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. Twenty4Seven ft Captain Hollywood - Are You Dreaming?
This was the second and final collaboration between Twenty4Seven and Captain Hollywood to make the UK Top 40. Like with the first hit, not as cheesy as your average Eurodance record but still pretty average at the same time.
Verdict - OK
29. The Stranglers - Always The Sun (New)
Hugh Cornwell had left the band the previous August and this record was then remixed and re-released to promote their greatest hits album. It previously reached number 30 in 1986, this time it did one place better at 29. The definitely isn't 28 songs in the charts from this week that are better than it though.
Verdict - Good
28. High - Box Set Go (New)
The High are not one of the better known Madchester bands, but they did have a former Stone Roses member and a former Inspiral Carpets member in the band. I'm can't say I'm a fan of this record though, there doesn't really seem to be anything to it.
Verdict - Rubbish
27. A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It? (New)
I like A Trible Called Quest. They were more influential to the rap scene than they're really given credit for. That's perhaps to do with the fact that to most people, this was the only record they did. It's not a bad record, but it doesn't really showcase the influence they had. To me it's more of a pop record than anything innovative.
Verdict - OK
26. Soho - Hippy Chick (New)
I'd heard of the band Soho before I'd heard of the area of London with the same name. My memory of hearing this song for the first time is them performing it on Motormouth, though when searching for said performance I find nothing to suggest such a performance existed so might be wrong, but I do remember thinking good tune. A few years ago I bought their album when HMV in Oxford St was having it's closing down sale. For those who don't know London, the shop in question was just across the road from Soho.
Verdict - Good
25. Belinda Carlisle - Summer Rain (New)
The 5th and final Top 40 hit from her "Runaway Horses" and the only one of the 5 not written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, instead it was written by Robbie Seidman and Maria Vidal. Whilst it's clearly a Belinda Carlisle song, I think you can tell the songwriters are different. It's not bad.
Verdict - OK
24. Madonna - Justify My Love
Many people had never heard of Lenny Kravitz until he did "It Ain't Over Til It's Over", but they would likely have heard one of his compositions in this song. I wonder how many Lenny Kravitz fans actually like this song though.
Verdict - Rubbish
23. Black Box - Total Mix
I don't think the actual "Total Mix" is on YouTube but have put a Black Box megamix from 1990 which is pretty much the same thing i.e. their hits to date mixed together, some I like and some I don't.
Verdict - OK
22. Sting - All This Time
I have no recollection of this song, the fact it only got to number 22 may be a factor or it could be to do with the fact Stings solo records aren't very distinctive. Ok maybe he has a couple of records that stand out, but this isn't one of them, it sounds like just another Sting record.
Verdict - Rubbish
21. Ralph Tresvant - Sensitivity (New)
The only solo Top 40 hit for New Edition singer Ralph Tresvant which was written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This reminds my of an early 90s pure swing album I have which it's on (swing meaning new jack swing). I went through a period of listening to it in my car a lot. As you've probably guessed then, I like this tune.
Verdict - Good
20. Bananarama - Preacher Man
That's right, Bananarama were still having hits in 1991. Once again they team up with Youth with a record that mirrors the dance music sound of the time, but is still clearly a Bananarama song. It's the latter that makes the song a bit crap, dance music was always about the music itself, not the singing. The vocals would only ruin a record and this is one of those.
Verdict - Rubbish
19. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
After the successful re-issue of "Unchained Melody" the Righteous Brothers re-issued this record, if anything to show the kids hearing them for the first time (i.e. me) that there are 2 of them. I think I preferred this one to "Unchained Melody" at the time, but it's hard to pick between the 2, they're both good.
Verdict - Good
18. Alexander O'Neal - All True Man
Alexander O'Neal is best known as an 80s singer, but here he is in 1991 doing new jack swing, like pretty much every other soul singer was doing at the time. Whilst it wasn't his last Top 40 hit, it was his last one to be written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It's probably his best one too.
Verdict - Good
17. Snap! - Mary Had A Little Boy
Was this the beginning of Toytown Techno? Maybe not, whilst it's based on a nursery rhyme it's perhaps not as blatant as actual Toytown Techno records, though it could have inspired it. Very cheesy though and the rapping is dreadful.
Verdict - Rubbish
16. MC Hammer - Pray
Mix together Prince and Faith No More, add some gospel rapping over the top and you get this. I'd rather just listen to the Prince or Faith No More songs on their own though.
Verdict - Rubbish
15. Pop Will Eat Itself - X, Y And Zee
The brummie rapping makes this hard to take seriously, but then again I'm not sure you're supposed to take the music of Pop Will Eat Itself that seriously anyway. I would say this is a dance/rock crossover record but it sounds like they've thrown a few more genres into the mix as well, and it works.
Verdict - Good
14. Patsy Cline - Crazy
I didn't realise this was an old song at the time but I did think it was sung by an old lady. It was actually 29 years old and was by someone who was 29 at the time and died when she was 30. I guess the reason I thought it was sung by an old lady was that I considered it to be old ladies sort of music and not my sort.
Verdict - Rubbish
13. Whitney Houston - All The Man That I Need
This was the new jack swing era for Whitney Houston, but she still did pop songs as well such as this, which was originally by Linda Clifford. It's a very dreary and instantly forgettable song.
Verdict - Rubbish
12. Robert Palmer - Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You
A medley of 2 Marvin Gaye songs, neither of which were Top 40 hits for Marvin Gaye himself. Having not been born when the originals were out, this was the first version I heard. On that basis I tend to think of this as being a Robert Palmer song even though I do know the Marvin Gaye versions. I guess also because Robert Palmer made it his own rather than sounding like a karaoke singer.
Verdict - Good
11. Off-Shore - I Can't Take The Power
When I first got into rave in the mid-90s, one of the big anthems was "SMD 3" by SMD aka Slipmatt. The was based on a sample of the piano riff of this tune. It's a good riff and both tunes are good.
Verdict - Good
10. Bill Medley And Jennifer Warnes - (I've Had) The Time Of My Life
The Righteous Brothers revival continues, sort of. This song re-entered the charts after "Dirty Dancing", this film in which this appears, was shown on British TV for the first time. Whilst I like the Righteous Brothers song, this non-Righteous Brothers effort from Bill Medley is shit. The fact it's played in every cheesy bar/club probably doesn't help, but after several beers it still sounds shit.
Verdict - Rubbish
9. Iron Maiden - Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
The only number one for Iron Maiden and a song I've known for years, but as mentioned in my Enigma review I was ill for most of January 1991 so don't remember this being number one at the time. The problem is the best thing about Iron Maiden is the speed of the drumming and this is far too slow for an Iron Maiden song so doesn't get the thumbs up from me.
Verdict - Rubbish
8. The Farm - All Together Now
One could argue this is a Christmas song. It was to do with the Christmas truce during the First World War. This is one of those tunes that I like which also has a happy hardcore version that I like, "Together In Wonderland" by Charly Lownoise & Mental Theo, and I like playing them back to back.
Verdict - Good
7. Jesus Jones - International Bright Young Thing
This was the highest charting hit for Jesus Jones. This came on the back of an American number 2, "Right Here Right Now", which never featured in this series because it only made 31 over here. This record on the other hand failed to reach the Billboard 100, as did any future Jesus Jones releases. They were missing out, this is a good record.
Verdict - Good
6. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
I liked this one at the time, but then the following year I became a Queen fan and this famously sampled "Under Pressure". After hearing Brian May say it was crap, I decided it was crap too. I was easily influenced back then. Amongst rap music fans, of which I was one a number of years later, this never had much credibility. Now I'm older and have my own opinions what do I think? Well it is a bit crap to be fair
Verdict - Rubbish
5. KLF ft The Children Of The Revolution - 3AM Eternal (New)
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
4. John Travolta And Olivia Newton-John - The Grease Megamix
This megamix was released after the film was released on video. Whilst the film has "Summer Nights" at the beginning and "You're the One That I Want" at the end, this is the opposite. I was yet to see the film, but at the time I liked "Summer Nights" but wasn't too fussed about "You're the One That I Want" and "Greased Lightnin". It's all shit really though, the only song from the film that I vaguely like is the title track.
Verdict - Rubbish
3. C&C Music Factory ft Freedom Williams - Gonna Make You Sweat
When it comes to dance anthems you have those which are genuine classics and those which were just cheesy commercial crap. I place this one in the latter category, I've never been a fan of C&C Music Factory. This is probably their best tune and I don't like it.
Verdict - Rubbish
2. Seal - Crazy
This is the song that taught many people that Seal isn't Adamski. It was the official beginning of Seals Top 40 career, whereas Adamski's had already ended. I have Seals self titled debut album on which this appears, it's a good album.
Verdict - Good
1. Enigma - Sadeness Part 1
When it comes to 90s number ones I can tell you something that was going on in my life at the time for the vast majority of them. This one though completely passed my by and I've only recently figured out why. I spend pretty much the whole of January 1991 ill in bed so therefore wasn't able to follow what was going on in the charts. As for the tune, not really the sort of record you'd expect to get to number one, or even in the charts for that matter which is a compliment.
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 15/30, or 50%. Will we actually get above 50% next week?
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