Another celebrated 1992 debut album, Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted is considered one of the most influential alternative rock records of the decade.
I actually own this album — having downloaded it for free somewhere along the way — but I’ve never played it. I’ve always had a bit of a struggle getting into early alt-rockers. R.E.M. is the notable exception.
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.
Anybody who took a peek at notable releases from 1992 won’t be surprised to see R.E.M.’s Automatic For the People at the top of my list of that year’s best new music. This is arguably the best album by one of my very favorite bands.
It also framed the summer I met my wife and became the unofficial soundtrack to our budding romance, so it has that going for it.
Meet Me In Montauk 