As I write this, I am slowly beginning to come out of a four-month funk that was starting to spiral out of control. Fortunately, my appointment earlier this week with my family doctor listened to my concerns and made some medication adjustments to help me. Maybe it was a very difficult talk with my wife last night, or it is simply a placebo effect of taking a new medication? Either way, who cares, because I feel a little bit better. Not perfect, but not being suffocated by dark clouds either.
And, then again, I could be excited about the new addition family that should be announced any minute now as we are expecting Grandchild #4 (GC4, or Spaghetti as her older sister calls her) today, a little girl. Needless to say, this is an exciting day. The crazy thing is that all but GC2 were born via a C-Section. Both of the girls were breach (that mom is tiny and a former ballet dancer) while the GC3 was born under emergency circumstances due to him about killing his mom (she’s a taller but very thin young lady), which scared the crap out of my younger son, her hubby.
People have asked me if I hope any of them were athletes like me and my younger son. We all say no. Both of us have had some long term problems due to injuries from our playing days, so none of us are going out of our way to encourage them to pick up a sport. That’s the child’s decision. Personally, I hope they develop some musical skills and are kind to everyone with whom they come into contact during their lives. I hope they all laugh heartily at the ineptitude of humans and hopefully do not inherit my depression genes. In short, I wish them happiness and fulfilling lives.
Now, from my perspective, 1990 was a strange year. The Eighties were crashing head on into the Nineties. Things were changing all around us, and the music reflected that change. With that in mind, music was wide open. Old Skool Hip Hop was butting up against the initial strains of all the new variations coming forth. The post punk era had ended years prior but its influence was being felt all over the place. Pop music had a plastic, disposable feel to it. George Michael was demanding that people took his music seriously (as if his true fans weren’t at that moment), and Sinead O’Connor had ascended the mountain to take her place among the immortals of music, only to speak the truth about child molestations taking place in the Catholic Church at a time when people would not believe such an allegation (history has proven her correct, even though few have acknowledged it).
I, for one, kind of enjoy those years which music goes schizoid. This was one of those years in which the singles list would probably have much more depth than the albums. But, it makes for interesting listening when researching these different years. Still, I had a little more perspective at the time and felt we are on the precipice of something new. Little did I realize that it would have over the course of the next two or three years.
Looking back, there was an abundance of young artists who really only made a mark in 1990, then all kind of faded into history. I’m talking about promising artists like Digital Underground, Deee-Lite, Jane’s Addiction, Extreme, Midnight Oil, Concrete Blonde, Tony! Toni! Tone!, The La’s, and so many others. But, as you realize the older you get, history is litter with rock casualties like those listed. And even though they only had enough special sauce for one to five years, they still left their influence on all that listened to them at the time. I know they enriched my life.
[Note: I just received word from my older son that GC4 is here! And, she’s beautiful, as if that were ever going to be a problem since my boys got much of their mother’s looks and married beautiful women. Both Mom and baby are doing great! That’s a relief and much excitement for the family. I’m pretty lucky.]
This all means that it’s time for a countdown. Let’s do it!
50. Enigma – MCMXC A.D.
49. The Vaughan Brothers – Family Style
48. Madonna – I’m Breathless
47. C+C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat
46. Social Distortion – Social Distortion
45. Damn Yankees – Damn Yankees
44. The Sundays – Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
43. The Breeders – Pod
42. Uncle Tupelo – No Depression
41. Prince – Graffiti Bridge
40. M.C. Hammer – Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em
39. Gary Moore – Still Got the Blues
38. En Vogue – Born to Sing
37. Tony! Toni! Tone! – The Revival
36. Living Colour – Time’s Up
35. Pixies – Bossanova
34. AC/DC – The Razor’s Edge
33. Megadeth – Rust in Peace
32. They Might Be Giants – Flood
31. Paul Simon – Rhythm of the Saints
30. Fugazi – Repeater
29. Alice in Chains – Facelift
28. World Party – Goodbye Jumbo
27. Wilson Phillips – Wilson Phillips
26. Salt-n-Pepa – Black’s Magic
25. Concrete Blonde – Bloodletting
24. Digital Underground – Sex Packets
23. Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison
22. The Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches
21. A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels
20. Queensrÿche – Empire
19. The La’s – The La’s
18. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory
17. Deee-Lite – World Clique
16. Midnight Oil – Blue Sky Mining
15. INXS – X
14. Sonic Youth – Goo
13. Extreme – Pornograffiti
12. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
11. Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
10. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
9. The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker
8. Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
7. Jane’s Addiction – Ritual de lo Habitual
6. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
5. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Change of Season
4. Sinead O’Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
3. George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice
2. Depeche Mode – Violator
1. Jellyfish – Bellybutton
If My Records Could Talk 