When the Music's (Not) Over (1997-1998)
These albums are listed chronologically with no specific ranking or any other sequencing. (I use the fairly outmoded term “album” because I couldn’t think of anything better)
1995-1996 1997-1998 1999-2000 2001-2002 2003-2004 2005-2006 2007-2008
2009-2010 2011-2012 2013-2014 2015-2016 2017-2018 2019-2020 2021-2024
1997
ELLIOTT SMITH: Either/Or
BEN FOLDS FIVE: Whatever and Ever Amen
If Billy Joel and Burt Bacharach adopted a baby (ok, weird idea), the resulting music might sound a lot like Ben Folds. Since Joel decided to stop writing songs in 1994, it’s ironic that Folds should come along a year later with a similar knack for remarkable melodies and virtuoso piano playing. His trio (no, they aren’t actually five of them) kick the sound up a notch. And combined with some gorgeous Bacharach-influenced orchestrations this is really great pop music. One song from this album, “Brick,” gained a big audience. Typical of Folds’ unpredictable subject matter, it’s about taking a girlfriend to have an abortion with the usual very mixed feelings.
A personal favorite is “Smoke.” Over an accordion-filled arrangment, Folds contemplates a couple literally burning up their memories:
“Where do all the secrets live?
They travel in the air
You can smell them when they burn
They travel
Those who say the past is not dead, can
stop and smell the smoke
You keep on saying the past is not even past
We are smoke.”
Folds eye for the telling detail brings a certain wisdom to his music. And one of those stanzas paraphrases William Faulkner, of all people.
Funny thing about Folds: he has been dismissive of the Joel and Elton John comparisons. He appears to think of himself as more of a alternative rock guy than a tunesmith. This is somewhat unfortunate because his more uptempo songs sound a bit forced and sometimes project a certain misogyny. At the same time, he could well be writing from the perspective of the songs’ unsavory characters.
The question of whether a songwriter is responsible for the opinions voiced in their songs is a perpetual conundrum. Back when musicians began writing their own songs, the interpretive floodgates broke wide open. But is this entirely fair? Movies and TV have a big advantage in that you can actually see who is saying what and in what context. It’s unlikely most viewers blame the person who wrote the script. Similar assumptions are not alway granted the unseen person writing a song’s lyrics.
Songwriting is generally a vehicle for expressing a wide range of human emotion. We all think (and sometimes say) ugly things on occasion. People who write songs aren’t any different. It’s a personal and subjective decision by the listener, usually depending on whether or not said listener is a fan willing to give the songwriter the benefit of the doubt. In general, I would suggest a pattern of line-crossing is one thing but an occasional deviation is probably within the writer’s freedom of expression.
But I digress. I do that a lot. “Whatever and Ever Amen” is a great pop album. Check it out.
Best songs: “Smoke,” “Missing the War,” “Evaporated,” “Brick” “The Battle of Who Could Care Less.”
Next Steps: “Ben Folds Five” (1995). and everything else they’ve released
SUPERGRASS: In it For the Money
PAUL MC CARTNEY: Flaming Pie
The horrific tragedy of John Lennon’s murder may have led music fans to diminish Paul McCartney’s brilliance. Sometimes Sir Paul has fulfilled those lowered expectations. But he has never really deserved them. “Flaming Pie” is a great example of McCartney at the top of his game. Few in the musical cannon have shared his gift for indelible melodies. This album has them in abundance, generally in the form of his always memorable ballads. It’s worth noting, however, that fans of his classic goof “Monkberry Moon Delight” will love the title track.
Since he is facile enough to play every instrument himself, solo McCartney seems to rarely prioritize putting a great band together. But some guy named Ringo appears on the album’s best track, “Beautiful Night.”
Set aside nostalgia for the Wings years – which weren’t always that great – and give a listen to “Flaming Pie.”
Best Tracks: Someday, Young Boy, Little Willow, Heaven on a Sunday, Beautiful Night
Next Steps: “Driving Rain” (2001), “Run Devil Run” (1999)
RADIOHEAD: OK Computer
This may be the most “difficult” music on the list. Radiohead’s sometimes experimental sound can be off-putting to the uninitiated, but Thom Yorke’s great voice and Jonny Greenwood’s guitar work make for a memorable experience. And musicianship is just the beginning. Outstanding tracks like “Karma Police” (which would fit right in on Lennon’s “Imagine” album), “No Suprises” and “Paranoid Android” are quite accessible.
Like U2, the band shares songwriting credits and this collaborative nature of the music shines through. It might need more than one listen, but well worth it.
Best Tracks: Karma Police, No Surprises, Paranoid Android, Lucky
Next Steps: “The Bends” (1994), “In Rainbows” (2007)
U2: “POP”
OK, I may be one of only a couple dozen U2 fans who actually like this album. “Pop” does have some songs that are hard to like, but the best ones rank with some of their very best. As someone who will be happy to never hear “With or Without You” again, this is a welcome relief. “Pop” is, to these ears, the third in a quasi-trilogy that began with the incredibly great “Achtung Baby.”
BEST TRACKS: Staring at the Sun, Please, If God Will Send His Angels Wake Up Dead Man
NEXT STEPS: “Zooropa” (1993); “All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000); How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” (2004)
APPLES IN STEREO: Tone Soul Evolution
1998
PEARL JAM: Yield
The pride of Seattle is easily the best hard rock/pop band still working today. While their live shows draw legions of the faithful, the non-initiated tend to ignore their albums. Some of this may be attributed to their really annoying early video for the first single, “Jeremy,” about a teenager who shoots himself in his classroom – not one of their better songs. Fortunately, music videos went out of fashion not long thereafter.
But we digress. Pearl Jam’s 1998 release, “Yield,” is one of their most accessible albums. The combination of Eddie Vedder’s powerful vocals backed by the incredible lead guitar work of the great Mike McCready plus bassist Jeff Ament, guitarist Stone Gossard and drummer Jack Irons makes for one potent package. Fans of The Who or Neil Young & Crazy Horse will love this stuff. “Yield” also includes some stirring ballads, none stronger than “Wishlist.” I generally find love songs fairly rote, but this one hits the mark, for example:
“I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on
I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on
I wish I was the verb 'to trust' and never let you down”
If you didn’t catch onto Pearl Jam in their early years, the first album “Ten” and their third “Vitalogy” are a great introduction to their work.
Best Tracks: Low Light, Given to Fly, Do the Evolution, Wishlist, All Our Yesterdays
Next Steps: Backspacer (2009), Riot Act (2002), Pearl Jam (2006)
LUCINDA WILLIAMS: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
You can’t say Lucinda Williams didn’t work hard for the money. Her debut album came out in 1979. After 20 years in wholly undeserved obscurity, she finally found a big audience with this 1998 release. With “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road,” the Louisiana native delivers a series of heartfelt songs that evokes the Deep South. We’re not talking moonlight and magnolias here, though, this is about small-town rural folks more interested in love, liquor and fast cars. Williams shows great empathy for these people – and clearly feels like one of them. And her distinctive vocals bring it all home.
NOTE: Despite this being Williams’ best album, it does not contain her best song. “Sweet Old World” can be found on her 1993 album of the same name.
BEST TRACKS: Right in Time, Metal Firecracker, Can’t Let Go, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
NEXT STEPS: “Lucinda Williams” (1988), “Essence” (2001), “World Without Tears” (2003)
SMASHING PUMPKINS: Adore
To paraphrase the old saying, “Nice Guys Finish…First.” This is sometimes a good thing. Artists who handle their media image well often come across as sensitive, kind folks who care about others. This makes them nice people. It doesn’t always make them great artists. Sometimes the assholes make better music.
A case in point is two contemporaries from Chicago: Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins). To be clear, I don’t know these guys (and I don’t know anybody who knows them) – so my opinions are solely based on their public image and their music.
Tweedy appears to be a really good guy. He cooperates with the local and national media. He successfully courts the favor of local radio stations and newspaper websites. He even performs concerts with his son, for pete’s sake. You seldom read or hear a bad thing about him. However, most of Wilco’s albums tend to sound alike, with Tweedy writing songs that sound an awful lot like all his other songs.
Corgan, on the other hand, is often portrayed as an egomaniac. He makes grandiose, sometimes annoying music, filled with ambition. You don’t get the impression he cares if the media likes him or his work. He also produces much better, more consistently interesting music than Tweedy.
“Adore” is an excellent example. Like its amazing predecessor, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” this album is packed with a fascinating variety of music – some quite pretty and some bringing the big noise or both. Corgan’s voice can take some getting used to, but he’s passionate and seems to really care about getting his message(s) across. Tweedy tends to write genre exercises that show respect to his forbears. The roots and “Americana” crowd eats up this stuff with a rustic spoon. It puts this listener to sleep. Corgan demands that you pay attention. And on “Adore,” he clearly succeeds.
This isn’t to say the Pumpkins aren’t a group of fine musicians. Original members James Iha (guitar) and D’Arcy (bass) are good players. Former drummer Jimmy Chamberlain is sorely missed (he was kicked out of the band amid serious drug addiction issues), but the band still delivers. Chamberlain did return for later albums. For the most part, the other two did not. Corgan is not known as an easy guy to get along with.
“Adore” is a quieter album and lacks the anthemic qualities of the Pumpkins’ previous work. It showcases Corgan excellent songwriting quite well. And it’s well worth your time.
Best Tracks: “Ava Adore,” “For Martha,” “To Sheila,” “Behold! The Night Mare” (sic)
Next Steps: “Machina (The Machines of God),” (2000), “Oceania” (2012)
BRIAN WILSON: Imagination
His well-documented mental health issues have led many to avoid Brian Wilson solo albums. But they all contain great songs that harken back to his Beach Boy days. “Imagination” is the best of the bunch. By all accounts, this one was recorded when Wilson was in pretty good shape. And it certainly shows in the shoulda-been-classic “Your Imagination,” which includes the poignant lyrics:
“Another bucket of sand
Another wave at the pier
I miss the way that I used
To call the shots around here”
OK, none of this is “Pet Sounds,” but it’s still beautiful music from one of pop’s geniuses. Important note: I don’t include Wilson’s brilliant re-invention and update of the legendary 1960s’ “Smile” album on my list because it’s based upon music he created decades ago. But Beach Boy fans should absolutely start there – it’s easily his best work since his halcyon days.
Best Tracks: “Your Imagination,” “Cry,” “Lay Down Burden,” “South American” (co-written by Jimmy Buffett).
Next Steps: “Orange Crate Art” (single-1995), “That Lucky Old Sun” (2008), “No Pier Pressure” (2015)
LIZ PHAIR: whitechocolatespaceegg
Alt-Rock’s “bad grrl” sensation of 1993’s “Exile in Guyville,” Phair actually hit her songwriting peak with the her punctuation-challenged third album (and, no, I don’t know what a White Chocolate Space Egg is either).
My wife has accused me of liking Phair’s music because I like the way she looks. For the record, that has nothing to do with it :), but it does point out something that has certainly impacted her career. Phair is not shy about playing up her sexuality in her music – it some cases with really explicit lyrics. But “whitechocolatespaceegg” gets out of the bedroom to deploy her excellent songwriting talents.
Some these songs are quite pretty. All are worth hearing. Producer Scott Litt of REM fame brings a clarity to the music and Phair’s sometimes shaky vocals. And Peter Buck and Mike Mills of REM provide backup for part of the album. Whitechocolatespaceegg doesn’t necessarily sound like that band, but it’s often funny and generally quite tuneful. And if you haven’t heard Phair’s first two albums, they’re definitely worth checking out – just don’t let grandma listen in.
Best Tracks: Polyester Bride, Perfect World, Ride, What Makes You Happy, Uncle Alvarez
Next Steps: Liz Phair (2003), Soberish (2021)
ELVIS COSTELLO & BURT BACHARACH: Painted from Memory
This probably should have been a disaster. Pop’s jack-of-all-sounds music-making with the aging ‘60s MOR tunesmith? “Painted from Memory’s greatness is a tribute to both. Like all brave art, it meshes very different styles to create beautiful music. Costello fans preferring his brilliant work with The Attractions, will be this one pretty off-putting.
And pretty it is. Elvis C. really stretches his vocal style to suit Burt Bacharach’s timeless melodies and arrangements. Their partnership shows their styles are much better-suited than fans of either might imagine.
If you really enjoy this stuff, the two-disc “The Songs of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach” (2023) is a complete version of their work together.
Best Tracks: God Give Me Strength, Toledo, I Still Have That Other Girl
Next Steps: (By Costello – “When I Was Cruel” (2002), “National Ransom” (2010); (By Bacharach – “The Art of the Songwriter” (collection - 2013)