West
Artist: Mark Eitzel

For his sophomore solo effort West, Mark Eitzel teamed with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck; given that several of the songs recorded during the sessions were originally intended as material for Buck's day job, it's no great surprise that the album sounds much like R.E.M. circa Out of Time or Automatic for the People, favoring gorgeously spare... Read More

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie - AUSTRALIA
Artist: Alanis Morissette

While it's not a repudiation of her blockbuster, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is a clear step forward, teeming with ambition and filled with new musical ideas and different sonic textures. Alanis Morissette's voice still sears, but she has more control over her singing, rarely reaching the piercing heights that occasionally made Jagged... Read More

Drive - JAPAN BONUS TRACKS
Artist: Bic Runga

New Zealand export Bic Runga not only wrote everything on her debut, Drive, but also played guitar and xylophone, and even served as producer. The result is a lovely first effort that hints at greater things to come. Using her engaging, childlike voice to full effect, Runga mostly ruminates on love lost and found, all within the confines of... Read More

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy - JAPAN BONUS TRACK
Artist: Sarah McLachlan

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy finds Sarah McLachlan racing toward success as she reteams with producer Pierre Marchand on her breakthrough release and finest offering to date. Stretching her lyrical wings and experimenting a bit more instrumentally, the radiance of her work has somehow solidified here. Ecstasy is certainly attained, though not by... Read More

XO
Artist: Elliott Smith
Community Score: 8.18

A year before his major-label debut, XO, was released, it seemed unlikely that Elliott Smith would even be on a major, let alone having his record be one of the more anticipated releases of 1998. He had certainly earned a great deal of critical respect with his low-key, acoustic indie records and was emerging as a respected songwriter, but he... Read More

The Best of the Lemonheads: The Atlantic Years
Artist: The Lemonheads

Evan Dando -- for all intents and purposes, he is the Lemonheads -- is a sporadically brilliant songwriter. Every one of his albums contains as many flops as masterpieces, sometimes more. Hardcore fans have learned to live with this and even cherish his dopey detours, but there are many others who would prefer to have all the best bits on... Read More

Drive
Artist: Bic Runga
Community Score: 8.00

New Zealand export Bic Runga not only wrote everything on her debut, Drive, but also played guitar and xylophone, and even served as producer. The result is a lovely first effort that hints at greater things to come. Using her engaging, childlike voice to full effect, Runga mostly ruminates on love lost and found, all within the confines of... Read More

This Euphoria
Artist: Davíd Garza
Community Score: 7.03

David Garza made his major label debut in a big, brilliant way -- compared to the almost genteel efforts on earlier albums like Eyes Wide Open, This Euphoria flat-out rocks. Call it a natural progression, call it what happens when there's big bucks to work with, but Garza came up with one of the best rock albums of the second half of the '90s.... Read More

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy/Freedom Sessions
Artist: Sarah McLachlan

In 1998, Classic Compact Disc released Fumbling Towards Ecstasy/Freedom Sessions, which contained two complete albums -- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (1995, originally released on Nettwerk) and Freedom Sessions (1994, originally released on Nettwerk) -- by Sarah McLachlan on one compact disc. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide Read More

Little Plastic Castle
Artist: Ani DiFranco
Community Score: 8.62

Little Plastic Castle posed an unusual challenge for Ani DiFranco. She released this record after spending a year promoting her first live CD (Living In Clip) by repeatedly admitting to reporters that her studio albums lack the vitality of her concert performances. Rock critics agreed en masse, and their praise for the live album helped to... Read More

Let It Come Down
Artist: James Iha

During lulls on the lengthy Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness tour and before the Smashing Pumpkins returned to the studio to record Adore, James Iha made his first solo album, Let It Come Down. Fortunately, it is one of the rare solo projects from a member of major band that explores territory that could not be covered by the band itself.... Read More

Dog on Wheels
Artist: Belle & Sebastian

Released six months after If You're Feeling Sinister, the Dog on Wheels EP proves that Belle & Sebastian's wonderful second album was no fluke. Comprised of four songs that generally sound a little fuller and have a lighter tone than those on the album, it displays Stuart Murdoch's sly wit and flair for storytelling. If anything, his skills are... Read More

Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby
Artist: Mark Eitzel

Neither as polished and loose as West nor as studiously serene as 60 Watt Silver Lining, Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby is the liveliest record Mark Eitzel has recorded since the demise of American Music Club. Eitzel's songs always flourish when stripped down and delivered directly, and the stark... Read More

Complete Collection: 1991-1998
Artist: Tori Amos