Side A
Radiohead-Subterranean Homesick Alien
Led Zeppelin-Stairway To Heaven
Hanson-MMMBop
Fiona Apple-Never Is A Promise
Sugar Ray-Falls Apart
Creed-Higher
Semisonic-Delicious
Stroke 9-Little Black Backpack
Limp Bizkit-Nobody Like You
Side B
Save Ferris-Mistaken
The Offspring-She's Got Issues
Santana feat. Product G&B-Maria Maria
Hole-Miss World
Macy Gray-Do Something
Metallica-No Leaf Clover
Will Smith-Will 2K
Maxwell-Whenever, Wherever, Whatever
Hanson-Speechless
Hole-Asking For It
Eightball & MJG feat. Cee-Lo-Paid Dues
Once again, the influence of my growing CD library made itself known on The Collection. Based on what songs I'd included since the beginning of the year, I would say the number of CDs I owned at this point was somewhere around 14. While the pace at which I was acquiring albums was not as quickly as my brother's, whose own hip hop collection was still an influence on my tapes, the scales were starting to tip in my favor. The first four songs on Side A were actually from CDs that I owned (the Led Zeppelin track was actually from a mix CD that a friend found and thought I might like and they were right). That was the first time I ever did that mainly because I now had the assets to pull it off and set the template for future mixtapes.
Song that made me realize OK Computer just might be great after all: Radiohead-Subterranean Homesick Alien
It was difficult to escape the hype surrounding Radiohead's much-lauded third album. Nearly every publication I could remember had it at the top of their lists. I was familiar with their previous singles and "Karma Police," which most of them I loved, so I figured I'd give OK Computer a try. I bought it for my birthday that year along with Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication and Sublime's self-titled one and found those both immediately more accessible. It was slow going for me in the beginning with OK Computer and I was starting to think I had wasted my money. None of the songs popped out to me and it all seemed too cryptic. Then it happened. Late one night I was playing the album with the lights off in my room and I all of a sudden got it. All of the loneliness in "Subterranean Homesick Alien" came bubbling to the surface and I started to realize how much power that chorus had. I understood the mood of the album and it eventually grew to be one of my favorites of all-time. I can credit OK Computer with making me a better listener and it began with this song.
Song that could be sneaky and make me misty-eyed if I'm not careful: Fiona Apple-Never Is A Promise
It all starts with that piano melody. Fiona's so great at capturing sounds that are somber yet beautiful. It almost seems as if she's about to cry each time the chorus starts with that slight little rasp right before it begins. I was a few years late to this song since I didn't have MTV and it didn't get played on the stations here in Chicago, but it was perfect timing for a teenager.
Song that was the closest I had ever gotten to sticking a needle in my vein: Hole-Miss World
The way that Courtney Love hung on every syllable when she sang "I"m Miss World/somebody kill me" gave me a bit of a rush. I had never done drugs, but I could tell that there was something unique with how Love howled. It was anguished, loose and gritty and it seeped into my bloodstream. I could feel that angst that came with coming down after getting high and I had Courtney Love to yell in my face and tell me all about it. Even without the haggard image she portrayed in music videos melded to my mind, the drug of choice for "Miss World" seemed obvious based on audio alone.
My go-to song anytime I felt I had to defend Hanson: Hanson-Speechless
I think male teen pop stars often get an unfair reputation that's mostly based on their looks and target audience. Before Justin Bieber began taking cues out of the bad boy guidebook, he was still widely derided for what I felt was inoffensive music. He's had some good songs and others I didn't care much for, but according to the general public he is the worst thing ever. There is absolutely no logic in that since most of the people who hate his music are least likely to even be fans of pop and have misconstrued conceptions of what "real music" is. Once a teen idol reaches a certain commercial status, a backlash is inevitable. Hanson went through the same thing, which baffled me since I felt their songs were consistently of high quality. I'll spare you the whole debate about the merits of pop music, but I did often use "Speechless" as a way to show that they weren't super squeaky clean. I'm not saying that it was incredibly funky, but it wouldn't be what you'd expect if all you knew was "MMMBop" and "Where's The Love."
Song that I imagined OGs playing on repeat: Eightball & MJG feat. Cee-Lo-Paid Dues
These guys always seemed to go at their own pace to me. They're mostly known for "Lay It Down", but I've always preferred their laidback stuff. "Paid Dues" was perfect if you were still a fan of hardcore hip hop, but might have had a few kids and a minivan. You could still be mature and rock with it.
Song that time forgot: Stroke 9-Little Black Backpack
I can't even remember which wave of alternative music this was. Fourth? Fifth? The times were changing and by next year this sound would almost be completely removed. Now I think of it as one of those fun moderate hits that only people who listened to the radio will remember. Distorted arpeggios will always warm my '90s lovin' heart.
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