That was the first publication of Wonderful World, embedded above, that didn't really become widely known until it was translated into English and included on Zucchero's self titled compilation album some time in 1991. Then, it became a moderate hit. The music video started playing on MTV which is where I also found it and that was also the first time I'd ever heard of this Italian singer. A wonderful song. But should it be listed as a 1989 or 1991 release? I decided on the latter, since this was the first time the song was available in English. To this day, I haven't heard the Italian language version.
The best short track of the year that manages to beat both Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy and Marillion's The Party originates from a slightly unexpected source. On their most recent albums, the Canadian hard / progressive rock group Rush had already been sounding a bit too sterile, technical and wannabe hip for me. Their new album Roll the Bones, out on 3 September, only seemed to continue that trend. This time, they even introduced some rap rhymes to the title track - something unheard of and almost an insult to us old school fans.
A more thorough examination of the album contents revealed something more. While continuing their exploration of sterile high tech sounds, Rush had at the same time somehow managed to write their best song ever. Bravado, embedded above, is a stunning masterpiece that feels almost out of place on an otherwise mediocre album and wins Best short track of the year effortlessly. Rarely has a hard rock song succeeded in being so touching and technically accomplished simultaneously.
September also brought us Talk Talk's follow up to their undying masterpiece Spirit of Eden (1988). The new album was called Laughing Stock and it was stylistically quite similar to its predecessor. However, it took only a couple of times to listen to the album in its entirety to realize that something was missing. Talk Talk had peaked three years ago, and even thought the soundscape of Laughing Stock was very familiar, this time they came short in the songwriting department. Only one track on the album is on par with Spirit of Eden; it is called After the Flood and has been embedded below.
The year was growing late, and with autumn came the breakthrough album of Seattle grungemakers Soundgarden. This particular type of rock was a big thing at the time. Although Nirvana was not quite my cup of tea, I had to admit that they too possessed irresistible energy and were great in writing and performing catchy rock songs. At the time, I however preferred Soundgarden. Their brand of grunge rock was even harder and edgier than Nirvana's. I thought you could label them a hard rock band in general instead of only in the grunge context.
Badmotorfinger, out on 8 October, opens with moderate hit Rusty Cage which played on MTV all the time in late 1991. The second track Outshined is arguably even better in that is not quite as simple and straightforward. But perhaps my number one favorite on the album is still track number four called Jesus Christ Pose. It is where Soundgarden truly kicks ass and the restless imagery of the video embedded below perfectly fits the hard hitting tonal assault.
Next, we will once again discuss a compilation album. Zucchero's compilation included only a new version of a song already written; this one includes two brand new songs, both of them easily among the year's best. Out on 20 October, A Passage in Time by Dead Can Dance successfully brings together nearly all the best songs from the group's previous three albums Spleen and Ideal (1985), Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (1987) and The Serpent's Egg (1988). Whoever chose what to include, was a genius.
The two new tracks added to the compilation of eighties works are each written by one of the members. Both are really good. Lisa Gerrard's Bird is an atmospheric track with nice vocal work, nature sound effects and a surprisingly strong tempo. But the true masterpiece is Brendan Perry's Spirit: one of the best songs the man has ever written. When listening, please pay attention to the exceptionally strong production values. To really appreciate the sound quality, you will probably need to buy the CD, although the YouTube version will also give you an idea.
4 November marks the release of yet another megabit by Enya. Shepherd Moons was her third album and was once again full of minor classics, although this time there wasn't really such an obvious centerpiece as Orinoco Flow had been on Watermark (1988). Not surprisingly, the album went on to win a Grammy in the category of Best New Age Album and stayed on the Billboard album charts for well over four years. Let's not embed anything for now and move on.
One week later, on 11 November, my old seventies favorite Genesis released their swan song We Can’t Dance. For the most part, it only continued the long string of embarrassments that had already started in 1980 when Phil Collins really took over. However, there are a couple of tracks on the album that make it worth mentioning here (there weren't any on 1986's Invisible Touch that we skipped on purpose). The first one of them is the album's opening track No Son of Mine that is a perfectly fine pop / rock song with a heavy heart.
The second one is the album's closing track Fading Lights which, as you can hear above, is actually very good. Finally the pop sensibilities of Phil Collins have been put to good use! The beautiful song extends to a typical seventies Genesis duration of over ten minutes, and includes an impressive instrumental section. So, by placing this song as the last song on the last real Genesis album, the group is bidding us farewell in style. (There will of course be one more studio album released using the name in 1997, but with Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford as a two man band with a temporary replacement singer, it never really felt like a real Genesis album.)
I will mention this one last album, although it has little to do with progressive rock. The popular eighties Irish rock group U2 released their seminal Achtung Baby on 18 November. Produced by one Brian Eno, the album proved once again that even those artists dedicated to making the simplest rock tracks eventually grow up, develop themselves an ambition and start composing more complicated music. I would like to embed The Fly which was always a favorite of mine and whose video could often be seen on MTV around year end and beyond. Please skip the first 24 seconds, I don't know what the hell they are.
Choosing the best short track of the year is a no-brainer. Bravado by Rush is such an important song for me that there is no way even Massive Attack can beat it, although Unfinished Sympathy comes a close second. What is exceptional is however that for the first time in several years, we will also be able to award Best long track of the year. The title goes to Genesis, whose excellent Fading Lights runs over ten minutes and is perfectly worthy.
Best album is a little tougher choice to make. I feel a little uneasy in awarding Marillion for easily the least progressive work of their career so far. Yet I cannot deny the fact that Holidays in Eden is full of excellent songs and the band is as creative as ever, Fish or no Fish. The Party would even take the third place on my list of Best short tracks of the year close behind Rush and Massive Attack. So, there can be only one answer. Before listing the best of 1991 as well as previous years, let's listen to Enya after all. Here is Book of Days, taken from Shepherd Moons.
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:
Marillion: Holidays in Eden
UNMISSABLE TRACKS OF THE YEAR:
Dead Can Dance: Spirit
Genesis: Fading Lights
Marillion: The Party
Marillion: Dry Land
Marillion: Holidays in Eden
Massive Attack: Unfinished Sympathy
Metallica: The Unforgiven
Queen: Innuendo
Rush: Bravado
Talk Talk: After the Flood
Yes: The More We Live - Let Go
Zucchero: Wonderful World
Best albums of the year, 1967 to 1991:
1967: Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
1968: -
1969: Procol Harum: A Salty Dog
1970: Genesis: Trespass
1971: Genesis: Nursery Cryme
1972: Yes: Close to the Edge
1973: Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
1974: Mike Oldfield: Hergest Ridge
1975: Electric Light Orchestra: Face the Music
1976: Genesis: A Trick of the Tail
1977: Yes: Going for the One
1978: Genesis: And Then There Were Three
1979: Robert Fripp: Exposure
1980: Talking Heads: Remain in Light
1981: Camel: Nude
1982: Rush: Signals
1983: Ozzy Osbourne: Bark at the Moon
1984: Rush: Grace Under Pressure
1985: Marillion: Misplaced Childhood
1986: Depeche Mode: Black Celebration
1987: Suzanne Vega: Solitude Standing
1988: Dead Can Dance: The Serpent's Egg
1989: Faith No More: The Real Thing
1990: Depeche Mode: Violator
1991: Marillion: Holidays in Eden
Best short tracks (under approx. 12 minutes), 1967 to 1991:
1967: Pink Floyd: Bike
1968: Pink Floyd: Julia Dream
1969: Pink Floyd: Cirrus Minor
1970: The Beatles: The Long and Winding Road
1971: Genesis: The Fountain of Salmacis
1972: Gentle Giant: Schooldays
1973: John Cale: Paris 1919
1974: Mike Oldfield: Mike Oldfield's Single
1975: The Tubes: Up from the Deep
1976: Gong: Chandra
1977: Yes: Going for the One
1978: Genesis: Down and Out
1979: Barclay James Harvest: Play to the World
1980: Saga: Don't Be Late
1981: John Foxx: The Garden
1982: Laurie Anderson: O Superman (For Massenet)
1983: Brian Eno: An Ending (Ascent)
1984: Laurie Anderson: Blue Lagoon
1985: Talk Talk: Time it's Time
1986: Ultravox: All in One Day
1987: Suzanne Vega: Ironbound / Fancy Poultry
1988: Dead Can Dance: The Host of Seraphim
1989: Marillion: Seasons End
1990: Fish: Vigil
1991: Rush: Bravado
Best long tracks (Approx. 12 minutes or over), 1970 to 1991:
1970: King Crimson: Lizard
1971: Van der Graaf Generator: A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
1972: Yes: Close to the Edge
1973: King Crimson: Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part 1
1974: King Crimson: Starless
1975: Mike Oldfield: Ommadawn, Part 1
1976: -
1977: Yes: Awaken
1978: Popol Vuh: Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts
1979: U.K: Carrying No Cross
1980: Mike Rutherford: Smallcreep's Day
1981: -
1982: Mike Oldfield: Taurus II
1983: Mike Oldfield: Crises
1984: Jean-Michel Jarre: Ethnicolor
1985: Robert Fripp: God Save the King
1986: The Enid: The Change
1987: -
1988: -
1989: -
1990: -
1991: Genesis: Fading Lights
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