My year in mix: to the future
Four acts that threatened to do Great Things in the years after 1997.
"Do you know what it takes" - Robyn
First big release for the singer-songwriter, who worked with Max Martin and Denniz Pop on this perky shuffler. The sound of Max Martin would become very familiar in the next few years, but it would be almost a decade before Robyn became the huge star.
"One headlight" - The Wallflowers
It's the guitars that get me, every time. And the pounding rhythm, like ribs on a road as you go at 82kph down the autoroute. The lyric comes in as something of an afterthought, until we reach the chorus, and it's always rousing.
"My idea was not to conquer the world. It never has been. I want to achieve more each time I do these things than I had last time. And that doesn't necessarily mean sales or exposure. I was interested in making a much more complete record last time around than I had on my first record."
All over BRMB for half of the summer, but the record failed to get near the weekly top 40.
"I want you" - Savage Garden
An early-spring morning in Newfoundland. My squeeze has left for work, and I'm alone in the house for a couple of hours. What's playing on Muchmusic?
Ooh, they're new. Remind me of Duran Duran, but very much of the time.
And that I remember the first impression after so long says that Darren and Daniel were doing a lot right.
"I am the mob" - Catatonia
Second minor hit for Cerys and her Sleeperblokes. What Cerys lacks in vocal precision is more than made up by lyricism and her unique style: this is music of the valleys, boyo, and don't you ever forget it.
A couple of high-quality albums followed before the group split in the new century.
One more entry in My Year in Mix, and it's carbon-dated to 30 September.