:

• "Misery" & "Just Like Anyone" - Soul Asylum (from "Let Your Dim Light Shine").  "Frustrated Incorporated" from the former, genius wordplay and the latter had an awesome video featuring Claire Danes sprouting wings.
• "Fire In The Head", "The Bazaar", "Sister Awake" - The Tea Party (from "The Edges Of Twilight").  Great live band and IMHO a great singles band.  Can't really get into their albums except maybe "Transmission".  Still, these three tunes are very good.
• "Side Of The Road" - Blue Rodeo (from "Nowhere To Here").  One of my favourite Blue Rodeo songs, but following up "5 Days In July" would always be tough. 

Alright, on with the top 5!

5. "Infernal Love" - Therapy?  This is a dark masterpiece.  I have listened to this album consistently for 31 years and my least favourite songs are actually the singles, "Loose" and "Diane" (lead single "Stories" does rule and I would love to name my still not finished novel "Happy People Have No Stories".  Alas, I'm writing the blog instead of the book).  The rest...it's so weird in a great way, and a departure from "Troublegum" in almost every sense.  Except the dark lyrics.  "Me vs. You" is my dark horse favourite on this one - menacing and like "Stars" totally nails the quiet/loud dynamic. 

4. "Elastica" - Elastica.  So much fun.  I think it's 16 tracks in like 38 minutes.  This is a killer debut that they never properly followed-up on.  I mean, "The Menace" was not good.  But this album = pure gold.  Lightning in the bottle once again.  Did they rip off other artists?  As an Oasis fan, I don't really care if they did, as they painted everything with their own brush.

3. "Garbage" - Garbage.  Speaking of amazing debuts...Garbage has been one of my favourite bands for 30+ years because of this album.  Many years ago, there was an Instagram tag going around in the vinyl community where you had to post your 10 most influential albums without explanation.  This was one of mine, mostly because it introduced me to different genres of music...for an almost exclusive, guitar-music loving person like me, it was a real eye-opener.

2. "The Bends" - Radiohead.  Simply one of the best guitar rock albums ever made (after #3 on my list, is this ironic?).

1. "These Days" - Bon Jovi.  I have written two lengthy posts on Bon Jovi, explaining my "complicated" relationship with them.  Maybe I need to do a third now that I'm back in blogging mode.  In 1995, Bon Jovi were my favourite band and while Oasis has surpassed them and "WTSMG" did surpass this album in 1995, "These Days" is my favourite Bon Jovi record, in my top 10 of all-time, and is a musical path I wish they would have ventured down for the rest of their career.  While some of the songs still ooze with cheese, many are introspective, with great lyrics and amazing Richie Sambora guitar solos.  The CD singles from this era focus on spectacular live versions from the Bon Jovi catalogue.  1995-96 are their peak live years.  At any rate, this album is still great, and the title track is one of my all time favourite songs. 

So that is 1995.  Looking back, this may be one of my favourite music years.  This top 30 is stacked and I didn't even include albums by No Doubt, Hayden, Moby, The Cardigans, Supergrass or The Chemical Brothers.  Wow.  Also, you may note the lack of hip hop on this list.  In 1995, I was all about rock music, but you will see some different genres in future lists, I promise.

Can I do some random rambling about other awesome music stuff that came out in 1995?  It's my blog so of course I can.  One, I gotta talk about Def Leppard's first greatest hits album, "Vault 1980-1995" because the "new" song on the comp, "When Love And Hate Collide" is one of the best "new" songs on any greatest hits album, and also re-established their relevance in the mid-90's, which they threw away when they released "Slang" in 1996 (no shade from me, I really like this album).  "WLAHC" is a ballad, of course AND has some strings.  People, this is not a coincidence. 

The best "new" songs on greatest hits albums (as curated by Ted):

• "Mary Jane's Last Dance" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• "Always" & "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" - Bon Jovi
• "Not The Girl You Think You Are" - Crowded House
• "Again" - Lenny Kravitz  
• "Changes" - 2Pac
• "Electrical Storm" & "The Sweetest Thing" - U2
• "Murder Incorporated" - Bruce Springsteen

Also, the best soundtrack of 1995 is "Empire Records".  Just so many great songs by so many great bands.  Also, the movie is great.

The blog has been revitalized and I feel there will be a 1996 retrospective coming soon.

Until next time...

Re-Writing The Past

1.5 years ago I re-started this blog, made two posts...and then abandoned it again!  Here's the third post I started, which would have been much more relevant if released in 2024, but, hey, shit happens. This post is now 49 year old me looking back at 18 year old me and that person's musical faves.

A few years ago, I re-found my old writing book from my final year of high school. It is a standard Hilroy notebook with 250 pages. It has a large Tristan Psionic sticker on the front cover, with smaller Hartford Whalers stickers on the corners. My final year of high school spanned 1994 and 95. Some people say the last year of high school is the best year of your life. Or maybe no one says that, and I just made it up. At any rate, my last year of high school was very similar to my first 4 years of high school. I was never cool, this remained the same, but I had great friends, we had good times and I continued to invest heavily in music, namely CDs. 

32 years later, I am married, have two great kids, a crazy dog and a job I like. But certain things haven't changed: namely, I'm still not cool, and I am still investing heavily in music, granted mostly vinyl now, with the occasional CD and cassette.

Only the music part and maybe the not cool part is relevant to this blog post because contained within the pages of horrible poetry and stilted fiction was my top 10 albums of 1994. 

Behold. I have replicated this list below and as an added bonus, I have included my mini-reviews from said notebook.

10. "Dookie" - Green Day. Ted's Take: 14 two and a half minute toe tappers from the '90's "Punk Rockers".

9. "American Thighs" - Veruca Salt. Ted's Take: Their Nirvana-like guitar sound and amazing vocals are all one can ask for.

8. "Monster" - R.E.M. Ted's Take: Heavy guitars, Michael Stipe's ferocious vocals and kick-ass tracks. Awesome!

7. "Vitalogy" - Pearl Jam. Ted's Take: Wade through the crap and you've got a solid effort from these Seattle rockers.

6. "Whip-Smart" - Liz Phair. Ted's Take: A good mix of rock, punk, folk and country. A welcome addition to any collection.

5. "Definitely Maybe" - Oasis. Ted's Take: These British rockers show you why you should say "Definitely" to purchasing this one.

4. "Amorica" - The Black Crowes. Ted's Take: The first two tracks kick your ass, while the remaining beat the rest of you up. Amazing!

3. "Unplugged In New York" - Nirvana. Ted's Take: A great goodbye gift from the founders of "grunge".

2. "Purple" - Stone Temple Pilots. Ted's Take: Panned by most critics, this disc heated up my player for the whole summer. Powerful.

1. "The Blue Album" - Weezer. Ted's Take: The concert clinched it! Ten pop filled and kickin' tracks. Excellent!

Honorable Mentions: "Smash" - The Offspring, "Wildflowers" - Tom Petty, "Starry" - The Killjoys, "Superunknown" - Soundgarden, "Troublegum" - Therapy?

Two things. One, my mini-reviews are fairly awful and in some cases, inaccurate or misinformed. Two, would I rank these albums in the same order 31 years later? Would I swap any out? Did I make any grave oversights? Let's re-write the past and go on a journey through one of the best years in music. 

First, here is a list of other albums released in 1994, which I like, but did not make my list:

• "Ill Communication" - Beastie Boys
• "Dummy" - Portishead
• "Live Through This" - Hole
• "Dog Man Star" - Suede
• "Parklife" - Blur
• "His n' Hers" - Pulp
• "The Downward Spiral" - Nine Inch Nails
• "No Need To Argue" - The Cranberries
• "Jar Of Flies" - Alice In Chains
• "Pisces Iscariot" - Smashing Pumpkins
• "Protection" - Massive Attack
• "Sixteen Stone" - Bush (Bush X in Canada back then!)
• "Throwing Copper" - Live 
• "Ready To Die" - Notorious BIG
• "Hallucigenia" - Lowest Of The Low
• "Day For Night" - The Tragically Hip
• "In The Trees" - The Watchmen
• "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" - Pavement
• "Voodoo Lounge" - The Rolling Stones

Jesus, 1994 really was a great year for music and I'm leaving out albums that I just never connected with and/or have never heard. Maybe the first step in revisiting the top 10 is to figure out which albums from 1994 I still listen to with some regularity.

Still listen to regularly:

• Monster (top 10)
• Definitely Maybe (top 10)
• Amorica (top 10)
• Purple (top 10)
• The Blue Album (top 10)
• Wildflowers (honorable mention)
• Parklife (not on list)
• Jar Of Flies (not on list)
• Dummy (not on list)

Spin a few times a year:

• American Thighs (top 10)
• Vitalogy (top 10)
• Whip-Smart (top 10)
• Unplugged In NY (top 10)
• Troublegum (honorable mention)
• Superunknown (honroable mention)
• Ill Communication (not on list)
• Hallucigenia (not on list)
• Live Through This (not on list)
• Throwing Copper (not on list)
• Pisces Iscariot (not on list)
• Day For Night (not on list)

I would listen to The Watchmen's "In The Trees" more but it is not on vinyl. Come on guys.

In light of all of this information, let's take another look at the top 10.

10. "Dookie" - Green Day

The only top 10 album I rarely spin is "Dookie", mostly because Sirius XM's Lithium plays the key tracks like once an hour and I only have the picture disc vinyl, whose sound is terrible. "Dookie" was my gateway to Green Day but I prefer listening to "Warning", "Nimrod" or "American Idiot". So, I guess we have a vacancy in the top 10.

9. "American Thighs" - Veruca Salt

I like this album, I like this band, but I'm moving this out of the top 10. Sorry Veruca Salt!

8. "Monster" - R.E.M.

R.E.M. is an all time top 5 band, and #8 is too low a ranking. I know people shit on "Monster" but hell, it still rocks 30 years later. This one is moving up the list...

7. "Vitalogy" - Pearl Jam

I may get some hate for this comment, but I haven't liked a Pearl Jam release since "Avocado" in 2006. "Dark Matter" is wildly overrated in my mind and the less said about "Backspacer" and "Riot Act", the better. As a result, Pearl Jam has lost relevancy with me and I find myself skipping their tunes often when they come on Lithium. While "Vitalogy" contains some great songs, I'm going to drop it out of the top 10. Sorry Pearl Jam!

6. "Whip-Smart" - Liz Phair

Still love Liz Phair and this album in particular. This one is staying on the list.

5. "Definitely Maybe" - Oasis

Maybe you've read my previous blog posts and/or seen my Instagram posts to know that I sort of like Oasis. This one is moving up the list...

4. "Amorica" - The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes' first three albums are brilliant. This one may move down a few slots but it's going to stay in the top 10, mostly because "Gone" is one of the best opening tracks on any album and "Descending" is one of the best closing tracks on any album.

3. "Unplugged in NY" - Nirvana

Legendary unplugged set. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" might the most haunting song of all time. But I don't revisit it too often. This one is staying in the list but will drop.

2. "Purple" - Stone Temple Pilots

One of my favourite albums of all time. Staying in the list, and maybe staying at this number.

1. "The Blue Album" - Weezer

One of my favourite debuts of all time. Will it stay at #1 though?

The 2026 1994 Top 10 (previous position in parenthesis):

I get that this is revisionist history, but the notebook still exists and now the original list is forever immortalized on the interwebs. I think that sometimes you need perspective, and to see what albums, artists and songs grow with you.

10. "Unplugged in NY"- Nirvana (#3). Feels right here.

9. "Parklife" - Blur (*New*). Full confession, I hated Blur in 1994 and most of 1995. They were too British, "Girls & Boys" was annoying, "Country House" beat "Roll With It" in the "Battle of Britpop". For some reason, I decided to buy "The Great Escape" during the first few weeks of University. And I heard "The Universal". And my hatred of Blur dissipated. Now, Blur is one of my favourite bands. "Parklife" is such a fun record but also has great moments of sorrow ("This Is A Low"). It's gotta be on the list.

8. "Amorica" - The Black Crowes (#4). Still a great album, but #4 is too high (get it?!) as there are a couple of filler tracks on this one.

7.  "Whip-Smart" - Liz Phair (#6). Only drops 1 spot. 

6. "Jar Of Flies" - Alice In Chains (*New*). Maybe my favourite EP of all time. Their unplugged set is my favourite unplugged set as well. The song "Nutshell" is so, so good.

5. "Monster" - R.E.M (#8). R.E.M. didn't miss in the 90's. Or in the 80's for that matter.

4. "The Blue Album" - Weezer (#1). Yes, I dropped my #1 album of 1994 to #4. I was riding a Weezer wave in 1994; my friends and I saw them play the Opera House in Toronto and met the band, they had great b-sides. I still like this album a lot, but I do like "Pinkerton" more.

3. "Definitely Maybe" - Oasis (#5). I know, tt's not #1, even after they crushed their reunion concerts (I saw both Toronto shows, YAY!). I love this album so much, but there are two more from 1994 that I like more.

2. "Purple" - Stone Temple Pilots (#2). I just played this album again last week and it holds up so well. Miss Weiland a lot.

1. "Wildflowers" - Tom Petty (*New*). This is where time and perspective comes in. If you asked me what my 11th favourite album of all time is, the answer would be "Wildflowers". Every few years, I find a new favourite song on this record. Currently, it is "Crawling Back To You". The depth of songwriting is incredible and I spin this album at least once a month.

So, there you go. Only 3 swaps but one was pretty major. Maybe less time between blog posts? Maybe this will be the last one? 

Until next time...

Because We Need Each Other

On August 25th, the socials for Oasis, Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher all posted "27.08.24. 8am" in the classic Oasis font. The Internet collectively gasped as fans around the world quickly reposted this cryptic message to their IG stories. It had to be a reunion, right? Right? Right? When I first saw the post, I literally got goosebumps and also lost my mind.

The joke memes made the rounds - that they were announcing a new greatest hits boxset was my favourite - but the faithful, including myself, were convinced. This was it, the brothers were burying the hatchet and getting the band back together for the first time in 15 years. I was primed for this announcement, even if 8am was Great Britain Time, thus 3am Eastern Standard Time. No matter, I was setting my alarm so I could experience the announcement live. Come 8.05am (3.05am), the socials had it all - Oasis were reuniting in 2025 for live shows across England and Ireland. Tickets were going on sale August 30th, this time at 9am GBT. Seeing Oasis in England is a bucket list dream for me. The alarm was once again set, this time for 3.30am EST. I was definitely going to get tickets. For sure. But like many, I was not successful as after waiting for 5 hours in the queue, I was promptly kicked out. But apparently there were North American dates coming...including Toronto. More on this in a minute. Or a few, as I can be verbose.

Let's explore the 15 years Oasis was apart for a minute (or maybe more, again, verbose). Oasis released "Definitely Maybe" on August 30th, 1994. They broke-up on August 28th, 2009. Give or take, that is 15 years of being a band. They then waited almost 15 years to the day to reunite. Being away 15 years in music is like a lifetime. The 15 years have kinda flown by a bit as the Gallagher brothers each built and maintained successful solo careers, racking up #1 albums in their native England, selling out arenas, playing high profile festivals. I guarantee that they were asked if Oasis was getting back together in every interview they did supporting their solo efforts over the past 15 years. Personally, I felt they never would, and I was okay with this because their solo output has been at worst, good and in many cases, very good.

Liam was first out of the gate with Beady Eye, which was essentially the 2009 line-up of Oasis, minus Noel. They released their first album, "Different Gear, Still Speeding" in February 2011. In fact, it was released on the 28th of February, which is 15 days after my son, Liam, was born. There's that number 15 again. Wow. This album is good, solid meat and potatoes rock, with a couple of real gems in "Bring The Light", "The Roller", "Four Letter Word" and "The Beat Goes On". I saw them on this tour at Rebel/The Docks in Toronto and they played zero Oasis songs. And I was okay with it.

Noel Gallagher's first solo album, under the moniker Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, was released in October 2011. This was a more lush and mellow affair vs. Beady Eye, but that made sense to me given Noel's b-sides were generally more acoustic and mellow. I saw Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Massey Hall in Toronto and it was excellent. A great mix of solo songs from the album and Oasis tunes. Still, this debut is not my fave NGHFB album, even though the singles boast some incredible b-sides.

Beady Eye returned in June 2013 with their second album "BE", which is a more experimental effort vs. their debut. I like it well enough, but for me, it didn't have a lot of staying or repeat listening power. After not playing Oasis tunes on their first tour, they started sprinkling some in their set, likely to try to generate more interest. They did not come to Toronto on this tour cycle and in 2014, disbanded without a lot of fanfare.

In 2015, NGHFB returned with my fave of his solo albums, "Chasing Yesterday". One, 4 years is a long time to wait in this day and age. Two, at least the songs delivered. From opener "Riverman" to closer "The Ballad Of The Mighty I", every song is great (even "The Mexican"). I know I wrote about this album on the blog in 2015 so I won't get into too much detail. But it did seem Noel's star was continuing to rise while Liam's had dimmed.

Fast forward to November 2017, when NGHFB released "their" (or Noel's?) most experimental album in "Who Built The Moon?". It was weirder, but I still dug it. Also, the "bonus" track "Dead In The Water" is one of my fave Noel songs EVER. And that's a straight ahead acoustic tune. 

Literally a week before or two before "Who Built The Moon?" came out, Liam Gallagher released his first proper solo album in "As You Were". This album was not credited to Beady Eye or Liam Gallagher and Band, no, this was the return of Liam Gallagher. And this seemed to be what everyone wanted in the first place, Liam in all his glory. This album was a hit in England and he even did a small North American tour. I saw him again at Rebel/The Docks and I have to say this is the worst concert venue I've ever been to. Not to mention the show was like 70 minutes as Liam bailed before the encore due to "sickness". But the album is solid, with "Bold", "Chinatown" and "For What It's Worth" my faves.

At this point, I'm like it's fine there is no Oasis, both brothers are releasing really good music. Of course, after his comeback, Liam started going at Noel on Twitter (X?), calling him a "potato", and claiming that Noel refused to entertain an Oasis reunion. Noel released some EPs that continued his experimental streak and Liam released two more solo albums, "Why Me? Why Not?" (my personal fave) and "C'mon You Know". Oh, he also headlined Knebworth for 2 straight nights. Noel's new direction frustrated some of the Oasis faithful, while Liam full-on embraced the nostalgia, playing many key Oasis hits consistently at all his shows. 

The tables were turning. In 2023, NGHFB released "Council Skies", which is my 2nd fave of theirs (Noel's?). After a year, this album continues to be a great listen. Again, lush instrumentation, great melodies and lyrics. I was still quite fine with Liam and Noel continuing on their separate paths. Then news came of Noel's divorce and he seemed to be softening on his Oasis never getting back together stance. "Liam's people were to call his people". Which brings us up to the present.

What lead to this unbelievable turn of events? It's likely a combination of things. One, the 30th anniversary of "Definitely Maybe" was on the horizon, and Noel did an interview from a record shop (I want say it was in England) talking about the longevity of the album. Two somewhat surprising takeaways from this interview - a) he was super complimentary towards Liam. b) he said Oasis is still popular because of the fans, not the record company or anyone else. Link to that video is below, or at least the trailer, I can't link the video for some reason!

Two, the 30th anniversary of "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" is right around the corner. Three, if you have seen footage of Liam performing on his "Definitely Maybe" anniversary tour (or maybe you were lucky enough to go), you would see his sounds pretty damn good, so maybe they want to strike while the iron is hot. Four, maybe the money was too good to turn down. 

But I like to think Noel captured the key reason in that interview: that Oasis and their music still matters to people. And not just people my age who grew up with it. I can speak from experience that their music has found a younger audience. Sample size of 1, my 17 year old daughter loves Oasis and she discovered the songs mostly on her own through streaming. And she doesn't just love the "hits", but album cuts like "Slide Away" and "She's Electric", b-sides like "The Masterplan". I recently listened to a great podcast "Introducing 60 Songs That Explain The 90s" (thanks to my friend John for the pro tip), and one of the songs covered, naturally, was "Wonderwall". This song is the 2nd most streamed song of the 90's, very close to "Smells Like Teen Spirit", with over 2 billion streams. 

People my age who could not get tickets for the UK/Ireland gigs complained that young people shouldn't be allowed to have tickets. I fully disagree. Oasis has found a new audience, mostly because their songs do not sound like the "90s". "Wonderwall" or any of their other tunes could come out today and still resonate. That is the power of music and that is why Oasis is once again the biggest band in the world, 15 years after their demise.

Will we get new music? Will the brothers play nice and finish the now 33-date world tour? For the former, I don't necessarily need new Oasis music. For the latter, I sure as hell hope so (that's likely where the money comes in). Or that at least they make it to night 1 in Toronto, as my daughter and I will be going to see them*.

It's been nice to have those mid-90's vibes take hold even for a little bit, and to know they will continue into next year as the tour launches.

Also, this post comes 10 years and 9 days from my first Oasis post on this blog!

Until next time...thanks for reading.

* full shoutout to my friend Matt's girlfriend Oksana who is a Tickemaster ninja and got me a pair of tickets for Toronto night 1, while I managed to get shutout gunning for night 2!

If Oasis Can Reunite, Then I Can Certainly Restart This Blog

I last posted on this blog on December 22nd, 2016.  That is almost 8 years ago. Initially, I started Meat & Potatoes Rock as a creative writing outlet, with most of the topics about music. The first post on this blog was September 14th, 2014, which was an announcement that I was starting the blog.  Incidentally, I also joined Instagram in September 2014, unleashing my first post on September 25th. It was of The Gaslight Anthem, who I had recently saw at Rebel. On IG, I initially posted sporadically, without any consistent theme, but around 2015, I started focusing on posting music, specifically vinyl records.  Maybe you follow my Instagram account @teddybvinyl (likely because the link to this blog is in my profile now & how else would you find this place?!). 

Anyway, this return blog is about the blog but as you may gather, the blog and IG are interconnected. But back to the blog: the first 4 months of the blog yielded 6 posts, most of which were fairly in-depth as I had topics swirling around in my head for YEARS, so they were pretty much written already.  2015 yielded only 5 posts and 2016 saw the return of 6 posts, with the promise of more. However, I was also posting a lot on Instagram, gaining new followers and making real life friends. It was much easier to post on Instagram - you take a picture of a record/cd/cassette, write a couple of lines, hit post and viola, done. The blog requires you to sign-in, write more in-depth stuff, maybe have a theme, maybe try to hyperlink something, maybe include a few images; it's just more effort. I never said I was stopping the blog, but I also never logged into Blogger again, until today, that is.

For years, posting on Instagram was part of my daily routine.  I participated in monthly vinyl challenges, I commented on posts, replied to comments on mine, and discovered (and purchased) a whole lot of music. About a year ago, as Pulp sang, something changed. There was the dreaded algorithm, yes, and maybe because of this, a lot of my OG IG #vinylcommunty friends left the platform or at least stopped interacting on it. I still have a lot of great friends on IG, but I miss seeing posts from people that initially welcomed me into the community. I also felt, why does anyone care what I think about the new Olivia Rodrigo album? Did anyone really care, ever? This was an existential crisis. I took more breaks from posting; I even announced that I was stepping away at the end of February. Which lasted 3 weeks, until like Tom Petty, I came crawling back. 

Then I took another month off (no announcement this time, sometimes I like to be mysterious), before quietly returning in August of this year, around the time my favourite band of all time, Oasis (see blog post #2, October 15th, 2014, for the details), announced their return. Also, holy shit, Oasis actually reunited! A subject for another blog post (yay, there will at least be one more post). And I was on a good roll, posting daily and joining a September vinyl challenge, curated by my friend Trudy. And then I stopped again. This time, it wasn't the dwindling engagement or losing followers who were likely bots anyway, it was life. I don't really get into personal stuff on IG or online but I've been making a lot of trips from Pickering, where I currently live, back to my hometown in Burlington (Ontario, Canada, for you non-Canadians reading) and spending some good quality time at Joseph Brant Hospital. So regular posting on IG has stopped - with the exception of highlighting when there is a new blog post. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

Back to the blog again, sorry for all the cross-cutting, I tend to do this a lot!  During one of my hospital visits, I typed in meatandpotatoesrock.blogspot.com and started reading the old blog posts. Three things stood out: one, I seem to be able to retain a lot of random information about where, when and who I was with when I bought literally every album in my collection. Two, when I wrote a post, it was full commitment to the subject, with no stone left unturned. Three, the writing was not bad. And I remember it being fun to write a blog post (ok, that is 4 things now).

One of the last blog posts I wrote was called "Music For Commuting Vol. 1", where I attempted to chronicle which CDs I listened to that week on my daily commute from Pickering to Toronto (where I work). Oh the days where you had to go to the office everyday...while I miss seeing people, I don't miss the drives. My car then had a CD player, as it does now, given it is the same car. This was going to be a regular column on the blog.

On a good day, the drive from Pickering to Burlington is one hour. I drove down initially on Saturday September 7th. I was in a rush, and only had 2 CDs in the car. They were both by The Wallflowers, a band I have not listened to in forever. The albums in question were "Breach" (my hands down favourite Wallflowers album, seriously needs a vinyl reissue) and "Rebel, Sweetheart" (also solid). My parents live about 5 minutes from the Beat Goes On, so after a hospital visit, I decided to buy a few used CDs to act as the soundtrack on the return drive to Pickering. I picked up 4 used CDs for $25 CAD all-in, pretty good value. 

So, after 7 long-winded paragraphs of writing, the subject of this blog is "Music For Commuting Vol. 2, Eight Years Later".

First I listened to The Watchmen's "Brand New Day", which I picked up for $3.99. This was a CD I bought on release day in 1996, but I must have sold it in the late 90's when I needed beer/KD money because it was the only Watchmen album missing from my collection. And that just won't do as The Watchmen are a kickass band (they have been featured in previous blog posts).

The big hits on this album were "Incarnate", "Shut Up" and "Zoom". And this trifecta is still awesome. But my favourite on the album is the piano ballad "Beach Music". Close to 30 years after release, it still hits in all the right ways. I hopefully have it hyperlinked below (hey, it's been 8 years). 

Beach Music

I then listened to R.E.M.'s "Life's Rich Pageant", which was $4.99. R.E.M. are one of my all-time favourite bands, but I got into them during the Warner Bros. years in the 90's, thus I only have ever owned compilations of their IRS years on CD. I have all the IRS albums on vinyl and play them regularly. Guess I gotta complete the CD discography now. Anyway, I have many favourite R.E.M. songs, and "Fall On Me" is defnitely one. Ditto "Cuyahoga". Just a killer album through and through.

I also bought "Fables Of The Reconstruction" for $4.99. "Driver 8" is another all-time fave and, hey, The Watchmen have covered that tune in concert. Full circle moment. 

My most expensive pick-up of the day was the Beastie Boys' "Hello Nasty" for $8.99. I used to think that "Ill Communication" was my fave Beasties album, but then I got "Hello Nasty" on vinyl and damn, it is incredible. I'm a late bloomer in my appreciation for the Beastie Boys, and I fully regret that my parents caught us as we were trying to sneak off to Lollapalooza in 1994 when they were the headliners or at least on the bill, as I never saw them live. My favourite tune on "HN" is "The Move", which samples the Los Angeles Negros' "El Rey y Yo" at the end. I think it took me 3 years to realize this was a sample...just incredible, especially when the beat kicks in. Hyperlink below!

The Move

I then headed back to Burlington on the Wednesday morning and after my hospital visit Thursday, decided to go to my high school record store, Looney Tunes. One quick point. I think everyone deals with stressful situations in their own way. A record store always calms me, even if it's just aimlessly browsing. For 30 years, this has been my go to stress reliever. Looney Tunes is an awesome shop, still run by the owner Paul, as it was in high school. Looney Tunes also sells used CDs so I grabbed a couple for $8 each. 

First in the player was Dire Straits, "The Very Best of Dire Straits". I like Dire Straits, but only own a couple of their albums on vinyl. This hits package ticks a lot of boxes for the casual fan in me - "Romeo & Juliet", "The Sultans of Swing", all the "Brothers In Arms" hits, plus some killer live tracks. Perfect driving music.

I will def get flak for my second Looney Tunes pick-up (sorry Christopher Bean), "All The Way: A Decade Of Song" by Celine Dion. Look, Celine's voice is awesome. The video for "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" rules. As does the song "To Love You More". We likely do not need to speak about her duet with R. Kelly again, but the other hits on this comp slay.

To Love You More

I always look in the Oasis section at any record store I'm in - both vinyl and CD (and if there's cassettes, I look there also). The Beat Goes On was no different and imagine my surprise when they had the CD singles for the "Dig Out Your Soul" songs "I'm Outta Time" and "Falling Down", which are 2 of the 4 Oasis singles I'm missing. For some reason, the first time I visited the Beat Goes On, I left them, tempting fate. So when I went back and they were still there, I quickly grabbed them and paid.

I now realize I bought 8 CDs in the span of 3 days. They were all used, but I can't remember the last time I bought a CD. I think the last few weeks being in my hometown has definitely brought back some nostalgic feelings and CDs were a huge part of my 90's musical awakening. So maybe it does make sense. Plus, you can't play records in a car. At least not safely. 

As for the blog, I don't know if people even write (or actually read) blogs anymore, like Hall & Oates sang, I could be outta touch. But I'm going to work to keep this up for a bit. It's encouraged me to start writing with some structure again, which is a win.

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

Best of 2016

Again, I'm the worst at maintaining this thing. But I wanted to get in my annual list of what I dug this year. You may or may not agree, but if you don't Blogger is free so you can also have your say! I definitely lean to the rock side of things, I always have and as I get older, it gets further ingrained. Here we go.

16. Bon Jovi - "This House Is Not For Sale"

What can I say, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Or at least re-package the same tricks with a few new band members and a renewed sense of song craft/lyric writing. I wrote about this in my last post so won't dwell on it too much, but I really enjoy this record and they rush-released a live album of their London promotional appearance couple of months after it was released which encouraged me to buy tickets to their Toronto show in April. Side note, I saw Bon Jovi with my dad the first time when I was 10 in 1986 and my daughter, who will be 10 in March, is coming with me in April. The circle is complete!

Key Tracks: This House Is Not For Sale, Living With The Ghost, God Bless This Mess, Reunion


15. Iggy Pop - "Post Pop Depression"

The album title is pretty awesome and the record itself is also pretty impressive. Produced by Josh Homme, who also leads the band, it has Iggy's signature snarl, but also the density that Homme's bands dabble in. Even more impressive is the live album, again from London, that was released a few months ago, where this album, as well as the hits, get very good treatment from Iggy, Josh and company.

Key Tracks: Break Into Your Heart, American Valhalla, Sunday


14. Billy Talent - "Afraid Of Heights"

I saw Billy Talent live for the first time in the summer when they opened for Guns 'N Roses in Toronto and they were very impressive. I have generally been a fan of the hits and it so happened that this album dropped right after that show, so I picked it up. I want to say that this is a more "mature" effort from the band, but I'd rather say that it's a muscular effort, filled with great musicianship and some solid lyrics and melodies.

Key Tracks: Afraid Of Heights, Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats, Rabbit Down The Hole


13. Against Me! - "Shape Shift With Me"

The follow-up to my fave album of 2014 doesn't disappoint. At first, I wasn't feeling this one too much, but after repeated spins, the songs definitely are there. The messages are more straight forward compared with those on "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", but the songs are no less affecting.

Key Tracks: Crash, 333, Haunting, Haunted, Haunts


12. Kings Of Leon - "WALLS"

Again, I wrote about this one in my last post, so won't dwell too much, but I like how the Kings got their groove back on this one. I'm also glad I'll be going to see them live for the first time in January!

Key Tracks: Reverend, Waste A Moment, Around The World, Walls


11. Catfish & The Bottlemen - "The Ride"

I remember I read that the album from the Australian band DMAs was "totally like" Oasis. I have that album, and it is good, but to me, it doesn't sound like Oasis. Catfish's "The Ride" sounds like Oasis. Maybe it's because they share the same producer as the last two Oasis albums in Dave Sardy, or maybe it's because the band respects Oasis, but there are a couple tunes on this one that you could definitely (not maybe) equate with the brothers Gallagher. And there is definitely nothing wrong with that from where I am sitting.

Key Tracks: 7, Twice, Soundcheck, Oxygen


10. The Tragically Hip - "Man Machine Poem"

This is likely the band's last album and I respect them for staying true to themselves. Their last few albums did nothing for me truthfully, but this album, produced by members of Broken Social Scene, has a groove to it that the band hasn't had in years, if not, ever. Plus Gord Downie's lyrics/poetry fit the music perfectly. If this is a swansong, then they have gone out on top, dancing to the beat of their own drum.

Key Tracks: What Blue, Ocean Next, Machine, Tired As Fuck


9. Garbage - "Strange Little Birds"

There is always room for Garbage on my list. I love Shirley Manson and I love this band. While I was definitely into their comeback album "Not Your Kind of People", this album, like the Hip's, marches to the beat of its' own drum. It lacks the commercial sheen of their past work, and I feel the band is better for it. The songs are given a chance to breathe and they unfold like short stories, mostly dealing with darkness and gloom, but, hey, I'm okay with that. Here's to their next record, hope they continue down this path.

Key Tracks: Even If Our Love Is Doomed, Blackout, Night Drive Loneliness


8. Hiss Golden Messenger - "Heart Like A Levee"

I was told to purchase this album from Stephen, an owner of Dead Dog Records in Toronto. I've known him for 8.5 years as he used to run the Sunrise Records at Yonge and Bloor, where I work. I trust him implicitly, so when he says I will like an artist/record, I tend to listen. I'm glad I did, because this album is hitting a Ryan Adams / solo Dan Auerbach / mellow "Brothers"-era Black Keys sweet spot for me. Thanks again Stephen!

Key Tracks: Heart Like A Levee, Biloxi, Tell Her I'm Just Dancing


7. Radiohead - "A Moon Shaped Pool"

I immensely dislike "The King Of Limbs". I have tried to listen to that album many times and I just can't get through it. I heard Burn The Witch before "Moon Shaped Pool" dropped and thought "meh". So I downloaded the album when it came out, sat through Burn The Witch and got to Daydreaming. Then Decks Dark and Ful Stop and Identikit. And I thought, okay, this band isn't dead to me. When they want to rock, they definitely can and when they want to write a great melody, they definitely can. While this is my fifth fave Radiohead album overall, it is a welcome return to form.

Key Tracks: Daydreaming, Identikit, Decks Dark


6. Brian Fallon - "Painkillers"

I am a huge Brian Fallon fan, whether it be Gaslight, The Horrible Crowes or solo. This is his first official solo album and it delivers. He and Butch Walker make a great team. The songs are singer-songwriter but very catchy and as always, the lyrics deliver. Hoping that Gaslight eventually returns, but if not, more records like this will do.

Key Tracks: Painkillers, A Wonderful Life, Smoke


5. PUP - "The Dream Is Over"

The lead singer of PUP was told he'd never sing again before he made this album, thus the title of this record. Well, he proved everyone wrong and I'm certainly happy about that. In my life, I enjoy what I term "bratty" records. Loud, somewhat abrasive, but bursting with life. And this record ticks all these boxes. I keep thinking about what I would do if someone told me my dream was over. I'd like to think I'd write something like this, middle finger defiantly in the air.

Key Tracks: DVP, Doubts, The Coast 


4. Hamilton Leithauser + Rotsam - "I Had A Dream You Were Mine"

Total dream team here. I like The Walkmen and I love Vampire Weekend. When you put two of the principals together you get this dream pop gem that combines rock, folk, doo wop, pop, chamber pop, etc. Such a refreshing album for me this year and I've only had a couple of months with it. But it hits you right on impact.

Key Tracks: A 1000 Times, Sick As A Dog, Rough Going (I Won't Let Up), In A Black Out


3. Weezer - "Weezer (The White Album)"

Weezer is on a damn roll and I couldn't be happier. Their comeback record, "Everything Will Be Alright In The End", came in 2nd in my 2014 list and they are top 3 this year. This is just an infectious LP, everything that is right about Weezer, they are hitting on again. A definite summer album that you can play all year round. I'm really looking forward to their next step.

Key Tracks: Do You Wanna Get High?, Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori, California Kids, Endless Bummer


2. David Bowie - "Blackstar"

Seriously, am I wrong not putting this as number 1? It is a great album, but my number 1 is also great. I mean, what can you say about this album? It is challenging but rewarding. David Bowie wrote an album that described his death, released it and then passed away. He made his death an art project and I respect him even more for this.

Key Tracks: Lazarus, I Can't Give Everything Away, Sue (Or in a Season Of Crime), Blackstar


1. Jimmy Eat World - "Integrity Blues"

This is the album that I've been waiting for Jimmy Eat World to release since "Futures". Dense, muscular, heavy, mellow, all of this at the same time. And, I love the Bowie record, but this is home for me. I relate to these lyrics and to this band and that makes this my most essential record in this rather fucked-up year.

Key Tracks: Get Right, Pass The Baby, Pretty Grids, Sure and Certain


Other Music Stuff that Ruled this Year:

Oasis vinyl re-issues: Yes! Allowed me to complete my collection. All sound mega, but my faves are "The Masterplan" and "Be Here Now".

Oasis "Supersonic" doc: Yeah, I love Oasis. This doc is killer. It's on DVD/Blu ray now, so do yourself a favour and grab it (could make for a great stocking stuffer).

Bruce Springsteen's River Tour: Caught this in Detroit and jeez, this man is a revelation. Played "The River" in its entirety (about 2 hours) and then played almost two hours worth of hits and didn't leave the stage. The man is 67 I believe.

I Am The Resurrection

Soooo, I seem to be the worst really in maintaining the blog. But here it goes, back with another post and will hopefully end 2016 strong as I have a few more stories in me.

Back to this post though. I've noticed a trend this year, one that makes me feel good about music. The trend is...bands you sort of gave up on stepping up to the plate and really driving it out of the park. Like anyone really, musicians aren't perfect. You may love some of their work completely but then there is the inevitable fade as they want to try new things that may or may not jive with you or your changing tastes / life stages. There are a few bands that I used to be completely obsessed with where I am now having a hard time getting into their new stuff or 'direction' (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Keys and Incubus being three off the top of my head). The 5 bands I am going to write about today also fell into this bucket, that is, until they released their latest albums.

Green Day "Revolution Radio"

I became a fan of Green Day, like many, with the release of "Dookie". I was in high school and this record had everything I liked at that time - catchy tunes, swearing, rebellion. Potentially, nothing has changed since then! "Insomniac" followed and I also enjoyed this record. "Nimrod" I bought right before New Year's Eve 1998 (I believe) and I remember listening to Hitchin' A Ride and Good Riddance driving back from a friend's after a New Year's Eve bash, completely hungover. Great times. "Warning" for me is an underrated record. More acoustic, potentially less commercial, though I'm not sure why, given all the songs are pretty catchy. Minority was the first single and it grabbed me right out of the gate. Upon purchasing the album, Macy's Day Parade became a fave. It still is to this day. There is more maturity on this record and maybe that is why it didn't appeal to the masses; Green Day and I were growing up together.

Of course, "American Idiot" was the game changer, a rock opera, where they channeled the rebellion of "Dookie" and the maturity of "Warning" and just went for it. Huge record, lots of Grammys. This tour was the first and only time I've seen the band live and they certainly put on a show. I just recently pulled this album out and listened to the whole thing for the first time in God knows how long and it still is a great album, even if you still hear the big hits in heavy rotation. I mean, Jesus Of Suburbia, what a song.

"21st Century Breakdown" didn't do much for me at all. A few good songs, but the 5 year gap between it and "American Idiot" and the feeling that the band was trying a bit too hard to re-capture "AI" glory didn't add up for me. "Uno", "Dos", "Tre", a triple album blitzkrieg was overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. I have listened to all three of these albums. Likely culling the best material into one album might have been a better plan, though the songs Carpe Diem, Oh Love and Dirty Rotten Bastards are pretty good. These came out in 2012, I believe and then Green Day sort of disappeared. Billie Joe was going through issues and they took a much needed break.

That was until this year. "Revolution Radio" was announced and Bang Bang was the first single. To be honest, this song is not my fave, so I wasn't really sure what direction the new album was going to go in. I downloaded it on Google Play the day it came out and listened. Then I re-started and listened again. To me, the band sounded revitalized, definitely rocking. Catchy tunes still intact. Attitude still intact. Some maturity and no "concept" to try to understand. Just 12 good songs, ones that I want to re-visit and that my kids like as well! Highlights here are Forever Now, Youngblood, Bouncing Off The Walls and Say Goodbye. Green Day back in early 1990's / 2000's form and I couldn't be happier.

blink-182 "California"

I'm going to start off by saying that "Take Off Your Pants & Jacket" is one of my favourite albums ever, period. blink carved out a very nice career writing catchy, pop punk anthems, sung by two front men with very distinctive voices. I know I liked Dammit in university, but I became a true blink fan in the summer of 1999 when I heard What's My Age Again? The protagonist was 23, as was I at the time, so it just spoke to me. I promptly picked up "Enema Of The State" and have continued to support the band since. blink sort of pulled a Green Day in going for maturity on their self-titled release in 2003, which I was on board with, but then they announced a hiatus, with Mark and Tom heading out separately and we were given +44 (decent) and Angels & Airwaves (not my thing at all).

So when they announced they were getting back together and putting out "Neighborhoods", I was pretty excited. And ... that record is just kind of okay. It has some decent songs but sounds like two separate bands, little cohesiveness. I actually thought their "Dogs Eating Dogs" EP was more cohesive. But then Tom DeLonge quit and there you go, that's it. Except it wasn't. Enter Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio, a band I have to admit I have heard zero songs from. And they toured together and then made a record, "California". And it's actually good. Really better than it has any right to be. The songs are punchy and have life to them, even if they lack some maturity. My faves are Sober, Bored to Death and Los Angeles. It sounds like blink again, so hopefully they are back for the long run.

Jimmy Eat World "Integrity Blues"

I'm also going to start off this section by saying that "Futures" is one of my favourite albums ever, period. It is in my Top 10 and some days it might be in my Top 5. I remember when "Chase This Light" came out in 2007...it never really had a chance with me. Now, I have grown to enjoy that record quite a bit but after "Futures", the sheen and the pop sensibilities of it didn't really compute. I wanted punchy, moody, really "Futures" Part II. Then "Invented" came out and I was a bit meh on that one. The less said about "Damage" the better. Before and including "Futures", I regarded Jimmy Eat World as a strong 'album' band. "Clarity" and "Bleed American" are stellar.

Big Casino from "CTL" was a strong effort, one of my favourite songs by the band and a huge first single. Same with My Best Theory from "Invented", again, good song. Ditto I Will Steal You Back from "Damage". But overall, these last two albums had some clunkers on them. So when the band dropped Get Right this year after taking a self-imposed year hiatus, I listened intently. Again a strong single. Then they dropped Sure & Certain, You With Me and You Are Free, all before the "Integrity Blues" album came out. All of these songs are strong, so I started to get a bit excited. I downloaded the album at midnight on October 21st and listened to about half of it that night. It sounded good. I listened to the whole thing on my drive to work the next day and was pretty much blown away.

"Integrity Blues" reminds me a lot of "Futures". It's dense, somewhat mid-tempo, but the break and perhaps the "Futures" anniversary tour helped the band I think. Everyone sounds rejuvenated and the lyrics are deep; Jim Adkins has written a great set of songs here. The sequence of Pretty Grids / Pass The Baby / Get Right is just perfect. You would never know the band was on it's 9th record, they sound so fresh and the production is perfect. The title track is symphonic goodness, bleeding right into the epic closer Pol Roger. This is definitely one of the best records of the year in my books and I'm hoping that this is nice building block for the band to move forward with.

Kings Of Leon "WALLS"

I would like to say that I don't feel Kings Of Leon have released a bad album, but I haven't felt overly excited for a new record from them until "WALLS". "If Only By The Night" was of course their commercial breakthrough, though I prefer "Because Of The Times" as it was released right around the time my daughter was born, so great memories. Also, the songs on that album are banging. On Call, Charmer, Arizona, My Party, Fans, so may great tunes. But you can't argue with the songs on "IOBTN" either. Everyone knows the hits; the album cuts are solid also - Closer, Crawl, Notion. Solid.

"Come Around Sundown" isn't awful, it's just not fully exciting. The mood is a bit downtrodden for most and while it contains moments, it is sort of in neutral the whole way. I thought "Mechanical Bull" was a step-up but i re-visited it a few weeks ago as I started thinking about this blog and found it to be a little underwhelming overall. I heard Waste A Moment from "WALLS" on the radio and felt that excitement; it is a 3-minute charge of guitars, a catchy chorus, everything I enjoy really. Then they dropped Reverend and Around The World and I was completely on board. Terrible album artwork aside, the 10 tracks that make-up this record are tight, catchy and focused. The band is working with a new producer, Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire) and I think it has rejuvenated them. All in KOL are players and the production really isolates each member so you can hear what each are bringing to each song.

I'm going to see KOL for the first time in January, glad that they have their back catalog, but also excited to hear the new ones in the mix.

Bon Jovi "This House Is Not For Sale"

For those of you who have read my previous posts, you know that my second Bon Jovi post was less than positive. Since 2000, I felt the band have been going down the easy road, clamoring for pop hits vs. creating songs with any personality or substance. I felt Richie Sambora leaving the band was a death stroke that they wouldn't recover from. I'm happy to say that listening to "THINFS", that I was wrong, completely wrong.

I think the first single, the title track, dropped in early August and I quickly downloaded it. I listened intently and immediately, the lyrics worked for me. I got the sense that JBJ was writing from a personal place vs. the usual "get up off your knees" / every man places that I felt plagued the last few albums. Phil X's guitar playing is simple and tasteful. The riff is solid and it inspired me to learn the chords for this one on guitar. And I actually can play most of it, and it actually sounds decent. They then dropped Knockout (at first, meh, I've grown to enjoy it), Labor Of Love (solid ballad) and Born Again Tomorrow. All 4 songs sounded good, much better than anything off of "What About Now", which I feel is the bottom of the barrel for Bon Jovi albums.

While we are on this topic, the "fan album", "Burning Bridges" (contractual obligation), they released in 2015 was actually not half bad. Some of the songs seemed to actually have personal meaning to JBJ, which elevates things for me with this band. In particular, try Teardrop To The Sea, Fingerprints and We Don't Run.

Anyway, the full "THINFS" album was due to come out October 21st, but then got moved back to November 4th for some unknown reason. But, as luck would have it, I went to a store (I will protect their identity) in Toronto on the 21st and saw the vinyl sitting on the shelf so it was a no brainer purchase. When I got home, I gave it a spin and am happy to say that this is Bon Jovi's best album since "These Days" (1995), bar none. It is obvious listening to the whole album that JBJ is writing from a place close to him, there are definitely a few songs about the Sambora defection (i.e. Living With The Ghost, Devil In The Kitchen), and it suits him and the band. Phil X is good, and I feel on the next record, he will bring a lot more to the table (when he is allowed to). JBJ said the band had "nothing to prove" with this album, but they did to me. They had to prove that they actually still cared about the music vs. the world tours, etc. I'm very happy the band pulled this off and made it about the music again, I didn't feel they had it in them.

The one criticism I have is that the production on some songs is very muddy; many instruments competing with each other with little space. The band should give a thought to maybe bringing in someone new on the next one, John Shanks is a little tired. Perhaps Markus Dravs would be a good choice! But, hey, at least Bon Jovi has new songs now that I would gladly hear live, mingling with the old war horses. My daughter is also a fan and is asking when the band is coming in concert...so I guess we will be riding that steel horse once again.

Until next time...

Catch You On The Flipside, Part 1

I seem to discuss b-sides a lot in my posts so I thought I should devote some time to talking about some of my favourites.

My history of the b-side starts when I was young and as a family we used to walk up to the local video store at Fairview Place Plaza in Burlington and along with the VHS movies, they had a bin of 45's. I know I bought Irene Cara's Flashdance and the theme from "The Greatest American Hero" there. So maybe that is where my history with 45's starts, because I was buying for the a-sides; maybe I just wanted to let you all in on my early obsessions with '80's movie and TV theme songs. My history of the b-side actually starts with a band I've devoted two blog posts to already: Bon Jovi.

Bon Jovi is the band that turned me onto buying CD singles. I used to love buying CD singles and still have a pretty good collection of them. Before the internet, the only way to get new songs before the real album came out was to tape the songs off the radio, tape the video off Much Music or get the CD single. I was good at doing all three of these things because when I hear something I like, I need to get it immediately! But the CD single was the most convenient of the three options above, bar none.

Now, one can get things instantly off iTunes or Google Play or any other streaming service and yes, it's convenient but there is something I miss about the CD single. And that is the b-sides. The single was great to have given that the song you were hearing on the radio was the entry point but it was the allure of the extra, non-album tracks that made seeking these out so exciting.

Bon Jovi

The first Bon Jovi CD single I bought was Keep The Faith, as it was backed with I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas and a live version of Living In Sin. The X-Mas song is not my fave, but I did pull it out for the 1992, 1993 and 1994 holiday seasons. The draw here was the title track (as I bought it before the album dropped) and the live version of Living In Sin, which was recorded in Lakeland, Florida in 1989. JBJ's voice is in top form here and they slow the song down to almost a marching band-like dirge. JBJ even belts out the scream at the end! Solid.

I then was on a mission for Bon Jovi CD singles. I mentioned this before but for us kids from Burlington, hitting the HMV Superstore and Sam The Record Man in Toronto was like the holy grail of music purchasing. I do have to give props to Sunrise in Burlington Mall and Cheapies in Hamilton (both still open!) who also carried a lot of good CD singles. One trip down to HMV netted the Bed Of Roses single, complete with live tracks (Tokyo Road, I'll Be There For You, Lay Your Hands On Me). Around this time, I also began to explore whether other bands had CD singles. I picked up the Gin Blossoms' Hey Jealousy, which was backed with the "New Miserable Experience" album track Cajun Song and the b-sides Just South Of Nowhere and Angels Tonight. Both these songs are quite good and I was happy to have found it (I think Sunrise was the store I found it at).

Back to Bon Jovi, the "Keep The Faith"-era singles almost exclusively included live tracks as b-sides, which I was okay with, as I already pointed out in a previous blog, Bon Jovi was on the top of their live game at this point. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, I Believe and the epic 2 CD single set Dry County (with the amazing live tracks Dry County, Blood Money, Stranger In This Town, Waltzing Mathilda (Tico Torres on lead vocals) and the cover It's Only Rock N' Roll included) rounded out this era for me. Plus, the CD singles for Dry County were gold. Seriously, check it out.

I think during this time they also released a CD single of JBJ's version of Please Come Home For Christmas, which again was backed with I Wish Everyday Could Be Like Christmas and a live version of Back Door Santa (as terrible as the song title). Again, this got play around the holidays in 1993 and 1994 (at the height of my Bon Jovi obsession). I feel I have not played it since that time, but the single is still in my collection. 

During the "Cross Road"-era, I picked up the Always single (again before the album came out), which was backed the amazing b-side Edge Of A Broken Heart. Not sure which era this song was recorded in (and I'm too lazy to look it up), but it definitely could have fit on "Slippery" or "New Jersey". Someday I'll Be Saturday Night followed and it contained Good Guys Don't Always Wear White, from "The Cowboy Way" and live versions of Always and With A Little Help From My Friends (both recorded in Montreal). Come to think of it, Someday I'll Be Saturday Night is a live version as well, though the packaging does not indicate this. A pleasant surprise for the completist in me.

The "These Days"-era also generated a lot of CD singles, but I have to say that the b-sides were of varying quality. The album is close to perfect and you can see why they relegated most of these tracks to b-sides. Later singles (Lie To Me, Something For The Pain) included great live songs from the band's Wembley Stadium shows. These were definitely worth seeking out. The These Days single I have contained live tracks from South Africa, including (It's Hard) Letting You Go and Rockin' In The Free World. I missed a couple of singles here, including the 1st part of These Days, which contained the live version of the title track. I may have to seek this out.

I also picked up JBJ solo singles from "Destination Anywhere". Again, live tracks from this era were the norm, but he did include the non-album track Sad Song Night on Midnight In Chelsea. This is a fun little pop tune.

I do have singles from the "Crush", "Bounce", "Have A Nice Day" and "Lost Highway"-eras, the former contain a lot of non-album tracks, but none of them really stood out to me. The latter contain live tracks, the most notable being a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, which is great. By "The Circle", CD singles were pretty much obsolete in Toronto record stores. I know some singles exist for this album, but the b-sides are live versions of tracks I'm not a huge fan of, so pass.

Oasis 

Oasis raised the b-side game for me as there weren't a lot of live tracks, but actual non-album tracks. There are just so many good ones and I've written about how I acquired a lot of the singles in other posts...I'll just make a list of my favourite ones.

• Talk Tonight
• Acquiesce
• Listen Up
• Fade Away
• (It's Good) To Be Free
• Going Nowhere
• My Sister Lover
• Rockin' Chair
• Bonehead's Bank Holiday - This was on the vinyl version of "What's The Story" but semantics. It's kind of a jokey song but it's mega catchy.
• Step Out
• The Masterplan - so, so good. This would be many bands' greatest musical accomplishment.

• Headshrinker
• Half The World Away
• Round Are Way
• D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?
• Let's All Make Believe
• Underneath The Sky
• I Am The Walrus (Live)
• Cum On Feel The Noize
• The Boy With The Blues
• I Believe In All

To be honest, Let's Make Believe (circa 2000) was the last b-side I loved up until the "Dig Out Your Soul"-era (last two songs on the list), when Noel and Liam seemed to be firing on all cylinders again. But seriously, the list above is mostly original songs that were discarded for whatever reason and are top notch. This list doesn't include the key non-album singles Whatever and Lord Don't Slow Me Down, which would have been among the greatest songs on whatever album they ended up on. Additionally, it does not contain Sad Song, which was initially on the vinyl of "Definitely Maybe" and is also one of my faves. 

And Noel continues to produce great b-sides with the High Flying Birds. Songs like I'd Pick You Everytime, A Simple Game Of Genius, Alone On The Rope, Do The Damage, Freaky Teeth are gems that could have been the centerpieces of album #3. Noel is one of the few remaining artists who still puts out b-sides consistently.

Pearl Jam

I don't like the song Jeremy, but I did buy the CD single of this song, as it contained songs I had never heard of, Footsteps and Yellow Ledbetter. Both of these songs are fantastic, the latter has a great, great guitar solo (though my friend John disagrees). The Dissident CD single from the "Vs" era was split into three parts, each with 6-7 live tracks from a show in Atlanta. So essentially you got the entire concert by getting all three singles. I think those are the only singles I have by Pearl Jam, but I do have the excellent compilation "Lost Dogs", which culls many b-sides from 1992 through to 2003 (I think). This brings me to another lost art, the b-side album. Oasis have done it, The Killers have done it, Doves had a disc devoted to b-sides on their greatest hits album. No one really does it anymore, which is a shame.  

Garbage

I liked Garbage's debut album a lot and one time when I was in Buffalo at the terrible outlet mall on Military Road, I stumbled into a long defunct music store (honestly I think it was called Music 4 You or Music 4 Less or something equally inane) and found the Stupid Girl single, backed with a remix and the non-album track Driving Lesson. Like Gin Blossoms, if I latched onto a new band in the '90's (and 2000's and now, really) and they only had one album, I did all I could to find as many non-album songs as possible. Garbage fit this mold. I then picked up the Milk single, but I believe it only contained remixes, but they were better than the original in my mind. I also have Queer Part 1 which again contained remixes but also the non-album track Trip My Wire (which I like better than Driving Lesson). Garbage just re-issued their first album and on the deluxe edition they devoted a CD to the b-sides of the era (only they called this disc G-Sides...of course). They do a killer version of The Jam's Butterfly Collector. Garbage CD singles struck b-side gold on their 2nd release "Version 2.0". They had amazing non-album tracks like Deadwood, Can't Seem To Make You Mine and Afterglow, as well as remixes. After this album, though, Garbage singles were hard to find, so my collection ends there.

Gaslight Anthem

I don't have any GA CD singles but I do have their b-sides album, creatively titled "The B-Sides". This record contains mostly acoustic re-workings of songs from "The '59 Sound" and "American Slang", but it also has the song She Loves You, which is amazing. From the "American Slang" sessions, this one should have made that album 100%. It also contains Songs For Teenagers, which is originally by a band called Fake Problems, that my friend Kyle turned me onto. Both this version and the original version are great and worth seeking out (here I will help you out with the original).

Because the band frequently puts out Record Store Day releases, I've also found other b-sides, including Misery, which again, is phenomenal. This band also respects the b-side and I have a lot of respect for them as a result!

I'm missing a lot of bands here, like Radiohead, the Verve, Suede, Smashing Pumpkins so there will need to be a second part to this post down the line. Maybe by then, the CD single will have staged a comeback.

Until next time...