Break Up Your Band

Megadeth - “Train of Consequences”
Youthenasia, 1994

Continuing with the theme of albums that came out this week at different years during the ’90s, Megadeth’s Youthenasia came out 15 years ago this week.

Cute chick/dude in your office: “It’s 4:00 already? I’m going down to the deli to get a snack.”
You: “Why don’t you stay here and snack on this Megadeth I’m about to rock right the fuck out to in my cube?

Cut to you two telling your kids how you met.

Alice In Chains - “Again”
Alice In Chains, 1995

Alice In Chains’ final studio album was released 14 years ago this week. Tracks like this one as well as “Grind” and “Over Now” give this album a harder, sludgier, and bleaker sound than previous AIC albums. The death of singer Layne Staley in 2002 marked the end of Alice In Chains forever.

“Hey, what are you talking about? They just put out a new studio album!”

What? Sorry, can’t hear you. Not listening to what you’re saying at all.

Spice Girls - “Spice Up Your Life”
Spiceworld, 1997

1997 was a weird year for music, consisting mostly of the industry dredging up the ghosts of music’s previous generations. Album reissues and greatest hits compilations from the likes of The Beach Boys, Queen, and Lionel Richie hit shelves, while bands like Yes, KISS, and the not yet publicly humiliated Ozzy Osbourne sought to fight against their irrelevance in the form of new studio albums. Grunge had taken its last flannel-colored breath, and its fetal-alcohol-syndrome-suffering bastard son post-grunge had yet to drool and slobber it’s way onto the scene. The void was filled with a lot of over-produced pop music. It was like the adults had finally had enough of the noise and banished all the kids to their rooms. It was a bad time.

How bad was it? The Spice Girls’ second album, Spiceworld, was released 12 years ago today. Sure, The Flaming Lips’ Zaireeka came out the previous week, but it was a drop of greatness in a bucket of Celine Dion’s vomit (produced by Babyface, of course).

This song, an attempt to catch the manipulated lightning of faux female empowerment in a bottle for a second time, never reached higher than 18th on the Billboard chart. Even sadder is the fact that their call for the colors of the world to spice up their lives failed to resolve any global conflicts.

I believe it was around this time that I, while stopped at a traffic light on Valley Road in Upper Montclair, NJ, after three weeks of listening to the original cast recording of the musical “Rent”, had a sudden moment of clarity and exclaimed to myself, “Wait a minute! These songs are fucking terrible!” and gave it away the next day.

Is posting “Spice Up Your Life” BUYB’s jump-the-shark moment? Maybe.

Foo Fighters - “Learn To Fly”
There Is Nothing Left To Lose, 1999

This third album from Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters was released 10 years ago yesterday. Yep, ten years ago. If I recall correctly, when this album came out I was a junior in college and just about to finally rustle up the nerve to end a three-year relationship that should’ve only lasted three days. Oh, and that means I was also just about to start drinking!* What a great year!

Oh, you were in high school? That’s great. Good for you. Hey, could you help me across the street? Thanks pal.

* - I was a late bloomer but a quick learner.

Geto Boys - “My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me”
We Can’t Be Stopped, 1991

Happy Halloween! This year Halloween falls on a weekend, so look out for Bushwick Bill punchin’ on the concrete.