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 1993 with my verdict on each record:
This came from the soundtrack to "Judgement Night" which consisted of collaborations between rock and rap acts. Nothing new there, it had been done years prior to this plus Rage Against the Machine were doing it as standard. It works very well though if done right.
Verdict - Good
29. James - Laid (New)
The thing I remember most about this song is the drum rolls. I can picture myself on the school bus doing the drum rolls myself on the seat in front and annoying the person sat in it. After hearing the full song I find myself still wanting to hear another drum roll.
Verdict - Good
With Phil Collins now finished with Genesis from a chart perspective, it's back to his solo career. Part of me thinks this would work better as a Genesis record and part of me thinks it would work better as a ballad. It doesn't quite slot into place for me, but it's not bad.
Verdict - OK
This was the Top 40 debut for Judy Cheeks and also the first Top 40 hit for Positiva Records. I often get Judy Cheeks and Juliet Roberts mixed up. Both had music careers long before the 90s and both established themselves as dance vocalists around the same time and both have names beginning with Ju. Also like what was the latest Juliet Roberts record at the time, I'm unlikely to play it again but would enjoy it as part of a mix.
Verdict - OK
Captain Hollywood made his Top 40 debut in 1990 as part of Twenty 4 Seven featuring Captain Hollywood. Now 3 years later he's back without Twenty 4 Seven. Given the rise of eurodance since he'd last been in the charts, this was a good time for him to make a comeback. Not my cup of tea though.
Verdict - Rubbish
Guru was perhaps best known for being part of Gang Starr who had not UK Top 40 hits. He did however have 4 Top 40 hits of his own with this being the 2nd and highest charting. It's a rap and jazz crossover record and works really well.
Verdict - Good
When Soul II Soul broke through to the mainstream in 1989 they had such an impact that every man and his dog were trying to make a Soul II Soul record in 1990. By 1993 few noticed Soul II Soul were still going, the world had moved on but Soul II Soul hadn't moved with it. I admire them for not following the crowds but unfortunately that doesn't translate into good music.
Verdict - Rubbish
The biggest hit for M People which also made the charts in America. I would also say this is the most pop record they'd made to this point as well. They knew what they were doing making records like this, but it's not for me.
Verdict - Rubbish
Aside from a brief period in 1992, the early 90s were really the wilderness years for Wet Wet Wet prior to "Love Is All Around". I have no recollection of this record and it's ringing no bells as I listen to it. There's nothing memorable about it though, it's very non-descript.
Verdict - Rubbish
The Top 40 debut for Eternal. I remember when this came out my assessment of it was poundland SWV. I don't think I knew at the time that SWV were American and Eternal were British, but on reflection this is a prime example of how British acts don't do R&B as well as their American counterparts.
Verdict - Rubbish
I never liked Bjork at the time and always questioned who exactly listens to her music. As time has gone on though some of her records have grown on me with this being one of them. I'd say the fact it has a very strong backing track helps a lot.
Verdict - Good
I couldn't stand this record at the time, it's always irritated me. Then when I started going out on a Saturday night I'd hear this every week which made me hate it even more. My drunken self down the students union would dance to all sorts of rubbish, but I'd always leave the dancefloor when this came on.
Verdict - Rubbish
18. Paul Weller - Weaver EP (New)
My immediate record to listing to this record is that it feels like we've already had this song in the reviews. We haven't though, Paul Weller just has a habit of writing songs that are difficult to distinguish from each other.
Verdict - Rubbish
Is this a guilty pleasure or just good music? We're very much into the commercial era of Aerosmith which they've been highly criticised for. Ironically this came at a time when grunge was supposed to have killed off this kind of music. They headlined "Monsters of Rock" festival the following year so they must have been doing something right.
Verdict - Good
It had been nearly a year since Whitney Houston topped the charts with "I Will Always Love You", but she still hadn't stopped releasing music from "The Bodyguard". It sounds like a poor imitation of "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue.
Verdict - Rubbish
I remember this record existing at the time and remember it being a slow ballad like many Michael Bolton records. I couldn't sing it in my head though, and after listening I still can't. As I never intend on listening to this again, I never will be able to sing it in my head.
Verdict - Rubbish
The main track from this EP is "Coming On Strong". It was the 6th and final single from the "Boss Drum" album which had been out for over a year. Not as good as their previous efforts, it feels like they were running out of ideas by this point. It isn't bad though.
Verdict - OK
13. Leftfield Lydon - Open Up (New)
I never really gave this record much notice at the time. Then 6 years later I was watching the Club@Vision Ibiza special. Part of the show was playing an Ibiza anthem for each year and this was the one they played. I then realised what a good record this was. It was the Top 40 debut for Leftfield.
Verdict - Rubbish
I feel like I used to hear this song a lot retrospectively but haven't heard it in a long time. As I started listening to it was was thinking it wasn't as good as I remember it, but once the guitars come in to it in the chorus I'm thinking actually yes it is as good as I remember.
Verdict - Good
It was 2nd time lucky for this record after charting in the lower reaches of the Top 40 a few months prior. It was the debut hit and biggest hit for Soul Asylum, a band who weren't grunge as such but benefited from the rise of grunge. I prefer their lesser hits, but this is still decent.
Verdict - Good
This record was first released in 1990 but this was the first time it made the Top 40. I would say this is the signature tune of The Orb and one of their best in my opinion. It came just after Jimmy Cauty left The Orb and was co-written by Youth.
Verdict - Good
The follow up to "The Key The Secret". Like it's predecessor, it treads that fine line between proper dance music and cheesy commercial nonsense and they managed to pull it off again. I've not heard this in a long time, whilst I very much remember it I wasn't sure how good it would sound after all these years. Once the main hook kicked in I thought yes still sounds good.
Verdict - Good
It feels like we're back in 1992 with this record, partly because the original version of this did come out in 1992. I'd say this is a good illustration of how the rave sound of 1992 was miles better than the eurodance sound of 1993 that had replaced it in the charts.
Verdict - Good
After coming back with a surprisingly uplifting record a few months prior, Mariah Carey follows up with something extra dreary even by Mariah Carey standards. I try to listen to every song the whole way through even if it's something I've heard many times and know I hate, but I had to stop this one less than a minute in as I couldn't bear to hear any more.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the only Top 40 hit for Goodmen, but they would return to the charts as Chocolate Puma, Rhythm Killaz and Riva. It's not very tuneful, but that's all part of it's appeal.
Verdict - Good
I absolutely hated this record at the time. Along with "Mr. Vain" by Culturebeat I had it down as the ultimate shit record. I've heard worse, but it's exactly the sort of eurodance music that I consider to be a bit crap.
Verdict - Rubbish
The follow up to chart topper "Mr. Vain" which came at the same time Culture Beat member Torsten Fenslau sadly died in a car crash. It's very predictable, the typical eurodance style backing track with rapped verses and a sung chorus. Very tedious.
Verdict - Rubbish
One of the things that's surprised me when doing these posts was how many Top 40 hits Dina Carroll had before "Don't Be A Stranger". This was her 8th of 14 Top 40 hits. It's no doubt her signature song, something she probably won't be happy about because it's one she didn't write. I wonder whether the success of this song dictated that she wouldn't write any of her remaining Top 40 hits after this. Anyway I couldn't stand this record at the time, too slow and boring. I can't say I've really changed my mind to be honest.
Verdict - Rubbish
After what seemed an endless run of hits from his "Waking Up the Neighbours" album, here's Bryan Adams back with a brand new song. I do find it more memorable than some of his previous efforts despite it being a ballad, but not my cup of tea.
Verdict - Rubbish
Meat Loaf had been in the wilderness for several years before this and his previous big hits were before my music memories so I wasn't familiar with his music at the time, I'd just heard the name. At the same time someone at school was a Meat Loaf fan and would say he was heavy metal. I was therefore excited to finally hear a Meat Loaf song, but heavy metal it's certainly not. That disappointment along with the fact it goes on forever and is just ridiculously over the top means I've never liked it.
Verdict - Rubbish
If we give the records which were good 1 point each and those which were OK half a point, the final score is 12.5/30, or 42%. Some decent new entries this week ensure an improvement on last week.
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