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

Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
With the threat of between ½ - 1 inch of freezing rain/ice expected starting tonight with this “New Mexico to New England” storm hitting, I’m going to get my final selections in tonight while we still have power, just in case.

I saw this “one album” band and lineup live in concert in August of 1989 back in Philly before I headed to the Midwest for my post-graduate school. This was a band I had seen twice prior, but not with the classic lineup featuring Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, and Rick Wakeman, who had reunited with Jon Anderson for this classic “Yes” lineup. The project began in 1988 when Yes vocalist Jon Anderson had felt artistically constrained within the band’s current format. While Trevor Rain’s songwriting had taken the band in a commercially successful direction that decade, it wasn’t musically or lyrically working for the direction Anderson was looking for. Anderson that year regrouped with his former bandmates and King Crimson bassist Tony Levin, who was with Bruford in that band then. I remember first hearing the initial singles from this album that summer after the album was released in June, and it would become a major enjoyment on the epic Yes tracks from the past decade, but a freshness of the time.

This song was not released as a single from the album, but the instruments within all highlight the various members, especially Howe, Wakeman, and then Bruford on the tempo changes. This track concerns the British nuclear tests at Maralinga in the 1950s and 1960s in Australia and incorporates material by Howe and Max Bacon for their band Nerotrend. Anderson’s lyrical delivery is especially powerful within.

For without them we are lonely
This England we are blind
Like all the Empires crumble
Will surely change the tide

“Birthright” – Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
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I saw them live in 1989 too.
 
BimboBob said:
@Protein Junkie has already picked two songs from my favourite album of 1989 so I've had to re-evaluate. Can I just add to the hatred for Belfast Child...thank you. Putrid dross. Another band that disappeared up their own arse.

Anyhoo...

First up is the most over produced song in the history of over produced songs and yet...it works!

Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love

My next choice is by a Scottish band who went on to hit the charts with a cover of "Word Up". Stepping away from that nonsense my pick is their first single. Much "better" all round.

Gun - Better Days

Next up is the last track on an album called The Sensual World. Look out for Lord Percy in the video and a gorgeous orchestrated chorus arranged by Michael Kamen.

Kate Bush - This Woman's Work

My last choice took a few listens to understand when I first heard it. After the dark success of the previous album this release was a surprise. Guitars? A Kate Bush sample? A cowboy video? What madness is this? And then it clicked...and if this is the lead from the new album then...hurry up and release it you bastards! There are so many mixes of this...got to love a 12"...but I think I'll go with the original.

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
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My favourite Depche Mode track.
 
stonerblue said:
Onzin..;)
The title of the thread refers to 'Evolution', yet most on this thread are stuck in the past and seem to be 'stuck' on a musical style from the 70's.
I love Young's 'Free World' and it's gets a regular blast in our house, as does more of his music, but it's not innovative or original. It's not of its time.
Music in 1989 in the UK was exploding allover the place. Dance, Indie, electro etc all had new artists leaving their mark
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I love the music of the 70s - it's my favourite decade, despite not being old enough to have listened to the music of the time! :) I can listen to Steely Dan, Yes, Paul Simon, The Eagles, Elton John, Wings, Joni Mitchell all day - only The Beatles top these bands for me. The musicianship, lyrics, production are absolutely superb.

However, I do agree about the 'evolution' though. The absolutely key part of the back end of the 80s is that music is now undergoing a bit of a revolution. The rave scene and summer of love is all over the press and the culture from that is going to help change society, TV programmes, nightlife, youth culture, club culture and in many ways, Manchester itself. Ecstasy changes a lot of that - club culture of the late 80s has more in common with a night out in Ancoats or the NQ than a night in a pub then Royales.

The music of the time feels a bit more 'punk' than rock - people in bedrooms make dance tracks for raves. Records pressed and picked up by DJs and in some ways, anti-music with an extreme focus on beats, energy and those who are dancing! Because it's so focussed on the 'moment' of dancing, a lot of the dance tracks of time just have a natural uplifting energy - and many of them are regarded as classics by people a lot younger than me.

I do think we've played down the influence of rap and rave enormously - you could probably argue that they become THE dominant music from the year 2000 or so.

I totally agree with your point about music exploding all over the place - it absolutely was: Back in the late 80s, bands like Pop Will Eat Itself, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Faith No More etc etc start to blend rock, sampling, synths, rap, dance, indie together in new ways. Is PWEI's Def Con One indie, dance or rap? Is Hallelujah dance or indie or punk? Is Head Like A Hole by NIN dance or rock? Is Epic by Faith No More rap or indie? Is Debaser by The Pixies rock or punk? If it's rock, it's not hair metal! You get the drift. As I said back in the 60s write ups, the 'counter culture' and underground sounds start to emerge in some years and blow music up for a bit and the late 80s rock sound was blown up by indie, rap and rave in my view.

I hated that hair metal sound with the big hair, make up and nonsense videos - it didn't resonate with me one bit. Whilst I like a lot of those bands now, back then I didn't. But every time I heard PWEI, Faith No More, NIN, The Stone Roses, Mondays, Inspirals, Pixies they pricked up. As much as I don't like it "Ride on time" by Black Box just sounded far more different and energetic than the Bon Jovi's of the day.
 
RobMCFC said:
From a personal point of view, I favour well constructed songs played on proper instruments over the latest fad whereas there may be others who like new shiny things every 5 minutes. No one person's opinion is correct or incorrect. Innovative music has its place but music doesn't have to be innovative to be great.
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Totally agree on a well written, constructed pop song Rob you simply can't beat it and they become timeless classics. There's not many artists who can better a song written by Cole Porter and sung by Sinatra for example.

However, I do think where there's innovation there's an energy that creates new sounds, new ways of expression and new cultures. It's enormously important and whilst I don't like all innovations, when you go back through the thread you'll find that truly great music comes shortly after break throughs.

The creation of the amplifier allows for rock'n'roll to be born as we know it. The experiments in the studio allows The Beach Boys and Beatles to create albums that cannot be reproduced live. Blending jazz and classical music into rock created new fusions and the idea that anything was game. Punk ripped music up but brought an incredible energy. Funk creates music you have to move to. The synth created other-wordly sounds and became the defacto instrument for many musicians. Sampling and rap - similar to punk - opened up music to the 'unmusical' but created a new genre with incredible energy. You get the idea! :)
 
RobMCFC said:
You say that like it's a bad thing.

If The Stone Roses debut is better than Freedom then I'm a Dutchman.
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Better is always subjective of course, but their debut album is widely regarded as a classic and cited by many as one of the touchstones of their musical education. It's a hugely influential album in 'indie' music and in it's genre I think you'd struggle to name many better albums - debut or not! :)
 
BimboBob said:
@Protein Junkie has already picked two songs from my favourite album of 1989 so I've had to re-evaluate. Can I just add to the hatred for Belfast Child...thank you. Putrid dross. Another band that disappeared up their own arse.

Anyhoo...

First up is the most over produced song in the history of over produced songs and yet...it works!

Tears For Fears - Sowing The Seeds Of Love
Click to expand...
I almost picked this or something from that album, but I was hoping I'd have help here, and you have again come through, so thanks for that.

I think Curt Smith's vocals that comes in at 3:55 is THE MOMENT of the song where it all just clicks for me and makes it the track that it is. The back and forth between Roland and Curt is what I missed the most when it was just Roland in the 90's with "the band name". Curt's vocals on many songs really made that band and was a big part of how their harmonies worked so well.

I'm so glad I've gotten to see them twice, and this song performed both times. Thank you, setlist.fm...
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
I love the music of the 70s - it's my favourite decade, despite not being old enough to have listened to the music of the time! :) I can listen to Steely Dan, Yes, Paul Simon, The Eagles, Elton John, Wings, Joni Mitchell all day - only The Beatles top these bands for me. The musicianship, lyrics, production are absolutely superb.

However, I do agree about the 'evolution' though. The absolutely key part of the back end of the 80s is that music is now undergoing a bit of a revolution. The rave scene and summer of love is all over the press and the culture from that is going to help change society, TV programmes, nightlife, youth culture, club culture and in many ways, Manchester itself. Ecstasy changes a lot of that - club culture of the late 80s has more in common with a night out in Ancoats or the NQ than a night in a pub then Royales.

The music of the time feels a bit more 'punk' than rock - people in bedrooms make dance tracks for raves. Records pressed and picked up by DJs and in some ways, anti-music with an extreme focus on beats, energy and those who are dancing! Because it's so focussed on the 'moment' of dancing, a lot of the dance tracks of time just have a natural uplifting energy - and many of them are regarded as classics by people a lot younger than me.

I do think we've played down the influence of rap and rave enormously - you could probably argue that they become THE dominant music from the year 2000 or so.

I totally agree with your point about music exploding all over the place - it absolutely was: Back in the late 80s, bands like Pop Will Eat Itself, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Faith No More etc etc start to blend rock, sampling, synths, rap, dance, indie together in new ways. Is PWEI's Def Con One indie, dance or rap? Is Hallelujah dance or indie or punk? Is Head Like A Hole by NIN dance or rock? Is Epic by Faith No More rap or indie? Is Debaser by The Pixies rock or punk? If it's rock, it's not hair metal! You get the drift. As I said back in the 60s write ups, the 'counter culture' and underground sounds start to emerge in some years and blow music up for a bit and the late 80s rock sound was blown up by indie, rap and rave in my view.

I hated that hair metal sound with the big hair, make up and nonsense videos - it didn't resonate with me one bit. Whilst I like a lot of those bands now, back then I didn't. But every time I heard PWEI, Faith No More, NIN, The Stone Roses, Mondays, Inspirals, Pixies they pricked up. As much as I don't like it "Ride on time" by Black Box just sounded far more different and energetic than the Bon Jovi's of the day.
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That's what I was gonna say..)
Great post.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
I almost picked this or something from that album, but I was hoping I'd have help here, and you have again come through, so thanks for that.

I think Curt Smith's vocals that comes in at 3:55 is THE MOMENT of the song where it all just clicks for me and makes it the track that it is. The back and forth between Roland and Curt is what I missed the most when it was just Roland in the 90's with "the band name". Curt's vocals on many songs really made that band and was a big part of how their harmonies worked so well.

I'm so glad I've gotten to see them twice, and this song performed both times. Thank you, setlist.fm...
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Saw them early doors a few times. Obviously a bit early for Sowing. Caught them a few years ago in Birmingham with Alison Moyet as support. Although very good, she blew them away a bit.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
Better is always subjective of course, but their debut album is widely regarded as a classic and cited by many as one of the touchstones of their musical education. It's a hugely influential album in 'indie' music and in it's genre I think you'd struggle to name many better albums - debut or not! :)
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I disagree. It's an overrated load of nonsense with a terrible vocalist and the music press of the time bigged it up for their own reasons.

I was the right age to appreciate all of the nonsense that went along with it but quite frankly, I had better things to do and better things to listen to.

I appreciate that it is an album cherished by many and as I said, I welcome all contributions and comments, but at the same time, I reserve the right to call a spade a spade.

Also, I don't see any revolution in music in 1989-1990 that was remotely close to what happened in the 60s. That's underselling what happened in the 60s. I'm sure that people in the rave culture would like to believe that they were part of some seismic shift in music, but I don't believe that to be the case.
 
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My nominations from 1989 are from albums that I really enjoyed that year:

The Sensual World – Kate Bush
Her majesty's follow up to Hounds of Love. Kate Bush made the record at her home studio, as usual, working slowly and with control she’d earned after years of industry pressure. The mood is more adult - she had reached her thirties and drew from literature and explored themes from a female perspective - childbirth, sex and ageing parents. Again much of it was built around the Fairlight. “The Sensual World,” originally written to Joyce’s Ulysses but forced to use new lyrics when permission was refused by his estate. Del Palmer and John Giblin handled much of the instrumentation, keeping the sound intimate and deliberate. Dave Gilmour and Nigel Kennedy both made contributions to the album. Lots of nice tracks but I will go with "This Woman's Work" She wrote it for the film She’s Having a Baby, originally as a male interior monologue at the moment when a woman is giving birth and things are going wrong. The song is built around helplessness, fear, and sudden recognition of what love actually costs.
Musically it’s almost bare. Piano, soft Fairlight textures, and one of her most exposed vocal performances, recorded with very little protection. She pushes her voice into fragility rather than range.

This Woman's Work - Kate Bush

Edit - I see thats already gone so put in "The Sensual World" instead - Molly Bloom's soliloquy (and yes I have read Ulysses :-))
 
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Saddleworth2 said:
My nominations from 1989 are from albums that I really enjoyed that year:

The Sensual World – Kate Bush
Her majesty's follow up to Hounds of Love. Kate Bush made the record at her home studio, as usual, working slowly and with control she’d earned after years of industry pressure. The mood is more adult - she had reached her thirties and drew from literature and explored themes from a female perspective - childbirth, sex and ageing parents. Again much of it was built around the Fairlight. “The Sensual World,” originally written to Joyce’s Ulysses but forced to use new lyrics when permission was refused by his estate. Del Palmer and John Giblin handled much of the instrumentation, keeping the sound intimate and deliberate. Dave Gilmour and Nigel Kennedy both made contributions to the album. Lots of nice tracks but I will go with "This Woman's Work" She wrote it for the film She’s Having a Baby, originally as a male interior monologue at the moment when a woman is giving birth and things are going wrong. The song is built around helplessness, fear, and sudden recognition of what love actually costs.
Musically it’s almost bare. Piano, soft Fairlight textures, and one of her most exposed vocal performances, recorded with very little protection. She pushes her voice into fragility rather than range.

This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
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BimboBob has already beat you to it and the track's already in the playlist :)
 
I'm surprised that there hasn't been much mention of the Roses first album. I actually came to the album really late. The whole of Madchester kind of passed me by in Scotland, I was aware of it but didn't really listen to many/any of the bands through choice. My loss for sure. I can't remember why but one night after a few glasses of wine we settled down to have a music night and I put this on really loud and I loved the pulse and the harmonies and the layered guitars and was taken back to some of the psychedelia of the 60's. I still play it and include tracks from it on the playlists I use on the drive back and forward to The Etihad.

Waterfall - The Stone Roses
 
I nominated this album on the album thread and it scored pretty well. Its neon lit groove wasn't fast enough for some but I have always loved the album from pretty much its release. I now get to play it on my very own Linn and it still sounds superb, even to my one working lug.

Any track would do but lets go with

The Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile
 
Saddleworth2 said:
I nominated this album on the album thread and it scored pretty well. Its neon lit groove wasn't fast enough for some but I have always loved the album from pretty much its release. I now get to play it on my very own Linn and it still sounds superb, even to my one working lug.

Any track would do but lets go with

The Downtown Lights - The Blue Nile
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@RobMCFC please accept this as my last nomination and Sadds can have another pick, I may be many things but I'm not a freeloader :-)
 
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RobMCFC said:
I disagree. It's an overrated load of nonsense with a terrible vocalist and the music press of the time bigged it up for their own reasons.

I was the right age to appreciate all of the nonsense that went along with it but quite frankly, I had better things to do and better things to listen to.

I appreciate that it is an album cherished by many and as I said, I welcome all contributions and comments, but at the same time, I reserve the right to call a spade a spade.

Also, I don't see any revolution in music in 1989-1990 that was remotely close to what happened in the 60s. That's underselling what happened in the 60s. I'm sure that people in the rave culture would like to believe that they were part of some seismic shift in music, but I don't believe that to be the case.
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It's not one of my all time favourite albums, but it's regarded as an iconic album by almost everyone in the genre! Whether you like it is a different matter, but it's impact on 'indie' music is colossal and it's no surprise it spawned a million imitators and as I said, the number of bands/artists who cite it as a touchstone means it has some objective artistic value.

I think it's very difficult to justify it as an overrated album, even if you don't like it it's hugely influential. I don't like Slayer or Metallica for example, but their albums are keystones in the development of thrash. I'm nota massive Sex Pistols fan but their album is key in punk - this album is critical in the arrival of indie music.

I think you're also downplaying the impact of rave culture too though and I still think my comparison to the 60s stands for a few reasons:

Firstly, the arrival of Ecstasy means that new perceptions brings new sounds - the sound of rave is very different to what was before rave. Being at a rave means dancing all night, regardless of whether you want to. A rave is a different crowd, atmosphere and energy to a rock gig. Rock gigs are about watching a band, raves are about DJs, drugs and dancing. Sure, both involve dancing but you're very unlikely to go to a rave to watch the DJ stone cold sober.

It is regarded as a key influence in reducing football hooliganism on the terraces for example and my mates older brothers agree that it brought rivals together in warehouses. They began to see people from Leeds as friends and stopped wanting to hurt them in effect, particularly if they were on it at the game! It's not just anecdotal, there's plenty of evidence for it. I wasn't allowed to go to Maine Road on my own as a kid partly due to the violence that my Dad experienced. We forget that in the 80s people were killed at football matches and violence was a major law and order issue. You could argue Ecstasy did more to solve those problems than any laws did.

A few years later my Dad felt safe enough to get a ST at Maine Rd and we've never seen any violence in the grounds. Football now is completely different to how it was - it's not just money, it's an attitude and cultural shift. It would genuinely be quite shocking to see, for example, United fans getting battered and having chairs thrown at them, in The Etihad

It also brought people together. That might sound a bit twee, but in the late 80s the nights in town/Piccadilly 21s/Royales wouldn't be great places if you were gay, of colour etc - it was white, straight, shirted but raves and the culture broke a lot of that down. It didn't matter what you looked like, what you wore it was about who you were. As I've said before, if you go to the NQ now it's more common to see people who look like ravers (jeans/trainers/t-shirts) than the Royales mob from the 80s.

Although it's never perfect, the UK is a LOT more tolerant than it was in the late 80s and rave culture plays a big part in that. Hundred of thousands of people started to realise that these 'others' were friends and people.

Secondly, the clamping down of people partying led to a growing movement and protests against anti-civil liberty laws. Resistance came from the ravers and it's fed into the modern day ideas around freedom and not having the Govt interfering with personal lives.

Finally, rave influences how music is made - as I said, it's more like punk now in that anyone can do it. The rise of the producer started then really and it's almost normal to know their names. Again, the pump of the bass makes it a physical thing - that bass almost pushes your limbs into moving. Rave wants you to join in and move in a way that we would take for granted now. It also influences a lot of music - the drums, rhythms, repetition, emphasis on the beat is everywhere to the point you don't hear it anymore. It also puts synths, drum machines, the DJ and record player first and foremost. It's not uncommon to see a DJ rather than a band.

Overall, I think there's quite a lot of similarities to the 60s. First, the counter culture in the 60s changes music and society and rave culture does the same in the UK. Both eras foster anti-authority feelings and wanting to be 'free' which feed into wider feelings of not wanting Govt to 'intrude' on personal lives. Drugs were a folk devil then and are now but are intrinsically linked to the music, but the drugs open minds. In the US in the 60s, it helped with the civil rights movement and over here in the 80s/90s it brings people together who were once hidden - gay people, people of colour etc. Football hooliganism - rife and terrifying in the 80s - goes. Finally, it changes music in such a way that we can't hear it anymore really. Just as music before The Beatles sounds different to music after The Beatles, music before rave sounds different to after it.

I think it's also interesting that we've all lived through the rave years (I think we're all of a similar vintage) but I do think the impact of that era is being felt still today.

As I said, I was too young to have been there at the start of it, but if nothing else the impact of raves on Manchester as well as the arrival of the Stone Roses put Manchester on the map. Without these musical arrivals, Manchester would be a very different place today. In fact, I'll say that Manchester is (London apart) the UK Cultural capital because of music (raves, Hacienda, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses) and football (City, United, safe to go to games). Our cultural pull across the globe is huge and we definitely have music to thank for that! :)
 
RobMCFC said:
I disagree. It's an overrated load of nonsense with a terrible vocalist and the music press of the time bigged it up for their own reasons.

I was the right age to appreciate all of the nonsense that went along with it but quite frankly, I had better things to do and better things to listen to.

I appreciate that it is an album cherished by many and as I said, I welcome all contributions and comments, but at the same time, I reserve the right to call a spade a spade.

Also, I don't see any revolution in music in 1989-1990 that was remotely close to what happened in the 60s. That's underselling what happened in the 60s. I'm sure that people in the rave culture would like to believe that they were part of some seismic shift in music, but I don't believe that to be the case.
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I don’t necessarily think the music of the late 80’s was revolutionary, but the scene itself was. Our only outlet to “a good night out” was a nightclub which were heavily controlled by laws (closing at 2am) and heavy bouncers inflicting their own level of violence and discrimination against punters just wanting a good time, enforcing ridiculous dress codes.
Raves came along and broke all of the rules so much so that it forced the government to change the rules in order to bring the scene under its control - yes there were drug issues (as there were in the late 60’s scenes) and yes health and safety risks in old mills etc, but for a brief moment, it was power to the people…..
 
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