90’s Albums that Changed My Life By Richard Hoffay
The 90’s were a great era for music. MTV was still showing music videos and had yet to dive deep into the reality TV landscape it would later become. Grunge made it big in 1991 with the release of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, and it in turn drove the sales and interest of all bands from 
Seattle. The band for me that rose above the rest was Soundgarden, and their third album, Badmotorfinger, released in October of 1991, was enough to really catch my attention. It took a while for it to trickle down to me. It was probably out a full year when I read an article in one of my guitar magazines where they interviewed their guitarist, Kim Thayil. Up to this point I was primarily into the guitar heroes from the past, the likes of Duane Allman, Jimmy page, and Eric Clapton was enough for my young beginner guitarist brain to handle. However Kim Thayil was something different altogether. With his huge black beard, Guild guitars and bizarre tunings, he was the first guy that made me realize you don't need to do it like everyone else does it. I also felt that Chris Cornell was the ultimate frontman, his vocal range was incredible, and for me his tone was perfect. “Slaves and Bulldozers” was a high point for me, as was “Mind Riot”, a trippy song where Thayil had all his strings tuned to E, coupled with a perfect melody by Cornell. They followed up Badmotorfinger in 1994 with Superunknown, which by all accounts was a better album, but by then I knew what to expect from them. “Badmotorfinger” is where it started for me.
In the spring of ‘92 I remembered I was frantically finishing up some yard work for the old lady next door so I could pick up a quick $20 cash. The day before I was over at my friend’s house after school and that’s when I first heard Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power. I had to have it. My sister
was driving at the time and promised to bring me to Record n’ Such.. She drove an old ‘78 Thunderbird back then complete with the headlight doors and spoked hubcaps, and we all felt we were traveling in a pimp ride, the only thing lacking was the tint. That album was groundbreaking for me because of the unfettered angst and aggressiveness that was a hallmark of most kids of my generation, and Dimebag Darryl’s riffs just added fuel to the fire which burned at many a keg party that summer. His style was also something new for that genre, it was no doubt heavy but with a feel that was laid back at times, though his leads were something that none of us aspiring youngblood guitarists could even fathom nor remotely imitate. Vinnie Paul’s drumming was also unique, for although the band was clearly deliberate metal, he played almost with a groove feel that set him apart from his contemporaries. “Mouth for War”, “Regular People”, and the mournful “Hollow” were the standouts for me, but the album is best known for “Walk”, played throughout countless high school locker rooms for pre match hype around that time. It was a song that crossed over and exposed many youth to metal that up to that point were listening to Kasey’s Top 40.
Fast forward to early 1996 for my next album. Roots by the Brazilian metal band Sepultura, led by the brothers Cavalera, Max and Igor. The boys and I were already keen on Sepultura, their 1993 album Chaos AD was heavy in our rotation. We saw them open for Pantera along with Biohazard 
in support of Pantera’s 1994 “Far Beyond Driven” release, and for my money, Sepultura was the best of the three that night. Their style seemed to be a bit slower paced but more deliberate, but no less heavy. When Roots was released I felt they took it to the next level. I wore that disc out. It was a bit heavier but also had a heavy tribal influence. I found that interesting and it kept me coming back. “Born Stubborn”, “Roots, Bloody Roots”, “Itsari”, and “Ambush” were favorites of mine, and there was even a guest appearance by Jonathan David of Korn of the growing Nu-metal scene on the song “Look Away”. There was even a hidden track at the end, and we had to wait until Spotify to learn the name of the song was “Canyon Jam”, a nearly twelve minute percussion piece. Sadly Max left the band shortly after this release and the band was never the same after that.
It was shortly after this that my taste shifted. I started playing more acoustic and figured out I could sing. I started digging out some of my mom's old records and discovered who would become my most profound influence- Neil Young. His album Ragged Glory, although released in 1991 was 
discovered by me until late 2000 when I was stationed up at Ft Drum. I already had most of Neil’s old stuff, the classic Everybody Knows this is No where was the soundtrack to many a late night card game in the barracks. I learned most of the Neil songs on guitar through my time there, for the place was an icebox in the winter and being underage, I couldn't get in any of the clubs. When I bought Ragged Glory at the Salmon Run Mall and popped it in my CD player on the way back to the barracks, it hit just right. I instantly connected to the opening track “Country Home”, for simple as it was, mirrored my desire to return to my family farm after the chaos experienced during my time in the military, and it felt good knowing my discharge date was approaching and it filled me with optimism for opening the next chapter of life. Neil’s style of running small, vintage amps pushed to the max became a hallmark of my sound which remains to this day. To hear an example of this, one needs to listen no further than “Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)” to understand what I mean. “Over and Over” is another favorite of mine, a ten minute jam that’s still in my rotation all these years later.
Last but not least, I have to mention The Refreshments, Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, released in 1996. This one wasn’t on my radar for at least ten years after its release. Around 2006 I met who turned into my long time consistent collaborator, Don Ackerman. I asked him to play drums on a bunch of originals I wrote, and throughout the process we discovered we were both big Neil Young supporters. He turned me on to The Refreshments, who only ended up having two albums, and the best one was the first one, Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy. From the first track to the last, it’s hard to find a bad song. I did recognize “Banditos”, which had some airplay upon its release. Around that time I took a solo trip to New
Mexico and it was my soundtrack driving the dusty roads as I tramped all over the state, from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Demming, Gila National Forest, and all points in between. Personally, I was at another fork in the road, and this time in the west was the last time for a long time I would enjoy unfettered freedom and solitude, and Roger Clyne and company were along for the ride. A little over produced for my usual taste, but the songs are just mustard. “Down Together”, “Mexico”, “Nada”. All great I have to say that the music that came out of the 90’s was some of the best, rivaled only by the late 60’s early 70’s, but that's a story for another day. There was something for everyone and enough of the genres were crossing over into the mainstream and back again. There were many others I could have mentioned, Pearl Jam’s Vs, Nirvana’s In Utero, Pantera’s Far beyond Driven, and Neil Young’s two follow ups to Ragged Glory, Sleeps With Angels, and Broken Arrow. It was a great time for a young kid to grow up and we for sure had a great soundtrack.
