Kuba's 1990's. The end of the beginning. 1991

1991. Oh, that was the year. Or maybe I should say The Year. It really changed my life with music. To tell the truth I discovered 1991 about a year later. I mean I was aware of bands like Pearl Jam or RHCP but it was really 1992 – when I started my secondary school – when I discovered how important they are. For me, not for the world. But it doesn't really matter now. Anyway 1991 starts with my a bit softer side.

There were times that even tortured I wouldn't admit listening to a-ha or Queen. But in the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s both of the bands were among my favourites. Probably I didn't even know that a-ha were from Norway. For sure I didn't know that Crying In the Rain was a cover – that's a new discovery for me and I've heard the original sung by Everly Brothers a few weeks ago for the first time. Yeah, I had to listen to Everlys' album because my 1001 blog demanded it.

It doesn't change anything. I still think that a-ha's version is the best ever. Probably it could make any tough bastard cry (in the rain or in the sun). And I ain't no tough bastard.

Now I think that Queen was the first important rock band in my life. I didn't realize it then, I probably didn't even think about what was important and what wasn't. But that's the truth – it was the first band I really, really liked. I was buying the cassettes, I was watching the videos (it wasn't that easy in the communist Poland), I tried to translate the lyrics (no success, though). In the 80s I wasn't really the guy who is looking for any article or news about his favourite band. I didn't care about Queen's history or Freddie Mercury's private life. In the beginning of the 90s I was more aware of music (and it's importance), so Innuendo was the album to wait for. And for sure it wasn't disappointing. And the title track proves that Queen was one of the most talented, most innovative and simply one of the greatest bands in history of British music. Call it a kitsch, that's OK. But it's still catchy kitsch.

Some say that Metallica (or The Black Album if you prefer) was the beginning of the end of the biggest thrash band ever. Sure, it's not Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets. It was the new Metallica, more commercially orientated, a bit mainstream (go to hell, all you hipster kitties). That was the time they became the metal version of The Rolling Stones: you know, all stadium gigs sold out and stuff like that. Yeah. But they were and they still are one of the biggest metal bands ever. EVER. Just go and see them live. Enter Sandman was the hard choice – I chose it mainly because it's the first track on the album. I just couldn't decide.

There were the times when I tried to dress like Eddie Vedder. Or to tell the truth, like Eddie Vedder combined with Layne Staley. Everybody listened to grunge then. (Well, almost everybody). And I was no exception. After twenty years I think that Pearl Jam was the best band originating from grunge. Nirvana was great, but for a while (and I never liked Kurt Cobain's hysterical life attitude). Alice In Chains was always more metallish than grunge. Soundgarden was half great, half boring. Pearl Jam was never disappointing. Ten is for sure one of my most favourite albums ever. It's flawless. And it didn't get old. It still sounds great. I know, it's a kind of nostalgia. But not only. I waited 18 years to see Pearl Jam live. And I was amazed by their charisma, skills and strength. The band was playing for over two and half hours. It could be one of the best concerts I've ever seen. But (there's always 'but') they didn't play Jeremy. My favourite song of may favourite Pearl Jam album...

Probably from all 50 songs (and 50 bands) I've mentioned on my 90s list Pixies mean the least for me. I don't listen to Pixies anymore, I don't follow Frank Black's solo career. I just don't care. But in the beginning of 90s Trompe le Monde opened my eyes (or ears) to alternative rock. Pixies was the band which showed me the way to Sonic Youth, Jane's Addiction, Firehose and many others. And Alec Eiffel was the song I really loved with all my heart. Today when I think about Pixies I start humming little Eiffel stands in the archway... Of course only if I'm not thinking about Andrea Spinks.

I don't know what to write about Nirvana and this song. Sometimes I think I was like a sheep in a herd. Everybody said that Nirvana was a great band so I thought Nirvana was a great band. Now I think it wasn't so great. Very-fucking-important it was for sure. Still Smells... is a fantastic song. And Nevermind was a revolutionary album. I do not think about Nirvana too much. I prefer Grohl's Foo Fighters. But a few days ago I saw Does It Offend You, Yeah? (BTW, I highly recommend this band) playing live and they played Nirvana's cover (Aneurysm). And I felt like I was 15 again.

Anyway, Nirvana was a cool band. But not great. And now it's hard for me to think about it seriously. It's all Garth Ennis's fault. If you read Preacher comic book, you know what I mean.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Arseface.

I apologize if any of you is a RHCP fan. But Blood Sugar Sex Magik was the last good album recorded by this band. After 1991 they became more and more predictable (OK, maybe there were some surprises on One Hot Minute), more and more boring. The became I-couldn't-care-less-band. But BSSM was amazing. A volcano of energy. A bonfire of talent. One of the best party albums in my whole life (at least then, now we are old and we drink vodka listening to Tom Waits, don't we?). And when you're 14 or 15 years old, you just want to be like Anthony Kiedis. Only because all the pretty girls in your class were in love with him. You want to have long hair, muscles and tattoos. After twenty years there's nothing left from this dreams. Long hair? Forget. Muscles? Well hidden. Tattoos? One.

Crap.

Nowadays Armia is one of the bands I really don't like. It's because it's frontman Tomasz Budzynski is now an orthodox catholic waging war with everybody. But I remember the times when he used to be a punkrocker. OK, more sophisticated than his fellows, more intelligent and more demanding from his fans. But he was one of us. You know, young, rebellious, trustworthy. Legenda – Armia's 1991 album – is probably the best Polish punk record ever. I used to listen to it everyday. It was heavy but poetic. Combining punk with some metal riffs and trombone. Just amazing. Perfect. Legendary. And once I've heard Opowieść zimowa played by Armia but sung by Lao Che's singer Spięty. And that was something worth living for, I tell you.