The Best Music of 1996, the year I was born.
By: Paulo Menezes
Tags: Review, Challenge, Music, Covid 19, 1990s

2020was pretty harsh in many ways, mainly because of the pandemic situation due to COVID-19 that spread all over the world, and almost nothing new happened in the music scene enough to rewind. Online global lives, Bandcamp revenue waive, and that’s it. Although I had liked a lot of songs, not many albums motivated me to write about the year that I rather forget.

Meanwhile, I decided to recap the year I was born: 1996. Back in the time, we’ve lost memorable artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Tupac Shakur, Mamonas Assasinas, Legião Urbana leader Renato Russo, country legend Faron Young, Sublime guitarist and vocalist Bradley Nowell. Ramones and Siouxsie and the Banshees disbanded, Backstreet Boys released their album debut. David Bowie, Jefferson Airplane, and Pink Floyd were among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

In Hollywood, Independence Day, starring Will Smith, was the highest-grossing film. In Sports, Germany won the UEFA Euro, and Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics. World Wide Web still was a new technologic trend, at the same time, IBM AI computer Deep Blue defeated the chess master, Garry Kasparov. The world was fearing the tensions in Afghanistan, Middle East countries, and Yugoslavia, meanwhile, the classic videogame Nintendo 64 came to the world.

Albums

The Beatles Anthology 2

Twenty-five years after the Beatles’ final record, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr have engaged in the Anthology project: a documentary, book, and a series of three albums gathering all phases through demos, unreleased songs, and alternative takes.

The second album came out in 1996 featuring “If You’ve Got Trouble” and “That Means A Lot”, recorded during Help!. The three Beatles and Jeff Lyne contributed to Lennon’s composition “Real Love”, in the same mix as they did with “Free As a Bird”.

The Beatles Anthology 3

Fewer interviews and crowded concerts, but more studio takes. The Anthology 3 throughout White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be sessions, including Harrison’s compositions “Not Guilty” and “All Things Must Pass” demo. Unfortunately, both songs did not make it on the final albums, but on his solo debut and 1979 self-titled.

“Roots” by Sepultura

Sepultura pioneered the high reputation as a Brazilian metal band outside of the country, which allowed them to show the roots of Brazil to the world. The Cavalera brothers, Andreas Kisser, and Paulo Xisto spent three days with Xavante indigenous people to live their culture and inspires on the new album theme. As the tracks “Attitude”, “Breed Apart”, and “Endangered Species”, “Ambush” expose social injustices against the indigenous people around the country: “Screaming, For more justice, Amazonia burns, Can you hear them?”. The band also captured “Itsári” as the tribe piece of contribution to the album that path a new way in the extreme metal

“Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop” by Stone Temple Pilots

After the debut success “Core” and sophomore “Purple”, “Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop” follows a new music direction: into the classic soft rock back in the ’80s and less heavy distortions as is seen in the previous records. The funky introduction “Press Play” and country elements on “Daisy” highlights the band’s creative expansion among rock ballads “Lady Picture Show”, “Seven Caged Tigers”, and “Big Bang”.

“Undisputed Attitude” by Slayer

In the 1990s, Guns N’ Roses album full of covers “The Spaghetti Incident?”, set the original compositions aside to dedicate on tribute the music heroes, were well accepted commercially. Slayer released “Undisputed Attitude” for fans like me that delights on punk classics as Minor Threat, The Stooges, T.S.O.L, D.R.I more explosive than ever.

“Sing to God” by Cardiacs

Frantic, noisy, and experimental “Sing to God” arrived the newcome drummer Bob Leith at the time, presenting an energetic sound with psychedelic elements in a unique prog-rock formula that Cardiacs were notorious for 31 years. Rest in Peace, Tim Smith.

Singles

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Céline Dion

I can not deny that pop and R&B from the 1980s to the 2000s made part of my childhood. Back in the day, I listened to Toni Braxton, Kim Carnes, Bonnie Tyler, Céline Dion, and many others at the radio stations. Also, I remember that my mother owned “Falling into You”, the singer’s fourth album that features hits like “Because You Loved Me”, “All By Myself”, and of course “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”. This is nothing but a sentimental choice.

“Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis

Released on the sophomore album “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” in 1995, the single came out in February of the next year. Catchy guitars and piano chords, “Don’t Look Back In Anger” (besides “Wonderwall”) became one of the most famous UK hits in the 1990s, and it remained in everyone's memories.

“The Good Life” by Weezer

Exciting guitar chords, upbeat drums, the purpose of saving the album with this single was not possible. However, despite the failure of the album “Pinkerton”, Weezer’s sophomore record, “The Good Life” seems to be one of the greatest songs of that year.

“Angeles” by Elliot Smith

Elliot Smith was a self-made artist like Brian Wilson’s influence on Beach Boys or even when Nick Rattigan found his way on the Current Joys project. “Angeles” concerns the music business in L.A. Unfortunately, an industry around on predators exploiting new artists, selling a world of promises: “Someone’s always coming around here, trailing some new kill / Says, “I’ve seen your picture on a hundred dollar bill.” / What’s a game of chance to you, to him is one of real skill”. The guitar layers soaring above rumbling synth, add anxiety melancholic, and an introspective mood to Smith’s voice. The song “Angeles” came out one year before the album “Either/Or”.

“Salvation” by The Cranberries

The Cranberries’ third album “To the Faithful Departed” features the single “Salvation”, a song about the reality of addiction and protect the kids from drugs consumption: “To all those people doing lines, don’t do it / Inject your soul with liberty, it’s free / To all the kids with heroin eyes, don’t do it,”. As the horns echo, the ska-punk mood reverberates the sweet, dreamy, and Dolores’ exponent voice.