1997 Survey Mix

This is the eighth in the 1990s survey mix series, which will come out monthly in chronological order through this year. You can find the previous mixes here. I’ve made a Spotify version of this survey which you can find here, though it is missing 15 tracks and has no sound editing for smooth listening.

Here we are now in the late ‘90s, exactly 20 years ago. There’s a lot of special and interesting things going on this year.

• This is a huge moment for English rock, with Britpop giving way to a series of grand, ambitious records from Radiohead, Spiritualized, The Verve, Blur, Cornershop, and Primal Scream. Oasis are not so arty, but I think Be Here Now is just as ambitious in its own way, and the title track is one of the best songs that band ever produced. All of these bands were on their own trip, but they’re united by a desire to make bold, adventurous music that’s also quite accessible.

• Experimentation is key in 1997. Eric Harvey recently described a dominant strain of music in this era as “recombinant pop,” the work of post-hip hop artists cutting and pasting ideas from a wide range of music into new forms. Stereolab, Björk, RZA, Aphex Twin, Missy Elliott and Timbaland, Mouse on Mars, Atari Teenage Riot, Plug, Roni Size, Tricky, Portishead, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Beck, etc – all artists whose music still sounds forward-thinking and futuristic two decades later. In Eric’s review of Stereolab’s Dots and Loops he notes that the notion of “omnivorous inclusion” became a popular mode of consumption for highbrow music nerds, and over the course of the next few years this mindset – one I embraced at the time and maintain to this day – gradually overtook a sort of rock-centric fandom fixated on authenticity and genre purity. This is the beginning of a sea change that has resulted in the music landscape we exist in today, in which omnivorous taste is a default position and rock music is erroneously considered déclassé or irrelevant simply because it’s not the utterly dominant cultural force it was through much of the ‘90s.

• This is another huge year for rap, and especially for rap from New York City. At this point in time Puff Daddy and his family of Bad Boy artists have reached the pinnacle of pop culture in the wake of The Notorious B.I.G.’s murder, and the Wu-Tang Clan are enjoying their greatest mainstream success with Wu-Tang Forever. The NYC rap station Hot 97 is so powerful that two of their star DJs – Funkmaster Flex and Angie Martinez – appear in this survey as artists in their own right. A new underground is developing with the emergence of Company Flow, Mos Def, and the general Rawkus family of artists on the East Coast, and Latyrx and the Quannum family on the West Coast. Missy Elliott, Timbaland, and Busta Rhymes are bringing a touch of eccentricity to the mainstream, and Master P’s New Orleans-based No Limit label is disrupting the East Coast/West Coast narrative of hip-hop.

• The dominant mainstream trends of the next few years – nu-metal and shiny teen pop – begin to emerge in this year with early material by Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, a Max Martin-assisted teenage Robyn, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, and Creed. I’ve mostly quarantined the shitty rock music on the final part of the survey.

Some fairly obscure songs I’d like to call attention to:

• The Funkmaster Flex freestyle cut in part one is astonishing, and pulls together a bunch of lesser-known NYC rappers from that period for a marathon posse track that draws on the joyful spirit of old school hip-hop while staying grounded in the grimier rap of the late ‘90s.

• The Geraldine Fibbers’ version of Can’s “You Doo Right” is one of the best and most radically reimagined covers I’ve ever heard, with Carla Bozulich recasting Malcolm Mooney’s poetic mutterings as a brazen, passionate declaration of love and lust while a pre-Wilco Nels Cline shreds it up on guitar. This is as good as rock music gets.

• The Depeche Mode song included here, “Home,” may be my favorite song in their catalog, and features a truly gorgeous and vibratto-heavy vocal performance by Martin Gore. I deliberately sequenced this song to be next to similarly excellent and ambitious tunes by their contemporaries The Cure and U2, in part to highlight how they each released fairly forward thinking music around the time they started to be considered legacy acts. The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails weren’t quite as established at this point, but they were also ahead of the curve in terms of embracing very recent trends in electronic production. They rarely get credit for this, but I think these acts were crucial in broadening the palette of rock music in the lead up to the 21st century.

• The Kylie Minogue song here, “I Don’t Need Anyone,” is her great lost classic as far as I’m concerned. Shudder to Think’s glammy “Survival” would be a well-known and widely beloved song in a better world. Ditto everything on Jonathan Fire Eater’s Wolf Songs for Lambs from this year. The songs by R.E.M. and David Byrne in this set aren’t particularly well known, but are among the most beautiful and empathetic works of either act’s career. The song by Ben Folds Five is the most elegant thing Folds has ever written and should become something of a standard. The songs by Veruca Salt, Atari Teenage Riot, The Make Up, and Papas Fritas are total bangers.

Thanks to Rob Sheffield, Sean T. Collins, Dan Kois, Paul Cox, and especially Eric Harvey for their valuable assistance in putting this set together.

DOWNLOAD PART 1

Radiohead “Airbag” / Sleater-Kinney “One More Hour” / Cornershop “Brimful of Asha” / Björk “Alarm Call” / Missy Elliott “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” / The Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” / Wu-Tang Clan “Reunited” / Puff Daddy feat. Lil’ Kim, The LOX and The Notorious B.I.G. “It’s All About the Benjamins” / Busta Rhymes “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” / Daft Punk “Around the World” / Atari Teenage Riot “Destroy 2000 Years of Culture” / Blur “On Your Own” / Pavement “Stereo” / Shania Twain “Love Gets Me Every Time” / Hanson “MMMBop” / Robyn “Do You Know (What It Takes)” / All Saints “Never Ever” / Spiritualized “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space” / The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony” / The Dandy Warhols “Boys Better” / Oasis “Be Here Now” / Veruca Salt “Don’t Make Me Prove It” / Shudder to Think “Survival” / Modest Mouse “Polar Opposites” / Jonathan Fire Eater “This Is My Room” / Primal Scream “Star” / Latyrx “Lady Don’t Tek No” / Mos Def “If You Can Huh…” / Funkmaster Flex feat. Boot Camp Clik, Cocoa Brovaz, Heltah Skeltah, O.G.C., Ranks, Ms. Twanie, Swan Da Boodah Junkie, and The Representativz “Freestyle #11” / Yo La Tengo “Autumn Sweater” / Belle & Sebastian “Lazy Line Painter Jane” / The Geraldine Fibbers “You Doo Right” / Ani DiFranco “Firedoor (Live)” / Ben Folds Five “Selfless, Cold, and Composed” / Wyclef Jean “Gone Till November (Pop Version)”

DOWNLOAD PART 2

Stereolab “Brakhage” / Janet Jackson feat. Q-Tip “Got Till It’s Gone” / Portishead “Only You” / Tricky “Makes Me Wanna Die” / 2Pac “Do For Love” / Mariah Carey “Honey” / Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” / Lil Kim feat. Angie Martinez, Left Eye, Da Brat & Missy Elliott “Not Tonight (Remix)” / The Chemical Brothers “Block Rockin’ Beats” / Nine Inch Nails “The Perfect Drug” / GusGus “Why” / Aphex Twin “Flim” / Depeche Mode “Home” / The Cure “Wrong Number” / U2 “Gone” / Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” / Foo Fighters “Everlong” / Céline Dion “My Heart Will Go On” / Elliott Smith “Ballad of Big Nothing” / The Make Up “Pow! to the People” / Helium “Leon’s Space Song” / Company Flow “The Fire In Which You Burn” / Freak Nasty “Da’ Dip” / Usher “You Make Me Wanna” / Erykah Badu “Apple Tree” / Capone-N-Noreaga “T.O.N.Y.” / Scarface feat. 2Pac & Johnny P “Smile” / Camp Lo “Luchini (A.K.A. This Is It)” / Kool Keith “Sex Style” / The Prodigy “Smack My Bitch Up” / Rammstein “Du Hast” / Godspeed You! Black Emperor “The Dead Flag Blues”

DOWNLOAD PART 3

Bis “Tell It to the Kids” / Papas Fritas “Sing About Me” / Plumtree “Scott Pilgrim” / That Dog “Gagged and Tied” / Ween “Ocean Man” / David Byrne “Finite = Alright” / Backstreet Boys “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” / Master P feat. Silkk the Shocker, Fiend, Mia X and Mystikal “Make ‘Em Say Uhh” / Mase “Feel So Good” / LL Cool J feat. Method Man, Redman, Canibus & DMX “4, 3, 2, 1” / Street Smartz feat. OC & Pharoahe Monch “Metal Thangz” / Armand Van Helden “Hot Butter” / Dub Narcotic Sound System “Bass Hump” / Dru Hill “In My Bed” / Jay-Z “The City Is Mine” / Mary J. Blige feat. Lil Kim “I Can Love You” / Pulp “Help the Aged” / Fiona Apple “Sleep to Dream” / Massive Attack “Risingson” / DJ Shadow “High Noon” / Buena Vista Social Club “Chan Chan” / Bob Dylan “Love Sick” / Green Day “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” / George Strait “One Night At A Time” / Leann Rimes “How Do I Live” / Garth Brooks “Longneck Bottle” / Bloodhound Gang “Fire Water Burn” / Blink-182 “Dammit” / The Get Up Kids “Don’t Hate Me” / Marcy Playground “Sex and Candy” / Sarah McLachlan “Building A Mystery” / R.E.M. “Electrolite” / Sonic Youth “Anagrama” / Mogwai “Like Herod” / Air “Le soleil est près de moi” / Broadcast “Lights Out”

DOWNLOAD PART 4

Roni Size & Reprazent “Railing” / The X-Ecutioners “Musica Negra (Black Music)” / Boot Camp Clik “Illa Noyz” / Destiny’s Child “No, No, No Pt. 2” / Timbaland and Magoo “Up Jumps Da Boogie” / The Orb “Toxygene” / Underworld “Pearl’s Girl” / Fluke “Atom Bomb” / Tha Alkaholiks feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Hip Hop Drunkies” / Brian McKnight “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)” / Plug “Subtle (In Your Face)” / Lords of Acid “Pussy” / David Bowie “I’m Afraid of Americans” / The Smashing Pumpkins “Eye” / Twista “Get It Wet” / Korn feat. The Dust Brothers “Kick the P.A.” / Organized Konfusion “Invetro” / Hieroglyphics “The Who (A-Plus Remix)” / The Firm “Phone Tap” / Sugar Ray “Fly” / Save Ferris “Come On Eileen” / Mighty Mighty Bosstones “The Impression That I Get” / Smash Mouth “Walkin’ on the Sun” / Live “Lakini’s Juice” / Built to Spill “I Would Hurt A Fly” / The Dismemberment Plan “The Ice of Boston” / Guided by Voices “Sad If I Lost It” / Kylie Minogue “I Don’t Need Anyone” / Beck “Deadweight” / Elastica feat. Stephen Malkmus “Unheard Muzik” / Matthew Sweet “Come to California” / Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life” / Chumbawamba “Tubthumping” / White Town “Your Woman” / SWV & Puff Daddy “Someone” / Mouse On Mars “Juju”

DOWNLOAD PART 5

The Flaming Lips “Okay, I’ll Admit That I Really Don’t Understand” / Clinic “Porno” / Smog “Ex-Con” / Texas “Black Eyed Boy” / The Pietasters “Out All Night” / Less Than Jake “Automatic” / Everclear “I Will Buy You A New Life” / Lonestar “Come Cryin’ to Me” / Tim McGraw & Faith Hill “It’s Your Love” / Steve Earle “Somewhere Out There” / Mindy McCready “Oh Romeo” / Whiskeytown “16 Days” / Ivy “The Best Thing” / NSYNC “Here We Go” / Ray J “Let It Go” / Common “Reminding Me” / Dionne Farris “Hopeless” / Zony Mash “Cold Spell” / DJ Vadim “Conquest of the I” / Coldcut “More Beats + Pieces (Daddy Rips It Up Mix)” / Crystal Method “Busy Child” / Merril Bainbridge “Mouth” / Bush “Mouth (The Stingray Mix)” / Mineral “Five, Eight, and Ten” / Luna “Tracy I Love You” / Lifetime “Turnpike Gates” / MxPx “Move to Bremerton” / NoFX “It’s My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite” / Royal Trux “Don’t Try Too Hard” / The Beatnuts feat. Big Punisher and Cuban Linx “Off the Books” / Redman feat. Erick Sermon “Whateva Man” / Mobb Deep feat. Rakim & Big Noyd “Hoodlum” / Mia X “The Party Don’t Stop (Funky Mix)” / Jedi Mind Tricks “The Winds of War” / DJ Krush “Shin-Sekai” / µ-Ziq “Hasty Boom Alert” / Plaid “Kortisin” / Thievery Corporation “Weightless”

DOWNLOAD PART 6

Aqua “Barbie Girl” / Gina G “Ooh Aah (Just A Little Bit)” / Spice Girls “Spice Up Your Life” / INXS “Elegantly Wasted” / Blue Boy “Remember Me” / High & Mighty “It’s All for You” / Young Bleed feat. Master P & C-Loc “How Ya Do Dat” / Mystikal “Ain’t No Limit” / Mack 10 “Backyard Boogie” / Makaveli feat. The Outlawz “Hail Mary” / 112 “Cupid” / Keith Sweat “Nobody” / Mic Geronimo feat. DMX, Ja Rule, Tragey, and The LOX “Usual Suspects” / Gang Starr “You Know My Steez” / EPMD “Da Joint” / Reflection Eternal “Fortified Live” / Meat Beat Manifesto “It’s the Music” / KMFDM “Megalomaniac” / Morcheeba “Shoulder Holster” / Mouse on Mars “Juju” / Savage Garden “Truly Madly Deeply” / Duncan Sheik “Barely Breathing” / Shawn Colvin “Sunny Came Home” / Kenny Chesney “She Got It All” / Mark Chesnutt “It’s A Little Too Late” / Paul McCartney “The World Tonight” / Superchunk “Watery Hands” / Cursive “After the Movies” / Travis “All I Want To Do Is Rock” / Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci “Diamond Dew” / Old 97’s “Timebomb” / Ben Harper “Faded” / Knapsack “Courage Was Confused” / Sleeper “She’s A Good Girl” / Rainer Maria “Viva Anger, Viva Hate” / Lida Husik “Fly Stereophonic” / The Sundays “Summertime” / Deana Carter “We Danced Anyway” / Paula Cole “I Don’t Want to Wait”

DOWNLOAD PART 7

Tool “Ænema” / Marilyn Manson “Tourniquet” / Metallica “The Memory Remains” / The Lady of Rage “Some Shit” / Mr. Complex “Visualize” / DJ Muggs & Mobb Deep “It Could Happen to You” / Next “Butta Love” / Allure “All Cried Out” / Amon Tobin “Stoney Street” / Pizzicato Five “Love’s Theme” / Laika “Almost Sleeping” / David Holmes “Don’t Die Just Yet” / Mr. President “Coco Jamboo” / Yvette Michelle “I’m Not Feeling You” / Bone Thugs N Harmony “Look Into My Eyes” / En Vogue “Don’t Let Go (Love)” / Chantal Kreviazuk “God Made Me” / Abra Moore “Four Leaf Clover” / Kenickie “Punka” / Deftones “Be Quiet and Drive” / Morrissey “Maladjusted” / Filter “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do” / AZ Yet “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” / Something for the People “My Love is the Shhhh” / Changing Faces “G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T.” / Warren G “I Shot the Sheriff” / Tela “Tired of Ballin’” / Diamond D feat. Pete Rock and Phife Dawg “Painz & Strife” / R.A. the Rugged Man “Till My Heart Stops” / Rampage feat. Busta Rhmyes “Wild for Da Nite” / Archers of Loaf “Jive Kata” / Toad the Wet Sprocket “Come Down” / Sister Hazel “All for You” / Fivel “Convict Grass” / My Drug Hell “2 A.M.” / Aerosmith “Pink” / Pulsars “Tunnel Song” / At the Drive-In “Give It A Name” / Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments “Lightin’ Rod” / Gene “Where Are They Now?”

DOWNLOAD PART 8

Cherry Poppin’ Daddies “Zoot Suit Riot” / Primus “Bob’s Party Time Lounge” / Slipknot “Slipknot” / Creed “My Own Prison” / Limp Bizkit “Counterfeit” / Insane Clown Posse “Halls of Illusions” / 311 “Beautiful Disaster” / The Offspring “Gone Away” / Incubus “New Skin” / Silverchair “Abuse Me” / Days of the New “Touch, Peel, and Stand” / Tonic “If You Could Only See” / Matchbox 20 “Push” / Edwin McCain “I’ll Be” / Guster “Airport Song” / Summercamp “Drawer” / Placebo “Nancy Boy” / Smoking Popes “I Know You Love Me” / Real McCoy “One More Time” / R. Kelly “Gotham City” / Will Smith “Men In Black” / Da Brat “Ghetto Love” / Coolio “C U When You Get There” / Joe “Don’t Wanna Be A Player” / Mark Morrison “Return of the Mack” / Gravediggaz “Dangerous Mindz” / Mansun “She Makes My Nose Bleed” / Death In Vegas “Rocco” / Photek “KJZ” / Diamond Rio “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” / Atmosphere “Sound Is Vibration” / Big Mike “Burban & Impalas” / Total feat. Timbaland “What About Us” / Boyz II Men “4 Seasons of Loneliness” / 98 Degrees “Invisible Man” / Bob Carlisle “Butterfly Kisses” / Barbra Streisand & Bryan Adams “I Finally Found Someone” / Elton John “Candle in the Wind 1997”