772. Blur - Parklife

Release Date: 1994
Label: Food

I have this.

Rating: 10/10

771. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime

Release Date: 1994
Label: Interscope

1994 has been a poor year for new albums.

Rating: 4/10

770. The Offspring - Smash

Release Date: 1994
Label: Epitaph

Around 1998, I was starting to become very interested in music. One of the songs that seemed to be around was The Offspring's Pretty Fly For a White Guy. This album comes four years before that, but 'Pretty Fly' would fit it perfectly. This kind of music was never really my thing though, and aside from a few songs (by other bands) it still isn't.

Rating: 6/10

769. Soundgarden - Superunknown

Release Date: 1994
Label: A&M

I liked this album, I just didn't want it to be 70 minutes long. Sometimes, shorter is better - (not) like this review.

Rating: 7/10

768. Oasis - Definitely Maybe

Release Date: 1994
Label: Creation

I have this too.

Rating: 10/10

767. TLC - CrazySexyCool

Release Date: 1994
Label: LaFace

I own this already.

Rating: 8/10

766. Morrissey - Vauxhall and I

Release Date: 1994
Label: Parlophone

It's not that I don't like Morrissey's solo albums, it's just that they're irrelevant next to The Smiths. There not as intersting lyrically or musically.

Rating: 6/10

765. Elvis Costello - Brutal Youth

Release Date: 1994
Label: Warner Bros

I don't think we've had an Elvis Costello album in a while, and I'm surprised we've got one now. His previous albums were brilliant, but life has moved on since 1979 and I don't see the need for this one.

Rating: 5/10

764. Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

Release Date: 1994
Label: Capitol

It's strange to think that, whilst the likes of Nas or 2pac or Wu-Tang Clan were emerging, there was still room for the Beastie Boys to exist. This is a good record, but I don't love it anymore than their 80s classics.

Rating: 6/10

763. Nas - Illmatic

Release Date: 1994
Label: Columbia

I have this already.

Rating: 9/10

762. Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall

Release Date: 1994
Label: Warp

Bleh.

Rating: 5/10

761. Portishead - Dummy

Release Date: 1994
Label: Go! Beat

I have this.

Rating: 10/10

760. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Release Date: 1994
Label: Matador

Pavement have been a nice discovery in the latest batch of listens, and this one is just as good as their previous one. Recommended.

Rating: 9/10

759. Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East

Release Date: 1994
Label: Payday

Another 'unknown to me' critically important hip-hop album from the early 90s. This is different from the G-funk sounds from the West Coast, and though not as well known, arguably more original

Rating: 6/10

758. Girls Against Boys - Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Release Date: 1994
Label: Touch and Go

A pretty forgettable post-hardcore album.

Rating: 4/10

757. Frank Black - Teenager Of The Year

Release Date: 1994
Label: 4AD

Frank Black was previously in the Pixies, and this album is very much in the same vein. It started off well, but fell apart towards the end.

Rating: 6/10

756. Mehtod Man - Tical

Release Date: 1994
Label: Def Jam

I like most of what I've heard from the Wu-Tang clan, and this album is no different. It isn't particularly well know outside hip-hop circles, but it's certainly worth investigating.

Rating: 7/10

755. William Orbit - Strange Cargo III

Release Date: 1993
Label: Virgin

Rating: 5/10

753. Sebadoh - Bubble and Scrape

Release Date: 1993
Label: Sub Pop

Below average.

Rating: 5/10

754. The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps

Release Date: 1993
Label: Creation

I was really disappointed with this album. It seemed to me to be an hours worth of half-baked ideas that never quite reached their potential.

Rating: 4/10

752. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

Release Date: 1993
Label: Death Row

In the early 90s, West Coast hip-hop was arguably the dominant commercial force thanks to this album and Dr Dre's 'The Chronic'. Unfortunately, twenty years later, both albums sound too misogynistic to be anything other than a minor curiosity. There is, and will be, far better hip-hop albums than this.

Rating: 6/10

751. Orbital - Orbital II

Release Date: 1993
Label: Internal

An album very much of its time (like most albums are, I guess) but one that was perfectly nice to listen to.

Rating: 6./10

750. Bjork - Debut

Release Date: 1993
Label: One Little Indian

I have this.

Rating: 8/10

749. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Release Date: 1993
Label: Loud

I have this.

Rating: 9/10

748. The Fall - The Infotainment Scan

Release Date: 1993
Label: Matador

This was an interesting, especially the song that Mark E Smith sang.

Rating: 6/10

747. Sheryl Crow - Tuesday Night Music Club

Release Date: 1993
Label: A&M

I enjoyed this album, more than I probably should.

Rating: 7/10

746. Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish

Release Date: 1993
Label: Food

I own this one too. Modern Life is Rubbish is not rubbish.

Rating: 10/10

745. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me

Release Date: 1993
Label: Island

I own this.

Rating: 9/10

744. Pet Shop Boys - Very

Release Date: 1993
Label: Parlophone

I found this slightly less enjoyable than their previous offerings, so I'll give this one a six.

Rating: 6/10

743. Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth

Release Date: 1993
Label: Sony

Around twenty years ago I began my music collection by buying two albums, one of which was the latest release by Jamiroquai. This is their/his debut album. I am unfamiliar with most of the songs, but it is what you'd expect it to sound like.

Rating: 7/10

742. Nirvana - In Utero

Release Date: 1993
Label: Geffen

I have this.

Rating: 10/10

741. Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy

Release Date: 1993
Label: Slash

Until I started writing this 'review' I thought GLB was a solo artist. Turns out it's the name of a group. Still, the album was alright.

Rating: 7/10

740. Aimee Mann - Whatever

Release Date: 1993
Label: Geffen

There has been an influx of female artists lately and its difficult not to compare them. This is a perfectly agreeable record but it lacked the interest to make it worth purchasing.

Rating: 6/10

739. The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen

Release Date: 1993
Label: Elektra

5/10

738. Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville

Release Date: 1993
Label: Matador

This album didn't chart in the UK, which probably explains why I've never heard of it. It should've done because it's very good.

Rating: 9/10

737. The Auteurs - New Wave

Release Date: 1993
Label: Hut

New Wave has been called one of the earliest examples of Britpop, but doesn't really sound like Britpop at all to me.

Rating: 7/10

736. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Release Date: 1993
Label: Virgin

I didn't hate this album, but I don't think I could bring myself to love it either. I found myself knowing one of the songs before discovering it was on one of the Now albums.

Rating: 6/10

735. Paul Weller - Wild Wood

Release Date: 1993
Label: Go! Discs

Following on from his spots as the frontman in The Jam and Style Council, Paul Weller finally decided to go it alone in the early 90s. If you're familar with Weller's work, you''ll not be surpised that this album showcases his talents well.

Rating: 8/10

734. Suede - Suede

Release Date: 1993
Label: Nude

I own this one.

Rating: 10/10

733. PJ Harvey - Dry

Release Date: 1992
Label: Too Pure

Until recently I thought I owned all of PJ Harvey's studio albums, so it was a plesant surprise to release there was this.

Rating: 10/10

732. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Devotional Songs

Release Date: 1992
Label: Real World

This album wasn't available on Spotify.

731. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream

Release Date: 1992
Label: Mute

I own this one, obviously

Rating: 9/10

730. Alice In Chains - Dirt

Release Date: 1992
Label: Columbia


No thank you.

4/10

729. Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

Release Date: 1992
Label: Atco

This album, and there next one on the list are generally much of a muchness to these ears so I'll most probably give them the same rating.

Rating: 4/10

328. Ice Cube - The Predator

Release Date: 1992
Label: Lench Mob

Rating: 6/10

727. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

Release Date: 1992
Label: Atlantic

I own this one.

Rating: 8/10

726. Ministry - Psalm 69

Release Date: 1992
Labe: Sire

Terrible.

Rating: 2/10

725. Stereo MCs - Connected

Release Date: 1992
Label: 4th and Broadway

A couple of good singles, but otherwise an album that's sounds too dated to be relevant now.

Rating: 5/10

724. Sonic Youth - Dirty

Release Date: 1992
Label: DGC

Sonic Youth have been one of my favourite discoveries in this book, but the previous album and this one have been underwhelming in comparison to their first three in the book. Perhaps they peaked with Daydream Nation. I do feel as though I need to listen to these again though, much like a lot of the 7 star albums in the list.

Rating: 7/10

723. Tom Waits - Bone Machine

Release Date: 1992
Label: Island

I remember finding Tom Waits's 70s albums 'difficult' before being immediately impressed by his two 80s offerings. This one falls somewhere between the two. There are moments of pure brilliance - 'Dirt In The Ground' and 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' are especially good, but it didn't move me like the previous two.

Rating: 7/10

722. Sugar - Copper Blue

Release Date: 1992
Label: Rykodisc

This sounded nothing like I expected to, having read the book review, and unfortunately that's a bad thing. It was possbily one of the least interesting albums I've listened to in a while. It is critically acclaimed however, so clearly I know nothing.

Rating: 3/10

721. Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies

Release Date: 1992
Label: Dedicated

A slow, sleepy sort of a record that failed to grab my attention while I listened to it.

Rating: 6/10