Tag Archive for 1990’s

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Marc Cohn – Walking in Memphis

This is one of the earliest songs I can remember hearing, again it must have been on a summer holiday mix tape made by my father.

I really like it’s vivid imagery, and a few years ago I was lucky enough to be able to walk in Memphis and follow in the footsteps of the song. I saw the ghost of Elvis in Graceland, wandered with my feet ten feet off Beale Street and saw the statue of W.C. Handy. Memphis was a great trip, full of history perfect for a music nerd like me. I would really recommend a visit.

Put on my blue suede shoes and I boarded the plane. Touched down in the land of the delta blues in the middle of the pouring rain…

RjK

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M People – How can I love you more? (house mix)

I was getting the bus home tonight after a long evening spent at a work social event. Frustrated as I felt this managed to cheer me when it came on my MP3 player.

It reminded me of being younger and hearing it the first time around as a boy and also then rediscovering it through this mix at university and loving all over again (kind of ironically, kind of not). The vocal is so strong, it makes for a perfect house tune. Euphoric.

I’ve never felt this way before. I’m sick and baby you’re my cure. Please tell me, how can I love you more?…

RjK

Blur – Girls and Boys


Posting The Stone Roses last week got me to thinking again about Britpop and inspired me to post some more.

For me, this is one of the finest examples of the genre. Catchy and energetic, it is typical of Blur who served as a lighter contrast to the more moody and energetic music coming out of the north at the same time. The opening line is an all time great.

Streets like a jungle so call the police…

I was reminded of how awesome the video is when I saw it on TV recently, it works with the song perfectly. Also, Damon Albarn looks impossible young and impish in it.  

RjK

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The Stone Roses – I wanna be adored

I had to post these guys today after hearing the exciting news they are to reform for a world tour 15 years after an acrimonious split.

I am a bit too young to have appreciated them fully the first time around, but the era of Britpop that they ushered in was really when I first fell in love with music.

This particular track still sounds so fresh 20 years on.

RjK

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The KLF – Build a fire

This is a seminal early 90’s track from Acid House pioneers The KLF. What I love about it are the vocals, both the strong male Scottish accent and the soulful female. The whole track has a very mellow vibe, perfect for a relaxed Saturday afternoon.

It serves as an interesting counterbalance to this number from the same era that might be more appropriate later on!

RjK

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Warren G featuring Nate Dogg – Regulate

This is pure cheese, but great at the same time. It features an awesome, random sample for a gangster rapper to have used! G-Funk meets blue-eyed soul.

I have wanted to post it for a while since being reminded of it by a bouncer while waiting in a long line to get into a club in Camden. My peeps and I were wavering about whether to persevere or try another club so we decided to consult him:

Me: What kind of music are they playing tonight guv?
Bouncer: All sorts
Me: Such as?
Bouncer: Old School hip hop. Y’know Nate Dogg – Regulate, tings like dat. Who wouldn’t want to listen to that?
Me: Say no more

He really went bold on that one. Luckily for him he judged his crowd perfectly.

In other news, I had a big night. Tom Ravenscroft, my DJ hero (from whom I have mined many tracks for this very blog) name checked me and played a song I had sent in on his show tonight. I nearly fainted when I heard it!

RjK

Check from 49:45 onwards – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b015tz1l

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Ben Folds Five – Kate

I heard this played on the radio today. It was such a blast from the past, I probably hadn’t heard it for 10 years! I used to love whatever and ever amen, the album this is taken from when I was at school, listening to it endlessly.

She never gets wet. She smiles and it’s a rainbow…I wanna be KATE

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Pulp – Mis-Shapes

This is classic Britpop, and really reminds me of school days listening to Different Class on my walkman. It is a very clever and enjoyable album. I thought of it after reading about Pulp (now back together) ripping it up at Reading festival over the weekend. I was tempted to post one of their other, bigger hits from the album – Common People or Disco 2000, but this was always my favourite.

This is a typically cool video, with Jarvis looking impossibly young.

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Tindersticks – Can we start again

This track is a blast from the past for me. It is one I discovered on an album I came across while raiding my father’s record collection when I was much younger and just beginning to discover what music meant to me. It was before I had any real idea about what I liked and was curious about listening to things I had never heard of (this has remained true many years later).

What struck me about this album was what I thought was a pretty good name (Simple Pleasure) and a provocative cover (see below). I was glad it did catch my eye as it was and still is a favourite.

 

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Portishead – Roads

This seems to match my mood this evening. It is mellow and sootheing. Sunday nights always seems a little downbeat as the sobering thought of work the next morning looms. I love how minimal it is, which highlights q fragility in Beth Gibbons vocals which makes them even more arresting.

Portishead, along with Tricky and Massive Attack made me view music in a different way, allowing me to realise I can like something dark and more brooding too.