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 1992 with my verdict on each record:
The lead song from this EP is "Really Scrape The Sky". This was the Top 40 debut for Kingmaker. I do remember the band but don't remember this record. It's one that could possibly grow on me, but I'd need to listen to it a few more times to find out.
Verdict - OK
29. Paula Abdul - Vibeology (New)
I don't remember Paula Abdul still being around in 1992 but I do remember this record. This was written by the members of The Family Stand of "Ghetto Heaven" fame. Before listening to it I thought it was OK but the piano in it has upgraded it to good. That's why I always listen to the record before giving my verdict.
Verdict - Good
Billy Bunter & D-Zyne had a happy hardcore record in the 90s called "Ride Like The Wind" which was excellent in my opinion. I thought it was a rip off of this, but this is a rip off of a Christopher Cross record of the same name. It's a bit cheesy and commercial sounding but I like it.
Verdict - Good
I always thought the intro to this sounded a bit like the intro to "Paradise City". That meant comparisons were always made, and this is nowhere near as good as "Paradise City". The problem with this record though is it doesn't really get going until 3 minutes in, and it's only 3 and a half minutes long.
Verdict - Rubbish
In 1992 The Wedding Present released a new single every month and they all made the Top 40. This was the first. The one single a month is a fact I've remembered ever since, but the music not so much. Maybe it's because the frequency meant there wasn't enough time to absorb each record. I do think this record is instantly forgettable though.
Verdict - Rubbish
This record brings back memories of running up and down playing the air guitar in the playground at school. I wasn't alone in doing this either. I would say of all the "Use Your Illusion" singles this was probably the one that had the biggest impact on me at the time.
Verdict - Good
I used to regularly go to karaoke night at a crappy town centre pub and there was an unwritten rule not to sing this song because it's one the landlord sang every week. I wasn't aware at the time that this was originally a hit for Elton John on his own in the 70s. When Elton John started singing his part on this though I thought he was much more suited to the song than George Michael. At the same time I find this cover better than the original.
Verdict - Good
1991 was a great year for rave music. It's been that great that it's taken until December until we have a rave record I don't actually like. It makes quite a promising start, those beats would have sounded quite something in 1991. But then when it breaks down into the vocals it just sounds too namby pamby for my liking and completely ruins the tune.
Verdict - Rubbish
This was the first Top 40 hit for The Beautiful South since they topped the charts with "A Little Time". It's a song about an alcoholic who dies and I love the line "Old red he died, and every single landlord in the district cried". The Beautiful South tend to have good lyrics but often the music is a bit middle of the road for my liking.
Verdict - OK
I'm surprised that this is amongst the lowest charting Lisa Stansfield Top 40 hits as I'd have this down as one of her better known records. Not my cup of tea though, I find it a bit boring.
Verdict - Rubbish
Clivilles and Cole are the same people behind C&C Music Factory. It's a cover of the U2 record done rave style. Whilst that style is very welcome, they've not done a very good job of it in my opinion. It does sound very amateur, but then when the singing comes in it's almost like the rave elements have gone away.
Verdict - Rubbish
The only Top 40 hit for the Sugarcubes, who were the band Bjork was in before she went solo. Whilst it's undeniably Bjork singing, it's different than your average Bjork record. Not really to my liking though.
Verdict - Rubbish
The first of two Top 40 hits for Senseless Things. I vaguely remember this record, but it never had much impact on me and I certainly couldn't sing it in my head. Listening now though I'm finding this record is pretty good.
Verdict - Good
My memory of this record is simply them singing the line "rubbish on the radio". I quite liked listening to the radio at the time, but as time has gone on radio in general has got more rubbish so you could say this was ahead of its time.
Verdict - Good
This was the Top 40 debut for Des'ree. At the time I had no idea who Des'ree was and imagined this to be sung by someone quite old, but Des'ree would have been just 22 at the time of recording. Maybe I thought it sounded like music for old people, I never thought much to it at the time. Now I'm older my opinion hasn't really changed.
Verdict - Rubbish
"Playing With Knives" by Bizarre Inc had only left the Top 40 a couple of weeks earlier, but here it is being sampled by Blue Pearl. Ironically this actually has "playing with knives" in the lyrics but the Bizarre Inc record doesn't.
Verdict - Good
The original of this had only left the Top 40 the previous week. The original is best known for the guitar riff but there appears to be no guitar whatsoever on this remix. Seems a bit strange to leave out the bit that makes the tune, but I actually don't mind it.
Verdict - OK
I'm a big fan of Motown and like many Diana Ross records both as a solo artist and with The Supremes. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. It's quite an achievement for someone who's been around since the 60s to have a number two hit in 1991 and had Freddie Mercury not died this would have likely been Christmas number one. It's just too much of a ballad for my liking.
Verdict - Rubbish
Isotonik is Chris Paul who was promotor of the Orange raves back in the early 90s. This was the first of two Top 40 hits for him. Whilst it's definitely a rave record, it's quite soulful too and that blend really works.
Verdict - Good
The third so called "Toytown Techno" record to make the Top 40. I'll concede the kids TV samples are a bit cringeworthy but if you take them out you've got a decent record that doesn't sound particularly cheesy. In fact the samples are only a small part of the overall tune, they just stand out when you hear them.
Verdict - Good
10. Genesis - I Can't Dance (New)
I remember this record being out around the same time as "Fun Day" by Stevie Wonder. The history books tell my I'm not far off, the Stevie Wonder record came out in October 1991 but never made the Top 40. I liked it at the time and I guess I still do now even though it's a bit cheesy.
Verdict - Good
As a kid I loved "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey", the film in which this record appears. However, I watched it again a couple of years ago and found it was nowhere near as good as I remember it. Fortunately this record hasn't suffered the same fate, still sounds decent now.
Verdict - Good
I don't think I've heard this one for 30 years, it's very much overshadowed by "I'm Too Sexy" and "Deeply Dippy". I was ready to dismiss this as cheesy crap but on listening to it again I've changed my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is Right Said Fred and is therefore still cheesy but it feels more of a song than their other records. The vocals of Jocelyn Brown in this probably help.
Verdict - OK
Ce Ce Peniston is thought of as a one hit wonder with "Finally", but amazingly she had 7 Top 40 hits spanning 7 years. This was her second. I'm not a fan of "Finally" but at least it's catchy. I can't say the same for this, it's crap and instantly forgettable.
Verdict - Rubbish
The first hit for MC Hammer after he became simply Hammer. I liked this at the time and remember irritating the teacher by rapping it in the classroom. I don't think I've heard it since then. Hearing it now I can't say I feel the same, it is a bit rubbish.
Verdict - Rubbish
Steve 'Silk' Hurley gave us the first house number one in 1987 and as an artist he never had another Top 40 hit. As a composer though he was back in the Top 40 in 1991 with this record. It was the debut Top 40 hit for Kym Sims and her best known. I would also say it was her best hit.
Verdict - Good
I remember watching this on Top of the Pops at the time. I absolutely loved it. Little did we know at the time that this would be their final completely original Top 40 hit. I mishear lyrics all the time and was convinced I misheard the lyrics "They're justified and they're ancient and they drive an ice cream van" but I didn't.
Verdict - Good
Wet Wet Wet hadn't really been away, but this was their first Top 10 hit since 1989. Marti Pellow's hair had grown quite considerably in that time. Despite this being a chart topper I remember everyone hating this record at the time. I on the other hand liked it. This wasn't their big comeback though as they never made the Top 10 again until "Love Is All Around" in 1994.
Verdict - Good
There had been quite a few rave records that had hit the Top 40 by this point so the rave sound was nothing new anymore. However, I do remember thinking this record was quite groundbreaking at the time. It was the 2nd Top 40 hit for The Prodigy and the follow up to "Charly" and it no doubt went a long way in showing people that they weren't a novelty "toytown techno" act.
Verdict - Good
Following the death of Freddie Mercury "Bohemian Rhapsody" returned to top the charts and became the first record to be Christmas number one twice. I've mentioned before on this blog that I don't consider it the masterpiece it's made out to be and I've heard it far too many times in my life, but it's not a bad record. The other side of this double a-side "These Are The Days Of Our Lives" was a new song and would have probably topped the charts without being aided by "Bohemian Rhapsody" given the circumstances. It's definitely the better of the two in my opinion.
Verdict - OK / 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%. I feel 1991 is keeping the early 1992 score up at the moment.
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