1991 Revisited & Opinions on Iggy Pop
1991 was the year punk broke again! Twenty five years later, Jim and Greg explore what made 1991 so special: Nirvana, N.W.A., Lollapalooza and more. Plus a review of the new collaboration between punk veteran Iggy Pop and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age.
Revisiting 1991
Though it seems like just yesterday for many, it's been 25 years since 1991. Along with 1964, '67 and '76, 1991 was a landmark year for music. You can hear its influence everywhere from neo-grunge band Bully to Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar. While Bryan Adams and Garth Brooks topped the charts, there are even more musicians that made groundbreaking strides back in '91. For Jim and Greg, 1991 was all about:
- Nirvana and the birth of grunge
- My Bloody Valentine and the growth of shoegaze
- Lollapalooza and the rise of the Alternative Nation
- N.W.A. and the reign of gangsta rap
- Massive Attack and the birth of trip-hop
Post Pop Depression Iggy Pop
The "godfather of punk" has released his 17th–and maybe final– album, Post Pop Depression. Jim and Greg are both huge Iggy Pop fans, but Jim thinks outside of a few moments of brilliance with tracks like Lust for Life, The Passenger, and Candy, his solo career is a disaster. Jim's opinion is that while Iggy's first three albums with The Stooges were perfect, the punk legend has never had much to say lyrically. Even Josh Homme's attempts to fire up the album don't work, and Jim's got to call this record a Trash It. Greg couldn't disagree more. He'll concede that Iggy's 80s output was less than stellar, but some of his solo records in the 90s and beyond have had great moments. Post Pop Depression is his best work since The Idiot and Lust for Life. Homme understands Iggy and provides a setting for him to do what he does best. Greg describes the lyrics as poetic and at different times dark, meditative, funny, and rageful. The record also shows off Iggy's underrated singing. Greg says Buy It. If this truly is Iggy's last album, what a way to go out.
Jim
This week, Jim and Greg are soaking up some sun and new music in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas for South by Southwest. While Jim always loves visiting the annual festival to discover new talent, there's one element that makes him positively giddy – world famous Texas BBQ food. So for this trip to the desert island, Jim thought he would mentally prepare himself for some good old-fashioned carnivorous cuisine with the Reverend Horton Heat song, "Eat Steak." This track is some fun psychobilly rock that will get you looking for the closest barbeque restaurant, and fast.
Featured Songs
- Bryan Adams, "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," Waking Up the Neighbours, A&M, 1991
- Guns N' Roses, "Live and Let Die," Use Your Illusion I, Geffen, 1991
- Garth Brooks, "Rodeo," Ropin' The Wind, Liberty, 1991
- Spin Doctors, "Two Princes," Pocket Full of Kryptonite, Epic, 1991
- Nirvana, "Lithium," Nevermind, DGC, 1991
- Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nevermind, DGC, 1991
- Slowdive, "Catch the Breeze," Just for a Day, Creation, 1991
- Ride, "Vapour Trail," Nowhere, Creation, 1990
- My Bloody Valentine, "Only Shallow," Loveless, Creation, 1991
- Guns N' Roses, "November Rain," Use Your Illusion I, Geffen, 1991
- Jane's Addiction, "Jane Says," Nothing's Shocking, Warner, 1988
- Rollins Band, "Hard," Hard Volume, World Service, 1989
- Ice-T, "O.G. Original Gangster," O.G. Original Gangster, Sire, 1991
- Nine Inch Nails, "Head Like a Hole," Pretty Hate Machine, TVT, 1989
- Butthole Surfers, "P.S.Y.," Piouhgd, Rough Trade, 1991
- Pearl Jam, "Alive," Ten, Epic, 1991
- N.W.A., "Straight Outta Compton," Straight Outta Compton, Ruthless, 1988
- N.W.A., "100 Miles and Runnin," Efil4zaggin, Ruthless, 1991
- Ice Cube, "Steady Mobbin'," Death Certificate, Priority, 1991
- De La Soul, "Let, Let Me In," De La Soul is Dead, Tommy Boy, 1991
- Massive Attack, "Safe From Harm," Blue Lines, Virgin, 1991
- Iggy Pop, "Gardenia," Post Pop Depression, Loma Vista, 2016
- Iggy Pop, "Sunday," Post Pop Depression, Loma Vista, 2016
- The Reverend Horton Heat, "Eat Steak," Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em, Sub Pop, 1990
- The Smiths, "Meat Is Murder," Meat Is Murder, Sire, 1985
- Brenda Holloway, "Operator," Operator / I'll Be Available, Tamla, 1965
- Nina Simone, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," Black Gold, RCA Victor, 1970
- Simon & Garfunkel, "A Hazy Shade of Winter," Bookends, Columbia, 1968
- Lucinda Willliams, "Protection," Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone, Highway 20, 2014
- TEEN, "Tokyo," Love Yes, Carpark, 2016
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