Brick By Brick by Iggy Pop
Iggy kicked off the 1990s with this album and got Don Was to take on production duties
Although his output in the 1980s was a little hit and miss, Iggy started the next decade strongly with this album. Preceded by the single “Living On The Edge Of The Night”, the album didn’t really gain traction until after the second single, “Candy”, the duet with Kate Pierson of the B-52s, received high rotation on MTV. He also received positive reviews from critics, probably his best since his 1977 David Bowie-produced albums.
Favourite track: “Butt Town”
Still Got The Blues by Gary Moore
The Jimi Hendrix poster in this album cover is a lovely salute to one of Gary’s idols
Gary Moore decided to return to his blues roots after producing a variety of rock albums in the 80s. I doubt even he expected the unprecedented success he would have. This album reinvigorated his career and set the blueprint for the majority of his 90s output, if not the rest of his career. Getting guest artists the calibre of Albert King, George Harrison and Albert Collins to perform on the album probably didn’t hurt either.
Favourite track: The self-penned “Texas Strut” featuring former Thin Lizzy bandmate Brian Downey on drums
Passion And Warfare by Steve Vai
Vai claims that the album is based on dream sequences he had when he was younger
Vai sums the album up as “Jimi Hendrix meets Jesus Christ at a party that Ben Hur threw for Mel Blanc”. What that means is anybody’s guess. For me this album remains the pinnacle of his career, not because it is his most successful, but because it is his most accessible. I enjoy every track on it and I had only heard of him prior to this in the context of being David Lee Roth’s guitarist. Boy was this album a nice surprise!
Favourite track: “The Audience Is Listening”
Violator by Depeche Mode
Violator was the album that converted me into a Depeche Mode fan
Although I had liked the odd single from Depeche Mode, I had never been swayed to go out and purchase one of their albums. This album changed everything, not just for me, but for the band too. It was an international success and was their first album to sell a million copies in the US on the back of four successful singles.
Favourite track: Even though an obvious choice, I couldn’t go past “Personal Jesus”. I even like the cover versions by Marilyn Manson and Johnny Cash.
Ragged Glory by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Ragged Glory is Young’s 18th studio album and the 6th recorded with Crazy Horse
I have always found that my favourite Neil Young music is the stuff he records with Crazy Horse. In my opinion, the band hasn’t rocked this hard together since 1975’s Zuma. This is also their first album together since the Re·ac·tor album in 1981. Thankfully Young would record another two albums with them in the 90s and fittingly, one with Pearl Jam too.
Favourite track: The rollocking “Fuckin’ Up”
The Slabthrower 