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Billboard Top Hits 1990 |
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1 Review from Epinions.com
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Billboard Top Hits 1990
In 1990, I walked down the very Catholic aisle, with my beloved, Mike. After planning the wedding for almost 18 months, it went off with only a couple of minor glitches. First, I had to switch out my horse and carriage for a limo because of the potential for lightening that evening. Second, before we arrived at the hall, the fire alarms went off and EVERYTHING - my cake, the food, the dj set-up - was carted down in case the fire was real. Thankfully, I did not know this until a good hour after I had arrived.
In the world, South Africa freed Nelson Mandela, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait, East and West Germany came together as one, and good ole Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister.
In entertainment news, the rating of "X" was replaced by NC-17, The Simpsons debut as their own show on FOX, Milli Vanilli admitted to lip-synching, and Entertainment Weekly put out their very first issue.
The entertainment awards in 1990 were very middle-of-the-road, with no controversy overshadowing them. Bette Midler won for best song for her sentimental, Wind Beneath My Wings track. Driving Miss Daisy won for best picture and L.A. Law walked away with their umpteenth Emmy award.
When I look back over 1990, I have mixed emotions on what was out there. I wasn't a fan of New Kids On The Block (sorry Freak!), and I was hair-metaled out on some bands like Poison. On the other hand, I loved some of the pop-dance songs (i.e. The Power) and Wilson Phillips made me fall in love with harmonies all over again.
As you know, Billboard, puts out these compilation discs for no other reason but then to make money. They're cashing in on the sentimentality of the generation that enjoyed the music of that period of time. I can't begrudge them for this. Market share is a good thing. How they come up with what goes on here though, just baffles me. I'm sure it has something to do with licensing and how much they have to pay record companies and artists. I, of course, would rather believe that the tracks that are included in any compilation have a theme running through them aside from the year that they were released :).
Now down to the details of this particular cd. I like about half of the tracks. The others, I dislike and pretty intensely. First, some of the ones I liked...
One of my favorite dance tracks of 1990 was The Power by Snap!. This short-lived, Pittsburgh, PA group made up of Turbo B and Penny Ford, sure knew how to put out that perfect combination of militant sounding rap and booty-slapping dance. If you ever get a chance to get the cd single import that includes a couple of remixes of The Power and Rhythm Is A Dancer - just do it!
Before I saw Billy Idol in concert two years ago, I had forgotten about how much I liked Cradle of Love. Sure, it was grossly overplayed on MTV and sure, it will could have been his last studio album due to his over-the-top, excessive lifestyle that led to his near-tragic motorcycle accident. Like most of the lyrics of a Billy Idol song, Cradle of Love was disjointed and raunchy in a PG-13 kind of way. The real reason to like this song was just for the music.
Hold On was the first single by new group, Wilson Phillips. Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of Mommas and Pappas, Michelle and John Phillips, became a second generation, harmony-type group. I remember the first time I heard this song - I had actually seen the video on MTV. It caught my attention because of the lyrics - I know there's pain. Why do you lock yourself in these chains? No one can change your life except for you. Don't ever let anyone step all over you. Just open your heart and mind. Is it really fair to feel this way inside? 1990 was one of those years in which I was struggling with what type of relationship to have with my mother. Lots of history there that I'll skip :). There was something very therapeutic about this song that definitely made drawing those boundaries a lot easier for me.
I loved Nelson and I still have their 1989 cd, After The Rain. Gunner and Nelson, the twin sons of Ricky Nelson, joined in the hair-metal sound, taking their sound in more of a pop direction. Released as a single, Love and Affection (Can't Live Without Your), shot to #1. I'm sure it was because of their long, blond locks :). Love how this song starts out with a guitar melody and slight taps on the cymbal. When they bridge over from the chorus to the next verse, I have flashes of Asia's, Heat of the Moment.
The one track that gets on my last nerve - yes even more than those new kids - is the Stevie B. song, Because I Love You (The Postman Song). Never heard of him? Wouldn't surprise me. This was really his one, major hit in the 80's and then soon thereafter, he fizzled. The piano melody was nice and sweet but I found that Stevie B.'s voice was icky. At the end of each phrase, he'd vibrato his last syllable and it sounds just horrible. Then, the mix of the other instruments, with that sweet piano melody, made the song sound hollow and creepy - not romantic.
Tracks
Because I Love You (The Postman Song) - Stevie B
The Power - Snap
Cradle Of Love - Billy Idol
Pray - M.C. Hammer
Hold On - Wilson Phillips
Unskinny Bop - Poison
Step By Step - New Kids On The Block
Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic/Felly
I Wish It Would Rain Down - Phil Collins
Love And Affection, (Can't Live Without Your) - Nelson
Missing Tracks
Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew
Janie's Got A Gun - Aerosmith
Love In An Elevator - Aerosmith
Freedom - George Michael
Love Shack - B52's
The Deadbeat Club - B52's
Roam - B 52's
If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
Let Love Rule - Lenny Kravitz
A Girl Like You - The Smithereens
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You - Heart
Do Me - Bell Biv DeVoe
I Melt With You - Modern English
Groove Is In The Hear - Dee-light
1990 - Billboard Records - I Get Married
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: Pretty representative of this bizarre year in music...
Cons: But still missing LOTS of tracks that would have made this a better purchase...
The Bottom Line:
Only for those who have no desire to find "the right" 90's compilation.
In 1990, I walked down the very Catholic aisle, with my beloved, Mike. After planning the wedding for almost 18 months, it went off with only a couple of minor glitches. First, I had to switch out my horse and carriage for a limo because of the potential for lightening that evening. Second, before we arrived at the hall, the fire alarms went off and EVERYTHING - my cake, the food, the dj set-up - was carted down in case the fire was real. Thankfully, I did not know this until a good hour after I had arrived.
In the world, South Africa freed Nelson Mandela, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait, East and West Germany came together as one, and good ole Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister.
In entertainment news, the rating of "X" was replaced by NC-17, The Simpsons debut as their own show on FOX, Milli Vanilli admitted to lip-synching, and Entertainment Weekly put out their very first issue.
The entertainment awards in 1990 were very middle-of-the-road, with no controversy overshadowing them. Bette Midler won for best song for her sentimental, Wind Beneath My Wings track. Driving Miss Daisy won for best picture and L.A. Law walked away with their umpteenth Emmy award.
When I look back over 1990, I have mixed emotions on what was out there. I wasn't a fan of New Kids On The Block (sorry Freak!), and I was hair-metaled out on some bands like Poison. On the other hand, I loved some of the pop-dance songs (i.e. The Power) and Wilson Phillips made me fall in love with harmonies all over again.
As you know, Billboard, puts out these compilation discs for no other reason but then to make money. They're cashing in on the sentimentality of the generation that enjoyed the music of that period of time. I can't begrudge them for this. Market share is a good thing. How they come up with what goes on here though, just baffles me. I'm sure it has something to do with licensing and how much they have to pay record companies and artists. I, of course, would rather believe that the tracks that are included in any compilation have a theme running through them aside from the year that they were released :).
Now down to the details of this particular cd. I like about half of the tracks. The others, I dislike and pretty intensely. First, some of the ones I liked...
One of my favorite dance tracks of 1990 was The Power by Snap!. This short-lived, Pittsburgh, PA group made up of Turbo B and Penny Ford, sure knew how to put out that perfect combination of militant sounding rap and booty-slapping dance. If you ever get a chance to get the cd single import that includes a couple of remixes of The Power and Rhythm Is A Dancer - just do it!
Before I saw Billy Idol in concert two years ago, I had forgotten about how much I liked Cradle of Love. Sure, it was grossly overplayed on MTV and sure, it will could have been his last studio album due to his over-the-top, excessive lifestyle that led to his near-tragic motorcycle accident. Like most of the lyrics of a Billy Idol song, Cradle of Love was disjointed and raunchy in a PG-13 kind of way. The real reason to like this song was just for the music.
Hold On was the first single by new group, Wilson Phillips. Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of Mommas and Pappas, Michelle and John Phillips, became a second generation, harmony-type group. I remember the first time I heard this song - I had actually seen the video on MTV. It caught my attention because of the lyrics - I know there's pain. Why do you lock yourself in these chains? No one can change your life except for you. Don't ever let anyone step all over you. Just open your heart and mind. Is it really fair to feel this way inside? 1990 was one of those years in which I was struggling with what type of relationship to have with my mother. Lots of history there that I'll skip :). There was something very therapeutic about this song that definitely made drawing those boundaries a lot easier for me.
I loved Nelson and I still have their 1989 cd, After The Rain. Gunner and Nelson, the twin sons of Ricky Nelson, joined in the hair-metal sound, taking their sound in more of a pop direction. Released as a single, Love and Affection (Can't Live Without Your), shot to #1. I'm sure it was because of their long, blond locks :). Love how this song starts out with a guitar melody and slight taps on the cymbal. When they bridge over from the chorus to the next verse, I have flashes of Asia's, Heat of the Moment.
The one track that gets on my last nerve - yes even more than those new kids - is the Stevie B. song, Because I Love You (The Postman Song). Never heard of him? Wouldn't surprise me. This was really his one, major hit in the 80's and then soon thereafter, he fizzled. The piano melody was nice and sweet but I found that Stevie B.'s voice was icky. At the end of each phrase, he'd vibrato his last syllable and it sounds just horrible. Then, the mix of the other instruments, with that sweet piano melody, made the song sound hollow and creepy - not romantic.
Tracks
Because I Love You (The Postman Song) - Stevie B
The Power - Snap
Cradle Of Love - Billy Idol
Pray - M.C. Hammer
Hold On - Wilson Phillips
Unskinny Bop - Poison
Step By Step - New Kids On The Block
Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic/Felly
I Wish It Would Rain Down - Phil Collins
Love And Affection, (Can't Live Without Your) - Nelson
Missing Tracks
Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew
Janie's Got A Gun - Aerosmith
Love In An Elevator - Aerosmith
Freedom - George Michael
Love Shack - B52's
The Deadbeat Club - B52's
Roam - B 52's
If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
Let Love Rule - Lenny Kravitz
A Girl Like You - The Smithereens
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You - Heart
Do Me - Bell Biv DeVoe
I Melt With You - Modern English
Groove Is In The Hear - Dee-light
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