This is England 1990 is soon to be shown on TV.
Bargepole asks, what were you up to in the 90’s, what memories do you have of that time, and of course if there is a piece of music that captures your reminisences….
Looking Back
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My first full year after a ghastly relationship breakdown, including a rebound fling with a married woman and much boozing interspersed/intertwined with maudlin self pity. I was big on Everything But The Girl, this one being good in particularly dark moments.
The nineties were my decade. I’m 37, born at the start of 1978, and so I couldn’t really be much more a 90s child.
Everything important happened to me during those 10 years: I got a scholarship to a school which, for better and worse, changed my life. Found pop music – proper, obsessive fandom. The Cure, grunge, Britpop, still unapologetically in love with chart pop and metal, discovered hip hop. Got genuinely good at a small number of things and became me.
I think for people born at the time I was, the 90s is as much a cultural watershed as the 60s was for the boomers. We tend to talk a bit less about it, I think, but it was huge.
I suppose I could post something a bit off-radar to prove that I had a genuinely alternative 90s, but I didn’t. What I did have, especially in the second half of the decade, was the most blissful time a boy could ever have hoped for. So here’s our national anthem: Mis-shapes.
I turned 40 this year Bob and know exactly what you mean. The 90s felt very important and like it or loathe it Britpop was a genuine movement that occurred from literally my 18th Birthday to my 22nd. It was great.
1991, made redundant which was the start of a downward spiral. I made bad choices with a business, jobs and women but got through it with the help of friends. 1994 saw things start to improve a bit, having got an OK job through an old friend. In ’96 I went freelance and in ’97 met the woman who would become my wife. Not all plain sailing since then but ’96 was the turning point. Incidentally, the person who was briefly my boss before I went freelance was Jon King, formerly of Gang of Four.
My piece of music……… I’m torn between Chris Isaak’s Blue Hotel and Pulp’s Disco 2000. We used to fall asleep to the Wicked Game album at my place and the downstairs neighbour at my then girlfriend’s place used to play Different Class on repeat.
I liked the second half of the 90s. It felt like I was in control of my life for the first time.
Met Jon King at an executive seminar around 07/08. He was very interested in the role I had at the time and we met for a couple of lunches. He seemed a very decent bloke. OK boss?
Yes, seemed like a nice chap for the short time I worked under him. It was a sound/video gear hire company and he was the manager. When I asked him what he’d been doing since GoF, he said he’d been working on a lot of car launches (big budget shows in those days). IIRC, he was sound designer, certainly a senior role. I don’t think he stayed at the hire company for all that long.
I spent most of the 90s watching Liverpool FC being shite. I don’t find it difficult to relate to those days.
1991 living in Leeds, aged 25, own a house, company car, living the Thatcherite dream I had been fed. and about to get married then…she calls it off six weeks before the wedding.
I moved on and met my current other half a couple of years later and we are still together with two lovely kids.
My break up tune was this which I used to play at full volume in the car for a few months after the event.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-UzXIQ5vw
1990 was the 3rd year of my Apprenticeship. 40 19/20 year olds shoved together with a common purpose and, often, common interests. It was work and learning, but an awful lot of drinking and sodding about too.
Money was for two things – beer and music. From the late 80s to about 92, I was attending at least one gig a week, and both Donnington and Reading Festivals in the summer months.
And then in 1992, I suffered what, in retrospect, I can only describe as a mid-life crisis, and basically cut myself off from all forms of socialising and went and got married for no other reason than “it seemed like a good idea at the time”.
Beer and music took a back seat for several years whilst 2 mini-mes entered the world. What “seemed like a good idea at the time” wasn’t, and by the end of the decade I was medicated to the eyeballs and a very messy divorce didn’t help matters.
Somehow, I kept functioning at work sufficiently to achieve a couple of promotions, retaining at least some dignity and self worth. But a 30 year old moving back into their teenage bedroom doesn’t exactly give you a feeling of achievement, does it?
The 90s really only existed properly for me in the first couple of years, and the last 2 years (my recovery years). Outside of the big bands (Oasis, Blur, Pulp etc), Britpop (or at least the “I was there” Britpop) for me really only existed via Shine compilations.
Two songs to represent the decade?
The recovery song was Strong by Robbie Williams – not exactly a “classic of it’s time, or indeed usual Afterword territory, but the narrative (or at least the underlying narrative as I read it) seemed to give me the kick up the arse I needed to get my brain re-wired.
The first song comes from 1991, and was the soundtrack to Apprentice House Parties.
Carter USM – Surfin USM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l6vTw97QWs
A big decade in my life. I started it finishing my A-Levels and going off to university, and finished it established in my career (after a couple of false starts), and on the very last night of the decade, in a churchyard on Dartmoor, I asked the lady who is still the Official Kid Dynamite Wife to marry me.
I made my best and most long lasting friends in that decade, realised there was more to life than the cultural desert of Plymouth, discovered gigs and clubbing, left home, left Europe for the first time, went vegetarian, did things I still won’t tell my parents about…it is undoubtedly the decade that went more than any other towards making me the man I am today.
I drank in far too much music to pick out any one track, but here’s something from one of the very best bands of the time, and one I saw at either end of the decade (1991 at Nottingham Poly, 1999 in the East Wing of the Brighton Centre)
A game of two halves as they say – from 1990 to 1995 I was juggling what was a successful career move for me with a rapidly deteriorating marriage. Met my current wife in 1995 and the second half of the decade I was blissfully happy. Daughter born in 1999 so the decade as a whole was a good one.Music was pretty similar to what I am listening to now – Americana had taken hold of me but without doubt by best find of the decade was Jackie Leven. His songs will always endure for me.
Began the decade aged 25, in a relationship that had gone on far too long, and ended it in another relationship of a similar stripe. To counter the awfulness of said relationships, I worked with the energy of a dervish at its most whirling, and did all manner of apparently ‘sexy’ jobs, in telly, magazines and personal training. Much adrenaline. As a further counter/distraction from those relationships, I became a decent marathon runner and kick boxer, but injured myself doing both, because they seemed to be my only route out of the day to day hell.
I got married – that was the second of the relationships – but I genuinely couldn’t tell you what year that was.
It wasn’t until well into the noughties and my forties, and a new calling as a psychotherapist, that pennies started dropping like hailstones on a very hailstoney night, and the abuse I’d suffered throughout my early years was properly faced. Now, in my fifties, life is magnificent.
So yeah, the 90s weren’t the best of times, though there were peaks aplenty amidst the nonsense. Laid, by James, captures some of that doomed ecstatic craziness. And, aptly enough, this cli is of them doing it at the IOW festival this year, which I attended with my lovely 14 year old daughter, born in the noughts.
‘born in the noughties’, that should’ve said…
I’m not sure what happened. I had an excellent 1980s and approached the 90s with confidence and optimism. Once I hit my mid twenties, doubts started to creep in and although I had (and still have) fantastic friends – I did fall apart a bit, noggin-wise. I had a couple of soul-crushing jobs in that period, which didn’t help.
McAlmont and Butler’s Yes was really helpful as a defiant “fight song” (this sounds a bit silly to say now). As was Narayana by Prodigy, for some reason. As was the 90s Depeche Mode material, which was right on the money. Songs of Faith and Devotion remains a difficult listen for me, even though I love it.
Things started improving in 1997ish when I started working in central London and I met the future Mrs Celebration. I moved to NZ in 1999. Despite having brilliant kids and a GLW that I do not deserve, I’m still not back to 80s levels of grins, but I’m getting there.
Looking back, I think it’s important to remain optimistic, no matter what. Those pinholes of light are the ones to travel towards because, ultimately, you either do that or wither away.
Ah the 90s, fell in love with my best friend’s ex and turned down a job offer in California to stay (in Switzerland) afyer she begged me not to go. She then rejected me, followed by a move back home and some inappropriate long range relationships started on the burgeoning internet. Bought a property at the right time which later enabled me to live through long unemployment periods.
The end of the decade found me back in Switzerland, travelling around the world in businrss class and lonely …
Ministry at The Barras on the Psalm 69 tour, a night of inebriated madness.
Type O Negative at the Glasgow Garage, my favourite gig. EVAH!
A really good night out with work colleagues, before it all fell apart.
Getting this house and my own B-B-Q.
An epic shit.
Graduated in 1990, went traveling to France and stayed on a kibbutz in Israel for a year, qualified as a teacher in ’92, moved to London and spent the rest of the decade teaching until I left in 2000 (only to return twice after that). These were the clubbing and drinking/drug years (a hang-over of my university days) and I really don’t remember much (probably for the best).
Got a head of department job in ’95, left the guy I was living with, met my now-ex husband, and had to stop burning the candle at both ends.
Got married in ’98; my father died just before this.
An eventful decade of too much of everything. I can quite glad to see the back of my 20s. Lots of great music and nights out but too many thoughtless decisions which still have reverberations.
That was a bit more gloomy than I thought it would be.
Yes mine seems a bit neg. Other than 1990 is was a fab decade – met and married Mrs.T, lived in Paris for 3 years, workwise it was good, socially great, and late 1999 got offered my boss’s job so back to Paris for 3 years in which time Twang Jr arrived and changed everything for ever.
I was 15 when the 90’s started, full of optimism. I still had that by the of the end of the decade, it was a great time, university, drinking, no responsibilities to any great degree. It was Euro 96, Gazza scoring that goal (as a Scotsman it was a knife in the chest), and lots of great music.
I know they are not thought of well in these parts but this is my 90’s song. I saw them twice, at Loch Lomond and in Glasgow and they were two of my favourite gigs. I guess you had to be there….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHvLCTvLU_c
The 90’s started off with the opportunity to move to LA with my job – I grabbed it, spent a few years there and it was a life-transforming experience.
The biggest regret I have is that I came home. My company was taken over and I was offered a job by the acquirer but in Sticksville Virginia or pay-off. Taking the money was the easy decision but then a job was offered to me by a friend back home, on home turf. So I would be able to go straight back into something, near friends & family, with no worries or I could have hung in LA to find something new. Yes it would be uncertain – and with visa challenges – so I bottled it and came home. Why didn’t I give it 6 months?? Where would I be now?
The rest of the decade turned out well – got married, first child born – but I missed the chance to carry on the excitement of being out there. Bugger.
I used to haunt the CD shops- Yes, Tower on Sunset but got the most stuff from Moby Disc in Sherman Oaks with their promotional copies. A couple of $ meant you could try anything, such as..
What would have happened to you if you’d stayed in LA, Tim?
You’d have doubtless got hitched to some frightful Hollywood Wife with enormous synthetic boobs who thought that Serge was a bloke from Russia and Gainsborough a town in Yorkshire.
My blood runs cold at the thought.
Fair point and that actually was part of the reason for backing out of town at that time…
But, even so, would have been a laugh…..
A hectic time, bringing up four young kids, working crazy hours and trying to fit in time to study as well.
Free time was a precious rare commodity – good times, bad times …..
Used to listen to Lambchop a lot, late night music, slowly nodding off in the armchair…
I was 16 in 1990. So university in 1992, graduated in 1996, by 1998 I got my first professional break and in 1999 I met my wife (who I am still with).
Between all that I took a ton of drugs and danced my ass off. Lots of festivals, raves, gigs, my music obsession was at its peak then. New music was good, and old music was there to be discovered.
However, odd as it may seem, I also spent a huge portion of that decade depressed as hell. I was so lonely. I was mostly drunk and constantly stoned. On the outside I probably looked cool but I was seeing a shrink by 1997. So an intense decade. I was way happier in my 30s.
Underworld probably sum up that decade for me better than anyone else. I was obsessed by them
Married to the same wonderful women all through the 90s and in the same job as well. In fact the same as now!
And we moved to the lovely house and village we still live in.
In and out of hospital, which has been a common theme since the 80s!
Not a bad decade, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a rotten one!
Whoops forgot my piece of music, just coming in at the end of the decade was my favorite album of the 90s.
The 90s.
Started University in 1990 and graduated in 94. Fell in love with someone wonderful which lasted a few years and took me ages to get over.
Worked for a big company, and a little one and ended the decade working in a job that was tremendous fun.
Lost the remaining three grandparents. Had an alright car crash – no injuries – and underwent bullying in the workplace.
Went through a period of really bad depression and came out the other side, just about.
And started refereeing, which became and remains an incredibly important part of my life. I’ve met great people, seen places and things I wouldn’t have otherwise (match ball being presented at West Point by the parachute team), and gotten immediate access to social networks wherever I’ve moved.
All in all – OK. Let’s not talk about the 00s.
Music? Need to think about that
Ah! The 90s…
Left school in ’91 & went to art college alone as my best friend, who should’ve joined with me, went off the rails & got knocked up at 16 by a local smack head. I also met my psycho ex-boyfriend who popped my cherry. I went on to spend the best part of this decade with this utter splaff who also treated me like total shite (yep, domestic abuse- but I LOVED him!!! Ffs)
Completed this course & discovered in the process that, although I really love art, I didn’t possess a fraction of the talent & ambition displayed by the other students. So I did my A Levels next. Then it was off to Uni for English Lit which was going pretty well until I shagged my cousin in order to extricate myself from the hellish relationship I was enduring- whoops, I got pregnant & had a termination.
Head thoroughly mashed, I dropped out of uni as I was about to complete my dissertation. My one regret, right there…
The terrible relationship finally imploded, I caught the ‘ flu from a nightclub & lost half my body weight in the process. Once recovered, I took to being a bit of a ‘lady sex pirate’ as Caitlin Moran would say & enjoyed experiencing other people’s beds for a while until I met the magnificent Mr andielou in 1998. I also started working as a Teaching Assistant, which I still am now.
We had an amazingly indulgent, drug & drink-fuelled end of the decade until I became pregnant in 1999. I sadly lost him but we soon concieved our daughter in the new millenium & there it all changed as we settled down (kinda).
Can’t post from my phone but my song choice is Oh Dear’ by Six By Seven. It’s a brilliant slow burner of a track & it’s also one of ‘our songs’. I would also have to choose ‘It’s Not Me’ by Supergrass as it was such an important album to me from very dark times.
And I thought my 90s were exciting……fair play to ya 🙂
Hmm. As the 90s began I was attempting a corporate career, and aiming for the dizzy heights of middle management. Spoiler alert – I didn’t make it. I was living in the North East, and regular visits to the Riverside (the proper one, not the new one) made the whole thing fun. Missed the Oasis gig though.
By the mid 90s I was apparently getting ready to settle down – just not with any of the people I was seeing. I had already met the love of my life. It was just that we didn’t realise it. And when I did, she was with someone else (so was I probably). Then both of us (mostly) single we had dinner. Within the year we were married, couple of years later the corporate ladder was behind me and life of joyful and stress free self employment lay ahead (this is a lie).
Despite by this time living in Madchester I never dropped an E or went to a rave, but stuck with the old jingly gangly guitars. (note that I said I, not we)
Millenium eve was interesting mainly because of the rejected proposal by GLWs best mate to her boyfriend. Sort of thing you remember. Particularly when you all have to stay together for the evening.
Kids awaited in the 21st Century.
What was the soundtrack? Probably should be Stone Roses or Oasis because we lived in Altrincham. But I would go for “our tune” – Smells like Teen Spirit, and one of the two tunes that never leaves my head and spins along most days – Twisterella (the other one is Tomorrow Never Knows).
The best ten years of my life, no worries.I was a manager in the retail trade, working for a BIG Scottish retail company. I was staid, reliable, conservative and perhaps slightly boring when I met G. Younger by 14 years, tall, a model body and a thrill seeker, a big time thrill seeker, but she liked me. She came to my flat for Xmas Day 1989 and never moved out… well not until 2000. She thrilled me, she challenged me and by heck she was *F*U*N*. It went tits up obviously, multiple affairs on her part, but golly I resenteth not one iota, not now, but it was hard at the time. I do not look back in anger. Our song? “Constant Craving” …. she would sit atop me and sing this song……
Too much information, geach!
Yep
I’m a similar age to @disappointmentbob, starting the decade as a weedy 12 year old with braces and rapidly diminishing self-esteem (the joys of an all boys school there) and ending it just starting the job I’m still in now, self esteem partially restored.
Didn’t do much crazy stuff (think the most outrageous thing I did was some dodgy college satire that nearly got a mate and I kicked out of the common room) but looking back, my adolescence fitted almost exactly into the 90s. If I think what I was like in 1990 and then in 1999, crumbs, it was a bit of a change.
Music wise, tough. Thought I’d go for this from the start of the decade (which I loved, and am unapologetic about even though I was completely clueless to the subject matter):
(The Shamen – Ebeneezer Goode)
And then this from near the end, which I played loads in the winter of my final year at University.
I think then, aside from now, was the time in my life I was happiest – probably not best reflected by the song!
(Elliott Smith – Waltz # 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL1ly1GMwwc
Turned 15 in 1990 and had just caught the tail end of the Stone Roses. Not a bad introduction to the decade that was to follow.
6th form college followed which was a great time. My beloved Llanelli Scarlets winning everything that was winnable. Out Of Time and Nevermind being the soundtrack to those 2 years. Andrew Harrison once labelled 1992 as the worst year in music history. It might have been, but it was the year I spent listening to some fantastic music including those 2 above. Felt great! Also Automatic for the People was released in 1992. That alone rescues it surely!
Nottingham University and a year abroad in France and Spain followed and the decade was bookended by my first love and meeting my wife to be.
Never will I encounter a decade with such change. The world of work put pay to that but I look back at it extremely fondly as anyone should when they look at the years from 15-25 with any luck.
Choosing a song from that period to mark it. Almost impossible but I go along with a number of people who believe this to be one of THE great pop songs. An obvious choice perhaps but fuck it, I was obvious then.
Oh and @dogfacedboy when’s the Britpop podcast?? You have one willing contributor here! 🙂