Best Albums Of The 1990s, Pt. 4

#20
In Utero
Nirvana
1993

The shift in sound from Nevermind to In Utero is just staggering. Tossing Nevermind’s sparkling production out the window, producer Steve Albini brought out every rough edge he could find in Nirvana, particularly from Dave Grohl’s skull-crushing drums. Of course, Cobain gave him some pretty bleak material to work with. This album is nothing if not unhealthy, a seething, cancerous mass of anger, alienation and unspeakably black humor. It still topped the charts, but I think everyone listening to In Utero knew something was wrong. Even if they’re the voice of a rebellious generation, pop icons aren’t supposed to sound this damn tortured. In Utero is where the grunge party stopped being cool and become painfully real and personal, a feeling that is only magnified in retrospect.

#19
Illmatic
Nas
1994

No one, not even Nas himself, has ever released an album quite like Illmatic. Apparently, the recipe for its incredible combination of lyrical wit, storytelling and compelling beats has been lost to time, a sort of Holy Grail of album-oriented rap. It helps that there’s only one guest verse on the entire album, letting Nas himself do all the heavy-lifting and keeping things intense, focused and raw. The music doesn’t slouch either, whether we’re talking the grinding jazz of “N.Y. State Of Mind” or the smooth, radio-ready groove of “Life’s A Bitch”. As rap music becomes increasingly single-oriented, looking back to Illmatic seems inevitable. No rap album had ever sounded this complete and fully realized upon its release. In many ways, nothing has sounded that way since, either.

#18
In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel
1998

To this day, I’ve never understood the mass love affair people have with this album. People positively drool over this album, throwing praise at it like they were afraid it would somehow sneak out the door forever if they didn’t lavish it with attention and care. All I know is that In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is an impressively difficult album, finding ways to be enjoyable despite a multitude of factors that should keep people away. You’ve got the unusual, bombastic-yet-acoustic musical background. You’ve got trumpets and French horns and other non-rock instruments. You’ve got Jeff Magnum’s obnoxiously nasal voice. And then there’s the whole fact that the songs are all pretty damn depressing, populated by weird characters like the King Of Carrot Flowers and the Two-Headed Boy. Yet, somehow, Aeroplane has hit a chord with listeners for over a decade. I may never understand why, exactly, but perhaps it’s a mystery better left unsolved.

#17
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
1993

If you can get past the surface bleakness and street-level social reporting of the rapping, it becomes obvious that ­Enter The Wu-Tang is basically one huge party from start to finish. With nine emcees wandering through the studio and running all over each other’s tracks, the recording sessions for this album must have been an absolute blast. This is reflected in the cool confidence and chemistry between all the Clan members, weaving their verses around each other to create this giant, multifaceted rap masterpiece. The album also gives each member just enough time to establish a personality, each with their own distinct flavor. With the whole thing tied together by the RZA’s airtight production, Enter The Wu-Tang is a timeless album that documents one of the most impressive collections of raw musical talent ever assembled.

#16
Pinkerton
Weezer
1996

Two years after their debut album showered the world in winning power-pop, Weezer unleashed Pinkerton to a confused and generally unhappy reception. Suddenly, those cute songs about sweaters and surfing were replaced by Rivers Cuomo’s angst and sexual frustration. It would be several years before fans finally realized what an impressive album Weezer had released, eventually being considered a founding cornerstone in what would become emo music. However, for all its self-flagellation and indulgence, it never reaches the whinny extremes of these modern, mascara-streaked doofuses. Pinkerton may not have been all that poppy, but it was still smart and catchy, especially on the paint-peeling diatribe “Tired Of Sex”. Plus, Cuomo found a way to make songs about lusting after 18-year-old Japanese fans and lesbians hummable. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.

#15
Goat
The Jesus Lizard
1991

It’s really astonishing that an album this fierce and sonically brutal could be so damn funny, but sure enough, Goat is one of hard rock’s most enduring comedy albums, even if few people realize it. Take “Mouth Breather”, a song that sounds like pure evil but is actually about nothing more sinister than house-sitting. The same goes for the pounding lead single, “Nub”, which makes amputations sound positively giddy (“hey man, say man, have you been rubbing your nub?”). The music reflects this inherent combination of ferocity and absurdism, blending Big Black-style aural assault with nothing less than country music, harkening back to the band’s Texan roots. You may never really understand what the Jesus Lizard are singing about, thanks to David Yow’s madman yammering, but it’s always best not to take them too seriously. The band’s members aren’t and neither should you.

#14
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
1992

Ever since the 1980s, when Tom Waits’ music took a turn for the weird, darkness lurked on the edges of his music. However, it wasn’t until the 90s and Bone Machine that he really gave himself over to these inclinations. The result is a festering album, crammed full of rot and death. Whether its people dying (“Murder In The Red Barn”) or the entire world (“Earth Died Screaming”), vitality and life have very little place on this album. What really makes Bone Machine a masterpiece, however, is the way Waits doesn’t let his subject matter drag his music down into a depressed murk. His voice is as ragged and croaky as it’s ever been, but throughout this album, he sings with a newfound air of defiance and confidence, best heard on the swaggering “Goin’ Out West”. On Bone Machine, Tom Waits sings like the devil, toying with life and death and enjoying every minute.

#13
Tilt
Scott Walker
1995

After falling off the face of the musical map for twelve years, eccentric ex-pop star Scott Walker returned in 1995 with his album Tilt. The world wasn’t ready for it then and it still might not be now. Quite simply, Tilt isn’t like any known type of music. There’s some operatic elements mixed in, along with bits and pieces snatched from classical art music and even hard rock, but the end result is nothing but unique. Scott saturates his voice with emotion, letting the pathos virtually bleed out of your speakers, all while colossal blocks of avant-garde noise crash around you. Yet, if you can weather the assault and get to the eye of the storm (the haunted closer “Rosary”), you begin to realize just what an incredible journey you’ve made. Tilt is a bold, challenging and often harrowing piece of music, but it also offers a unique set of rewards, guiding you through some very untamed musical grounds.

#12
Let Love In
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1994

If Murder Ballads was Nick Cave’s mature album, Let Love In was his last glorious romp through youth. Finally dispelling the aimlessness that characterized his post-drug albums, Let Love In roars with energy, letting fierce songs like “Jangling Jack” and “Thirsty Dog” run wild and free. Even the ballads on the album have some viciousness lurking just beneath the surface, as “Ain’t Gonna Rain Anymore” and the album’s title track prove. Let Love In was a necessary turning point in Nick’s career, but unlike other transitional albums, it isn’t plagued by awkward experiments or forced stylistic changes. Cave and the Seeds simply got all this fury, rage and passion out of the system in one fell swoop, creating a wild and highly enjoyable musical experience in the process.

#11
Vs.
Pearl Jam
1993

Between their debut album and Vs., something changed in Pearl Jam’s approach to writing music. Instead of writing the big rock anthems that catapulted them to success, they began to trim their music down, creating lean, barbed songs that practically foamed at the mouth. Perhaps they were already subconsciously chafing against the mainstream music machine they would eventually abandon (and sue), but Vs. benefits from this shift immensely. “Go”, “Animal” and “Rearviewmirror” form the angry heart of the album, all leaving bruises when their finished. At the same time, Vs. was where Pearl Jam really unveiled their ability to craft masterful ballads. “Daughter” and “Indifference” open new doors for the band, letting their strong passions and emotions out without the roar of electric guitars driving them home. Vs. is the only Pearl Jam album where these two styles are in perfect balance, showing both sides of this powerful band in all their glory.