In the right mood for mud: English Festivals

"September is here again", sang eternal David Sylvian in 1987.
Glastonbury Festival set June to fire, and Reading (and Leeds) Festival unplugged its plugs last Sunday night.
Therefore even this year I've not gone to any of the two most suggestive and symbolic festival ever (to me).
I still go to concerts and I'm happy to necessarily take planes to reach the venue; I went to festivals, got soaked with rain, beer and sweat (mine and others'), longed for a real toilet, yet enjoyed the experience thoroughly.
But, I feel there's a kind of... void anyway.
I've been planning to squeeze myself into the crowd of one of the two UK festivals since I first handled a precious copy of New Musical Express and read epic reviews of epic concerts, some 20 years ago.
Postponing after postponing I'm here, 36 and counting, and progressively less eager to share an ocean of mud with 50.000 people. Especially when you get Beyoncè (Glasto) or My Chemical Romance (Reading) as headliners (I mean, I've nothing against them, I even like them, but it's definitely not my cup of tea).
Anyway,
since this blog is meant to talk about 90s, here's something from the poster above:

Manic Street Preachers* - Revol (1994)

*: when they were still cool

Suede** - Metal Mickey (1992)

**: everlastingly cool

The Cardigans*** - Sick and tired (1994)

***: jewel of a song, jewel of an album.

August, 1991

As everyone knows, "Nevermind" was released in August 1991.
Exactly 20 years ago.
Is there still something to add about this album?
Yes, I do think so. And I'm sure you're pining to know what it meant and still means to me, its role in my... musical education, and... and sooner or later your curiosity will be fulfilled. I'll write a post about it someday.
(omg, 1991... I was 16, my hair was longer than Eddie Vedder's, I weighed almost 20 kilos less than now, and... man, the 90s had just begun!)
Anyway...
in that very same month other milestones of (indie / pop / alt) music saw the light of day.
From my beloved brit bishops Blur and their first album "Leisure", to riot grrrl goddesses Hole ("Pretty on the inside"), from trip-hop fathers Massive Attack (monumental "Blue lines") to seminal "Ten" by Pearl Jam, not forgetting Metallica's "Black album", Cypress Hill, and... er... Spin Doctors.
Talking about singles that colored record shop shelves in that fiery August 1991, here are some.
Even some multi-million selling artists, for once.
Enjoy.

Smashing Pumpkins - Siva* (August 1991)

*: those colors, those blurred images, Billy Corgan's not bald head...
I think my heart stopped for some seconds

PJ Harvey - Dress** (August 1991)

**: Polly's first ever single.

Metallica - Enter sandman (August 1991)


R.E.M. - Near wild heaven*** (August 1991)

***: admit it, you do love "Out of time", as everbody else.
Pop at its best.

Hole - Teenage whore (August 1991)