Monday, January 29, 2007

J MASCIS APPRECIATION DAY

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The music of J MASCIS has a permanent place on my "desert island list", right alongside FUNKADELIC and KYUSS. Information on J's bands (DINOSAUR JR, THE FOG, WITCH) is widely known and easily available on the web, so I won't post a lot of boring details. I think Michael Azerrad best described J's contributions to rock music is his excellent book Our Band Could Be Your Life, when he said J MASCIS gave the 80s indie rock underground its own guitar hero.

A lot of folks that visit this page to worship at the altar of KYUSS and ELECTRIC WIZARD probably don't care much for J's Neil-Young-Meets-Sonic-Youth-at-a-Minutemen-Concert style, but I know some of you will appreciate this music, and maybe even hear something new. No, DINO JR and THE FOG aren't standard G.O.M.E. fare, but if it's too old, you're too loud!

DINOSAUR (1985)
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Dinosaur is pre-Jr DINOSAUR's 1985 debut, and while it's a bit of a mess stylistically, it's still one of the best records to rise from the 80s underground. Mascis & Co. perfected their craft with their sophomore LP, You're Living All Over Me, but this is still an excellent album. A remastered edition was issued in 2005 on Merge Records, including detailed liner notes and a rearranged tracklisting. I strongly recommend picking up the reissue. For the shitty quality I'm sharing here, you'll likely need to invest a substantial amount of time and money.

1. Forget the Swan
2. Cats in a Bowl
3. The Leper
4. Does It Float
5. Pointless
6. Repulsion
7. Gargoyle
8. Severed Lips
9. Mountain Man
10. Quest
11. Bulbs of Passion

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IN SESSION (1989-2002)
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In Session
is a collection of BBC performances DINOSAUR JR recorded between 1989 and 2002. The highlights, in my opinion, are "No Bones" and "Get Me". The chorus of "Bulbs of Passion" somehow manages to be more abrasive than the Dinosaur version. Overall, it's a solid, if brief, compilation of BBC Sessions.

1. In a Jar
2. Leper
3. Keep the Glove
4. Budge
5. Bulbs of Passion
6. Raisans
7. Keeblin
8. No Bones
9. Does It Float
10. Get Me

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Jayloumurph (1993)
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The 1993 release date is actually a bit misleading, as this set was recorded at the Ritz (NYC) on 2/18/89. The sound quality isn't the best I've heard, but it is a soundboard recording, and an "official release". Available in 1993 as an Italian import, it's even harder to find 14 years later.

1. In a Jar
2. The Lung
3. The Post
4. Bulbs of Passion
5. No Bones
6. Freak Scene
7. Tarpit
8. Yeah We Know
9. Chunks
10. Muffler
11. Don't

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DINOSAURS ARE STILL ALIVE (1991)
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This is one of my favorite DINO JR bootlegs. Recorded 6/14/91 at the Hollywood Palladium, it's a quality recording and a great set. J's solo on "Thumb" (one of my favorite Mascis tracks) seems to go on forever, but it never gets boring. Jayloumurph is rare and cool to have, but Dinosaurs Are Still Alive is the superior performance and recording. Awesome.

1. The Lung
2. Water
3. The Wagon
4. Keep the Glove
5. Blowin It/I Live for That Look
6. Tarpit
7. Kracked
8. Freak Scene
9. Thumb
10. They Always Come
11. Budge
12. Sludgefeast

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2001 Peel Session (with WATT)
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While the J MASCIS + THE FOG debut,
More Light, was recorded primarily by Mascis and Mascis alone, the touring band included George Berz on drums and the legendary Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, Dos) on bass. I saw THE FOG on this tour, at the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS, and was blown away. I even got to meet Mike Watt after the show, and he autographed my flier ("JACK. LOVE & BASS. WATT."). I'm still collecting recordings from this era, and my stash is limited. If you like what you hear, and you haven't already done this, go register at freesofree.net. It's free (so free...sorry) and there's a wealth of bootlegs spanning J's entire career. The shows are available with his blessing (the site is even advertised and linked on J's own site).

1. Same Day
2. Ammaring
3. Waistin
4. I'm Not Fine
5. Everything Flows (medley)

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2002 PEEL SESSION (solo)
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Recorded 11/28/02, this is a quick solo set features an excellent rendition of "Alone", as well as further proof that J never gets tired of playing "Freak Scene". Lucky for us it's a great song. I really dig this set. Wish it was longer.

1. I Feel Like Going Home
2. Alone
3. Everybody Lets Me Down
4. Freak Scene

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BROKEN MASCIS SCENE (2006)
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Over the years, J Mascis has become increasingly involved with
Amma and her many humanitarian causes and charities (see "Ammaring", from THE FOG's More Light LP). Broken Mascis Scene is a recording of an Amma tribute show in Toronto in which J teamed up with Canadian rockers BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE and billed themselves as BROKEN MASCIS SCENE. This particular show took place on 6/23/06, and the original DINOSAUR JR had reconvened (and toured), so J's performance is road-tested and sharp. The entire setlist is DINO JR material, and we even get some classics ("Thumb", "Start Choppin", "The Wagon") that aren't played very often.

1. Intro
2. Feel the Pain
3. Out There
4. Same Day
5. The Lung
6. Start Choppin
7. Freak Scene
8. Ammaring
9. Tarpit
10. They Always Come
11. Thumb
12. The Wagon
13. Get Me
14. Encore Break
15. Alone

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LIVE IN BERLIN (2006)
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This is a great acoustic set from last month (12/16/06), when J opened for SONIC YOUTH in Berlin. The sound quality was initially pretty shitty, but I gave it the ol' elevator treatment and I think it turned out OK. The setlist is great, kicking off with an abbreviated version of "Thumb", as well as acoustic renditions of "Blowin It" and "Quest". Throughout the set, J uses a sampler to loop himself playing the rhythm track, starts the replay by stomping on his pedal, then playing leads over it. This method is particularly effective on "Get Me".

1. Thumb
2. Blowin It
3. Repulsion
4. Freak Scene
5. What Else Is New
6. Quest
7. Tuning/Get Me loop
8. Get Me
9. Not You Again
10. Alone

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ZENITH (2006)
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A reunited DINOSAUR JR performing in Paris only four days after the above solo set (12/20/06). With only a seven-song setlist, it's interesting that the band revisits so much material from the first two albums (four songs). Most noteworthy, though, is "Back to Your Heart", a brand new song that will presumably be included on Beyond (the new DINO JR album to be released 5/1/07). The sound quality here is nothing to write home about, but it's great to hear the original trio back together.

1. Gargoyle
2. Feel the Pain
3. Little Fury Things
4. Back to Your Heart
5. Forget the Swan
6. Freak Scene
7. Sludgefeast

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ODDS N' ENDS (1985-2006)
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This is just a quick compilation of random Mascis tracks...covers, one-offs, b-sides, soundtracks, etc.

1. Dinosaur Jr - Turnip Farm (Reality Bites soundtrack)
2. Dinosaur Jr - I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young cover)
3. J Mascis - Take a Run at the Sun (Grace of My Heart soundtrack)
4. Dinosaur Jr - I Misunderstood (Richard Thompson cover)
5. J Mascis - Too Hard (Sept. 2001 - Sub Pop 7" Singles Club)
6. J Mascis + The Fog - Cyborg Kids (Guitar Wolf cover)
7. Dinosaur Jr & Del the Funky Homosapien - Missing Link (Judgment Night soundtrack)
8. Dinosaur Jr - Goin' Blind (KISS cover)
9. J Mascis - Leaving on a Jet Plane (Sept. 2001 - Sub Pop 7" Singles Club)
10. Dinosaur Jr - Quicksand (David Bowie cover)
11. Mike Watt, J Mascis & Bernie Worrell - Maggot Brain (Funkadelic cover)
12. Dinosaur Jr - Hot Burrito #2 (The Flying Burrito Brothers cover)

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Lost Acetate Day

As go Big Jack's mercurial moods, so goes G.O.M.E. Sometimes you simply have to make room for an unsung obscurity or two. I enjoy just about every kind of music, depending on my mood at any given time. Most of the music here at G.O.M.E. will be drugged-up, fuzzed-out psychedelia because...well...let's just get to the music.

NEIL YOUNG - CHROME DREAMS (1975 - unreleased)
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This oft-bootlegged gem has been the subject of much controversey, and many second-class pressings proclaiming to be the best version. For a long time, Chrome Dreams was thought to be the "lost NEIL YOUNG album". As it turns out, according to YOUNG himself, it's just a widely-bootlegged acetate named after a David Briggs painting that YOUNG called "Chrome Dreams". Regardless, there's some great stuff here, and it would've made a hell of an album. Particularly interesting (at least to me) is the 1975 version of "Too Far Gone". This song was always one of my favorites from YOUNG's 1989 Freedom LP. Who knew it had been recorded 14 years prior?

There are quite a few versions of this floating around. Some of them have a bunch of (unnecessary) "bonus tracks" tacked on to the end. This version is simply the 12 tracks from the Chrome Dreams acetate, in order, though I did edit them for sound quality.

1. Pocahontas
2. Will to Love
3. Star of Bethlehem
4. Like a Hurricane
5. Too Far Gone
6. Hold Back the Tears
7. Homegrown
8. Captain Kennedy
9. Stringman
10. Sedan Delivery
11. Powderfinger
12. Look Out for My Love

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THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - THE NORMAN DOLPH ACETATE (1966)
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THE VELVET UNDERGROUND is one of my all-time favorite bands, so I was more excited than most to get word of The Norman Dolph Acetate in 2002. For those who are unaware of this particular treasure, here are the basics: A collector from Montreal named Warren Hill ended up at a flea market in NYC. For 75 cents, Hill purchased a VELVET UNDERGROUND acetate dated 4/25/66 (the VELVETS' debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico, was released in January of 1967). Along with the date, the label was marked with "ATT Mr-N-Dolph". Well, the "N" stands for Norman, and he was a sales executive with Columbia. By offering one of his paintings, Andy Warhol (who was "managing" the VELVETS at the time) convinced Dolph to anonymously oversee a one-day recording session at Scepter Studios. The results are on this long-forgotten (at least until Warren Hill's thrift-shopping spree) acetate. Every song was at least remixed by Tom Wilson (though Andy Warhol is officially credited as the producer) before the band's 1967 debut, and most are completely different takes altogether. Warren Hill eventually tracked down Norman Dolph himself, who via the serial numbers scrawled on the acetate, confirmed the record's legitimacy. Also of note is that since the brief VELVETS/Dolph parnership was a clandestine affair, all the other tapes from the Scepter session were destroyed, leaving The Norman Dolph Acetate as a true ONE OF A KIND. Warhol shopped this record (both to Dolph's employer, Columbia, as well as other labels before landing at Verve) with the intention of putting the record in stores in this form. Obviously, for the benefit of both the VELVETS and our ears, that didn't happen...but this recording represents what Andy Warhol wanted THE VELVET UNDERGROUND to be.

It should also be noted that Mr. Warren Hill put The Norman Dolph Acetate up for auction on eBay last year. In December, the auctioned close with a winning bid of $155,401. Not surprisingly, the commitment was not honored. Hill ultimately sold this little 75-cent piece of rock n' roll history for $25,200.

1. European Son
2. Black Angel's Death Song
3. All Tomorrow's Parties
4. I'll Be Your Mirror
5. Heroin
6. Femme Fatale
7. Venus in Furs
8. I'm Waiting for the Man
9. Run Run Run

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MONSTER MAGNET - B-SIDES & RARITIES

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Greetings from el stratosphere. Here's a little mix of MONSTER MAGNET covers, b-sides, etc., compiled by yours truly. As usual, it's probably not a great introduction to MONSTER MAGNET, so if your familiarity with the band begins and ends at "Space Lord", then I demand you go out and purchase or order Spine of God and Superjudge immediately.

1. 1970 (Stooges cover)
2. Unsolid
3. Elephant Bell (original version)
4. Big God
5. Into the Void (Black Sabbath cover)
6. Black Celebration (Depeche Mode cover)
7. Leapin' Lizards
8. Eclipse This
9. Venus in Furs (Velvet Underground cover)
10. I Want More (Union Carbide Productions cover)
11. Gimme Danger (Iggy Pop cover)
12. Look to Your Orb for the Warning (remix)
13. The Game
14. Space Lord (remix)

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WARHORSE - AS HEAVEN TURNS TO ASH... (2001)

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In 1970, ex-DEEP PURPLE bassist Nick Simper formed WARHORSE, a keyboard-heavy Yes-esque prog rock outfit.

This is not that WARHORSE.

This is, for my money, the heaviest fucking album ever recorded.

Hailing from Worcester, Mass, WARHORSE released this slab of doomsday goodness in 2001, prompting AllMusicGuide to annoint the band "...as serious a challenge to Electric Wizard as the US has managed to produce". Much like the highly-regarded WIZARD, there is a lot more to WARHORSE than snail-paced tempos and sheer heaviness. Let's be frank - there is a lot of shitty doom metal out there. In order to keep things interesting, a certain degree of experimentation, as well as an understanding of musical dynamics, is essential. As Heaven Turns to Ash... gets it right, second, in my opinion, only to EW's Dopethrone. The instrumental interludes dispersed throughout the album serve as much-needed relief from the onslaught of bottom-heavy riffs...and they probably saved a life or two over the past six years. Bottom line: this is not for amateurs, but it's a genre-defining release.

NOTE: I believe this album is now officially out of print. It's no longer listed on the Southern Lord site, and is either N/A or backordered on every retail site I checked. I would assume that Southern Lord would eventually reissue this release, as its notoriety and appeal seem to have broadened over the last six years. Keep an eye out.

1. Dusk
2. Doom's Bride
3. Black Acid Prophecy
4. Amber Vial
5. Every Flower Dies No Matter the Thorns (Wither)
6. Lysergic Communion
7. Dawn
8. Scrape
9. ...And the Angels Begin to Weep

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Saturday, January 27, 2007

ELECTRIC WIZARD

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England's ELECTRIC WIZARD is often referred to as "the heaviest band in the universe". Originally known as THY GRIEF ETERNAL, the band made its debut in 1993 on a split release with OUR HAUNTED KINGDOM (who would eventually become ORANGE GOBLIN), and issued their eponymous LP the following year. 1996's Come My Fanantics... is one of the stoner/doom genre's most beloved records, rivaled only by a handful of albums, including ELECTRIC WIZARD's own 2000 masterpiece, Dopethrone. The band changed directions slightly with 2002's Let Us Prey, focusing more on texture and ambience as opposed to sheer volume and distortion (though Let Us Prey is by no means a "mellow" album). 2004's We Live continued in a similar vein.

CHRONO.NAUT [EP] (1997)
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Chrono.Naut
is another Man's Ruin casualty (you'll see a lot of those on this blog), initially released as a standalone EP, and repackaged the same year as a split with ORANGE GOBLIN. "Phase I" is pretty standard fare, but I really dig "Phase II". Again, I hesitate to refer to ANYTHING by this band as "mellow", but it introduces a bit of a HAWKWIND influence and a spacey element that they'd experiment with later.

1. Chrono.Naut Phase I
2. Chrono.Naut Phase II (Chaos Revealed)

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SUPERCOVEN [EP] (1998)
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Supercoven
is another EP that was released during the four years between Come My Fanatics... and Dopethrone. There are two versions of this EP - this edition, and another that includes two additional tracks (the additional tracks are pointless. One is intentionally bad, and the other is a live performance that sounds like it was taken from someone's voicemail). The two tracks here are classic ELECTRIC WIZARD monoliths, hinting at the direction the band would take a year later on the classic Dopethrone.

1. Supercoven
2. Burnout

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LIVE AT THE STAR BAR (2002)
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Now is probably as good a time as any to point out that none of these are particularly good introductions to the greatness of ELECTRIC WIZARD. I highly recommend
Dopethrone to anyone who enjoys great hard rock, especially BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS, and KYUSS. That said, this is a great performance, recorded in Atlanta, and kicks off with two classic Dopethrone songs.

1. Dopethrone
2. Funeralopolis
3. Interlude
4. The Chosen Few
5. Priestess of Mars
6. Return Trip

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Friday, January 26, 2007

ACID KING - ZOROASTER (1995)

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Zoroaster is the full-length debut of the great ACID KING, and essential to the collection of anyone who enjoys chemically-enhanced kickass rock n' roll. Lori S. (formerly married to Dale Crover of Nirvana, Melvins, and Altamont fame) pummels with the heaviest guitarists and vocalists in the genre, and while Zoroaster isn't the BEST Acid King LP, it's certainly a great place to start for the uninitiated. Until recently, I wasn't aware that this album was out of print. It's not available at the band's website, though, and there's only one used copy available at Amazon (for $58.35!). This is a great place to start for the future ACID KING fan, but I highly recommend ordering Busse Woods & Acid King III immediately.

1. Evil Satan
2. If I Burn
3. One Ninety-Six
4. Vertigate #1
5. Tank
6. Dry Run
7. Fruit Cup
8. Queen of Sickness
9. Reload
10. Vertigate #2

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SLO BURN - AMUSING THE AMAZING EP

AMUSING THE AMAZING (1997)
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SLO BURN was John Garcia's first post-KYUSS project. Reviews are mixed among the KYUSS faithful, but I think it's a solid EP. Worthy of mention is the production of MASTERS OF REALITY's Chris Goss, who also produced the last three KYUSS albums. There's not really much to say about this one. "Muezli" kicks ass. SLO BURN was basically just a pit-stop for John Garcia between KYUSS and UNIDA, but it's a good EP. It's out of print, but you can find it used at a reasonable price. SLO BURN toured on Ozzfest in '97, though this EP is their only release.

1. The Prizefighter
2. Muezli
3. Pilot the Dune
4. July

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UNIDA

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After the dissolution of stoner rock pioneers KYUSS, and a short adventure in SLO BURN, John Garcia (vocals) came back with UNIDA, also featuring Arthur Seay (guitar), Dave Dinsmore (bass) and Mike Cancino. (drums). Dinsmore was eventually replaced by Scott Reeder, also formerly of KYUSS.

In 1999, UNIDA appeared on a split CD release with Swedish band DOZER. The UNIDA portion was titled The Best of Wayne-Gro EP. Later that year, they released their debut full length album entitled Coping with the Urban Coyote on the now defunct Man's Ruin label.

The relations with their next record company, American Records, ended with legal problems. What was to be their second album, The Great Divide (scheduled for release in 2001) has yet to be released.

THE BEST OF WAYNE-GRO EP (1999)

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This is the aforementioned UNIDA half of a split EP with DOZER. The original is long out of print, but a reissue is now available as an import. While the reissue is overpriced and can take weeks to arrive (4-6 weeks from Amazon), its availability is the only reason I hesitiate to include the DOZER tracks here. Truth be told, while DOZER is a solid band in their own right, their contribution to this EP pales in comparison with that of the mighty UNIDA. Basically, the inclusion of DOZER on this release makes it the stoner rock equivalent of a Beatles/Badfinger split EP.

1. Flower Girl
2. Red
3. Delta Alba Plex
4. Wet Pussycat

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COPING WITH THE URBAN COYOTE (1999)
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This is UNIDA's full-length debut, and, for my money, among the finest hard rock albums ever recorded. A lot of loyal KYUSS devotees were disappointed in UNIDA, and it's easy to see why. While KYUSS liked to spend substantial amounts of time in the stratosphere, Garcia and company stay firmly grounded on this album, committed to kicking ass and not much more. That's not to say the entire LP lacks the experimentation of KYUSS, as the album's mellow closer, "You Wish", accounts for a full quarter of the CD's run-time. Still, when compared with former sidekick Josh Homme's QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, this album proves that KYUSS was being pulled in two completely different directions. Sadly, this essential LP is out of print, with used copies going for as high as $150.

1. Thorn
2. Black Woman
3. Plastic
4. Human Tornado
5. If Only Two
6. Nervous
7. Dwarf It
8. You Wish


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THE GREAT DIVIDE (2001)

This album has been surrounded by controversy for years, and the details are sketchy at best. Conflicting stories abound, to the extent that I don't even know if Scott Reeder is playing on this one or not. What I do know is that this album is among John Garcia's best work, and one of my all-time favorite rock records...even though it's never seen an official release. Super-producer Rick Rubin signed UNIDA to his American imprint, only to transfer the band's contract to Island/Def Jam before the album's release. Ironically, this was around the time that Garcia's ol' buddies in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE were becoming mainstream mainstays, with many publications deeming them the saviors of rock n' roll. Had The Great Divide been released as scheduled, it would've gone head-to-head with QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf, and in the opinions of many fans, won. Songs for the Deaf was (and is still) a great record, but The Great Divide is truly classic. While UNIDA does recycle a couple of songs from their indie releases, that's not uncommon when jumping to the proverbial "big leagues", and in context of the LP as a whole, the songs fit perfectly. The production is top-notch. I put The Great Divide up there with the classic releases of KYUSS, though John Garcia has NEVER sounded better. When QOTSA were "bringing rock back", the K-word was on the lips of every rock fan, and they would've sought out John Garcia and UNIDA. I have no idea what goes on "behind the scenes", but I do wish Rick Rubin would've put HALF the effort into this project that he did Danzig and Johnny Cash. As it turns out, this is all we have of UNIDA (though the band did sell an abbreviated version of the album at shows called El Coyote). John Garcia went on to form HERMANO (which kicks ass) and The Great Divide was left to travel among our merry band of bootleggers. This wasn't the only time Rick Rubin dropped the ball, but we'll discuss the great FLIPPER another day.

1. Coffee Song
2. Stray
3. Summer
4. Wet Pussycat
5. King
6. Human Tornado
7. Trouble
8. Cain
9. Vince Fontaine
10. Hangman's Daughter
11. Glory Out
12. Slaylina
13. Thorn
14. MFNO
15. Last Day


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Thursday, January 25, 2007

WINO APPRECIATION DAY

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I thought to keep the proverbial ball rolling I’d throw up a compilation honoring one of my all-time favorite musicians, Scott “Wino” Weinrich.

Scott “Wino” Weinrich is a guitarist/vocalist and founding member of THE OBSESSED. His raw and deep vocals in SAINT VITUS, as well as his work in THE OBSESSED and SPIRIT CARAVAN, made him a big personality on the metal scene, and one of the most influential guitarist/vocalists in the genre.

Wino's musical career started out in the Washington DC area when he formed THE OBSESSED in the early 80s. This version of THE OBSESSED would release a 7" and have a track featured on Metal Blade Recrods’ Metal Massacre VI compilation. In the mid-80s, he disbanded THE OBSESSED and moved to California to sing for SAINT VITUS. During this time Wino also played bass for THE MENTORS. In SAINT VITUS, he covered vocal duties, as well as additional guitar work on some tracks. SAINT VITUS put out three studio albums, a live album, and an EP with Wino. After SAINT VITUS signed with Hellhound Records, the label released a collection of archived OBSESSED recordings. This prompted Wino to leave SAINT VITUS and reform THE OBSESSED, who now had a record deal with Hellhound. This incarnation of THE OBSESSED released two more albums (the latter was picked up by Columbia Records) before calling it quits in 1994. Wino then formed SPIRIT CARAVAN with ex-WRETCHED vocalist Dave Sherman on bass. SPIRIT CARAVAN released two albums and an EP before disbanding in 2002. Wino then joined ex-PENTAGRAM guitarist Victor Griffin in his outfit, PLACE OF SKULLS, for one album before leaving to start his current band, THE HIDDEN HAND.

Wino also contributed vocals and guitars on the track "The Emerald Law" for Dave Grohl’s PROBOT project. He can be seen playing guitar in the video for "Shake Your Blood", a PROBOT track featuring Lemmy of MOTORHEAD.


1. The Obsessed - Tombstone Highway

2. The Obsessed - River of Soul

3. Saint Vitus - Dying Inside

4. Saint Vitus - The End of the End

5. Saint Vitus - Bitter Truth

6. Saint Vitus - Ice Monkey

7. Saint Vitus - When Emotion Dies

8. The Obsessed - No Mas

9. The Obsessed - Back to Zero

10. The Obsessed - Hiding Mask

11. The Obsessed - Living Rain

12. The Obsessed - To Protect and to Serve

13. Spirit Caravan - Sun Stoned

14. Spirit Caravan - No Hope Goat Farm

15. Spirit Caravan - Courage

16. Spirit Caravan - Black Flower

17. Spirit Caravan - Elusive Truth

18. Place of Skulls - Last Hit

19. Place of Skulls - Dimensional Sojourn

20. The Hidden Hand - The Last Tree

21. The Hidden Hand - Reprise

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SONS OF KYUSS (1990)

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To get things started, here's the debut EP of what would eventually become the mighty KYUSS. This album is extremely rare. It includes some songs that would appear on Kyuss' proper debut, Wretch - either remarkably altered ("Love Has Passed Me By", "Isolation Desolation") or seemingly the same recordings ("Deadly Kiss", "Black Widow"). "King" would actually resurface years later in one of John Garcia's post-KYUSS bands, the fantastic UNIDA. SONS OF KYUSS was a vinyl-only release, but the transfer to CD is impeccable, and one of the best, if not the absolute best, I've heard. The download also includes scans of the original LP artwork, including the lyric sheet, compliments of stonerrock.com.

1. Deadly Kiss
2. Window of Souls
3. King
4. Isolation Desolation
5. Love Has Passed Me By
6. Black Widow
7. Happy Birthday
8. Katzenjammer

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

A New Look

The G.O.M.E. faithful has no doubt noticed a new look to the blog. Yes, it’s true, G.O.M.E. is back in business, and is now an AUDIO BLOG. This is a change I’ve wanted to make for quite some time, but simply lacked the hours and patience to do so. Eventually, this will be the home (or A home, as the case may be) of ELEVATED RADIO, a weekly podcast hosted by yours truly. This was actually supposed to launch in October, but Motorhead ruptured both my eardrums (Lemmy warned us, too - "Are we too loud? We don't want to damage your ears...We want to fucking DESTROY IT!") and set me back quite a bit. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be posting a new show every Monday morning. ELEVATED RADIO will feature some of the very best in hard rock…mostly of the stoner/doom variety. Until we get rollin’, I’ll be throwing up some of my favorite music. Hope you dig it. I don’t intend to offer up many full albums, aside rare/OOP release, so don’t bother asking. Also, this blog probably won’t impress most fans of mainstream music. I’m not an elitist by any means, and I actually enjoy all kinds of music, but I’m not interested in showcasing radio hits. In fact, you’ll probably find that a great deal of my favorite bands are no longer active. Maybe I’ll turn someone on to some new OLD stuff.

That said, while this format is temporary, it IS a sign of things to come.

By the way, to unzip the downloadable archives on this page, you’ll need WinRAR. If you don’t have WinRAR, I suggest to visit the good folks at oldversion.com and download yourself a freebie.

Stay tuned.

Big Jack