(a happy
St. Patrick's Day to all, I wanted to send this out today as an honor to two women of Irish background mentioned below here)
Blue Moon Rock Evolution – 1993
1993 was year of “transitions” for me. It was the year my wife and I left the Garden State for the old North State, where we have resided ever since. In reflecting back on this now, that was quite a change at that time that was started by a sequence of unlikely dominos all falling into place that would take too long to describe here, but we’re very fortunate that things worked out the way they did. Another change happened that I’ll note in one of the song selections later on. This year also marked some significant musical transitions into some groups and bands I count among my favourites, as well as a return to form of one in particular from the Great White North.
Before we get into the music, here are the top world events from that year.
Key Global & Political Events
Israeli-Palestinian Peace: The landmark Oslo Accord was signed, with PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands at the White House.
Velvet Divorce: Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1.
Conflict & Instability: The Bosnian War continued with ethnic cleansing, while the U.S. began withdrawing from Somalia after the Battle of Mogadishu.
Nuclear Crisis: North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
South Africa: The country officially dismantled its nuclear weapons program.
Bombay Bombings: A series of 13 bombs in India killed over 250 people.
Europe: The European Union was formally established by the Maastricht Treaty.
Major UK Events
Politics & Economy: The Conservative government faced pressure as unemployment exceeded 3 million, though the economy technically exited recession. The May local elections saw heavy losses for the Tories, while Labour gained ground.
Criminal Justice: The murder of 2-year-old James Bulger by two 10-year-old boys in February shocked the nation and led to intense debate regarding youth crime. In April, the racially motivated murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence in London occurred, initiating a long campaign for justice.
Northern Ireland: In December, Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds issued the
Downing Street Declaration, which was a foundational step toward the peace process, outlining the principle of consent for Northern Ireland's constitutional status.
Society & Infrastructure: The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was disbanded, with women integrated into the Royal Navy. Construction began on the Poundbury urban project.
Disasters & Incidents: In June, the Holbeck Hall Hotel in Scarborough collapsed into the sea following a coastal landslide. In November, a minibus crash on the M40 killed 12 children and a teacher.
Culture & Sport: The Rags secured the inaugural Premier League championship. England failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup, leading to the resignation of manager Graham Taylor.
Major US Events
Bill Clinton: Sworn in as the 42nd U.S. President on January 20.
World Trade Cener Bombing: Terrorists detonated a van bomb in the World Trade Center parking garage, killing 6. I remember this event from late February concerned for friends from NJ who commuted daily and worked closeby on Wall Street. That was another sign at the time that our time in that region was coming to an end.
Natural Disasters: The "Storm of the Century" (Great Blizzard) hit the Eastern U.S. in March. I remember that one vividly that started on a Friday night and was another sign that a milder climate would be more ideal, which was already under consideration.
Waco Siege: A 51-day standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidian cult ended in a fire that killed over 80 people.
Legislation: The NAFTA trade agreement was approved, and the Brady Gun Control bill was signed.
Technology & Culture
The World Wide Web: CERN released the World Wide Web software into the public domain, revolutionizing internet access. It is true that Al Gore was vice president at the time.
Pop Culture: Jurassic Park broke box office records, and
Cheers aired its final episode. The cast had an after-party aired on TV where the cast was mostly drunk. That made for some must-see TV more than the finale itself.
Intel: Shipped the first Pentium chips. Home PCs would soon become quite popular with this chip being a key part of them.
Obituaries: Tennis legend Arthur Ashe, actor Brandon Lee, and musician Dizzy Gillespie passed away.
A few notes about the songs that kick off the playlist below. I debated nominating songs off of The Cranberries and Suede’s debut albums, but I’d rather leave those tracks to their fans here that can add in the context here that I could never attempt to replicate. I enjoy both bands, but I’m saving my nomination for The Cranberries for another year soon for an album of theirs I like better, so there’s no need to argue there.
Stay cool, And be somebody's fool this year
This first single and opening track from
Siamese Dream contains various overdubs influenced by the genres of shoegazing as well as 1970s classic arena rock. According to The Smashing Pumpkins lead singer and guitarist Billy Corgan, the song's introductory drum riff is a direct lift from Rush's 1975 song "By-Tor and the Snow Dog", which is pretty clear in being familiar with both songs. This was one of the last songs written for the album, and the lyrics relate to Corgan's relationship with his perception of the indie rock community and larger media. The Smashing Pumpkins played this song that year on Saturday Night Live, and Corgan insisted to the record company that it be the initial single, despite “Today” later becoming the bigger hit. This would become one of my favourite bands of the 90’s, and it all started for me that year with this release.
Who wants honey?
As long as there's some money
Who wants that honey?
“Cherub Rock” – The Smashing Pumpkins
Omaha, somewhere in middle America Get right to the heart of matters
I remember Counting Crows this year, mostly in not really being a fan of theirs and how much “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” were overplayed. I did like “Rain King” and “A Murder of One” off of that album, and it was hard not to hear it at the time. However, what song I really like and has stuck with me is the non-single 2nd track. This track written by lead singer Adam Duritz, is a reflective song about traversing America, chronicling the feelings of transcontinental travel, displacement, and searching for personal meaning. It highlights Duritz’s journey from a young, questioning person to an older, wiser one, grounding itself in the landscapes and emotional experiences of the American Midwest. This song takes the approach of pondering the human condition in the lyrics. Add in the accordion as the prominent instrument here along with the piano and acoustic guitar, and this was the song from them I related to the most.
It's the heart that matters more
I think you'd better turn your ticket in
And get your money back at the door
“Omaha” – Counting Crows
Oh you speak to me in riddles and You speak to me in rhymes
This next song was the first track and single from Sarah McLachlan’s third album,
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. This album would prove to be McLachlan’s breakthrough album outside of Canada. It became a landmark album for McLachlan, signifying a journey through complex emotions, sexual awakening, and the pursuit of joy despite deep-seated fear and vulnerability. It bridged the gap for female artists in rock, paving the way for Lilith Fair later in 1997, organized by McLachlan.
This track was written and composed by McLachlan and is written from the viewpoint of a man obsessed with a woman. It was inspired by consistent fan letters to McLachlan some time before the writing of the song. The song addressed McLachlan’s reaction to two deranged fans, both of whom had concocted a fantasy in which they were already in a relationship with her. McLachlan noted that writing this song was very therapeutic", and that since its release, she had stopped getting stalker-type fan letters, for which she was grateful.
Oh, into the sea of waking dreams
I follow without pride
Nothing stands between us here
And I won't be denied
“Possession” – Sarah McLachlan
Saw things so much clearer
For its second album, Pearl Jam felt the pressure of trying to match the success of its debut album,
Ten. In a 2002 interview, the guitarist Mike McCready said, "The band was blown up pretty big and everything was pretty crazy." I had been a big fan of their debut album, and I was equally impressed with the rawness found on
Vs. The song that has always been my go-to off of this album is this track, the eight on the album. This song written by lead vocalist Eddie Vedder was one of the first where he featured on guitar. Guitarist Stone Gossard said that the band played the song "exactly like he wrote it." Vedder noted that “We start off with the music and it kinds of propels the lyrics. It made me feel like I was in a car, leaving something, a bad situation. There's an emotion there. I remembered all the times I wanted to leave..”. Vedder’s vocals throughout were a great match for the guitars on this track as the song pace gets faster as it progresses.
I took a drive today, time to emancipate
I guess it was the beatings made me wise
But I'm not about to give thanks or apologize
“Rearviewmirror” – Pearl Jam
If they knock on your door, you already gave
Lenny Kravitz released his breakout album this year in
Are You Gonna Go My Way. There were so many great songs and 4 released singles off of this album. However, it was this soulful rock ballad about supporting a woman struggling through a toxic relationship and a desperate life situation that I’ve always enjoyed and just was so powerful. The lyrics here focused on themes of redemption and spiritual strength, offering encouragement to a "sister" who has fallen into a bad situation, lost her way, and needs to "lean on your soul". This song had some nice psychedelic touches and some amazing guitar work and heartfelt vocals by Kravitz throughout, but especially in the soaring climax.
Sister
Did you have to go away
You left your home
And the things you had to say
“Sister” – Lenny Kravitz
A million miles, a million miles
The American rock band Cracker formed in 1990 by lead singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. Lowery had moved from Redlands, CA to Richmond, VA shortly after his former group Camper Van Beethoven disbanded. The band mix influences and sounds from rock, punk, grunge, psychedelia, country, blues and folk. However, it was on their second album this year where the band had this alternative grunge sleeper hit that became the bands’ biggest success on the rock charts. It reached #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in November. The popular music video portrays lead singer David Lowery losing a boxing match with actress and comedian Sandra Bernhard. This song was about a woman and their relationship to heroin. Despite that, Lowery has said that the band's label made him write a letter to radio stations denying that the song was about drugs, claiming that the repeated phrase "being stoned" was really "being stone." Lowery paraphrased a label executive as telling him, "I don't believe you and neither will anyone else, but there needs to be deniability and this is what we're gonna say.” The rest is history concerning the main song this band was known for.
I'll be with you, girl, like being low
Hey, hey, hey, like being stoned
“Low” – Cracker
Many years have passed since those summer days
In the summer of 1987, I was fortunate to stay at my grandmother’s house while working in the DC area for my summer job. It had been 6 years since my grandfather had passed, and my mom was happy that it was a situation where I was able to be there for her in having Type 1 diabetes for decades. It was an enjoyable summer getting to talk to someone each day that we each got to know better despite being 60 years apart in age. I was lucky after that summer that she was able to attend my graduations and wedding. If you have at least one grandparent that you can be close to, you indeed are very lucky. She lived in my childhood home with my mom and younger siblings by the early 1990’s in needing more care than living alone would safely allow. Before my wife’s and my move south the middle of this year, we would get to see her most weekends when visiting home. Those were more great times together, and she was very fond of my wife as well. My grandmother passed in December of 1993, and when I thought back on the relationship she had with my grandfather, it was this song from Sting that I thought of when reflecting on their relationship. There was no way I couldn’t pick a track from his fantastic album that year, and this song as a nostalgic, romantic ballad reflecting on a lasting love, courtship, and the inevitability of death is the song that always reminds me of her from this year.
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
“Fields of Gold” – Sting
Give me shelter from the storm
The next two tracks are ordered together as an opening band and headliner concert I would see in March of the following year on tour, but their albums were released this year.
It’s hard to believe there would be an artist labeled “post-grunge” just a couple years after Nirvana and Pearl Jam released their landmark albums, but here we are with this band and release. While this Seattle band wasn’t on the same level as the ones just mentioned, they hit it big with this debut self-titled release. I see this album and tracks didn’t register in the UK, so I’m curious how well known they might have been. This track wasn’t their most popular from this release, that would be “Far Behind”, but it was always the one that resonated with me. The lyrics within spoke to vulnerability, seeking emotional refuge, and needing support during personal chaos, pain, and heartbreak. In other words, right up the grunge/post-grunge playbook. This track was also known for its heavy editing to make it on the FM airwaves.
People take and people steal, I have it for you
What I have is... What I fear, I fear it for you
You've got to cover me
“Cover Me” – Candlebox
Everybody's buying nobody's hero
After the heavy use of synthesizers throughout the 80’s and an album that started their return to a more guitar driven sound, Rush set out some goals that they wanted to achieve with this next release of
Counterparts. They agreed to achieve "a sense of balance between spontaneity and refinement, and perhaps work on a more organic approach to the songs". The group agreed that rock band Primus, who opened for them on their most recent tour, and Pearl Jam influenced them to tweak their sound further. Guitarist Alex Lifeson said that this was the first time since 1981’s Moving Pictures that there was a conscious decision to have the guitar take a predominant role, resulting in a more satisfying album for him. Lyricist Neil Peart intended to highlight the importance of recognizing the quiet heroism in the people we know and love, rather than just in distant public figures. This song explores the idea that true heroism lies in ordinary people who quietly impact lives, contrasting them with the flashy heroes celebrated by society.
Is the voice of reason
Against the howling mob
Hero is the pride of purpose
In the unrewarding job
“Nobody’s Hero” – Rush
Closed doors brings open minds
This was not a band I had listened to in 1993. In fact, I apparently wasn’t alone in not paying much attention. Upon its initial release, this album peaked at number 51 on the UK Albums Chart and was greeted with tepid reviews from critics. It didn’t ever chart in the US. It has since received retrospective critical acclaim and has been hailed as a classic of the shoegaze genre. According to the band's chief songwriter Neil Halstead, these early songs were influenced by Joy Division and the David Bowie studio albums
Low (1977) and
Lodger (1979), the latter two I’m well familiar with.
Slowdive initially contacted Brian Eno, of whom Halstead was a "big" fan, and requested that he produce
Souvlaki. While Eno declined, he did agree to spend a few days recording with the band. Following the sessions with Eno, Halstead began to take greater influence from ambient music in his songwriting; he has cited Aphex Twin, dub music, and early drum and bass as influences for this track. This album did not track in the US, but I got to see Slowdive perform this and 5 other tracks off of their debut album in 2024 in a small, intimate venue where the line out the door beforehand was longer than I can remember for fans to see a band.
Pictures and I've fallen (and I don't want to know you)
Wonder why I'm here now (I promise to be near you)
“Souvlaki Space Station” - Slowdive
(the final track mentioned below here is a playlist closer and will ultimately be the final song on this playlist)
All wrapped up and sugar-coated
This was the debut studio album from the band that would later redefine alternative music in the 1990’s. For the most part, this was a most straightforward alternative rock and grunge-like album, and in a few songs, with some sophisticated hints of what was to come musically. This is one of those tracks. This was the closing track to
Pablo Honey, and was an exploration of low self-esteem, anxiety, and mental exhaustion. This song would combine elements of bossa nova and krautrock. It starts with "tense, jazzy" drumming and raked chords and later concludes with a shoegaze section. Probably my favourite from this album, it really was a great song that built up a musical momentum before it reached its end.
I am fused just in case I blow out
I am glued just in case I crack out
“Blow Out” – Radiohead
