Kevin Gerych
Staff Writer
The year 1989 proved to be a crossroads for music, generally.
The entirety of the 80s saw an explosion of new acts and continuously evolving genres that dominated a mainstream pop revolution, including those of R.E.M., Husker Du, Beastie Boys and many others who were popularized on college radio before going mainstream.
In this year, many influential albums from the final year of the decade turn 30 years old, and still influence modern acts long after their original debut.
The Replacements—Don’t Tell a Soul
Released February 1989 by Sire/Reprise Records
The Replacements were always a band fraught with severe (and mostly drunken) turmoil and turbulence. By this point, the band consisted of singer, guitarist and songwriter Paul Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson, drummer Chris Mars and guitarist Bob “Slim” Dunlap. In 1989, they released the penultimate “Don’t Tell a Soul,” their seventh album since 1981.
The record marks a stylistic shift away from the loud rough-and-tumble barroom styled rock of their previous output, instead opting for a quieter and mature approach.
Hints of the new style are evident from the first moments of the opening track “Talent Show,” which is showered in lush reverb and acoustic guitar.
Standout tracks include the crookedly tender ballad, “Achin’ to Be,” and the hit single from the album that earned the band an opening slot alongside Tom Petty during his 1989 “Full Moon Fever” tour, entitled “I’ll Be You.”
The Replacements proved to be a fringe band in their initial run, attracting a cult following within college towns such as Ann Arbor. It was not until years later, with help from Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and others that The Replacements became more well known, leading to a reunion, which lasted from 2012-15.
“Don’t Tell a Soul” largely remains a forgotten footnote in the band’s history, and in music history, generally. The record is a rewarding listen, even if it’s a stylistic departure from the days of yore for The ‘Mats.
Bob Mould—Workbook
Released April 1989 by Virgin Records
This album may be remembered for the bright snappy single entitled “See a Little Light,” which recently featured in the ending credits in Netflix’s first season of “13 Reasons Why.” Some readers might think this a little odd, considering that “13 Reasons Why” tackles the dark topic of teen suicide.
Regardless, fresh out of his former band Husker Du, guitarist and vocalist Bob Mould went solo following years of toxic relationships with his former bandmates. Sequestering himself inside an old farmhouse outside of Minneapolis for most of 1988, Mould emerged in 1989 with his debut solo record entitled “Workbook,” which laid the groundwork for successful albums by bands such as R.E.M. and their 1992 hit album “Automatic for the People” and Nirvana in their final release “In Utero.”
The album sports an acoustic, and in some cases melancholy, feel compared to the buzzsaw-like assault of Mould’s prior work in Husker Du.
Instrumental opener “Sunspots” sets the stage for the next 53 minutes. Although hints of Mould’s previous guitar fury remain, such as in one section of “Wishing Well” and “Poison Years,” it is kept much duller. It’s almost a brooding roar.
The remainder of the album “Poison Years,” while a worthy effort, struggles to match the strength of the first half, sometimes losing focus before regaining it. Overall, “Workbook” is a very worthwhile, if at times uneven. It’s a strong debut for Mould, released during a time when his future in music was uncertain.
Rolling Stones—Steel Wheels
Released August 1989 by Rolling Stones/Columbia Records
For all intents and purposes, the Rolling Stones were pretty much dead by 1987. After releasing their critically panned “Dirty Work” record in 1986, tensions drove vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards further away from each other than ever before.
Both spent the majority of 1986-88 working on solo projects, such as Richards’ critically praised “Talk Is Cheap.”
In early 1989 the group reunited after sore egos had been nursed and teamed with the band’s former producer Chris Kimsey (Marillion, Yes, The Cult) to work on a batch of new songs for 1989.
The end product is the “Steel Wheels” album, which was released in mid-summer of 1989 to widespread hype, critical praise and a massive two-year world tour.
The album itself is much of what one would expect from the Rolling Stones; meat-and-potatoes rock-n-roll– with no frills or gloss. The undiluted and unfiltered rock featured on “Steel Wheels” is a triumphant return to the greatness that the Stones once nailed to a science in the 1970s.
Songs like “Mixed Emotions” and “Rock in a Hard Place” is classic Stones. Other tracks such as “Almost Hear You Sigh” (an outtake from Richards’ 1988 solo album “Talk is Cheap”) and “Slipping Away” provide relief from an unrelenting assault of rock-n-roll.
In retrospect, many tracks did not long remain in the Rolling Stones’ repertoire; many were discarded during later tours, occasionally plucked from the depths for a show or two, which is a shame.
“Steel Wheels” remains the criminally underrated black sheep of the Rolling Stones’ catalogue.
King’s X—Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
Released June 1989 by Atlantic/Megaforce Records
The band that Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament once heralded as the band that invented grunge, King’s X released their second album in June 1989 to growing critical acclaim.
The bass leading the opening track “Out of the Silent Planet” sounds familiar, doesn’t it? King’s X’s influence on musicians such as Jeff Ament is evident in songs such as the 1991 hit “Jeremy,” which uses the same type of 12-string bass that King’s X frontman and bassist Doug Pinnick used in many tracks of “Gretchen Goes to Nebraska.”
Perhaps best remembered for its MTV-era hit music videos for the tracks “Over My Head” and “Summerland” (both were directed by former ZZ Top video producer Sam Taylor), this album is an intricate musical tapestry woven tightly together by three guys from different backgrounds.
The vocal harmonies between Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor and drummer Jerry Gaskill are reminiscent of bands like The Beatles. The music itself ranges from bright and soulful on tracks like “Summerland” and the Ty Tabor sung “The Burning Down,” to dark and progressive on tracks like “Pleiades” and “Mission.” The melodies are strong and the grooves are crushing on tracks such as “Fall On Me.”
The only detractor are the religiously tinged lyrics on tracks such as “Send a Message,” a decision which was largely influenced by the band’s producer Sam Taylor, who was active in the Christian music scene after his involvement in ZZ Top.
At the end of the day, King’s X may not be a household name, but their mark was evident on the musical world within years, and continues to resonate today. “Gretchen Goes to Nebraska” is where it began to take off.
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
Released July 1989 by Capitol Records
A band like the Beastie Boys needs no introduction. One of the pioneers in rap and hip-hop music, the Beastie Boys were riding high on a wave of success in ’89, brought about by their 1986 smash hit album “Licensed to Ill.”
By this point, the boys had parted ways with collaborator and producer Rick Rubin and their former record label, Def American Recordings, after being written off as “one-hit wonders” and “frat boy hip-hop.”
The resulting album, which debuted in July 1989, is regarded by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
“Paul’s Boutique” is a departure from “Licensed to Ill” in many ways, and it works to the Beastie Boys’ benefit.
The album is mainly comprised of multiple layers of samples by such diverse sources as Pink Floyd, James Brown, Public Enemy, Paul McCartney, Eagles, The Beatles and others to create an intricate musical mosaic.
Tracks such as “3-Minute Rule” and album opener “To All the Ladies” exhibit more of a psychedelic vibe straight out of a hazy fever dream. Others such as “Shake Your Rump” and “Hey Ladies” exhibit a more whimsical side of the Beastie Boys for which they’re well-known, with a funk-induced flavor.
Overall “Paul’s Boutique” is the Beastie Boys you all know and love; fun, creative and innovative, and highly recommended.
