Continuing my look at 1994, first by counting down my own top ten albums of that year.
#6 – Cracked Rear View – Hootie and the Blowfish
At some point it became cool to hate on Hootie and the Blowfish, or at least uncool to like them, but in 1994 it was impossible to deny the appeal of their muscular folk rock debut album.
Cracked Rear View was a hit both critically and commercially, eventually selling more than 21 million copies in the U.S. alone to become one of the top twenty best-selling albums of all time.
And while its modest ambitions might not make it worthy of that lofty status, it remains an excellent collection of rootsy alternative rock songs buoyed by the undeniably great vocals of Darius Rucker.
Songs such as opener ‘Hannah Jane,’ smash hit ‘Hold My Hand,’ ‘Let Her Cry,’ ‘Time’ and ‘I Only Wanna Be With You’ sound as fresh and hummable today as they did 28 years ago.
Now you have your young one too
Wondering if some day I could have them
The way I once had you
I remember your crazy remarks
We’d get drunk and go out after dark
Searching for someone we could take home
(You don’t wanna be alone
You don’t want to see the sun go down
You don’t wanna open the door)
And see her go
(One step and tomorrow comes)
It’s tomorrow
(Two steps and she’s off with someone)
There she goes
(Three steps and it’s all you know)
You’ll be gone
(You’ll be gone, she’ll be gone)
So what are you gonna do about me?
I’ll be there when you have no one else
Spotted the ocean in the south’s holy land
I’ll be there, be your friend
Hold on strong, don’t let go
There will never be no one to take your place
So don’t you want to reach out and take my hand?
(You don’t wanna be alone)
No, no, no
(You don’t want to see the sun go down
You don’t wanna open the door)
And see her go
(One step and tomorrow comes)
It’s tomorrow
(Two steps and she’s off with someone)
There she goes
(Three steps and it’s all you know)
All you know, you’ll be gone
(You’ll be gone)
She’ll be…
(She’ll be gone)
She’ll be gone, yeah
Ah…
(You don’t wanna be alone)
No, no, no
(You don’t want to see the sun go down)
See the sun go down
(You don’t wanna open the door)
Open the door
See her go, see her go, no no
(One step and tomorrow comes)
It’s tomorrow
(Two steps and she’s off with someone)
There she goes
(Three steps and it’s all you know)
You’ll be gone
(You’ll be gone)
She’ll be gone
(She’ll be gone
One step and tomorrow comes)
It’s tomorrow
(Two steps and she’s off with someone)
There she goes
(Three steps and it’s all you know)
You’ll be gone
(You’ll be gone)
She’ll be gone
(She’ll be gone.)
Meet Me In Montauk 
I could have sworn this album came out earlier than 1994, mostly because I don’t recall consuming new music in the years after I graduated and moved to Fort Myers. Clearly, though, I did continue to find new music as this album was in heavy rotation. It has more recently made a resurgence with Daniel discovering the joy of Hootie.
I loved this album and played it on a loop. At some point you mentioned that “I Only Wanna Be with You” was a song that resonated with you and Alex (saying it was “your song” feels a bit too strong), so whenever I hear “the Dolphins make me cry,” I think of those early years watching football together. This album provides instant nostalgia whenever I hear a track, which made it even more fun when Daniel’s high school band covered “Hold My Hand.”