Record of the Year Revisited: 1996

Original Record of the Year: Way Out West - The Gift

In 1996 I was mostly listening to underground dance music which meant by definition whatever I was going to pick as my record of the year would be too commercial given it would of made the Top 40.

As I went through the list I was reminded of my pick for 1996 with the reservations I had both at the time and now for picking "The Gift". The fact it's a trance record that samples vocals from a well known record of yesteryear.

The truth is there were many great dance records that made the Top 40 in 1996 and I found myself asking is "The Gift" really better than each of those records I considered.

At the same time I could think of reasons for pretty much any candidate to not take the crown. Anything from being too obvious and/or overplayed, too cheesy or not cheesy at all but doesn't have enough about it to be considered the best.

Have any of them managed to take the crown?

No they haven't. Whilst it may have sampled vocals it has a key ingredient most other dance records that made the Top 40 in 1996 didn't have, the breakbeat. 

Whilst some instrumental banging techno from Carl Cox or Dave Clarke made the Top 40 and would of been worthy winners I couldn't really pick the kick drum over a breakbeat.

More to the point though I gave "The Gift" a listen and was taken back to the good old days of 1996 and reminded that the most important thing of all is what it sounds like. 

Record of the Year Revisited: 1995

Original Record of the Year: Nush - U Girls (Look So Sexy)

Hardbag was big in 1995. It wasn't as fast as happy hardcore but had a harder edge to it than house which put it up in my estimate.

Its one of those genres where the music itself is much better than the image which I've never been a fan of. However it seemed appropriate to pick a hardbag record and I still maintain my pick is the best hardbag record I've heard.

Is there another genre that spawned a better record?

New Record of the Year: Mark Oh - Tears Don't Lie 

In 1995 I was really into my happy hardcore so it really makes sense for me to pick a happy hardcore record so I've gone with "Tears Don't Lie" by Mark Oh.

Very few happy hardcore records made the Top 40 and those that did tended to be from the continent and not really played at raves in the UK. Mark Oh is German and this was his only UK Top 40 hit which interpolates "When A Child Is Born" so I say to people this is my favourite Christmas record.

I guess my reluctancy to pick it at the time is that there were better underground happy hardcore records. That said when it comes to 1995 nostalgia this record very much features in that.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1994

Original Record of the Year: N-Trance - Set You Free

I said at the time I was reluctant to pick "Set You Free" as my record of the year but felt like I had to because of the impact it had on my music tastes.

I was thinking along the lines of if N-Trance and everybody associated with this record died in a plane crash straight after this was released then they'd all be fondly remembered. I've heard this too many times but maintain it's still a great record.

The problem is N-Trance never really made another decent records. Some were alright but most were terrible. Vocalist Kelly Llorenna made even worse records. It's also on AATW records who are responsible for some of the worst dance records ever made.

Yet this record was strong enough to hold its own. Or is it?

New Record of the Year: The Prodigy - No Good

The fact of the matter is it wasn't just one record that made me decide to become a raver. The Prodigy played their part in that and "No Good" was certainly a record that got me into rave.

More to the point though I do think this is a better record that "Set You Free". I think it's aged better too, helped by the fact its not overplayed. At the time though I'd play this a lot.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1993

Original Record of the Year: Saint Etienne - Hobart Paving

I'm purposely not looking at what I originally picked as my record of the year prior to making my new choice but I'll never forget what my choice was for 1993.

It seemed like the perfect choice for a variety of reasons. It's definitely one of my favourite Saint Etienne hits and it gives me nostalgia of myself being nostalgic about the early 90s at the end of the 90s. I liked their "Too Young To Die" CD enough to buy the video version and seeing the East 17 graffiti in the video made it very 1993.

Then there's the London aspect. A significant amount of their music references London where I ended up moving to and have since spent the majority of my adult life here. Not only can I relate to the London aspect but I can also relate to the fact they appear to be music nerds like myself. At the very least Bob Stanley is.

I still live in London but the members of Saint Etienne have since moved out. Not really relevant in terms of picking my record of the year. What is relevant though is that the reason why I remember picking this is remembering my instant regret afterwards.

As much as I like Saint Etienne and this record I see it as being the TVR of the music world. Basically a TVR is a great car but if I had enough money to buy one I'd only do so if I couldn't afford a Ferarri.

New Record of the Year: Leftfield Lydon - Open Up 

I do find Leftfield a mixed bag but the name alone suggests you're not going to like all of their music. However the main problem with much of their tunes is they're not as good as their debut "Open Up".

The problem with putting vocals on dance records is that it can take the attention away from the beats and certainly some girly vocals can make a hard fast record sound quite namby pamby.

Leftfield had a good solution for adding vocals, get a punk singer to do them. It's an all round good record, it would work just fine without vocals but I think John Lydon really adds something here.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1992

Original Record of the Year: Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era - Far Out

I went for a rave classic for my choice for 1992. As the year that rave music was at it's commercial peak it only seemed fitting that I picked a rave record.

There's plenty of choice and some really close contenders. It's very difficult to say whether I prefer one tune over the other but this still seems like the logical choice.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1991

Original Record of the Year: Bomb the Bass - Winter In July

What I originally said was 1991 spawned acts like Massive Attack, The Prodigy and Shades of Rhythm who I'm still big fans of to this very day but there was only ever going to be one winner and that was Bomb the Bass.

It fits firmly in the chill out category and is one of the best chill out records I've ever heard, if not the best. In my mind a record like this was always going to beat anything that's more upbeat.

Do I still think that?

New Record of the Year: Shades of Rhythm - Ecstacy

No I don't. One thing that's changed since then is I've got more into the harder side of dance music like I was in the 90s. Shades of Rhythm were one of the pioneers of that in the beginning. 

The one everyone knows is "Sound of Eden" and it's a great tune but "Ecstacy" is the one I really like. Not only is it that breakbeat hardcore sound I love but it's also quite raw. Some of the sounds they've put in don't really work together but it sounds great as a result.

Record of the Year Revisited: 1990

Original Record of the Year: DNA - La Serenissima

With my choice for 1990 I ticked all the boxes. It was the lesser known DNA record so nothing obvious and it was a record that works well in the club and for chilling out at home to.

It's a great record, sometimes box ticking doesn't necessarily mean its a good record but this one is and a worthy winner of the record of the year for 1990 and would of easily won if it charted in some other years.

There is a question mark though. Can I honestly say this record is better than "LFO" by LFO?

New Record of the Year: LFO - LFO 

No I can't. This is perhaps the biggest record from the bleep techno era and widely praised by a number of DJs as being a ground-breaking record. 

I guess that's why I was reluctant to initially pick it. When a record is held in such a high regard I can't help but thinking there's similar more obscure records that are probably better. There probably is, but the limitation here is reaching the Top 40 and I can't think of a better one from 1990 than this.