As the final entry in this collaborative, explorative venture, Pulling for a Pulse searches in multiple directions for the heartbeat that drove 1994 to be one of the great years in our collective musical history. As Chris correctly noted, 1994 seems to be, in many ways, the apex of the scene. Some of the major players such as Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Soundgarden recorded their final noteworthy albums while former foundation musicians of great bands, such as Frank Black of the Pixies, attempted to recreate or expand their image and style as solo artists or with new incarnations. Simultaneously, a few new artists emerged and gave us a glimpse into things to come.Pulling for a Pulse attempts to capture both the twilight of the music that was and the dawning of the music that would become. Lush's first track is the only song off of their album Split that seems to harken back to their beautifully dark album Spooky. Pearl Jam follows with "Corduroy" from Vitalogy to remind us why we all fell for this band as soon as Ten hit the shelves back in 1991. Live's Throwing Copper remains one of my favorite albums (the only really good, consistent one from the band) and "I Alone" is a highlight on their sophomore breakthrough. The Cranes are a mixed bag as a whole but "Beautiful Friend" is an insanely enrapturing song. The next two songs underline how Bob Mould and Frank Black removed the shackles from their previous efforts and moved in new directions as a band (Sugar) and as a solo artist respectively. Beck's album Mellow Gold exposed the irresistible, avant-guarde, lo-fi pop that he would continue for the next 15 years and "Snoozer" seems to encapsulate this style perfectly. And finally, the last three songs punctuate what I consider to be each artist's final profound execution.
I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have putting it together with my longtime friend. Onward we go while reflecting on where we came from.
01. Lush - Light from a Dead Star
02. Pearl Jam - Corduroy
03. Live - I Alone
04. Cranes - Beautiful Friend
05. Sugar - Your Favorite Thing
06. Frank Black - Headache
07. Beck - Snoozer
08. Jesus and Mary Chain - Sometimes Always
09. Nine Inch Nails - March of the Pigs
10. Ride - How Does It Feel to Feel
A fantastic mix, Carl. Here are some thoughts...
ReplyDelete"Light From A Dead Star" — Ah, yes. I remember borrowing Spooky from you back in the day. This track, however, is new to me. Even though it has a familiar sound, I can't honestly say I've heard it before. I absolutely love it.
"Corduroy" — Lush to Pearl Jam? This transition is nicely done! "Corduroy" is likely my favorite song from Vitalogy (though "Not for You" and "Tremor Christ" are strong competitors). I have enjoyed all of Pearl Jam's albums, but I tend to agree that Vitalogy is their masterpiece.
"I Alone" — Before becoming the band that paved the way for Creed, Live was as relevant, promising and interesting as Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and other heavy weights. Throwing Copper is a near-masterpiece and one of my favorite albums from the 90s. Subsequent albums reveal a few gems, but overall these guys never lived up their expectations.
"Beautiful Friend" — Ah, yes. I do love this song. I have to give credit to my friend Matt Miller for introducing this song and the album Loved to me.
"Your Favorite Thing" — Another new song for me! Hooray!
"Headache" — I know that this might sound sacrilegious, but Teenager of the Year holds more sentimental meaning to me than anything Frank Black (Black Francis) has done before or since (yes, I know that includes the Pixies). I just love this album and "Headache" is a pop gem.
"Pay No Mind (Snoozer)" — I commented earlier that there were a few artists from 1994 that I willfully ignored. Beck was one of them. I've turned around, however, and now think he's fantastic. Mellow Gold is a great album... a promising debut (yeah, I know it's not his first album, but still...)
"Sometimes Always" — I didn't hear this song until after picking up the Jesus and Mary Chain's greatest hits album. It's a great song... and I love hearing Hope Sandoval outside of Mazzy Star.
"March of the Pigs" — I also agree that Downward Spiral was the last essential album by Nine Inch Nails (though Year Zero is somewhat noteworthy). I found this album to be too stark and nihilistic at the time... but I actually enjoy it more now.
"How Does It Feel" — Another new one! I haven't heard Ride prior to this mix, so thanks for introducing them.