A post about grunge and dope-slapping

[slipjig3]

Last week, as many of you know, my on-again-off-again 90's "mainstream" alternative rock obsession switched back to "on-again," resulting in my seeking to expand my mega-super-ultra-giganto-holybugnutso-sized Alt90's mix from four to six discs. I did not receive the severe dope-slapping I should have received at the time.

After much begging, borrowing, stealing, and anal-retentive rearrangement of the existing and new material from the ground up, I succeeded in padding out the tracks to an even 120, 20 per disc, each to within 45 seconds of capacity. play order was established, discs were burned, labels were laid out and printed, and I took the whole lot in the car with me while running errands yesterday afternoon before work. All went well until around halfway through disc one, when I thought, "Y'know, this project would be a whole lot better if I redid it in chronological order...."

I arrived home and promptly asked rafaela to dope-slap me. Hard.

Wasn't hard enough: upon realizing that I had left out Cake, Hole, Michael Penn and Pete Droge, I began assembly of disc seven. I yearn for the release that death will bring.

Anyroad, a few people wanted to see the final track listings, which I hereby place behind the following cut in the interest of world peace:


Insert Pop Culture Reference Here: An Overstuffed 90's Alternative Sampler (official track listing)

Disc A
1) "Photograph," R.E.M. & Natalie Merchant
2) "Plowed," Sponge
3) "She Don't Use Jelly," The Flaming Lips
4) "Last Goodbye," Jeff Buckley
5) "6 Underground," Sneaker Pimps
6) "Tomorrow," Silverchair
7) "Low," Cracker
8) "Blood Makes Noise," Suzanne Vega
9) "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," Spin Doctors
10) "Caught A Lite Sneeze," Tori Amos
11) "Beercan," Beck
12) "Big Bang Baby," Stone Temple Pilots
13) "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Urge Overkill
14) "Would?" Alice In Chains
15) "Cantaloop," Us3
16) "Shine," Collective Soul
17) "Nearly Lost You," Screaming Trees
18) "Sour Times," Portishead
19) "Your Woman," White Town
20) "Counting Blue Cars," Dishwalla

Disc B
1) "Loser," Beck
2) "Missing," Everything But The Girl
3) "California," Wax
4) "Mother, Mother," Tracy Bonham
5) "Constant Craving," k. d. lang
6) "Longview," Green Day
7) "The Freshman," The Verve Pipe
8) "Spoonman," Soundgarden
9) "You Suck," The Murmurs
10) "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe," Whale
11) "Girlfriend," Matthew Sweet
12) "Drive," R.E.M.
13) "Dizz Knee Land," Dada
14) "Pepper," Butthole Surfers
15) "If That's Your Boyfriend," Me'shell Ndegeocello
16) "Hold On," Sarah McLachlan
17) "Connection," Elastica
18) "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Deep Blue Something
19) "You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette
20) "What's Up," Four Non Blondes

Disc C
1) "Sure Shot," The Beastie Boys
2) "Disarm," Smashing Pumpkins
3) "Popular," Nada Surf
4) "Stay (I Missed You)," Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
5) "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," Crash Test Dummies
6) "Seether," Veruca Salt
7) "Big Me," Foo Fighters
8) "Pets," Porno for Pyros
9) "Feed the Tree," Belly
10) "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand," Primitive Radio Gods
11) "Here & Now," Letters To Cleo
12) "Bittersweet Symphony," The Verve
13) "Something's Always Wrong," Toad The Wet Sprocket
14) "There She Goes," The La's
15) "One of Us," Joan Osborne
16) "The Old Apartment," Barenaked Ladies
17) "If I Had Only a Brain," MC 900 Ft Jesus
18) "Liar," Henry Rollins
19) "Selling the Drama," Live
20) "Give It Away," Red Hot Chili Peppers

Disc D
1) "Laid," James
2) "Evenflow," Pearl Jam
3) "Hello," Poe
4) "Cut Your Hair," Pavement
5) "Send Me on My Way," Rusted Root
6) "Sucked Out," Superdrag
7) "Insane In The Membrane," Cypress Hill
8) "You," Candlebox
9) "Natural One," Folk Implosion
10) "Cannonball," The Breeders
11) "Radiation Vibe," Fountains of Wayne
12) "Birdhouse In Your Soul," They Might Be Giants
13) "Mrs. Robinson," The Lemonheads
14) "Hey Man Nice Shot," Filter
15) "I Know," Dionne Farris
16) "Brimful of Asha," Cornershop
17) "Cumbersome," Seven Mary Three
18) "Stars," Hum
19) "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago," Soul Coughing
20) "Hunger Strike," Temple of the Dog

Disc E
1) "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," The Proclaimers
2) "Ready to Go," Republica
3) "Stupid Girl," Garbage
4) "In Bloom," Nirvana
5) "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover," Sophie B. Hawkins
6) "Pretend We're Dead," L7
7) "Hook," Blues Traveller
8) "Whip-Smart," Liz Phair
9) "Bizarre Love Triangle," Frente!
10) "Found Out About You," Gin Blossoms
11) "I Kissed a Girl," Jill Sobule
12) "High And Dry," Radiohead
13) "Frontier Psychiatrist," The Avalanches
14) "Glycerine," Bush
15) "Hell," Squirrel Nut Zippers
16) "Zombie," The Cranberries
17) "A Girl Like You," Edwyn Collins
18) "Spin the Bottle," The Juliana Hatfield Three
19) "Anna Begins," Counting Crows
20) "Good," Better Than Ezra

Disc F
1) "Jump Around," House of Pain
2) "Voodoo Lady," Ween
3) "Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver," Primus
4) "Dyslexic Heart," Paul Westerberg
5) "Head Like A Hole," Nine Inch Nails
6) "Rush," Big Audio Dynamite II
7) "Wonderwall," Oasis
8) "Come Out and Play," The Offspring
9) "Runaway Train," Soul Asylum
10) "Fade into You," Mazzy Star
11) "Down By The Water," PJ Harvey
12) "Right Here Right Now," Jesus Jones
13) "El Scorcho," Weezer
14) "Everybody Knows," Concrete Blonde
15) "I'm Not Afraid," Fleming & John
16) "novocaine for the soul," Eels
17) "Happier," Jennifer Trynin
18) "The Gentleman Who Fell," Milla
19) "Unbelievable," EMF
20) "Closing Time," Semisonic


I was mostly able to avoid artist repetition; the only repeats were R.E.M. (one of whose tracks was their collaboration with Natalie Merchant, which I fudgingly considered a "different artist") and Beck (because I was torn between "Beercan," the track of his that's guaranteed to nostalgia-whack my brain back to 1994, and "Loser," which I couldn't in good conscience leave out). Also, be aware that these tracks include a bunch of songs that I'm not terribly keen on, but which I included in the interest of completeness. You can probably guess which ones they are.

Oh, and yes, this is the absolutely last time I'm going to mention this mix. I swear.

Comments

Hey Man, Nice Mix

[malefica-v.livejournal.com]

Ow. Now I've got an entire decade earwormed. I wasn't even COOL in that decade! (Some things don't change.)

Re: Hey Man, Nice Mix

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I know how you feel.

[theloriest.livejournal.com]

Songs I recognize:

"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Urge Overkill
"Loser," Beck
"The Freshman," The Verve Pipe
"Drive," R.E.M.
"Breakfast at Tiffany's," Deep Blue Something
"You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette
"Sure Shot," The Beastie Boys
"Bittersweet Symphony," The Verve
"Evenflow," Pearl Jam
"Hello," Poe
"Birdhouse In Your Soul," They Might Be Giants
"Hey Man Nice Shot," Filter
"Cumbersome," Seven Mary Three
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)," The Proclaimers
"Stupid Girl," Garbage
"Glycerine," Bush
"Hell," Squirrel Nut Zippers - I have the original plus a "Springfield" mix that was done to various clips from The Simpsons. Love it!
"Head Like A Hole," Nine Inch Nails
"Wonderwall," Oasis
"Closing Time," Semisonic

***

Yes, I'm aware of my huge lack of music awareness.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Not a huge lack at all. I have the feeling that you'd recognize some of the others if you heard them.

[mick-hale.livejournal.com]

Of all Nirvana songs, you chose In Bloom? Don't get me wrong, it's one of their best songs, but there are better choices. Despite its overwhelming superpopularity, Teen Spirit still would have been a better choice.

In completely unrelated news, Cypress Hill will be performing in Israel soon. Had I the time and money, I'd totally go just for the hell of it.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

I waffled for quite a while on the Nirvana track. The main issue is that this mix was originally intended as my own personal nostalgia bait, and while "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is certainly more iconic—arguably the most iconic song of the last 20 years—it's so omnipresent even now that it no longer belongs to "that time" for me. I had to go with something that received airplay at the time, but less so since then. (See also my choice for Live.)

[mick-hale.livejournal.com]

I can respect that Live choice.

[stagger-lee77.livejournal.com]

i love it! fond (and not-so-fond) memories from high school and college.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*grin* Aiee, you're a young'un! Glad you like!

[felisdemens.livejournal.com]

Mm aah.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

So you say.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thank you! Help yourself. I'd offer to send a copy of this mix, too, but there'd be a lo-o-o-ong wait, I fear.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Well, as of... *checks watch* ...an hour ago, there are seven discs in all, although I haven't posted the disc 7 list yet. I am, however, willing to call this bastard DONE at this point. If you need any particular tracks, let me know.

I don't know if I've heard Airship Pirate in particular, but I've got a few Abney Park tracks on my playlist. Interesting stuff! I like how they've taken a steampunk-ish angle to their self-marketing.

[chainkill.livejournal.com]

Looking at this list of songs, I am reminded why I find it impossible to distinguish among musical genres.

Just to confirm, these are not actually in chronological order?

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Nope, not in chronological order; matter of fact, the last two tracks are one of the earliest followed immediately by one of the latest.

As for genres, alternative never really was a genre unto itself. By the mid-90's the label was being slapped onto everyone from the Kronos Quartet to De La Soul to Slayer, as well as to pretty much every rock band in existence except Hootie and the Blowfish (which, if you think about it, kind of makes them the only "alternative" act in the bunch). The only thing the tracks I collected really have in common is that they tended to appear on the same radio playlists.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

So what do we have to do to snag copies of these?

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Be verrrry patient. I'm somewhat notorious for promising mixes and such that never arrive, or arrive ridiculously late. First copy of this one goes to poor prairieflower, who won an alt-90's trivia contest I wrote up three years ago and has been waiting for her prize ever since. Second and third copies go to spoothbrush and belgatherial, who pretty much bankrolled the expansion discs by sending me mp3s by the truckload. Beyond that, do you want one? *grin*

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

I would like one, yes. I can be patient. my trick is to forget all about it, so when it shows up it's a pleasant surprise. :)

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

Okay, I gotta say it,
As a Rollins Band fan, Liar is a perfectly stereotypical Rollins song to pick. It's common. It's *the* Rollins song EVERYBODY puts everywhere! Juheeeeeeeeeeeeziuz Christ!! I don't like to complain, but how about Alien Blueprint or Wreck Age or Move Right In or DO IT?! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.............ok, it's not my comp but...there is SO much more worthy Rollins material than just that song.... I'll shut up now:D. Ever since my copy of The End of Silence went goodbye I've been cranky..... (if you'll just listen to my plan, the guide to ultimate rollinosittttyyyy :D) ,,,,

However, we jibe well with the rest- Toad,Nada Surf,Cypress, Eels (I like Punky), Soul Asylum, Peppers (BSSM),Sabotage (Beasties)....Let's say I agree with everything but Hole. Largely due to Courtneys morphing post Kurt. Despie her my reaction is WANT SET NOW:D. Tee Hee!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

I know, I know. I didn't go with "Liar" because I think it's his best track, but because it's the one that got the airplay. Like I said, this was all meant to be nostalgia bait; if I were going for my favorite tracks, singles or otherwise, at least half of these tracks would be completely different.

[tnjade.livejournal.com]

Want! Shall I send discs or what? :D

Rather, *cough*, may I have a copy?