lundi 22 Déc 2008, 22h55m

I've decided to cross-post my old "Best Of" lists that I had on my website retarsia.com. Here's 1992:

In 1992, I continued to listen to rock and grunge, but at middle school I was introduced to new people and with them came new musical tastes. 1992 was a good year for music quality-wise, but a solid top 10 was hard to come by. Here goes…

10. Fontanelle - Babes In Toyland
Reflections: For the most part, chick rock sucks. I don't mean to sound sexist, it just a fact. Rarely do I have any interest at all in listening to ladies try to rock out. Babes In Toyland was the first noteable exception to this preconception. These girls rocked incredibly hard, and this album was loud, grungy, and angry. Some cite this as an important 'riot grrrl' album, whatever in the hell that means. I just liked it because it was loud, angry, and different.
Best tracks: Bruise Violet

9. 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... - Arrested Development
Reflections: This album does come off a bit preachy at times, but its smooth rhymes showed me that not only could I enjoy rap music, but it could also be easy to listen to. I don't have a whole lot to say about this album, other than the fact that I enjoyed listening to it, and
could never remember the full title.
Best tracks: Tennessee, Mr. Wendal

8. Dirty - Sonic Youth
Reflections: Sonic Youth, like the Pixies, was an extremely important and extremely underappreciated rock act in the early 90s. While Sonic Youth is often the poster child of indie rock elitist bastards, this album alone merits such praise and consideration. Dirty is the group's finest work. While a bit artsy at times, it's far more listenable than the later Experimental Jet Set, Trash, and No Star.
Best tracks: Sugar Kane

7. New Miserable Experience - Gin Blossoms
Reflections: While these boys from the Southwest by no means had long-standing success, New Miserable Experience was one of the best pop-rock albums of the time. It was easy to listen to, and easy to sing along with. The only real gripe with the album is the fact that it varies too much in quality from track to track. Not worth buying, but worth a listen, for nostalgia's sake.
Best tracks: Hey Jealousy, Allison Road

6. Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Reflections: The band shows their darker, mellower side, in the last R.E.M. entry into my top 10 lists. Though later albums fell short in my eye, Automatic is nothing short of amazing. The opening song, 'Drive', is one of my favorite tracks ever. It's so calm, so mellow, and yet so edgy at the same time. Mike Stipe's vocals on this album are phenomenal.
Best tracks: Man on the Moon, Drive

5. Broken - Nine Inch Nails
Reflections: My first taste of Trent Reznor's genius came from an episode of Beavis and Butthead which showed the video for 'Wish.' I watched, and was blown away. This EP was 20 minutes of unbelievably hard rock, from start to finish. Metal? Industrial? Whatever you classify it as, you can't deny it rocks hard.
Best tracks: Wish, Happiness In Slavery

4. Apollo 18 - They Might Be Giants
Reflections: Once you get past the dopey cover art, you can
get deep into classic TMBG. This album is full of TMBG favorites, and while lighthearted in subject matter, is still a great listen all these years later. This album is pure fun, and listening to it always puts a smile on my face.
Best tracks: Narrow Your Eyes, Dinner Bell, She's Actual Size

3. Core - Stone Temple Pilots
Reflections: STP, like Pearl Jam, fell off the quality horse in the mid-90s, but not before cranking out a duo of amazing albums. Core, the band's first, was grunge rock in top form. Scott Weiland's voice is unique and unforgettable, and from start to finish, the album rocks.
Best tracks: Wicked Garden, Creep, Naked Sunday, Plush

2. Generator - Bad Religion
Reflections: I didn't begin to listen to Bad Religion until the late 90s, but this is one of their finer outputs. Starting with the incredible opening (title) track, the album is a fine example of punk rock at its best. Amazing lyrics, amazing riffs, an overall amazing album.
Best tracks: Generator, Only Entertainment, The Answer, Chimaera, Atomic Garden

1. The Chronic - Dr. Dre
Reflections: Quite possibly the most influential rap album in history, Dr. Dre's The Chronic made heads bob from coast to coast with its insanely tight rhymes and Dre-created beats. It was what single-handedly got white kids into rap. Dre's album was the first to make me really appreciate rap.
Best tracks: Nuthin' but A "G" Thang, Let Me Ride, Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')