One of rap’s most influential albums was released in late 1992 — on my birthday, December 15, in fact.
Dr. Dre’s The Chronic was his first solo album after leaving NWA. It’s also the album that introduced Snoop Doggy Dogg to the world, rocketing him to superstar status before he’d even released a single of his own.
I must not have been paying much attention to the music scene in 1992. Usually I’m aware of the artists making a critical splash, even if I haven’t heard their music. But many of the acts dominating critics lists that year are completely new to me.
Take The Orb, a British electronic music band, whose album U.F. Orb showed up on many top ten lists from the year. I had no idea this band even existed. But they’ve released 15 albums since 1991, including this sophomore release that truly impressed critics.
The album that showed up the most in my research of 1992’s most critically-acclaimed records is one I’d never heard of — Copper Blue by Sugar. This is the debut album by the band, which was founded by Bob Mould, former Husker Du frontman.
I guess the fact that I don’t know anything by Husker Du, either, explains why this one is totally new to me.
I haven’t given much thought to the film Once in the eight years since its release. While I certainly appreciated it at the time, it never grabbed me the way my favorite films do.
That’s a bit surprising, because the movie should be right up my alley. It has the low-budget, real-life romantic vibe of Richard Linklater’s Before series and it features a number of beautifully staged musical moments (Marketa Irglova’s late-night battery run, for example).
Of the three White Stripes albums I own, 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan is my favorite (the other two, for those keeping score, are 2003’s Elephant and 2007’s Icky Thump.
This record eases off of Jack White’s usual guitar-heavy sound and introduces new flavors such as the marimba that’s heavily featured on today’s SOTD.
Meet Me In Montauk 