Favourite Five Of 1997

1997 saw the release of some of my favourite albums of the 90s decade. This year was full of music that appealed to me, so it remains another where I found it hard to limit myself to five with some classic albums left off the list.

Unit by Regurgitator

Unit’s simplistic artwork has seen it become iconic and instantly identifiable

Unit was a radical shift in Regurgitator’s sound and was unlike any of their previous material. Wearing their 80s influences on their sleeves they pre-empted the backlash from their original fans by penning “I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your Knew Stuff”. This remains my favourite Australian album of the 1990s. It made the top 5 in Australia, top ten in New Zealand and won 5 ARIA Awards including Album Of The Year.

Favourite track: “! (The Song Formerly Known As)”

Blue Moon Swamp by John Fogerty

John Fogerty’s fifth solo album was released more than a decade after its predecessor

After a long absence Fogerty returned to the world of popular music with the release of this album. It was a critical and commercial success and won a Grammy for best rock album. The album achieved platinum sales status in Australia and gold in the US. It was a top 20 album in Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium. Several singles were released from the album which no doubt contributed to its success.

Favourite track: “Walking In A Hurricane”

OK Computer by Radiohead

Radiohead’s third studio album won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album

In 2014 OK Computer was included by the United States Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. This is indicative of how influential and revered this album has become. I consider this one of my favourite albums of the 90s decade and I still enjoy it enormously. Although the singles made me want to buy the album, I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and discovered the whole thing was of the same high quality.

Favourite track: “Subterranean Homesick Alien”

Transmission by The Tea Party

Transmission was the fourth album released by Canadian rock band The Tea Party

The Tea Party expanded their sound on Transmission by adding electronic instruments to their usual mix of world music, rock and blues. In places the album featured acoustic instruments alongside samples, loops and sequencers. The lyrics were influenced by dystopian fiction and the album continued their success with five singles released from the album. The album did particularly well in Australia, where the album made top 5, also doing well by peaking at #3 in their home base of Canada.

Favourite track: Lead single “Temptation”

Earthling by David Bowie

Released in February 1997, Earthling was David Bowie’s 21st studio album

I really enjoyed the sound of Outside upon its release in 1995 and was disappointed that the final two albums of what was intended to be a trilogy were not happening. My disappointment was short-lived however as Bowie gave us this. Continuing the industrial sound of its predecessor this was a far more accessible album. Five singles were released and the album was a top 40 hit around the world.

Favourite track: “Little Wonder”

Favourite Five Of 1985

Although you wouldn’t know it from some of the selections I have made here, 1985 was the year where my musical tastes started to stray from the top 40. This was due to a number of factors, but primarily because my horizons had expanded and I was exposed to a wider variety of popular music.

Showdown! by Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland

The aptly titled Showdown! from three brilliantly talented bluesmen

For me, this is the finest blues album of the eighties if not my entire collection. I never tire of listening to this and the interplay between all three guitarists inspires each of them to greater heights. I was already enamoured with Albert Collins and to a lesser extent Robert Cray, but it was my introduction to Johnny Copeland. The album won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Recording and nobody could begrudge them such an accolade.

Favourite track: “Black Cat Bone”

Mars Needs Guitars! by Hoodoo Gurus

Apparently the title of the album refers to the 1967 science fiction film, Mars Needs Women

The follow-up to their excellent debut, Stoneage Romeos, went very well for Hoodoo Gurus. Their sophomore effort included four successful hit singles and the album even charted in the US. Mark Kingsmill had replaced James Baker behind the drumkit, a position he would fill long term from 1984–1998 and then from 2003–2015.

Favourite track: “Like Wow-Wipeout”

Scarecrow by John Cougar Mellencamp

Johnny Cougar takes a step toward performing under his birth name, adding Mellencamp

I absolutely adored this album from the first time I heard it and still think it is his best. It is also his most successful with three top ten singles in the US as well as reaching #2 on the US album charts. The overall theme of the album is the fading of the American dream in the face of corporate greed. The band sound really tight on the album, most likely due to spending a month in rehearsals playing over a hundred rock and roll songs from the 1960s.

Favourite Track: “Small Town”

Misplaced Childhood by Marillion

Marillion’s second last album with lead singer Fish, was their third album overall

Marillion never made much of an impact here in Australia, so this is an album I came to about 5 years after its release. Misplaced Childhood is a concept album loosely based on the childhood of Marillion’s lead singer, Fish. Each side of the album is a continuous piece of music. Nevertheless, three singles were released from the album, two of which reached the top ten in the UK.

Favourite track: UK #2 hit, “Kayleigh”, which peaked at #88 in Australia

Centerfield by John Fogerty

Thanks to overdubbing, Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself

After a long break from the music industry due to legal battles with his record company, John Fogerty returned with his third solo album almost a decade after its predecessor. The album was a resounding success, achieving multi-platinum sales around the world, including 2 million in the US alone. His legal battles weren’t over however, as his former record company decided to sue, ridiculously accusing John Fogerty of sounding like himself! Thankfully, Fogerty won that legal battle.

Favourite track: “The Old Man Down The Road”