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Re: What Are You Listening To?
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
I'm not sure I can say best album of the 90s, but I can say best American album of the 90s. This is a perfect mirror of the real zeitgeist of the time. Superficially the 90s are colorful and optimistic, but the music that was popular betrays how people were really feeling. Nirvana, Alice in Chains, NIN, Korn, Marilyn Manson. Pretty grim stuff. 'Heresy' most completely encapsulates this particular mind set: "God is dead, and if there is a hell I'll see you there."
This mind set may appear very surprising when you consider the context of the times. It was not a result of excessive misery, the 90s were peaceful and plentiful, but rather a lack of positive fictions a person, specifically young men, could seek comfort in. God had died in the sense that Christianity was no longer taken seriously on a societal level. People no longer believed in it. The cold war was over, so there was no clear enemy that could distract you from the resulting spiritual emptiness. Young men started seeking refuge in nihilism. Today this phenomenon has been somewhat tamed with neo-Christian ideologies like global warming, black lives matter, refugees welcome, feminism and veganism, which, despite their hidden economic motivations, offer youth a more positive outlet to their feelings than cutting their arms with a knife. That's not to say that our present hedonism is a much better alternative, but at least it is not the overt, in your face nihilism of a Marilyn Manson or a Trent Reznor.
On the other hand the 90s still had some music. The present does not. Perhaps our age should be called "post musical". It is the only time in history where music has been completely subsumed by commercial and political forces. The fringe, independent stuff doesn't count in this regard, and is also bad. With the exception of a few old timers who are still trucking there is absolutely nothing going on with music anymore. It is as if our very minds have been affected somehow, rendering us incapable of real creativity. It's very strange and I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps artistry has simply been dulled by excessive statism and political correctness. There is no room for maneuvering anymore, no leeway. The mind doesn't know how to run because it has never walked.
Re: What Are You Listening To?
On the other hand the 90s still had some music. The present does not. Perhaps our age should be called "post musical". It is the only time in history where music has been completely subsumed by commercial and political forces. The fringe, independent stuff doesn't count in this regard, and is also bad. With the exception of a few old timers who are still trucking there is absolutely nothing going on with music anymore. It is as if our very minds have been affected somehow, rendering us incapable of real creativity. It's very strange and I don't know how to explain it. Perhaps artistry has simply been dulled by excessive statism and political correctness. There is no room for maneuvering anymore, no leeway. The mind doesn't know how to run because it has never walked.
It blows me away how in the past 10-15 years or so and all the insane changes, there's never been a musical movement spawned from it.
To me it's a sign of the horrifying dystopia we're in, we're never coming out of it, and our society is pretty much entering its final chapters.
How did some sort of punk movement not come out of the Bush-war- economic meltdown years?
It's just bland sterile pop, rap that's really just noise pollution, bro country or whatever they call it now, along with an ocean of crap that nobody cares about.
We're never getting any more Tom Pettys or Otis Reddings or Mick Jaggers or Madonnas. We're never getting any more Al Pacinos or Clint Eastwoods or Coppolas.
The talent level simply isn't there anymore and never will be.
While I don't agree with that album being the best of the 90s, you make a good point about the sunshine and lollipops vibe of the decade with a doom and gloom culture surrounding it.
It's fascinating.
Similar with the 1980s....the dark, final chapter of the Cold War and the prospect of nuclear annihilation hanging over our heads surrounded by a nonstop cheese fest.
Re: What Are You Listening To?
The cover news with GNR made me check out T-Rex. Never heard that band apart from the hits on the radio. Found this gem on the album Tanx:
Amazing song. Completely underrated it appears.
I'm going to check out Marc Bolans work more. If he's capable of that there must also be some other stuff.
