The 5 Greatest Albums from the 1990's That You Have Never Heard Of:

I would love to be a "One Hit Wonder" someday. I don't find that as a put down at all. It must be really hard to to have the timing, talent and luck to make a single hit. But this list is specifically about albums where most, if not EVERY Song is really, really good! I bet even Music Nerds would be hard pressed to list bands that have pulled that off. Zeppelin, The Beatles... a few others? Then there are bands people just personally love. This is not a list of my personal favorite performers. This is a short list of what I objectively discovered to be way under rated, unknown or otherwise well worth checking out.   -  Truly there are only two kinds of music - Good and Bad. Maybe you're disappointed in most music coming out today or are just curious? If you never heard these songs, then they are new to you. Enjoy!

Life Sex & Death (LSD) - "The Silent Majority" 
1992 Rhino/Warner Bros

Like a Hard Rock Acid Trip, drenched in Whiskey!  A traditional looking Rock Band except for front man / lead singer Stanley. Word was he was going for a gimmick, but then maybe started living it instead?  He looked (and smelled) like a homeless person. Thick "Coke Bottle Glasses", torn dirty clothing. He looked and sounded like a Mad Man... one that could sing his ass off. The live shows were insane! Shredding guitar, Stanley trying to down an entire bottle of Jack in one chug. (You likely guessed correctly, it came right back up). Fortunately for us, it all translated well to the CD.

The London Quireboys - (now The Quireboys) 
"A Bit of What You Fancy" 1990 EMI

Sounding like an early Rod Stewart with "The Faces" and rocking like... forget about it, just flat out rocking! Even the ballad is great. Throw a "Sex Party" and play this album!

Warren Haynes - "Tales of Ordinary Madness" 1993, Megaforce Records

Haynes is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with The Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule - This Blues Rock Album, does both, Blues and Rocks!

 Pat Benatar - "True Love" 1991 Chrysalis 

While Benatar is well known, this album with combinations of covers and original tracks of Blues and Jump Blues is not. If you hear it, or caught the concert promoting it, you would think she was always a Blues Power Rocker. It seems to be so natural and she rips it up! Includes a great version of "Please Come Home for Christmas"

Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML 1995  Capricorn Records

The first of two CD compilation albums to benefit the organization NORML ( National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). The original and cover songs that appear on the album all have marijuana as the subject matter. Featuring the Black Crowes, Cypress Hill, Blues Traveler, and others. I especially like the track by Gov't. Mule "Don't Step on the Grass Sam" - it's like a freakin' anthem of all that is wrong with Cannabis Prohibition!  - Hempilation Vol. 2 "Free the Weed" 1998 - is almost as good. The track "Play the Greed" by Dar Williams is brilliant!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Temple of the Dog - "Temple of the Dog": 1991 A&M

 Temple of the Dog was started by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been a roommate of Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood died on March 19, 1990. I think this was named due to Woods interest in Dog Shows? (he sung about them on Mother Love Bone albums) The album was recorded in only 15 days, produced by the band themselves. Eddie Vedder provided vocals too. Although earning praise from critics at the time of its release, the album was not widely recognized until 1992, when Vedder, Ament, Gossard, and McCready had their breakthrough with Pearl Jam. They never toured, but I did catch an amazing set at Lollapaloolza at the end of Sound Garden's set. Worth a mention here because I think it is still relatively unknown? And again, many great tracks. "Pushin' Forward Back", "Say Hello 2 Heaven", "Hunger Strike"and more!  They are actually reforming and plan a tour THIS YEAR!

Joan Osbourne - "Relish"  1995  

Blue Gorilla Records/ Mercury

Far from "unknown", this her first studio album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th Grammys. I am only listing this because I suspect it was her single "What if God Was One of Us" that got all the attention. But it's not even the 4th best track. This album is really good and deserves a listen in full!

The Godz (self titled 1st album) "The Godz" 1978 RCA

From 1978, so far off from the category of '90's Albums" but this album was still being rocked in the 1990's and today, from those that know. (fun ass "Biker Rock" at it's best! - get the import w/ bonus tracks) If you lived anyplace near Columbus, Ohio, you know and likely saw this band. They never really went away. Line ups have changed back and forth and they even just released a new album in 2016.  "Gotta Keep a Running" at 7 1/2 minutes could easily be called a Rock Anthem. But it's not the only long rocking song on the album. (When looking for them, dont be confused by the band of the same name out of NYC)

~ "Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." ~ PLATO

My Cannabis Clinical Trial

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 Dateline Oct. 1998:

I was fully in the throws of “Wanderlust”.  I had just returned from backpacking across Europe and was planning my next adventure to Southern Africa.  I needed some cash. Not as much as you might think. I travel cheap. Often cheaper than if I maintained an apartment in L.A.. I book all the Acting gigs I can get, I Tend Bar, I Teach Self Defense classes, I do some Landscaping and play Costume Characters at Kids Birthday Parties. As soon as my bankroll lines up with the latest travel deal, I’m off! To that goal, I am reading “The Trades” officially called the “Hollywood Reporter” and “Variety” magazines. Yes, magazines, it was 1998 (and I still read magazines, btw) These publications listed Acting, Production and other Industry related jobs. They also tended to do something severely lacking today. They actually disclosed the pay and any benefits upfront. I’m not sure how that ever stopped being the norm, but I digress. So I came upon an advertisement for an “Experimental Marijuana Research Project” the pay was $185 for a brief interview followed by a short afternoon commitment. The criteria asked for “adults who smoked Marijuana, who smoked only Cigarettes, who smoked Marijuana and Cigarettes and Non Smokers”.  I had to read it 3 times. That described EVERY adult alive. So I thought, hey, I fit that! I called and got the “job”.

It wasn’t just about the money. I am very curious in general and was specifically curious about the politics of Cannabis Prohibition. Just a couple years earlier I had started looking into the history, constitutionality and politics of the “Drug Wars”.  I worked with renowned activist Jack Herer and became educated and articulate enough about the subject to speak at rallies in support of California’s Proposition 215 aka “The Compassionate Use Act of 1996”, the California law concerning the use of medical cannabis. (It was enacted on November 5, 1996 passing with 55.6% of the votes) So I saw this as an opportunity to interview medical professionals on the subject and get some real life experience from the inside.

The official name of the study was “Study of Pulmonary Effects of Habitual Use of Marijuana”. And it was being conducted at UCLA.

So I show up early, as I do to every appointment. I have no idea how the afternoon’s experiments will be conducted. I’m on an adventure, one that promises to be educational and intoxicating. 

I check in and meet the doctor. It is one on one. He explains that I will have my vitals taken and 25 ml blood sample drawn. I will be asked to smoke a “joint of Marijuana containing approximately 2-4% THC content”. Followed by a “fiberoptic bronchoscopy”. Basically, it means a small ¼ inch flexible tube will be inserted through my mouth and throat into my windpipe and large air passages, to be visualized and have samples of cells and a small amount of tissue collected from a deep portion of my lung. These cells play a crucial role in defending against infection and injury from smoking.

I had a few questions planned to ask, but now I had a more urgent one, regarding “tissue taken from my lung”?!  I was reassured that it was very small and healthy lungs repair themselves, in general.

First I ask if it is true that “all Cannabis samples have to come from the same government location, thereby limiting the variety and potential educational benefits?” - “Yes”.

Next, “Would you recommend Marijuana as a medicine?” – “Absolutely, especially for cancer patients. Unfortunately, I can’t provide it and I am uncomfortable telling people to get it off the streets.”

Finally, I want to know how the current research is going? What, if any, are the harmful effects of smoking grass? He replied “We have not found a single link to cancer or other major issues, BUT smokers are inhaling burnt vegetable matter and that is a concern. And one of the things this study is about.”

I would later learn that while our Government continued to classify Cannabis as a “schedule one” drug, with no medicinal value, they also now hold a Patent on this “worthless” plant.  Prohibition is nothing if not hypocritical!

Next he breaks out, what the paperwork referred to as, “a joint”. I don’t know what I expected. I guess I had not really thought about it but I do remember being a little taken aback by the size and perfection of this experimental “joint”. It was obviously machined rolled and looked just like a perfect cigarette without a filter.  He had me light it up and said he would count my inhales. I asked him what the record was to finish it? He said there really wasn’t a record, but when I finished it in 10, he said “There is now!”

I wasn’t trying to break any record.  I am barrel-chested, healthy, athletic and likely have a slightly bigger than average lung capacity. Mostly, I took big inhales because I wanted to do right by the study.

So now I am undeniably stoned. I guess even low THC, government weed can get a novice wasted. Especially after an entire joint in ten big fast tokes.

I find myself waiting alone in the hallway, longer than expected, with my ass hanging out of a hospital gown, contemplating having a piece of my lung taken out. I am getting a bit uneasy. As I try to calm myself, I glance to the right and notice the warning sign. “Nuclear Medicine”.  This really piled on my paranoia. On top of everything else, I was standing near Nuclear Radiation! I remember being very self aware and finding my emotions and circumstance funny even while I was disturbed. Which fits my personality and dark sense of humor perfectly.

The delay was due to the fact that they had lost my original paperwork. We could not do the procedure without it. I was asked if I was willing to come back and start all over? I paused in contemplation. “Would I be paid twice?” – “Of course.” – Then “Hell yes!”…. Africa here I come!