The Most Underrated Rock Album of the ’90s Turns 25

From grunge to alt-rock to punk, the ’90s were an explosive, expansive time for rock music. This record is one of the decade’s best, you just don’t know it.

 

Failure formed in Los Angeles in 1990 and signed with Warner Bros. arm Slash Records in 1992. That year, they released their debut album Comfort, and followed that up with 1994’s Magnified. But it was Fantastic Planet, released on August 13, 1996, that transcended both their catalog to that point and the greater genre of alternative rock. It’s my all-time favorite rock album; walk through it with me and I’ll tell you why.

• Stuck on

  “Stuck On You” was the first single from Fantastic Planet. I remember hearing it on the radio here in Boston (probably WFNX, as they played everything under the sun back in ’96). I was transfixed: the opening riff sounded like it was being beamed into my ears from deep space. And when the video–a send-up to the old James Bond movie intros–popped up on MTV, I was hooked.

• 'Fantastic Planet' on CD

  

  By the mid-90s, I had pivoted toward buying CDs instead of tapes, so I picked up Fantastic Planet on disc. I don’t remember where; probably Newbury Comics either on Newbury Street right down Mass Ave. from where I was in school at Northeastern or at the store on Rt. 1 in Saugus.

  That outer-space vibe I got from “Stuck On You” ran deep throughout the album (it takes its title from a famous Sci-Fi film, after all). The production was otherworldly, and the way the songs blended into one another made for a listening experience like no other. It was like a movie soundtrack, but I got to make up my own movie every time I listened.

• Failure didn't fail

  

  Geeks like me continued to sing the praises of Fantastic Planet for years, to the point where it became a cult classic of sorts. After years of solo and other projects, Failure’s three members–Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards, and Kellii Scott–got the band back together in 2014 to test the waters. What resulted was a tour that was so well-received they recorded their first album in almost 20 years–The Heart is a Monster–and toured again to mark the 20th anniversary of Fantastic Planet.

  Here I am with the guys before a 2015 show at Royale in Boston. They took the time before the show to meet with 20 fans, one on one, for autographs, photos, and a soundcheck.