The Best Albums of 1993
by Marc Hirsh
originally published in the Rice Thresher, December 3, 1993
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1) Jellyfish - Spilt Milk (Charisma). Sgt. Pepper 1993. "Spot-the influence" is the name of the game, but these guys steal from the Beatles, Queen, the Beach Boys and others so gleefully that it's impossible not to smile and damn hard not to laugh. Though there's no specific story involved, the album coheres together beautifully, making each song, great on its own, part of a greater whole. The best concept album in years. |
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2) Aimee Mann - Whatever (Imago). Aimee Mann writes and sings songs sharp enough to cut you, which may well be her goal. Wordplay so inspired that each line sounds like it was meticulously worked on for days is placed atop stinging guitar pop and sung with a voice that's half crying, half joking. Makes you wonder if we should have ignored 'til tuesday all those years. |
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3) Rosanne Cash - The Wheel (Columbia). Her first album after her divorce, and you can sense the freedom in the air. Instead of wondering why men and women hurt each other, she's now looking at the world with a sense of wonder and fear. The most beautiful song on the album (and of her career), "Seventh Avenue" is her realization that her life's goals are finally within sight if not within reach. |
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4) Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days (Reprise). The belated success of his last album left fans worried that Chris was headed towards catering to popular tastes. They shouldn't have worried, as he became even more moody, adding a sinister edge to his music, which was already far from happy. More proof that simple words are the most profound. |
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5) Suede - Suede (nude/Columbia). What made this band the hype of the year was countless critics pointing to their spotless track record in their native England and proclaiming them to be the next Next Big Thing. What makes them the debut of the year is the fact that they actually deliver on those promises. Bernard Butler's multilayered guitar riffing almost takes attention away from Brett Anderson's tortured vocals and lyrics. Almost. Watch out, Morissey. |
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6) That Petrol Emotion - Fireproof (Koogat import). Maybe I'm courting danger by throwing an import onto this list. After all, who else but a totally rabid fan would shell out $22 for an album sight unseen? Here's who: anybody interested in a great post-punk noise guitar album. Gaining back the edge they lost on their last two albums, the Petrols release their best album in years. Perhaps ever. I'll bet that the American record company that dropped these guys last year is firing the ones responsible right now. [later released in the U.S. on Rykodisc] |
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7) Various Artists - Sweet Relief (Thirsty Ear/Chaos/Columbia). The cause of the year resulted in a pretty damn good album. While I'm doubtful that much good will come out of the well-intentioned Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, it's safe to say that Soul Asylum's "Summer of Drugs" is a keeper, while Pearl Jam's "Crazy Mary" showed a hint of things to come. Ten bucks says we see Victoria Williams' two albums rereleased in 1994. |
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8) Antenna - Hideout (Mammoth). Looks like the Blake Babies never made a better choice than break up. Distorted guitars fly everywhere, but they're grounded in solid pop songs that would make Paul McCartney proud. |
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9) PJ Harvey - Rid of Me (Island). A frightening listening experience, to be sure. And yet, the mania of the band thrashing away is tempered by Polly Harvey's "quiet," solo moments. The crash-and-burn run-through of Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" would be a highlight for anybody else, but Harvey actually manages to best it in "Snake," "Ecstasy" and the title track. Not for the faint of heart. |
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10) Various Artists - D.I.Y.: UK Pop I and II (Rhino). The press played up the UK Punk I and II collections of Rhino Records' punk reissues as if they were the Holy Grail. What they missed in all the confusion was the elephant's graveyard: more than 40 songs, most by obscure bands, played the way pop music was meant to be played: short, sweet and beautiful. Ironically, the American Power Pop I and II collections of the series sounded more British, but UK Pop had infinitely more power. More proof that, although they still like ABBA, the British have much more taste in choosing their pop music than Americans. |