Urban Concerns, Dance Floor Vitality Dominate Critics’ Choices

Urban music and urban concerns dominate the 1989 Times pop music critics poll, in which veteran Neil Young’s feisty “Freedom” led the way, with Fine Young Cannibals’ neo-English soul “The Raw & the Cooked” and L.A. rap group N.W.A’s controversial “Straight Outta Compton” right on its heels.

Five of the 13 voters named “Freedom” on their year-end top 10 lists for a total of 38 points in a system that awards 10 points for each first place vote, nine for second and so on. A total of 70 albums received votes.

“Freedom,” mixing angry songs condemning societal indifference with tenderly longing ballads, represents Young’s first poll appearance in the ‘80s after an erratic, sometimes confusing stretch of stylistic diversions that left some fans and critics behind. But “Freedom” snarls and crackles and points some very specific fingers. As such it pairs well with Peter Case’s No. 8 entry, an angry though hopeful document of urban despair.

But most significant in the top 10 this year is the solid showing of the sound of the inner city: rap. In prior polls a total of only two rap albums ever made the consensus lists; this year alone there were three--four if you count Neneh Cherry’s rap-influenced debut.

“Compton” was among the most-debated albums of the year. Its brutal, profanity-filled accounts of life in L.A.’s ghettos drew fire from, among others, an FBI agent who sent the group a letter admonishing it for what he perceived to be encouraging violence against law enforcement officers. The L.A.-produced “Loc-ed After Dark” (which features “Wild Thing”--the biggest-selling single since 1985’s “We Are the World,” with more than 2 million copies sold) and the giddy but thoughtful and fresh New York sound of “3 Feet High” are tame by comparison, but their placing is recognition of rap’s increasing breadth.

Here are The Times pop music critics’ first-place choices for 1989 album of the year (Robert Hilburn’s top 10 appears above):

Mike Boehm--”Freedom,” Neil Young; Richard Cromelin--”3 Feet High and Rising,” De La Soul; Jonathan Gold--”Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A; Patrick Goldstein--”Don’t Tell a Soul,” the Replacements; Paul Grein--”Nick of Time,” Bonnie Raitt (Capitol); Steve Hochman--”Kite,” Kirsty MacColl (Virgin import); Dennis Hunt--”Keep on Movin’,” Soul II Soul (Virgin); Connie Johnson--”Neither Fish Nor Flesh,” Terence Trent D’Arby (Columbia); Kristine McKenna--”Love Ritual,” Al Green (MCA); Don Snowden--”Attainment,” Charles Brackeen (Silkheart import); Don Waller--”3 Feet High and Rising,” De La Soul; Chris Willman--”Spike,” Elvis Costello.

CRITICS’ CONSENSUS OF 1989’S TOP ALBUMS

No. of Title and Artist (Label) Ballots 1.”Freedom,” Neil Young (Reprise) (5) 2.”The Raw & the Cooked,” Fine Young Cannibals (I.R.S./MCA) (6) 3.”Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A (Ruthless/Priority) (5) 4.”Raw Like Sushi,” Neneh Cherry (Virgin) (7) 5.”Spike,” Elvis Costello (Columbia) (5) 6.”3 Feet High and Rising,” De La Soul (Tommy Boy) (5) “Don’t Tell a Soul,” The Replacements (Sire) (5) 8.”The Man With the Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar,” Peter Case (Geffen) (4) 9.”Loc’d After Dark,” Tone-Loc (Delicious Vinyl) (4) 10.”Doolittle,” Pixies (4AD/Elektra) (4)

Title and Artist Pts. 1.”Freedom,” Neil Young 38 2.”The Raw & the Cooked,” Fine Young Cannibals 37 3.”Straight Outta Compton,” N.W.A 36 4.”Raw Like Sushi,” Neneh Cherry 35 5.”Spike,” Elvis Costello 34 6.”3 Feet High and Rising,” De La Soul 29 “Don’t Tell a Soul,” The Replacements 29 8.”The Man With the Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar,” Peter Case 28 9.”Loc’d After Dark,” Tone-Loc 27 10.”Doolittle,” Pixies 25