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.

Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming

Label: RCA
Genre: Rock
Year: 1994
Recommended by: Sarah Sherry

While some people in the US may be celebrating a cult holiday, I am listening to the one the only DMB!

The guy who once dumped his crap into the Chicago River. Only there were people there. Ooops Dave.

This album is actually pretty strong. I always hear these songs as album tracks are so much better than whatever live version that people always play. "Satellite" is actually a very good song when it doesn't go on for fourteen minutes and Dave Matthews sounds like he knows the words.

Velvet Underground - Loaded

Label: Atlantic
Genre: Rock
Year: 1970
Recommended by: Ralph Brendler

Lou Reed has become a Rock N Roll god. He was the impetus to the fun book The Advanced Genius Theory. Basically, it states that once a person has demonstrated brilliance enough, that future work that seems awful, is actually art that is beyond the traditional capability of acceptance by it's audience. It's a fun read and great exercise in general to practice with some all time great artists.

The Velvet Underground was never a commercial success, but were a critical success. For this album Atlantic wanted it "Loaded with hits". Coincidentally, this was the last album Lou Reed would record with the Velvet Underground.

This is a great record. I can't say anything that hasn't been said by better writers and more well rounded people.

Trip Shakespeare - Lulu

Label: A&M
Year: 1991
Genre: Rock
Recommending Person: Melissa, AKA My Sister

This 90s album, that wishes so much to be a band that played at Woodstock or open for the Grateful Dead, shows how many times that current bands take from their inspiration a little too closely to heart.

Unfortunately, Lulu never really caught on as a big seller during the 90s. It came out when Grunge was turning the business on it's head. It was way to poppy, happy, and melodic to succeed in a time when the biggest band in the world had a singer that no one could totally understand. Nirvana's Nevermind just changed the decade and Lulu would never become popular.

The record industry, through no work of their own, now has enough niches that Lulu would easily become a hit today and would be one of the top albums of the year. However, in 1991 you had to be over the top pop or grunge. Lulu was neither and failed because of it.

Every song seems familiar, as if it was in every movie from the early 90s, but has it's own spin. The biggest issue I have about the record is that for no reason what so ever the final track is two and a half minutes of crickets chirping. Now they title it correctly, but I really was waiting for something else. I guess they win.