Urban75 Album of the Year 1991
- Thread starter belboid
- Start date
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Blaggers ITA - Blaggamuffin mini album 1991 . Great live but a bit of a mixed history of recorded output IMO however Emergency sums up a great anti fascist band who put their money and bodies on the line for the cause.
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
Ultramarine - Every Man and Woman Is a Star
I'll always associate this album with 1992 as I, like most people I imagine, got the slightly different version that came out on Rough Trade that year.
I'll always associate this album with 1992 as I, like most people I imagine, got the slightly different version that came out on Rough Trade that year.
Spandex
A crazy bulbous punchbag of sound
I fucking love this album. I guess Gary Clail's vocals can be a bit marmite; he doesn't quite sing or rap or do spoken word, it's more that he makes a series of didactic pronouncements, but his heart's in the right place and he's got a charm about him. The music is half Dub Syndicate and half Tackhead (with a bit of Paul Oakenfield on a couple of tracks) and is therefore all awesome. Everyone probably got sick of hearing Human Nature in '91 because I seemed to hear it everywhere (it's a great tune), so here's Escape:
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
Another balearic / ambient house one from 1991 that I loved.
Hypnotone - Ai
Hypnotone - Ai
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Hard to get past Loveless at number 1 tbh. And unlike Nevermind I also love many of the records which shamelessly copied it.
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Probably the greatest Vol 3 compliation since Mowtown Chartbusters Vol 3
On- U Sounds - Pay it All Back Vol 3
On- U Sounds - Pay it All Back Vol 3
I had this on last week because a mate has booked them to play in Preston next spring - it's great, a couple of songs excepted
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Loved that album, liked their second as well but they never recovered the heights of the first.
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
Another one I always think of as 1992 was Geir Jenssen's first album as Biosphere "Microgravity", most people had the Apollo (R&S' ambient sub label's first release) version but it seems it first came out on the Norwegian label Origo Sound in 1991.
Thank god Apollo changed the cover from this monstrosity.
Thank god Apollo changed the cover from this monstrosity.
Last edited:
Indeliblelink
\......👁&👁......./
They had one out in 1990 too called Folk.
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
I suppose 1991 for riot grrl is a bit like 1981 for hardcore, it's ground zero or very close to it so you get a foundational record, and lots of the key bands form then (Bratmobile, Huggy Bear, Heavens to Betsy), but most of them don't record anything, or at least any albums, till later.
Heavenly vs Satan is 1991, but I've never listened to that, and it's sort of peak Sarah Records time - Field Mice do For Keeps, which is an album I've not listened to, and Missing the Moon, which is great but definitely not an album (imo, although it was on a 12" so the argument can be made if you want). What about They've Scoffed the Lot, does that count?
And apart from the above mentioned, and Beat Happening doing Dreamy, are there any other big twee releases I'm missing?
Heavenly vs Satan is 1991, but I've never listened to that, and it's sort of peak Sarah Records time - Field Mice do For Keeps, which is an album I've not listened to, and Missing the Moon, which is great but definitely not an album (imo, although it was on a 12" so the argument can be made if you want). What about They've Scoffed the Lot, does that count?
And apart from the above mentioned, and Beat Happening doing Dreamy, are there any other big twee releases I'm missing?
Steel Icarus
ersatz maven
This album will be up there for me
What a sound
What a sound
Spandex
A crazy bulbous punchbag of sound
Crusty punk-dub. I checked this out for old times sake and it holds up quite well:
Thinking of them just makes me think of the Deptford Urban Free Festivals in Fordham Park, as they always seemed to play there. Seems there's an album for that too:
Fordham Park 1991 Urban Free Festival (1991, Compilation, Cassette)
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
I feel like the early 90s must have been a big time for industrial, but having just checked Laibach, Ministry, KMFDM, and Skinny Puppy all decided to release albums in 1990 or 1992 instead of 1991. Checking further, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult did Sexplosion and Front 242 did Tyranny for You, but I don't really know either of those albums either.
Spandex
A crazy bulbous punchbag of sound
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
you now Jesus Lizard's Goat, dont you? If not, correct that grievous error now
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
On that note, apparently AOS3 had an album out then as well:
A.O.S.3. - Owsley
Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Owsley by A.O.S.3.. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.
www.discogs.com
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
I do, but I wouldn't think of it as being industrial?
Spandex
A crazy bulbous punchbag of sound
There's a load of great compilations in 91:
Retro Techno / Detroit Definitive - Emotions Electric (classic Detroit techno)
Techno Trax (absolutely blinding euro techno. Seriously, I love this album, go and check it out)
XL-Recordings: The Second Chapter (Hardcore European Dance Music) (does what it says on the tin)
Welcome To Technology (catching the point where New Beat & EBM turned into the earliest trance)
Equinox / The Beginning / Nite & Da - A Retroactive Compilation (Detroit techno from Carl Craig’s Retroactive label)
The Brand - X Series 1 (acid techno from Richie Hawtin, Damon Wild & Frank De Wulf)
Order To Dance (Belgian techno classics – this isn’t vol 1, but a label roundup released in the UK)
Order to Dance Vol 3 (more Belgian techno classics - this is vol 3)
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Saint Etienne- Foxbase Alpha . Delightful sample based pop always reminds me of a whirlwind tour of a mythical London that somehow has been moved to some chic place in Europe or something like that. Anyway solid album that stands up to repeat playing
Three albums by composer bassoonist/multi-instrumentalist Lindsay Cooper this year no less.
Schrödinger's Cat is a small group playing semi-improvised European jazz usually built on a foundation of bassoon riffs.
An Angel on the Bridge is Lindsay playing her compositions with some minimal backing and some ethereal vocals from Cathy Marsh. A little more in the classical tradition than the above and gorgeous with it.
Oh Moscow is a live recording of a suite of compositions based on lyrics by long time collaborator and film maker Sally Potter. Written pre the collapse of the Soviet Union. It's a real barnstormer of an album with a whole gang of collaborators including Hugh Hopper, Alfred Harth and most strikingly Phil Minton on trumpet and vocals. The latter's contribution may be a bit marmite.
You may have trouble hunting down all of the first of these but all three are worth it. If you listen to one of them make it Oh Moscow.
Schrödinger's Cat is a small group playing semi-improvised European jazz usually built on a foundation of bassoon riffs.
An Angel on the Bridge is Lindsay playing her compositions with some minimal backing and some ethereal vocals from Cathy Marsh. A little more in the classical tradition than the above and gorgeous with it.
Oh Moscow is a live recording of a suite of compositions based on lyrics by long time collaborator and film maker Sally Potter. Written pre the collapse of the Soviet Union. It's a real barnstormer of an album with a whole gang of collaborators including Hugh Hopper, Alfred Harth and most strikingly Phil Minton on trumpet and vocals. The latter's contribution may be a bit marmite.
You may have trouble hunting down all of the first of these but all three are worth it. If you listen to one of them make it Oh Moscow.
Talking of Alfred Harth, there's a Cassiber album out this year - A Face We All Know. Wild improvised avant rock songs with another even more marmite vocalist in Chritoph Anders. To be honest it's not my favourite Cassiber album but still kind of stunning.
