The Tracks Of My Years - Part 5
Age 20-25, 1992-1997
Grunge hit me hard. The first real grunge I heard was probably Dinosaur Jr’s Freakscene or L7’s Pretend We’re Dead. Smashing Pumpkins (Rhinoceros), Sugar (A Good Idea), Jane’s Addiction (Been Caught Stealing), Soundgarden (Black Hole Sun), I had time for all of them. I was kind of into Nirvana (Lithium) but not as much as Pearl Jam (Release), who I thought had more to say with better showmanship.
I went retro too, getting into Jimmy Hendrix (Wind Cries Mary), Velvet Underground (Sweet Jane), classic blues (Bill Bill Broozy, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker), Canned Heat (Going Up The Country). I also got not a little mainstream with your Peter Gabriels, your Stings, your Crowded Houses. Distant Sun remains one of my most favourite songs of all time ever in the world.
Motorcycle Emptiness and Faster by Manic Street Preachers stands out, too (The Holy Bible remains a favourite album). The Beastie Boys were a rediscovery, but everything on Check Your Head was an instant classic and the opening riff of Gratitute is as hilarious and cool as they are.