Max Picks … Songs From 1993

1993

It took me a while to find all of these but I’m very happy with this list for 1993. We only have 2 more to go until 1995 and the end.

Tom Petty – Mary Jane’s Last Dance

I like the rawness of the song and the lyrics are fun. Tom was making his second solo album Wildflowers but the record company wanted a couple of tracks to go on the greatest hits album. Mary Jane’s Last Dance is one of  Tom’s most successful songs. This would be the last song Stan Lynch played drums on for the Heartbreakers.

To tell you the truth…I always thought the title was Last Dance of Mary Jane.

Petty made some strange videos, and this was no exception. Tom plays a mortician who takes home a corpse played by Kim Basinger. When he gets her home, he puts her in a wedding dress and dances with her. Then he puts her in a pickup truck and throws her into the ocean, and she opens her eyes as she sinks. It won Best Male Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Counting Crows – Mr. Jones

In 1993 I was living at my studio apartment. I woke up one morning and heard this song coming from my radio. I immediately thought it was a new Van Morrison song. I was all excited and I loved the track. Earlier that week I had been at band practice and everyone was saying how a band called The Counting Crows was good but they were being hyped. I wasn’t reading Rolling Stone at this point so I had no clue. I later found out this was them and I liked what I heard.

The band was really good though and the lead singer Adam Duritz, could write and sing well. They were big for a few years and then faded.

Lenny Kravitz – Are You Going My Way

Love the guitar riff, the vibe, and the artist. To my surprise, this was not released as a single in the US, but in 1995 a live version was used as the B-side of Kravitz’ “Rock And Roll Is Dead” single.

I first learned of Lenny Kravitz in 1989 with Let Love Rule which is probably my favorite song by him. I like this one because it’s aggressive and right in your face.  The song was released in 1993.

The song is about Jesus Christ, whom Lenny referred to as “the ultimate rock star.” It’s about how God gives choice to man about where to turn.

Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do

I was an instant fan when I first heard Sheryl Crow. During the nineties, there were many pop-oriented females that I listened to (Sarah Mclaughlin is one)…and ones that I didn’t at all (her last name rhymes with “tears” “beers” “fears”) but Sheryl was different. She was more in the rock and roll genre. I saw her open up for the Rolling Stones at Vanderbilt’s Stadium and she sounded great.

I have always liked her lyrics…she has fun with them and always kept them interesting.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Over The Rainbow /  What A Wonderful World

We all know this song from The Wizard of Oz but this is a great version in its own right. I first heard this song in Life On Mars and will never forget it. Israel (IZ) fits “What a Wonderful World” in this and it is fantastic.

Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole recorded this in a medley with “What a Wonderful World” for his 1993 album Facing Forward. This version was used in the films Finding Forrester, Meet Joe Black, Life on Mars and 50 First Dates as well as on the television show ER.