Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1998 - (page 271)

1994
Morrissey's finest solo year.....
The album "Vauxhall & I" is released and it never got as good as this.... 2004's "You Are The Quarry" pushed it close but this was the pinnacle of the solo career.
From the opening lines of the opening song "Now My Heart Is Full" ("There's going to be some trouble....") to the closing lines of the closing track "Speedway" ("In my own strange way, I've always been true to you....") it is tune after tune ("The more you ignore me, the closer I get", "The Lazy Sunbathers", "Why don't you find out for yourself", "Used to be a sweet boy", "Hold on to your friends") from start to finish.
To think it is 32 years old is frightening!
Also, my hero and heroine got together to produce a single. My wet dream of Morrissey & Siouxsie Sioux together this year, on vinyl to produce a cover of Timi Yuro's 1968 song "Interlude".
The duo fell out when (according to Siouxsie) Morrissey wanted a video to include bull dogs.... Siouxsie, aware of her brushes with the far right when wearing a swastika in the 70's (as a fashion item rather than a political statement) stayed clear and Morrissey's door was shut tight.....

Locally, the Inspiral Carpets released their fourth album including singles "Saturn 5", "Uniform" and "Bitches Brew", along with collaborating with Mark E Smith on "I Want You". The band were dropped by Label "Mute" shortly after and the band broke up.....

Primal Scream produced one of the years greatest rock songs in the New York Dolls / Jaggeresque "Rocks".

Other notible songs - Supergrass "Caught by the fuzz", Oasis "Supersonic", Pulp "Do you remember the first time?", REM "What's the frequency Kenneth?", Dodgy "Staying out for the summer"
The Stone Roses first release in four years was the single "Love Spreads", but the party was over..... the world had moved on and 1995 was the year when the new kids on the Manc block took over......

Playlist
Morrissey - Speedway. - what a belter of a tune, back then and still today performed live.
Morrissey & Siouxsie - Interlude
Inspiral Carpets - Saturn 5
Primal Scream - Rocks
How could I have forgotten “Love Spreads” and “Rocks”—how?!
 
How could I have forgotten “Love Spreads” and “Rocks”—how?!
The only time I've ever listened to Steve Lamacq was when he had the exclusive first play of Love Spreads.
He played it first and last on the show. Still think it's probably the best song they did after the first album
 
For my last pick I'll go with something that shows the fickle nature of the music industry.

Everything But The Girl released the album Amplified Heart in '94. Despite having built a loyal fanbase the album convinced their record company they were never going to get hits out of them and so they were promptly dropped. It took a few months and a Todd Terry remix to suggest the record company didn't entirely know what they were doing.

Everything But The Girl - Missing
Couple of great mixes of this
 
A bit late to this, but thought I might as well add a few that I think deserve to be included:

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
Pretty Maids All in a Row - Eagles
(from Hell Freezes Over)
Shut Up and Kiss Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter (with the great Kenny Aronoff on drums)
 
A bit late to this, but thought I might as well add a few that I think deserve to be included:

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
Pretty Maids All in a Row - Eagles
(from Hell Freezes Over)
Shut Up and Kiss Me - Mary Chapin Carpenter (with the great Kenny Aronoff on drums)

Is there anyone Aronoff hasn't played for/with? In the documentary Hired Gun it's suggested that there's about 30 top session/touring musicians who are pretty much responsible for the vast majority of the top selling stuff. Given the decline of bands I can well believe this.

Aronoff did some podcasts with various musician guests a while back, watched a few and they were very enjoyable.
 
Is there anyone Aronoff hasn't played for/with? In the documentary Hired Gun it's suggested that there's about 30 top session/touring musicians who are pretty much responsible for the vast majority of the top selling stuff. Given the decline of bands I can well believe this.

Aronoff did some podcasts with various musician guests a while back, watched a few and they were very enjoyable.
And of course he started off as "John Mellencamp's drummer".

I was reading part of his autobiography online. He said that when he got a big cheque from Mellencamp, he bought a house in a nice house in a nice neighbourhood. He said that he liked to think that people were saying: "Do you know who lives there? Kenny Fucking Aronoff!!!" But he accepted that they were probably saying that John Mellencamp's drummer just moved in.
 
And of course he started off as "John Mellencamp's drummer".

I was reading part of his autobiography online. He said that when he got a big cheque from Mellencamp, he bought a house in a nice house in a nice neighbourhood. He said that he liked to think that people were saying: "Do you know who lives there? Kenny Fucking Aronoff!!!" But he accepted that they were probably saying that John Mellencamp's drummer just moved in.

When I posted this it did occur to me that it would only be a matter of time before you pointed out where he got his big break :-)

Though there's been some decent documentaries over the years about session players/touring/sidemen etc I would love to see a longer series that went into it in more depth from the various angle; the music itself to the business side to the human dynamics and the psychology of it all etc.
 
And of course he started off as "John Mellencamp's drummer".

I was reading part of his autobiography online. He said that when he got a big cheque from Mellencamp, he bought a house in a nice house in a nice neighbourhood. He said that he liked to think that people were saying: "Do you know who lives there? Kenny Fucking Aronoff!!!" But he accepted that they were probably saying that John Mellencamp's drummer just moved in.
I have mentioned before that I will be seeing Aronoff again live all being well in July. He is in Sammy Hagar’s band with Joe Satriani and original VH bassist Michael Anthony, performing, mainly, Van Hagar songs.

I think the last time I saw him was also with the same guys in Chickenfoot when he stood in for Chad Smith on tour, due to Chad being busy with the Chilli…

KA is possibly in my top 10 favourite drummers but I never really think beyond the top 3.
 
I have mentioned before that I will be seeing Aronoff again live all being well in July. He is in Sammy Hagar’s band with Joe Satriani and original VH bassist Michael Anthony, performing, mainly, Van Hagar songs.

I think the last time I saw him was also with the same guys in Chickenfoot when he stood in for Chad Smith on tour, due to Chad being busy with the Chilli…

KA is possibly in my top 10 favourite drummers but I never really think beyond the top 3.
Saw KA with John Fogerty years ago—his drumming, bloody hell.
 

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