#FlashBackSunday Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

What was Happening in 1998?, a lot of good mainstream for sure, remembering the scene, Natalie Imbruglia and Left of the Middle were still around, Lauryn Hill was the best that ever Happened to R&B in a while, Madonna had what is from many considered her best album to this day Ray Of Light, Glam Rock had Marilyn Manson and he had Mechanical Animals, Smashing Pumkings were huge with Adore, Hole had a their best album out and were getting very pop (ish) with Celebrity Skin, Massive Attack had produced a classic album in Trip Hop, Beastie Boys were out with Hello Nasty and their fantastic song Intergalactic (still in every party), Ricky Martin was not Living La Vida Loca and would be discovered by the world in the Grammys...Oh man! It was a great year for mainstream stuff and it was a time when even watching award shows was a treat because everyone was so good, no boy bands around, no child stars since Hanson, 1998 was the year most of the artists mainstream or not were making an album that will change the course of history and will remain classic for ever. In a few years Smashing Pumpkins wouldn't be around, Madonna never would be the same, Ricky Martin will be gay, Manson would become bling bling, but a question remains...who was in the tip of the iceberg?

For the indie scene The Boy With The Arab Strap was fantastic but never like If You're Feeling Sinister, Beck was delivering Mutations and starting his way into scientology, Cat Power had Moon Pix, Air had Moon Safari and Sexy Boy was very sexy and popular, Spoon was doing fine with A Series Of Sneaks, and PJ Harvey did another memorable album asking herself "Is This Desire?", but there was one band that had produced their second and last album, Neutral Milk Hotel with In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and this was a special one from the cover art of REM's design team and Jeff Magnum to the music in it.

The producer of this album was singer/songwriter man of The Apples In Stereo Robert Schneider that teamed up to record the album in Pet Sounds Studios, every name here is now classic and the critically acclaimed album included a variety of multi instrumentalists and was made as one set story, all songs were connected with the next and the effect is magic to the ears, trumpets, drums, guitars, everything in the right place, this album remains a classic and still sales, it became one of the most soled albums of 1998 and it remains selling, maybe because also the band never made anything else.

This album is a classic, and this flashback is not a review, is just a remembrance that there was a great time in music when this LP entered the scene and if you don't know them you should start. The intention of the blog is to present my opinions on music that's coming out, and say my words on if its good or bad, the flashbacks are just a fun way to look behind and remember what was already a 10/10.

Tracklist:

1. The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One
2. The King of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two & Three
3. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
4. Two-Headed Boy
5. Fool
5. Holland, 1945
6. Communist Daughter
7. Oh Comely
8. Ghost
9. Untitled
10. Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2
Rate: 10/10

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