Aerosmith - Get a Grip

Label: Geffen
Genre: Rock
Year: 1993
Recommended by: Kirsten Turnquist

I've got an issue with Steven Tyler. He's ruined every dance I have ever had in my entire life. "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" was always the last song of every dance I ever went to. The worst part, it's a terrible song. It goes on too long. It makes you think of the movie "Armageddon". No positives.

Get a Grip was Aerosmith's continued run of generic rock hits that made them a lot of money and allowed Tyler to buy more and more scarves for his mic stand. I don't dislike Aerosmith as much as I hate what mainstream rock was in the late eighties and early nineties. I am not huge on Bon Jovi or "Cryin" or "Livin' on the Edge". It was a good time for grunge.

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Label: Virgin
Genre: Alternative Rock
Year: 1993
Recommended by: Ryne Heinrich

The Smashing Pumpkins for a long while have been the rock band of Chicago. It's kind of annoying. Not because I believe they release sub-par music, but mostly because I think their success has led to too much Billy Corgan in my life.

He is a very good song writer, singer, and musician, but not a very entertaining personality. Even with that, "Today" is one of the greatest songs of the 90's. The fact that this album also contains a song that rocks as hard as "Cherub Rock" shows the great variety and range that Billy Corgan features. 

That just means he gets interviewed more though.

The Smoking Popes - Get Fired

Label: Johann's Face
Year: 1993
Genre: Punk Rock
Recommending Person: Alura Henry and Abe Martinez

I have long heard of Smoking Popes, but this is my first true Popes experience. My cousins had long told me of their general greatness, yet I refrained from dipping my toe into the water of the Chicago Punk Rock superstars. Get Fired is amazing. It may be the favorite album I have listened to so far this year. It still may only be a result of listening to it fresh without any nostalgia and the record refusing to allow me zone out at any single point. 

It also sent me further into their catalog where I listened to them cover "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. Which while it shouldn't be the number one listened song on Google Play by the Smoking Popes was still very enjoyable.