By GERRY GALIPAULT

(September 1999)

Thank God, or whoever, for the invention of the cassette tape.

Maybe it breaks all kinds of copyright laws, but who cares: For the past 15 years, Pause & Play has enjoyed making tapes of its favorite music and sprinkling in a few timely sound bites. Who needs radio when you can pop in your own mini-time capsule on the drive to work.

Forget the All Spice challenge. Try the home-taping challenge. See if you can top this sampling from P&P's latest taping session:

Sound bite - Dan Quayle, dropping out of the GOP presidential race: "There's a time to stay and a time to fold, a time to know when to leave the stage."

Segue into ...

"Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of ...)," Lou Bega - because Quayle's exit is certainly something to celebrate;

"Summer Girls," LFO - for Marilyn Quayle, poor thing;

"Comedy," Shack - a nod to Murphy Brown.

Sound bite - John McCain, announcing his candidacy - "It is a challenge to each of us to join in the fight against pervasive cynicism that is debilitating our democracy."

Segue into ...

"Back That Thang Up," Juvenile featuring Manny Fresh & Lil' Wayne - why bother, John? Georgy Porgy is so far ahead, it's not even a contest;

"Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)," Citizen King - because McCain won't know what hit him;

"Lesson In Leavin'," Jo Dee Messina - he'll be naming this tune in two notes after the New Hampshire primary.

Sound bite - Mel Gibson, at a screening of his new film on "The Simpsons" - "Listen, I don't want to get spotted by the crowd, so I'm gonna take a leak behind the Dumpster." He accidentally sets off the theater's fire alarm. Chief Wiggum - "Look, it's Mel Gibson! Hey, everybody, rush over there!"

Crowd forms around Gibson. Gibson - "Hi, everybody." Dr. Nick Riviera - "Hi, Mr. Gibson."

Segue into ...

"All Star," Smash Mouth - well, he did win an Oscar for "Braveheart";

"For the Movies," Buckcherry - in keeping with the Hollywood theme;

"It's All About You (Not About Me)," Tracie Spencer - because his fans come first. Right? Yeah, right.

Sound bite - "Teletubbies Title Song" - "Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come and play ... 1, 2, 3, 4 ... time for Teletubbies!"

Segue into ...

"Wanna Be a Baller," Lil' Troy featuring Yungsta, Fat Pat, Lil' Will, Hawk, Big T - for the sheer shock value;

"Freak With Me," Tee Kee & Diamon Ra'mone - same as above;

"Pimpin' Ain't No Illusion," UGK featuring Kool Ace & Too Short - one mo' time!

You get the picture. There's so much fun to be had ... just like P&P's monthly countdown of 10 significant '90s albums. In our march toward the next decade, Volume 8 pops up this week. By the end of November, you will have read synopses of 100 LPs. These are, in one column's humble opinion, the Top 100 essential albums of the 1990s.

Ready, willing and able to opine on this month's selections are Marc Almond, former frontman of the 1980s new-wave duo Soft Cell; singer-songwriter David Mead, and the New York-based Freshmäka, the enigmatic dance music master.

The lush album "Open All Night" (Instinct), Almond's first U.S. release in eight years, was released Sept. 28, the same day as Mead's impressive RCA debut LP, "The Luxury of Time." With partner Duke Mushroom, The Freshmäka - whose Moonshine Music debut album, "I Am The Freshmäka," will be out Oct. 5 - has remixed hits for Guster, PM Dawn, Busta Rhymes, Montell Jordan, Method Man, Sandra Bernhard and KC & the Sunshine Band.

All three artists will be featured in future P&P editions.

Now, on to the countdown ...

(The following albums are not listed alphabetically, chronologically or in order of importance. Anything that came out in the 1990s - even greatest-hits packages, box sets and compilations - is eligible for inclusion. Everything's fair game.)

LIVE THROUGH THIS, Hole (DGC/Geffen, 1994) - Courtney Love didn't just pop out of nowhere. Before she married Kurt Cobain, her musical past included forming Sugar Babylon with L7's Jennifer Finch and Babes In Toyland's Kat Bjelland. She started Hole in 1989, using a classified ad to find bandmates with similar influences (from Big Black to Fleetwood Mac). "Live Through This," the group's big-label debut, was released a week after Cobain's suicide. It immediately thrust Love into the limelight and the album onto several year-end critics' polls. Almond: "I'm a big fan of Hole, and I really like this album. I like Courtney Love's whole attitude and persona. There's something really great about her." The Freshmäka: "That's a great record, I do own it. I love 'Miss World' and 'Doll Parts.' I'm not going to let my cynicism show and wonder who really wrote the record, but I do think it's a great piece of work. When she first stepped out for that first video for 'Miss World,' I was so scared." Mead: "Not to be a party pooper, but I'm not a Hole fan. I don't want to flog anything. It's an important record, let's put it that way. It obviously opened a lot of doors for a genre of music that needed to be explored. It doesn't strike me as the most accomplished thing in the world." Prime cuts: "Doll Parts," "Miss World," "Violet," "Asking For It."

UNDERTOW, Tool (Zoo, 1993) - This nihilistic hard-rock album was raw, loud and benignly defiant, catering to a somber segment of society. It was equally complex and soul-purging. Its longevity, spread slowly by word of mouth, speaks for itself. The Freshmäka "A band I've never really listened to, nor am I planning to. It sort of goes against what I dig musically. It's very dark and brooding. I'm into melodic and peppy. I can't say it's my thing, although their videos are certainly creative." Mead: "I felt like I had heard it before. I'd much rather listen to Rage Against the Machine, and lyrically, Alice in Chains probably does it better than Tool." Prime cuts: "Sober," "Prison Sex," "Crawl Away," "Undertow."

THE GLOBE, Big Audio Dynamite II (Columbia, 1991) - Mick Jones had to replace his original B.A.D. lineup in 1990, but that didn't stop the former Clash man from blazing more trails. Still devoted to sampling (the group's 1986 debut U.K. hit, "E=MC2," is considered the first rock song to feature sampling), Jones was in his prime here. The title track experimented with techno and ambient sounds, while the brilliant "Rush" wrapped itself around The Who's "Baba O'Riley." Almond: "Big Audio Dynamite were always very interesting. They were very experimental with the dance music thing, using samples and sounds, so I think they were very ahead of their time in a lot of ways." The Freshmäka: "It's an incredible classic. It set a precedent for so many things. There's nothing I can say about Mick Jones except 'Wow!' " Mead: "I'm not a big fan of Mick Jones' voice, but I think that blending of pop sensibility with the trash can kind of throwing together beats was really cool and very catchy." Prime cuts: "Rush," "The Globe," "Innocent Child," "When the Time Comes."

BEG, SCREAM & SHOUT! THE BIG OL' BOX OF '60s SOUL, various artists (Rhino, 1997) - Six CDs of pure excellence, from top to bottom. There's plenty from veterans (Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding), second-tier stars (Joe Simon, Joe Tex, Tyrone Davis), one-hit wonders and other obscurities. Packaged in a mock 45 singles case, this definitive soul box set mines the vaults of Motown, Stax/Volt, Atlantic, Atco and Chess, to name a few. This was truly Rhino's shining moment in the box-set sun. Almond: "Anything to do with '60s soul has to be great. 'Tainted Love' was an old '60s soul record (by Gloria Jones in 1964, which is included in the box set); we loved all that. Someone asked me recently if I would do a covers album; I would love to do one of old '60s stuff and give it my own treatment." The Freshmäka: "That's the foundation. That's where it all begins. This box set is beautiful packaged; again Rhino, always creative. I'm a big Rhino guy." Mead: "You can't get enough of that. I'm all for it. Thumbs up." Prime cuts: Let's name one from each disc - "Choice of Colors," The Impressions; "Stay In My Corner," The Dells; "The 'In' Crowd," Dobie Gray; "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood; "Harlem Shuffle," Bob & Earl; "But It's Alright," J.J. Jackson.

PURPLE, Stone Temple Pilots (Atlantic, 1994) - This rock quartet from San Diego was, at a time, called Shirley Temple's Pussy. Yikes, good thing Scott Weiland, Eric Kretz and the DeLeo brothers came to their senses. With this, their second album, they proved they weren't a Pearl Jam knockoff. They maintained the rockin' aggressiveness of their debut LP, "Core," and combined it with broad, melodic strokes and experimentation. No sophomore slump here; the album topped the U.S. chart for three weeks. The Freshmäka: "Underrated record, underrated band. Troubles aside, I thought it was a beautifully textured record. 'Interstate Love Song' reminded me sort of the finer moments of George Harrison, for some reason. Very cool record." Mead: "I think they were just about there. I think the one after that, 'Tiny Music ... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop,' that was a great record. 'Purple' had its moments. They're actually a very good example of a band that has developed." Prime cuts: "Interstate Love Song," "Vaseline," "Big Empty," "Unglued."

WEEZER, Weezer (DGC/Geffen, 1994) - With former Cars leader Ric Ocasek at the production helm, you knew this one was going to be special. Every nook and cranny of this 10-track album was filled with simple but catchy lyrics and solid pop melodies. Wildly innovative videos also helped make this the multiplatinum-selling sleeper of the 1990s. The Freshmäka: "To be honest with you, it's one of the top three records of the decade. It was in my Walkman for a year and a half. If I could work with (singer-guitarist) Rivers Cuomo, I'd be very happy. I swear this guy is my alter-ego. There's nothing wrong on that record. (singing) 'My girl has eyeballs in the back of her head ...' I don't even know where to begin on that record; it was so damn inspirational, because in the midst of this rock resurgence, that record and The Presidents of the United States of America record put some tongue-in-cheek spin to it." Mead: "Fucking great. They were really great cheesy little pop songs, tongue-in-cheek. That's where irony should have almost just stopped, period. You can't get any cuter than that. It was cute, clever, self-deprecating." Prime cuts: "Undone-The Sweater Song," "Buddy Holly," "Say It Ain't So," "In the Garage."

THE FAT OF THE LAND, Prodigy (Mute/Maverick/Warner, 1997) - Powered by frontman Liam Howett's trademark snarl, this sinister outfit fused rapid-fire rap with hard-core breakbeats and funky samples. Controversy over the track "Smack My Bitch Up" didn't keep it from crashing onto mainstream and leading the techno wave. Almond: "I love their stuff, I love their videos. They're one of the most exciting things happening in dance music in Britain over the past few years. They're very original and they're extreme, but there's also a lot of irony in there." The Freshmäka: "Tough call. I don't know the record that well; all I know are the singles. All I can say is that was the beginning of the end for me for the Beastie Boys when they asked them not to play 'Smack My Bitch Up' live when Prodigy opened for them. That was the beginning of the PC Beasties I couldn't get with, so I say kudos to Prodigy." Mead: "It inspires a certain amount of evil, like you feel a little evil when you listen to it." Prime cuts: "Breathe," "Firestarter," "Smack My Bitch Up," "Diesel Power."

LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE, George Michael (Columbia, 1990) - Michael's first post-Wham! album, "Faith," was all about image; "Listen Without Prejudice" was about songs. He began rejecting the traditional rock lifestyle by limiting his video screen time and cutting back on tours. He became more socially aware ("Praying For Time") and even mocked his Wham!/"Faith" days on "Freedom 90." For the "Freedom 90" video, he went one step further: His "Faith" biker jacket was symbolically burned. It didn't spend 12 weeks at No. 1 or sell 9 million copies like "Faith," but "Listen Without Prejudice" was Michael's creative coup. Almond: "I don't mind George Michael, but he's really not my kind of music. It seems the only time I hear a George Michael record is when I'm sitting at a restaurant getting ready to eat. It doesn't bother me. The guy's got a real pleasant voice. I love 'Jesus to a Child' and 'You Have Been Loved' (both from the 1996 album 'Older'). I like his ballads more than his dance stuff." The Freshmäka: "A blueprint of great shit. I have to go back to Wham! I have all the 12 inches of 'Club Tropicana,' 'Bad Boys,' 'Young Guns' and 'Wham Rap,' way before we were waking up before we go-go." Mead: "He writes great pop songs. He's incredibly talented, and like it or hate it, the way he goes about marketing himself, he's extremely good at that too, which is not easy." Prime cuts: "Praying For Time," "Freedom 90," "Mother's Pride," "Waiting For That Day."

DIVA, Annie Lennox (Arista, 1992) - As one-half of the Eurythmics, one of the most successful duos of the 1980s, Lennox had name recognition on her side when she released her solo debut album. The synthesizer-heavy sound of the Eurythmics gave way to lush, mournful ballads and radio-friendly melodies. She snared a slew of awards along the way. Almond: "She has a great voice and I like her persona, but I've never liked her solo albums. I prefer the really early Eurythmics stuff. I found her solo albums to be a little soul-less, maybe a little bit too much production." The Freshmäka: "Not really my speed, but a great record. My fiancee loves it. It's one of those sappy sort of records that's much cooler than Lilith Fair but still not really my thing. Beautiful arrangements, beautiful production. It's slick, and I understand why it worked. Hey, my mom liked it. But I'll take Eurythmics any day over Annie Lennox solo." Prime cuts: "Why," "Walking On Broken Glass," "Little Bird," "Cold."

DOOKIE, Green Day (Reprise, 1994) - This punk-inspired trio played to 12 people at its first showcase gig in 1990 and still got a deal with Lookout. Two albums later, with angst-ridden rock on the rise, several major labels got into a bidding war. Styled after '70s punk pioneers Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols, Green Day delivered "Dookie" for Reprise and all hell broke loose. It sold more than 9 million copies and stayed on Billboard's pop chart for more than two years; the band won a Grammy for best alternative music performance and best album honors in Rolling Stone's 1995 readers' picks poll, and suddenly other punk-rock bands came out of the woodworks. The Freshmäka: "Very important record. I gotta say, for a three-piece - with all due respect to Nirvana - Green Day ripped it live as hard as anybody I've ever seen in my life. Often copied, often imitated, never duplicated. It's easy to say they stole from punk, and god bless 'em for it, but their song structures were incredible. They wrote bubblegum pop, and they understood their market. It never offended me. If I were in Fugazi, I might take offense, but I'm not a punk guy. I'm a pop guy. I thought it was a ballsy record at the right time in history. I own that record; I even paid for that record. In the music business, as you know, you don't pay for much; I paid for 'Dookie,' just like I paid for 'Weezer.' " Mead: "That would be No. 1 on my list of records I never want to hear again. Not because it was bad, it was just one of those things you could not get away from. Again, a record that has spawned thousands of imitators, I guess, is the highest form of flattery, so you can't discount it, that's for sure." Prime cuts: "Basket Case," "Long View," "When I Come Around," "She," "Welcome to Paradise."