Sound Obsession

Welcome to Part 7 of my “100 Favorite Albums of the 1990’s” list! This part covers the late fall of '96 through early spring of '97 - the majority of my senior year of high school. '96 was a banner year in so many ways, and '97 was shaping up to be another great one - live shows, festivals, raves, and so many classic, era-defining albums across multiple subgenres of rock, hip-hop, and electronica. Nearly half of my 100 favorite albums of the 90's were released in this two year span - ’96 - '97.  Twenty of my 100 favorite albums of the 90's were released in '97 alone. ⁃ Will G. Originoo Gunn Clappaz:   Da Storm   (10/29/96) OGC were the last Boot Camp Clik members to release their debut "solo" album, and maybe that was by design. This rap trio were no slouches but, in retrospect, didn't have the charisma of fellow Clik members like Smif-N-Wessun and Heltah Skeltah. With uneven production from longtime Clik associates, including D...

Welcome to Part 5 of my “100 Favorite Albums of the 1990’s” list! This part covers late fall of '95 to spring of '96 - my junior year of high school. During this time I was still deep into hip-hop, but my musical horizons were expanding quickly. 1996 ushered in a frenzy of musical exploration and discovery - 22 of my favorite albums of the 90's were released in 1996. It was a great year. By then, I had a driver’s license, which expanded my musical hunting grounds beyond suburban bus routes. I'd borrow my older brother's car (thanks!) to make trips to record shops across the DC metro area, including the HMV in Georgetown where a serendipitous conversation with a staffer there led to some great recommendations, including a jungle music compilation called This is Jungle Sky released in early ‘95 by Liquid Sky, the record label offshoot of the NYC emporium of the same name, which served as an axis for the Mid-Atlantic rave and underground club scene in the early t...

Part 2 of my "100 Favorite Albums of the 1990s" list covers a period of time when I was finishing up middle school and about to head into high school.   Despite having very limited knowledge or context for anything at the time, I was internalizing all the corporate-curated alternative rock "authenticity" propaganda of the era and, without much sense of irony, had become somewhat of a purist.   For the most part, only bands with at least one clearly defined guitarist, bassist, drummer, and vocalist would do.  Extra points for lyrics conveying some sense of tortured realism.  Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers were my favorites.  Doc Martens, Chuck Taylors, flannels, and band t-shirts from Sam Goody were my uniform.  I'd also picked up my first Discman (a Sony D-111) for my birthday in '92, so now I was mobile.  Music as identity - that is, "you are what you listen to" - now seemed like a very big deal.   - Will G The Black Crowes:   The Souther...