Melvinmania (album)

2008-02-04T10:45:00Z

Noctrun:

[[Image:Melvins-melvinmania.jpg|right]]

'''''Melvinmania: The Best Of The Atlantic Years 1993-1996''''' was released in 2003 through [[Atlantic Records]].

Tracks 1-5 are taken from the 1993 ''[[Houdini (album)|Houdini]]'' album.

Tracks 6-10 are taken from the 1994 ''[[Stoner Witch]]'' album.

Tracks 11-15 are taken from the 1996 ''[[Stag (album)|Stag]]'' album.

[[Lori Black|Lorax]] does not appear on any of the bands music video clips.

This album was not sanctioned by the band.

==Track listing==
#"[[Hooch]]" (Melvins) – 2:53
#"[[Lizzy]]" (Melvins) – 4:47
#"[[Honey Bucket]]" (Melvins) – 2:44
#"[[Set Me Straight]]" (Melvins) – 2:27
#"[[Pearl Bomb]]" (Melvins) – 2:49
#"[[Queen]]" (Crover/Osborne) – 3:09
#"[[Sweet Willy Rollbar]]" (Osborne) – 1:30
#"[[Revolve]]" (Deutrom/Osborne) – 4:45
#"[[Roadbull]]" (Crover/Deutrom/Osborne) – 3:27
#"[[June Bug]]" (Deutrom/Osborne) – 2:02
#"[[The Bit]]" (Crover/Osborne) – 4:45
#"[[Bar-X-The Rocking M]]" (Crover/Deutrom/Osborne) – 2:25
#"[[Tipping The Lion]]" (Osborne) – 3:30
#"[[Black Bock]]" (Osborne) – 2:44
#"[[Berthas]]" (Osborne) – 1:24

==Enhanced music videos==
* "[[Honey Bucket]]"
* "[[Revolve]]"
* "[[Bar-X-The Rocking M]]"

==Liner Notes==
MELVINS

Melvinmania
The Best Of The Atlantic Years 1993-1996

A brief history of heavyness (sic)

IT'S a clammy Sunday in August '92. As the midday sun starts to bear down on the Reading festival crowd you find
yourself wondering whether the heat's causing you to sweat or whether it's the beer form the night before. Tabitha Zu,
the first band of the day, are polite enough. Then a trio of miscreants step on the main stage and, in the words of the
gladitorial Russell Crowe, unleash hell...

In the space of half an hour the Melvins manage to bewilder, shock and delight the audience to varying degrees. This is
an audience familiar with every chord/howl on 'Nevermind'. Some are even aware of the common ties that bind tonight's
headliners Nirvana to the Melvins (wait up! If you don't know we'll tell you in a while!). But no one is quite ready for the
elephantine outpouring of heaviness, sheer force and hirsute heroics delivered by afro-delic frontman Buzz Osborne and
his crew.

The stunned reaction is proof that even among an audiance that's embraced the likes of Mudhoney, Soundgarden and
heavyweights Tad, the Melvins are still rank outsiders. In many ways it's the story of their entire career...

IN ALL honesty the Melvins have never fitted in. Thier overt love of metal has always scared away shoegazing alt.rock
chumps. Conversely their slo-mo approach to heaviness has also led to scathing criticism form certain quarters of the
metal press in capable of understanding their slothful power. The bands ability to polarise opinion is in itself a pretty
good indication of thier unique position in rock firmament. It's a position they've held since the early '80s when they
formed back in Aberdeen, Washington, and where, in the fine tradition of southern boogie lords Lynyrd Skynyrd, they
named themselves after someone they didn't like (in this case a much-loathed grocery clerk form a store that Osborne
worked at).

The musical equivalent of the keg-party face-off between Black Sabbath and Black Flag, back in '84 the Melvins
established themselves as notorious anti-heros, drawing small crowds of like-minded deviants to thier infrequent
shows in the logging town. Among them was a teenage Kurt Cobain who, in the Melvins, found a band who mirrored his
nascent love of punk and proto-metal. For a while Buzz Osborne (also known by his more regal nomenclature of King
Buzzo) became Cobain's mentor and Kurt the bands roadie.

Early slabs o' wax like 'Melvins', 'Ozma', 'Bullhead', 'Lysol' and thier debut '8 Songs' - recently reissued in expanded
form as '26 Songs' on Mike Patton's Ipecac label and included garage demos - are audible evidence of the fact that
the Melvins have never tried to please anyone but themselves. Part doom, part punk, part noise, all rocking - all these
sets are requisite listening that mark the end of the first chapter of the
band's history. The beautifully packaged collection assembled here,
however, is a step further down the line than these aforementioned
releases. In many ways, this selection captures the Melvins at their
most direct and focussed. This is Chapter Two...

AS THE title suggests, this compilation (or complication for the
uninitiated) is culled from the three albums recorded for Atlantic
Records between 1993-1996. 'Houdini', 'Stoner Witch' and 'Stag' are
actually something of a trilogy. While each album manages to spiral off
into new directions at different times, if you play all three back-to-back
you'll notice that there's a common vibe and a sense of continuity.

1993's 'Houdini' is a hulking efford resplendent with its sleeve by
legendary punk art guru Frank Kozik. Listening to the uncompromising
bombast of 'Houdini' a decade on it's still hard to comprehend how
exactly a band as angular as the Melvins ended up on a major label.
Then again, when you reflect on the fact that thier old pal Cobain co-
produced six of the 13 tracks on the record and played drums on a
number of the tracks maybe there's some sly logic to the same said
deal.

Opener 'Hooch' starts with drummer Dale Crover's pernicious pounding. A few seconds later Osborne serves up a
charred, chugging riff before resorting to a menacing growl. 'Lizzy' allows Osborne to indulge in his much-publicised
Gene Simmons vocal fantasy with the man reliving his misspent youth and bellowing like the God Of Thunder himself.
Meanwhile, 'Honey Bucket' boasts the kind of riff that Metallica would be proud to claim to, 'Set Me Straight' plunders
Ace Frehley's book of hooks and, in retrospect, 'Pearl Bomb' boasts the kind of motorik drive that makes it hard to avoid
thinking about Queens Of The Stone Age.

ARRIVING AT 1994, the Melvins seemed to suffer a punk rock guilt trip. Releasing an album titled 'Prick' under the
pseudonym of Snivlem (read it backwards) on the Amphetamine Reptile label, the threesome - now including long-time
associate/producer Mark Deutrom on Bass - served up a collection of unlistenable noise and pointless arsing around.
Whether 'Prick' was an attempt to throw those off the scent who'd gotten into the Melvins via Cobain's patronage or their
increased profile, is unclear. Whatever is the point, it remains a fine example of the band's contrary nature.

In the contrast their Atlantic album of the same year, the fantastically named 'Stoner Witch', catches the band in forward-
looking form, packing anthemic qualities, sparkling production courtesy of GGGarth Richardson. Providing proof here
are another five tracks. 'Queen' is another menacing, riff-heavy cruncher. The post-thrash pig-noised power of 'Sweet
Willy Rollbar' sees the three-some with their foot to the floor. 'Revolve' is a rollicking pseudo-southern romp (like
Metallica-meets-Skynyrd in a garage). Elsewhere 'June Bug' is a piledriving instrumental detour.

If their 'Prick' trip of 1994 suggested that the
Melvins were itching to explore further routes
of noise and lunacy, then 'Stag' emerged in
'96 and illustrated the band's broad musical
palette. The sitar intro on 'The Bit' should
provide you with evidence of the fact. Then
there's the horn-heavy skronk of 'Bar-X-The-
Rocking-M'. The Zappa-meets-Minutemen
mersh of 'Tipping The Lion' follows in equally
inspired form. Just when you're getting
confused, the Melvins turn the tables and
serve up a bona fide pop tune in 'Black
Block' ... with added psychedelics, naturally!
Album closer 'Berthas' brings this whole set to
a close in fine rollicking style.

As if to underline their musical schizophrenia, the band followed 'Stoner Witch' with a series of live shows under the
banner of 'An Evening With The Melvins'. Consisting of three sets a night, it allowed the band to stretch out and highlight
the multiple aspects of their music. From straight-ahead rock through to dive-bombing noise attacks and on to the
downright weird, the shows were yet another fine example of the band's diversity/perversity.
Since then, of course, the band have continued to serve up albums which have continued to astound fans, confuse
critics and throw up new shapes.
As this point in the sleevenote process it is customary to sign off with a final flurry. We need to mention the band's
uncompromising approach again. We need to blather on about their significance. We need to underline their unique
qualities in a manner that far outweights the reality of their accomplishments. To do so in this case would be to do the
Melvins a grave disservice.

Uncompromising, significant, unique - the Melvins are all this and more...

Phil Alexander, London, England, June 2003

Phil Alexander is the Editor-In-Chief of MOJO, Kerrang! & Q. He has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZ Top but
he's never interviewed the Melvins because he's too scared...

Tracks 1-5 are taken form the 1993 Atlantic album
"Houdini" All songs written by Melvins. (C) 1993
WB Music Corp. / Green Lantern Music / Prision
Bride Music, ASCAP (C) & (P) 1993 Atlantic
Recording Corp. for the US and WEA International
Inc. for the world outside of the US.

Tracks 6-10 are taken form the 1994 Atlantic album
"Stoner Witch" All songs written by Melvins. All
songs published by WB Music Corp. / Green
Lantern Music / Prision Bride Music, ASCAP (C) &
(P) 1994 Atlantic Recording Corp. for the US and
WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the
US.

Tracks 11-15 are taken form the 1996
Atlantic/Mammoth II, Inc. album "Stag" Lyrics by
King Buzzo & Music by Melvins. All songs
published by WB Music Corp. / Green Lantern Music
ASCAP (C) & (P) 1996 Atlantic/Mammoth II, Inc. for
the US and WEA International Inc. for the world
outside of the US.

Dale C-Drums King B-Vocals & Guitars Mark D-Bass

Tracks 1-5 Produced by Kurt Cobain & Melvins. Recorded at Brilliant Studios, San Francisco, CA & Razor's Edge, San Francisco, CA
Engineers: Jonathan Burnside, Billy Anderson & Lou Oribin. Second Engineer: Wolf Kesseler. Mixed at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco,
CA & Prairie Sun, Cotati, CA by Kurt Cobain, Melvins, GGGarth Richardson & Billy Anderson. Second Engineer Joe Marquez & Tom
Doty. A&R: Al Smith. Booking: Peter Davis, Creature Booking. Band Photo: Don Lewis. Art Direction/Illustration: Frank Kozik. Art
Direction/Design: Valerie Wagner. Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering. Special thanks to Danny Goldberg. Thanks to
Joe Hibbs (Tama), Pam Gore (Rhythem Tech), Ann Marie (Zildjian), Mike Feldman, The Briliant Crew (Alex Scull, Mike Supple & the rest)
Debbi Shane, Jeff Thomas, Smelly, Tom Hazelmeyer, Dan Raymond, Bobbie Gayle, Laura Gold, Michael Krumper, Tricia Kovic, Joe Grillo,
Amiira Ruotola-Largent, Melanie Nissen, Elizabeth Barett, Kathy Cantwell, Martha Schultz, Jason Lamb (DOD), Black Master Music.
Billy Anderson appears courtesy of Spilth. Bill Bartell appears courtesy of The Gasatanka Empire. Kurt Cobain appears courtesy DGC
Records.

Tracks 6-10 Produced by the Melvins & GGGarth. Recorded & Mixed by Joe Barrisi. Assisted by Geetus Guido South Aguto & Mike Elvis
Smith. Recorded & Mixed at A&M Studios, Hollywood, USA. Spiritual guidance by the Magic Eight Ball. Door Squeaking & Pencil
Sharpening by Scott Humphrey. Digital Editing, Back Cracking & Moog by Paul Dicarli. Management: David Lefkowitz. Art Direction:
Mackie Osborne. Photography: Annalisa & Chris Cuffaro. Special thanks to Mark Harvey & the staff at A&M, Scott Caudill the Hiwatt Guy,
Rich Friedrich at Dean Markley, Mark Wittenberg Fender Custom Shop, Ampeg, Gibson, Pam Gore/Rhythm Tech, Brent Anderson/Zildjian,
Aquarian Heads, Joe Hibbs form Tama & Ashli Lewis.

Tracks 11-15 Produced, Engineered & Mixed by Melvins, GGGarth & Joe Baressi. "Stag" was recorded and mixed at these locations: Sound
City, A&M Studios, Entourage, Falconer (London), Paramount, Kozlowski sound productions & at home.
Mastered at Precision Mastering by Stephen Marcussen & Ron Boustead. Illustration & Design: Mackie Osborne. Special thanks to: Davey
Stone, Bill Bartell, Greg Rogers & Al Smith. Management: David Lefkowitz. Bass on tracks 1-5 by Lorax. Bass on tracks 6-15 by Mark D.
This compilation (P) & (C) 1993, 1994, 1996 & 2003 Atlantic Records, WEA International Inc. & Warner Music UK Ltd. Compilation by Carlos
Anaia at WSM UK Designed by www.mentalblock.co.uk Mastering & Enhanced CD work by www.sonic-arts.com Thanks to Stuart Batsford.

www.melvins.com

==Personnel==
*[[Dale Crover|Dale C]] - Drums
*[[Buzz Osborne|King B]] - Vocals, Guitar
*[[Lori Black|Lorax]] - Bass on tracks 1-5
*[[Mark Deutrom|Mark D]] - Bass on tracks 6-15

[[Category: Melvins Albums]]

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Melvinmania (album)