egocentric

If the 80’s were a non-stop techno-pop party, the 90’s were the inevitable hangover.  In the early part of the decade, grunge and hip hop ruled the radio roost.  Pop stars were pushed to the cultural fringe.   This resulted in several side projects by previously popular acts.  This allowed the musicians to experiment with alternative sounds without damaging their brand identity.  But more often than not, the musical output was the same old song.   For a fan of clever and contrived pop tunes, this was fine with me.  I actually enjoyed some of these “solo” albums more than their mainstream productions.  New Order was a repeat offender of this trend.  Electronic was a super group composed of refugees from NO, The Smiths and The Pet Shop Boys.  Monaco was a rockier version of their mainline product.  By the time Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert got around to releasing their spin-off, the novelty of this trick had worn off.  They adopted the moniker The Other Two in defiance of the general public apathy.  The second single dropped, but it got lost in the chart shuffle.  So it’s likely you have never heard the genius of Selfish.  Not only is it an amazing synth ballad, but it offers a sharp rebuke to a self centered lover.  Who doesn’t appreciate a good take down?