Here is the Top 40 in full.
Obviously some of the records will be the same as last week so therefore the review will be the same for these. I've indicated which ones are new so you can skip the others if you read last weeks post.
Once again my opinions are inevitably going to differ from other people, but I'm not trying to convince anyone something is good or rubbish, I'm simply giving my opinion.
So this is the top 30 from this week in 1990 with my verdict on each record:
30. New Kids On The Block - Tonight
I thought I was mishearing the lyrics at the time. I was hearing "Hangin Tough" and "The Right Stuff" but I've never been good at making out lyrics so thought I was only hearing those words because of their other hits. Turns out I wasn't mishearing, they are quoting the titles of their other songs. It's the sort of thing you might expect when a group has been around a long time, but it had only been 9 months since they first hit the Top 40. In reality though they formed in 1984 and were now on their 4th album. I don't actually mind this record though.
Verdict - OK
29. The Wedding Present - Three Songs (EP) (New)
The lead song from the EP is a cover of "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". I don't think I've actually heard this in 30 years, my memories of The Wedding Present are of their music being pretty dull, but this actually isn't bad.
Verdict - OK
28. Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes (New)
The 4th and final single from the "Violator" album. This is band member Andy Fletcher's favourite. It's not my favourite, but I still like it.
Verdict - Good
27. Loose Ends - Don't Be A Fool
We are nearing the end of Loose Ends career here. The only original member that remained was Carl McIntosh and this was the first single on what turned out to be their final album "Look How Long". It's said the other members left because Carl McIntosh wanted to experiment. I would say basically he was adapting the sound to be more similar to what plenty of other music acts were doing around this time, which is no bad thing.
Verdict - Good
26. Caron Wheeler - Livin' In The Light
After singing for Soul ii Soul, here is Caron Wheeler beginning her solo career. I've not heard this for a long time, but remember it sounding like Soul ii Soul. It doesn't really though, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Soul ii Soul to make a record like this, but has a bit more funk to it than your average Soul ii Soul record. I quite like it.
Verdict - Good
25. Janet Jackson - Black Cat
The singles from "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814" keep on coming. This is single number 6, and it isn't the last either. It is however the first of them not to be written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. This was written by Janet Jackson and produced by Jellybean. Proof that the writer/producer is often more important than the artist as this is crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
24. Megadeth - Holy Wars... The Punishment Due (New)
Despite this song starting at a fast pace, you are waiting for it to really start. When the singing begins the song doesn't really change much. Then it slows down, which is the opposite of what you want to happen. It does speed up again, but after nearly 5 minutes worth of song, but even then it never really gets going.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Betty Boo - Where Are You Baby?
Not only did Betty Boo manage a 2nd solo single, but the 2nd single also did better than the 1st. I'm not sure how well remembered this is, but I certainly remember it. I also remember it being bloody awful, and my opinion hasn't changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
22. The Stone Roses - Fool's Gold / What The World Is Waiting For
The originally reached the Top 10 the previous year, but thanks to the popularity of The Stone Roses at the time it re-entered the charts. The best known of the 2 sides is "Fools Gold", which is also arguably the best known Stone Roses tune. It's distinctive, but pretty average in my opinion. The other side, "What The World Is Waiting For" is also pretty average.
Verdict - OK / OK
21. Monie Love ft True Image - It's A Shame (My Sister) (New)
My memories of Monie Love was that I found her irritating. Listening to this record again confirms that. I also remember her doing this particular tune, but don't remember it being as poor as it is.
Verdict - Rubbish
20. Bombalurina - Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
The summer holidays had arrived, and that meant Wacaday would be on. This summer though we had a double dose of Timmy Mallett courtesy of this song. Bizarrely I always thought he seemed more serious in this song than he did on Wacaday. Anyway, as much as I liked Wacaday and Timmy Mallett, there's no denying this song is bloody awful.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. MC Tunes Vs 808 State - Tunes Splits The Atom (New)
It's the other Top 40 hit from MC Tunes vs 808 State. Perhaps not as catchy as "The Only Rhyme That Bites" but still a great tune.
Verdict - Good
18. INXS - Suicide Blonde
You know when you start the new year at school in September and you move to different classrooms, or in my case a different building, and you associate other things in your life with that change. Well this song is one of those things I associate with this. I loved INXS at the time and loved this song.
Verdict - Good
17. Mariah Carey - Vision Of Love
I've mentioned previously how dreadful I found the female solo pop singers from America during this era, but fortunately the likes of Tiffany, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne were more or less yesterdays news by this point. Unfortunately America gave us another dreadful artist in Mariah Carey. Ok I'm not going to knock her singing ability, but her music is just abysmal.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet (New)
The 2nd Top 40 hit who's title is a colour followed by the word velvet and 2nd to making number two, following "Black Velvet" earlier on in the year. This song was written in 1950 and this version originally recorded in 1963, but it never made the UK Top 40. It's appearance in a Nivea advert prompted a re-release in 1990 and it finally charted. I'm not sure if I was aware it was an old song at the time, but I liked it.
Verdict - Good
15. The Cure - Never Enough (New)
I've often found that The Cure's music is better than it should be. The whole image they portray suggests their music should be noisy guitars and not much else, but then you hear some of their tunes and it's not like that at all. However, this one does sound more like what I would expect.
Verdict - Rubbish
14. Deacon Blue - Four Bacharach And David Songs (EP)
What I find somewhat baffling is that Deacon Blue were a band I particularly liked and this was their highest charting single, but it completely passed me by. The lead song from the EP is "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" and I had this on a compilation several years later.
Verdict - Good
13. AC/DC - Thunderstruck
I've never been a fan of AC/DC. To me, Brian Johnsons singing sounds like a cat being strangled. A lot of their songs sound the same as well, I remember for a period of time they kept playing AC/DC in HMV in Oxford St. I'm pretty sure this was one of the songs I kept hearing, but it could have been one of many.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. The Charlatans - Then
This was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Charlatans. Whilst they started off with quite a catchy number, this and every other hit that followed is instantly forgettable.
Verdict - Rubbish
11. Twenty4Seven ft Captain Hollywood - I Can't Stand It
Captain Hollywood got his name after being based in Germany as a captain in the US Army. He formed Twenty4Seven with Dutch producer Ruud Van Rijen and this was their debut single. It's not a cheesy as your average euro dance tune.
Verdict - OK
10. Adamski - The Space Jungle
1990 had been a good year for Adamski so far. First came "N-R-G", then the number one "Killer". Then he follows it up with this, which is essentially a cover of "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley. A different, far better version of this appears on his best of album, but this radio version is crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Bass-O-Matic - Fascinating Rhythm
Long before William Orbit became a household name, he was charting with this. It was his only Top 40 hit as Bass-O-Matic, but probably the best Top 40 he's had under any name.
Verdict - Good
8. Snap! - Cult Of Snap!
Snap! have gone all tribal for this, their 3rd Top 40 single. What we basically have though is a cheesy euro dance number like "The Power", but not as catchy.
Verdict - Rubbish
7. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - What Time Is Love?
The first Top 40 hit for The KLF on paper, though they previously had a number one with "Doctorin the Tardis" as The Timelords. I absolutely loved The KLF at the time, still do. In fact when I first came across the fact music video's were uploaded to YouTube, The KLF were one of the first that I looked up.
Verdict - Good
6. The Farm - Groovy Train
Ever wondered what Suggs did between Madness and his solo career, well here's your answer. This was produced by Suggs along with Terry Farley. The Farm are probably best remembered for being the Madchester band from Liverpool. This was their debut Top 40 hit and was also on the first episode of "The Word". The early 90s have truly arrived now.
Verdict - Good
5. Iron Maiden - Holy Smoke
Just as we were getting used to a Bruce Dickinson solo career, here are Iron Maiden back with another record. The best thing about Iron Maidens music is the drums, and this one is no exception. At the start though there seems to be little to it other than the drums, but then at some point for some reason it seems to burst into life and becomes quite enjoyable.
Verdict - Good
4. Londonbeat - I've Been Thinking About You
Take 3 soul singers in their 40s, put them together with a guitarist to make dance music. That was basically the formula of Londonbeat. Amongst it's singers was Jimmy Helms who had a hit in the 70s with "Gonna Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse". It wasn't the debut hit for Londonbeat, but it was their most successful and best known. I was reminded of this tune on the music channels about 15 years ago and then saw their greatest hits in the record shop on offer, and bought it.
Verdict - Good
3. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart / What Is Love
The best known of this double a-side is of course "Groove Is In The Heart" which I've probably heard everyday since 1990, or at least that's how it feels. Despite it being played to death though and me being pretty sick of it by now, I still regard it as a good tune. The other side, "What Is Love", is one I never heard until one day I wondered how the other side of "Groove Is In The Heart" sounds like and found out. Perhaps because I've only ever listened to it of my own accord, I actually prefer this tune.
Verdict - Good / Good
2. The Steve Miller Band - The Joker
This was never a Top 40 hit back in 1973 when it was an American number one. Thanks to it's appearance in a Levi's advert it became a UK number one in 1990. This is best remembered for its wolf whistle on the guitar, but on a personal level I remember annoying my teacher by singing it in class at school.
Verdict - Good
1. Maria McKee - Show Me Heaven
Confession time. At the time I thought Maria McKee and Mariah Carey were the same person, either I thought this song was by Mariah Carey or I thought Maria McKee did "Vision Of Love". Both were ballads and their names are similar(ish) and both were not well known prior to these records. I do feel I was being a bit harsh on Maria McKee though, this is nowhere near as dreary as your average Mariah Carey record. I wasn't keen on it at the time, but have got to like it more thanks to the Happy Hardcore versions a few years later. I don't like it that much though.
Verdict - OK
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 16.5/30, or 55%. Still seems quite typical 1990.
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