Early 90s Reunion

In 1991 Lloyd Cole put out Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe.  This album is amazing.  The album was recorded in two very distinct parts.  The first is very rock driven with heavy guitars and the second  features a session orchestra, much in the style of an old Burt Bacharach album.  Many reviewers suggest that Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe is where Cole reached his creative peak.  I'm not so sure I agree with this. I just think this record was ahead of it's time.  Cole released this album in 1991 before bands like the High Llamas came into existence and Burt Bacharach was considered cool.  This album was released right when Nirvana had the country if not the world by the throat.  Tough to compete with "Smells Like Teen Spirit".  If you are looking for an album with a mixture of jangly guitar driven pop and the subtle vibes of a great record from yesteryear you won't be disappointed.  I love this record as much today as I did in 1991.  From Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe enjoy "Pay For It" and "Margo's Waltz".
Download 04_pay_for_it.m4a
Download 09_margos_waltz.m4a

*This is where the reunion part comes in.  In 1991 Lloyd Cole released Don't Get Weird On Me, Babe and Matthew Sweet released Girlfriend.  What do these two have in common?  Well, they both played on each other's album.  Sweet was part of Cole's band for a couple of years. 

Matthew Sweet released Girlfriend in 1991.  This album is filled with classic pop-rock songs from start to finish.  Robert Quine (Lou Reed) and   Richard Lloyd (Television) fill this record with blistering guitar solos.  This type of heavy guitar sound would be the backbone of many of Sweet's albums for years to come.  Girlfriend didn't get much airplay in the beginning.  Alternative radio was only just a blip on the radar at the time.  The airwaves were flooded with crap.  Sweet’s rules for creating the album no reverb, no effects, and no synthesizers-didn’t help, since they further separated Girlfriend from the dominant sound of the time.  Sweet released this album while going through both personal (divorce and a new love) and professional crisis (being dropped by his label).  I think this album speaks of great pain and betrayal while at the same time it is filled  optimism and hope.  I listen to this album sixteen years later and it still sounds fresh and new.  To me Girlfriend will never be dated.  Enjoy "Looking At the Sun" "I Wanted To Tell You" and "Holy War" from Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend.
Download 04_looking_at_the_sun.m4a
Download 10_i_wanted_to_tell_you.m4a
Download 14_holy_war.m4a
I have to admit I lifted Matthew Sweet from Book Stud who posted him on her blog a couple of weeks ago.  Once I listened to Sweet again, I remembered the Lloyd Cole connection.  What can I say my brain is filled with a lot of useless crap. 

Comments

[La Gringa]

Okay, I thought I was the only person on the planet who owned a Lloyd Cole album. Clearly I was wrong. :-)