Anything On Your Mind?
Well, we’re back in 1989, a year that was my sophomore/junior years of high school. As with last time, my high school activities revolved around debate, with both my after school activities as well as most of my social connections centered on it. As I mentioned last time, I went to debate camp this summer (I actually did in the summer of 1990 as well, but that was a less memorable experience overall), which resulted in my first encounter with They Might Be Giants. Also Operation Ivy, which had just released Energy in May of this year and was absolutely everywhere, especially in Rasputin’s, the record store I could get to from camp.
The camp itself was at UC Berkley, and was three weeks long. It was set up with some instruction but also quite a bit of self-directed study time, and we were mostly on our own recognizance during that time. We had strict instructions not to go outside of a certain defined area around the camp, but that area included Rasputin’s, so I was all good. It was the first great record store I’d ever been able to spend much time in (Amoeba wouldn’t open until the following year), and I took every chance I could to hang out in there. I don’t think I bought a lot of records, but I made note of a lot of releases that intrigued me, keeping a list on paper in my wallet to check out when I had the chance and/or the funds. In addition, during this year, my buddy Bill and I encountered another kid who heard us listening to some industrial (I don’t remember exactly what, but something along the lines of Skinny Puppy or Front 242) and gave us a list of bands to check out. That list, which included some exotic seeming stuff (to me at the time) like Einstürzende Neubauten, Foetus, Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Coil, and a bunch of other stuff, was basically the Rosetta Stone to us. In retrospect, it was one hell of a list. We both had a copy of it, and I spent a while tracking down most of those bands and trying them out, and it was all super interesting and often great stuff.
The freedom of being able to kind of wander around in a big city on my own at 14 was a real milestone for myself, and is the reason the first year was so significant for me. I did have my friend there, but I also spent a fair bit of time just on my own. That sense of responsibility had some interesting side effects. I opened up my palette quite a bit while I was there. I tried some Mexican dishes that I wouldn’t have otherwise attempted. I ate some sandwiches which I ordered with a bunch of stuff I never would have considered. I discovered that I really liked Dijon mustard. That’s all minor stuff, of course, but it did represent a pretty big change in my attitude towards food. My mom was always a great cook, so I wasn’t sheltered or anything, but I was always super conservative when I was eating out. That changed during this trip. Debate was a transformation for me in confidence, in my ability to talk to people, in my social network, in how I viewed food, and in my ability to take care of myself.
On the music side, I’m going to guess that I’m missing a lot of the top chart, unless there’s a bunch of punk and industrial on it (which seems unlikely). Taking a look, and nine, not too bad. I did fill in some of these blanks later, of course. I wasn’t on top of Morbid Angel at the time, for example. While I’m talking music, 1989 had one other pretty big event for my musical taste. In February, De La Soul released 3 Feet High And Rising, a stone cold classic that I still love. I heard “Say No Go” on the radio, and I could not believe that I was listening to a song where I recognized the sample. It was so cool. I had to buy that record. That album, more than any other single record, is what really kicked off me chasing my own taste in music. I went from someone who just listened to what my friends were playing to someone who was actively trying to find the things that spoke to me. This was an album that I had found, not my friends, and I loved it dearly.
What Are You Listening To From 1989, Josh?
A sampling of albums that I still listen to from 1989. 1989! Seems like forever ago.
Wrong, NoMeansNo
This is in the chart above, so maybe writing about this is kind of chalk-y. But I don’t see people bring this band up very much (because I’m a weird hermit), and I think that’s a shame. Canadian weirdos NoMeansNo played what I think can only be described as progressive hardcore - they had the pace and riffs of hardcore, but would sometimes rip off some proggy stretches (usually played at speed). When combined with strange lyrics and what always felt like a weird world they were describing, they weren’t like anything else out there. I think this release, their fourth record (and second for Alternative Tentacles), is their best album. There are some days when I think it’s the best hardcore record ever made. It’s not a typical one, of course, but it’s really something special. This record, in fact, would place highly on my personal top records of all time, if I were the sort of person to make such a list.
After years of being a pain in the ass to listen to, including not being available on streaming services (but happily residing on my Plex!), NoMeansNo put all their stuff up on Bandcamp, so treat yourself.
Energy, Operation Ivy
Speaking of chalk-y. Whatever. It’s the best ska-punk record ever made, the launching point for so many followers. Much of the third wave wasn’t really patterning themselves on the Specials but was copying OpIvy. But don’t hold that against it! It’s one of the best-named records of all time, because it really is just energy from front to back. Another all-timer. This is my blog, I get to write about whatever I want.
Flower Plower, Poster Children
I’ve mentioned the scene in Champaign, IL before, and I think Hum is the best-remembered now. But at the time, the Poster Children were probably the biggest of those bands, thanks to a major label contract and some success while there. This is their earliest stuff, an EP and the first album re-issued together, and you can probably guess one attribute of it right away: Steve Albini recorded it. You can just tell in the bass. In terms of what they sounded like, I guess they were of a similar mind as the grunge bands, although they weren’t from Seattle so I don’t think most people thought of them that way. They turned in a number of fine records, but this sort of thing is often best served raw, so this early stuff is the right way to go.
Let’s Talk More 1989
Look, this stuff is making me all nostalgic.
Welcome to the Beautiful South, The Beautiful South
While I think there were rapidly diminishing returns from this band, their debut record is still great stuff. The Housemartins were brilliant while they lasted, and this record kind of dialed all of their tendencies up to 11. The songs are even prettier and poppier and the lyrics are even darker and edgier. Look no further than “Woman in the Wall”, the cheerful and bright story of a man murdering his wife and stashing her in his wall to rot. “He was just a social drinker but / social every night” is one hell of an opening line. This record had some play on MTV back in the day but the band overall didn’t make much impact here in the US, so maybe folks out there missed it. It’s a real ride.
Allroy’s Revenge, ALL
Generally, I am trying to highlight records here that are ones I think people should check out, with an attempt to maybe write about albums that people might be unfamiliar with. This one is pure self-indulgence. ALL is the band that descended from, well, the Descendents. When Milo Aukerman left the band to back to college (again) in 1987, the remaining members of the band kept going, taking their name from the last (at the time) Descendents record. Dave Smalley (Dag Nasty, Down By Law) was on vocals for the first LP and EP, and I think a reasonable evaluation probably is that those records are ALL’s finest. (Specifically, Allroy for Prez, the EP.) Smalley left and was replaced with Scott Reynolds, who would record three albums with the band, with this as the first.
The reason this one is here is that it’s the album that kind of cracked punk for me. My buddy played a fair bit of punk, and it all kind of washed over me. But this record, especially songs like “Scary Sad”, “Box”, and “Copping Z” broke through the noise and resolved into songs. And, of course, “Hot Rod Lincoln” as a novelty tune was memorable. I made a copy of the record, listened to it a bunch on my own, and after that was off to the races. It sometimes takes something to make a genre make sense, and this record was it for me.
The next two Reynolds records didn’t quite live up to this one, and when Chad Price replaced him, I got off board with the band (the lyrics really started taking a nastier turn at that point). But I still have a ton of affection for this album thanks to when I heard it and what it did for me.
Haus der Lüge, Einstürzende Neubauten
Folks, this album scared the shit out of me once I tracked it down. What the hell was I listening to? This man, reciting German forcefully at me, broken up by blasts of pure noise? Good grief! This was the first Neubauten record I heard, and my god, I finally understood what “industrial” actually meant. But it wasn’t just bashing away, it was incredibly smart. I was hooked. What an album, and yet another taste changer for me. It just rearranged my brain.
Five Random Songs
Yes, it’s the “classic” five random songs format. It’s been told before on this blog many times, but basically, on an old forum, people would post the last five songs their shuffle pulled up. I liked it, so I made it into a blog. And now, here we are.
“Hey Pocky A-Way”, The Meters
Meters forever!
“Gripped By Fear (club mix #02)”, Front 242
Industrial dance bands put out a zillion remix singles back in the day, and for a while, I kept picking them up. Despite them having an extremely low hit rate compared to just listening to the album. Nitzer Ebb had a great remix of “Lightning Man” on a single, and…uh, that’s about it. The lesson, as always: I’m dumb. Anyway, this is the fourth remix of the song off of this single, and…well, whatever. I think we’ll get to Front 242 properly next time, though.
(NB: I put the album original on the playlist, because I couldn’t find this specific remix. You’re not missing much.)
“Section 20 (Together We’re Heavy)”, The Polyphonic Spree
I don’t remember why I picked up this record, but I do not like it. Uh, that’s it.
“Flyrod”, Tortoise
It’s funny to me that Thrill Jockey was putting out Tortoise and Gaunt as two of their very first artists. Sure, why not? Anyway, Tortoise really set (one of) the templates for post-rock with this record, although they would quickly top it with their next album.
“Lustral Cognitive Erosion”, Nithing
I always feel like I need to shove songs like this under the bed, like it’s not suitable for company. Don’t tell anybody I live like this!
I had two copies of this song going at the same time (off my Plex and then on Youtube when I went to add it to the playlist) and didn’t notice for a bit.
Josh, What Are You Doing Here?
I’m just writing about music. A structure like this blog helps me get my thoughts out, and it’s a way for me to explore my own music collection through various lenses. My sincere hope is that some folks out there find some new music they love. That’s all I’m up to. Sincere thanks to everybody who sends me feedback, with news that they’ve found a new favorite especially fun for me. There’s no monetization, no metrics, no ads, no promos, no nothing. Just some static web pages, some links, and my scribbling. If you want to support it, just shoot me a note! Thanks for reading.
Some Better Places To Learn About Music
Check these folks out, you’ll learn more for sure. In no particular order: To The Teeth, Wolf’s Week/Plague Rages, The Devil’s Mouth, Burning Ambulance, Lamniformes Cuneiform, Hex Records, See/Saw, Starkweather, Treble Magazine, The Quietus, Stereogum.