Playing By Ear
Every episode of this podcast breaks an album down, track by track, to cover why it's not only worth playing, but replaying.
Displaying 5 items of Playing By Ear with the tag "1990s".
-
Great Divide (Semisonic)
May 5th, 2026 | 1 hr 52 mins
1990s, 90s, alternative, closing time, dan wilson, music, pop, rock, songwriter, songwriting
Dan Wilson is one of the most prolific and accomplished songwriters of the last thirty years. Before hitting it big with "Closing Time", his band Semisonic released its first album, "Great Divide" which showcases exactly why Wilson was destined for success. Full of lush, memorable melodies, this record is a perfect calling card of Wilson's legendary skill. Comedian Rich Baker joins us for a look back at this fantastic album.
-
Ozzmosis (Ozzy Osbourne)
April 28th, 2026 | 1 hr 53 mins
1990s, 90s, black sabbath, crazy train, hard rock, metal, music, ozzy osbourne, rock, rock and roll, songwriting
The Prince of Darkness, the Ozzman, whatever you call him, Ozzy Osboune remains the undisputed master of heavy metal. No one did more to cement what metal was, and his unique vocals and showmanship were untouchable. This episode we look back at 1995's "Ozzmosis" with comedian Rch Baker, and analyze why Ozzy's reign remained, even while musical tastes around him completely shifted.
-
Flesh & Blood (Poison)
February 3rd, 2026 | 1 hr 49 mins
1980s, 1990s, 80s, 90s, bobby dall, brett michaels, c.c. deville, guitar, hair metal, metal, music, rikki rockett, rock, rock and roll, rock music, songwriting
By 1990 hair metal was on the precipice of irrelevance, soon to be swept aside by grunge. Nevertheless, the genre's last big year was filled with big riffs, big beats, and big hair as Poison ripped some incredible bops (unskinny or otherwise) that we had a blast reviewing.
-
Drive (Bic Runga)
January 20th, 2026 | 1 hr 45 mins
1990s, 90s, american pie, musician, new zealand, rock, rock music, singer, songwriter, songwriting, sway, vocalist
Bic Runga's debut album features beautiful, haunting vocals and equal parts soft singer/songwriter, and late 90s female-powered grunge. Does "Drive" drive, or does it just drive us crazy? We delve into this layered and complex work to peel back what makes it worth paying attention to.
-
Nine Lives (Aerosmith)
October 23rd, 2025 | 1 hr 53 mins
1990s, 90s, aerosmith, joe perry, rock, rock and roll, rock music, songwriting, steven tyler
After 13 albums and a massive hit with "Get A Grip" venerable rockers Aerosmith released their follow-up "Nine Lives". Though not as successful as its predecessor, 9 Lives still stands on the solid foundation of Steven Tyler's inimitable vocals and Joe Perry's face-melting guitaring. If this one passed you by in the 1990s, now's as good a time as any to check it out.