So. Out of college, working at minimum wage for an overpriced market in a tony neighborhood, and cutting financial corners wherever and whenever you could? Well, not yet. There was a slight problem in that I had to wait a couple of weeks between leaving the dorm on 6 Arlington and moving into the sublet on Symphony Road for the summer. I borrowed the apartment of a friend of my sister’s up in Lowell and took the train in for about two weeks first. I remember staying up late, watching MTV and thinking about how I was literally starting at the bottom rung while most of my somewhat more financially secure fellow college students had it a bit easier. I pretty much experienced that rich vs poor dichotomy from day fucking one. Not to mention being disconnected from friends and family because this was well before social media and email were easily available, let alone personal computers being affordable.
Still — despite being a moody bastard most of the time, I wasn’t about to let it beat me down. I’d survive somehow. And I certainly wasn’t going to give up on the writing.
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U2, “Numb” single, 1 June 1993. So how do you follow up a genre-defining album that completely rearranges your sound and style? Well, in the case of this band, you write and record new songs while still on the road and in between tours. Those who thought Achtung Baby was a weird album had no idea how to parse this single, but alternative stations like WFNX was all over it.
Sun 60, Only, released 1 June 1993. A sunny breezy summer song about Christmas? Sure, why not? “Mary X-Mess” was a favorite of the alternative stations and got a ton of play, even though they weren’t a band anyone these days remembers all that much. Still, it’s a record worth checking out!
Slowdive, Souvlaki, released 1 June 1993. The genre-defining shoegaze band’s second album is a lovely and relaxing record and one of my favorites (and it’s the first one of theirs I’d bought, though a few years after release). They sound stronger and more cohesive on this one.
Mixtape, Untitled IV, created June 1993. The first post-college tape was made at that Lowell apartment as a mix of my favorite tracks that had been released during my senior year, so while it’s a great and fun collection, it had a certain melancholy baked into it. It got a lot of play on my headphones during work commutes, but it was also a stark reminder of a time that was over and past.
Mixtape, WAUGH!!! Vol 1, created June 1993. The second post-college tape was originally planned as a collection of songs my sister’s friend owned that I wanted in my collection but didn’t have the money to buy. Named after a Monty Python line (from the ‘Argument Clinic’ sketch), it was my take on the ‘cheesefest’ of 70s and 80s retromania going on at the time.
Tears for Fears, Elemental, released 7 June 1993. Curt Smith had left the band by this time so this was essentially a Roland Orzabal solo record, but it’s got some great tunes on it like the big single “Break It Down Again”, which I still hear every now and then.
Urge Overkill, Saturation, released 8 June 1993. By far their most radio-friendly record at that point, this album divided fans who felt they were selling out and others who were happy for their success. Little did they know that an obscure EP track of a Neil Diamond cover would become their biggest hit ever in about a year…
Paul McCartney/Wings, The Paul McCartney Collection reissues, released 8 June 1993. It took me quite a few years to get around to picking these up, but they were easily available at the bigger record stores like Tower. These were lightly remastered with several b-sides and would become the choice collection until Sir Paul started his major remaster project years later.
The Verve, A Storm in Heaven, released 15 June 1993. A good few years before the ubiquitous “Bittersweet Symphony” plagued the airwaves, this band introduced themselves with a strange yet perfect mix of shoegaze, psychedelia and Britpop and garnered fans almost immediately.
Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville, released 22 June 1993. At the time I lumped Phair in with PJ Harvey, an indie woman songwriter with no fucks given, and it took me a bit of time to get used to this record, especially with its majestic length and its curious nod to the Stones record I felt (even then) was a bit overrated. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely an interesting listen.
The Flaming Lips, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, released 22 June 1993. Yes, that band with that song that finally put them on the indie map. They’d always had a loyal fanbase, but this was the record that expanded it considerably. To this day this is most likely the one of maybe three Lips songs you’ll hear on commercial alternative radio.
Billy Idol, Cyberpunk, released 29 June 1993. I remember this coming out and being fascinated by the concept, even as critics and fans alike dismissed it as a terrible and misguided album. The fascinating thing is that Idol really did do his homework on this one and a lot of the songs do tie in with the burgeoning SF subgenre that wouldn’t catch on in the mainstream for another couple of years. He still plays “Shock to the System” in his live shows!
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Coming up: The Gen-X story continues: the trials and tribulations of not knowing what the hell you’re doing.
Walk In Silence 