In the last decade we have seen the remains of the Berlin Wall sold off as

souvenirs... 'Friends'... "Frankenstein foods"... 'Screamadelica'... Nine

Inch Nails... Pay As You Talk... the World Wide Web...

A decade of albums, gigs and rashly-hyped new genres... a decade spanning

nearly half my life and a decade of writing about music... All listed here

for your perusal...

The albums have been loosely classified for convenience, and because

narrowing the choices down was so hard...

"Do you think that independent music will be important in the '90s?"

"I think independent music IS the music of the '90s" - 1991 Radio One

documentary.

Alan McGee may have been one of its great founding fathers - but he was also

partly responsible for its untimely demise - firstly by the unfathomable

hype surrounding what was a pretty average band [Oasis] and by the

subsequent rush [most labels are guilty here] to sign the nearest

sound-alike band. Sony sounded the death-knell by buying half, and finally

the whole, of Creation and suddenly Indie music was yet another stale,

shallow footnote in the annals of history. Still, the cream of the crop

managed to float to the top eventually...

1. PRIMAL SCREAM - 'SCREAMADELICA'

It was remarkable for its time - the concept of

taking a pretty lo-fi blues-fixated rock 'n' roll crew and remixing them to

sweet oblivion - with them all thoroughly involved in the process. The

result was a breathtakingly soulful and original album that took the very

best of contemporary dance music infused with psychedelia and many of the

greatest anthems of our times. The effortlessly gorgeous 'Shine Like Stars'

and massive hit 'Come Together' stand out as timeless classics, but it's

treats like the meandering [without being gratuitous] saxophone solo on 'I'm

Coming Down' and Jah Wobble's dub reworking of 'Higher Than The Sun' that

really consolidate this as a genuine masterpiece. Virtually unanimously

hailed as the album of its year, this has earned its place in the overall

top five of the 1990s.

2. RADIOHEAD - 'OK COMPUTER'

Stunningly inventive and evocative album that

elevated Radiohead out of the league of their contemporaries and put them in

a place all their own. Timeless.

3. MY BLOODY VALENTINE - 'LOVELESS'

Unique and experimental slab of creativity from

Primals collaborator Kevin Shields and co. One of the most influential and

rightly acclaimed albums of recent times.

4. MANIC STREET PREACHERS - 'GENERATION TERRORISTS'

Blistering debut from a band who have varied

considerably from overhyped to underrated over the years. 'Motown Junk' and

'Motorcycle Emptiness', with their infectious punk-pop choruses, go a long

way towards justifying the considerable attention awarded to this band.

5. VERVE - 'A STORM IN HEAVEN'

Verve were GOOD once. Don't believe me? Okay - try this -

before they were called THE Verve, they were simply referred to as "Verve",

and they were good. Very good. Ethereal sonic soundscapes and what-not, this

is as exciting an indication of their full [lost?] potential as you'll ever

hear.

Nirvana changed everything. It might have been Sonic Youth who inspired the

music, but the image and style of Rock was changed forever after 'Nevermind'

came out. Still, it wasn't just "grunge" [a hybrid of Metal and Punk] that

defined the era - it was the willingness of some bands to search further

afield, to look to increasingly varied influences to create ever new

hybrids...

1. LEVITATION - 'NEED FOR NOT'

It should never have happened - the bastard child of five

mismatched maniacs with a penchant for twisted, fragile, magical and

nightmarish tunes. Yes - tunes with catchy anthemic choruses, huge

psychedelic walls of sound, monster bass lines and crushingly powerful

rhythms. The aching, horrifying PARANOIA of such tunes as 'Resist' and

'Pieces of Mary'; the aeons-old dreamscapes of 'Embedded' and 'Arcs of Light

and Dew'; the sheer skull-fuck of 'Hangnail' and 'World Around'... This was

a devastating fusion of Hawkwind and Killing Joke - a really, really BAD

acid trip. Then there was the personnel involved - ex-House of Love star

Terry Bickers with his angry hippy stance; sweet but volatile former

Cardiacs guitarist Bic Hayes; pop tunesmith keyboard player Bob White;

laconic dub-loving bassist Laurence O'Keefe and the brilliant but brittle

Dave Francolini [responsible for the trademark blend of jazz and tribal

percussion]. Bic, Laurence and Dave finally found peace - and no small

measure of success - as the excellent Dark Star. However, this was some time

after creating this deeply affecting mix of lacerating riffs and choral

carnage. As heavy as Metallica and as sweet as Spiritualized - Levitation

were once in a lifetime.

2. VAST - 'VISUAL AUDIO SENSORY THEATER'

[see 1999 albums for full review]

3. NINE INCH NAILS - 'THE FRAGILE'

[see 1999 albums for full review]

4. DEUS - 'IN A BAR, UNDER THE SEA'

Following the fabulous 'Worst Case Scenario', this was

actually better still. Sounding more like a compilation than an album, the

choice of letting each distinctive songwriter take turns in writing songs

lent this a rare variety in the sea of bland, samey releases. Tom Waits

meets Iggy Pop meets Frank Zappa meets Nine Inch Nails meets Charles Mingus,

anybody? Belgians, eh?

5. SMASHING PUMPKINS - 'MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS'

Preposterous, pretentious and far, far too long? Maybe, but

there is hardly a wasted second on this magnificent double album. Fulfilling

all their promises in one huge overstatement, the Pumpkins made a lasting

and lovely soundtrack to the times.

Often incorrectly described as "industrial", Cybermetal is a uniquely

Nineties style of music. The legacy of "Cyberpunk" acts such as Skinny Puppy

spawned two nefarious offspring - dark, inventive electronic music ("pure"

Industrial or "Electronica") and aggressive, sample-laden Metal. We're

talking fearfully hard metallic guitars, with the emphasis on powerful,

often electronic, percussion. This "Cybermetal" is usually accompanied by

gloomy atmospherics and dark lyrics that often relate to a future Dystopia,

and man's conflict with machines...

1. KILLING JOKE - 'PANDEMONIUM'

Hear this and weep. Huge, heavy and hard as nails,

this is arguably the best KJ release since the days of 'Love Like Blood'.

The title track; 'Millennium' and the awesome 'Mathematics of Chaos' are

stand-outs in a full-form feat of excellence. A must for fans of all genres,

this is simply brilliant.

2. KMFDM - 'NIHIL'

Beating 'Xtort' and [symbols] - by a hairs'

breadth, this is KMFDM's finest moment. With the stunning 'Juke Joint

Jezebel'; the epic 'Dis-o-bedience'; 'Terror' [if Mark Thomas released a

record, is this what it would sound like? We hope so!]; the funky 'Beast'

and the sexy 'Brutal'... a filler-free fillet of fine ear-candy.

3. PIG - 'WRECKED'

A near-perfect slice of techno-tinged classic heavy metal.

This is Rock with a capital 'R', albeit with elements of everything,

quasi-classical doodlings and samplers a-plenty! There is not one below-par

track on this - although the heartstring-ripping 'Save me'; the deftly

amusing 'Fuck Me I'm Sick' and the adrenaline rush of 'The Only Good One's A

Dead One' are particular highlights. Go get!

4 FEAR FACTORY - 'DEMANUFACTURE/REMANUFACTURE'

Inclusion of both because they are equal in stature - the

brutal yet careful 'Demanufacture' may be held responsible for dozens of

inferior clone bands, yet 'Zero Signal' alone is one of the most stunning,

precise, soulful and excellent pieces of music in my memory at least.

'Remanufacture' features beautifully crafted reworkings of the songs from

such luminaries as Charlie Clouser and Junkie XL.

5. FOETUS - 'GASH'

As usual, a good five years ahead of its time. 'Hammer

Falls' blends Bhangra with industrial - a new one on me! 'Steal Your Soul

Away' has an ultra-low bassline that - never mind about your soul -

threatens to damage your RIBCAGE! 'Slung' is a nine-odd minute-long jazzy

tirade against a former lover, and 'Friend Or Foe' is just really bloody

hard. Cool.

An American term which brings together the more closely-related Darkwave,

EBM and Techno - as opposed to "Industrial" which is often used to describe

everyone from Meat Beat Manifesto to Fear Factory. Electronica is

percussion-based electronic music, usually with pounding four-to-the-floor

rhythms and a hypnotic, almost machine-like precision. Electronica has

consistently been the source of some of the most forward-looking music of

the 1990s, and between the left-field leanings of the broader Techno and Big

Beat scenes, and the ever-evolving Darkwave/EBM movements, great things

happen...

1. CHEMICAL BROTHERS - 'DIG YOUR OWN HOLE'

Drafting in old mates from Noel Gallagher to Beth

Orton, this album pushed the parameters of possibility and came out on top.

The delicate 'Where Do I Begin' and the infectious 'Block Rocking Beats' are

just two highlights. Yet, instead of resting on its laurels, this fights

'Screamadelica' for the crown by making a dance music ALBUM as opposed to a

collection of beat-laden tracks slung together as a marketing scam. Each

track is distinctive and well-written, displaying a songwriting skill rare

in most genres, let alone the world of the Big Beat. This is a rock album

that happens to use computers, and stands up among the giants as such. The

final 'Private Psychedelic Reel' closes off as a spiralling sculpture of

sound - the input of Mercury Rev being wonderfully obvious. Even my mum

loves this.

2. UNDERWORLD - 'SECOND TOUGHEST IN THE INFANTS'

From the opening 'Juanita' to the closing 'Stagger'

this is a companion - but not a clone - to the Chemicals' 'Dig Your Own

Hole'. This is studied and dreamy, compared to the Chemicals' rhythmic

onslaught. If the Chemical Brothers are the Killing Joke of dance,

Underworld are a tripped-out Radiohead.

3. SKINNY PUPPY - 'THE PROCESS'

In spite of everything. In spite of the whole damn

world coming down around them, Skinny Puppy brought forth the greatest album

of their lengthy careers. Perversely, this is also the most TOGETHER record

Puppy ever made - where previous offerings wandered off into dark corridors,

this is a consistent, focussed and surprisingly song-based release. With the

Underworld-style 'Blue Serge' and the devastating 'Hardset Head', Puppy

delivered for once all that they had ever promised.

4. FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY - 'TACTICAL NEURAL IMPLANT'

Definitive release from the Canadian computer

whizzes. Full of memorable, atmospheric tunes, this is a shining example of

just how great this type of music can be.

5. LEFTFIELD - 'LEFTISM'

Roping in mates such as John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon and

Curve's Toni Halliday, Leftfield's debut is a superior collection of dark

and hypnotic dancefloor thrillers. The club anthem 'Open Up' and the

dub-driven 'Original' are just two highlights.

1. SMASHING PUMPKINS/FILTER - WEMBLEY ARENA

Filter's magnificent performance was awe-inspiring

in its own right. Yet Smashing Pumpkins stormed the stage with a set of over

two hours long. Running through the classics, it was utterly faultless -

apart from James Iha's jokes, obviously. Eventually, the Pumpkins brought

Richard and Matt from Filter on stage for a 17-odd minute jam-out - a

massive psychedelic musical mantra with thunderous drums and jaw-dropping

atmospherics. Incredible.

2. NEXT-GEN '98 TOUR - DUB WAR/MISERY LOVES CO/ULTRAVIOLENCE/PULKAS -

LONDON ASTORIA 2

This Earache mini-festival was just so perfect.

Everything was right - the punk pop of Pulkas; the hardcore techno DJ set

from Johnny Violent; the blistering cybermetal of Misery Love Co and the

confident dub rock of Dub War. Each band gave their all in career-best

performances. The notoriously antagonistic security crew at the LA2 were

mystifyingly brimming with infectious enthusiasm, carefully helping

crowd-surfers over the barriers and standing, fists in the air, with

ear-to-ear grins on their faces. One of the most memorable and enjoyable

live shows ever.

3. VAST/STONY SLEEP - BARFLY @ THE FALCON, CAMDEN

Stony Sleep were one of the most underrated bands of

the 1990s, and were typically excellent here. This was the debut UK show by

a certain unknown LA band called VAST, and sold out almost entirely via

word-of-mouth. Every bit as mesmerising and cathartic as Radiohead's early

shows, this gig proved that VAST are already there - it's just up to the

rest of the world to catch up...

4. FOETUS/OTIS/LEECH WOMAN - LONDON ASTORIA 2

Jim "Foetus" Thirlwell is the sexy, bastard offspring of

Elvis and Nick Cave, wallowing in a mire of dirty blues and supercharged

sample-laden rock. Coming across as a nasty blend of Danny Elfman, Cop Shoot

Cop and Nine Inch Nails, the caustic blend of styles added a dangerous

flamboyance to the sound. Strutting, swaggering, screaming, it was as

fabulous a display of showmanship as any I've seen. Halfway through, I gave

up any pretensions of dignity and launched myself head-first into the mosh

pit. Classic.

5. FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY - LONDON ASTORIA, WC2

Entering amid a shroud of dry ice, the formidable form of

Bill Leeb burns an image on your retina that stays there for life. Tall,

brooding and powerful, Bill was an enigmatic and charismatic focus for a

brilliantly structured concert. Techno and Metal appeared to battle it out

physically as well as sonically - half the band were shorn and sporting

combat gear; the other half long haired and head-banging, in full Flying V

style. Synchronised laser lights were particularly affective in creating a

sort of death rave atmosphere, and TV screens on the stage completed the

image - a show designed for a much bigger venue creating probably the most

awesome show the venue has ever seen.

The Charlatans

Pig

KMFDM

VNV Nation

Pitchshifter

Radiohead

The Manic Street Preachers

Levitation

Cardiacs

The Wonder Stuff

1990s - NEW THINGS [Or, Do You Remember Before Every Fucker Had A Mobile?]

WORDS [Do you remember life before...?]

Laptop... surfing the Net... search engine... URL... Psion... Dyson...

millennium [as opposed to "millenium", which most people used until 1998]...

political correctness... "The Rachel Haircut"... DAT... MiniDisc... MP3...

Eurotunnel... techno... zeitgeist... grunge... "shoegazing"... "It" Girls...

being Dilberted... going postal... cube farms... call centre working...

"They killed Kenny!"... New Lads... Ladettes... Disneyland Paris... the

Fendhi Baguette, and the idiots who bought it... Viagra... jungle... drum

and bass... breakbeat... big beat... pay-as-you-talk... Frankenstein

Foods... Bridget Jones' Diary...

1990s - NAMES [do you remember life before...?]

Bill Clinton... Saddam Hussein... Tony Blair... John Major... Peter

Mandelson... Mohammed Al Fayed... "The People's Princess"... Kurt Cobain...

Courtney Love... Marilyn Manson... Monica Lewinsky... Howard Stern... Chris

Evans... Oasis... Tara Palmer-Tomkinson... Jim Carrey... Leonardo Di

Caprio... Brad Pitt... Zoe Ball... Fatboy Slim... Danny Boyle... Ewan

McGregor... Will Smith... Monica, Joey, Phoebe, Ross, Rachel and Chandler...

George Clooney... Kenneth Starr... Bob Dole... Bob Dobbs...

Trainspotting... Terminator 2... Burton's Batman films... Friends... ER...

The X-Files... Twin Peaks... American Gothic... Star Trek: Voyager... Ren

and Stimpy... Cow and Chicken... Pokemon... The Crow... Brass Eye... The Day

Today... Alan Partridge... The Simpsons... Jurassic Park... Shallow Grave...

The Usual Suspects... Toy Story... Disney's Beauty and the Beast...

Interview With The Vampire... Hard Boiled... Desperado... The 11 O'Clock

Show... 7even... Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma... that bloody

Titanic film... Mars Attacks... The Kids In The Hall... anything by Hal

Hartley...

I still blame Bobby Gillespie - if he hadn't been dating my friend's

sister's best friend, none of this would have happened. If I hadn't met him

when I was 13 and he was kind enough to talk to me - to stop and chat every

time I ran into him - things might have been a lot different. By 1993, I was

getting backstage and picking up guitar tips from so many bands, I thought -

hell - I might as well just write it all down and make money out of it.

Thus, after swapping a running joke with SLOWDIVE about that ingenious JERKY

BOYS tape, their album and this 'zine came out at the same time. Interviews

with the seminal LEVITATION, VERVE, RADIOHEAD, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, GIRLS

AGAINST BOYS, SKINNY PUPPY, FILTER, FOETUS, PLACEBO, DEUS, CARDIACS, DEATH

IN VEGAS and WHITEHOUSE followed. I met some of the most inspiring, inspired

and wonderful people I could ever hope to meet. In 1998, what with

technology being what it is - and at last giving the possibility of

eliminating deadlines and simply uploading stuff whenever the hell I get

round to it - Souvlaki went online. It was originally supposed to co-exist

with Souvlaki the fanzine, but Claire decided that she simply couldn't be

arsed and that was the end of that. No matter - the content was always

considerably better than the style... So, the "fanzine for people who don't

read fanzines" was replaced by the website for people who don't listen to

Travis.

I thought that meeting APOLLO 440's MARY MARY would have been the highlight

of my life, considering his involvement with PIGFACE, GAYE BYKERS and

HYPERHEAD - but no! It just got better! FEAR FACTORY, erstwhile Front Line

Assembly man RHYS FULBER, the legendary DEVIN TOWNSEND, En Esch of KMFDM and

PIG man RAYMOND WATTS have proved unusual and inspirational in roughly equal

measure... However elusive VAST and NIN are, I'll interview them one day.

I'll never stop looking for those people who push the boundaries, that make

a difference, that change the world... Hopefully you'll read about it as and

when they choose to be found...

The Nineties? Totally, awe-inspiringly fucking fantastic! I am just

PATHETICALLY grateful whenever I look back on the last decade. Hanging out

with people whose posters were on my wall [I still am! They still are!];

Being part of so much - the band, the magazines, where I'm not responsible

for anything, but just allowed to be involved... Being There - at the

parties/gigs/events and being on the List; Being There, Doing That and

Buying The Fucking T-Shirt; people knowing who I am - or asking if they

don't! Believing and being believed in... Being very, very, very happy

nearly all of the time... Being scared that one day I'll wake up... Thanks

to the people who have been kind enough to let us interview them. Bands,

managers, labels, press agents, promoters and road crew.. we love you! Hugs

to Dave and Rik for the website, Giles and Claire for (im)moral support and

Graham and Chris for being you... Thanks to everyone who has contributed

over the years to Souvlaki [the fanzine and website]... Thanks to Rock

Sound, Metal Hammer and Organ Online. Thanks to Org, Flag, Cyberpolis and

the Underworld for making me feel like a rock star... Thanks to everyone who

has believed in the band... Thanks to Hall or Nothing for changing my life,

to Primal Scream and Spitfire for behaving like friends and all the guitar

tips. Thanks finally to ALL of my heroes - you know who you are - thanks for

not letting me down, for being gracious and kind, for being inspirational

and supportive and in many cases for being my friends... xxx joanna x

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