Best (music) Albums of the 1990's part 4

20. The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin -1999-USA

why: Years later and the band is still getting props for it, so much that they played it in its entirety in July. basically established that lush soundscape that you associate with The Flaming Lips now. It has the twofold effect of complex music with simple lyrics so it never tries to confuse you. It's always completely listen-able.

Example Tracks : Race for the Prize, Waiting for a Superman

19. Nas -Illmatic -1994- USA

why: The debut and still the best Nas album. The beats are great, yeah, but Nas has the best, most brilliant lyrics and at the time was the closest thing to poetry that you got from a rap artist. Lyrical content that depicts accurately his world while being able to see it and not get sucked in.

Example Tracks: Life's a Bitch, The World is Yours

18. Massive Attack - Blue Lines -1991 -England

why: The first trip hop album ever. That whole electronic, dub, hip hop and soul merging could only be good. Total soul music that somehow was grand and emotional, though it wasn't really possible to pinpoint why. your heart and your mind are occupied for this record.

Example Tracks: Unfinished Sympathy, Safe from Harm

17. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang Clan(36 Chambers) -1993 -USA

why: Another debut rap album that's probably the best. Probably the album that allowed East Coast rap back into the game and set it up for Nas, Jay-Z and Notorious BIG to make it big. It is the most raw album of the early 90's and all the commercial success was not expected. haphazard beats, erratic song layouts and nil touchups make it exceptional.

Example Tracks: C.R.E.A.M., Protect Ya Neck

16.Beck -Odelay -1996-USA

why: A whole lotta sampling went into this and as a result it sounds like a whole lotta different stuff. Folk, country, rock and electronica; it's basically Beck in short form. A guy who can make a lot of things sound good and make different elements flow into one another.

Example Tracks: Devil's Haircut, Where It's at

15.Nirvana -In Utero -1993

why: The final Nirvana album, the one that's different because of the band's newfound success (which is reflected in the lyrics). It is brilliant and thoughtful, but also, Kurt Cobain isn't very happy or pleased when he's writing and it shows. Abrasively listenable, though that's an impossible sounding description, it works.

example tracks: Heart Shaped Box, All Apologies

14. Jeff Buckley -Grace -1994 -USA

why: Makes you wonder what could have been if he'd lived to record more. The lyrics are great and the music is large scale and grandiose but the real magic in this album is Buckely's voice. there's a lots of influences in it, but the album is something totally original.

Example Tracks: Last Goodbye, Hallelujah

13. R.E.M. -Automatic for the People - 1991 -USA

why: Slow, beautiful melodies and meaningful, resonant vocals. REM always had those things, but they really made it stand out in this album. A bit depressing with the themes of loss and purposelessness.

Example Tracks: Everybody Hurts, Man on the Moon

12. Soundgarden -Superunknown - 1994 -USA

why: Heavy sounds, in the guitars and the drums. But they have range too, though you wouldn't think there's a range of heavy, there is. A portrait of alienation, confusion and hopelessness but the loudness cuts the depression, more into angry mode.

Example Tracks: Spoonman, Black Hole Sun

11.The Fugees - The Score -1997 -USA

Why: The second and final Fugees album. They should have stayed together. Brilliant lyrics, of the intellectual variety, a rarity for popular rap at that time (probably still a rarity).A lot of familiar hooks to give that chill, comfortable feel and a widescale scope

Example Tracks: Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly

Oscar Predictions-Film Awards (i)

Best Director Most likely winner : Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. Leaving out Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino pretty much made this Spielberg's to lose. And doesn't reflect too well on the Academy either. Backup Pick : David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook. The production company of Weinstein have been campaigning hard for this and it's a good film with the acting performances set up well. The thing about best director is it's the easiest award to give to someone the academy likes because it's ambiguous and the academy doesn't really love Russell. Most deserving : Michel Haneke for Amour. Haneke has the most carefully crafted film here. All in all it is definitely his film in every scene. His presence is all around the film and it is an excellent film. If they give it for the greatest impact a director has on the film, this is it. Best Adapted Screenplay Most li...

(Short) Analysis of the (length of stay for) teams at World Cup 2014 - Groups A and B

I like World Cup, quite a lot, and think it's the best of all the tournaments that exist in football and very possibly in all of sport (at least for any tournament focused on one sport since the Olympics is amazing because of the variety). So I'll be trying to figure out how likely each team is to get out of the group stages and how far they'll probably go if they do. All the odds are from www.bet365.com which is the site I use most for trend spotting in sport (it's like my sport-Bloomberg). Group A Brazil- Automatically qualified as hosts and at 1/20 to qualify have the second best odds of any team to make it out of the group phase behind Argentina (who have probably the softest group). It's with good reason Brazil have such low odds and they're considered favourites. Winning or even coming second in Group A doesn't mean an easy run as it probably would result in a round of sixteen clash against either defending champions Spain or the ...

Best Films of the Decade - 2010s - Third Part

11. Get Out (2017)- Directed and written by Jordan Peele. Horror seems to be an excellent medium to describe racism and it's somewhat amazing how obvious it seems in hindsight. One of the best debuts of a director in recent times, with a script that amps up the tension marvelously and serves up a twist in the tale that was impossible to see coming. Normally horror movies are seen as niche, but this film was popular with the wide audience and also at the award ceremonies further proving everyone was able to be captured by the film's quality. There has been talk of the film fitting into horror-comedy, probably due to Peele's comedy background, but while it is never laughably funny but does serve as a clever satire on the state of racial affairs. 12. The Death of Stalin (2017) - Directed by Armando Iannuci. Written by Armando Iannuci, David Schneider and Ian Martin. Few topics are as ripe for satire as the workings of communist governments (provi...

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