Transcript
Speaker: ah Welcome back, listeners. This is Josh, and this is That TV Sound, the music podcast of about a Gen X generation and the stuff that we loved to listen to. I'm joined here today with Tyler. Hello, hello.
Speaker: And we are going to talk 1990. What? I know, right? I had to sit and scroll through my phone to try to figure out what happened 1990. I wasn't yet. Yes, you were. You're Gen X. You were definitely born. was 21. Oh, yeah, because we were like young adults in the yeah the at the end of the 80s. Yes. Well, was. Yeah, 1990 was just kind of a weird year.
Speaker: I didn't like it because the recession was looming. Was it looming? Changes were coming. Yeah, I didn't care for it. No. Change sucks. Yes. Yes. but Bad change. Bad change sucks. ah So where were you? What were you doing in 1990? Oh, I don't want to talk about it. Sorry.
Speaker: I guess it doesn't work here, does it? No. that's Talking is what we do. I was employed, which is good. Trying to get into Ryerson. And i had just come back from trying to make some life changes that didn't work.
Speaker: And as I say, the recession was coming and recessions scare me. you know like any Any kind of economic uncertainty just terrifies me. so You know, it was a weird year.
Speaker: I think I got my Laserdisc player that year, though. Okay, good. Speaking of disposable income. But things are looking up. And I got that Space Ghost Laserdisc for $100. Oh, my God. What a bargain. What recession. Anyway. Exactly. Well, no, you got it before the recession. So it was all good. Yeah.
Speaker: All right. Let's kick it off with 1990.
Speaker: You're listening to That TV Sound with your host, Josh Downing, a Gen X for Life podcast.
Speaker: I guess that means I have to come back and talk now. Yes. Amen, Joshua. So i I keep this sort of life log where I've...
Speaker: Mark down a year and i kind of say, where was I living? who were some people in my life? um what what What job was I working at? And I was just looking at my 1990 and there's almost nothing. oh my gosh. There's so nothing.
Speaker: yeah i Yeah. So in 1990, I was 24. So as I was saying, like adulting already. Yep. Right.
Speaker: Had to have my own job. i guess I moved out of my parents' home when I was 19. So I'd been out for a while, but I went to college, moved to Toronto, moved back to Vancouver Tried Toronto again, moved back to Vancouver.
Speaker: So at this time I was in Vancouver. i had just changed careers. So I went from being a restaurant manager to a manager of the clothing chain Club Monaco.
Speaker: and that was fairly important for me. Well, sure. And it's successful company, you know, money behind it And it was really cool. It was a nice change to get out of, you know, being a bar manager, which I i loved. had a great time.
Speaker: um Did way too much drinking, but... But you're 24 now. Come on. It's time to settle down 24. Yeah.
Speaker: I was living in New Westminster in a two-bedroom penthouse. For $80 a month. I wish it was $80. It was actually $350, I think. Oh, gosh. Wow. No. Isn't that crazy? Well, penthouse.
Speaker: Yeah, it was a penthouse on a little, ah like a three-story. And then it was just an apartment on top of the building. And so ah my my patio deck was out on the roof of...
Speaker: of the people below me. So it was pretty cool. i had a view of like, you know, the river in a New Westminster, because they're up on the hill and you can see the bridge. It's pretty cool. Is that building still there?
Speaker: ah no I think I've driven through that neighborhood a few times and it's, there's as a similar kind of building in the area, but a lot of those buildings were so old that they just, they came down and people just put other things up there that were going last a little longer.
Speaker: but Yeah, I think I was at the, you know what, I'm i'm starting my life now.
Speaker: So I wasn't listening to as much music. I was spending my money on clothes. Yeah, yeah. Right? Well, at 24, you've outgrown music. There's no need for music anymore.
Speaker: I never did, though. That's a weird thing. And I don't know how, because how did i how did I drag my record collection back and forth with me across the country so many times? Oh, did you actually do that?
Speaker: Yeah, i really did. Well, that would have been priority, so you did it. I did. i did. i wasn't without my my record collection, that's for sure. Yeah. I mean, you could have taped everything, I guess, but... i I taped a lot. Yeah. But did di that was... No, I still i still had my my my vinyl record collection with me.
Speaker: When I moved to Vancouver, i taped all my vinyl so that I could at least have that with me. Oh, that's good. You know, Yeah.
Speaker: ah yeah When I first, first time I went to Toronto, i probably didn't take all of my records. I probably took a few, but I also know that the the person that I was staying with had a record player. So I was very lucky. Plus I was always playing their records as well. Cause I'm like, Oh cool.
Speaker: Yeah. Records. But yeah. You're pretty much guaranteed. Anybody would have a record player in their house. Right. And they did. Everybody did. Totally. So, and where were you in 1990?
Speaker: ah
Speaker: yeah not ah Yeah. What color was your hair? Oh, yeah. Oh, my beautiful big hair. How I miss it. um Yeah, I was still in the music industry and like I said, waiting for Ryerson to... get back to me and it was just a bit of an on hold year which you know didn't sit well with me you know i can't just sit and wait for change you know what i mean so it's it's an okay year like you know i was 20 21 and like that's so young right yeah but it doesn't matter when you're living it you know you're terrified of
Speaker: wasting any time or or you know what should i be doing instead of what i'm doing right now and you know what am i going to be when i grow up and you know all that all those pressures they're immense right and that's never going to change for anybody under 30 you know but uh yeah not not a great year when i think back of it and like i said you know the economy was kind of crappy so just that kind of paints it for me when i think about it you know Yeah, I totally get that. it's ah I mean, I guess, you know, as as young adults too, we had to we had to have our priorities and, you know, we had to be careful where money was spent. i don't remember seeing any live shows in that time in my life. Oh, 1990. Yeah, right?
Speaker: i
Speaker: Hmm. I think I saw The Creatures. Mm-hmm. I think I saw Sinead O'Connor.
Speaker: I don't think I saw anybody else
Speaker: uh let's see you were you were also in toronto where yeah hands would have played whereas i was in vancouver where you know i know a lot of bands didn't stop right right but yeah that wasn't it wasn't a great year like 1989 i can talk about forever like that year kicked ass for me musically so much going on just a incredible year and in 1990 it almost seems like there's that awkward change of a new decade and everybody's kind of standing around going am I supposed to change what I'm doing am I supposed to change the sound of what I'm recording you know what i mean like it's just that awkward sort of change you know and I think it was it was there in music you know people people wanted to dance music right like everybody wanted Technotronic and
Speaker: You know, it was just dance music was here. Everything else didn't matter anymore. And, you know, if you like somebody and they were trying to cash in on that, it was like, ouch, please don't, you know?
Speaker: But yeah, like just that, all those huge dance records were massive that year, you know? Like Delight. Oh, yeah.
Speaker: See, that's funny because I'll forget about a band like that because I didn't buy... Delight's album. But I loved listening to it. Yeah. I don't i only know their singles, I guess. Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know. World Clicke, I think it was called. i yeah Yeah, that sounds right. Yeah.
Speaker: That's when nothing was on record anymore in Canada. Yes. You know, it was mostly. I mean, there was some vinyl, but for the most part, it was really just CD and cassette, you know which I was OK with um because I was a CD person.
Speaker: you know, for a long time at that point, but there was no more like lavish, beautiful vinyl anymore. It wasn't 89, but ninety title eightfolds yeah but ninety sort you know it just felt a little scaled back Yeah, it really was.
Speaker: It's so funny because um I was recently cataloging all of the vinyl cassettes and CDs that I have. And you could definitely see the switch where I was slowly buying things on cassette.
Speaker: And then I stopped buying vinyl altogether and then it turned into cassette and then started turning into CDs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Vinyl was pretty, pretty dry.
Speaker: Here anyway. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, we we just figured that was it. It was done. We wouldn't see it come back again either. Well, at least was cheaper back then. Holy crap.
Speaker: Yeah, everything's like $40 now. Oh my gosh, I just like i don't understand that. I mean, I do, but I just think, like, how how can anybody afford to be a vinyl collector today?
Speaker: you know, like it's tough. It is. It's really expensive. Oh, crazy. And the additions are so much more beautiful now. And it's like, you know, they're works of art, but it comes with a price, you know? Yeah, it sure does.
Speaker: Okay. So let's talk music. Okay. Who was your song or your artist? 1990. I think. Okay. So again, maybe there's a tie here.
Speaker: um My favorite single was probably Bikini Girls with Machine Guns by The Cramps. just like it's it's yeah It's so much more of a ah an earlier sound for them than like a 1990 record.
Speaker: didn't matter. I worshipped it, loved it, loved the video, loved everything about it. Oh, they were at the concert hall. I saw them. Okay. Okay. There you go. Yeah. life show Yeah. um And Catterwall with Mana and Quail was one of those life-changing records, you know, where it's just like the world has to stop while I listen to this.
Speaker: And it's taken
Speaker: maybe 30 years just to sort of have a little bit of that polish fade. you know what i mean? If that's the right word. where I'm not like, this record is so important, I have to stop everything I'm doing. But it was one of those singles where it was just like, this gets my full attention for the next three and a half minutes, because everything about it is blowing my mind. And when clubs would play it, and they would, because it was pretty heavy rock sound, it to hear it at that volume that you can't listen to at home was just
Speaker: pure bliss. Like, you know what I mean? So like, it was a good year for clubbing, I think, because there was a lot of that rock being played a lot of, you know, uh, red hot chili peppers, you know, and you sound garden. And then they would bring in a little bit of funk, you know, a little bit of rap, you know what I mean? And it was, it was still a really good time to go dancing, you know? So i really appreciate, you know,
Speaker: that time was still really good. um Yeah. um Like a lot of my favorite bands were putting out new stuff, but you could tell they weren't sure what era they were in anymore. Yes. Goodbye Mr. McKenzie were back. The Blow Monkeys were back. ABC were back. Darling Buds were back.
Speaker: Banana Ramma were back. Sampling Sympathy for the Devil, which was a fantastic single. So it was like, well, good for you. They actually, to be honest, even without Siobhan, that album, that 1990 album is phenomenal. But anyway, Human League were back.
Speaker: And I remember thinking at the time, I'm like, oh, God, guys, this sounds not great but in hindsight the singles were actually fine off that album that's part like a wheel and soundtrack for a generation you know the romantic album like it's actually fine but it was just so dated like not retro just dated that it was kind of like yeah of course you have my support and my money as always forever But it was just sort of like, these are bands that are just kind of like not current sounding anymore. And it's like, my taste isn't changing, but I don't like what you're doing. you know That was a little tough. OK, Lenny Kravitz yeah was on the scene suddenly. And that was something new and exciting. you know Even though he was retro, It was just fresh and perfect timing. you know what I mean? And it was so welcomed. Like, I remember when I got the advance of that album and I was like, I'm sorry, who is this this? is an incredible album. You know, never dreaming he'd get a little hokey and a little big, but, you know, didn't matter. That was a great year for him.
Speaker: um Revolting Cox, Mark Allman, they all had good singles that year. you know I was trying to think of like movies, and it was like it's pretty slim. There was that Jetsons movie with Tiffany, Darkman,
Speaker: But we got Crybaby we got Spirit of 76, which you know I love, which was yeah still an amazing time to make fun of the 70s before the 70s was cool again. Totally. oh So again it's an okay year.
Speaker: You know, it's okay. It's okay. It's just it's not like... I don't know. Like I could dive deep into all of that. I've just quickly run through, you know what i mean? With all kinds of feelings and and observations, but you know, overall it's a quiet year. It's definitely a year of change and it was a dance year and that's what everybody was listening listening to. That's what everybody turned to, you know?
Speaker: Was that Milli Vanilli? No, that was 89. But they probably still had singles. you know what I mean? like it was It was snap. It was all massive dance acts you know that were coming on strong.
Speaker: And it's so funny because um I kind of went through the same thing with with music where I was like, yeah, your 1989 album doesn't really feel great, didn't have a great sound. So a lot of the artists that I was listening to were slowing down. They were they were not putting out as much stuff or they were putting out um you know greatest hits albums or things that were just really sort of generically pop.
Speaker: Nothing really exciting. So when I got to 1990, think my my whole listening genre was was probably that sort of atmospheric, um you know,
Speaker: ah instrumental kind of sounds and things like Enigma and and Mark Asham and the work that, uh, that the, the, the ex Japan group were doing when they did rain tree crow, which is 1990. Yeah. yeah So stuff was very moody and very atmospheric for me you in in the nineties, the early nineties. Yeah. Enigma were massive. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Huge. I remember you had Soho and I was like, oh that's so cool you like soho Yeah, so, I mean, my my tastes had changed.
Speaker: i I wasn't, I don't think I was out clubbing very much at this point. Probably just because I was trying to be, you know, a responsible adult. and What? Right. right Trying to grandpa fit in with the Club Monaco crowd. Yeah.
Speaker: After leaving the the bar hopping, you know, restaurant crowd, things just say we're were calmer and quieter for me. Yeah. So it was, ah I think that there was less music, but I think I was more particular about the kinds of sounds that I was listening to. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: And I could see that when I when i kind of looked forward into you know the rest of the early 90s. was seeing that same kind of thing for a while until till we got to mid-90s and then everything changed again.
Speaker: Yeah, like I was talking about like years that were really good in music. 94 is really good for me. 93 is pretty good, but 94 is really good. So there's just you know it comes and it goes. It's just that when it's not happening for you at a certain time,
Speaker: it's like, well, if there's no soundtrack to my life at this moment, then what am I living? You know, not get too heavy, but you know, it no it's true. You know, yeah I've always thought of of that too. Like the music that I have in my life at a time period is my soundtrack.
Speaker: And I think at that point, my soundtrack was very quiet and gentle and, and instrumental because I think that's where I needed to be at that point in my life. sure I needed to, to be a little bit more grounded.
Speaker: So, My favorite album, as I just said, was Raintree Crow by Raintree Crow, which was basically Japan um putting down their their their battles and deciding to do an album. And it was very much a ah David Silvian-led um album journey that was very experimental, incredibly beautiful sound.
Speaker: um you know david was at his his peak the rest of the band were just they they worked so well together on this incredible album and then that was it then they just went yep can't do this again and walked away so it's a very special piece of music and because japan had already dissolved this at this album to me was was really important because i was like japan was such a huge band for me in the 80s that i was like i'm so glad that i've got something to listen to from them and it was just it fit it fit with where i was with my life too perfect yeah but the other end of that spectrum was that was also the year of violator from depeche mode
Speaker: ver huge massive yeah yeah huge i loved that album it was enormously amazing um and it's funny because i was trying to figure out like did they tour and i'm like yes they did they hit vancouver that was a massive worldwide tour for them And I did. I saw them. I saw them at ah Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver in 1990.
Speaker: So what were the other singles? like There was Personal Jesus. What else was there? Hang on. I'll find it. because the I remember all the sleeves. like There was the yellow sleeve with like the purple flower on it.
Speaker: I can't think of what single that was. think the blue and white one was Jesus. Yeah, i I don't remember the... It was World in My Eyes. Oh, yeah. so so that's That's big, yeah. yeah Personal Jesus, Halo, Enjoy the Silence, another huge one. okay Policy of Truth. Oh, huge, yeah. so Blue Dress.
Speaker: like it's It's a beautiful album. Absolutely beautiful album. And it was just, it was great. It was also one of those things too, where I was a little nervous to see them live. Cause I was like, at that point, i they were still like, you know, my little Depeche Mode band that I saw in 84.
Speaker: They were just huge. I mean, Pacific Coliseum huge. Yeah. And it's always, it's always tough to see, you know, your little band suddenly just explode and be this huge thing. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. Yeah, i I was never good with that. I know, right? like, well, I want you to come back and play, you know, play the club around the corner. Yeah, please. yeah yeah And that'll never happen again. no, that's not true, because, I mean, look at what what you know happened to Gary Newman.
Speaker: Well, we've seen a lot of people in small clubs now come back, right? Yeah, and he started off stadium. Yeah. you know, I missed his his Vancouver tour in 79, but...
Speaker: i So I never saw him stadium. I only saw him in in small clubs, which has been amazing. And i bor I'm so lucky for that. yeah And even when I saw David Silvian on his two shows, he did the opera house.
Speaker: I know he did the Danforth. Yeah. One was, one was, uh, was the Danforth and the other was the opera house. Opera house. Well, that's cool. Yeah. I love the opera house. You know, i haven't been there in so long. no neither have I. like I think the last show I saw there was Aquabats. Yeah.
Speaker: like it Like, I literally don't remember the last time. i like i really don't remember the last time I was there. Whereas before it was like, I'm there every week, you know? Yeah. It used to be, it used to be everybody was at the opera house and then everybody suddenly started going to the Danforth.
Speaker: Yeah. Which is fine. it was when they were all going to that other place that I hated. What's what's that one down by the lake? uh that was the docks yeah the red docks anyway i can't remember what called that place yeah it was the docks after it was that other place but yeah no it was not a great place yeah yeah anyway that's we saw the specials there right because we sat upstairs
Speaker: Yes, that's right. That's right. And and your your listeners might not know this, but Josh and I were fighting at that time. Oh, were we fighting? Yes. Oh my goodness, I do not remember. So we had tickets and it was like, well, I'm going to see them there. So here we go. oh
Speaker: Damn this memory of mine. That's so funny. That was a tough show because that was the first time they were back in a long time before they were like here all the time again. And it was very emotional. you know like there's you know There's people who I've shared Terry Hall with who aren't here anymore. And you know i remember standing there just crying through the songs because there's people that should be there and they're not there.
Speaker: you know just it like Music is... it's everything yeah right but the funny thing about that show is i don't normally buy t-shirts but i bought a shirt for that show and the next day i was out i got stopped everywhere like everywhere because it was a huge deal right they hadn't played it play so long you know and i certainly didn't think they were going be back like five more times you know but it was just the world wanted to know how that show was you know which was really cool you know but anyway no that is awesome
Speaker: I'm forgetting the topic is 1990. Yes. Yes. We keep getting off topic. That's okay. Like that's what music does. It's important. Oh gosh. In our lives. Yeah. And, uh, like we said, like 1990 was not a was not a sort of a mind blowing year for music.
Speaker: No, if you were into hip hop and dance, then, you know, big things were coming, you know, yeah otherwise, you know, you were getting kind of lost in the shuffle there.
Speaker: Yeah, totally. um And did you see anybody else live in ninety Anybody else? Yeah. What talk about? you saw. Oh, the creatures. creatures. Sinead O'Connor, the cramps. I don't remember if I saw Stiletto Fetish. I might have.
Speaker: um We didn't talk about Apollo Smile. She got her track out that year on the Days of Thunder soundtrack. I think, yeah, I've got Apollo Smile on my on my list. Yeah, yeah. so I forgot about that.
Speaker: um But yeah, that was it. There wasn't a lot happening. you know um I loved the French band Niagara. I'm sure I'm butchering that. No, I think they're from Niagara Falls. And yeah, I can't really think of anything. Nothing like worth noting beyond what we've already said.
Speaker: Yeah. any Funny year, you know. Yeah. Because when i when I kind of look at the stuff that I was buying as well, like when I was still buying a little bit of music, bought music at 89 and I bought music in 91.
Speaker: things were these There's years, right? Yeah. Right. The weird thing about 1992. as well as 1992, but I'll say it 1990 as well, um is that the limiteds weren't really happening. All those exclusives that I loved collecting wasn't really happening. You know, you were getting, you were getting the 12 inch and the 12 inch remix and you're getting the CD single, but you weren't getting, you know, gatefolds and picture discs and, you know, all those fun things that weren't really happening anymore. So that was a drag, you know, and that also might've just been changes coming.
Speaker: You know what i mean? um like i think I got one white vinyl that year. I got one picture disc that year. It just wasn't happening. you know, so changes were happening, you know? Yeah, it's true.
Speaker: It's true. And I even look at like movies that year, um like Jacob's ladder and it oh yeah misery home alone. ah mermaids.
Speaker: Oh, you know, I haven't seen that movie since it first came out. I don't think I have either. Yeah. Postcards from the edge, which I love. Okay. Uh, dances with wolves. Um,
Speaker: It's a very VHS year, isn't it? Yeah. Pacificites. I like that. Oh my gosh. I saw that in the theater. I wanted to see that like the day it came out. Yeah. Look, it's Batman and he's in San Francisco. Yeah, totally.
Speaker: And somebody is going to get stabbed. Yeah. Look out, Melanie. Yes. It was a really dramatic kind of year for movies. Well, yeah. The Jetsons, I told you.
Speaker: Yeah. Right. Weird. Weird. Awesome. Well, thank you for sharing your 1990 musical memories. So long ago.
Speaker: Yeah. So it'll be a big surprise to see what we talk about next week. When will you pull the year out of your hat? I'm going to do it off mic.
Speaker: But I'll let you know. All right. I'll let you know. It'll be a top secret until then. 1990. No, it won't be. in it won't be ninety ninety six And it won't be 1996. And it won't 1981. Probably not. No. 81, man. Like that is a killer year oh yeah Trust me. We'll we'll be hitting 81 again.
Speaker: Oh, cool. All right. Yeah. Yeah. No, trust me. There's yeah. The way I've set up my little jar, there's like lots of options. Cool. So there's lots of chances for 81 to come back up. Trust me.
Speaker: The funny thing, sorry if I can, about 81 is like it was such an establishing year. And then the next couple of years are just sort of like rinse and repeat, which is fine.
Speaker: you know what i mean But it's like 81 was like all new. Yes, everything was brand new. And then it was kind of like, yeah, we got the formula down. to totally and It's fine, totally fine. But it was just like, wow. there was just so much new new new, new, new, you know, anyway, there was new looks, new instruments, new tin cans to play wave. Yeah. new waves Oh yeah. Seriously. New video. Amazing. Yeah.
Speaker: We'll get back to, we'll get back to a 81 for sure. All right. Awesome. Well, thank you, Tyler, so much. yeah Listeners, subscribe. hope you like this. It'll just get better. Listen to some Yabazonker Zoinks if you've got some extra time.
Speaker: ah check Check out socials, but we'll be seeing you soon on That TV Sound.
Speaker: Hey, you've been listening to That TV Sound with your host, Josh Downing. This podcast is produced and created by Josh Downing as part of the Gen X for Life Network. Look for more info on socials at the Gen X for Life podcast.
Speaker: That's Gen X number four, life underscore podcast.
