Hunt and Gather Profile: Fu Manchu

"You're fucked up baby, your eyes like glass. Your mind's like a beer bottle filled with butts."

Fu Manchu's sound could only have come from California; the epitome of fuzzed out, laid back stoner riffs, which manage to still be aggressive, or at least energetic. They make the perfect soundtrack for driving down a desert highway one of the few bands with a sound so uniquely their own, that they completely transform a cover song simply by playing it.

 The band was formed from the remains hardcore punk band Virulence; guitarist Scott Hill, bassist Mark Abshire and drummer Ruben Romano had previous gone through several front men before Glenn Chivens joined and they changed their name to Fu Manchu.
After Chivens' departure, guitarist Scott Hill took over as vocalist and added a second guitarist Scott Votaw to play leads.
Taking inspiration from local heroes Black Flag (Hill is one of the few guitarists to use Greg Ginn's favored Dan Armstrong lucite guitars) and Bl'ast (whose name and song titles are often referenced in Fu songs) but also by 70's rock and Sabbath, Scott's vintage Univox Superfuzz and lyrics inspired by the 1977 teen sex comedy "The Van," the band forged their unique style.

Much of the early material from the first 3 Fu Manchu singles are available on the "Return To Earth 91-93," comp released on CD in 1998.

After Votaw left, the band cemented their line-up with lead guitarist Eddie Glass.

The Hill/Glass/Abshire/Romano line-up recorded just one album before Mark Abshire left (he had left Virulence once already and returned) and Brad Davis filled the bass player slot, playing on every record since.
The next major line-up change was when Eddie Glass and Ruben Romano left the band in 1997 to re-unite with Mark Abshire as the power trio, Nebula. Bob Balch stepped in on lead guitar duties with Kyuss' Brant Bjork on drums.

This line-up continued until drummer Scott Reeder replaced Bjork in the line-up that continues to this day. 

L to R Scott Hill, Brad Davis, Ruben Romano, Eddie Glass

L to R Davis,Bjork, Balch, Hill

Brad Davis

 Bob Balch, Scott Hill

Bob Balch

No One Rides For Free (1994)

Recorded with an advance they were given to produce a "demo," for a major label, the band decided to record their debut album, knowing that the label would reject it and released the album on indy label "Bong Load Custom." It is a landmark in desert stoner sludge. Scott Hill's trademark vocals; a laid back, almost spoken style with a slightly sleazy quality, that never takes the "chick," part of the chicks and cars formula any further than asking if they want a ride in his "shaggin' wagon."

"Ojo Rojo," delivers the classic line, "She wanted nothing and I delivered."  The overlooked van anthem (vanthem?) "Time To Fly," makes sure to mention, "it's got a teardrop ..." Beautiful!

The two I just mentioned and "Super Bird,' are probably the highlights but the whole thing is good.

The only glaring exception is a song I've always wondered about: "Summer Girls (Free and Easy)" a bizarre attempt at a ballad? A joke? I dunno but it comes up on ipod shuffle every so often and is astoundingly bad. It reminds me of the NOFX song "Together on The Sand," except not funny and with worse singing. It is unique within the Fu catalogue. Still their first record is one of their best.

 Daredevil (1995)

After a stellar debut, the band continued to hit their stride, with this great album. It has a slightly less sludgy shade of fuzz and incorporates additional percussion (think cowbell) for even more groove. It's like Black Sabbath meets "Lowrider." The riffs are monumentally huge and even though I have no idea what the lyrics to "Trapeze Freak," "Travel Agent," or "Sleestak," refer to ("Spiral Architect," and "A National Acrobat," are sort of in the same category for me) they are irresistible headbanging material. Actually more of a THC induced head-nodding but whatevs. Of all the bands given the annoying label of "stoner rock," Fu Manchu establish themselves as the most fun to get stoned and listen to.
This is the second and last "Bong Load Custom," release before moving to Mammoth records. It's unfortunately a bit difficult to track down, much like "No One Rides For Free." Thank God for the internet cause these are two absolutely essential Fu Manchu records.

In Search Of... (1996)

I'm not sure why I've always had the impression that this record was somehow vastly inferior to "Daredevil." Honestly, there aren't as many stand-out tracks for me, but it's still damn good. The fuzz hits a "Master of Reality," level and Eddie Glass really goes to town on his final album appearance, his lazy wah-wah heavy leads suddenly kicked into overdrive. The spacey vibes of "Neptune's Convoy," can likely be attributed to Glass as well, being consistent thematically with his next band, "Nebula." "Regal Beagle," "Asphalt Risin'," and "The Falcon Has Landed," are all highlights of, probably the heaviest Fu Manchu record of all time.

The Action Is Go (1997)

Somehow released right on the heels of the previous album, even after replacing guitarist Eddie Glass with Bob Balch and with Brant Bjork (producer of their first album and former member of Kyuss) taking over cowbell duties from Ruben Romano. The huge personnel changes are nullified by incredible momentum and, based entirely on it's own merits, it's arguably as good as "Daredevil,"although it may begin to feel repetitive to the casual listener.

Closer content-wise to "Daredevil," with lots of faster numbers and killer grooves. "Urethane," "Evil Eye," "Anodizer,"and "Laserbl'ast," all make my best-of list don't miss a beat, serving up killer skating/desert driving anthems. I would put this record on par with the first two, depending on mood.

Eatin' Dust (1999)

So, "Eatin' Dust," was originally put out as a 10" on Frank Kozik's now-defunct "Man's Ruin," label. It was later re-released on CD with the 10" "Godzilla," and re-titled "Godzilla's Eatin' Dust."

Really there are a few things working against this one - the different releases, labels, track listings; I think of this one more like an EP, since it only has 5 songs and was a 10".

For some reason some other dude plays guitar on the "Godzilla," record, which consists of 2 originals and a cover of the BOC song, which is okay.

The highlight of any version of this release is "Mongoose," possibly the best song the band ever recorded (easily top 3 at the very least.) Don't bother with the easier to find re-recorded version of the song on "California Crossing." The rest of it sounds is not necessarily "A," material

King of The Road (2000)

 Side one of this record features some of the band's best material, maybe of all time; "Hell on Wheels," and "King of The Road," are absolute ass-kickers. "Boogie Van," could be called the perfect Fu Manchu song. Unfortunately it runs out of momentum a bit on side two, which is hit or miss. As a bonus Devo's "Freedom of Choice," is given the Fu treatment. I'll put up side one of this one against anything in their catalogue. This could be considered the last of a string of classic recordings, starting with the first, and skipping over the less essential  "Eatin' Dust."/"Godzilla."

California Crossing (2001)

This record was a mistake for the band and has since been acknowledged as such. It was intended to be a more commercial sounding record in an effort to appeal to the dreaded "wider audience." So we have a much clearer guitar sound - the mountain of sludge is absent, and the leads are more prominent. Scott makes the attempt to sing and the choruses are more defined. You hear most of the traditional elements of the sound and then pop hooks jump out of nowhere. The band butchers "Mongoose," as far as I'm concerned, unnecessarily re-recording it with the type of slick backing vocals that record companies think everyone wants to hear. It doesn't work and sounds like pop garbage. Leave the pop sound to bands like the Descendents who make it work. Fu Manchu is not about that (this has since been made abundantly clear in the years since the album's mixed reception.)

Highlights "California Crossing," "Hang On," and "Squash That Fly," (which seems to share the same riff with "Amp-n," which makes it peculiar to sequence them back to back) come off sounding a lot better on their "Go For It Live,"record, which I recommend. It's a also a weird choice to throw a drum-solo on the last song if you ask me but I guess it's appropriate as a farewell to Brant Bjork on his final recording with the band .

Start the Machine (2004)

I always had the impression that this record is the totally boring Fu album; the cover is generic and so is the title (unless you can appreciate the Bl'ast reference.) What it really is, is an album with an identity crisis. Scott Hill has stopped writing about chicks, cars and skating for some reason and the songs now don't really seem to be about anything. I realize none of these are very deep subjects and lyrics on previous albums made very little sense to begin with, but
 although on subsequent listens, it's actually a lot better than I remember I still instantly forget any lyrics or song titles and it's just not very fun to listen to.
"Written In Stone," is the best of the bunch, "Make Them Believe," and "Understand," are catchy enough. "Hey," (that's the actual title) is pretty good too. The songs are back to a "no-bullshit," approach, following their experimentation on "California Crossing,"except

"Out To Sea," which is sort of a mellow, surfy instrumental that's not bad. My opinion of this record improves a little with every listen but, honestly if I look at the track listing, I still can't remember what any of these songs sound like.
Scott Reeder's first outing on drums and the only release on "DRT Records," which went tits-up shortly after.

We Must Obey (2007)

The title track  really sounds like their triumphant return to past glory and, while the the overall quality is better than "Start The Machine," the rest sounds a bit like filler. The cover of

The Cars "Moving In Stereo," and "Sensei Vs. Sensei," stand out but "Between The Lines," "Never Again," "Didn't Really Try," sound uninspired. Bob Balch still keeps it interesting with some cool guitar lines. This was the sole release on yet another label, "Liquor and Poker."

Signs of Infinite Power (2009)

By the time I was finished listening to "We Must Obey,"  I though I might have been going through Fu Manchu fatigue or something, which had unfairly affected my ability to appreciate that record.

Not so, apparently, because I put this, their latest album on the stereo and immediately felt the need to turn the volume up. Whereas, "Obey," had one really good tune and a bunch of mediocre ones, I can't really pick a standout track here because they're all good. 

Coincidentally, there's also the welcome return of unusual song titles - I have no idea what "Webfoot Witch Hat," or "El Busta" are about but they're hell of a lot more memorable, especially since they're attached to songs you'll walk away humming along to. "Steel Beast Defeated," is another highlight for me 

The title track again is good... "Gargantuan March," really gets the "head-nod," happening.

It might actually be the best thing they're done since "King of The Road."

Hunt And Gather: "Special Melvins Edition Part 3

"The cabin boy was Flipper, he was a dirty nipper, he stuffed his ass with broken glass and circumcised the skipper."

The most recent decade has been a period of unprecedented productivity for The Melvins. Both Dale and Buzz were prolific with side projects and collaborations, Dale with Altamont, Porn, super group  Shrinebuilder with Wino Weinrich and Scott Kelly from Neurosis. Buzz played with Kevin Sharp's Venemous Concept and in Fantomas with Mike Patton and Slayer's Dave Lombardo which spawned combined tours as "The Fantomas Melvins Big Band."

The band went on to make records with Jello Biafra and Lustmord and then absorbed the two-piece Big Business; bassist Jared Warren and drummer Cody Willis, after firing Kevin Rutmanis and morphed into a four-piece, featuring two drummers. 

King Buzzo

Dale

Buzz, Kevin, unknown, Dale

Dale, Buzz, Jared, Cody

Dale Buzz Jared, Cody

Jared, Cody, Buzz, Dale

Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)
After the epic scope of the ambitious "trilogy," that preceded it ("Maggot," Bootlicker," "Crybaby," the band seems to have streamlined their sound  in more of a "back to basics," approach.
Less concerned with experimenting with sounds, instruments and recording techniques, the album in certainly more hostile than ambient,
grabbing right for the jugular with a ferocious, guitar-driven sound, punctuated by sickening bursts of electronic noise and feedback.
The creepy pitch-shift vocals on "Foaming," and almost countrified guitar lines on the maniacal sounding "Dr. Geek," only add flavour, as do occasional unexpected synth bits. For the most part, the record is a snarling, sludgy, onslaught, with songs like, "Black Stooges," and "The Fool, The Meddling Idiot," as heavy, abrasive and crunchy as anything they've done previously. They've never sounded riffier than on "The Brain Center At Whipples," one of my favorites, before culminating in the stark unsettling album closer "The Anti-Vermin Seed."
This record may be skipped over by some casual fans, since it is situated between the trilogy and the highly publicized Biafra collaborations, which are then followed by the acquisition of the members of Big Business.
A shame, since Kevin Rutmainis' final record with the band, (collaborations not withstanding) contains many of their best heavy, concise tunes since "The Maggot," yet is, in many ways, more adventurous and satisfying.

Pigs of the Roman Empire (2004)

I was unaware of Lustmord, prior to this release; apparently he's one guy, rather than a band, who specializes in eerie soundscapes.
Many of the songs walk the line between ambient and creepy. Lustmord conjures up a house of horrors; water dripping, heavy doors clanging shut, rusted tools grinding and scraping, bells tolling and monks chanting  along with the type of quiet whispering that usually accompanies Jason, lurking somewhere in the bushes in Friday The 13th movies. If this is consistent with the rest of Lustmord's back catalogue, I imagine he may have helped inspire the equally ominous, drippy sounds found on Pig Destroyer's "Natasha," album.
Elsewhere, the tabla has likely never been made to sound as sinister as on "Toadi Acceleratio," as the record moves between dark, atmospheric pieces and bursts of brutal heaviness. "The Bloated Pope," is one of the heaviest things they've done in a while; maybe ever, and it packs more of a punch, framed by the foreboding intro "III".
The sprawling title track builds from a slow crawl over it's over 22 minute length, constantly mutating in different sonic directions, from deathly quiet, to surging, lumbering guitars, to both dark and ethereal sounds, until "Pink Bat," begins with a jarring blast of shrieking white noise.
This record is unique, in that it has the best heavy qualities of records like "Hostile Ambient Takeover," melding with a more adventurous, experimental side reminiscent of certain tracks from records like "Honky," making for an interesting collision that more than makes up for the virtual absence of the band's sly sense of humor. Due to it's focus mainly on quieter material, it may not be for everyone.

Never Breathe What You Can't See (2004)

I was a big Dead Kennedys fan as a kid, but since that time I seem to have developed an aversion to Jello Biafra's voice. Maybe it's his constant presence on any documentary remotely related to punk rock, or that the past couple of collaboration albums (D.O.A. and NoMeansNo) seemed a bit flat and uninspired. For whatever reason,
my low expectations for this record were shattered. Biafra sounds re-energized. Perhaps some time off has given him time to lace into on a whole new set of targets  from the the war on terror, to SUV drivers to over-zealous airport security post 911, or maybe simply having the best possible backing band imaginable (The Rutmanis line-up of the Melvins with contributions from Tool's Adam Jones) but Biafra shows the kids why he is an icon in the first place and that he's still relevant now. "McGruff The Crime Dog," is my favorite track, followed closely by "Yuppie Cadillac." Jello shrieks, howls, and gleefully impersonates his subjects of ridicule, with his classic combination of irreverence and cynicism. He's never sounded creepier than he does inhabiting the character of an airport security guard on "The Lighter Side of Global Terrorism." The music (mostly Buzz's with contributions from Jello) is crunchy and heavy enough to be distinctly Melvins, but also suited to the punk rock style Biafra is known for, even incorporating subtle nuances reminiscent of East Bay Ray, almost as a homage to original DKs (touches missing from the D.O.A. and NMN records, which sounded like the music and lyrics were conceived separately and hastily tossed together.)

This album is not only a great listen, it's the closest we may get to hearing how a new Dead Kennedys record could have sounded in the new millennium. It also demonstrates what a bad ass punk rock record sounds like, when delivered by seasoned veterans.

Sieg Howdy! (2005)

This record is less a follow-up to "Never Breathe What You Can't See," than it is a companion record, stitched together from outtakes of the same sessions fleshed out with various remixes of songs from the previous album.

Their cover of Alice Cooper's "Halo of Flies," (one of my favorite songs ever) is well done, as is the live "Califonia Uber Alles," update skewering Arnold Schwarzenegger and; probably the highlight, "Those Dumb Punk Kids Will Buy Anything," Biafra's awesomely vicious, and long overdue, musical shot back at his former Dead Kennedys bandmates. The two remaining originals are throwaways and the various amusingly titled remixes ("subway gas/hello kitty mix") aren't really very interesting to me at all and, curiously the songs being remixed are the weaker album tracks, in my opinion . The buzz surrounding "Those Dumb Punk Kids..." seems to have gained this release more attention than it's predecessor. Unfortunate since, while the original tracks and one live track would have some value as singles and/or B-sides, ultimately "Sieg Howdy," seems unnecessary.

(A) Senile Animal (2006)

Acquiring both members of Big Business made the band into a juggernaut, especially live. The question could be asked; Did the Melvins need a second drummer? - Of course not. Why did they bother incorporating Cody Willis into their sound? Because it's simply awesome and because they can. The mirror image of Dale side-by side lefty, Cody playing in lock-step is incredible to behold.
The presence of a second drummer is less obvious on record (aside from a heavier reliance on different forms of percussion) but the result is a great album. Not only do Big Business fit in perfectly with the Melvins sound but you can hear their influence started to seep into their new band as well. Jared's voice complements Buzzo's well, sitting on top with a higher range. You actually hear a bit more Jared than Buzz, on many songs. The record has a more direct, stripped down sound than anything the band has done previously. Crunchy staccato riffing of "Blood Witch," and straight-ahead ass-kickers like "The Hawk," and "Rat Faced Granny," combine with greater attention to vocal melody that utilizes the voices of all four members. The infusion of new blood seems to have done the band some good, with an abundance of cool songs, heavy guitar riffs and interesting percussion, equalling what may actually be their most accessible album, and one of their all-time best.

Nude With Boots (2008)

Buzz's guitar seems to add a different flavour on this record. At times it seems like he's incorporating more traditional rock licks that, at times remind me of ZZ Top, but in an off-kilter sort of way; "Suicide In Progress," is a good example of this. "The Kicking Machine," and "Billy Fish," and "Nude With Boots," contain the closest thing to "pop-hooks," The Melvins have ever served up. Parts of these could actually be described as "happy-sounding."

It's a good companion piece to "(A) Senile Animal," in that it features many of the same elements; more experimenting with odd time signatures and vocal lines/harmonies and quirky percussion, but with less emphasis on crunchy guitars and heavy material and more on melody. Songs like "Dog Island," and "The Savage Hippy," still provide a healthy dose of downtuned sludge for anyone concerned.
Sound-wise, the record is consistent with their other records produced by Tashi Kasai, (whom the band has worked with exclusively since "Hostile Ambient Takeover," in 2002) with a rawer, more organic, "live," sound. Kasai, who is also a member of Altamont and Big Business, has been somewhat overlooked for his influence on the band's sound. Ultimately, "Nude With Boots," is unique to the band's catalogue, building on, without straying too dramatically from, their signature sound.

An effective follow up to "(A) Senile Animal," though I personally give the edge to the previous record.

The Bride Screamed Murder (2010)
The most recent Melvins record finds the band experimenting even more with vocal harmonies, percussion and more random sounding, complex arrangements, branching off in more directions, as the unit becomes more cohesive. "The Water Glass," stands out for it's, "I don't know but I been told..." marine-style, call and response vocals. Maybe the influence of Buzz's time with Fantomas inspired the fractured timing on "Evil New War God," and "Pig House,"  blenderizing chainsaw guitars until it plays almost like jazz.
Keyboards, whistling, staccato burst of drumming military snares, bells and pitch shifts vocals pop up at different points. Songs like "War God," and "Inhumanity and Death,"have a heavier guitar sound, reminiscent of "(A) Senile Animal," but with a continuation of the vocal experimentation and different guitar textures and melody of "Nude With Boots." The other variable is a weird playfulness that marks the first time the Big Business has gone onto the studio with The Melvins and laid down some truly odd material Their cover of  The Who's "My Generation," is suitably strange, slowing it down to a barely recognizable trudge before completely taking off in another direction. Another high water mark for their trademark weirdness. There are more weird twists and turns to this album
like"Hospital Up,"melding the best parts of more traditional Melvins compositions with oddball material. "P.G.X3" is a strange finale, the likes of which the band hasn't recorded since the "Honky"/"Stag" period. There's a bit of something for everyone enjoy here, and also a bit to make everyone scratch their head. A great one for those of us who like our Melvins records a bit weird.

                                                                         


                    

Hunt And Gather: "Special Melvins Edition" - Part 2

"A peace together, a piece apart. A piece of wisdom from  our hearts."

L to R Buzz, Dale, Mark D

Buzz, Dale, Kevin

The 90's appear to have been a time of turmoil for The Melvins; Joe Preston replaced Lori Black on bass,  just as quickly he was out again, with Lori then returning. She was then ousted for the second and final time, (rumors of her death persist) leaving the position vacant for the recording of their Atlantic Records debut, "Houdini." Mark Deutrom, cowboy hat and all, quickly filled the void. I can imagine that Dale abandoned the thought of a cohesive rhythm section and just became content anchoring the band all by himself. He may even have had to glance over his left shoulder at gig or two, to remind himself who was occupying that side of the stage at the moment.

The band made three records for Atlantic Records. Their major label experience is generally recounted as unpleasant, as Atlantic put them through the wringer for not being commercial enough or moving enough units. The band endured long tours supporting bands like "Primus," "White Zombie," "Nine Inch Nails," etc ("Tool," was one of the few big bands that The Melvins felt treated them well and the bands would remain friends and regular collaborators for years to come. During this time, the band also gained a reputation for antagonizing crowds, who routinely booed and threw garbage at them during their opening slots. They regularly played "Lysol," in it's entirety, switched to playing very quietly (see the song "Montreal," for an example of this) or blasting them with noise.

After their split with Atlantic the band began experimenting with even more strange styles, releasing albums of quiet and ambient material, electronic weirdness, noise etc, truly cementing  their reputation as "Captain Beefheart playing heavy metal." They bid farewell to Mark D and hooked up with former "Cows," bassist Kevin Rutmanis. At the end of the decade and a few releases on various independent labels they found a new home with Mike Patton's Ipecac Records - a place where they finally could make their records as weird as they wanted.

Houdini (1993)

Capitalizing on the band as part of the Seattle scene, even though the band had relocated to SF and finally LA as far back as "Ozma," Atlantic records signed the band to a three album deal.

Whatever dollar amount from their advance went toward the production of this record, it was worth every last cent. This record sounds huge! Dale's drums sound like they were tracked inside the hull of the Titanic. Buzz's guitars sound crunchy and razor sharp (much like Cap N' Crunch cereal). Billy Anderson and Ggggarth Richardson built their reputations around this record.

"Hooch," just blasts out of the speakers; one of my very favorite songs by anybody. In fact if you put the first 5 songs ("Hooch," "Night Goat," "Lizzy," their awesome cover of Kiss' "Goin' Blind," and "Honeybucket," ) in that exact order as the opening of a greatest hits package (if someone were foolish enough to attempt such an endeavor) you'd hear little argument from me. The ultra-heavy "Hag Me," is a return to their sludge roots and "Joan of Arc," is another standout.

Kurt Cobain was credited with producing several of the songs but his contributions were downplayed to mostly sleeping in the studio by most account,s as well as contributing some guitar noodling to the instrumental"Sky Pup," and extra percussion on "Spread Eagle Beagle."

Also virtually absent was Lori Black, who is credited on the album sleeve but whose bass parts were played pretty much entirely by Dale or Buzz.

"Houdini," perhaps due to more money available for studio time, also marks the first inclusion of their experimental songs, not meant to be recreated live (although they did go through the painstaking process of doing exactly this, eventually touring the whole album, as documented on "A Live History of Greed and Lust.") They would continue to incorporate such bits of abstract weirdness into future releases, helping them to always defy neat categorization, a practice that may even have alienated certain members of their fan base but also added variety to the records.

Prick (1994)

Strong feelings abound about this record. Not only is it a sore spot with many fans, it occupies a special territory where, along with Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music," (and their own "Colossus of Destiny,") it is hotly debated whether it's an actual album release or just some type of joke.

"Lissen hear, Mr. Buzzo, this don't sound like no kinda record I ever heard before. We payed to hear you all play your guitars and such, proper! You done cheated all these good people, Mr. Buzzo and that ain't right."
The weird part is that the same criticism was made by the band themselves about Joe Preston's solo EP. "The Eagle Has Landed" and "Bricklebrit," especially, could easily sound at home on this record. Different.

Stoner Witch (1994)

Sounding like they deliberately set out to deliver at least as much of a kick in the face as "Houdini," Buzz's roaring vocals have never sounded more intense as on songs like"Queen," and "Sweet Willy Rollbar." If The Melvins were the type of band that had "hits," "Revolve" would be one of their biggest. Contrasting quiet pieces like the almost jazzy sounding "Goose Freight Train," and the seemingly spaghetti-western influenced interludes of "Roadbull," keep things interesting as well the ominous intro of "Magic Pig Detective," before it joins the others as some of the best gut punching rock tunes the band ever did. "At The Stake," takes on a familiar sludgy pace but with more melodic vocals and understated, almost clean, guitar playing. Then they drift in to the opiate invoking, "Shevil," before the ambient waves of the atmospheric,"Lividity," draw it to the close. Along with "Houdini," this is considered one of their most accessible releases (not usually at good sign) but, in this case, not commercial sounding or lacking in heaviness.

Stag (1996)
This last Atlantic album is both blessed and cursed with having "a lot of variety." Heavy on experimentation in the studio, they start by
incorporating more unusual instruments into heavier tunes, something they hadn't really done previously. There's the trombone on "Bar-X-the Rocking M," and slide licks on "The Bloat."
The opener, "The Bit," features Dale Crover's sitar playing and is an absolute ass-kicker. Also Buzz's clean vocals on "Black Bock," are a bit startling.
 The problem I have when listening to this record is that the experimental noise and ambient bits are either too many, too long or sequenced in a way that makes for a tedious listen.
"Goggles," is the most sonically violent recording the band has made since "Eggnog," but it's got an eerie, creepy vibe as well. I remember reading an interview with Buzz where he mentions trying to find the shittiest mics available for that song, so it sounded "just brutal." mission accomplished.
Dale's "Cottonmouth," sounds like he has actually shoved a bunch of cotton in his mouth to sing it.
Certainly some of the more bizarre music to make it on a major label.
The melty, ambient, "Sterilized," and "Lacrimosa," change the pace again before "Bertha's and "Captain Pungent," "heavy-it-up," again. The Chipmunk vocals ending "Skin Horse," are another example of many weird ideas crammed into one album
This record has a lot of good stuff on it, especially early on, but feels kind of unsettling, and/or unsatisfying as it seems to get pulled in all sorts of directions toward the end. I often overlook a lot of these tunes, when are a lot of them deserve a few listens (most, actually, just not all at once.) Depending on your mood, (weird, mellow, aggressive) this is an album where you definitely will need to press the skip button. The Melvins at their most self-indulgent and maniacal

Honky (1997)
The quiet, spooky or experimental noise tracks that permeated "Stag," now appear in much greater numbers, actually comprising most of the record. It actually sounds a bit more cohesive, less scattershot, but just as adventurous. Good luck trying to pigeonhole the band now ...Where their heroes Black Flag and Flipper pushed the envelope by, slowing down to a trudge when everyone else was playing fast, The Melvins started slow and brutally heavy, then changed things up by becoming, quiet, ominous, ambient and noisy. "They Must All Be Slaughtered," opens the record with something like Halloween sounds and chanting, like the soundtrack to a movie you might not want to see.  Dale's drum sound has been changed dramatically to a thin, hollow, almost brittle sound, turnings things on their head even more. "Momibus Hibachi," and "Lovely Butterfly," are the two songs that made it most often into the live set, the former a more "traditional," Melvins song (meaning played with just guitar, bass and drums and things like that) the latter, an industrial sounding combination of junkyard percussion (Dale's stacks of cracked cymbals) and what sounds like a dentist drill also  reminding me of nearly accapella shouting of "The Bloat," on the previous album.
"Laughing With Lucifer At Satan's Sideshow" is a major highlight for me; creepy circus soundtrack interspersed with sound-bytes quoting Atlantic Records execs ("we don't do special packaging for bands that haven't gone gold.") It's an amazing and hilarious "fuck you."
The sprawling "Air Breather In The Arms of Morpheus" sounds like it could have inspired Pink Mountaintops' "Axis of Evol,"  where, as a reaction to past heaviness, that band started playing slow, low-fi, soma-holidays of songs, that sound like floating toward the abyss. Songs like "Grin," and "Harry Lauders Walking Stick" remind me a bit of Ween in their "push The Little Daisies," mode. "Freaktose," ends the album, a heavy instro with frantic soloing, then 26 minutes of silence.  If you're a fan of their weirder, more "out-there," stuff, this is one to get. 

The Maggot (1999)

I'm not sure if the relationship  between Mike Patton and the Melvins is what you'd call a match made in heaven; maybe some weird part of purgatory, but they are kindred spirits if ever there were. The band's first release on Patton's "Ipecac," label was "The Trilogy," ("The Maggot," "The Bootlicker," and "The Crybaby," also the first to feature bassist Kevin Rutmanis.

 "The Maggot," sounds like a metal album, but a metal album recorded by the Melvins so you still don't know exactly what to expect.
They continue their mission to confuse and annoy the CD buyer by splitting each song down the middle, into 2 separate tracks (like 8-tracks. Remember those?)
These songs go for the jugular, grab it, rip it out, take a few bites out of it and throw it on the floor. Chainsaw guitars that could have come from Metallica. If you like cool, crunchy guitar riffs (I do) you might like this a lot.

The song titles seem meant to confuse as well "amazon" and "AMAZON," are two different songs, each with part 1 and part 2. "We all Love JUDY," also should not be confused with the track simply called "Judy," both, of course in 2 parts. I tried to download this off of Napster when it first came out and gave up in frustration.
Again the Melvins thumb their nose at anyone daring to play this album on random or shuffle . The message, loud and clear is, "you're either listening to this bitch in it's entirety or not at all."
"Manky," churns and chugs to life after a few minutes of digital silence. All blazing in their directness and intensity.
"amazon," (lower case) is short fast and loud. It's capitalized counterpart is noisy, heavy and reminiscent of "Zodiac," along with the "The Horn Bearer," it gives me the excuse to use a fancy word like "cacophony," to describe it.
The finale "See how Pretty, See How Smart," answers the hundreds of doom metal bands they inspired with a punishing 10 minute epic to regain their crown. The show stopper though is their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown,)" officially the best song ever written. Beautiful.

The Bootlicker (1999)
From a scream and a squelch of feedback, to a whisper, the album closing sleigh bells of "The Maggot," continue into the first cut of this second installment. This album is  the quiet ying to "The Maggot's" aggressive yang. The songs are delivered in a laid back, sometimes dreamy or floaty style, with Buzz utilizing his "Black Bock," voice to it's maximum potential. The music of  "Toy," grooves slinkily into "Let It All Be," the chorus' mellow vocal delivery and cowbell remind me of Fu Manchu in a weird way. That song in particular has taken on new life with the Big Business-2 drummer, version of the band, becoming a totally devastating live crowd-pleaser.
Interestingly, there is no similarity between these tunes and the unsettling, electronic nightmarescapes of "Honky." All songs seem to be played with just guitar bass and vocals. The only exceptions are album closer "Prig," which gives us some rumbling bursts of noise before, pretty much morphing into a different song - the only Melvins tune up to the this point, that I can recall featuring acoustic guitar, and the minute long "We We," (named probably because the pitch shifting makes a "wee wee," sound) acts as a bridge between "Black Santa," and "Up The Dumper," (the song titles are fantastic on this by the way).
"Jew Boy Flower Head," has a sort of lounge jazz feel, the walking bass-lines showcasing Rutmanis in a way previous bass-players rarely enjoyed.  Only "Mary Lady Bobby Kins," sounds remotely like pop.
It may take a few listens for some to appreciate this record but really, compared to "the Maggot," I can't really say I have a preference for one or the other. My opinion is that the two records compliment each other perfectly.

The Crybaby (2000)
So if "The Maggot," is the heavy record, "The Bootlicker," is the quiet record, "The Crybaby," is the "cover tunes," and "guest appearances," record.
Their "Smells Like Teen Spirit" cover is only interesting if you know that they got Leif Garrett to sing on it and, I suppose also if you know who Leif Garrett actually is. He does an admirable job, actually, even though he messes with the phasing during the verse, like he's trying to put his own spin on it or hasn't heard the song. Minor complaint aside, Leif cranks it out. Nice job.
The Jesus Lizard cover with David Yow singing is a bit limp sounding. "Ramblin' Man," is pretty much just a Hank III tune, even though the dude from Helmet is in there somewhere
"G.I. Joe," features Mike Patton and begins with some weird bleeps and bloops that make me wonder if they're done with instruments or if Patton is making the sounds with his mouth like the dude from "Police Academy." Full lounge lizard mode for Mike earns full marks.
A few of these songs ("Mine Is No Disgrace, "Skeleton Key " ) sound exactly like the year 1993 or 1992, I think. Not what the Melvins were doing in '92 and '93, what everyone else was doing. Quiet-loud-quiet - whatever.
"Divorced," featuring Tool sounds pretty bad-ass before becoming almost intolerable during the drum solo halfway through, partly because of the steady, maddening hum over top and partly because it's a drum solo, then returns to various goofiness before holding us hostage again with weird noise in an apocalyptic meltdown
"Dry Drunk," is pretty amusing and the better David Yow track. (Sobriety can indeed be "boring as fuck.") Hank III is back for another round with "Okie From Muskokie."
Of the albums that comprise the trilogy, "The Crybaby," is the most diverse and experimental but the least essential. These collaborations are an interesting idea and, I'm sure a ton of fun to record, but in terms of popping the thing on the stereo and listening to it all the way through, it comes off sounding more like a so-so mix-tape.

Electroretard (2001)
Aside from the great cover of The Wipers "Youth of America," this collection of "remixes," "covers and "new-and improveds " is more of a novelty, especially since the Man's Ruin Records version was likely very fancy with enough elaborate artwork/limited vinyl or packaging to cause the label to eventually go tits-up. You get a "Cows," cover, a "Pink Floyd," cover and a lot of grating noise ("Shitstorm," would have not have been out of place on "Prick.) The remixes or whatever they are, range from "weird and okay," to annoying. Not an essential record. (Best title and album cover though, I must say.)

Hunt and Gather: "Special Melvins Edition," Part 1

"Fish fingers all in a line. The milk bottles stand empty."

In honor of the release of the latest Melvins record, this special edition of Hunt and Gather (in three parts) will celebrate all things Melvins-related - or most, anyhow.

The Melvins are one of the most prolific, innovative and also misunderstood bands of all time. Their willingness to experiment, pushing their own musical boundaries and those of their listeners, along with their (often black) sense of humor has given some the impression that their stranger tracks and albums are some type of insult toward their loyal fans. In print, King Buzzo comes off as grumpy, bitter and sarcastic, whereas in taped interviews he seems jovial, friendly, almost jolly.The band has been mistakenly tossed into the "grunge," genre as a result of praise from the late Kurt Cobain who named them one of his favorite bands. Their inclusion as part of the "Seattle scene," in the early nineties was a double-edged sword, which gave the band more exposure but also forced them to endure the scorn of both record companies, who wanted hits and the live audiences they played for on the major arena tours they opened.

Buzz's description of the band as "Captain Beefheart playing heavy metal," is quite accurate. The band often seem like a group of mad scientists determined to try new and unusual things and challenge the way we think about records and the album format itself. Early influences included Swans, Flipper (abrasive, confrontational and slooooow) and Black Flag's brand of "My War, side 2," sludge.

In the process The band has become iconic, torchbearers for bands who are bizarre, noisy, non-conformist eclectic and strange. A slew of drone, doom, sludge bands like Boris, Sunn O))), Earth, and Sleep, cite the band as influences. They inspired the "heavier than heavy," and "slower than slow," style and then, at times abandoned it in favor of whatever else they felt like doing at the moment, setting more trends and inspiring more movements as they went. Mike Patton eventually gave them a home and free reign artistically, with his Ipecac label and is a frequent collaborator.

Buzz Osbourne ("King Buzzo," to the faithful, "Roger," to ... the taxman and census taker, presumably) started the band in Montesano Washington ,with fellow 19 year-old Matt Lukin on bass and Mike Dillard on drums, taking their name from Buzz's hated supervisor at his job as a grocery clerk. With the addition of powerhouse drummer Dale Crover, they changed their style from fast hardcore punk to what came to be known by some as "sludge," earning a reputation as one of the heaviest bands of all time.

(Above) Matt Lukin
(Below)Dale and Buzz, yearbook photos.

L to R: Dale, Lori Black, Buzz

Buzz, Lori (background)

Dale

26 Songs (1986)
This recording eventually mutated from 6 to 8 to 10 to 26 songs, incorporating bonus demo and comp. material. The full 26 song version, with the cover pictured, is actually an Ipecac release from 2003.
Super raw early material, complete with vinyl hisses and pops. 26 songs may seem a bit like overkill, especially since many tracks are recordings of the same songs from different sessions.
Anyone up to making comparisons may even prefer the rawer demos to the album versions.
Buzz hadn't settled into his early vocal style, yet and "Operation Blessing," is actually a super fast "punk," tune, which is weird. I find that there aren't as many standout tracks on this early stuff and the "Lukin period," isn't as interesting to me as the band's later material, but die-hard fans will want to check it out just the same. I was surprised to hear that the song "Set Me Straight," which was re-recorded for the "Houdini," album, dated this far back, until I heard, "Mangled Demos From 1983," which shows them playing it even before Dale was in the band.

Gluey Porch Treatments (1987)

The band had been together for about three years leading up to this first record. It is the last recording to feature Matt Lukin, who went on to play in Mudhoney after he became frustrated with increasingly complex arrangements.

The band has established it's unique sound already, the riffs slow and sludgy but with very complex and unusual changes, which often centre around Dale's drumming. Dale's playing often revolves less around him keeping a tempo for the rest of the band to follow than it does playing parts completely in sync. the seeming randomness of the riffs is actually the result of extremely tight and disciplined playing and the chaotic arrangements actually the result of extreme structure. Without much knowledge of their writing style, songs seem to be written around drum riffs. The are droning sludgefests "Eye Flys," re-recordings of tracks featured on the "6-26 Songs," - "As It Was," (formerly "Easy As It Was,") and "Steve Instant Newman," formerly "Disinvite." The record sounds like it was recorded live off the floor, with not a lot of obvious production. It is the final culmination of all the preceding demo material.

Ozma (1989)

The debut of Lori "Lorax," Black, daughter of actress Shirley Temple, as the band's new bass player, "Ozma," continues in much the same vein as "Gluey Porch Treatments." They leave behind the murky guitar sound that their many imitators would still retain. It sounds like when I swapped out my pickups. The production is cleaner with more sonic variation. Covers of the slightly modified "Love Theme From Kiss," and The Cars' "Candy-O," as well as experimentation with percussion and vocals add different textures. Complex, chugging, grinding, heavy riffs are still the order of the day but also slow, leaden bursts of sludge (usually under 2 or 3 minutes). "Kool Legged," "Creepy Smell," "Oven," and "Raise a Paw," are all standouts. "Let God Be Your Gardener," features a bit of a change up in style and variations in tempo at various points during songs instead of just lurching back and forth with odd starts and stops jerky stops. "Revulsion," breaks down into weird noisy bits before breaking down to just vocals over drums as it segues into "We Reach." Overall, the improvement quality in material and in sound from Gluey Porch Treatments," is equal to the difference between the Six Songs/demos and "Gluey."

Bullhead (1991)

Opening with the epic "Boris," one of the heaviest songs ever, the pace has been slowed down to a glacial, grinding trudge, tuning down to emit frequencies, capable of jarring fillings loose. "Ligature," is another gargantuan Brontosaurus of a tune. Buzz debuts a different vocal style, unique to this album, contorting his voice from an anguished wail, to a menacing snarl, like he's frothing at the mouth.It's often difficult to understand what he's saying but he seems to really mean it. The weird grunting thing he does at the beginning of "If I Had an Exorcism," sounds like he may have been trying to channel David Yow during this period.
 Elsewhere, the riff from "It's Shoved," sort of reminds me of a Pixies tune, whose name escapes me.  "Anaconda," is another awesome burst of chaotic time changes. The bludgeoning "Zodiac," one of the most aggressive tunes in their repertoire.  The band sounds absolutely rabid.
"Bullhead," is a good midway point between the sound they had come to perfect from their earlier records and the different directions they were starting to branch out into as they continued to carve out their niche as the heaviest on the planet.

It is regarded by many as the peak of this early part of their career and as simply their best by others.
  Eggnog (1991)

One of the most brutal listening experiences committed to tape, I always remember "Eggnog," for the ear-drum splitting blasts of feedback framing the almost straight-ahead punk of "Antioxidote," and un-hinged falsetto metal of "Hog Leg." (The sound is also sampled by Beck in "Beercan.") The influence of this record can especially be heard in bands like Eyehategod, who also make albums you can't listen to on headphones long periods of time. Bands like this make me believe that the "brown note," doesn't actually exist or they'd be using it. "Dude! Check out this new Melvins record. It actually made me shit my pants!"  The churning monolith "Charmicarmicat," rumbles and grinds the album to a  finish, with the sound of tidal waves of sonic vibrations peaking and then collapsing under their sheer weight. "Eggnog," marks the starting point for the bands experimentation with unusual and sometimes grating sounds which highly influenced the genre of noise in general. It is the Melvins at their most irreverent and maniacal.

Lysol (1992)

This release got the boys into a "Carbona Not Glue," lawsuit type situation with the company that makes Lysol, leading to an ordeal, where the album had to be released with a sticker covering up the name, before they pressed it again under the name "Melvins." Hey, giant chemical and solvent manufacturing corporations - people use your products to get high! From turpentine to airplane glue to Mop N Glo, someone somewhere will figure out a way to drink, huff or otherwise ingest it, to give themselves a buzz. That's actually really sad, but threatening to sue bands who make reference to this on albums will not make a difference. Rant over.
This album is Joe Preston's introduction to the band - and his grand finale all wrapped into one, as the only "proper," full band release (he is also featured on one of their three Kiss homage solo albums.)
The juggernaut of "Hung Bunny," slowly builds, led by Dale's sparse, deliberate drumming and
hypnotic chanting. It continues to build and rumble, Joe's bass thundering with speaker-destroying weight. I can imagine idiots who paid to see Primus, throwing garbage at them when they were opened for them on a tour during their major-label fiasco and played this album in it's entirety, much to the chagrin of the guy getting over-anxious to hear "Winona's Big Brown Beaver,"
Just as the song begins to peak it moves into "Roman Bird Dog," as slow as where "Eggnog," left off but fully realized; a lumbering giant of a song, more than a droning soundscape.
Alice Cooper's "Second Coming/The Ballad of Dwight Frye," demonstrates their uncanny ability to play covers that are exactly the same, yet sound completely different from the originals. No messing with arrangements, or changing lyrics, The Melvins completely deconstruct a cover song, simply by playing it.
In their hands, Flippers, "Sacrifice," turns from snotty and angry to a chilling, ominous masterpiece, courtesy of the hugeness of their sound and Buzz's "God of Thunder," vocals.
"Lysol," is probably the album that most inspired the drone/doom metal genre, a style the band would come to be most be identified with, but would quickly abandon on their next recordings.
This record also marks one their first experiments in screwing around with the compact disc format. The CD plays as one gargantuan track, making it tough if you like to use the "shuffle," feature a lot.
This record is essential, a high point for this period and one of their over-all best.

Dale Crover (1992)

The idea of these Kiss-inspired novelty EPs is a lot cooler than the records themselves, as far as I'm concerned.  They mostly serve to let die-hard fans of the band endlessly debate which one they like better Dale's album is often picked as the "Ace Frehley," of the bunch ie; the sleeper pic and over-all favorite. I dunno, it's catchy song-writing but this kind of alternative-pop," sounds a bit dated. The guitars are still light-years heavier than any of the Sub Pop bands, especially on "Hex Me," while "Dead Wipe," is probably the most hooky. Dale, plays all the instruments  showing that he's more than just a great drummer. Really, I could fill up an entire sub-section here of Dale Crover side-projects, from Porn, to Altamont, to Shrinebuilder. The guy is incredibly prolific, whether on guitar, vocals or as just one of the best drummers of all time . One also might want to take into account that the record maybe hasn't aged as well as everything else the Melvins have done. Dale would surpass this record many times over on future solo/side projects.

King Buzzo (1992)

Buzz's solo EP gets the nod from me as the best of the three. It also sounds the most like the Melvins. Buzz made the good choice to recruit Dave Grohl to play drums. "Isabella," is crushingly heavy, with Dave earning his keep on the intro alone. "Porg," sounds like some sort of weird machinery clanging (a lazy Joe Preston-esque recording perhaps) and "Annum," is another really cool tune on the opposite side of the coin. It's interesting that Dale's pop songs sound like grunge, while Buzz's stab at something more melodic sounds very similar to songs he'd record with the full band, many years later. At the time, it was the only song in their catalog like it.  Dave also contributes a story about Scream bass-player, Skeeter Thompson, whipping out his dick to ask Dave if he thinks there's pus coming out of it. Dave's all, like, y'know reading Maximum Rocknroll or some "punk," think. Ah, Dave. You're funny.

Joe Preston (1992)

Joe enjoyed one of the shortest tenures of the band's bass players but gets a lot of attention partially because he just happened to be around during the solo-record period. It's funny to me that Buzz has slammed Joe for not putting any effort into his album and just being lazy, recording whatever crap at the last minute. "The Eagle Has Landed," gives credence to this suggestion as it appears to be a recording of muzak over the sound of a kid having a tantrum, probably from a mall somewhere.
Bricklebrit has more going for it, a preview of his one-man band w/ programmed drums and samples
The last track is an epic drone-fest, which actually sounds a lot like music he continued to make for years after with Earth, Sunn O))), etc. It's sort of weird for someone to call that kind of music "lazy," even if it's not their taste. I mean, some could say the same about "Lysol." I'm not huge into Joe's EP, but I'm not super stoked on listening to Earth letting their instruments feedback and vibrate for an hour and a half. That doesn't mean that their music is somehow not legitimate.

Mangled Demos From 1983 (2005)

For lack of a better place to stick this one, (it doesn't fit with 1983 because it only came out fairly recently but 2005 isn't the right place for it, because it's so damn old). So here it is. The "original," line-up, of The Melvins, before Dale even joined the band, was buzz, Matt Lukin and a guy named Mike Dillard on drums. the first part of this recording is excerpts from a live "Elks Lodge," radio broadcast from something called the "Sunshine kids," telethon. Holy shit. It's super painful hearing the squarest, dorkiest announcers do the intros, interview the band, who sound pre-pubescent, all the while making lame jokes about how the music is going to "clear their sinuses." If you've heard the audio track from the Stooges "peanut butter," show, you get the idea.

One of the announcers actually calls Mike Dillard "the drum-player," before correcting himself and saying "drummer."

Goofy, priceless recordings of humble, humble beginnings.
Onto the music itself, I already mentioned the early, early version of "Set Me Straight," which sounds very similar to the version recorded about 10 years later. Mike Dillard plays well, but pretty much uses the same fast punk beat throughout. Most of the songs are really unremarkable punk stuff, much like the band most of us had at the age of 18. Many of the songs sound exactly the same. There are occasionally very faint glimpses into the glorious future, such as when "Flowers," breaks down into a slow "mosh part," as they used to call them, and it finally starts to sound like the Melvins before a quick four count on the drumsticks and top speed again. Buzz also plays a nice lead somewhere in there.

When it does slow down like on "Matt-Alec," it doesn't really work with Dillard's limiting straightforward rock beat. Then during the studio banter part, as on the track "Hugh," from 26 songs, the listener is reminded that they're actually young children. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 : The Atlantic Years!