The Spin Alternative Record Guide is a music reference book compiled by the American music magazine Spin and published in 1995 by Vintage Books. It was edited by the rock critic Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, who was the magazine's editor-in-chief at the time. The book has essays and reviews from a number of prominent critics on albums, artists and genres considered relevant to the alternative music movement. Contributors who were consulted for the guide include Ann Powers, Rob Sheffield, Simon Reynolds and Michael Azerrad.
The book did not sell particularly well and received a mixed reaction from reviewers in 1995. The quality and relevance of the contributors' writing were praised, while the editors' concept and comprehensiveness of alternative music were seen as ill-defined. Nonetheless, it inspired a number of future music critics and helped to revive the career of the folk artist John Fahey, whose music was covered in the guide.
Content
Spanning 468 pages, the Spin Alternative Record Guide compiles essays by 64 music critics on recording artists and bands who either predated, were involved in, or had developed from alternative rock. Each artist's entry is accompanied by their discography, with albums rated with a score between one and ten.; . Unlike the third edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992), which limited its discographies to albums currently in-print on CD, the Spin Alternative Record Guide offered more comprehensive album discographies. The entries are accompanied by album artwork.
The book's editors included contributions from noted journalists and critics such as Charles Aaron, Gina Arnold, Michael Azerrad, Byron Coley, Ann Powers, Simon Reynolds, Alex Ross, Rob Sheffield and Neil Strauss. (Arnold); (Strauss); (the others). Sheffield wrote the bulk of the guide's entries, while Powers "allowed her home to become command central on the book for many months". ("command central"); ("...and MVP Rob Sheffield, who turned in the lion's share of the book's full discography reviews"). Though he did not contribute his own writing, Robert Christgau assisted in the creation of the guide by loaning out records from his personal collection as needed..
The contributors curated an overall "Top 100 Alternative Albums" list in an appendix, ranking the Ramones' 1976 self-titled debut album at number one.; . A few dozen personal top-ten record lists from contributors and musicians are interspersed throughout the book. The musicians who provided their own top-ten lists are Mark Arm, Lori Barbero, Lou Barlow, Kurt Bloch, King Coffey, Digable Planets (members Craig "Knowledge" Irving and Mariana "Ladybug" Vieira), Tanya Donelly, Greg Dulli, Gordon Gano, Greg Graffin, Kristin Hersh, Georgia Hubley, Calvin Johnson, Jon Langford, Courtney Love, Barbara Manning, Mac McCaughan, Buzz Osborne (listed as King Buzzo), Joey Ramone, Jim Reid, Lætitia Sadier, Sally Timms, Steve Turner and Josephine Wiggs..
Scope and definition of "alternative" Even by the standards of the time, the Spin Alternative Record Guide took an unusually inclusive approach to the boundaries of what "alternative" could mean. Before 1991, the genre "alternative rock" conventionally referred to post-punk and college rock. Within a few years, "alternative" had broadened into a catchall term for any rock bands outside the mainstream, regardless of their particular style — even as, paradoxically, "alternative" music became hugely popular and commercially successful. As a result, "alternative" was increasingly derided as a vague or even incoherent category.; ; .
As summarized by the scholar Gayle Wald, the book's introduction defined "alternative" rock as "an aesthetic that disavows, or evinces critical mistrust of, earlier rock subjectivities as well as the music industry itself". Rather than limiting its scope strictly within the musical genre of "rock" per se, the guide's coverage encompassed a wide range of non-rock artists who had adopted an anti-commercial stance or were aligned with a particular subculture. In an introductory essay titled "What Is Alternative Rock?", Weisbard explored the genre's origins and, more broadly, "alternative sensibilities" in other musical traditions. "Alternative rock lacks the proud boundaries that rock's original tradition kept so well guarded," he wrote:
The book's selection of music was shaped by the generation gap between the baby boomers and Generation X.; . Marks said that he and Weisbard "saw [the book] as a way to give definition to second-generation rock 'n' roll". In this respect, the book was both intended and received as a generational counterpoint to The Rolling Stone Album Guide.; .
The guide has 379 entries in total. An entry in the book typically covers a single artist or band, a set of closely affiliated artists, a multi-volume series of various artists compilations or a selected discography representing an entire musical genre. Records in the guide were chosen from a variety of genres considered relevant to alternative music's development.; . These include 1970s punk rock, 1980s college rock, 1990s indie rock, noise music, reggae, electronic, new wave, heavy metal, krautrock, synthpop, disco, alternative country, hip hop, grunge, worldbeat and avant-garde jazz.; . Acknowledging the possibility that their selections and exclusions would be objectionable to some readers, Weisbard wrote in the introduction, "Not all these choices are defensible: As stated at the onset, alternative lacks strong boundaries. But we had to draw the line somewhere." Weisbard and Marks said the book was meant to be "suggestive" of alternative music, rather than "comprehensive".
Most artists associated with classic rock are excluded. For example, the guide omits the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Cream, Peter Gabriel, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen and Frank Zappa — even though each of these artists meaningfully influenced "alternative" music to some extent. (discussing all of the above, except the Beach Boys); (discussing the omission of Zappa in particular); (noting the omission of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson). However, a handful of artists associated with the "classic rock" era can be found in the guide, among them Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Neil Young and AC/DC. (noting the inclusion of AC/DC); (noting the inclusion of Pop, Reed, and Young).
A range of mainstream pop artists spanning a variety of styles are given entries, including Culture Club, Duran Duran and Lenny Kravitz. Some pop musicians are afforded prominent placement and a perhaps surprisingly high degree of acclaim. For instance, the very first alphabetical entry is the Swedish pop supergroup ABBA.. Madonna's 1990 greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection is ranked as the 11th best alternative record. Other non-rock artists reviewed in the book include the jazz composer Sun Ra, the country singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett and the Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Rating system
Records received a rating between one and ten points based on the judgment of the reviewer. A red dingbat beside a record's title indicated that it also appeared in the Top 100 at the back of the book. Several records in the Top 100 received a score lower than 10, while many records that received a 10 did not appear in the Top 100, because an individual reviewer's assessment could conflict with the list's collective consensus (and vice versa).. Still, there was some editorial oversight and control of the ratings, as Weisbard later explained:
Records that received a 10 The following 172 records received the guide's highest score from the reviewer who rated the discography of the given artist, compilation series, or genre. A record with a 10 was deemed to be either unimpeachable masterpiece or a flawed album of crucial historical significance"..
+ Key Indicates a various artists compilation album; the name listed is either the name of the compilation series or the name of the record label. Indicates the record is a compilation of either a particular artist or various artists.
+ Artist / series / label Title Year Reviewed by ABBA
1982
. ABBA Gold 1992 . Air Air Lore 1979
. Spiritual Unity 1964
. Nuits de la Fondation Maeght, Volume 1 1971 . Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill 1986
. Paul's Boutique 1989 . Beck Mellow Gold 1994
.
1979
. Big Star Radio City 1974
. 1992 . Third/Sister Lovers 1978 . Black Flag Damaged 1981
. Blondie Parallel Lines 1978
. Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded 1987
. Changesbowie 1990
. Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady 1979
.
1994
. Paris 1919 1973
. Can Soon Over Babaluma 1974
. Captain Beefheart Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) 1978
. Cheap Trick Cheap Trick 1977
. Chic Dance, Dance, Dance: The Best of Chic 1991
.
1977
. 1979 . Compilation 1986 . Something Else!!!!: The Music of Ornette Coleman 1958
. 1959 . Ornette! 1962 . Ornette on Tenor . 1968 . Dancing in Your Head 1977 . Of Human Feelings 1982 . Song X 1986 . This Year's Model 1978
. 2½ Years 1993 . Descendents Milo Goes to College 1982
. Two Things at Once 1987 . Dinosaur Jr. You're Living All Over Me 1987
. series
1990
. Honky Tonk Masquerade 1978
. I Just Can't Stop It 1980
. Another Green World 1975
. Brian Eno II: Vocal 1993 . Brian Eno I: Vocal 1994 . Fairport Convention Unhalfbricking 1969
. Slates 1981
. This Nation's Saving Grace 1985 . 458489 A Sides 1990 . Crazy Rhythms 1980
.
1981
. Flipper Album – Generic Flipper 1981
.
1969
. Farther Along: The Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers 1988 . Funkadelic Maggot Brain 1971
. The Best of the Early Years Volume One 1977 . One Nation Under a Groove 1978 . Music for Your Mother: Funkadelic 45s 1992 . Gang of Four Entertainment! 1979
. 1978–1990 1990
. Beauty and the Beat 1981
. Rid of Me 1993
. To Bring You My Love 1995 . Hole Live Through This 1994
. Have Moicy! 1976
. Hüsker Dü Zen Arcade 1984
. New Day Rising 1985 . Ice Cube Death Certificate 1991
. Sound Affects 1980
. Can You Fly 1992
. Joy Division Closer 1980
. Kronos Quartet Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet 1993
. Zombie 1977
. Original Sufferhead 1984 . Army Arrangement 1985 . Original Sufferhead: Classic Fela 1991 . Pontiac 1987
. Luaka Bop (label) Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical 1989
. Madonna Like a Prayer 1989
. Meat Puppets Meat Puppets II 1984 . Fear and Whiskey 1985
. Original Sin 1989 . [UK version] . Mercury Records Electronic Music/Musique Concrète 1979
. Minor Threat Complete 1989
. Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime 1984
. Mission of Burma Mission of Burma 1988 . Moby Everything Is Wrong 1995
.
1976
. Motörhead No Sleep 'til Hammersmith 1981
. My Bloody Valentine Loveless 1991
. New Order Substance 1987
. New York Dolls New York Dolls 1973
. Rock'n Roll 1994 . Nirvana Nevermind 1991
. NRBQ At Yankee Stadium 1978
. Peek-A-Boo: The Best of NRBQ 1969–1989 1990 . Nuggets series Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 1972
. Straight Outta Compton 1989
.
1978
. Special View 1979 . Parliament Mothership Connection 1975
. Parliament's Greatest Hits 1984 . Grievous Angel 1974
. 1990 . Pavement Slanted and Enchanted 1992 . Pere Ubu
1978 . Dub Housing . Some of the Best 1985
. Pet Shop Boys Introspective 1991
. Exile in Guyville 1993 . Pixies Surfer Rosa 1993
. Pogues Rum Sodomy & the Lash 1985
.
1979
. Prince Dirty Mind 1980
. Sign o' the Times 1987 . 1993 . Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back 1988
. Public Image Ltd Metal Box 1979
. Second Edition 1980 .
1993