Ron Sexsmith’s second studio album (and third album overall) was my first introduction to his work. I bought Other Songs after reading effusive praise by Elvis Costello and about 15 seconds into the first track I knew I’d found a new favorite.
Sexsmith would go on to record increasingly better produced records but the low-key, mostly acoustic Other Songs remains one of his very finest moments.
Lauryn Hill’s short stint with The Fugees didn’t prepare anybody for the burst of soulful creativity she unleashed on her solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The album, a mix of rap and R&B balladry, was a bona fide hit, going platinum eight times over and winning five Grammys.
My recent countdown of favorite 90s bands might have given the impression that the decade really and truly sucked.
And while I do think the 90s pale in comparison to, say, the 60s and 80s in terms of signature sound, some of my favorite work was produced during the decade.
To prove the point, over the next several weeks I will count down my 20 favorite albums released in the 90s.
Mr. Random iTunes Man resisted the temptation to go for a Dylan performance two weeks in a row, but he did choose a Dylan song.
The Byrds basically made a career out of covering Dylan. Their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man, and first single (of the title song) launched them to stardom and became the template for folk rock in America. Four of the 12 songs on that record, including today’s SOTD, were Dylan covers.
My latest Random Weekend selection is the opening track of Dar Williams’ 2000 album The Green World.
As a follow-up to the sublime Mortal City and End of the Summer, The Green World falls a bit short but does contain a few great tracks. The best of them is ‘After All,’ one of my favorite songs.
