Max Picks …songs from 1992

1992

Ride – Twisterella

This is a fantastic-sounding song by a band named Ride. It’s high up on my top powerpop songs. The band was part of the shoegaze genre. Along with the previous year’s There She Goes by the La’s…I was in power pop heaven.

Ride was formed in 1988 in Oxford by school friends Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, before recruiting drummer Loz Colbert at the Oxfordshire School of Art & Design and local bassist Steve Queralt.

They broke up in 1996 because of differences between Andy Bell and Mark Gardener. Gardener wanted to go forward in a more dance style of music…Bell didn’t but both wanted to go more contemporary style. Bassist Steve Queralt said: The band had two future directions open to them, and they chose the wrong option.

They reunited in 2014 and released their first album in 21 years in 2017.

Melon – No Rain

This 1993 song has a sixties feel to it. The lead singer Shannon Hoon did a great job on this track. I think when movies are made about the 1990s…this has to be on the soundtrack. It screams 90s more than about any other song.

Blind Melon bass player Brad Smith wrote this song before he formed the band. He had moved from Mississippi to Los Angeles, where he fell into a down period. He said that the song is about not being able to get out of bed and find excuses to face the day when you have nothing. At the time he was dating a girl who was going through depression and for a while, he told himself that he was writing the song from her perspective. He later realized that he was also writing about it himself.

The video was very popular. It has a very intriguing video featuring a girl dressed in a bee costume. The bee girl, Heather DeLoach, was 10 years old when she starred in it, creating one of the most enduring images on MTV.

The concept for the video was inspired by the Blind Melon album cover, which features a 1975 photo of Georgia Graham, the younger sister of Blind Melon drummer Glenn Graham. DeLoach was the first to audition for the role, and because she resembled Graham’s sister so much, director Samuel Bayer (who also directed Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) chose her.

R.E.M. – Man On The Moon

I’ve noticed that I have never written about this song which is a shame since it’s in my top 5 of REM. This song is about one of my comedic heroes…the very different Andy Kaufman.

It was the title of a new movie starring Jim Carey as Kaufman. I went to see the movie at the theater and this song fits brilliantly. I think it’s one of the best-written songs they did. Bill Berry came up with the melody and Peter Buck helped finish it off. Stipe came up with the lyrics as their back was against the wall to finish the album.

Bruce Springsteen – Better Days

On March 31, 1992, I purchased two albums by Bruce. Lucky Town and Human Touch…both albums released on the same day. I’ve always liked Lucky Town more than Human Touch. Better Days kicked off the album.

Bruce Springsteen: “With a young son and about to get married (for the last time) I was feelin’ like a happy guy who has his rough days rather than vice versa.”

Jayhawks – Waiting For The Sun

Ever since I heard this band on our alternative radio station in Nashville…Lightning 100 I’ve liked them. The Jayhawk’s writing and voices won me over with songs like Blue and I’m Gonna Make You Love Me. The Replacements had broken up by this time and The Jayhawks took their place beside REM.

Benmont Tench, Charley Drayton, and Nicky Hopkins play on the album with the Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul music scene in the mid-80s. Minneapolis had a strong scene for bands in the 80s. The Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, and of course the big one…Prince.

The song, like most of The Jawhawk’s early cuts, is credited to the band’s guitarist Gary Louris and frontman Mark Olson.

Gary Louris: I didn’t know there was a song called “Waiting for the Sun,” I was not a Doors fan. I like them now, but I didn’t know there was a song called that. Maybe in my subconscious I did. 

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

41 thoughts on “Max Picks …songs from 1992”

  1. Another year where you find some great songs.I really don’t recall Ride but certainly know the other tunes. The Jayhawks seem to fly under the radar to use a bad pun. But they have such a great sound! I hear a bit of them on the Outlaw channel.

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  2. Ride was new to me, I knew the Blind Melon song, but not the name of the group or the song. I was surprised by the Bruce Springsteen song because I was not familiar with it. The Jayhawks were also new to me, and I guess that music was probably not that big of a part on my life in 1992.

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    1. You probably knew the REM song but yea that Bruce song was a hit but not a huge one…I started to drift away more from the radio at this time as well.

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    1. You are the third person who knew them…that is great. When I hear most of their music I think power pop but yea they are labeled in the shoegaze genre….thats fine with me.

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  6. I wasn’t listening to a lot of popular music by this time (if I ever was), but 1992 to me is Lyle Lovett with “Joshua Judges Ruth” (“Church”) and Dr John with “Going back to New Orleans” (too many good songs to name one). I liked your choices, especially Blind Melon and the Jayhawks.

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    1. I wasn’t listening to a lot at that time either…and it was going down with each year. I need to explore Lovett more. What I’ve heard I like.
      The Jayhawks were my off the main radar band at that time.

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  7. I wanted to wait to comment until I could put my ear on that Ride song, which I had never heard of. It is pretty good, bit of Smiths influence and a bit of the Madchester Stone Roses etc mixed together I think. A good find. ‘Man on the Moon’ is a great one and ‘Automatic For the People’ is not only my favorite REM album , it’s one of my top 5 or 6 of all-time, so that dominates my memories of ’92. Both those Springsteen albums had some good songs on them, but I can’t remember which is which and honestly felt they (Columbia) were trying to rip off the public… could have put it out as a double album for $16 perhaps instead of two individual ones at $12 a piece, or culled maybe three songs and fit it onto a single disc. Of course the plan worked great for Guns N Roses with their ‘Use Your Illusion’ s.

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    1. Ride has some really good songs. Three people actually knew them today….they were pretty big in the UK. They have several good songs but when you listen to this one…you know it’s up my alley completely.
      I agree about the Bruce album…that was “the line” on me keeping up with Bruce. Yes he had some songs after but I kinda fell off after that. The last album he had that I really loved was Tunnel of Love…after that I wasn’t as much into him…I did get both of these…yes like you said…some good songs but yea….it would have went over better with a double album and cheaper price.

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    1. Those albums had some great songs like Lucky Town, If I Should Fall Behind and more. I was in a house band at a bar when the two albums came out….so some great memories were connected with those two.

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      1. You were right in the wheelhouse with those albums Max. Great stuff. I might listen to them today. Thanks.
        Not familiar with the first cut but it jangles your name. Lots of good music from your vaults.

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      1. Both good in my books. He was jumped on by a lot of people at this time. I didnt get it. The band was tight and because they were enjoying themselves the audience caught the vibe. i remember a few cool moments from that show. I told Max i would be listening to the records today. Didnt get to it but I will in the next couple.

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  10. All great picks. I didn’t know that song by Ride. I actually also bought these two Springsteen albums “Lucky Town” and “Human Touch” at the same time. In my case, it must have been in 1993 since I already was in the US, as an exchange student at the time.

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    1. Yes I bought both of them as well…I liked them and that is where I kinda dropped off…I don’t know why but the last album I really loved by him is Tunnel Of Love…I do like some stuff I’ve heard thought….don’t get me wrong

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      1. I hear you. I think my favorite albums are “Born to Run”, “The River”, “Born In the U.S.A.” and “Tunnel of Love”. I also dig the “Live/1975–85” box set, which really introduced me more broadly to Springsteen beyond “Born In the U.S.A.,” which was my entry point.

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      2. I really liked that live box set…I bought it at a second hand store at the time…on cassette because I listened to it in my car…I loved it. I think The River was mine…I ended up liking his debut most of all for some reason.

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      3. It’s interesting how music journeys can go. I absolutely loved “Born in the U.S.A” when it came out. Eventually, I found my way to “Born to Run”, which I would now consider my favorite.

        I gained appreciation of “The River” leading up to Springsteen’s 2016 “The River Tour”. Ironically, during the gig I caught in New Jersey, he only played two songs from that album: “Hungry Heart” and “Out In the Street”. Anyway, it was a great show!

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      4. I really like the River also. It shows a lot of range…that album touched on a lot of different styles…and you cannot beat the title track! I like the title track and Cadillac Ranch…great songs.

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  11. Not familiar w Ride song. The Bee Girl that introduces the Blind Melon song inspired Pearl Jam’s song, “Bee Girl.” Good tune. With REM you can’t go wrong. With Bruce, I bought Lucky Town and Human Touch at the same time, but just the opposite of you Human Touch is the one that got my ear. I need to give Lucky Town a chance with an opener like this one. Never knew who did The Jayhawks song but remember it fondly.

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    1. I did like Human Touch but the reason Lucky Town hit me more is because it’s a little more raw and edgy….thats just a personal thing with me. ..

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  12. Pingback: Max Picks …songs from 1992 – MobsterTiger

  14. Like most others, I too have never heard of Ride nor this song “Twisterella”, but it fantastic.

    My music tastes in 1992 were pretty limited to pop, easy rock and R&B. With that in mind, here’s my Top 10 for that year, which is heavily-weighted toward female artists:

    1. Constant Craving – k.d. lang
    2. The One – Elton John
    3. Why – Annie Lennox
    4. Just Another Day – Jon Secada
    5. Finally – CeCe Peniston
    6. Save the Best For Last – Vanessa Williams
    7. Can’t Let Go – Mariah Carey
    8. Free Your Mind – En Vogue
    9. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
    10. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

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