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

mrbelfry said:
too sooon :(

I can't actually see the Will Oldham track on spotify - can you share the link?
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Wikipedia says released Nov 97 ?

They might have renamed all of Will Oldham's stuff to Bonnie Prince Billy, I'll have a look.
 
Ok Computer is the absolute stand out in this year. In my mind, there's 3 great rock concept albums that are timeless: Sgt Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon and finally Ok Computer.

Of all the incredible tracks on that album, Fitter Happier just seems to have predicted the future and there's a lot of truth in it. No album after it will top it.

What I love about Radiohead though is they started as a crappy indie band in the early 90s. They then did Britpop in 95 with The Bends. They then moved towards a more Avant Garde style with Ok Computer then move on again with the likes of Kid A, In rainbows etc. no matter though, Ok Computer is a titan of an album and - in my opinion - it's the. EST album made in the 90s.

Ill nominate Subterranean Homesick Alien. Absolutely beautiful.

Also how about Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson. Another one of those tracks which crossed over genres and kind of laid a blueprint for that style.
 
Johnny Lang released this at the tender age of 16 LIE TO ME

Probably the best album Ryan Adams released Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac ,this track features Alejandro Escovedo EXCUSE ME WHILE I BREAK MY OWN HEART TONIGHT

Bit of a one hit wonder for me Sister Hazel ALL FOR YOU

And this one was constantly played on the radio and still is
Third Eye Blind SEMI -CHARMED LIFE
 
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In a life gets in the way fashion I've just found out I will no longer be able to get up to Manchester tonight to see Tinariwen of BM album thread fame :-(

So two tickets are going free to a good home if any of you can get there at short notice, The Ritz doors open 7pm.

If you were planning to stay in and sob over Pep this is a healthier alternative!

You'll need a Ticketmaster account so I can transfer them, but DM me if anyone wants them.

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A little bump before we get the new playlist tomorrow. Big hit for me from 1997 was Nancy Boy by Placebo. I cannot adequately put into words how much I hated this song when it came out but over the years I've come to quite enjoy it.

Into My Arms also struck me and made me stop what I was doing a couple of times to listen. Also to be clear I don't like the Foo Fighters but I do like the two songs that made the playlist.

I have found 1998 a lot harder to write about and pick songs for so I'm looking forward to seeing what other people might nominate.
 
1998: A Retrospective Therapy

They say that time is like a river and this is true because, like most rivers, time is actually full of crap. The seconds, minutes and hours move forwards with a sense of progression and forward movement but then the whole fetid thing resets back to midnight. Tomorrow becomes today again except you have one less today to actually enjoy. Time steals, ummmm, time from you like a vampire feasting on your life expectancy and what you get in return is a hazy memory of regrets, a weak bladder and a bad back. If you’re lucky you die in your prime, giving the middle finger to the relentless grasping of time. It counts forward whilst counting you backwards. 1 day of more time is 1 less day for you. So let’s distract ourselves with the positive nostalgic vibes of 1998.

11,000 people died in Central America at the hands(?) of Hurricane Mitch.
32 babies under the age of two are butchered in the Oued Bouaicha Massacre in Algeria (in a bloody civil war that I totally missed).
29 people are killed in Omagh as a response to the Good Friday Agreement.

I was in Belfast when the Omagh bomb went off and didn’t realise the panic and distress it caused my family. I felt far away from the bomb (because I was) but my parents unable, to get hold of me, immediately assumed the worst. When they eventually managed to speak to me several hours later I got a telling off for not ringing them and telling them I was safe. No one can make you feel as bad as your mum telling you they are glad you’re still alive. But at least I was still alive although that gave me no comfort as I settled into bed that night in a cold damp converted pig sty. The great irony of time as it marches you towards your death is that you don’t relish every diminishing second of it. Being a victim of time is better than the alternative.

The 1997/98 season started and ended with relegation. Our old heroes were maybe shown to not love the club as much as we did unless they were paid to. Our new heroes turned out to be flops but as Frank Clark and Joe Royle were the only two managers we had in the season we at least had a little bit of stability. Overall it was a crap season but we did get a great kit made by Kappa even if it wasn’t in the traditional blue of Manchester City. Lee Bradbury broke his back at the back end of the year under the weight of all our expectations and Francis Lee stepped down and was replaced by David Bernstein as a final day victory against Stoke saw us relegated for the second season in a row. But what seems crushing at the time can lead to unbelievable moments. When time is heaping on the crap it’s important to remember that although it can take your life it can never take your joy - hold on to that because when you get past 97 & 98 know that 99 is coming.

By my own admission this is not Braveheart levels of inspiration but big at the movies instead is Titanic, Shakespeare in Love, Armageddon and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, The Truman Show and There’s Something About Mary. On television we were watching Sex & The City, Dawsons Creek and The Royale Family although that sometimes seemed to be watching us. If you were reading there is a good chance you’d have read About A Boy, Chocolat, Stardust or Happy Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.





The real chamber of secrets though was the Oval Office and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal shocked the world. Who knew powerful men liked to have relations with young women? I doubt this will become a recurring theme in the following years.

Other notable things that happened in 1998 are Google beginning their super villain arc and Andrew Wakefield making a now debunked connection between autism and the MMR vaccine.

Notable births this year include future City stars such as Chloe Kelly, Tijani Reijnders and Big Matty Nunes. Foggy may be the only person interested to note that Chappel Roan was also born although she wouldn’t exist for several years. Notable deaths include Sonny Bono, Frank Sinatra and Enoch Powell who in a strange quirk of fate fell victim to one of the brown religions and was reincarnated as Nik Fuentes. It is interesting to me that no matter what kind of life you have led you can find redemption at your funeral if you play My Way. You can be the worst person on the planet but if you play My Way at your funeral everyone will give you a pass because if you’re going to be unmistakably evil you should at least do it on your own terms and not give into the societal pressure and cultural expectation of being vaguely good.

I think I had my mental state well as I write this in the aftermath of Pep leaving Manchester City so for my 10 picks I will try and brighten the mood. Life for a lot of people is unbelievably hard but not as hard as not having it so that’s something to be thankful for. I also asked MrsBelfry for help. Bonus points if you can guess her suggestions.

Intergalactic by the The Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys, or Beasties to their friends (should really be Besties but I digress) were once banned from entering the UK. Understandably so as in Intergalactic they destroy Japan. Beastie Boys will be a band I can never fully embrace as they always remind me of my sisters first boyfriend. They had an on and off again relationship that we all wished would stay off but it was on in 1998 and it was during the Omagh phone call that I found out I would become an uncle for the first time. Years later I would be horrified to discover that the cute nickname of Uncle Bossman that I encouraged them to adopt was also be used by the leader of a grooming gang. I no longer will respond to the nickname.

Cleopatra’s Theme by Cleopatra
Haha my wife is an idiot. She thinks this song is called Comin’ Atcha but that is actually the name of the album. Hailing from Moss Side I’ve always viewed Cleopatra like I would a young player coming through City’s academy. Well done girls you gave it a go!

In The Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel are one of those bands loved by sad men with ill fitting beards who may disparage me for picking the most obvious song from their album. Is it the best album of 1998? My wife certainly thinks not. I’ll maybe listen to this whilst cooking but it was always get replaced by Radio 2 when the meal is actually served.

Because We Want To by Billie Piper
BP was pretty young when this came out so we obviously have to be careful how we speak about it. MrsB and myself will never discuss this because she finds me terrifically boring but whilst she enjoys this as a pop banger with a flabby bass line I want to use it as a starting point to discuss societies hypocrisies. This a a Gen Z version of My Way but will never be played at a funeral because Billie Piper is a woman and Chris Evans controls the media.

Whippin’ Piccadilly by Gomez
Whippin’ Piccadilly is the morning after Britpop. The kids who experienced it now writing about it but without its bluster and excess and perhaps with a more American influence. Whippin’ Piccadilly took Britpop away from the castles and stadiums and back into the small venues and with a little bit of knob twiddling sets us up for early 2000’s indie.

Deeper Underground by Jamiroquai
I was introduced to Jamiroquai by the younger brother of my sisters ex boyfriend so again they are a band I can never fully embrace. They are also a bit naff mainly due to the presence of Jay Kay who is a great singer but also the worst part of the band. Deeper Underground appeared on the soundtrack of 1998’s Godzilla and is a heavy funk disco track thing with a nice buzzy bass.

A.M. 180 by Grandaddy
I’m struggling to fill out my last few selections so am grateful that Grandaddy released this is a single in 1998 even though the album it came from appeared in 1997. Again this is preempting the early 2000’s indie recovery with its use of electronic elements.

No Surprises by Radiohead
Released as a single in 1998 from the 1997 OK Computer - I’m sure you will have heard it. It’s my favourite Radiohead song since that last Radiohead song I declared as my favourite. Heavily influenced by the sweet pop sounds of the Beach Boys with a simple but underrated bass line from the hugely underrated Colin Greenwood. One of the few Radiohead riffs I can butcher on an electric guitar. It’s either a good time or a bad time depending on my mood.

Teardrop by Massive Attack
Originally meant to have Madonna singing on it we can only be thankful that good sense triumphed and instead we get Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins making this impossibly beautiful. If you’ve never felt moved by this song there is a good chance you’re dead.

Vindaloo by Fat Les
The 1998 World Cup was held in France and was the first tournament to allow three subs and banned tackles from behind. There were 22 red cards during this World Cup but non hurt as much as Beckhams as we were knocked out by Argentina in the round of 16. The final was dominated by the surprise exclusion and then inclusion of the OG Ronaldo but the game was won 3-0 by France as they lifted their first title. My wife doesn’t really like football so this maybe her coming out song.

 
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In 1998, with the initial Mermaid Avenue album, it became apparent that Billy Bragg had nicked Bob Dylan's lunch when it came to Woody Guthrie. He roped in Jeff Tweedy and the rest of Wilco to give voice to some of Guthrie's unrecorded lyrics, entrusted to him by Guthrie's daughter Nora. I'll nominate a Bragg led effort in the hope someone picks a Tweedy based one too.

Walt Whitman's Niece - Billy Bragg & Wilco
 
So for my first pick I'm going for what I regard as one of the albums of the year form one of my favourite US bands.

I've always regarded them as spiritual brothers alongside Flaming Lips as a band who had released numerous albums before getting really noticed.
Another similarity with both bands is vocalists who take some getting used to but both sing in their own voices reflecting their unique American accents


Anyway from Deserters Songs

Mercury Rev - Holes
 
Nothing against Gomez but I probably enjoyed a couple of the other Mercury nominations a bit more..

Culture Move - Asian Dub Foundation

Accordion Song - Eliza Carthy

(For the later I don't think the original Red Rice double album is on the streaming platforms but the later release of them as two separate albums are)
 
threespires said:
Nothing against Gomez but I probably enjoyed a couple of the other Mercury nominations a bit more..

Culture Move - Asian Dub Foundation

Accordion Song - Eliza Carthy

(For the later I don't think the original Red Rice double album is on the streaming platforms but the later release of them as two separate albums are)
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The Asian Dub Foundation is a great LP.

Saw Gomez a few times down the years and it's a good record but most people thought Massive Attack would win.
There's a better album in the list for me I will be visiting in one of my other picks
 
It Started With A Miss said:
The Asian Dub Foundation is a great LP.

Saw Gomez a few times down the years and it's a good record but most people thought Massive Attack would win.
There's a better album in the list for me I will be visiting in one of my other picks
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Yeah there's four or five from Mezzanine that could easily go on the list but we have the most famous in the initial 10 already.

Some good albums nominated this year so I look forward to hearing whatever it is (on basis I can't imagine it's Mr Williams :-)
 
In a strange twist of fate this year saw the release of the debut album by this duo of Scottish brothers.
Their new album comes out Friday 13 years after their last.

I appreciate this is going to be Marmite to some but it's an important Electronic album liked by many.

From the album Music Has The Right To Children

Boards Of Canada - Happy Cycling
 
When I first heard this song it was another that I couldn't tell if it was a joke or not. It sounded so completely different to anything else that year.

I bought the album as it was on offer and CD singles were still relatively pricey back then. What a great purchase, it's one of my all time favourites albums - Moon Safari by Air.

We saw them play this in Piece Hall over in Halifax a couple of hot summers ago and it was incredible.

I could nominate the album but I'll nominate ...

Air - Sexy Boy
 
Next nomination is from a guy who went from writing nice pop/indie songs into being a dance legend. Some people just have an ear for melodies and grooves and this guy has - practically everything he does sounds incredible.

Norman Cook from The Housemartins to become Fatboy Slim land went full force into dance music and made some classic big beat/dance tracks.

As I've said before, his music was also played in the indie clubs as well and this was one of the first ones to make him big. When I think back to hearing these songs for the first time, it's hard to describe how "big" the sound was and just how new it sounded.

Fatboy Slim - Rockerfeller Skank

After Insomnia, Faithless were going to struggle to produce anything as good but God Is A DJ comes pretty close. Another dance classic that again was played heavily in indie clubs as well.

It still features the build up and then the drop like Insomnia and maybe the riff isn't quite as good but it's still a classic and carries a ton of energy

Faithless - God Is A DJ
 
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