‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°528 – Vintage 90s Videos

1 . Megadeth – Train Of Consequences

“Train of Consequences” by Megadeth delivers a relentless critique of ambition fueled by gambling, wrapped in the band’s trademark thrash-inspired sound. While its polished production mirrored the band’s mid-’90s evolution, the track still retains a raw energy, propelled by pounding riffs and Mustaine’s snide delivery. Its presence as the leading single from *Youthanasia* gave it commercial traction, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. A music video, interspersing band performance with darkly thematic scenes, captured the ruinous allure of risk-taking, resonating with MTV’s mid-decade viewers—and earning a noteworthy spot in their broadcast cycle. Despite mixed fan reaction to the album’s more melodic direction, the song’s biting edge ensured its place in Megadeth’s legacy. Played live during their world tour and resurfacing years later on compilation and live albums, this track stands as both a product of its time and a testament to the band’s adaptability.

Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “O Baby” sways unexpectedly into radiant pop territory, a tonal shift from their shadow-drenched catalog. Siouxsie’s voice brims with unguarded optimism, a striking departure that is underscored by buoyant instrumentation. The music video, filmed amidst a surreal and unsettling children’s beauty pageant, juxtaposes the carefree melody with a more subversive visual commentary. Siouxsie, adorned in a persona inspired by Bette Davis’s infamous character in *What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?*, adds a layer of eerie theatricality to the production. Despite its tonal levity, the track capped the band’s career with bittersweet finality, as it marked one of their last collaborative efforts. Achieving modest chart success, it stands as a paradox within their discography—a luminous endnote tinged with the ironic disquiet that defined their artistry.

Featured on the 1994 album “Youthanasia”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Airhead – Counting Sheep

In the fragmented haze of insomnia and inner turmoil, “Counting Sheep” operates as a conceptual placeholder rather than a song tied directly to Airhead, an artist generally known for their electronic and experimental inclinations.

Instead, its hypothetical title evokes a restless narrative—imagine flickering tones of anxiety and unsettled rhythms painting the soundscape, a mirror to the mental thrashings of sleepless nights and existential unease.

If Airhead were to craft such a piece, their sonic approach might swirl around jittery, disjointed percussion and moody synths, reminiscent of their previous work featured on *For Years*, creating tension between longing and frustration.

The implicit mood invites reflection on the dynamics of music that speaks to psychological stasis; tracks like this, even conceptually, tend to operate on contrasting textures—invoking deeply personal unrest while remaining oddly universal in their resonance.

What’s fascinating here is how the possible absence of the song becomes a meta point about longing: a listener chasing non-existent completion, burdened by the paradox of insomnia itself.

Featured on the 1991 album “Boing!!”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Paul McCartney – Hope Of Deliverance

“Hope of Deliverance” by Paul McCartney arrived in late 1992, carrying a melodic optimism that marked the opening act of his “Off the Ground” album era.

Written and produced alongside Julian Mendelsohn, the song aims for the universal, with its feel-good chords and sing-along refrain dripping with earnest hopefulness.

Charting better in Europe than in his native UK or the US, it found a warm reception in places like Germany, where it reached No. 3, making McCartney’s global pull evident even as his commercial clout waned in certain markets.

The accompanying music video, directed by Andy Morahan, goes all-in on its evocative jungle-inspired visuals, with McCartney and his band performing in what feels like a fever dream of tribal motifs, underscoring themes of cultural unity.

Not without its quirks, the single also served as a vehicle for releasing B-sides like “Big Boys Bickering,” which offered a more pointed view of McCartney’s worlds, far removed from “hope.”

While it wasn’t the anthem of its day, its spot on live setlists during his “New World Tour” and a 2001 compilation nod confirmed its quiet resilience in McCartney’s sprawling catalog.

Featured on the 1993 album “Off the Ground”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – Intact

Ned’s Atomic Dustbin’s “Intact,” tucked within their 1990 debut album “God Fodder,” brings a distinct sonic fingerprint to the alternative rock scene of that era.

The band’s signature use of two bass guitars creates a layered depth, with one bass driving a thunderous low end while the other navigates melodic terrain, delivering a rugged yet strangely harmonious soundscape.

While “Intact” never stepped into the limelight as a single, its presence adds to the album’s cohesion, which itself soared to No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart—a feat that underscored the band’s initial surge in popularity.

If “Kill Your Television” lashed out with its anthemic energy and “Happy” grabbed attention with its accessible hooks, “Intact” instead leans on introspective grittiness, serving as a thoughtful counterpoint to the band’s louder proclamations.

Jessica Corcoran’s production stitches the chaos together, imbuing “God Fodder” with a raw but carefully balanced sound, capturing the spirit of a band finding its footing yet unwilling to conform neatly to expectations.

The album’s impact rippled across borders, with performances spanning the US, Japan, and the UK, while their playful yet provocative energy caught air on MTV’s “120 Minutes,” solidifying their place within the burgeoning alternative movement’s margins.

Although eclipsed commercially by other tracks, “Intact” exemplifies what happens when a group chooses texture and atmosphere over hooks, inviting curious listeners to linger in the space between melody and grit.

Featured on the 1992 album “Are You Normal?”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Siouxsie And The Banshees – O Baby

Siouxsie & The Banshees’ “O Baby” opens *The Rapture* with an unexpected glimmer of optimism, veering away from the brooding undercurrent that defined much of their career.

Co-written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin, the track leans into a polished sound shaped under the production expertise of John Cale, a legend whose work with The Velvet Underground remains a touchstone in avant-garde music.

The song arrives with a kind of sunny disposition rarely associated with the band, a playful take on connection and desire that almost feels like a coy smile tucked into their otherwise sharp-edged discography.

Its music video, set in an eerie children’s beauty pageant in Arizona, toys with the contrast between innocence and artifice, something Siouxsie saw as both unsettling and perversely fitting for the song’s upbeat tone.

Her depiction of a Baby Jane-esque character injects a sly performativity, adding depth to a track that, on its surface, might seem glossy for its own good.

Released shortly before the album in late 1994, the single marked the band’s 17th UK Top 40 hit, though it failed to make a dramatic cultural impact amidst shifting musical tides of the mid-’90s.

Musically, “O Baby” trades in minimal guitar hooks and a breezy vocal delivery, setting a stage where melodies flirt with surreal pop sensibilities without ever quite succumbing to full-on commercial pandering.

Yet, there’s a friction here—between a band synonymous with dark post-punk textures and the relative effervescence of this track—that offers a fascinating insight into their evolving creative ambitions.

Even as the song steps into lighter tones, it retains an enigmatic complexity, subtly challenging expectations of what “poppy” should mean coming from this iconic group.

As the first single from what would become their final studio album, “O Baby” feels like both a departure and a quiet culmination—a fleeting burst of unguarded joy in a catalog steeped in stormier waters.

Featured on the 1995 album “The Rapture”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

6 . The Cult – Star

“Star” by The Cult lands on their 1987 album “Electric,” a project that sharply pivoted the band toward a blues-drenched hard rock vibe shaped by Rick Rubin’s production vision.

The album found its home at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, blending the rawness of Duffy’s guitar riffs with Astbury’s distinct vocal swagger.

Jamie Stewart’s bass and Les Warner’s drums complete the quartet’s chemistry, driving the gritty energy behind the track.

Despite its lack of single status, the song embodies “Electric’s” brash ethos, meshing tightly with the album’s unapologetic tone.

Live performances of “Star” were a flashpoint during their late-’80s tours, representing a heavier, no-frills approach that distanced the band from their earlier gothic inclinations.

No music video accompanied it, but the sonic punch needs no visuals to leave an impression.

Much like the rest of the album, this track embraces stripped-down, arena-ready rock without hesitation, foreshadowing the band’s transition to becoming arena mainstays of the era.

Featured on the 1994 album “The Cult”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Fish – Big Wedge

Fish’s “Big Wedge” opens his solo debut, “Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors,” with a sharp critique of materialism draped in a vibrant rock-pop blend.

The track, birthed by Fish and keyboardist Mickey Simmonds, saw contributions from seasoned musicians like Frank Usher and Hal Lindes, alongside stalwarts John Giblin and Mark Brzezicki.

Lyrically, the song takes aim at greed and the omnipresent allure of commercialism, echoing through its biting prose and anthemic delivery.

Released in early 1990 as a single, the song charted modestly at No. 25 in the UK, boosted by a video spinning on music television across Europe.

Sonically, its infectious hooks and precise instrumentation showcase a polished transition for Fish as he ventured beyond the shadow of Marillion.

Despite lacking major awards, “Big Wedge” carved out its own layer in his catalog, often turning up in electrifying live sets that defined his early solo tours.

Featured on the 1990 album “Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Little Angels – Womankind

“Womankind” by Little Angels offers up a slice of early ’90s British hard rock that’s equal parts swagger and polish.

Released in 1993 as part of their third album “Jam,” it quickly climbed to No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart, another marker of the band’s brief flirtation with mainstream success before their disbandment in 1994.

The track doesn’t shy away from big hooks, crisp guitar lines, and a booming chorus, embodying the era’s penchant for arena-ready anthems while blending lyrics that touch on devotion with an undercurrent of dramatic flair.

With a music video that enjoyed relentless airtime on TV, the band sharpened their public image, leaning heavily into the hyper-sincere yet unapologetically broad gestures of the time.

“Jam” as a whole may have hit No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, but the irony lingered—Little Angels themselves seemed to exist on borrowed time, their career spanning a flash-in-the-pan moment that was already dissolving by the time the album dominated record stores.

One can’t help but note the tension between their ambitions and the cultural shifts underway in the early ’90s, an era in which slick, polished rock sometimes struggled to contend with grittier movements waiting in the wings.

As a standalone track, “Womankind” struts rather than stomps, more concerned with infectious melodies than the raw, rebellious energy their genre often promised but didn’t always deliver.

While Little Angels reunited briefly in 2012 for a smattering of shows, including an appearance at the Download Festival, the fleeting nature of their original run renders “Womankind” a pop-cultural artifact, a track inseparably tied to its time even as it attempts a timeless message about love and admiration.

Featured on the 1991 album “Jam”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Manic Street Preachers – Australia

Manic Street Preachers’ “Australia” functions as both an emotional outcry and a melodic surge of yearning, born from a period of personal and creative upheaval for the band.

Written by Nicky Wire during the aftermath of Richey Edwards’ disappearance, the track channels both a geographic and emotional escape, boiling over with the urgency to flee from grief and turmoil.

The lyrics are paired with a guitar-driven arrangement that leans into anthemics, punctuated by Sean Moore’s relentless drumming, creating a sound that’s as propulsive as its themes.

Released in late 1996 as the fourth single from *Everything Must Go*, it climbed to number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, showcasing how the band successfully navigated evolving their sound while shouldering personal loss.

If earlier Manics material was steeped in introspection and nihilism, “Australia” marked a pivot toward expansive, radio-friendly melodies deconstructing existential crises in a broader, more accessible framework.

Despite its implicit heaviness, the song managed to permeate popular culture, appearing in sporting event promotions and, perhaps more strangely, as the theme for Nickelodeon UK’s *Renford Rejects*.

The accompanying music video juxtaposes the band’s live performance against sprawling landscapes, echoing the song’s duality of longing and liberation rather than indulging in overt sentimentality.

Though Wire’s challenges in creating solo lyric content after Edwards are well-documented, “Australia” reflects a sharp catharsis, delivered through both restraint and defiance.

The inclusion of eclectic B-side covers—like Primal Scream’s “Velocity Girl” and Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”—on the single release underscores the band’s momentary nod to levity while grappling with an overwhelming shift in their identity.

As exemplified by NME’s nod in their “150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years” list, “Australia” finds its strength not in excessive sonic experimentation but in precisely marrying raw emotion with forward momentum.

Featured on the 1996 album “Everything Must Go“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . The Auteurs – Back With The Killer Again

The Auteurs’ “Back With The Killer Again” is an exercise in noir simplicity, wrapping its minimalist production around a narrative dripping with intrigue.

Lifted from their 1993 debut, *New Wave*, the track sidesteps Britpop’s anthemic tendencies, favoring a moodier, cinematic approach.

Producer Phil Vinall keeps the arrangements sparse, with each note serving the song’s simmering unease.

Despite its relatively obscure placement in the album’s shadow, alongside hits like “Show Girl,” the track quietly amplifies the record’s thematic undercurrents of disconnection and detachment.

Lyrically, the song’s brooding atmosphere captures a world where dangers lurk just off-screen, though specifics are left tantalizingly unresolved.

The band sidesteps flamboyance, leaning into a restrained yet confident delivery that cements their place outside Britpop’s flashy borders.

Less a chart-chaser and more of a mood piece, it’s an understated highlight of the band’s early work.

Even today, it remains a curiosity—a subtle entry point into the sharper edges of 1990s alternative rock.

Without directly clashing with the era’s trends, it carved its own restless identity.

Its success wasn’t commercial but atmospheric, creating a tension timeless in its simmering restraint.

Every nuanced pause and lyrical ambiguity invites the listener deeper into its shadowy world, a feat less about grand statements and more about enigmatic gestures.

If “Show Girl” flirted with the public, “Back With The Killer Again” lurked quietly in the background, unraveling its charms slowly.

It’s not a scream but a whisper—an arresting quiet threat that still lingers decades later.

The result is a piece that feels both of the time and stubbornly indifferent to it, a delicate line that many bands of this era struggled to walk.

The Auteurs, for all their Britpop associations, seem far more at home in these shadowy spaces.

They wield restraint like a scalpel, creating tension from small, deliberate moves rather than grandiose gestures.

The song may not have the commercial bravado of its peers, but that’s precisely what gives it such a unique appeal.

It whispers, stares, and walks away before you’ve had a chance to pin it down.

Perhaps that’s where its enduring charm lies—in its refusal to explain itself, leaving space for listeners to project their own interpretations onto its restrained canvas.

In revisiting this track, one is reminded of the band’s knack for sidestepping expectations while remaining firmly anchored in an era of shifting musical landscapes.

With its artful ambiguity and understated power, “Back With The Killer Again” feels like a sidelong glance, equal parts seductive and unsettling.

Not a call to arms, but a fleeting trace of unease—that lingers long after the final note fades.

Featured on the 1996 album “After Murder Park”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

11 . The Farm – All Together Now

Released in the twilight months of 1990, “All Together Now” by The Farm makes a pointed statement by fusing the timeless structure of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” with a danceable, Britpop sensibility. The track’s melody may emanate Baroque elegance, but the anthem’s heart beats with modern aspiration—primarily referencing the 1914 Christmas Truce of World War I. Its dual roles, both as a charting staple (No. 4 in the UK) and later as a stand-in for sports-related camaraderie, lend it a versatility rarely achieved in such an earnest, piano-driven pop song.

Jenny Ondioline—Stereolab’s experimental opus—derives its moniker from an obscure French synthesizer, the Ondioline, a gadget whose sci-fi tones evoke nostalgia for an era predating synthesizers as we now know them. Here, the band doesn’t just borrow; they metabolize the quirks of forgotten tech into sprawling, hypnotic progressions. Toss in a hidden bonus track, “Exploding Head Movie,” and you’ve got a sprawling ecosystem of sonic ideas, equal parts niche and audacious.

Featured on the 1990 album “Spartacus”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Stereolab – Jenny Ondioline

Stereolab’s “Jenny Ondioline” from 1993 stands as an audacious marathon of sonic experimentation, clocking in at over 18 minutes on its original album version.

The track sprawls across multiple movements, employing motorik grooves, analog textures, and an uncanny blend of krautrock discipline with dreamy indie pop sensibilities.

The song thrives in its multilingual character, with Lætitia Sadier’s vocals seamlessly alternating between English and French, reinforcing the band’s tendency to defy convention both culturally and musically.

The shorter radio edit, a significantly trimmed-down 3:45 version, made a moderate impact by peaking at No. 75 on the UK Singles Chart, even as it condensed the sprawling ambition of the full track into a more digestible form.

Layered synth drones and vintage keyboards evoke both retro futurism and a sense of timeless eccentricity, a signature of the band’s early-’90s output.

Tim Gane’s hand in shaping the song’s intricate structure ensures its experimentalism never descends into chaos.

The single release came packaged with additional B-sides, each further pushing the band’s experimental leanings and deepening their ability to establish moods.

“Jenny Ondioline” exemplifies Stereolab’s knack for blurring lines between pop accessibility and avant-garde ambition, cementing its position in the alternative canon of its era.

Featured on the 1993 album “Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site