Top 30 in 1991 Reviewed - Week 11

Here's my weekly look at the Top 30 from 30 years ago. The plan is for these posts to go out at 17:30 on a Sunday.

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 1991 with my verdict on each record:

30. Megadeth - Hangar 18 (New)

The 2nd single from their "Rust In Peace" album. It has a bit of variety to it, to me there's no obvious bit of the song that defines what it is. Because of that though, it makes it a bit of a nothing song. Maybe it's one of those records you need to listen to 100 times to get it, but I doubt I'm ever going to listen to it that many times.

Verdict - Rubbish

29. N-Joi - Adrenalin (EP)

The first Top 40 hit for N-Joi which contained a track of the same name which is the one being reviewed. This perhaps isn't as radio friendly as the well known "Anthem", but if you like a bit of no nonsense early 90s techno music then I recommend this.

Verdict - Good

28. Mantronix - Don't Go Messin' With My Heart 

The final Top 40 hit to date for Mantronix. Oddly this wasn't written by Kurtis Mantronik, it was written by David Bright and Angie Stone which raises the question of how is this exactly a Mantronix tune. The lack of success of this record and the album brought Mantronix to an end. I do quite like it though.

Verdict - Good

27. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - 3AM Eternal

In 2003 I was in a pub on a visit to my home town and a bloke came up to me and said "you're the one who used to sing KLF and Queen at school aren't you?. Indeed I was, and this would have been the time I'd be singing it, some 12 years prior to that visit to the pub, it obviously had a lasting effect on some people. I think you know what my verdict on this tune will be.

Verdict - Good

26. Banderas - This Is Your Life (New)

This has nothing to do with the TV show of the same name. Banderas were backing singers in the Communards and this was their only Top 40 hit. It's one of those records I could take or leave at the time, but listening to it now for the first time in 30 years I can appreciate it a lot more. It's good advice that I should probably take myself at times.

Verdict - Good

25. Happy Mondays - Loose Fit (New) 

The final Top 40 hit from the "Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches" album. Quite an appropriate title for a song from the baggy genre. The legacy of this record is that it comes into my head whenever I encounter a pair of loose fit jeans.

Verdict - Good

24. Queen - I'm Going Slightly Mad (New)

When I first heard the song title to this, I was expecting something quite heavy that you could go mad to. On hearing the record it was a big disappointment, probably one of the lightest songs they've done. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the "slightly" in the title.

Verdict - Rubbish

23. Jesus Jones - Who? Where? Why?

This was the final Top 40 hit from their "Doubt" album. I would say this is much more leaning towards dance music than their previous singles, which is no bad thing. It's a bit more reflective of their future singles which I actually prefer to their earlier ones.

Verdict - Good

22. The Bee Gees - Secret Love (New)

The first time I remember hearing the Bee Gees was in 1989 when I saw "One" on The Chart Show. That record only made number 71. I also remember seeing "When He's Gone" on The Chart Show in 1991, but that never made the charts at all. They did have a solitary Top 40 hit around this time though with this record. It sounds like "Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross, but there was no chance of them getting sued for copyright as the Gibb brothers wrote that. I'm not keen on "Chain Reaction" so therefore I'm not keen on this. 

Verdict - Rubbish

21. Joey B Ellis And Tynetta Hare - Go For It! (Heart And Fire)

This is the Rocky song nobody remembers. The previous Rocky songs were all quite catchy, but this one isn't at all. That's probably a bad thing for a movie song, but in terms of music some really good tunes take a few listens before you can get into them. Unfortunately I've not been able to get into this after 30 years, so I probably never will.

Verdict - Rubbish

20. Rod Stewart - Rhythm Of My Heart (New)

I was aware that Rod Stewart had a song called "Sailing" and at the time I thought this was it given it was the last word of the chorus. Like "Sailing" though, this is also a cover and like every Rod Stewart cover I've heard, its shit.

Verdict - Rubbish

19. REM - Losing My Religion

REM were more than a decade into their existence by this point, but their only UK Top 40 hit to date had been "Orange Crush" which was a minor hit 2 years earlier. They would have 6 Top 40 hits in 1991 though, some old and some new. This was the first of these which was a new one. I don't mind this record but its not one to get excited about. 

Verdict - OK

18. Chesney Hawkes - The One And Only (New)

Believe it or not, I've actually seen Chesney Hawkes in concert. He played at the students union at university one Saturday night. The set consisted of a bunch of covers, then he announced he was going to play his last single, not this one though, one that never made the charts. After a few more covers he played this at the end of the set to a massive cheer. It is a bit crap though, but it found it's place at many cheese nights. 

Verdict - Rubbish

17. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Happy 

The Top 40 debut for Ned's Atomic Dustbin. What had the biggest impact on me at the time was simply the name of the band along with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine who debuted a bit later on in the year. It sounds like Blink 182 got some of their ideas from this song, with the varying speeds from slow to fast in particular. I like that concept.

Verdict - Good

16. Oleta Adams - Get Here

To me it's more of a pop record than anything innovative. After featuring on "Woman In Chains" by Tears for Fears, this was the first solo Top 40 hit for Oleta Adams, a cover of a Brenda Russell song. It's surprisingly catchy for a slow number, but it's lacking in that something that's needed for it to be a good song.

Verdict - OK

15. The Charlatans - Over Rising

My memories of The Charlatans are they were around in 1990 as part of the baggy movement and then disappeared for several years before returning as a brit pop band. They did a lot of instantly forgettable songs in between though beginning with this.

Verdict - Rubbish

14. Ride - Today Forever (EP) (New)

The track from this EP I'm reviewing is "Unfamiliar". Ride were one of those bands I just remember for being boring. This one perhaps isn't as boring as I expected, but it's definitely not one to get excited about.

Verdict - Rubbish

13. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy

The Top 40 debut for Massive Attack, though at this moment in time they were just known as Massive because of the gulf war. A lot of so called anthems in my opinion are overhyped to be something they're not, but not this one. It is an absolutely unbelievably good tune, one of my all time favourites.

Verdict - Good

12. Living Colour - Love Rears Its Ugly Head

The debut Top 40 hit for Living Colour and the only one that will appear in these reviews as the other 2 fell short of the Top 30. It's a shame because I really like the follow up to this, "Solace Of You". But this is a decent record too, a nice blend of funk and rock.

Verdict - Good

11. Free - All Right Now

For people of a certain age, this will bring back memories of the Isle of Wight festival amongst other things. For people of my age, it brings back memories of the Wrigley's advert which is why it ended up in the charts again in 1991. Prior to hearing this in full on the chart show though, I do remember watching the advert and thinking good song.

Verdict - Good

10. Nomad ft MC Mikee Freedom - (I Wanna Give You) Devotion

Here we have the first Top 40 composition for arguably the most successful British songwriter of the modern era, Steve Mac. These days he's co-writer on Ed Sheeran records amongst others. I don't blame him, he's presumably made a lot more money writing rubbish than he would have done making decent music like this. Ironically, this record reached it's peak the day Ed Sheeran was born

Verdict - Good

9. Quartz ft Dina Carroll - It's Too Late

A cover of the Carole King song and the first version that I heard. On that basis this one seems more like the original to me. I've not heard it many years and remember it being a lot more uplifting than it actually is, but I still like it.

Verdict - Good

8. Roxette - Joyride 

The lead single from their album of the same name. One thing that stood out to me from this video was Marie Frederiksson playing the guitar. I did wonder whether she was really playing the guitar so looked this up and it doesn't look like she did. It also looks like Per Gessle didn't play guitar on the song either, it was Jonas Isacsson playing it. I don't think I really liked this at the time, but like most Roxette songs I got to like it with age.

Verdict - Good

7. Xpansions - Move Your Body (Elevation)

The short lived 1990 girl group Faith Hope & Charity is a name known to people as what TV presenter Dani Behr did before The Word. What perhaps isn't as well known was that fellow group member Sally Ann Marsh provided vocals for this record. It's one of those dance anthems I've probably heard too many times to get excited about, but it's still a decent record.

Verdict - Good

6. Stevie B - Because I Love You (The Postman Song)

Freestyle music was massive in America in the late 80s/early 90s, but barely got a look in over here. One of the key figures in the freestyle scene, Stevie B, did manage a solitary Top 40 hit over here though with a ballad that isn't really freestyle at all. This is one of those records I loved at the time and still like it today for that very reason.

Verdict - Good

5. The Source - You Got The Love

There's been lots of versions of this record over the years. This isn't the original, but was the first version to make the Top 40. My personal favourite is the 1997 version, but this ones good too.

Verdict - Good

4. Madonna - Crazy For You

Up against The Clash in the battle of re-released in old singles which it looked like it won when it made number two, but then The Clash topped the charts. This was re-released because it didn't appear on any album, just the soundtrack to "Vision Quest", so this gave fans the opportunity to own the song without having to buy a movie soundtrack. Not my cup of tea though.

Verdict - Rubbish

3. Simpsons - Do The Bartman

This was my first introduction to The Simpsons, but I had no idea what it was all about. In those day's you could only get The Simpsons on Sky One, and I never had Sky at the time, neither did a lot of people. It wasn't until I went on holiday later on that year where Sky One was the only English channel in the hotel room, that I discovered The Simpsons was a TV show. It's a novelty song, which basically means crap, but intended to be crap. Its still crap though.

Verdict - Rubbish

2. Hale And Pace And The Stonkers - The Stonk  

A novelty record made for Comic Relief which is predictably crap. As it's for charity though it can be any old rubbish and people will buy it.

Verdict - Rubbish

1. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go

The Clash had never had a Top 10 hit prior to this, but then thanks to the Levi's advert they managed to score a number one. It was also up against Madonna in the battle of re-released old singles which it would eventually win. It's definitely the better out of the two in my opinion.

Verdict - Good

If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 18/30, or 60%. That's quite a drop from last week, but last week was quite spectacular.