Nostalgia is a funny thing. On the one hand, it can lead to pleasant thoughts of days gone by as you reminisce on the music and memories that you loved back in the day. On the other, you can realise you’ve glorified something in your head, and it’s nowhere as good as you remembered it.
Luckily though, there are same bands that are immune to this phenomenon, with their music not only standing the test of time, but sounding better than ever.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive some of those iconic bands from the ‘90s who, like a fine wine, have only gotten better with age.
Live
US rockers Live are getting ready for the first Aussie tour with their original lineup in over a decade, and remain as influential as ever, having helped to shape not only the rock music of the ’90s, but the years that followed.
From their debut album Mental Jewelry in 1992, to the legendary Throwing Copper in 1994, Live were one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the time. Thanks to hits such as ‘I Alone’, ‘All Over You’, and ‘Lightning Crashes’, Live’s Throwing Copper was an international smash, selling millions of copies, and peaking at the top of the Aussie charts. Things only got better from there, with hits like ‘Lakini’s Juice’, and ‘The Dolphin’s Cry’ gaining considerable airplay on Aussie radio as the decade progressed.
When the ‘00s rolled around, Live just kept on churning out the hits, with albums such as Birds Of Pray, and Songs From Black Mountain cementing them as one of the greatest rock bands going around. While lead singer Ed Kowalczyk left the group in 2009, recording a solo album in the interim, but has since rejoined the group. With the group’s original lineup back together, and an Aussie tour announced, you know that Live are undoubtedly going to reclaim their crown as one of the most important alternative rock groups of the ‘90s.
Radiohead
Radiohead started as just a bunch of regular, unassuming students from England, with nothing inherently special about them. When they released their debut record, Pablo Honey, in 1992, no one, not even the band, realised just how big their lead single ‘Creep’ would be. Of course, it ended up becoming one of the defining singles of the ‘90s, much to the band’s disappointment. The group purposely tried to move away from their grungy beginnings with their follow-up record The Bends, before progressing even further with the legendary art-rock album OK Computer.
Radiohead then turned alternative rock on its head with the release of their records Kid A and Amnesiac, proving that rock had room to evolve with the introduction of electronic elements and eclectic production. As the years have progressed, so have Radiohead, giving the group the confidence to go out and explore unique time signatures, and experimental song writing with every release. With last year’s A Moon Shaped Pool, their ninth studio effort, the group proved that even three decades after they got together as jamming schoolmates, they only get better as time goes by.
Foo Fighters
When Nirvana came to an abrupt end in 1994, fans the world over believed that they had probably seen the last of the remaining members of the group. After all, how can you make a successful comeback after being in one of the world’s biggest and most influential bands? Well, drummer Dave Grohl took a chance on recording some of his solo work, naming his new project the Foo Fighters, so as to remove any previous association with Nirvana. The project’s debut record was an unexpected success, allowing Dave Grohl’s to expand the project into a full band.
Since then, the group have released seven albums, with an eighth on the way this year, and are regarded as one of the world’s biggest rock bands. With an abundance of hit singles that are now considered classics of the genre, Dave Grohl and co. have undoubtedly managed to become musical legends, but have also managed to find the time and inspiration to improve with every album and track that they release.
Nine Inch Nails
Like the Foo Fighters after them, Nine Inch Nails started as a one-man project for Trent Reznor. After the unexpected success of his debut record Pretty Hate Machine, Reznor continued his project, using his music to as a way to cope with the hard times he was facing in his personal life. When Nine Inch Nails released the stark The Downward Spiral in 1994, fans thought the group couldn’t possibly get any bigger, but they were wrong.
Since then, Nine Inch Nails have released six further albums, and two EPs, each one being bigger than the one before. Now, after a couple of years off from music and touring, Trent Reznor is back on the live scene, and has begun releasing new Nine Inch Nails music again. Will these new releases from the group be just as good as the previous material? Given Reznor’s track record, we’re inclined to say yes.
Blink-182
When Blink-182 formed 25 years ago, few figured that the band would become one of the biggest pop-punk bands in the world. After a rather muted reception to their debut record, the group kept trying until they hit the big-time with 1999’s Enema Of The State. With a slew of hit singles, the group capitalised on this success by releasing Take Off Your Pants And Jacket in 2001, and a self-titled record in 2003. Each record saw the group gain more and more fame, but internal tensions caused them to split in 2005.
Four years later, Blink-182 returned and started writing their comeback record Neighbourhoods. With the best chart success they’d had in years, the group were in fine form. However, founding member Tom DeLonge soon left the band, only to be replaced by Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba. Whether it was the addition of fresh blood, or just newfound inspiration, Blink-182’s most recent record, 2016’s California, ended up being their biggest chart success since their formation. It just goes to show that you never know what to expect from a group of punks.
Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens Of The Stone age formed in the ashes of stoner-rock legends Kyuss. When Josh Homme decided to go it alone and start his own band, he recruited a bunch of friends and musical contemporaries to help flesh out the band. The group’s self-titled debut became an underground classic, filled with brilliant songs, including ‘Regular John’, which still makes an occasional appearance in setlists today.
As the group went on, they produced hit after hit, and classic album after classic album. With Rated R, Songs For The Deaf, and Lullabies To Paralyze often cited as some of the best rock albums ever, Queens Of The Stone Age have an amazing track record. Now, with hype building for their upcoming seventh record, we’re certain that QOTSA are going to deliver an astounding record that will continue to maintain their legacy as phenomenal musicians.
Beck
You could very easily be forgiven for thinking that Beck peaked in the mid-’90s; after all, Odelay was an astounding album that is pretty hard to top. With a prodigious grasp on a vast array of instruments, combined with sampling, and DJ techniques, Beck was able to revolutionise alternative rock in the ’90s, effectively finding a way to capture the sound of a thousand different records at once in the span of a single track.
But Beck didn’t stop there, after his next couple of albums performed less favourably than expected, he kicked back into gear with the introspective Sea Change, followed by the indescribably brilliant Guero. Beck was back at the top of the charts, gaining praise for albums such as The Information and Modern Guilt. When he released 2014’s Morning Phase, Beck shocked everyone by managing to win the Grammy award for Album of the Year – much to the dismay of Beyoncé’s fans.
Deftones
Unless you were big into the alternative metal scene in the late ’90s and early ’00s, you could be forgiven for overlooking the Deftones in recent years. After bursting onto the scene with the success of their second record Around The Fur, the Deftones solidified their success with the brilliant White Pony, which saw them reach #2 on the Aussie charts.
The group continued to pump out accomplished albums that still featured their famed alternative-metal sound, but combined with a level of intellect and emotion not seen in other bands of the genre. With the release of last year’s Gore, the group proved they’re still years away from giving up the game. As those who saw them on their brilliant tour with Karnivool last year could attest too, the Deftones are only getting better with time.
Tool
Despite the fact they haven’t released an album in well over a decade, Tool have managed to remain one of the most famous bands of the metal scene. From their early days with Undertow at the start of the ’90s, to the massive success of 1996’s Ænima, most fans would have assumed that Tool couldn’t top the success that they had already gained.
When 2001’s Lateralus was released, it showed Tool were using their extended breaks to ensure their albums were beyond perfect. Another five years passed before we were gifted with 10,000 Days, which was undoubtedly Tool’s highest-charting studio effort to date. Now, eleven years later, and with three tours of our country completed in the meantime, we’re still waiting for that new Tool album so that we can prove that Tool are another group who just keep on getting better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUXBCdt5IPg
Sleater-Kinney
It’s quite amazing to think that an immensely influential group such as Sleater-Kinney actually recorded their very first record in Melbourne of all places, but we’ll gladly take credit for kickstarting the career of one of modern punk rock’s best. After slowly establishing themselves as one of the most underrated rock outfits of the ’90s, and with seven brilliant albums under their belts, Sleater-Kinney called it a day in 2006, much to the dismay of countless fans.
Thankfully, the girls saw the light in 2014 and got back together. Their first record of their reunion, 2015’s No Cities To Love, was released to massive critical acclaim, appearing on several ‘best of the year’ lists, and being the basis of an intense touring schedule which saw the group hit up Aussie shores for a series of unmissable shows. While we can’t say for certain if their reunion will continue indefinitely, but if it keeps providing albums such as No Cities To Love, we hope it lasts for a lifetime.
Don’t miss Live as they bring their original lineup to Australia for the first time in over a decade, joined by Lifehouse and The Calling.
Live Australian tour 2017
Presented by Triple M, KOFM and Unbreakable Touring
With special guests Lifehouse & The Calling
November 15: The Riverstage, Brisbane QLD
November 17: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC
November 18: Roche Estate, Hunter Valley NSW
