Viva L'analogue!

When you're packing to move, as I am, you often run into many procrastinators. The most recent being a really great mixtape I put together in the mid 90's. It is a Maxell XLII, 110 minute cassette tape simply marked with a multicolor paint-pen bullseye, but I of course recognized it as the Epic Alternative Rock mixtape. I made it as my greatest hits of my collection, with an emphasis on the Grunge and Alternative, so-called college radio type tracks. With no furthur ado, I present it to you.

Side One

Jane's Addiction - Three Days
1990
sets the epic and alternative tone with its sultrily whispered intro





Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar
1993
a strong rarity with an exuberant chorus, giving us a larger glimpse of the greatness to come




R.E.M. - Exhuming McCarthy
1987
Going back to the roots of alternative with this offbeat Athens rocker





Sonic Youth - Bull In The Heather
1994
alternative yes, but also a nine on the danceability scale, nice job noisemeisters




Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror
1993
don't you love it when Eddie sings along with himself singing along with himself?





U2 - The Fly
1991
this track is in the pocket, with the Edge ripping some velcro




Nirvana - Something In The Way
1991
slowing it down a bit




Red Hot Chili Peppers - Apache Rose Peacock
1991
funkmonster psycho sex set in nola




Stone Temple Pilots - Vaseline
1994
Core laid the groundwork, but Purple secured the takeover with its vintage and grungy guitar sounds epitomizing the entire genre. those guys always had great guitars, and a hell of a front man




Smashing Pumpkins - Soma
1991
this one picks up where Hummer trailed off and quickly drops into Billy's pre-emo rawking and guitar strangling





Side Two

Blind Melon - Leaf To A Tree
1992
one of my favorite bands. I always thought these guys were psychadelic southern rockers and pretty much repressed the whole bee girl thing.
"I drink from the faucet, from the porch I take a pee"




PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
1992
a throbbing rocker from the original Ms. Grunge. this album stomps and lumbers like a brontosaurus on hallucinogens, with its hair sticking in its smeared lipstick




Dinosaur Jr - In A Jar
1987
another oldie on the mix. Mascis is the guitar god of noisome and painful ugly beauty




Pearl Jam - Black
1991
Pearl Jam's makeout song




Meat Puppets - Backwater
1994
another group who always had great guitars and a certain beautiful ugliness




U2 - Mysterious Ways
1991
alternative club-banger with the Edge whipping up an syrupy iconic riff. I always thought the video for this song was really hot




Stone Temple Pilots - Adhesive
1996
a very mature and smartly produced album from STP and the most recent selection so far. I'm surprised this made it before Seven Caged Tigers, although this is the more epic of the two, probably the most epic of the entire catalog




Radiohead - Permanent Daylight
1994
I like the ending




The Lemonheads - Mallo Cup
1989
I met Evan in New Orleans once. He was an asshole, but I still like his music. another early offering from the northeast crew. Where's Juliana?




Nirvana - Serve The Servants
1993
I like the surf backbeat




Pearl Jam - you know, the one that goes, "I walk the line, won't you help me in the night/right..." I think its from an xmas single


Liz Phair - Stratford-On-Guy
1993
what happened to her amazing ability to create awkward phrasings like "but once I really listened the noise just went away"




U2 - Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
1993
can you tell I loved this album?




and then wouldn't you know it, I put a quick jab of maniacal laughter at the end of side two, after several minutes of dead air. a secret, surprise track to scare my pants off just now, probably 10 years after I first recorded it. awesome!