From: leo@cp.tn.tudelft.nl (Leo Breebaart)
Subject: Kronto New Singles Review - The Best of 1992
Reply-To: leo@cp.tn.tudelft.nl
Organization: Delft University of Technology
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1992 12:38:08 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.misc


[ It appears this may not have gotten out to the world at large.
  Apologies if you see it twice.  -- Stewart ]

The past twelve months I have reviewed 162 singles spread out over 17
(no, make that 16 -- I seem to never have written #14, somehow)
installments of the Kronto New Singles Reviews. Merely the tip of an
incredibly large iceberg, of course, but it was fun to do, and I have
enjoyed all the feedback and encouragement I got from you all in the
process.

So this is the obligatory summing up and final rating. You should take
the phrase 'the best' with a few grains of salt: these are of course
just my personal favourites, and I have only looked at the singles I
actually reviewed (and decided not to include any re-releases of
golden oldies). '1992' is also not a very accurate description: these
singles cover the November '91 - November '92 period, and don't
forget that songs are often released in Europe *months* after they
were hits in the USA.

Here follows my personal top 10 of reviewed singles, counting down 
from #10 to the #1 Most Awesome Song of 1992. I have kept the
original review intact, and added some comments, where appropriate,
in [square brackets]. See you all in '93...

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THE KRONTO TEN BEST SINGLES OF 1992:


10] CROWDED HOUSE - Weather With You

    The Hollies anno 1992. And I mean that as a compliment. To my delight
    the only worthwhile song from the "Woodface" album (see my album-review
    for more details) has now been released on single. This is as close as
    we're gonna get this decade to the prefect three minute vocal popsong.


 9] MARC ALMOND - The Days Of Pearly Spencer

    In my review of Almond's album I already raved over this song. A
    perfect Trevor Horn production, a perfect vocal performance, a great
    song. Recommended, but be aware that this song *may* remind you of
    Barry Manilow.


 8] MICHAEL JACKSON - Who Is It?

    Finally, Michael Jackson releases the best song of his "Dangerous"
    album on single. Sure, it is sounds a bit too much like 'Billy Jean',
    and his mannered, hiccupped singing is worse on this song then ever
    before -- but the melody is sweet, the beat is pulsating, and the drum
    sound is unbelievably cool & funky.


 7] TASMINE ARCHER - Sleeping Satellite

    I heard this song before I ever saw the artist who performs it, and
    like almost everybody else, I never even considered the possibility that
    this was anything else but a white female vocalist. But she's black,
    and discovering that really made me stop and think about the huge
    invisible boundaries that apparently still exist between 'black' and
    'white' music outside of the dance/soul/metal/funk area where we are
    getting used to crossovers on both sides. Anyway, you have to like the
    genre, but if you do, then 'Sleeping Satellite' is an astonishingly
    beautiful AOR-ballad -- not very original but simply with a very strong
    melodic hook, and sung by an excellent singer.


 6] THE WONDERSTUFF - Welcome To The Cheap Seats

    Garage-folk? Lots of violins and fiddles, but also a raunchy British
    guitar sound, snarling singing, and Kirsty McColl (almost inaudible but
    unmistakable) on background vocals. One *hell* of a great song, and
    to think that it is not even the best song on the album (review of that
    one coming to r.m.reviews real soon now)! What a way to start the year.


 5] RIGHT SAID FRED - Deeply Dippy

    We have here a group whose first single makes it to the top mostly
    because of its gimmick value. Instead of continuing in that vain, they
    unexpectedly followed it up with a better than average euro-dance song,
    which became a big hit as well. Now for their third consecutive
    hitsingle, Right Said Fred again refuse to capitalize on their previous
    successes: 'Deeply Dippy' is once more a totally, truly different song,
    and perhaps the best one of the three. Not many groups, let alone
    beginning ones, let alone those catering to the chart-buying public,
    let alone those possessing a particular gimmick, have ever succeeded in
    producing a commercially and artistically valid triad as Right Said
    Fred has.

    [ After 'Deeply Dippy' they finally started repeating themselves a
    bit, and none of the later singles was as good as these first
    three. Still, I am immensely interested in what their second
    album will sound like. ]


 4] GUNS 'N ROSES - November Rain

    Yes! After several miserable releases, finally a song that shows
    exactly why Guns 'n Roses *isn't* just another mediocre rock band, as
    so many critics would like them to be. This song is completely
    ridiculous (even more so when you look at the video, in which Axl's
    young bride dies after an encounter with an apparently lethal rainfall)
    and over the top, and it's kitsch, and pretentious, and it goes a bit
    too slow at first, but by the time they reach the final part (with the
    orchestra, chorus, and all that) and Slash starts murdering that
    guitar, you definitely know that this song has got "it". No question
    about it.


 3] PM DAWN - Paper Doll

    Fuzzy, sweet and syrupy. The soft, warm rap lulls you to sleep as you
    float away on a carpet of vocals and harmonies. This song *really* gets
    to me, and completely makes up for the disappointing "Set Adrift...".
    The lyrics are, as far as I can make out, meta-physical mumbo-jumbo,
    but hey, since I started watching Twin Peaks I haven't been my rational
    self anyway. Cute video-clip, too.


 2] NENEH CHERRY - Money Love

    Neneh Cherry is in my opinion one of the most talented and interesting
    female artists around at the moment. She manages to combine intelligent
    lyrics with melodious, irresistible songs, and has a very pleasant
    voice. "Money Love" is even better than 'Buffalo Stance', but built
    along the same lines. It starts out as a quiet hip-hop type song with a
    strong vocal groove, then quickly accelerates into a aggressive
    guitar-driven cacophony with melody and rap taking turns. This is one
    of this year's best singles. Check it out.


 1] XTC - The Disappointed

    Sounds like XTC are taking off just where they left with the "Oranges
    and Lemons" album, which may be bad news to fans of their earlier work,
    but things couldn't be better as far as I'm concerned. This melodious,
    low mid-tempo song has a hopping beat to it, typical XTC chord changes,
    and it has been spinning in my head from the moment I first heard it.
    Great stuff.

    [ I simply cannot get tired of this song. I have since then learned
    that even Andy Partridge himself regards this as a very minor,
    forgettable entry in XTC's considerable ouvre, and most fans (at least
    on the XTC mailing list) appear to agree with him. But the song still
    sets me on fire when I hear it -- this is one of those life-long
    favourites, and I think I'll always remember 1992 musically as the year
    that 'The Disappointed' was released. Woe! ]

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If you've read this far down, you deserve a bonus. Tough I don't quite know
if 'bonus' is the correct term for what I am about to inflict on you. 

Since 90 % of everything is crap, it is not very difficult to list bad or
even horrible songs. But there are not *that* many songs released, not even
these days, that truly make your stomach turn. Similarly, there are certain
tracks that are so incredibly disappointing, given what you know the
artist in question to be capable of, that they become downright offensive
and insulting.  From these two pits of despair I now bring you:


THE KRONTO TEN WORST SINGLES OF 1992:

10] BOYZ II MEN - End Of The Road

 9] GUNS 'N ROSES - Live And Let Die

 8] GARTH BROOKS - Shameless

 7] MADONNA - Erotica

 6] UNDERCOVER - Baker Street

 5] ROZALLA - Ready To Fly

 4] KRISS KROSS - Warm It Up

 3] GENESIS - Hold On My Heart

 2] ROTTERDAM TERMINATION SOURCE - Poing

 1] DIRE STRAITS - The Bug


-- 
Leo Breebaart  (leo @ cp.tn.tudelft.nl)
Newsgroups: rec.music.reviews