Landmark Albums: 1992

Second in a series of influential albums. 

(in no particular order other than the order I'm playing them on the radio)

Alice in Chains - Dirt

[All the kids love Alice in Chains, right?]

"This record has been recognized for its extraordinarily gritty and realistic representation of the suffering caused by heroin addiction... which may have something to do with the fact it was written and recorded while Staley was suffering from an extraordinarily gritty and realistic case of heroin addiction." --Cracked.com

 

 Nirvana - Incesticide

[yeah, it's a B-sides collection, but it's hard to overstate Nirvana's impact on alternative and indie music]

 Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion

[Remember that year when everyone knew the words to "Nearly Lost You"? Yeah, that was weird. Might have also been thanks to the Singles Soundtrack. That one was great, too.]

 

 

 R.E.M. - Automatic for the People

[R.E.M. once stated that putting out a quiet, acoustic album in 1992 was the most punk thing they could do. Then, they returned in 1994 with a 1992-flavored album...]

Catherine Wheel - Ferment

[Ahh-- the beautiful noise. MBV meets sugar-pop. A template for perfection]

The Cure - Wish

[Following up Disintegration, Robert Smith sounds happier, but not a bit less perfect.]

Some Velvet Sidewalk - Avalanche

[Ahh-- finally getting to the true indie on this list. Al Larsen makes an alternate-universe pop record about Cats, Frogs, breakups, and the Loch Ness Monster]


Guilty Pleasure / Special Mention: They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18

[TMBG at the peak of their powers. Humor, songcraft, and... fingertips....]

Seam - Headsparks

[Seam set the template for a decade. For a while, every band was trying to sound like Seam, and that's not a bad thing]

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted

[Again, torchbearers for '90s indie rock. This is the fount from which it all flows.]