Maybe you grew up with it. Maybe your older brother deluged you with it and you hate it. Maybe you let it pass you by when it fell out of favor with the radio programmers. Whatever early '90s rock means to you, and however recent it may be, there's history there. Grunge rock had already nosed its way onto the mainstream scene, breakaway alternative bands like the Smashing Pumpkins were coming into their own, and Cameron Crowe's Singles was the finest movie of all time.
Okay, so the movie wasn't a masterpiece, exactly, but it did have a soundtrack, and that soundtrack turned out to be one of the finest collections of '90s rock available. Some of the songs play only minor roles in the film, but people unfamiliar with the "Seattle grunge scene" could get a taste of the best bands on the market with this CD.
Where to begin? Try where the album starts: Alice in Chains' "Would?" The song begins with a foreboding bass rumble, and escalates from a sort of chant into a dark but somehow wistful number. Many had not yet heard of the band, and the churning rhythm section of perfectly complemented drums and bass certainly made a good first impression.
When it came to the heavyweights, Crowe didn't mess around either. He managed to throw in two songs apiece from some of the strongest bands on the album: Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, and Paul Westerberg - including some tracks that can be hard to find on CD elsewhere.
"Breath" is a relatively unknown contribution from Pearl Jam that doesn't bother with a warm-up. The band launches right into the up-and-down riffs it's still known for - a true fan should be able to recognize Mike McCready's guitar before Eddie Vedder even begins to sing. It's a prime example of the rough, singable, inspired rock that the group was known for even in 1992. The other Pearl Jam track, "State of Love and Trust," is more well-known, and deserves no less attention. Vicious, fast, and written with vocals to match the twisting background guitar, it is an angst epic, an anthem worthy of the pure gusto of early '90s concerts.
Cornell's songs come in two forms: one, "Seasons," is a solo piece, while the other, "Birth Ritual," comes from his band Soundgarden. "Birth Ritual" has the screams and throbbing melodic line one would expect from these rockers (famed for such other hits as "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun"), but "Seasons" does a far better job at showing off Cornell's abilities. With his solo work, it's easier to appreciate the man's songwriting - as well as the more careful side of his singing and guitar playing.
Westerberg is the least obvious choice of the three repeat performers. His post-Replacements rock ("Dyslexic Heart," "Waiting for Somebody") is a bit goofy - but also a little moving, if you're willing to admit it. When he sings about "All my life/ Waiting for somebody," you can't help but feel for the guy. Go ahead and wallow a bit yourself. You know you would anyway.
The highlights of the album come so hard and fast that it's difficult to focus on one track before another shoves its way forward. There's Jimi Hendrix with "May This Be Love" (which may be non-'90s but it's still sentimental and sweet), and the Screaming Trees with their most prominent and near classic hit, "Nearly Lost You." A song that cannot be plugged enough is the ever-impressive epic, "Chlo? Dancer/Crown of Thorns," from Mother Love Bone, which is barely featured in the movie but draws plenty of notice on the album. The Smashing Pumpkins close out the album with a slow, soothing number, "Drown," which despite being atypical of grunge fits the bill for a movie with excellent background music.
Of course, there are less stellar tracks to accompany these home runs, but they're far from bad. Mudhoney took up a small piece of the Seattle limelight, but "Overblown" is just what it sounds like: a little something made out to be just a bit too grand. With simple vocal and guitar lines that do little to impress the listener, "Overblown" reminds you of why no one seems to notice Mudhoney nine years later. The Lovemongers put in a decent cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore," though hardly better than the original.
Sure, maybe the Smashing Pumpkins and Paul Westerberg aren't the most representative artists of the early '90s, and sure, maybe the whole grunge thing needed a little time to evolve. If you're looking for a great rock sampler, however, or just some great tracks from the likes of Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell, there isn't much debate. Singles has it all - and it turns out that the movie is pretty decent, too.
