Retro Record Review: ‘Puzzle’ by dada
In the early 90s, as alternative rock started to take hold of MTV and the radio airwaves, there was an interesting phenomenon. (Side note: I almost started this sentence with “At the dawn of the alternative era…” but stopped myself because that would have been hyperbolic and pretentious as all hell.) Artists would pop up and have a crossover hit or two but then be supplanted by a “newer” artist with a similar sound. Case in point, Toad the Wet Sprocket had two MTV hits in 1991 from their album fear with “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean.” They had a couple of Modern Rock hits after that, but their mainstream momentum was taken over by Gin Blossoms in 1992 with their mega hit “Hey Jealously.” Another example is The Cranberries; they took over the lane previously paved by Sinéad O'Connor. For the record, this is not a criticism of the bands that achieved the later, bigger commercial success. It was just something that I found fascinating in real time.
When I first saw the music video for dada’s “Dizz Knee Land” on 120 Minutes, I thought, “oh, this band is doing School of Fish,” who had a minor crossover hit with “3 Strange Days” in 1991. This was a good thing considering I loved School of Fish’s self-titled debut. So I picked up Puzzle, on cassette of course, and proceeded to focus on three songs, the aforementioned “Dizz Knee Land,” “Dim,” and “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.” Since all of those songs are pretty deep into the album, I had to have listened to it completely at some point, but I truly have no memory of it. So I decided to give it a spin.
Right off the bat I’m thinking that my comparison to School of Fish was a bit off. The album opens with some very “Finish What Ya Started”-era Eddie Van Halen guitar licks on the six minute “Dorina,” a mid tempo almost ballad that is an interesting, if not bold, choice. It is followed by the kind of funky and psychedelic “Mary Sunshine Rain.” Even though this album was released in 1992, these songs were certainly written before the release of Nevermind and thus they are a perfect time capsule for that late 80s, early 90s pre-Nirvana moment in alternative music. The third song, “Dog,” is another mix of psychedelia, power pop, and college rock. The About section of the band’s website described dada’s music as “an array of songs boasting progressive rock musicianship, dazzling vocal harmonies and melodic power pop layered with inspired psychedelic and experimental rock impulses” and that is pretty darned spot on. “Dizz Knee Land” is next and it is obvious that it was the single for a reason, because it is EASILY Puzzle’s standout moment. That said, “Dim” is a close second.
I have a fondness for that pre-Nevermind era of alternative music. There was a lot going on as the sun was setting on one decade and rising on another. Sounds were changing and evolving and it seemed like no one had any idea of what the future would hold. But whatever it was going to be, there was an excitement to it, held down by a liberal use of the Amen break / Funky Drummer / Think break beat.
It’s not surprising that dada will be remembered as a one-hit wonder. Their sound was perfect for this one small moment in time and luckily they were able to make the most of it. What struck me listening to Puzzle now is how good these guys were/are at their instruments. These three could play and they played the shit out of these songs. Admittedly, I’m not sure how often I’m going to slap play on this album, but songs like “Dim” and “Dizz Knee Land” will be with me forever.
References
About. (n.d.). dada FOREVER. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from http://dadaforever.com/about/
dada. (1992). Puzzle [Album]. I.R.S. Records.
Dada (band). (2025, February 28). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dada_(band)&oldid=1278134007
Gin Blossoms. (2025, July 31). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gin_Blossoms&oldid=1303535542
OU812. (2025 August 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=OU812&oldid=1305459361
School of Fish. (2025, June 26). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=School_of_Fish&oldid=1297550869
Toad the Wet Sprocket. (2025, August 10). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toad_the_Wet_Sprocket&oldid=1305187801