SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BUSH – SIXTEEN STONE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

BUSH
SIXTEEN STONE (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
CRAFT RECORDINGS

One of the most inescapable rock records of the ‘90s was Bush’s 1994 debut album Sixteen Stone. Propelled by hit singles “Comedown”, “Glycerine”, and “Machinehead”, all of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was a massive success in the US, selling over six million copies, resulting in it becoming a monumental ‘90s rock album.

Sixteen Stone is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and to commemorate this occasion, it is getting a special vinyl release via Craft Recordings. The remastered version of Bush’s debut album has six different variants, including an ‘opaque red’ and ‘sepia’ colored pressing.

Sixteen Stone has aged quite well and is not as much of a ‘product of its time compared to other post-grunge records. Gavin Rossdale’s soaring vocals, the iconic distorted guitar riffs, an earworm of a chorus, and the gorgeously sweeping orchestral accompaniment make the power ballad “Glycerine” timeless. It is undeniably one of the best ‘90s songs. “Machinehead” still kicks ass, and if it were released today, it would still sound fresh. Bush immediately kicks it into high gear with that electrifyingly explosive, hard-rocking opening guitar riff guaranteed to get one’s adrenaline flowing. Very few post-grunge guitar riffs hit as hard as the one in “Machinehead” does. In addition, Rossdale’s delivery of “Breathe in, breath out” is immaculate. Meanwhile, “Comedown” and “Little Things” show Bush’s tremendous talent for crafting catchy hooks and choruses.  Lastly, “Everything Zen” is super enjoyable, with plenty of angst, crunchy guitar riffs, and memorable lines to go with it.

There are some deep cuts on the record as well. “X-Girlfriend” is a short, fun, energetic burst of punk rock. It offers a nice change of style. On the other hand, “Testosterone” is a great critique on toxic masculinity and macho behaviour. There is some pretty gnarly instrumentation on the track, too.

Sometimes, the album sounds way too similar to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, but for the most part, Sixteen Stone is a dazzling spectacle. Many exhilarating tunes continue to get better with age, and it even has a few excellent deep cuts, too. Overall, Sixteen Stone is one of the best post-grunge records of the ‘90s.

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