Bad Brains – Quickness (1989)

Although “Quickness” is the fourth studio album by Bad Brains, it was the first I had listen at the beginning of the 90’s and several songs from it still echoing in my mind. “The Messengers”, “Sheba”, “No Conditions”, “Silent Tears”, “The Prophet’s Eye” are only a few of the 11 (plus outro) killer tracks of the album.
“Quickness” is 34 minutes of pure essence of Bad Brains delivering the best of their unique hybrid of raggae-punk and hardcore-funk. Released on 14th September, 1989, 22 years ago, these songs sounds still fresh and… quickening. Who said white man can’t jump and black guys can’t rock? Read more Bad Brains – Quickness (1989)

Faster Pussycat – Wake Me When It’s Over (1989)

This isn’t definitively their dirtiest album, actually after their sleazy debut album, on this the boys from Los Angeles turned to more bluesy sounds kind of leaving behind their glam and hair metal roots, but still, this is 60 minutes of quality and dirty rock and roll as only at the end of the 80s were possible. “Bathroom Wall” back then was one of my favorite songs, kind of Sex Pistols/New York Dolls meet Steppenwolf (“Born to be Wild”).
“House of Pain” is a bluesy song, off the band’s original punk rock/glam outfit and style. The guys still rocks on with “Where There’s a Whip, There’s a Way”, “Slip of the Tongue”, “Ain’t No Way Around It”, etc, while songs as “Cryin’ Shame” combined hair metal and blues rock tastefully. One of my favorites from this album is the bluesy, cabaret taste like “Arizona Indian Doll”.
“House of Pain” reached #28 in the Billboard Hot 100 and the video, which was directed by future film director Michael Bay, was in rotation on MTV. The album itself peaked at #48 in the Billboard 200. Read more Faster Pussycat – Wake Me When It’s Over (1989)

The Beach Boys – Still Cruisin’ (1989)

The Beach Boys are one of the few mandatory “things” in music. If they wouldn’t be formed back in 61 somebody should be “invented” them. Many things in music would be different without Mike Love, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. They gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting the Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, chosen for the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, The Beach Boys are one of the greatest rock and roll bands while their 1966 release, “Pet Sounds”, frequently rank among critics’ lists of the greatest albums and “Good Vibrations” as the greatest singles of all time. Paul McCartney named “Pet Sounds” one of his favorite albums of all time and has frequently said that it was the inspiration behind the Beatles’ album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys at number 12 on their 2004 list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” the highest ranking for an American Rock & Roll band.
Initially rising to become the most popular surf rock band in the U.S. during the early 1960s, the band with a legacy of 82 singles, 28 studio albums and 4 live recordings, The Beach Boys… still cruisin’. Read more The Beach Boys – Still Cruisin’ (1989)

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother’s Milk (1989)

Between naked punks with only socks on their cocks and (funk) rock superstars with “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, the transitional album was this “Mother’s Milk” from 1989, released on 16th August 22 years ago. Just as curiosity, “Freaky Styley”, their second album was released also on 16th August, but four years earlier, in 1985.
Kiedis, Frusciante, Flea and Smith delivered a nervous, high energy material where funk and punk collided into groovy and pulsing music. “Mother’s Milk” also contains guitarist Hillel Slovak last recording, a cover version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Fire”. Slovak died on June 25, 1988 due to a heroin overdose. The record also contains another cover, Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”.
“Higher Ground”, “Knock Me Down”, “Taste the Pain” and “Pretty Little Ditty” are the more funky – and radio-friendly tracks – while “Magic Johnson”, “Stone Cold Bush”, “Fire” and “Punk Rock Classic” were kept the energy and rawness of punk and the other songs were blendings of both direction.
Read more Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother’s Milk (1989)