European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse O year of scene much ado about nothing by Anita Gosch staff writer it was not a Good year in music. Sales of compact discs were Down compared to 1990 and concert attendance plunged leading Many acts to cancel their Tours. Industry analysts blame the recession High prices of cd the Boom in a a classic Rock radio stations and a simple slump in Quality. Record companies Are counting on pre Holiday releases by guns no roses dire Straits John mall encamp Mariah Carey genesis Hammer Prince Michael Jackson and u2 to bring the Industry out of the doldrums. In Europe the War in the Middle East and the threat of global terrorism kept Many american artists at Home. The Rock group Cinderella for one abruptly cancelled its tour Midway. Rap Star . Cool j cancelled and Whitney Houston postponed her Spring tour months before it was to begin. As . Soldiers fought in the persian Gulf stateside radio stations appealed to americans fighting spirit and their need to be soothed in times of trouble. One of the biggest hits was the Star spangled Banner from Houston a super bowl version to Jimi Hendrix s Woodstock Era guitar Solo. Bette Midler a from a distance and Lee Greenwood s god bless the .a. Became unofficial anthems. Many artists hoped to Cash in on the renewed patriotism. Country singers especially from Boxcar Willie to Hank Williams jr., released a slew of patriotic tunes. Meanwhile Rock a no Roll on the Battlefield became what one Soldier called a a real Nam deja gis in the desert marched to the sounds of Hendrix the doors Janis Joplin and other music popular during Vietnam. The War also spurred the creativity of the troops songs and poems came to the stars and stripes virtually in Box loads. At least one touring artist took time out to meet with troops injured in the War. Singer Gloria Estefan who had suffered a broken Back in a traffic Accident a year before provided wounded soldiers with free tickets to her shows in Germany and chatted with Many of them following the performances. The year lacked headline breaking music news a unlike 1990, which brought to the limelight such issues As Freedom of expression and censorship the use of alleged subliminal messages on recordings and the ethics of lip synching. The name most often in the news was the bad boy Rock group guns no roses. The bands antics had the Media enthralled the riot at a Missouri concert the relatively peaceful performance in Dallas a week later the feuds with Singer Vince Neil of Motley crime and the publisher of spin Lead Singer Axl roses admission of needing therapy to Deal with a miserable childhood and the Long extended release of the albums use your illusion i and use your illusion ii. The musical Jackson family also kept popping up. La Toya came out with a to 11-All autobiography then told even More in promotional interviews about emotional physical and sexual abuse by the Jackson parents who called the accusations a a Bunch of lies Quot. Michael a famous White Glove was stolen trom a amp amp a. A amps Michael Abrams Gloria Estefan signs autographs for american fans after her concert in Frankfurt Germany. Museum in Detroit then recovered two Days later. X an unreleased version of brother Jermaine s song word to the add which criticizes Michael s plastic surgery and skin lightening mysteriously appeared at radio stations. Almost immediately after Michael a new single Black or White about the superfluous Ness of race showed up. Michael then received flak for and agreed to Cut a controversial dance sequence in the song s $4 million Crotch grabbing window smashing video. He then came out with dangerous his first release in four years. But before it became available to the Public gunmen at Airport seized about 30,000 cd cassettes and records. Etc., Etc. The timing of Many of the controversies led critics to ask the big question of 1991 is it real. Or is it just hype with the music Industry in a slump it would seem logical that publicity Heads would work their creative juices overtime in their bid for Bucks. When guns no roses released its twin albums after several months delay record stores opened at Midnight to begin Selling them. The Michael Jackson with Hico tar in the music video Black and a Vulte tha years biggest hype. Simultaneous release of two separate discs instead of a double album is in itself an Industry first. Prince aggressively marketed his new album at closed concerts for Media and Industry types. Richard Marx embarked on a one Day promotional tour giving half hour concerts in live . Cities mostly at airports. Alice Cooper gave free concerts at such places As times Square in new York and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Metallica booked Madison Square Garden not for a concert but to play its new album before it was released. David bowies tin machine and u2 created stirs by putting pictures of nude men on their album covers then blamed halfhearted coverups on prudes in the record Industry. The billboard charts saw an incredible diversity in 1991, with pop rap hard Rock dance music and country represented in the top 10 album listings. This May have been due to the computerization of the magazines Chart compiling system which made sales reports More accurate. Country Singer Garth Brooks was one of several artists benefiting from the new system. His album Robin the wind was no. 1 on both the country and pop charts. There were Many losses in music in 1991. Steve Clark guitarist for the heavy Metal band def Leppard died of a drug overdose As did Johnny thunders of the Punk bands the new York dolls and the Heartbreak cars and David Ruffin Lead Singer for the temptations. Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis died of pneumonia and Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz died of cancer. Drummer Eric Carr of kiss also died of cancer. Singer guitarist Steve Marriott of the 60s Rock bands the Small faces and Humble pie was killed in a fire at his Home in England. Revolutionary guitar maker Leo fender died at age 82, and Bill Graham longtime Rock promoter and manager was killed in a helicopter crash. Queen Lead Singer Freddie Mercury death of aids became the Rock world s biggest loss to the disease in its 10-year history. Music critics contend that his demise May make Rock stars reconsider their lifestyles. Finally in 1991, doors fans commemorated the 20th anniversary of Lead Singer Jim Morrison a death a which coincided with the release of Oliver Stone s biographical movie of the group. And classical music fans marked the 200th anniversary of the death of composer Wolfgang amadeus , january 1/2, the stars and stripes Page 15
