1999

03.
Therapy?
Suicide Pact- You First

Strange that I love Therapy? so much and yet their albums do not feature that often in these ‘year’ lists. I think if this had been a top 5 list for each year, they would be in here pretty much every year that they released an album (which is pretty much every year). Shows that they consistently produce real quality, but rarely those albums that quite dominate a year. They are certainly the most durable and consistent band on the planet for me, and as a band, could perhaps claim to be my favourite ever, simply due to accumulation (six albums that I would class as ‘classic’), but each album on its own is never quite enough to challenge those mega albums of any given year.

Anyway, this one makes it into the list for ‘99, and is perhaps my favourite album by this masterful band (though it changes depending on my mood). This is certainly their darkest work. Having had more than a year of label-less legal wrangling in the wilderness, Therapy? returned with this indie effort (their seventh album). It is an album that doesn’t give a fuck whether you like it, buy it, or play it. Radio-unfriendly, spiky and ‘punk’ in a way Green Day could only ever (wet) dream of, the brilliantly titled Suicide Pact – You First is packed full of confrontational and dark rock songs. Tracks like ‘Little Tongues First’ and ‘He’s Not That Kind Of Girl’ slap you about like a rag doll. And yet, amongst this assault is hidden Therapy?’s most beautiful and truthful song ever: the slow and tender look at violence in Northern Ireland that is ‘Six Mile Water.’ All in all a classic album by a truly classic band.

Such a pity then that the next Therapy? album, Shameless, was the worst of their career. Thankfully they have got back on track since.


02.
Incubus
Make Yourself

This album makes it here more on the strength of what it meant to me in 1999 than because of what it means to me now. At that time (my move away from home and the start of University), Incubus were my new musical Gods. They had cool, but also integrity, great rock songs, but with a mix of funky elements and dance music (something I had not then explored and so found very exotic). Ok, so they went and ruined it all a bit with the commercial smash ‘n’ grab of Morning View in 2001, but in the late 90s, Incubus were about as cutting edge as it got for me. I think this album is on a par for me with 1997’s S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Unfortunately for that album, I have stronger albums fighting for places that year, so it doesn’t make that list, whilst Make Yourself pops up here. The funk-thunk opening of ‘Privilege’, the dreamy ‘The Warmth’ (perhaps their best ever track), the sing along ‘Drive’ and the hidden gem of ‘I Miss You’ all go towards making up a fantastic piece of work that they have certainly failed to emulate since. This is a great album that along with S.C.I.E.N.C.E once meant the absolute world to me. Not had the longevity of some albums from the same time, but if I play them, they will always make me smile. A classic of its time.

01.
Foo Fighters
There Is Nothing Left To Lose

My favourite album by Dave’s mob, this hit at just at the right time. I always hated ‘Learn To Fly’ (although I still have to admit it is a great pop song), but every other track here just makes me smile. In the time honoured Foos tradition there is not a single drop of originality to be found anywhere here. Just damn quality rock songs. One after another after another. The Foos most heavily produced work (and this is the Foos), There is Nothing Left to Lose is a lovely, uncomplicated, fun album. Highlights include the brilliant ‘Stacked Actors’ the beautiful ‘Aurora’ and the impossible not to sing along with ‘MIA’. In 1999 I loved it and played it all the time. I still play it now.

“I’m impressed, you’ve got a beautiful chest.”