Morphine – Cure for Pain

Here’s what I remember about Moprhine’s Cure for Pain: I discovered it when  when I was fixated on all things Nirvana.  And the reason I clearly remember this is because the two bands are absolutely nothing alike…and for about six months or so, if you didn’t sound like Nirvana, I didn’t want to hear it (yes, I was one of those fans).

The use of saxophone as the key instrument in Morphine’s music irked me slightly at the time, but the grungy slap-nasty bass riffs made up for it.  The first bit of music I ever heard from Morphine was the bass intro to “Buena” from the Cure for Pain album (rivaled only by the bass line from “Thursday” from the same album). After a few songs, I started to love and appreciate the sax, too.

It drew me in instantly and I listened to the entire album in a friend’s kitchen while everyone else was playing Monopoly (I know…I hung with some cool teens).  I was hooked..the hook driven in more so when I heard “Free Now,” which to this day remains one of my favorite songs of all time.

The jazz-rock genre that Morphine almost solely ruled is great in that it’s timeless. This album came out in ’93 but would still sound fresh today.  I continue to be shocked by the amount of people that have never heard of Morphine.  If you are among this unfortunate group, check out this album right away.

“Free Now”

Tags: Cure for Pain, Morphine

Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill

Sometimes, being honest about musical tastes and milestones can be embarrassing as hell.  So here’s an embarrassing tidbit: my first exposure to “rap” was the Fat Boys.  That’s the price you pay for being white, living in a rural area, and wanting to see what rap was all about.

So imagine my surprise when a friend of mine let me listen to the Beastie Boys on his Walkman on the way to school.  I was probably ten or so at the time.  I was floored right away.  These three goofy white guys could have easily been me and my friends.  They were singing about taboo things (to my then 10 year old self) but not in the cheesy rap way I was accustomed to hearing from the likes of the Fat Boys.  And sure, some may balk at the fact that I unflinchingly refer to this as a rap album but it was the late 80s and this was more unique and genuine that the other excuses for “rap” I had heard up until then.  (Although it’s probably more fair to call this “hip hop”).

They were singing about girls and what I assumed was liquor (“Brass Monkey”).  And not only that, I could understand what they were saying.  Oh, and there was heavy-ass electric guitar in some of the songs.  For me, I never really cared about “You Gotta Fight For Your Right (To Party)”…I fell in love with “No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn” and the thunder-like drums from “Rhymin’ and Stealin” (not knowing they were sampling Zepplin) right away.

Those that are old enough to remember cassette tapes will appreciate the fact that I eventually listened to Licensed to Ill enough so that the actual cassette ribbon started to wear thin.  I knew every word, every line, every hook and even most of the pop culture references (despite the fact that there were no White Castles where I was living).

I actually grew up to eventually loathe the friend that introduced me to the Beastie Boys.  This pains me, as this was the same friend that also introduced me to Run DMC and Public Enemy.  But still, above those examples (yes, even Public Enemy), no other rap album impacted me like Licensed to Ill.

 

“Rhymin’ and Stealin’”

Tags: Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill, rap

God Lives Underwater – Empty

I’ll admit it; I only purchased this CD because of the band name and the cover art.  Seriously, how bad could it be.  I hadn’t even heard this album’s almost-popular track “No More Love” yet.  I chalk this up to the impressionable buying habits of a 15 year old that was already then becoming obsessed with music.

Not knowing what to expect, I was appalled for the first few moments of listening to this album.  It was rock…sure, but what was all of that noise going on in the background?  It sounded like a squeaky clean reinvention of industrial and grunge all thrown together.

But man, can David Reilly (singer/guitarist whom died in 2005) string a catchy song together.  The hooks are so great and the choruses so demanding that you sing along that you forget about the odd little quirky synths floating through most of this album.  The lyrics are simple but a mixed bag of regrets, love-sickness, and some good old early 90s angst.

After a few listens, Empty had me hooked on God Lives Underwater.  At the time, these guys were easily the most unique group I was listening to and, at times, the friends I tried to force into listening to the album accused the band of being a poppier and more sunshine-y version of Nine Inch Nails.

Still, this album remains one of my favorites to this day.  Hard pressed to choose a favorite track, this one would probably win out in the end.

 

“We Were Wrong”

 

Tags: 90s, Empty, God Lives Underwater, industrial, rock

Sponge – Rotting Piñata

Sponge got my attention in the blur of mistakes and regrets that was high school simply because they were doing something more than recycling the grunge formula that everyone else seemed to be replicating.  Even now I only see Sponge as an okay band…but an okay rock band and not an alternative band.

I still have a soft spot for a few of the tracks on this album, as it held a constant place in my CD player during a pretty heavy Junior year romance.  Known primarily for the song “Molly (Sixteen Candles),” I think this album got overlooked by the rock crowd, mistaking it for soft rock.

Still, tracks like “Plowed” and the title track are viable rock songs, complete with intricate guitar riffs and head-banging rhythm.  Within a few years, this album was a mainstay in dollar bins in most record stores which is a shame, seeing as how this is an album that showed a band that had potential.

“Plowed”

Tags: alternative, rock, Rotting Pinata, Sponge