For What It's Worth

I recently completed a series of album diaries based on 1979. I say recently, it was, a year ago, at the end of 2023.

For a while, I debated doing another one, and if I did, which year?

1979 had been a mammoth undertaking, and I wasn’t certain I wanted to go through something like that again. Even though I had largely found it a fun and rewarding experience. As did my three constant readers!!

Eventually, I decided to have a crack at another year of album diaries. Different to ’79, I hoped, and more to see how they turned out. Could I improve them? If they were crap, no one need ever see them. I certainly enjoyed the process of producing these things, so why the hell not??

Also, this time, I was aiming for more of a ‘magazine’-type format, hence the name change to REWOUND (magazine)… 🤓

So, I had a cool new blog name and even a nifty logo to go with it.

_{[rewind verb past tense: rewound; past participle: rewound]}

_{(with reference to a film or tape) wind or be wound back to the beginning. “I rewound the film and stopped it.”}

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But …

I still didn’t know which year to do!!

So …

I began a bit of Googling, to see if I could find out what was,

So many great ones to choose from 🤔

If you ask GOOGLE the question, the answer you get is…

“The greatest single year in pop music history? We think that award goes to 1984. Forty years later, the music of that year, and the artists who created it, still resonate. George Orwell predicted 1984 would be a totalitarian dystopia, but he never predicted it would become a pop music paradise.”

I don’t know exactly who “we” is but, yes, ’84 was a mighty fine year popular music – Thriller, Purple Rain, Like a Virgin, Born in the USA, Van Halen … and… Lloyd Cole and his Commotions released Rattlesnakes!!

But, the best?

Who really knows. Does it even matter?? Definitely/maybe not. But, I continue on regardless, with my OCD firmly under control.

I then checked in with a few other music nerds who generally had differing opinions on this conundrum. Let’s see what a few of them have to say on the matter.

David Gallistel reckons …

“1994! Search “Best Albums of 1994” and you’ll get a list that includes – Dookie by Green Day, Superunknown by Soundgarden, Vitalogy by Pearl Jam, Smash by The Offspring, Throwing Copper by Live, Sixteen Stone by Bush; Weezer’s “Blue Album”, Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged, Alice In Chain’s Jar of Flies, REM’s Monster, Stone Temple Pilots’ Purple, Tom Petty’s Wildflowers… and that’s just in Rock/Alternative!”

Who can argue with David as there were undoubtedly some classic LPs in 1994. Petty’s Wildflowers is a special album indeed.

Wayne Waltz simply said…

“Any year between 1967 and 1975 could be a contender. ‘71 is a great pick though!!!“

William Blew added…

“This is tough but I think I’ll go with ’91 followed by ’67 and ’94“

and finally Linda Edwards had this to say…

“I was 15 in 1971, an excellent age/year of music to be certain! l remember, vividly, unwrapping Sticky Fingers and wondering about that lump in his pants (a more innocent time) and unzipping the pants, several x’s. Music and album releases were so anticipated the lines went around the block. Life was good & l didn’t have any bills to pay.”

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It seemed to me that 1969, 1971, and 1991, stood out for most internet music nerds & scribes – and – was certainly a peak year for a few of the great rock acts around then. They released their best or some of their best music that year. Something was definitely in the air and everyone was gettin’ it!

However …

If they were the greatest years in musical history, did I want to spend a whole year writing about one of them??

CLEVELAND, Ohio – What’s in a year? When it comes to music … A lot!

According to Cleveland. com the fifteen greatest years in rock music were as follows:

1. 1969 _{[There was this festival called Woodstock. Led Zeppelin released its first two albums. Releases of “In the Court of the Crimson King,” possibly the greatest progressive rock album of its era, along with live albums from Johnny Cash, Grateful Dead and Elvis. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” came out in time for the Apollo 11 moon landing. The Stooges and MC5 laid the groundwork for punk rock. Creedence Clearwater Revival released three albums.]}
2. 1971 _{[Allman Brothers record “At Fillmore East.” Jim Morrison dies. Grand Funk Railroad plays Shea Stadium. Bob Dylan plays a surprise New Year’s Eve performance with The Band. Marvin Gaye revolutionizes R&B.]}
3. 1991 _{[The grunge-rock revolution. My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless,” is perhaps, the most important indie-rock record of the 1990s. Iconic metal and hip-hop releases. The first Lollapalooza. Red Hot Chili Pepper’s first classic album. Guns N’ Roses release their “Use Your Illusion” series. U2’s career comeback album.]}

I’d also like to give a shout out to ’81 and ’01 – both favourite years of mine.

Sons & Fascination (Simple Minds), My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (Brian Eno & David Byrne), Architecture & Morality (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark), Tin Drum (Japan), Dare (Human League), Faith (The Cure), Penthouse & Pavement (Heaven 17), Business as Usual (Men at Work), Juju (Siouxsie and the Banshees)

Is This It? (The Strokes) White Blood Cells (The White Stripes), Rings Around the World (Super Furry Animals), Amnesiac (Radiohead), Girls Can Tell (Spoon), Love and Theft (Bob Dylan), We Love Life (Pulp), Gold (Ryan Adams), Isolation Drills (Guided by Voices), Asleep in the Back (Elbow), Things We Lost in the Fire (Low) .

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