90s Ska

Graduate was the ska youth group of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, who from 1982 would star in an important musical stage at the helm of Tears For Fears. Graduate were formed in bath in 1979 and took their name from the fact that they used to open their gigs with a cover version of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ as featured in the sublime film ‘The Graduate’. The group consisted of John Baker, guitar and vocals; Steve Buck, keyboards and flautist; Andy Marsden, drums; Roland Orzabal, guitar and keyboards; Curt Smith, bass and synthesizers. It would appear that Curt was not an original member of the band. Roland, John and Andy were gigging around before the name Graduate was taken on.

Gyllene Tider - Gyllene Tider
(first band of Per Gessle who later formed Roxette)
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 363 MB | Full Artwork: 54 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Parlophone # 7942192 | Country/Year: Sweden 1990, 1980
Genre: Rock, Pop | Style: Pop Rock

During a brief period of fame in the early '80s, Gyllene Tider managed to stir up hysteria among Swedish teens, and their first two albums sold extremely well; but the band is now mainly remembered for bringing Per Gessle into the spotlight for the first time. When Gyllene Tider failed to break abroad, the determined Gessle tried out a number of other lineups, finally scoring with the duo Roxette. Musically, Gyllene Tider may have been even more lightweight than Roxette, not to mention the lyrics, but Gessle undeniably already had a talent for hit melodies and catchy hooks in the early '80s.

Along with the Specials, Madness were one of the leading bands of the ska revival of the late '70s and early '80s. As their career progressed, Madness branched away from their trademark "nutty sound" and incorporated large elements of Motown, soul, and British pop. Although the band managed one crossover American hit in 1983, they remained a British phenomenon, influencing several successive generations of musicians and becoming one of the most beloved groups the country produced during the '80s. This box set includes the following albums: One Step Beyond… (1979), Absolutely (1980), The Rise And Fall (1982).

If the hyped-up ska of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones is your thing, you're sure to also dig the Japanese group Kemuri. Their debut full-length, Little Plaything, is a supercharged explosion of fast drumming, horn bursts, and guitar playing that alternates equally between distorted metal and clean ska. Their lyrics deal with the usual alterna-ska themes that the Bosstones, Sublime, etc., have touched upon, such as working hard at a nowhere job ("Workin' Dayz") and keeping a P.M.A. – which means positive mental attitude – throughout life's trials and tribulations (the opening "New Generation"). The album does successfully convey the party-out-of-control atmosphere of today's ska movement, as evidenced on "Rainy Saturday," "Knockin' on the Door," and "Prayer," while "Don't Know" sounds quite a bit like early Fishbone. But not all of Little Plaything hits the mark, especially the annoyingly clichéd introduction to the above-mentioned track "Workin' Dayz," which features a Valley Girl doing her usual trademark spiel. But at the very least, Kemuri's Little Plaything is equal to the majority of the ska-laced alternative that ruled MTV and the radio airwaves in 1997.