Here are my favourite five albums from 1999 to finish off the 90s decade.
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californication is the 3rd album from Red Hot Chili Peppers to be produced by Rick Rubin
Reuniting with John Frusciante was a wise move from Red Hot Chili Peppers and ultimately resulted in another very successful album for the band. Five singles were released and the album topped the charts all around the world (pun intended). Millions of copies were sold and it remains one of their best sellers most likely due to having a more melodic sound than the previous six albums.
Favourite track: “Scar Tissue”
Supernatural by Santana
Unbelievably, prior to the release of this album Santana did not have a record contract
Carlos Santana decided that he would work with Clive Davis, who originally signed Santana to Columbia in 1969, ultimately signing with Arista prior to the release of the album. Santana had decided that he wanted to go in a more pop-oriented direction and that Clive Davis would be the right man for the job. He wanted to produce radio-friendly songs with strong melodies and collaborate with contemporary musicians. Six singles were released and 30 million copies of the album were sold, clearly a runaway success.
Favourite track: “Smooth”, featuring Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas on vocals
Grand Slam by Spiderbait
Spiderbait’s fourth album went in a poppier direction than previous albums
Grand Slam achieved gold sales in Australia and made the top ten albums chart. Four singles were released from the album mostly featuring bass player Janet English’s vocals. Phil McKellar, who had worked at the ABC and youth station Triple J, was the perfect choice to produce the album for the band managing to capture the sound they were after.
Favourite track: “Shazam!”
There Is Nothing Left To Lose by Foo Fighters
There Is Nothing Left To Lose’s cover features the band’s initials on the back of Grohl’s neck
The third album from Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters is also the first to feature Taylor Hawkins on drums. Five singles were released from the album and it has a softer more experimental sound than its predecessors. The album was a top ten hit in Australia, the US, Norway, Canada, Sweden and the UK. It would also win the band their first Grammy, winning for Best Rock Album.
Favourite track: “Stacked Actors”
Born Again Savage by Little Steven
After a gap of a decade, Little Steven released his fifth studio album in 1999
In the liner notes for this album Little Steven claims this would have been the album he would have released in 1969 if he had been capable. It describes its loose garage rock sound and the power trio band line-up. Featuring his own guitar and vocals, Little Steven managed to get Jason Bonham to play drums and U2’s Adam Clayton to play bass. After the album’s release he would return to Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band for the next 18 years.
Favourite track: “Guns, Drugs And Gasoline”
The Slabthrower 