After watching and reviewing American Teen this week, and listening to Party Ben’s old, obscure cuts from the Cure, I got to thinking about how music enhanced many of my angry, sad, and mopey days as a teenager in the late ’80s/early ’90s.
At risk of completely dating/pigeonholing myself, here are a few choice cuts:
“Plainsong,” The Cure: I have no idea how a pudgy, pale-faced, crazy-haired English guy in high-tops helped make my blues go away, but somehow it worked.
“Head Like a Hole,” Nine Inch Nails: The lyrics “I’d rather die than give you control” seem really tough when you’ve got zits on your face and you’re pissed at your dad for making you mow the lawn.
“Never Let Me Down Again,” Depeche Mode: I couldn’t get enough of their moody, droopy keyboard loops and overly dramatic vocals. My tape player’s rewind button took some serious abuse as I listened to this little ditty over and over again.
“Perfect Kiss,” New Order: I’m actually not totally embarrassed about this one. New Order is still cool; although not as cool as Joy Division.
“Heaven or Las Vegas,” by the Cocteau Twins: I have no idea what the hell vocalist Elizabeth Fraser was singing about in this song or any Cocteau Twins song for that matter, but I was a total sucker for the band’s slinky, lush guitars and reverb.
