1995 may not be the deepest year for great albums, but it's possibly my favorite year at the top. I have 36 albums rated at 4 Stars or higher. So, I had to leave 11 out of my Top 25. I had 14 records vying for the last three spots. The final cuts were Green Day, Archers of Loaf, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Silverchair, Elastica, Tricky, The Verve, Matthew Sweet, Yo La Tengo, Hum, and Morrissey. My song list is currently sitting at 80. I might attempt to get it down to 25 for a list, but that seems to be a daunting task. My 21-25 is a disparate set of artists. The bottom three were the only first-time-listens of this dive to make the list.
25. Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily ( 4 Stars )
I've loved Natalie Merchant's voice since the first time I heard "Like The Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs. Admittedly, I don't own any of her solo albums and had never listened to Tigerlily in its entirety. Bad call on my part because this is a perfect Sunday morning chill record. The singles, "Wonder", Carnival", and "Jealousy" are all stunning pieces of songcraft. The album cuts are wonderful and vibe-y, as well. In the past, when I would reflect on my favorite singers, Natalie Merchant never came to mind. Visiting this album for the first time has changed that calculus. She's a treasure.
24. Supergrass - I Should Coco ( 4 Stars )
You would think with my love of 90's Britpop that I would have listened to Supergrass before this dive. Turns out, I had heard the track, "Alright", and never knew it was them. I would say it's an outlier on this album, but no two songs are really the same. It's a diverse, high quality release. My favorite pocket is in the middle of the album, "Alright", "Lose It", and "Lenny". "Lenny" features some intricate, rhythm section gymnastics. Easily, the best track on the album. I think what put me off Supergrass back in the day was the horrible album cover for I Should Coco. But, Gaz Coombes seems like a fun front-man. I will probably check out more of their albums.
23. Primus - Tales From the Punchbowl ( 4 Stars )
Obviously, I was familiar with the notorious track, "Winona's Big Brown Beaver", before this dive. However, I had never listened to any other Primus, despite Geddy Lee being a huge fan and friend of bassist Les Claypool. It's a bold move to open an album with a bonkers, seven minute song called, "Professor Nutter's House of Treats", but it's delightful, yet technically complex. Primus are a prime candidate for a deep dive. I'm not sure why I've never gotten around to them. It seems like they'd be right in the wheelhouse of a music nerd. The only things keeping Tales From the Punchbowl from being a 5 Star album are 1) it's unrelentingly goofy, 2) it's too one note, and 3) it's quite noodle-y in spots. That said, it's a fun listen and the musicianship is off the charts.
22. Buffalo Tom - Sleepy Eyed ( 4.5 Stars )
Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom is a huge fan of the Rolling Stones. He has written two books on the band; "Rocks Off" and a 33 1/3 book about Exile on Main Street. I met him at the Rock Hal when he did a presentation on the Stones and he signed my copies of those books. I also told him that Sleepy Eyed was one of my favorite albums and he seemed a little surprised for some reason. Probably because he was talking to fans of The Stones, and not Buffalo Tom. Anyhow, Sleepy Eyed is my favorite Buffalo Tom album and "When You Discover" is my favorite track. The opening line is fantastic, "Come back when you're done looking down on everyone. Ain't it hard when you discover that you're dumb". What I like, on Sleepy Eyed, is that the songs are tighter and punchier than on their previous albums. The songwriting is the focus, rather than the distortion. Other highlights include, "Tangerine", "Summer", "Clobbered", and "Sundress".
21. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness ( 4.5 Stars )
Speaking of Exile on Main Street, this would be a 5 Star album if it wasn't a bloated double album. Having said that, it's still great. It's just not Siamese Dream. I love the tracks, "Zero", "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", and "Muzzle". And while I appreciate "Tonight, Tonight" and "1979", I've heard them WAY too many times. The classic lineup of The Smashing Pumpkins was an amazing collection of musicians and it's a shame they couldn't co-exist in a band. Despite all the crap he gets, I think Billy Corgan is a gifted songwriter and guitarist. There's a lot to love on Mellon Collie, it's just too much. It's a testament to the strength of 1995 that this is only my 21st favorite album of the year. Peace.
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