Auf Wiedersehen, U2 - Achtung, Baby

Released November 19th, 1991 on Island Records

I'm a couple days late, but U2's "Achtung, Baby" is officially in the Expired pile.  One of their most successful albums, "Achtung, Baby" has gone 8 times platinum as of 2009, selling over 5.5 million copies in the States alone.

ATW, they won a crapload of awards, including "Comeback of the Year" by Rolling Stone Magazine.  Was "Rattle and Hum" (exp. '08) really that bad?

I owned this on cassette.  I remember the booklet being really long and particularly difficult to refold.  The last U2 record I bought was "Zooropa" (exp. '13) which I wasn't crazy about.  I will admit, however, I've always enjoyed the songs "lemon" and "numb."

This may or may not also mark the beginning of Bono's sunglasses.  I seem to remember him wearing them in all (and there were a lot) of the videos that came out following the release of this record. Apparently he's got some sort of sensitivity to light.* 

Is it wrong to say that U2 has really only put out two amazing records: "Achtung, Baby" and "Joshua Tree" (exp. '07)?  Is that a wildly inaccurate statement?  I know "Boy" ('00) and "War" ('03) have sort of a cool factor, giving some cred to the early fans, but....   

*I do, too!  And yet, I never wear sunglasses.  Instead, I prefer doing as much as possible in the dark, including working and showering.

Need you no more, INXS - Live Baby Live

Released November 11th, 1991 on Atlantic, Mercury Records

I've always wanted to be on the cover of a live album.  I'd say there are about ten people in this image that could properly identify themselves.  How cool is that?

"Live Baby Live" is one of only a few live albums I've ever owned.  "A Show of Hands" (Exp. '09) and a couple of Fat Wreck Chord releases come to mind.

From beginning to end, it's a solid record.  The perfect collection of singles to represent the Australian band.*  I think the only studio album of theirs I owned was "Kick" (Exp. '07).

In college, some friends of mine and I did a fun hidden camera prank using the song "Suicide Blonde".**  I'll have to find it and put it on YouTube one of these days.

INXS has created some amazing music in the past, but unfortunately the thing they'll probably be known most for is their front man's, Michael Hutchence, suicide.  (Exp. '97)  Everything that's followed, IMO, seems to be a bit of a clusterf*ck.  The decision to find a new front man via reality show never really set well with me.

Additional: I think my favorite song on this album is "The Stairs."  Something weird about that tune that appeals to me.

*Another favorite Australian band of mine, Midnight Oil, still has four albums left, though I stopped with "Blue Sky Mine" which expired last February.

**We had a friend set up a stereo system in the Boston Common and take requests from passer-bys.  No matter what song the people would ask to hear, our friend would play "Suicide Blonde."

It's over, Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend

Released October 22, 1991 on Zoo Entertainment

Another artist I found thanks to my sister.  I seem to remember her just giving me this CD straight up one day.*  Or maybe I stole it, I'm not sure.

This disc got a ridiculous amount of air time in my room during high school.  From beginning to end, a true classic album in my opinion.  Tracks like "I thought I knew you" and "I wanted to tell you" seem to carry a ton of emotion and are somewhere near the top of my favorite Sweet songs.

I bought the next three albums of his, stopping with "100% Fun" (exp. '15).  I sort of seesawed on "Altered Beast" (exp. '13 ) and Son of Altered Beast" (exp. '14) never really embracing them in the same way as "Girlfriend."

In 2006 he released a Legacy Edition called "Goodfriend" with all remastered tracks from his 1991 album.  Feeling reminiscent, I picked it up.  Unfortunately, I don't acknowledge remastered tracks of expired music so I have to let them go as well.  For some reason none of his other albums ever made it to my iTunes, so my iPod is officially free of Matthew Sweet.

Additionally, Del tha Funky Homosapien's 1991 release "I Wish My Brother George Was Here" has also expired as of Oct. 22nd.  I will be deleting this album from my iPod after publishing this article.


* I know that's how I got Bad Religion's "Stranger Than Fiction" exp. '14

Nirvana, Tribe, Chili Peppers, oh my!

Released Sept. 24th, 1991 on DGC

Twenty years ago, a number of albums hit record stores for the first time, including Nirvana's "Nevermind", RHCP's "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" and Tribe's "Low End Theory."

Today they've expired.

Released Sept. 24th, 1991 on Warner Bros.

Released Sept. 24th, 1991 on Jive/RCA

Sorry, Charlie. Ween - The Pod

Released on Shimmy Disc, Sept. 20, 1991

As indicated on the Ween Facebook page, today is the 20th anniversary of the band's second album, "The Pod."  It's also the first record to expire since starting this project that I listen to on a regular basis.  As I've mentioned before, Ween is my all time favorite band and getting rid of any of their music is a painful yet necessary thing to do.

I knew last night that I'd be expiring this album, so I grabbed my iPod and listened to thePod one last time before falling asleep.*

You could classify their entire catalogue of music as "weird", but "The Pod" may be the weirdest of the bunch.  

I've still got plenty of Ween left to enjoy.  "Pure Guava" doesn't expire until next November.  Yay!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to delete these songs from my iPod and iTunes.**

*Unfortunately, I fell asleep about halfway through.  
**The music is backed up on my hard drive.  I'm not deleting it for good.  I just can't risk these songs popping up while on shuffle. 

Back in the holster, Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I, II

Released on Geffen Sept. 17th, 1991

Once again, I'm a couple days late in updating, but as of Saturday Gn'R's "Use Your Illusion I & II" have expired.  I don't have a lot to say in the record's defense.*  I've never been a Guns N' Roses fan.

If you've read any of my previous posts, you'll know I wasn't listening to much "hard rock" from the 80's and early 90's.  So when my friend showed me this CD in 1991 and began talking about its music and lyrics my eyes sort of glazed over.

I just remember repeating the title over and over in my head trying to wrap my brain around it.  It didn't (and still doesn't)  make much sense to me.  Maybe if I'd listen to the records or did any type of research, it would.  The album cover is the only thing that's really stuck with me.  I only now realized it's a small segment of a larger painting by Raphael.  I always thought it was a person bending over after having ben set on fire.  I was clearly wrong.

Anyhoo, all you GNR fans playing along are running low on available content.  "Appetite for Destruction" expired four years ago.  "GNR Lies," three years ago.  I haven't heard "Chinese Democracy" (Exp. '28) but from the few reviews I read after its release I can't imagine I'm missing out.  I suggest you consider this a prime opportunity to replace GNR with a new, relevant band/record from the past twenty years.

*I'm starting to realize how truly uninformative my blog can be at times.

You've crapped out, Rush - Roll The Bones

Released September 3, 1991 on Anthem/Atlantic

I'm a few days late, but as of Saturday Rush's 14th studio album "Roll the Bones" has expired.  My uncle introduced my cousin and I to this band when we were kids.  I spent the next several years collecting their music.  Every time I'd walk into a music store I'd head straight for the "R" section.  I still remember being in the New Orleans Riverwalk Mall and coming across "Caress of Steel" on CD*.  I'd never heard of it and felt like I'd unearthed a secret bootleg recording.

I've probably got more memories tied to this band than any other.  19 studio albums makes that an easy title to hold.  One of my favorites is when the local classic rock station announced they'd be playing the yet-to-be-released "Counterparts" album in its entirety beginning at midnight.  I stayed up super late, sat in the corner of my room and recorded the whole thing on cassette.

I'll also never forget the summer my cousin and I (with the help of my aunt) painted two large murals in their church's game room.  James did an amazing job recreating the "Grace Under Pressure" cover while I painted the "Signals" cover.**  Both were badass, both have been painted over since.  Why did it happen?  Because it happened.

I'll be honest, though I do love "Roll the Bones" it's not in my top five Rush albums.  It hasn't gotten a lot of play in recent years, so it will most likely be a while before I really start to miss it.  In the meantime I'll be listening to their last five albums...  Well, I'll at least be listening to "Counterparts."

*"Lakeside Park" is one of my favorite tunes of theirs.

**I hid my initials on the face of the hydrant.