Jim's Gems: REM, Dre, Neil Young, and the other best albums of 1992

In the third of our series on albums with significant anniversaries, we hit the 30-year mark, as Cork music aficionado Jim Comet picks his 10 favourite records from 1992

Jim Comet: Best albums of 1992. 

By 1992, the musical landscape had again altered dramatically in the 10 years since our previous instalment.

A lot of the 1980s newcomers were now established, while some of the old guards had staged a dramatic and unexpected comeback.

Nirvana released Nevermind in 1991, but rock music’s 30-year dominance was still under threat from the electronic beats emerging from the dancefloors and the rapidly rising popularity of hip hop.

Magic And Loss remains a powerful artist statement.

1. Lou Reed: Magic And Loss

A concept album dealing with the death of two close friends, this is as close as one can get to the perfect Reed album. Think Berlin and Songs For Drella but stripped down to just bass, drums, rhythm and lead guitar which for Lou is the perfect configuration.

It’s a very downbeat pensive record. Titles like Sword Of Damocles, Goodbye Mass and Cremation should indicate that while it’s not a bag of laughs, it remains a powerful artistic statement and one of his finest solo records.

2. REM: Automatic For The People

Imagine following up the album that catapulted you to superstardom with a rather melancholic stripped-down set of songs dealing with breakup, loss and regret. That’s exactly what REM did with this absolute monster of a record.

From the opening track Drive right through to the closing Find The River the listener is taken on a journey that feels almost cathartic by the time the needle leaves the second side. It sounds as fresh today as it did then. As do all their records. It baffles me how history has been unkind to them since their demise, but I still feel the tide will turn.

Many consider Harvest Moon to be Neil Young's best album.

3. Neil Young: Harvest Moon

In 1989 Neil Young defied his critics who had written him off with the album Freedom. He followed it up with Ragged Glory, his finest album with Crazy Horse.

In 1992 he went for the hat trick and reunited with The Stray Gators featuring Ben Keith and Tim Drummond, and also James Taylor, Emmylou Harris and many of the other musicians who appeared on Harvest, and basically recorded a sequel called Harvest Moon.

The album was recorded using analogue equipment to give it a more organic feel and it fits in seamlessly with those early classic albums. Many consider it his best.

4. Sugar: Copper Blue

Most Husker Du fans deep down are either on team Bob or team Grant. I’ve always felt Grant wrote the best songs and his solo records are much more musically interesting. Bob has his moments but it often feels like he’s phoning it in.

This is a moment and probably his best post HD. Signed to Creation records and back in a three-piece band with his strongest set of songs over one record ever he rolls back the years seriously channelling his inner Husker Du.

The Act We Act remains one of the greatest album openers ever. While the album was huge it didn’t last and sadly Sugar dissolved as quickly as they emerged.

The Chronic changed hip hop forever.

5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Henrys Dream

This is a great record. The songs are really strong, and the gospel call and response vocals really work on some of the tracks but the whole thing is ruined by poor production.

David Briggs literally de-seeded the Bad Seeds in favour of a very straightforward rock sound. The guitar is very much upfront as is the Hammond organ while the piano and strings have melted into the background. I saw them tour this and the songs take on a life of their own in a live setting.

They broke a bass string during the SFX show in Dublin and told jokes to the audience while the string was changed. An alternative Mick Harvey-produced version exists … allegedly.

6. Dr Dre: The Chronic

While hip hop exploded in the 1990s it wasn’t always about the music. A serious East vs West coast rivalry occurred which spiralled out of control with tragic consequences for both sides. So East vs West, Bad Boy vs Death Row, Sean vs Suge.

While the New York guys seemed marginally nicer than their west coast rivals it’s a known fact that the devil always has the best tunes, and Death Row had Dr Dre who was the best producer. The Chronic changed hip hop forever. It put G-funk on the world stage and launched the career of Snoop Dogg who features heavily on the record. Still unmatched today.

Psalm 69 was the album that almost didn’t get made.

7. Ministry: Psalm 69

Industrial music was the intelligent cousin of metal and grunge which drew equal influence from punk and electronic music. Ministry emerged from Wax Trax Records in Chicago as the major innovators and nobody did it better. The wall of guitars, double drums, throbbing keyboards and clever use of samples set them apart from their peers.

This album almost didn’t get made because half the band weren’t talking to each other and they ended up spending the entire budget on drugs. They still managed to make their finest record and have a hit single, Jesus Built My Hotrod. Sadly, they became a cartoon parody of themselves after this and lost their edge. The drugs didn’t help.

8. The Prodigy: Experience

There were many different facets to the acid house scene that emerged in the late 1980s. It wasn’t all four to the floor beats. There was an underground breakbeat and techno scene where rave and punk culture was embraced in equal measure. This was the true sound of the streets, the music of the disenchanted as punk had been over a decade earlier.

Illegal raves, mixtapes and pirate radio fuelled this scene as did a complete disdain for authority. The spirit of this scene was captured brilliantly by The Prodigy on their first two albums. Listening now their insight is even more startling. The sound of being truly deranged.

I'm still unsure about Dirty even 30 years on.

9. Therapy?: Pleasure Death

Back in the day Therapy had a great following here in Cork. When they played those early gigs in Sir Henrys, they always stayed at our place and we had a lot of fun. That gig with Babes In Toyland in 1991 has become part of Cork music folklore.

When I was running Comet Records on Washington Street, the first time I ever ordered 25 copies of a new release album was when they released their debut Babyteeth. The second time was when they released the second Pleasure Death.

Both records were deeply influenced by bands like Husker Du and Ministry, and were a breath of fresh air, standing apart from all other Irish bands. Typically, they signed to a major, the music changed and the rest is history.

10. Sonic Youth: Dirty

The follow-up to Goo, which in my opinion, is their best record, this is an album that I’m still unsure about 30 years on. It’s got some great songs, the single Sugar Cane and Lee Ranaldo’s excellent Wish Fulfilment.

It’s a double album but unlike the excellent Daydream Nation it feels like a very long journey over four sides. Maybe a single album wouldn’t be a good idea. The biggest problem is that they sound ordinary on a lot of the songs and Sonic Youth were far from ordinary.

Five that nearly made the list

1. Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 1985 – 1992 

Electronic genius, or the equivalent of listening to the fridge. Depends on one’s taste.

2. Lemonheads: It’s a shame about Ray 

Lacking the energy of the early punk years but a great set of tunes nonetheless.

3. Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy: Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury 

Jello Biafra meets Gil Scott Heron but without the humour. They actually sample the Dead Kennedys on this.

4. Alice In Chains: Dirt 

Not a grunge fan but they had a depth that no other band of that genre had.

5. Manic Street Preachers: Generation Terrorists 

The rebellious image and often ridiculous pronouncements made them an easy target for ridicule, but they could seriously write songs.