the weblog of m.kelley

Normally this would have been a sideblog post, but thought it deserved more attention.
(via Waxy) MTV’s 120 Minutes Playlist Archive
Looking through a couple of the older lists, from “back in the day”, I realize why the late 80′s early 90′s were a great time (musically) to be a teenager. From June 6, 1992, roughly two days after I graduated high school, just look at that set list. Look at it, smell it, touch it.
Jesus and Mary Chain – Far Gone and Out
Buffalo Tom � Tailights Fade
XTC � The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
New Order � Fine Time
Pale Saints � Throwing Back the Apples
Ride � Twisterella
Sarah McLachlan � The Path of Thorns
Faith No More � Midlife Crisis
Steve Wynn � Drag
Charlatans UK � Weirdo
Jane�s Addiction � Classic Girl
Steve Wynn � Caroline
The Spent Poets � Dogtown
Social Distortion � Cold Feelings
Tree People � Something Vicious For Tomorrow
Simple Minds � Waterfront
Where else could you watch Faith No More, New Order, XTC, and Jane’s Addiction within a two hour span? That right there, that set list, is probably one of the best understated band grouping of all times. No Nirvana or Pearl Jam, they were on Headbanger’s Ball. Nope, this was *true* alternative music….actually it was “Post Modern”….alternative was the bastard child of hard rock and punk, with some classic rock thrown in.
I guess, I didn’t appreciate a lot of these bands until later, much later in life. Buffalo Tom? I absolutely hated that band in 92. But I purchased the (now) ancient “No Alternative” CD a couple of weeks ago, and realized what I’d been missing in my days.
Go back a little further, to May 22, 1989′s setlist. Blogroller Bob Mould, The Pixies, The Cult, Adrian Belew, Robyn Hitchcock. It’s when I look at this and seriously get depressed. Seriously, what the fuck happened to rock music? I’m not talking about Nickelback-type bands. But people doing something unique….and getting a little airplay and exposure for their efforts? Erasure and PIL were on earlier shows and I also remember watching old REM (good stuff, pre-Warner Brothers…IRS) and I still wonder what happened.
This is something that usually comes up with my best friend and I. We’re music snobs. It’s something I wear like a medal. We can listen to a lot of things from country to rap to the Smiths, and Henry Rollins. I wondered this on a drive into work, the other day…..if I was 16 in 2004, what would be on my CD player? Outkast, White Stripes, stuff like Mushroomhead…maybe. I seriously would be lost.

This entry was posted by 2000-2005 on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004 at 4:03 am. It is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.