The Mercury Prize Determination, 1992
COMMITTEE ON ARTISTIC AFFAIRS
Sub-Committee on the Adjudication of Musical Awards
Subject: The Mercury Prize of 1992
Purpose: To establish whether the prize of 1992 was correctly awarded.
Determination: Amended
As much as I love new music, it's always good to check back and see what you might have missed before. When the Mercury Prize shortlist for 2026 was announced I thought it would be good to listen back to past years and give the nominees another chance. First up, it's 1992.
Albums are listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.
^ denotes the Mercury winner. * denotes the Committee's.
Barry Adamson, Soul Murder
I saw that he was a fellow Manc who had been in Magazine and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, so I thought I had an idea of what this was going to sound like. I was very wrong. This is a jazz noir, slam poet, bossa nova, groove mirage. It feels like he's lifted songs from various film soundtracks (there's an imagined Bond theme in here) and jumbled them all together. I'm really glad I listened. Not sure I quite got it in one listen, but it deserves a few more.
Bheki Mseleku, Celebration
The jazz entry. There will be more of these in the years to come, and it's one of the areas I know least about. Mseleku was South African, living in exile in London, and this was a great entry: smooth but vibrant, with fantastic production.
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Honey's Dead
This just felt very 90s. The drums are very Madchester, the guitars distorted and powerful. The lyrics are fine. It's well-crafted guitar pop for the baggy jeans generation, but it felt very samey and by the end I was glad it was over.
Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart, Rising Above Bedlam
Not for me, thanks. This is the most dated of the albums.
John Tavener and Steven Isserlis, The Protecting Veil
The classical entry. Again, no idea what to expect. I don't think having it in my headphones while I work is giving it the space it requires, and I'm no classical expert, so I'm setting it aside rather than judging it properly. It was great to work to. Listening to this live with an orchestra in proper surroundings would be ideal.
^ Primal Scream, Screamadelica
I expected more. Maybe it was more revolutionary when it came out, but it does seem to drag a lot. I actually saw them play this album live in full and it felt a lot better. I think you need to be out dancing with people to get the full experience.
* Saint Etienne, Foxbase Alpha
This was a great record. Poppy, dance-y, but always interesting. It was bright and light. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is the well known track, but there were others that I really liked. Even the longer songs held my attention, unlike in Screamadelica.
Simply Red, Stars
I'm from the same town as Mick Hucknall, but there will be no hometown loyalty here. This was the biggest album in the UK of both 1991 and 1992, and remains one of the biggest sellers in British chart history. It was a smash, but other than a couple of bangers the rest is pretty bland.
U2, Achtung Baby
Another big hitter. I really enjoyed this album. It kept most of my attention throughout and there are some classic tracks on it.
Young Disciples, Road to Freedom
This was the only album Young Disciples ever made. A shame, as this was another great album. Cool, slick. A mix of jazz, funk, soul and hip hop.
Judgement
Overall, it was a great inaugural year for the Mercury Prize. A real variety of sounds and genres, and other than Jah Wobble (sorry) they've all dated quite well.
On the question of Achtung Baby: it is plainly the strongest set of songs on the shortlist. Can you really say any of the other albums had songs like One, Mysterious Ways and Even Better Than The Real Thing? But the Committee removes U2 from consideration on the grounds of size. They were already too big a band to be handed the prize, and did not need the money or the exposure.
That leaves Saint Etienne. I can see why Screamadelica won, but Foxbase Alpha held my attention where the winner didn't, and it has aged just as well. The determination of 1992 is amended in its favour.
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