RI (CD): ipecac. / 26 tracks / 2003

Their debut release already has all the ingredients of a true Melvins record: well-played, powerful, grinding, dragging slow motion hardcore. The original 7” has a rather muffled sound, still powerful and good. The 8/10 song LP and CD reissue actually have different recordings of the same songs; the playing is not much different, but the sound is a lot clearer and tighter. The 26 song CD reissue has the complete session in both versions (i.e. the 10 Songs CD, the 6 Songs 7” and a bootleg 7” with three outtakes from that session), two great early hardcore songs that show that this band was also able to play fast(!), and a 14-minute recording of a guy jabbering. I wrote earlier that this was a live recording; it was indeed recorded “live”, i.e. without any overdubs, but in the studio, not at a show. Anyway, this is a great record. [8]  

Die Debüt-7” der Band von 1986 weist schon alle Qualitäten der späteren Platten auf; düsterer, schleppender Slow-Motion-Hardcore, gut produziert und gut gespielt, kommt sehr kraftvoll und kompakt. Die Original-7” klingt ein bisschen dumpf (aber trotzdem gut), die LP/CD-Version hat andere 86er-Versionen dieser Songs, die ähnlich gespielt, aber viel klarer und härter produziert sind. Die 26-Song-CD hat dann beide Versionen der kompletten Session und Bonustracks, u.a. zwei tolle Hardcore-Songs, die zeigen, dass diese Band durchaus auch schnell spielen konnte(!). Wie auch immer, eine tolle Platte.

Tracks: //Ipecac CD tracks:// easy as it was / now a limo / grinding process / #2 pencil / at a crawl / disinvite / snake appeal / show off your red hands / over from underground / cray fish / easy as it was / now a limo / grinding process / at a crawl / disinvite / snake appeal / set me straight / show off your red hands / #2 pencil / operation blessing / breakfast on the sly / ever since my accident / 'hugh'