I actually met the photographer who did the bug cover for Mezzanine, at his London studio. If you look closely on the back, there are mechanical parts overlayed, it's more of a composite. He also did other covers like Bjork's 'Homogenic', Suede's 'Coming Up', David Bowie's 'Black Tie White Noise', Seal's 'Seal II' etc. Very sweet guy, a legend in fashion photography especially.

Just sorted my discogs by date, and out of 800+, I have two albums released in 1998 - Soul Coughing's el Oso and a Stereolab 12" single. That Soul Coughing would definitely land in my top of all time though. I had a job in this era where I travelled 28 days out of the month so I wasn't discovering a lot of new music at that point.

I'm with Craig on the New Radicals. Ugh.

Calexico toured with Chicago band Pinetop Seven around '98, when they both had new albums. When I saw 'em they did a few songs together & those sounded *spectacular* music.kzfaq.info/sun/OLAK5uy_lpty8k6jwv5Vt-HdGDjchcLFROyupAl48

Awesome episode! This is one of the videos I knew EVERY single album ya’ll mentioned. Saw some concerts from these album tours too! 🎶

Mercury Rev Deserters Songs was my album of the year ,,,contenders from Massive Attack Mazzanine , Belle & Sebastian Boy With The Arab Strap and Manic Street Preachers This is My Truth

Love the video, but Mike, that’s not Tortoise’s debut. It’s like their third album. All great.

Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe, Korn Follow the Leader, and The Offspring Americana!!! (I was a 90s kid)

When you manage a great hilarious episode even when discussing a shite year 🙌🙌

Great video fellas. In 1998 I was 17 years old and listenig to a lot of punk rock so with that said here are my top 17 albums from 1998. 1. Against All Authority - All Fall Down 2. Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit 3. American Steel - American Steel 4. Apocalypse Hoboken - House Of The Rising Son Of A Bitch 5. Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty 6. Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs Of The Americas 7. The Living End - The Living End (re-released in the US in 1999) 8. One Man Army - Dead End Stories 9. The Queers - Punk Rock Confidential 10. Rancid - Life Won't Wait 11. Refused - The Shape Of Punk To Come 12. Screeching Weasel - Television City Dream 13. Swingin' Utters - Five Lessons Learned 14. Tilt - Collect 'Em All 15. Tripping Daisy - Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb 16. Unwritten Law - Unwritten Law 17. The Vandals - Hitler Bad, Vandals Good

Up is my favorite of the post-Bill Berry REM. I was disappointed with it too, but it grew on me. The Smashing Pumpkins grew on me too. A lot of growers in 98. Except the Pulp album. That was good right from the first listen - Help the Aged, Like a Friend, Dishes, TV Movie...

I was disappointed with "Mutations" when it came out too, but it's probably my favorite Beck album now.

I don’t have much to add about 1998. It’s another year of music I was listening to because it was being played, not because it was good. Ray of Light was the last album that I went to the record store for on release day. I love History Repeating by Propellerheads, which probably no one else likes. Stabbing Westward had Save Yourself, which was okay. Garbage 2.0 is great! The X-Files had a compilation with some great songs. Barenaked Ladies One Week… Orgy’s cover of Blue Monday… I’m surprised Bawitaba was not on anyone’s bottom list. Ace of Base’s cover of Cruel Summer… I love Rabbit In Your Headlights by Unkle. The Rockafeller Skank… the City of Angels soundtrack… Tops and bottoms mixed up, you decide 😼

Adrenalin OD, Alien Sex Fiend, Anti Nowhere League, Adolescents, Angry Samoans, and Alien Nose Job. Black Flag, Big Black, Bad Brains, Bad Checks, Battalion Of Saints, and Butthole Surfers. Six each off the top of my head that start with the letter A and B.

Metal Theologian has often said Punk band names are plural and Metal band names are singular.

I was a Punk guy and I loved London Calling. Give Em Enough Rope is the album that my friends and I didn’t think was very good.

London Calling is the definition of a 5 star album. Every member had so much charisma in concert.

So obviously recorded before Robert got sick.

For me, later GM songs aren't too consistent . Some have real musicians on some (which are great), and other songs having cheap sounding synth "instruments". with that being said, I love his voice and I'm happy with most songs on this album

Older is my favorite George Michael album. I listened to a recent interview with co-producer Jon Douglas and he said that the laid back vibe of the album was mostly because GM was smoking a lot of pot😄. Also, Douglas suggested GM couldn’t stand anymore being in the closet that he thinks Michael wanted to be caught cruising in the washroom! Aaaanyways…

Queen of Denmark is another goodie. Looking forward to your thoughts.

This is one of my favourite albums of all time! I love the loungie mood, the horns, and the emotion of his loss. I've been waiting decades to pick this up on vinyl, so grabbed the 3LP/5CD deluxe boxset instantly when it was reissued in 2022. 5 🌈 Wish you had enjoyed it more!

I love George Michael and I love this album. Which seems contradictory because this is music I don’t listen to very often, and I don’t remember many of his songs that aren’t popular. I loved Wham! songs back in the mid 80s, because they were always being played. I know I don’t love GM as much as Craig, but he means so much to me. His was one of the few people whose passing made me actually cry.

Yay!!! A new VCG episode!!! I will watch later today but I’m supporting the algorithm now

Glad Robert is feeling better 🎉

George Micheal was such an amazing artist. Great album! 🎶

❤ That album

I can't believe possibly his best album "On the beach" Neil Young was not mentioned

I'm a huge fan of Siouxsie and the Banshees I have all their music and Tenderbox is a great albums

Martha Davis of The Motels is a front woman of a band of course my favorite band and Cherie Currie from The Runaways,

Really fun video guys! 🎉 i hope u do some more of these. 👍👍 i am surprised that mike did not jump right in with London Calling 🧷 also shocked that robert didn't get the banana album from Velvet Underground right away 🍌🍌 i thought that was such a special album to him 😅😃

Haha! I'm trying to yell them out to you guys.

21:16 😂 me at the question of an album with no title on the front back or spine. Axis bold as love! Richard even said Electric Ladyland! Again such a great episode

I love Craig!!!!😂

Wow!! I have never been into Cowboy Junkies!! Nice, diverse take on them from you all. I will stream some of their stuff to see if my opinion has changed. Thanks!!

Best episode!! Hope there’s more trivia and game show stuff in the future. You guys should do some poles and gather ideas for different concepts for episodes like one episode is you guys do something like guessing what song the melody is that someone is humming or guess the song name of the lyrics someone is reciting in spoken word or the charades they’re acting out (maybe not the third one but there’s something there)

I was screaming, GEORGE JONES, to the tv screen..and JOHNNY PAYCHECK..😃..btw. UK Subs, Sham 69, Stiff Little Fingers, Angelic Upstairs, Cockney Rejects, Ivy Green, Dead Boys, Radio Birdman....😃

Exotic Birds And Fruit, Acquiring The Taste, Mom's Apple Pie, Strawberries by The Damned, Deep Purple Bananas...not sure why all those came to me.

Great episode! Very cool and unique.

Fun stuff Guncles!

More!

looks like fun, but I would be horrible at this game.

Craig naming female fronted bands is like Richard naming Zappa albums, never a contest. Who Let The Dogs Out???

Martha My Dear (dog song) / Eddie Current Suppression Ring (Australian band)

Cherry pie?

It’s amazing how many things I could not come up with!

Kitty Litter prize? Meow

Agree with Richard, Who's Next #1. Every song is great.

I have a copy of her covering If It Be Your Will by Leonard Cohen on the I’m Your Man soundtrack, and a song she did with Rufus Wainwright. Plus the song Blind by Hercules and Love Affair. This was before she transitioned. I haven’t heard anything recent of hers. It’s sad to see you guys have driven Robert away. 😂

Holy Sh*t, Craig...when you said, "Marcia P is on the cover. I guess they met before Marcia died" I was thrown for a loop. For a moment I thought you meant OUR Marcia P had died! I realize now you're referring to Marsha P Johnson, but dang that had me for a minute...