The CD provided space for longer albums with higher track counts. This gave record companies the excuse to charge more money for more songs. Often, the additional tracks weren’t worth the extra dough one had to shell out. But occasionally, an album arrived without any filler. An album so stacked with tunes that each one had the potential to be a single, like these unforgettable rock songs from the 1990s.
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“Breed” by Nirvana
Most of the tracks on Nevermind could have been released as A-sides. And for lesser bands, they might have been. “Something In The Way”, “On A Plain”, and “Drain You” remain as timeless as the official singles from Nirvana’s culture-shifting major label debut. However, “Breed” is an absolute banger. Yet another reason comparisons between The Beatles’ and Kurt Cobain’s songwriting are common. Crank it, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. “She said!”
“Slide Away” by Oasis
In hindsight, it’s shocking that “Slide Away” wasn’t a standard U.K. single. Although Creation Records may have pushed for its promotional release, Noel Gallagher wasn’t comfortable with a fifth single following “Supersonic”, “Shakermaker”, “Live Forever”, and “Cigarettes & Alcohol”. But similar to Nevermind, Definitely Maybe has no shortage of potential hits. “Slide Away” not only features one of Liam Gallagher’s best vocal performances, but it also foreshadows the stadium anthems, “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”.
“My Name Is Jonas” by Weezer
Weezer’s Blue Album arrived in the wake of Kurt Cobain’s death and marked a significant change of guard for alternative rock. The debut launched countless bands, as multitudes of kids with guitars headed to the garage to make a racket. Emotional geek rock was alive and well as Rivers Cuomo had offered a blueprint for eternal slacker jams. “My Name Is Jonas” opens the Blue Album with acoustic fingerpicking, crushing power chords, and a timeless anthem: “The workers are going home.”
“Space And Time” by The Verve
I saw The Verve perform at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago in 1998. Guitarist Nick McCabe had already split as the band headed toward its second (and not final) breakup. Legendary pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole had been recruited to cover McCabe’s storm-in-heaven noises. And though Richard Ashcroft was missing his creative foil, the band sounded powerful. Ashcroft opened the set with “Space And Time”, and for those who only know “Bitter Sweet Symphony” from a Publix commercial, I feel sorry for you. “Space And Time” is the kind of tune one needs to back up an album title as bold as Urban Hymns.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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