Just prior to embarking on his journey to Vietnam, Carl Beach managed to put together and submit the second volume in our series exploring the sounds of 1994. Though he didn’t have time to write an introduction, Carl commented that the mood of Tumbling into Texture aptly captures the way he felt in 1994. Poetic? Melancholy? Sensitive? Reflective? Disillusioned? One look at the artists presented here, and you’ll know the correct answer is "all of the above." From Massive Attack to the Cure, Tumbling into Texture finds beauty in darkness, colors in sepia tone, hope in despair. “Burn” remains one of my favorite Cure songs, and I’m always stunned by the sadness that ultimately displaces and haunts the seemingly callous encounter in “Chopsticks.”
Though I have many of these albums in my collection, there are a handful of tracks that are completely new to me (Stina Nordenstam, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco); a reminder that there are so many great artists, songs and albums yet to grace my eager ears. Enjoy.
01. Protection - Massive Attack
02. When Debbie's Back From Texas - Stina Nordenstam
03. Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
04. Chopsticks - Liz Phair
05. Strangers - Portishead
06. Thirteen - Johnny Cash
07. Past The Mission - Tori Amos
08. If He Tries Anything - Ani Difranco
09. Fear - Sarah McLachlan
10. Burn - The Cure
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Back from a stellar trip in Vietnam, I feel the need to expand on Chris's more than appropriate explanation on the genesis of this mix. I honestly can't say that I listened to all these artists when released. I had just rediscovered Johnny Cash. I had never heard of Stina Nordenstam until my sojourn in Ireland five years later. And Massive Attack somehow crept around my sound system until much later in my life. Nevertheless, most have found their way into heavy rotation at the Beach household in the years since and only reconfirm the greatness of the year 1994 in musical history.
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit as if I hijacked "Burn" from Chris. We both agree that this is one of The Cure's greatest songs. I remember the anticipation we both felt when "The Crow" was rumored to have a kick-ass soundtrack that featured a new song by The Cure. We both could have thrown up waiting, and when the song was released, it blew us away. (I still remember sitting in the Rawlins' theater and hearing the song come up during the movie and leaning forward in my seat to absorb it all....). I also remember both of us thinking that this was to be the new sound of The Cure and thought it was a beautiful transition. Alas, it was not to be and the band took a very different route....
As for the rest, Chris's explanation of how I felt during this time seems right. Combine one part sensitivity with two parts frustrated, confused sexuality, add a dash of loneliness and a splash of veneration for the female form and there you have the 18 year old Carl Beach....
Like Carl, I discovered several albums and songs from 1994 many years later. Some of them I willfully ignored (to my loss), others just didn't grab my attention until even recently. Rediscovery is part of the fun, and is in fact the very purpose of this blog.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that Carl was among the first of my friends to listen to and share the Cure with me, I hardly feel as though he hijacked "Burn." I think Carl and I saw "The Crow" together, but my memory is foggy. I can, however, recall the exact same feelings of anticipation—I couldn't wait to hear the new Cure song... and I wasn't disappointed. I was, however, less than thrilled with the direction the Cure took after releasing "Burn." Although I have enjoyed the band's subsequent work, "Burn" was the last moment when the Cure truly excited me.