Without You I’m Nothing cover

Without You I’m Nothing

Released

Placebo scored an initial American foothold with “Pure Morning,” a notable example of Brian Molko’s son-of-Martin-Gore-level forced rhymes still carried brilliantly by the music, a stirring slow burn rise of feedback and rhythm. The album as a whole delivers on that promise, with further careening on the edge anthems like “You Don’t Care About Us” and “Every Me Every You” served up alongside more instances of slow heartbreak ballads, including the title track, later redone with David Bowie, and the in-the-spotlight melodrama of “My Sweet Prince.”

Ned Raggett

Recommended by

Suggestions
The Aeroplane Flies High cover

The Aeroplane Flies High

The Smashing Pumpkins
Year Zero cover

Year Zero

Nine Inch Nails
Mysterio cover

Mysterio

Ian McCulloch
Burned cover

Burned

Electrafixion
BGM cover

BGM

Yellow Magic Orchestra
Futurology cover

Futurology

Manic Street Preachers
Rings Around the World cover

Rings Around the World

Super Furry Animals
The First Day cover

The First Day

David Sylvian, Robert Fripp