So as we draw closer to the release of our new album, I (Derek) will also be narrowing down towards the end of my “albums that started it all”. This may be the final one…but who knows, maybe I’ll sneak another in 😼
The small recollection of albums wouldn’t be complete without Bush’s “Sixteen Stone”. I would say that (obsession-wise) this one follows right after Silverchair “Frogstomp”. And, for me, this record wasn’t so much guitar inspiration (although it was), but was more so inspiration on being a band in general.
In the mid-90’s there was a point I can clearly remember where every girl wanted Gavin Rossdale, and every guy wanted to be him. TBH, he could sing a phonebook and I would listen to it. Not only does he have a great voice, but he has a mystique about him which you don’t see often anymore…🤩
But alas, this tale isn’t about Bush’s frontman, it’s about the ALBUM! And here’s what I loved about it. 1) Space. Sublety. Lost arts! This album breathes so well. As I re-listen while writing this, I still hear so many nuances that I never heard before. And I listened to this CD hundreds of times as a teenager. 2) Lyrics. What are Gavin’s lyrics about?? He acts like he knows, but I don’t think he knows. They are stream of consciousness lyrics (albeit influenced/stolen from some great poets), and although I don’t necessarily write the same way, I envy them because they WORK so well. You can still feel everything he sings about, and although your brain may not know what it means, your soul knows. HAHAHHAHAHAA! True tho.
And let’s not forget about the sheer amount of hits that came from this album!! Comedown. Little Things. Everything Zen (my introduction to slide guitar). Machinehead (one of the defining songs of the 90’s). Glycerine (GLYCERINE). This album received so much flack for being a Nirvana ripoff…I disagree 100%. I think that stigma overshadowed a great album. Still inspirational…still worthy of listen from start to finish 💯
***EDIT***
I did go back and listen to some of the latter Bush recordings after this. I rescind my phonebook statement.
