Albums That Were Important to Tosh in 1995

 

These six albums were a significant find for me in 1995. Scott Walker's "Tilt" is a masterpiece. They are basically sound pieces with singing. And the lyrics were on another level as well. There was no going back home after this album. It took no prisoners. Bowie with his "Outside" project was also his first real avant-pop album. There are the Side B recordings from "Low and "Heroes," but this was very much a forward approach to music from David, Eno, and others. I was so excited to hear this album, and I wasn't disappointed.

I discovered Pulp's "Different Class" while crossing the Shibuya Tokyo Station. There was a giant video screen on the side of the building, and they were playing the video to "Common People." I immediately went over to the HMV music store to hear the album. It was love at first listening. The lyrics, Jarvis's voice, the musicians, arrangements, and the superb production from Chris Thomas, this is an instant classic.

The Tindersticks' second album was a beautiful relationship between orchestration and voice. It reminds me a bit of The Bad Seeds, but more soulful.

The first Elastica album was another opening to the current British world, and I remember loving this album. The same goes for Tricky's first album, which introduces me to a mixture of dark sounds with rap. The combination of the sound of dread, mixed with Tricky's moody vocals and the sweetness of Martina Copley-Bird's singing, was an incredible mix. I love how he embraced the experimental with the low-level groove. 1995 was an excellent year for music.