“The Melvins Complete Atlantic Recordings” is a comprehensive compilation album, which has now been reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2023. Originally released in 1996 that encompasses the band’s output during their major-label tenure with Atlantic Records. The Melvins, known for their influential contributions to the sludge and alternative metal genres, embarked on a brief but impactful stint with Atlantic in the early 1990s. This compilation showcases their diverse and experimental sound, featuring a collection of albums, singles, and EPs that encapsulate the band’s creative evolution during this period and includes the albums “Houdini” (1993), “Stoner Witch” (1994), and “Stag” (1996), which are widely regarded as some of the Melvins most significant and influential works.
With their unique blend of heavy, downtuned guitars, unconventional song structures, and darkly humorous lyrics, these albums solidified the Melvins status as pioneers of alternative metal. The band’s ability to seamlessly fuse elements of punk, grunge, and sludge metal into their own distinct sonic tapestry is evident throughout the compilation, showcasing their unrivaled innovation and musicianship.
While their time with the record label was relatively short-lived, The Complete Atlantic Recordings serves as a comprehensive and essential collection for both longtime fans and newcomers to the band’s music. It captures the raw energy, uncompromising creativity, and genre-defying nature of the Melvins music during this era. This compilation is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Melvins and their significant impact on the alternative and heavy music scenes, showcasing the band’s ability to constantly push boundaries and challenge musical conventions.
When the grunge sound of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam broke alternative rock into the mainstream at the start of the 1990s, there was a sudden rush by the major labels to sign a slew of previously underground bands with a similar sound. Although a lot of those musicians only saw their underdog status and relative geography in common – many of them came from in and around Seattle, Washington – it was enough to wipe away the hair metal and glam rock that had ruled the 1980s. Many bands from the Pacific North West, including Screaming Trees, Tad, Alice In Chains and Mudhoney, would benefit from this windfall of major label contracts, but one of the more surprising signings were the Melvins.
Atlantic signed Melvins for their 5th album, 1993’s ‘Houdini’ (CD1). Sporting a cover design by famed poster artist Frank Kozik, ‘Houdini’ was in part co-produced by Kurt Cobain, and their most commercially successful release was recorded mainly by Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover. A cover of KISS’ ‘Goin’ Blind’ shouldn’t have surprised any of their long term fans, and the songs ‘Hooch’ and ‘Lizzy’ were issued as singles, with ‘Honey Bucket’ even receiving airplay on MTV. Bonus tracks include their cover of the MC5’s ‘Rocket Reducer #62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)’, a cover of The Germs’ ‘Lexicon Devil’ and ‘It’s Shoved’ (Live). Their next Atlantic album was 1996’s ‘Stoner Witch’ (CD2), where they were now joined by Mark Deutrom on bass.
Their third and final Atlantic album, ‘Stag’ (CD3), was in fact their eighth album, as they had continued to record for various indies in the 1990s. ‘The Bit’ and ‘Bar-X the Rocking M’ were issued as singles, with a cover of Pink Floyd’s sprawling ‘Interstellar Overdrive’, ‘The Bit’ (Radio Edit) and ‘Tipping The Lion B’ added as bonus tracks.
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Track Listing
DISC ONE – Houdini (1993)
1 Hooch
2 Night Goat
3 Lizzy
4 Going Blind
5 Honey Bucket
6 Hag Me
7 Set Me Straight
8 Sky Pup
9 Joan Of Arc
10 Teet
11 Copache
12 Pearl Bomb
13 Spread Eagle Beagle
Bonus Tracks
14 Rocket Reducer #62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa)
15 Lexicon Devil
16 It’s Shoved (Live)
DISC TWO – Stoner Witch (1994)
1 Skweetis
2 Queen
3 Sweet Willy Rollbar
4 Revolve
5 Goose Freight Train
6 Roadbull
7 At The Stake
8 Magic Pig Detective
9 Shevil
10 June Bug
11 Lividity
Bonus Tracks
12 Revolve (Edit)
13 Instant Larry
14 Anaconda (Live)
15 Let God Be Your Gardener (Live)
16 Revolve (Demo)
17 In The Rain
DISC THREE – Stag (1996)
1 The Bit
2 Hide
3 Bar-X-The Rocking M
4 Yacob’s Lab
5 The Bloat
6 Tipping The Lion
7 Black Bock
8 Goggles
9 Soup
10 Buck Owens
11 Sterilized
12 Lacrimosa
13 Skin Horse
14 Captain Pungent
15 Berthas
16 Cottonmouth
Bonus Tracks
17 Interstellar Overdrive
18 The Bit (Radio Edit)
19 Tipping The Lion B
