Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #15 to #11

15. "STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION" VOLUME 2: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - soundtrack
(GNP Crescendo, 1991)

There's pretty-much never been a better episode of any "Star Trek" series, nor has there been a better score for one. Bombastic action cues that a TV screen could barely contain, the eerie electronic chorus that went a long way toward making the Borg as scary as they were, and of course the majestic main title theme by Alexander Courage and Jerry Goldsmith. Too bad that these great scores of his eventually made Ron Jones lose his job ... it figures, doesn't it?

14. ESPEN LIND - "Red"
(Universal/Norway, 1997)

One of the first items that "Bop Boys!" made me buy -- and that made me fall in love with Norwegian singer/songwriters -- was this second (but in some respects the first) album by the award-winning singer/songwriter/producer. It may have spawned the international hit single "When Susannah Cries", but the great tunes hardly stop there: "Lucky For You", "All I Want Is An Angel", "American Love" ... heck, I never skip a single track on this album whenever I listen to it.

13. BARENAKED LADIES - "Born On a Pirate Ship"
(Reprise, 1996)

This has gotta be my favorite BNL album ever. When I look over the track listing and am reminded of how eclectic the song stylings are -- the quasi-bluegrass of "Straw Hat And Old Dirty Hank", the inspired inclusion of Native American tribal rhythms on "Spider In My Room", the flat-out stunning ballad "Break Your Heart", the stompy rock of "The Old Apartment" -- I say forget "Stunt" ... this is the album that should have made BNL international superstars.

12. "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC - "Off The Deep End"
(Scotti Bros., 1992)

Bookended by the parody "Smells Like Nirvana" (his biggest hit in years) and his popular original "You Don't Love Me Anymore", Al's seventh outing has a lot to like in between, as "The White Stuff" (an ode to the filling in Oreo cookies) almost subliminally suggests. Sure, the Milli Vanilli and New Kids On The Block parodies date it considerably, but only from a pop-culture standpoint. A big favorite of mine, "When I Was Your Age", is timeless.

11. HANSON - "Middle Of Nowhere"
(Mercury, 1997)

Laugh, cringe, or throw up if you will at the thought of "MMMBop", but if you took the time to look beyond its (arguably undeserved) radio ubiquity, you could see an album full of musical talent that belied their cherub-cheeked youth. The pop-funk of "Speechless", the wistful bounce of "Madeline", the blues-rocker "Look At You", and the heart-wrenching ballad "Yearbook" were proof enough that these boys were planning on settling in for a long career in music.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #20 to #16

20. JOHN WILLIAMS - "Greatest Hits 1969-1999"
(Sony, 1999)

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- John Williams was the king of movie scores for the second half of the 20th Century. If you don't believe me, just look at the track listing on this phenomenal two-disc collection: "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones", "E.T.", "Jaws", "Close Encounters", "Superman", "Jurassic Park", "Home Alone" ... if it didn't have John Williams' name on it, one could easily confuse it for a general best-of movie music compilation.

19. "INTERNATIONAL MUSIC: SONY MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD" - compilation
(Sony, 1999)

This is a natural progression of sorts from "Bop Boys!", though I didn't happen upon it until a number of years later. Rather than the traditional ethnic folk rhythms of faraway lands, this is my kind of "world music": contemporary, radio-groomed pop and rock tunes from every corner of the globe, from superstars like Shakira and Ricky Martin to the best-kept secrets of smaller nations. If you like Top-40 fare with an international flavor, don't pass this one up!

18. COLIN HAY - "Transcendental Highway"
(Lazy Eye, 1998)

Until I picked up this unassuming little album one day (purely on a whim, I might add), my appreciation for Colin Hay was limited to his '80s days as frontman for Men At Work. Oh, how short-sighted I was! Needless to say, this disc opened me up to a whole different side of the master singer-songwriter, and has made me (so far) a lifelong fan -- not to mention that it contains what's probably my favorite Colin Hay song ever, "Don't Believe You Anymore".

17. BEN LEE - "Breathing Tornados"
(Capitol, 1999)

This was the album that introduced me to a guy who'd turn out to be one of my absolute favorite artists. A real change-up (I would later find out) from his previous, primarily acoustic works, this album's tracks were full of samples, loops and other programming tricks, and made for a very unique listen -- probably too unique for a major label to know what to do with him. I'm just really glad that I gave him a fair chance ... and that there were some independent labels willing to do the same.

16. DURAN DURAN - "Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)"
(Capitol, 1993)

In the first of what would be two (and counting...?) comebacks for the seminal '80s pop-rockers, Duran Duran had an unexpected smash hit on their hands, and deservedly so. Crowned by the supremely gorgeous singles "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" (perhaps the two best songs that the band have ever written), this is the album that made Duran Duran relevant again, after nearly fading into the footnotes of pop culture at the end of the '80s.

Have a Creepy, Freaky Christmas

Before I go any further, this is all my friend Mark's fault. He brought this "Fred Figglehorn" character to my attention last week (probably making me the last person owning an internet-enabled computer to have heard of him), so I went to see what all the fuss is about. And I don't know what it is about him -- I should find it really annoying and stupid, but I don't ... instead, I think it's totally adorable! If you haven't seen it yet, here's what I'm talking about:



And you know, he's got a point: all those silly tales we're told as kids about Christmas now sound bizarre and creepy to us as adults. Hey, what would you do if you were told that a fat old guy in a red suit entered your house in the middle of the night through the chimney, left packages under your Christmas tree, and expected milk and cookies in return? And all those vintage Christmas specials on TV conjure disturbing images of talking snowmen, elves, and reindeer.

If you like Fred enough (and who wouldn't?), you can find his stuff on iTunes and Amazon. But anyway, I've been going on longer than I should. Besides, if you're anything like me, you probably find plenty of things that are disturbing enough about the holiday season without adding the above mentioned stuff to the list, right? Okay, now we can get back to my '90s countdown. Happy Holidays!!

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #25 to #21

25. "SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT" - soundtrack
(Atlantic, 1999)

Like a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical written by George Carlin and Frank Zappa, the "South Park" movie was a tour-de-force that -- regardless of how low-tech the animation was -- simply needed to be shown on the big screen. The award-winning songs from the film (occupying the infinitely better first half of the album), featuring music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Trey Parker, were every bit as memorable if not more so ... irrepressibly melodic, scathingly witty, and unbelievably hilarious.

24. VOICE FARM - "Bigger, Cooler, Weirder"
(Morgan Creek, 1991)

Almost like a hybrid of Devo, They Might Be Giants, and Savage Garden, the duo known as Voice Farm (Myke Reilly and Charly Brown) are apparently still together, producing quirky, avant-garde synth-pop that must be heard to be appreciated. This now out-of-print album, on the short-lived semi-major Morgan Creek label, was tuneful, memorable, and quite ahead of its time in many respects. Good thing that it's also the most easily obtainable of their recordings.

23. HENRY MANCINI - "The Cop Show Themes"
(BMG/Spain, 1999)

A sentimental favorite if ever there was one, my brother and I literally wore out this LP (originally released in 1976) of themes from shows like "Baretta", "SWAT", and "The Rockford Files", we listened to it so much when we were kids. So you can just imagine my ecstatic delight when I unexpectedly stumbled upon a CD release of it several years ago! Oh, and here's a fun fact: buried in the list of backing musicians for this recording is a young guitarist named Lee Ritenour.

22. KAVANA - "Instinct"
(Virgin/UK, 1998)

From the moment I heard Kavana's lusciously smooth voice (see #39 in this countdown), I couldn't get enough of it. This, his second helping of upbeat pop and seductive blue-eyed-soul jams, is my favorite of his albums ... the songs themselves are good enough, but sung by his voice they're taken to a whole different level. It's a terrible shame that we only got a precious two albums and a smattering of B-sides to enjoy from him before he disappeared.

21. ANNIE LENNOX - "Diva"
(Arista, 1992)

This is such an undeniably classic pop album that it really doesn't need any introduction. The simple fact that "Walking On Broken Glass" is probably one of my top 12 favorite songs of all time, and that "Why" is just as amazing a song, should have landed this album in the top 20 of this list, but alas it got edged out. I'm just baffled as to why it hasn't gotten the expanded-and-remastered-two-disc-deluxe-edition treatment by now.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #30 to #26

30. TANGERINE DREAM - "Lily On The Beach"
(Private, 1989)

I'd imagine that it's the last album they'd care to be remembered for, since it bears no traces of the expansive electronic soundscapes that are their trademark. But I personally adore this digestible assortment of instrumental nuggets, my favorites being the funky opener "Too Hot For My Chinchilla" (gotta love the title!) and the gorgeous solo piano number "Twenty-Nine Palms", which just might be my absolute favorite (non-soundtrack) instrumental of all time.

29. GIL - "Here I Am"
(BMG/Germany, 1998)

Thanks to the record labels' crafty cross-promotion stunt between him and The Moffatts, it didn't take long for me to fall under the near-saccharine spell of German pop singer Gil Ofarim. The candy coating of "Round 'n' Round" and "Bang Bang Bang" are so thick that it's almost enough to repel me anymore, but it's evened out by more mature fare like "For Heaven's Sake", "I Need You", and "Never Giving Up Now" -- the English-as-a-second-language idiosyncrasies notwithstanding.

28. CHESNEY HAWKES - "The One And Only"
(Chrysalis, 1991)

The title track is a one-hit wonder if ever there was one (at least as far as the United States is concerned), but there were several other songs on this album that were just as worthy of success. And, like quite a few of the CDs on this list, just hearing the first track or two sends me on a nostalgia trip for the rest of the album. "I'm a Man Not a Boy", "Feel So Alive", "Nothing Serious", "One World" ... nope, not really any clunkers on here at all.

27. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - "Rufus Wainwright"
(Dreamworks, 1998)

As difficult as it is to describe Rufus Wainwright's music, it's even more difficult to explain why I like it. He's not my favorite artist, and chamber-pop (not that he totally sticks to it) is far from my favorite genre, yet I continue to buy his CDs ... maybe just so I can hear what sounds he might come up with next? His first album might not be his best, but it was certainly unlike anything else out there at the time ... totally captivating, endlessly inventive, and forever ageless.

26. "QUANTUM LEAP" - soundtrack
(GNP Crescendo, 1993)

Not only do the vocal contributions by series star Scott Bakula range from Broadway to hair metal, but the instrumental scores take us everywhere from heartland America to a vampire's lair. The unquestionable highlight (besides arguably the best TV theme that Mike Post has ever composed) is the feature-film-caliber orchestral suite from the episode "Lee Harvey Oswald". Just as adventurous to listen to as Dr. Sam Beckett's time-hopping odyssey was to watch.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #35 to #31

35. BOYZONE - "A Different Beat"
(Polygram/Ireland, 1996)

Boyzone were a few years ahead of the boyband craze that swept the world at the end of the decade, and while nearly all young male singing groups before and after have sung about nothing but love (looking for it, falling in it, or getting hurt by it), this Irish group's sophomore album explored more philosophical ground, such as embracing our differences ("Melting Pot"), trying to get along with each other ("A Different Beat"), and just figuring out what life in general means ("Isn't It a Wonder"). Definitely a breath of fresh air in boyband pop.

34. METALLICA - "S&M"
(Elektra, 1999)

"They think it was my idea; I think it was theirs!" wrote composer/conductor Michael Kamen in the liner notes. But whoever it was that thought to combine the furious thrash of Metallica with the sweeping grandeur of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the end product -- two bombastic worlds of music that couldn't be more different, being ingenously woven together and continuously building on the power they seem to draw from one another -- is nothing less than a force of nature.

33. DEADEYE DICK - "A Different Story"
(Ichiban, 1994)

They may be a one-hit wonder for their popular single "New Age Girl", but I found plenty more to like on their debut album ... "Perfect Family", "Marguerite", "Sentimental Crap", and seven other tracks percolating with ridiculously catchy melodies and wonderfully witty lyrics. I am honestly at a total loss as to why this album wasn't a huge hit, but at least I have it, plus one other album from them, that I'm happy to say I've enjoyed listening to for many years.

32. BETTER THAN EZRA - "Deluxe"
(Elektra, 1995)

This alt-rock band from Louisiana sprang onto the scene with their smash-hit single "Good", and are still together. Propelled by Kevin Griffin's hearty vocals, this album is packed with great songs -- the upbeat "Rosealia", "Cry In The Sun", the exquisite ballad "Porcelain", and the briskly gliding closer "Coyote". Most of their subsequent albums have had a hard time stacking up to this one, but I've been a listener of theirs ever since.

31. THE RIPPINGTONS - "The Best of the Rippingtons"
(GRP, 1997)

In my opinion their glory days are gone, but for over ten years Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons put out some of the absolute best instrumental songs that I've ever heard before or since. I've tried to find another contemporary-jazz group that I like as much as these guys, but keep coming up disappointed. I had such a hard time deciding which album of theirs I liked more, that I just threw up my hands and put in this compilation. A cop-out maybe, but you can't go wrong with the hits.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #40 to #36

40. DIDO - "No Angel"
(Arista, 1999)

Like most people probably did, I discovered Dido when her song "Here With Me" gained prominence in its use as the theme for the fantastic TV series "Roswell" ... and then I discovered a whole album full of dreamy, ethereal pop songs, all graced with her captivatingly beautiful voice. "Don't Think Of Me" and the (thankfully) Eminem-less original version of "Thank You'" are just two of the other highlights on this stellar debut album.

39. "BOP BOYS!" - compilation
(Interhit, 1998)

As I explained a while ago in a full-sized post, this is the album that essentially opened up my ears to the world of international pop music ... and I haven't been able to shut those wonderful sounds out since (not that I'd ever want to try). Boyzone, 911, Peter Andre, and of course two of my bigger favorites, Kavana and Espen Lind, are just some of the artists I've discovered thanks to this one CD, and the ongoing import-pop hunt that it inspired.

38. BARENAKED LADIES - "Gordon"
(Reprise, 1991)

I don't remember just what TV show it was on which I first heard Barenaked Ladies performing, but I do remember that the song I heard was "If I Had $1000000", and I remember that it made me march right out and buy this debut album of theirs. It took another three albums for the rest of America to discover their charms, but "What a Good Boy", "Grade 9", "King of Bedside Manor", and "New Kid (On The Block)" won me over immediately.

37. OCTOBER PROJECT - "October Project"
(Epic, 1993)

Fitting in somewhere between the new-age serenity of Enya and the techno-tinged trippiness of Enigma, October Project put out hauntingly beautiful melodies in tidy pop packages -- almost like arias written for Top-40 radio. Mary Fahl's soaring voice could barely contain these songs which, in a more perfect world, would have launched this group on a successful, decades-long career, rather than cutting it short after just one more album.

36. SCOTT GRIMES - "Scott Grimes"
(A&M, 1989)

A few years into his acting career, a 17-year-old Scott Grimes got the chance to record an album under producer Richard Carpenter, and as far as singing actors go, the results are pretty good. Being from the synthesized-instrument-happy turn of the decade, it can't help but sound dated and a bit cheesy, but the songs were nice, and so was his voice. We may have had to wait sixteen years for his next album, but it was worth the wait; both he and his music matured nicely.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #45 to #41

45. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - "Step By Step"
(Columbia, 1990)

Yes, before I knew it was happening, I got caught up into the New Kids mania that swept the nation at the turn of the decade ... though I wouldn't quite call myself a "Blockhead". But with this first-rate bunch of tracks -- "Call It What You Want", "Games", "Let's Try It Again", the slightly silly "Tonight", and of course the title track -- displaying the guys' talent and versatility better than ever, how can I be blamed? I call this a classic, no matter what anyone says.

44. THE SUNDAYS - "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic"
(DGC, 1990)

The debut album from this UK group -- featuring gorgeous guitars that all but define the term "jangly", and the airy voice of lead singer Harriet Wheeler (which lay about halfway between Bic Runga and The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan) -- gave us the international smash hit single "Here's Where The Story Ends" and nine other just-as-delightful tracks, and entertained me through two more enchanting, folk-rock-flavored albums.

43. SWIRL 360 - "Ask Anybody"
(Mercury, 1998)

This American outfit (consisting of twins Kenny and Denny Scott) were basically a power-pop band, but with the emphasis far more on the "pop" side. Hit single "Hey Now Now", aural confection "Candy In The Sun", and later Click Five semi-cover "I'll Take My Chances" had plenty of guitars, but was just as generous with the programming flourishes and loops. The result: gourmet ear candy. Tragically, company buyouts resulted in this being their only major-label release.

42. PC QUEST - "PC Quest"
(RCA, 1991)

He's now got some serious cred as a founding member of Shiny Toy Guns, but Chad Petree cut his musical teeth as a member (along with his older brother Stephen) of this sugary teen-pop group. Cloying ballads like "After The Summer's Gone" and "Can I Call You My Girl?" are made up for by upbeat and geuinely likeable ditties like "Show Me" and "Loverboy", and proved popular enough to earn them a second album. Vintage '90s cheese should always taste this good.

41. CHRISTIAN WUNDERLICH - "Real Good Moments"
(Chlodwig/Germany, 1999)

This German soap-opera actor and teen idol decided to take a crack at singing ... and it turns out he wasn't half bad, turning out this enjoyable album of pop tunes, followed by one more. This one's highlighted by the first single "That's My Way To Say Goodbye", the breezy "So In Love", the heart-tugging ballad "In Heaven" (as well as the videos for all three on the ehnahnced portion of the disc), and maybe the best cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy" I've ever heard. He might not have the best voice, but that's part of his charm.

Favorite CDs of the '90s -- #50 to #46

Okay, so one of the first things you'll notice is that I've got some albums here from 1989 -- right after you read me gripe about not including albums from 1999 on the current decade's list. Well, I figure I won't be doing an '80s countdown, plus it was so late in 1989 that I started buying CDs that I really think of it all as belonging to the '90s anyway. Besides, it's my blog, so ... nanny-nanny-poo-poo.

50. NIGHTINGALE - "Lightdance"
(Higher Octave, 1989)

I picked this one up back when I was in my "new age" phase, and like the rest of that genre, it hasn't aged very well in the last twenty years. But for some reason I've grown awfully fond of this silly old album, and some of its songs will still swim around in my head for days after I listen to it. Ironic that a bunch of music that sounds about as generic as possible can glom onto me in such a strong way, for absolutely no logical reason.

49. JIVE BUNNY & THE MASTERMIXERS - "The Album"
(ATCO, 1989)

Imagine if you will an album filled with what we now call "megamixes" of some of the greatest tunes of the early years of rock and roll ... Chubby Checker, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and the list goes on. If you're looking for a party album, look no further. It's a shame that The Mastermixers went downhill from this, their first album, but it's more of a shame that this gem has dwindled into obscurity over the years.

48. ERICH KUNZEL AND THE CINCINNATI POPS - "Symphonic 'Star Trek'"
(Telarc, 1996)

The '90s saw the peak of my "Star Trek" fandom, as well as this album, from my second favorite recording pops orchestra (the Boston Pops, under the baton of my man John Williams, being my favorite). If you need a crash course in the music of "Trek" -- from the Original Series, through seven feature films, and up to "Voyager" -- make this your syllabus. I never really understood or appreciated the inclusion of sound effects tracks on the Cincinnati Pops releases, but the music was always top-notch.

47. THE UNINVITED - "The Uninvited"
(Atlantic, 1998)

These guys were a little hard to peg at first -- a rollicking tongue-in-cheek rock number here, a subdued serious ballad there -- but it didn't take long for me to warm up to their unique stew of sharp wit, sardonic satire, and moody introspection. Were they inspired by Barenaked Ladies or just trying to ride their coat-tails? When they're this entertaining, I frankly couldn't care less.

46. COLLAPSIS - "Dirty Wake"
(Universal, 1999)

Mike Garrigan (later an "honorary" member of Athenaeum) fronted this unfortunately short-lived band ... but their only album was a gem. The haunting title track, the stirring "October", the optimistic "Tell Me Everything", the tender "Wonderland" ... all delivered with Garrigan's lush vocals and a tight, solid band. I just have to wonder if it might have sold better -- and kept the band around longer -- if the cover image wasn't quite so reminiscent of a Creed album.

My Favorite CDs of the '90s -- An Introduction

I guess you could say that I'm coming down with a case of "listmania" (apologies to Amazon if that word is copyrighted). While putting together my ranking of my favorite CDs of the decade (coming next month!), I encountered a few titles that I was forced to omit from the list because they were released in 1999 ... so close, and yet so far away. I guess it just irked me so much to leave those few ineligible titles off that list that I thought, why not put them on a list of their own? Besides, I figure I need a good warm-up for the more time-consuming countdown next month, so a smaller one would be just the ticket. And it also helps that my strategy for ranking the albums -- lay them out on my bed in rough-sorted rows of ten, examine the track listings, deliberate for awhile, then shuffle them into the final order -- made far quicker work of both lists than I expected.

So, over the course of this month I'll be trotting out a countdown of my favorite CDs of the 1990s! (Never fear ... my obligatory two-part "Favorite Albums of the Year" podcast will arrive on schedule, right around Christmas.) Just don't take this list too seriously -- I call it "my favorite CDs" and not "the best CDs" for just that reason ... probably entertaining, perhaps enlightening, but by no means all-encompassing. So don't be disappointed or angry if you don't find any major titles on this list, like Nirvana's "Nevermind"; I just wasn't a Nirvana fan at all, and though the album is on my "pick it up eventually" list, I just haven't gotten around to buying it yet.

The 1990s were a bit of an odd decade for me, not only in terms of my music listening, but for other reasons as well, which I won't go into now. Suffice to say that If I were to draw up a graph showing my music consumption over that ten-year span, it'd look a bit like a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge: peaking at the beginning and end of the decade, with a noticeable decline in the middle. As a result, you'll see far more albums from the first couple of years and the last couple of years of the decade, and not very many from the middle years; so in that respect, the '90s felt almost like two separate decades to me. And yes, you'll see several titles from my "Early '90s Month" feature a couple of years ago crop up in this countdown, but I promise I'll try not to be too redundant.

So get ready ... the countdown starts later this week!!