30 Nov 2024

November 2024 – A Virtual Decade of CRAVE Guitars

by Tony Drew | posted in: Event, History, Introduction, News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

Bonjour, bountiful brethren. It is good to have you here with me this late November 2024. As previously mentioned, I am hoping to concentrate on writing, ‘The Distortion Diaries’ (see last article) by creating a bit of time and space, which has meant changing my approach to monthly articles for a (hopefully) short period. So this is another (hopefully) short article, essentially as a placeholder until things get back to ‘normal’ (hopefully). One has to remain hopeful. So far, it hasn’t gone to plan, so I must endeavour harder, for longer than intended. This article is mercifully short (for me) as a result.

This month, though, we have a Tin Anniversary to commemorate. NB. Tin is a silver‑coloured metal and chemical element belonging to the carbon family, with the symbol Sn (from the Latin, stannum) and atomic number 50. A 10^th anniversary is designated ‘tin’ because the metal represents durability, strength, flexibility and resistance to corrosion and wear. So, there you go. Tin for Ten it is.

So, exactly what is it that is 10 years (3,653 days) old? CRAVE Guitars online presence, that’s what. Before November 2014, CRAVE (Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric) Guitars had already been a formal, non‑profit entity for seven years (since the late summer of 2007). During those early seven years, it couldn’t easily be shared with anyone. All that changed a decade ago when CRAVE Guitars rapidly became visible to anyone who wanted to find out about it.

“Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event” – Oscar Wilde (1854‑1900)

Happy 10^th Online Anniversary CRAVE Guitars

It seems a timely moment for celebration. Yup, in November 2014, the web site and the multiple social media channels (some used more than others) have been rattling around in cyberspace (NB. A word coined in the novel, ‘Neuromancer’ (1984) by author William Gibson) for a decade now. And so it was, that the very first short blog article, titled perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘Welcome to CRAVE Guitars’ was posted on 30 November 2014.

Over the years, the web site has expanded and improved, although it hasn’t reached the potential that it undoubtedly has. There is also potential that I would still like it to achieve, all other things being considered. No rush.

Social media grew significantly until ‘The Hiatus’. It used to take up a great deal of every day but this has had to be scaled back considerably over recent years. It’s still there but not in the volume of posts that used to appear. Another step taken to mark the anniversary is that, in addition to the likes of X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., CRAVE Guitars is now also on Bluesky Social at:
@crave‑guitars.bsky.social.

Over the years, the number of CRAVE Vintage Guitars on the website has steadily increased (to 65 so far). Since the original launch of the website, the other parts of the site, CRAVE Basses (just 4 of them so far), CRAVE Amps (just 5 so far) and CRAVE Effects (68 so far) have also been added for a veritable vibe of vintage variety.

There have been approximately 85 blog articles (a.k.a. ‘Musings’) over the 10‑year period, covering all sorts of topics. The early ones were just a few sentences long and the content has consistently grown in length and complexity over the last decade. The shortest article? ‘Hiatus’ (September 2020) at just 5 lines. The longest? The 14-part ‘Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts’ (between March 2019 and May 2020). My favourite? Probably, ‘Dub Reggae Revelation’ (August 2023). My least favourite? Apart from the embarrassing first ‘Welcome to CRAVE Guitars’ (November 2014), the nadir was probably the melancholic aforementioned, ‘Hiatus’.

One thing that I don’t really understand is why visitors to the website have fallen off a cliff this year, after almost a decade of year‑on‑year increasing numbers. The only thing I can think of is that there has been nothing in the way of new vintage guitar gear recently. In addition, recent articles haven’t been focused on vintage guitars per se as much as they have been in the past – there is only so much one can wax lyrical (NB. a phrase from, ‘Jean-Christophe in Paris’ (1911) by Romain Rolland) about these wonderful artefacts.

“It’s always good to remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember where you come from is part of where you’re going” – Anthony Burgess (1917‑1993)

A moment of reflection

Has it all been worth it? Big question and one to which I really don’t have an answer. As a not‑for‑profit, non‑commercial entity, CRAVE Guitars exists but it doesn’t actually DO anything. So why bother? Who the heck knows? I don’t. Does it have any value? Well, the vintage guitars definitely do and will only increase in value over the long‑term. Are they worth a lot? Not really, that isn’t the point. I go for unlikely, alternative vintage gear, the sort that serious collectors are likely to overlook. The ‘collection’ as a whole isn’t worth a great deal compared to a highly‑regarded classic like a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, a 1952 Fender Telecaster or a 1962 Fender Stratocaster. Perhaps if I sold every bit of vintage gear I’ve got, I could get one really ‘good’ vintage guitar. However, that wouldn’t satisfy my cravings (sic!) for vintage guitar diversity. Such is life. We all make economic decisions and we all abide by the consequences. Is the CRAVE Guitars brand worth anything in isolation. Sadly, no.

“Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words” – Plautus (Roman playwright, c254‑184BCE)

Would I be prepared to sell off CRAVE Guitars? Well, I guess everyone has their price, although I have no intention of selling my baby at this time. Having said that, what will happen to CRAVE Guitars when I inevitably hit the mortal exit button? My son will inherit the enterprise in total but, as he has little interest in the venture, it will probably be wound up and sold off wholesale, possibly at auction. Shame.

What would make the biggest difference to both CRAVE Guitars and its online presence over the next ten years? Well, finally getting around to converting the dark, damp cellar of the house into a dry, warm home for the ‘collection’ would be incredible. The technical complexity, practicality, feasibility and cost are all prohibitive, so it ain’t gonna happen anytime soon. Sadly. That’s why the ‘collection’ has largely stalled since Covid, due to finite funds, space and time as well as other competing priorities.

“I’m not going to be caught around here for any fool celebration. To hell with birthdays!” – Norman Rockwell (1894‑1978)

Final thoughts on a virtual tinny decade

I couldn’t let the personal landmark go without some form of recognition but, equally, I don’t want to over‑stress the importance of the fact.

For info, the first ever web site was published on 6 August 1991 by British physicist sir Tim Berners‑Lee (1955‑), a.k.a. TimBL, based at CERN in Switzerland. Now, CRAVE Guitars is like just one grain of sand in a desert. The number of web sites has grown exponentially since 2000. In 2014, when CRAVE Guitars first appeared on the hinterwebby thingummy, there were less than 1 billion web sites globally. According to Statista, there are now over 1.9 billion web sites globally. Approximately 4 million new websites are created annually (as of 2024). No wonder it is so hard to get noticed and so easy to get overlooked these days. The enormity of that broader context makes CRAVE Guitars an infinitesimally insignificant online entity. Sigh.

What do I hope for the future of CRAVE Guitars? Nothing, actually – my ambitions are, out of necessity, very modest and humble. If, in some infinitesimally insignificant, way I have changed the world for the better and/or I have left an infinitesimally insignificant indentation on this isolated lonely world of ours that will be remembered positively in time, then I will be infinitesimally but significantly content.

Will there still be a CRAVE Guitars in another 10 years’ time? Who knows? If I have anything to do with it, yes there will, but who knows what fate and destiny hold in store for us all. I trust that there will be more vintage gear to enjoy over the next decade. So… ceteris paribus, here’s to the next 10 years or so.

“A good time to celebrate is any time you can” – Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904‑1991)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

This month’s selection kinda fits with the reminiscent nature of the above and needs some preliminary exposition. I tried to think of a studio album that meant a lot to me at the time and which has influenced my own guitar playing. The year was 1976 and the UK saw a rare baking, long hot summer. I took an extended solo road trip and attended my first three open air music festivals (Knebworth, Reading and Hyde Park) during that summer. I was a teenager at the time and it was also memorable for many reasons, some that I don’t think I should divulge here.

I occasionally reminisce selectively (of course) about that life‑affirming blissful ‘Summer of ‘76’ through appropriately rose‑tinted lenses. Coincidentally, it was also the year that I found out about the mysteries of girls of the opposite sex. After that crucial but brief coming‑of‑age journey (think of the evocative films, ‘American Graffiti’ (1972), ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ (1982), ‘Stand By Me’ (1986) and ‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993)), before life became an unavoidable and unbearable progression of obligation, heavy burden of responsibility and other requisite restraints. I have never been able to shatter the shackles of adulthood and recapture that youthful sense of vitality, vigour, liberty and élan. What album on Earth could possibly live up to all that? For me, it was…

Steve Hillage – L (1976). ‘L’ was the sophomore solo studio album by Steve Hillage, who came to the fore as guitarist with the psychedelic/progressive rock band, Gong. The LP, produced by Todd Rundgren in New York, was released in September 1976 on the Virgin record label. It comprises just 6 tracks covering 44 minutes. While other Steve Hillage albums may be closer to his Canterbury Scene roots, ‘L’ was elevated into something greater in my mind, probably because of the combination of time and place in my heady, youthful experiences. I recognise that it won’t be to everyone’s taste but that is not the point. For me it exhibited both earthbound joyful exuberance and infinite cosmological splendour. I guess you had to be there to understand.

The first time I saw Steve Hillage live was at the above mentioned Hyde Park free festival on 18 September 1976, attended by over 150,000 people. Queen headlined that particular event. Todd Rundgren’s Utopia and Lynyrd Skynyrd performed at Knebworth on 21 August that same year, with The Rolling Stones headlining. Reading Festival between 27‑29 August saw Gong, 801 and Colosseum II amongst others. Since then, I have seen Steve Hillage and Gong live at Brighton and, as System 7 at the Glastonbury Festival. The most recent Steve Hillage concert I went to was in 2022, so he has held a place in my music appreciation for nearly 50 years! Yikes! While I don’t have ‘guitar heroes’, Steve Hillage was influential for me and I still believe that he is a much underrated songwriter, musician and guitarist.

“A lot of good love can happen in ten years” – Jim Carrey (1962‑)

Tailpiece

Well… that’s basically it for another month. Short and (maybe) sweet. There is rarely an opportunity to celebrate something positive and this month was an occasion to do just that. Without me bringing it up it, it would surely have passed into history completely unnoticed. So, Happy 10^th Birthday to CRAVE Guitars’ presence on the ‘information superhighway’ (NB. A term coined by American Senator Al Gore Jr in 1978). Do you remember when the Internet was called the ‘World Wide Web’ (a term coined by Sir Tim Berners Lee in 1989)?

As a final moment of contemplation, what were you doing 10 years ago today? What momentous moments have you experienced over the last 10 years? Spend just a moment to contemplate the positives. Endure the bad and celebrate the good.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Dystopia is as guaranteed as utopia is unobtainable”

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29 Nov 2019

November 2019 – The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts – Part IX

by Tony Drew | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations | 0

Introduction

Welcome to the end of the 20^th Century. Not actually, of course, that was 20 years ago now. I mean, in the ‘Story of Modern Music’, having covered almost 350 years so far, welcomes you to the very end of the century that really transformed mankind’s potential and bestowed opportunities hitherto unforeseen and unthought‑of, including musically.

If you would like to (re)visit any of the first eight chapters of the story to‑date, you can do so here (each link opens a new browser tab):

I did think of trying to compress the last three decades into a single article and then thought better of it on the grounds that doing so might diminish the impact of the period within the overall picture. So, just for now, the millennial years will have to wait. The result is that the 1990s will have its own dedicated article, although it will be a slightly more diminutive read compared to the previous five decades/articles.

The Story of Modern Music Part IX 1990-1999

It is quite tricky to pinpoint exactly what the ‘90s meant to music devotees. It seemed to depend where you lived, your age and, perhaps, what socio‑economic ‘class’ you belonged to. Whether it was grunge, alternative, Britpop or dance music that floated your boat, there was a new and exciting scene to associate with and belong to. The psychological attachment to a musical style was important to many, especially young people who were looking for some structure to life while the old order of social and political systems seemed to be disintegrating around them. Although not quite as disobedient and defiant as previous musical archetypes, there was still an underlying seething resentment of ‘the man’, which various groups saw as attempting to control their chosen form of exuberant self‑expression. In a sense, they were tapping into the anger of the marginalised.

With previous decades, it was notable that births of familiar artists outnumbered deaths, while the ‘90s saw that trend beginning to reverse. Many future artists that may well achieve sustained fame may have been born in the ‘90s but not yet discovered, while the stars of previous eras are getting, let’s be honest, a bit long in the tooth.

Similarly, it is becoming difficult to distinguish what definitive musical gems will rise from the seeming homogeneity of releases to become revered as ‘classic’ in years to come. Arguably, the 1990s marked the last vestiges of milestone singles and albums. From then on, listening habits began to change fundamentally and that, in turn, changed the way we regard significance, at least through the traditional lens of sales figures.

Historical Context 1990-1999

Some commentators called the 1990s as the ‘best decade’, although that clearly depended on your circumstances and point of view! The dawn of the 1990s experienced widespread international political restructuring, especially in Eastern Europe following the end of the Cold War and the fracturing of the communist Eastern Bloc. The 1990s also saw the growth in environmental consciousness based on dire scientific predictions about global warming and climate change. Ironically, scaremongering about ‘greenhouse gases’ led to an expansion of ‘green’ industries in developed countries. Similarly, many commentators observed signs of societal dysfunctionality, leading to prescient dystopian novels such as ‘Generation X’ by Douglas Coupland (1991), ‘Random Acts Of Senseless Violence’ by Jack Womack (1992), and ‘Prozac Nation’ by Elizabeth Wurtzel (1994). The wealth gap between the haves and have‑nots was striking; a morally unjustifiable trend that would only worsen from the 1990s onwards. The increase in the pace of technological change in post‑industrial countries fuelled the migration towards ‘digitocracies’ and resulted in manufacturing being outsourced to low‑cost developing countries on a massive scale. A period of unprecedented growth in the use of the Internet fuelled unsustainable speculation in the value of high‑tech companies, known broadly as the ‘dot‑com bubble’, a phenomenon that was bound to burst, which it ultimately did. Many companies that had become reliant on IT during the decade were fearful of the impact of Y2K on computer systems that were not prepared for the turn of the millennium.

Year	Global Events
1990	Following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of soviet communism, East and West Germany were reunited as the Federal Republic of Germany. Political internee and equal rights campaigner, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after serving 27 years. His return to freedom effectively marked the end of apartheid in South Africa. The ground breaking American cult TV series Twin Peaks burst onto screens. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, and starring Kyle MacLachlan. It is considered a landmark in television drama. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble, was launched into low Earth orbit. The telescope was designed to look into deep space. The first Middle East Gulf War started after Iraq invaded and annexed neighbouring Kuwait. A U.S.‑led coalition of 35 countries responded with Operation Desert Storm resulting in a coalition victory.
1991	Communist rule of the soviet USSR ended, resulting in a break up into a number of separate countries. The dismantling of the communist state effectively ended the 45‑year old Cold War between Russia and America. British computer scientist and engineer, Tim Berners-Lee posted a short summary of the World Wide Web project, effectively launching the Internet, initially to research institutions and then to the general public.
1992	The infamous Los Angeles riots took place after 4 LAPD officers were acquitted of using excessive force in the arrest of African-American Rodney King the previous year. The incident had been videotaped and broadcast widely on TV, sparking renewed civil rights activism. Founded in 1918, Central European country Yugoslavia descended into bitter civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a devastating military conflict that lasted until 1995.
1993	Democrat politician Bill Clinton became the 42^nd president of the U.S.A. Another massive American cult TV series, The X-Files was first broadcast, created by Chris Carter and starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The European Union (EU) succeeded the European Economic Community (EEC) when 12 countries signed the Maastricht Treaty, signalling a process of closer political and economic union.
1994	The trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico came into effect. Anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician Nelson Mandela was elected as president of South Africa. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) declared a cease fire in Northern Ireland, paving the way for de‑armament and the subsequent peace process. The 38Km (23.5mile) Channel Tunnel rail link beneath the English Channel from Folkestone in England to Calais in France was opened for business.
1995	The phenomenally successful multi‑national online auction and e‑commerce website eBay was launched, founded by entrepreneur Pierre Omidyar and based in San Jose, California. Former professional American footballer O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of the double murder of former wife Nicole Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman. The criminal trial, held in Los Angeles, was widely broadcast on TV.
1996	Dolly the sheep became the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell by using nuclear transfer in Scotland, UK. Dolly died in 2003 at the age of 6. Heir to the British throne, Prince Charles was formally divorced from Diana, Princess of Wales in London.
1997	The British crown colony of Hong Kong was returned to Chinese sovereignty as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China after 156 years of British rule. Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris, France at the age of 36. Her lover, Egyptian socialite Dodi Fayed, was also killed in the crash, sparking many conspiracy theories. Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and humanitarian missionary Mother Teresa died of a heart attack in Rome at the age of 87. The Pacific Rim countries were hit by the major Asian Financial Crisis, starting in Thailand and spreading rapidly across east and southeast Asia, resulting in an international financial contagion that threatened a severe worldwide economic meltdown.
1998	The male virility drug Sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, became available for use in America. It was originally discovered by pharmaceutical company Pfizer as a treatment for heart‑related chest pain. The Internet search engine Google Search was launched. It is the most widely used search engine on the World Wide Web, with over 90% market share in 2019, handling more than 5 billion searches per day. Multinational technology giant, Apple Inc. launched the highly successful iMac computer. The multilateral Good Friday Agreement was signed in Belfast by the Republic of Ireland and Britain as part of the on-going Northern Ireland peace process. The first module of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched into low Earth orbit. The ISS has served as a multinational microgravity research laboratory.
1999	The Euro became the official single currency for the majority of European Union (EU) countries, known commonly as the Eurozone. The security of the Euro is overseen by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. Politician, Vladimir Putin became President of Russian Federation, succeeding former president, Boris Yeltsin.

Musical Genre Development 1990-1999

The 1990s was a decade of sometimes dysfunctional music set against a background of major political change and social polarisation/alienation.

One phenomenon of the 1990s that isn’t genre‑specific but which built on the perennial success of pop music was the ‘boy band’ and its all‑girl equivalent. Artists included Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, Take That, Westlife, All Saints, S Club 7, Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child. The record company ‘manufactured’ bands didn’t have it all their own way; solo pop music artists were also highly successful during the 1990s, including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore.

American heavy metal saw a resurgence including bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Pantera achieving massive popularity. Meanwhile, British heavy metal was also prospering with NWOBHM bands such as Def Leppard, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

Hip‑hop became increasingly divisive, inciting gang warfare, gun violence and drug use, fuelling rivalry between east and west coast artists, and resulting in a number of high profile deaths including Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.

The English ‘Manchester movement’ (or ‘Madchester’ as it was often called) was strong in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. The scene centred on venues like the Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, run by post‑punk band New Order and led by local bands such as Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and The Charlatans, although the latter were actually based in the west midlands. The music isn’t necessarily a genre per se, it was more of a loose social and cultural grouping that also encompassed fashion, art and media. The OTT craziness of the Manchester scene was faithfully represented in the film ’24 Hour Party People’, made in 2002, directed by Michael Winterbottom. Other artists associated with the vital hotpot based around the UK’s North West were The Verve, Inspiral Carpets and James, as well as Scottish band Primal Scream. The Manchester ‘baggy’ zeitgeist would be important in the growth of the drug‑fuelled rave scene later in the decade.

A fusing of genres led to the emergence of trip hop as a discrete genre that grew from its roots in Bristol, UK and was pioneered by artists like Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead, Morcheeba and Sneaker Pimps. Sometimes referred to as ‘downtempo’, it is typified by taking electronica, hip‑hop, house, funk, dub, soul and psychedelia and creating something altogether different and fresh. While its roots were clearly experimental and atmospheric, trip hop was influential in that it led to other popular mainstream forms that became subsumed in the electronic dance craze (see below) of the 1990s and early 2000s, including breakbeat, bigbeat, drum ‘n’ bass, IDM, dubstep and acid jazz. Like the Manchester movement, trip hop was very much a UK‑led genre, which had little mainstream success in the U.S.

Like punk before it, alternative rock and its counterpart, experimental noise rock, is a musical genre that railed against the major record corporations that ran the music business and the mainstream pop and rock products they marketed. Independent producers and record labels that existed outside the studio system were very much part of an active underground movement, particularly in America, and this is where a number of bands came to public attention at the start of the 1990s. Compared to the mainstream, alternative artists found it relatively difficult to garner wide audience appeal, so word of mouth, radio and record releases were the way that the message got out. The alternative moniker is more of an umbrella term relating to artists’ status in the system, rather than having definitive identifiable genre characteristics. Notable alternative artists include Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Nine Inch Nails, Beck, Jane’s Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies. Before they signed to a major label, R.E.M. were seen as alternative and this started a broadening of the definition that included other major artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Radiohead and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The start of the new millennium saw other alternative rock artists emerge including The Strokes, Interpol and The Rapture, extending and ensuring alternative rock’s destiny into the 21^st Century.

Grunge is a specific genre of music that developed in the Pacific North West of the United States and more specifically its epicentre in and around Seattle in Washington State. Like alternative/noise rock, grunge was an underground movement centred on an independent record label, in this case, Sub Pop records based in Seattle. Grunge is influenced by punk, metal and alternative styles resulting in something altogether different from all of them. Grunge is characterised by slow, raw arrangements and a distinctly distorted lo‑fi sound. Compositions often followed a quiet‑loud‑quiet structure. Lyrics tended to be downbeat, melancholic, anti‑consumerist and often depraved with a focus on cultural alienation and social isolation. While all of the following rejected the term ‘grunge’ as defining their music, especially after signing to major labels, the early pioneers of Seattle’s grunge scene included Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and Alice In Chains. The core grunge scene had largely fizzled out and diversified by the end of the 20^th Century. A revival of the grunge ethic evolved in the 2010s to include artists like Courtney Barnett, Wolf Alice and Yuck.

Britpop was essentially an upbeat and positive British reaction to the dark and depressing American grunge scene. The music and its cultural background (nicknamed ‘Cool Britannia’) lasted approximately from 1993‑1997 before fizzling out. The major bands of the Britpop period included the ‘big four’; Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede. Collectively they expanded popularity to include other artists such as Supergrass, Cast, The Lightning Seeds, Sleeper and Elastica. The so‑called ‘Battle of Britpop’ between Oasis and Blur around 1995 was a media‑fuelled highlight catching the public’s imagination at the time. Britpop was important for influencing many quintessentially British bands that came along for the ride including Coldplay, Travis, Feeder, Stereophonics, Elbow, Snow Patrol and Keane. Further influences included Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys in the 2000s.

Dance music (in this context, Electronic Dance Music – EDM) was a phenomenon that had its roots in the late 1980s but exploded in the early 1990s and lasted well into the 2000s. Dance music comprises largely electronically produced progressive dance music intended for use at nightclubs, festivals and (often illegal) raves by DJs who mixed and re‑mixed heavy beats through loud PA systems to audience rapture. In fact, many record labels and DJs became far more celebrated than the musical artists they played in their DJ sets. The predominant sub‑genres of dance music include house, techno, trance, drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep, although these only represent the tip of the dance sub‑genre iceberg. Dance beats generally comprise programmed synthesizers, samplers and drum machines to produce buoyant, insistent 4/4 dance rhythms. Dance music also became synonymous with recreational drug use such as ecstasy (MDMA) as well as party holiday destinations such as Ibiza and Mykonos islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the famous artists of the dance scene include The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Underworld, Orbital, KLF, The Shamen, The Future Sound of London, 808 State, Groove Armada, Aphex Twin, Basement Jaxx and Daft Punk. Later artists built on the foundation, include Pendulum, SBTRKT and Skream. DJs became pivotal in promoting the dance craze and became famous in their own right, including Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Pete Tong, Paul Van Dyk and Armin van Buuren. There are many sub‑genres of dance including acid house, IDM (Intelligent Dance Music), ambient, breakbeat, downtempo, jungle and UK garage, all ensuring that dance music remains up‑to‑date and relevant in the 21^st Century.

Musical Facts 1990-1999

Day	Month	Year	Music Fact
23	January	1990	American guitarist and co-founder of southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allen Collins died from pneumonia in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 37.
8	February	1990	American country and rock & roll singer and songwriter, Del Shannon committed suicide as a result of depression at his home in California at the age of 55.
18	February	1990	English singer Freddie Mercury made his final public appearance with other members of pop/rock band Queen at the Brit Awards ceremony, held in London.
20	March	1990	English electronic/alternative rock band Depeche Mode released their career-defining classic 7^th studio album, ‘Violator’ in the UK.
26	March	1990	Northern Irish blues/rock guitarist, Gary Moore released his classic studio album, ‘Still Got The Blues’.
3	April	1990	Highly acclaimed Grammy award winning American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan died from cancer at her home in Hidden Hills, California at the age of 66.
10	April	1990	American East Coast rappers Public Enemy released their politically charged 3rd studio album, ‘Fear of a Black Planet’.
16	April	1990	Indie rock giants, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their 6^th studio album, ‘The Good Son’.
26	June	1990	Prolific American alternative rock band Sonic Youth released their successful and significant 6^th studio album, ‘Goo’.
24	July	1990	American heavy metal rock band Pantera released their classic 5^th studio album ‘Cowboys From Hell’.
21	August	1990	Legendary American blues guitarist and singer B.B. King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6771 Hollywood Boulevard.
27	August	1990	American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Stevie Ray Vaughan and four others died tragically in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin at the age of 35.
31	August	1990	The funeral service of American blues/rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan took place at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.
3	September	1990	English heavy metal rock band Judas Priest released their 12^th studio album, ‘Painkiller’.
21	September	1990	American thrash metal rock band Megadeth released their superb classic 4^th studio album, ‘Rust In Peace’.
6	October	1990	American Heavy metal band Metallica began recording their massive studio album ‘Metallica’ (aka the ‘black album’) in Los Angeles, California.
9	October	1990	American thrash metal band, Slayer, released their mega 5^th studio album, ‘Seasons In The Abyss’.
29	October	1990	Legendary award-winning American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter John Lee Hooker was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
8	January	1991	English guitarist and songwriter, Steve Clark of hard rock band Def Leppard died of alcohol poisoning at his home in London, at the age of 30.
15	February	1991	Successful English pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actor Ed Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
21	March	1991	Legendary American inventor and founder of Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, Leo Fender died from Parkinson’s disease in Fullerton, California at the age of 81.
8	April	1991	English trip-hop pioneers, Massive Attack, released their successful debut studio album, ‘Blue Lines’ in the UK, including the dance anthem, ‘Unfinished Sympathy’.
20	April	1991	English guitarist and front man of rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, Steve Marriott died in a house fire at his home in Essex at the age of 44.
23	April	1991	American guitarist, singer and songwriter with New York Dolls, Jonny Thunders died in mysterious circumstances in a hotel room in New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 38.
30	July	1991	American heavy metal rock band Metallica released their massively successful single ‘Enter Sandman’.
12	August	1991	American heavy metal band Metallica released their career-defining 5^th studio album, ‘Metallica’, often referred to as ‘the black album’.
27	August	1991	American alternative rock band from Seattle, the home of grunge rock pioneers, Pearl Jam burst onto the scene with the release of their astonishing platinum-selling debut studio album, ‘Ten’.
10	September	1991	American grunge rock pioneers Nirvana released their ‘90s anthem for disaffected youth, the near perfect hit single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
17	September	1991	American hard rock band, Guns n’ Roses, released their 3^rd and 4^th studio albums ‘Use Your Illusion’ parts I & II on the same day in the U.S.
23	September	1991	Scottish alternative rock band, Primal Scream released their massive 3^rd studio album, ‘Screamadelica’.
24	September	1991	American grunge rock pioneers Nirvana released their career-defining classic 2^nd studio album ‘Never Mind’ in the U.S. Well over 30 million copies have been sold so far.
24	September	1991	American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers released their 5^th studio album, ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’, produced by Rick Rubin.
28	September	1991	American jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis died of complications from a stroke, pneumonia, and respiratory failure in a hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 65.
14	November	1991	Legendary American guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6627 Hollywood Boulevard.
18	November	1991	Massive Irish rock band, U2, released their storming 7^th studio album, ‘Achtung Baby’ in the UK.
24	November	1991	English singer with pop/rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury died of pneumonia resulting from AIDS at his home in London at the age of 45.
15	January	1992	Rock band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and country music legend, Johnny Cash were both inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
29	January	1992	Influential American blues singer, songwriter, upright bass player and guitarist, Willie Dixon died of heart failure in Burbank, California at the age of 76.
21	February	1992	American heavy metal rock band Pantera released their classic 6^th studio album ‘Vulgar Display Of Power’.
31	March	1992	English heavy metal rock band Def Leppard released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Adrenalize’.
20	April	1992	English indie rock icons, The Cure released their upbeat, commercial 10^th studio album, ‘Wish’.
21	April	1992	American rap rockers, Beastie Boys, released their 3^rd studio album, ‘Check Your Head’.
27	April	1992	Indie rock giants, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their great 7^th album, ‘Henry’s Dream’.
9	May	1992	American guitarist, singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen made his live American TV network debut on ‘Saturday Night Live’ with show host Tom Hanks.
21	July	1992	American alternative rock band Sonic Youth released their cult, cool, classic 8^th studio album, ‘Dirty’.
29	September	1992	American alternative rock band Alice In Chains released their sophomore studio album, ‘Dirt’.
6	October	1992	American rock band R.E.M. released their classic top‑selling studio album, ‘Automatic For The People’.
3	November	1992	American rock band Bon Jovi released their classic 5^th studio album, ‘Keep The Faith’.
10	November	1992	American rock band Rage Against The Machine released their outstanding and career defining eponymous debut album ‘Rage Against The Machine’.
9	December	1992	Although not officially announced until January 1993, English bass guitarist Bill Wyman left The Rolling Stones.
21	December	1992	Legendary American blues guitarist, Albert King died from a heart attack at his home in Memphis Tennessee at the age of 69, just 2 days after his last concert.
6	January	1993	English bass guitarist Bill Wyman officially announced that he was leaving The Rolling Stones after more than 3 decades with the band.
23	March	1993	English alternative/electronic rock band Depeche Mode released their 8^th studio album, ‘Songs Of Faith And Devotion’ in the UK.
20	April	1993	Emerging English alternative rock band Radiohead released their debut album, ‘Pablo Honey’ in the UK.
29	April	1993	English session guitarist, songwriter and producer who played extensively with David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars among others, Mick Ronson died from liver cancer in London at the age of 46.
23	August	1993	English new romantic band Duran Duran received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1770 Vine Street.
21	September	1993	American alternative grunge rock band, Nirvana released their 3^rd and final studio album, ‘In Utero’.
19	October	1993	American rock band Pearl Jam released their major 2^nd studio album, ‘Vs.’.
9	November	1993	American East Coast rappers Wu-Tang Clan released their incendiary debut studio album, ‘Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’.
19	November	1993	American grunge rock band Nirvana recorded their classic live acoustic concert and album, ‘MTV Unplugged In New York’ at Sony Music Studios.
23	November	1993	American rock band, Guns N’ Roses, released their 5^th studio album, ‘The Spaghetti Incident?’
24	November	1993	Legendary American blues/rock guitarist, nicknamed The ‘Master of the Telecaster’ and ‘The Ice Man’, Albert Collins died from lung cancer at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 61.
4	December	1993	Non-conformist American guitarist and composer extraordinaire, Frank Zappa died of prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 52.
1	February	1994	American pop punk rock band Green Day released their breakthrough 3^rd studio album, ‘Dookie’.
1	March	1994	American grunge band Nirvana played their last ever live concert, interrupted by a power cut, in Munich, Germany.
1	March	1994	American alternative rock artist, Beck released his 3^rd studio album, ‘Mellow Gold’.
8	March	1994	American alternative rock band, Nine Inch Nails released their career-peak 2^nd studio album, ‘The Downward Spiral’.
5	April	1994	American singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of grunge rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain died from a self‑inflicted shotgun wound in Seattle, Washington at the age of 27.
19	April	1994	Alternative rock band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their classic, career-defining 8^th studio album, ‘Let Love In’.
26	April	1994	American country music legend Johnny Cash embarked on a whole new period of his career with the release of his classic studio album, ‘American Recordings’.
27	April	1994	The famous San Francisco music venue the Fillmore reopened its doors at 1805 Geary Boulevard. It had been closed since 1989 after being damaged in an earthquake.
23	May	1994	Influential American virtuoso jazz guitarist, Joe Pass died from liver cancer in Los Angeles, California at the age 65.
24	May	1994	American rappers, Beastie Boys, released their classic 4^th studio album, ‘Ill Communication’ in the U.S.
14	July	1994	English rave band The Prodigy released their breakout 2^nd studio album ‘Music for the Jilted Generation’.
22	August	1994	Pioneering English trip-hop band, Portishead released their ground breaking debut studio album, ‘Dummy’.
23	August	1994	Acclaimed American singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Buckley released his first and only studio album, ‘Grace’. A modern classic.
26	September	1994	English trip-hop outfit, Massive Attack, released their great sophomore studio album, ‘Protection’ in the UK.
4	October	1994	Versatile American ‘redneck jazz’ guitarist Danny Gatton died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds at his home in Newburg, Maryland at the age of 49.
1	November	1994	American grunge band Nirvana released their impressive award-winning live album, ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’, 6 months after Kurt Cobain’s death.
5	December	1994	English indie rock group The Stone Roses released their sophomore studio album, ‘Second Coming’.
13	March	1995	English alternative rock band Radiohead released their breakout 2^nd studio album, ‘The Bends’ in the UK.
13	June	1995	Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and producer Alanis Morissette released her classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Jagged Little Pill’.
14	June	1995	Renowned Irish blues/rock guitarist Rory Gallagher died of MRSA following liver failure caused by medication and alcohol in London at the age of 47.
9	August	1995	American guitarist Jerry Garcia of psychedelic rock band Grateful Dead died from a heart attack while at a rehabilitation centre in California at the age of 53.
2	September	1995	12 years after it was founded, America’s homage to contemporary music, the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Museum opened on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio and was celebrated with an all-star concert.
26	September	1995	American alternative rock band Sonic Youth released their great 10^th studio album, ‘Washing Machine’.
2	October	1995	Australian artists, Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue released the haunting and elegiac duet single ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’.
7	November	1995	American alternative rock band Alice In Chains released their eponymous 3^rd studio album, ‘Alice In Chains’.
21	November	1995	American rock legend, Bruce Springsteen released his 11^th studio album, ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’.
17	January	1996	Music greats, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground were all inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
5	February	1996	Australian alternative rockers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their dark 9^th studio album, ‘Murder Ballads’.
16	April	1996	American alternative rock group Rage Against The Machine released their sophomore studio album, ‘Evil Empire’.
17	May	1996	American blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter and guitarist, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson died of a heart attack after collapsing on stage in Yokohama, Japan at the age of 61.
15	June	1996	Legendary American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died of complications from diabetes in Beverley Hills, California, at the age of 79.
18	June	1996	American alternative rock artist, Beck, released his classic, top-selling 5^th studio album, ‘Odelay’.
17	July	1996	English bass guitarist with R&B band The Animals and Jimi Hendrix’s manager, Chas Chandler died of an aneurism in Newcastle, at the age of 57.
10	September	1996	American alt-rock group R.E.M. released their classic 10^th studio album, ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’.
13	September	1996	American rapper Tupac Shakur died of gunshot wounds following a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 25.
19	September	1996	American jazz guitarist George Benson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7055 Hollywood Boulevard.
31	October	1996	English/American guitarist Slash announced that he was leaving rock band Guns N’ Roses after a relationship breakdown with the group’s lead singer Axl Rose.
2	November	1996	Sublime American singer and guitarist, known as ‘the songbird’, Eva Cassidy died from cancer in Bowie, Maryland at the age of 33.
10	January	1997	American soul legend James Brown received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1501 Vine Street.
12	February	1997	English singer and songwriter David Bowie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
4	March	1997	Alternative rock band, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds released their classic 10^th studio album, ‘The Boatman’s Call’.
9	March	1997	American rapper Christopher Wallace (a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.) was shot and killed in Los Angeles, California at the age of 24.
11	March	1997	English former member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London.
7	April	1997	British dance/electronica/big beat duo, The Chemical Brothers, released their massive studio album, ‘Dig Your Own Hole’ in the UK.
14	April	1997	English electronic/alternative rock band Depeche Mode released their classic 9^th studio album, ‘Ultra’ in the UK.
29	May	1997	Renowned American singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Buckley died tragically from accidental drowning in Wolf River Harbor, Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 30.
4	June	1997	English bass guitarist and founder of rock band Small Faces, Ronnie Lane died from pneumonia resulting from multiple sclerosis in Trinidad, Colorado at the age of 51.
16	June	1997	English alternative rock band Radiohead released their top-selling 3^rd studio album, ‘OK Computer’ in the UK.
30	June	1997	British rave band, Prodigy, released their massive zeitgeist‑defining 3^rd studio album, ‘The Fat Of The Land’ in the UK.
22	August	1997	German industrial metal rock band Rammstein released their massive 2^nd studio album, ‘Sensucht’ (translated crudely as ‘Desire’).
11	September	1997	American blues legend John Lee Hooker received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
30	September	1997	English trip-hop band, Portishead released their eponymous sophomore album, ‘Portishead’ in the UK.
12	October	1997	American folk singer, songwriter and guitarist John Denver died tragically in plane crash in Monterey Bay, California, at the age of 53.
19	October	1997	American guitarist, best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Glen Buxton, died of complications from pneumonia in a hospital in Mason City, Iowa at the age of 49.
10	November	1997	Highly-regarded American session guitarist and one of the most recorded musicians in popular music history, Tommy Tedesco died of lung cancer in Northridge, California at the age of 67.
22	November	1997	Australian singer and front man of the rock band INXS, Michael Hutchence committed suicide in Sydney, Australia at the age of 37.
19	January	1998	American singer, songwriter and guitarist, Carl Perkins died from throat cancer in Jackson-Madison County Hospital, Tennessee, at the age of 65.
30	January	1998	English pop singer and songwriter Sir Elton John received his knighthood from Her Majesty The Queen.
19	February	1998	Legendary American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard.
20	April	1998	English trip-hop outfit, Massive Attack, released their classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Mezzanine’ in the UK.
14	May	1998	American singer and actor, Frank Sinatra died from a heart attack at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82.
6	July	1998	Legendary American singer, guitarist and actor, nicknamed the ‘King of the Cowboys’, Roy Rogers died of heart failure in Apple Valley, California at the age of 86.
25	July	1998	American virtuoso jazz guitarist, Tal Farlow died of oesophageal cancer in New York City at the age of 77.
17	August	1998	Mexican-American guitar legend Carlos Santana received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
15	September	1998	American heavy metal rock artist, Marilyn Manson released his massively successful classic 3^rd studio album, ‘Mechanical Animals’.
24	September	1998	American icon and rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
1	October	1998	American guitarist, singer and songwriter and founder of rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.
2	October	1998	American country & western ‘singing cowboy’ Gene Autry died of lymphoma at his home in Studio City, California at the age of 91.
6	October	1998	American rock band Queens Of The Stone Age (QOTSA) released their self-titled debut album, ‘Queens Of The Stone Age’.
13	October	1998	The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, founded by English blues/rock guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, opened its doors to help clients with drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
3	November	1998	American alternative rock singer, songwriter, musician and producer, Beck, released his 6^th studio album, ‘Mutations’, the follow up to the massive ‘Odelay’.
29	November	1998	American jazz pioneer of the 7-string guitar, George Van Eps, died of pneumonia in Newport Beach, California at the age of 85.
25	December	1998	English pop/rock band, The Beatles, received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
30	December	1998	American surf rock band The Beach Boys received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.
15	March	1999	Legendary American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
28	April	1999	American rock band Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard.
17	May	1999	Award-winning American singer, songwriter, guitarist, electronica musician and producer Moby released his mega-successful 5^th studio album, ‘Play’.
15	June	1999	After a long break, American Latin rock band Santana released their highly successful 17^th studio album, ‘Supernatural’.
16	June	1999	English rock singer, drummer and member of progressive rock band Genesis, Phil Collins received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.
24	June	1999	English blues/rock guitarist, Eric Clapton auctioned many of his guitars in New York City. The proceeds were used in support of the Crossroads Centre he founded in Antigua as a residential treatment centre for alcohol and chemical dependencies.
11	August	1999	American rock band KISS received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
7	September	1999	American virtuoso guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Steve Vai released his astonishing 5^th studio album, ‘The Ultra Zone’.
2	November	1999	American alternative rock band Rage Against The Machine released their 3^rd studio album, ‘The Battle Of Los Angeles’ in the UK.
23	November	1999	American alternative rock artist, Beck, released his adventurous 7^th studio album, ‘Midnite Vultures’.
17	December	1999	American smooth jazz, funk and soul saxophonist, Grover Washington Jr. died of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 56.
26	December	1999	Highly acclaimed American soul singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Curtis Mayfield, died from complications of diabetes in a hospital in Roswell, Georgia at the age of 57.

Tailpiece

The 1990s was certainly a strange decade both musically and culturally, notably as a segue to the 21^st Century. While it seems very recent, it is actually receding into long‑term memory, thereby affecting our perceptions of what it meant to us at the time. Still to come, the new millennium is temptingly beckoning and it will prove as frustrating as it was liberating.

Now… we have a minor problemo. I was hoping to conclude this series of articles conveniently in December at the very end of the current decade. However, there are still one, two or maybe even three articles still to write before we are done. December 2019’s article will therefore, ceteris paribus, interrupt the sequence in that it will cover a summary of 2019 through the eyes of CRAVE Guitars, meaning that the ‘History of Modern Music’ will resume early in 2020, all being well. This series has been a gargantuan task thus far, so perhaps a short break in proceedings won’t do any harm. Heaven knows what will follow after it has been concluded though. Looking into the crystal ball of the future is largely futile, so I’ll have to start thinking hard about the ‘next big thing’ very soon. However, that can wait for next year/decade. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “It is a moral travesty that, if you have got everything, you think you can get away with anything.”

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