OleEinar

But why do you always mangle his name, poor guy? LAYNE STALEY, not Laine, not Stanley :-))) For those who previously mentioned Facelift, the first half of that album is a ""grunge"" manifesto; just think of the two masterpieces "Man in The Box" and "Love, Hate, Love," incredibly powerful but slowed to the max and obsessively close to physical discomfort.

Well, in my very personal opinion, the level of this album has not been reached by anyone in the "grunge" scene (unless we consider albums that have little relevance, like "Whiskey For The Holy Ghost" by Lanegan or "Above" by Mad Season), especially from a communicative-emotional standpoint. The self-titled album, it is true, is more difficult to digest, darker and more melancholic. Here there is still anger, albeit resigned and self-defeating, while there it remains only the black despair, often just whispered. What tips the scales in favor of Dirt is, in my opinion, simply the quality of the songs. Only 2-3 tracks from the self-titled album are on par with this record.

In short, if you want, call Green River "proto-grunge," but I still believe they were "seminal" for the genre.

@Nevskij, it's always a pleasure to talk to you (and what a beautiful nickname, I mentioned that to you already :D). So, actually I didn’t live through the "grunge" epic either; I'm 23 and I got into music late. Apart from Pearl Jam (Ten is the first rock album I ever listened to), I got acquainted with the Seattle scene just over a year ago, and in a few months, I devoured around thirty albums. Here, it really depends on what you mean by "grunge," which, for me, is not just a music genre, but an "attitude," especially a social one, that then reflects in certain musical choices. If you feel like it, read my posts on a recent review of Nirvana’s unplugged by andrewramone. I’d love to know your thoughts on it. As I said, I don't know "Ultramega OK," but listening to "A-Sides," I find that the older tracks reflect well those choices I mentioned earlier. Beyond the release date, the singles alongside Superfuzz Bigmuff seem just as significant as the EP ("Touch me I'm Sick" is a true manifesto). As for the garage of Green River, well garage is one of the main sources of derivation of "grunge," if I'm not mistaken! I also find the first EP, "Come On Down," remarkable (I’d give anything to have at least the original CD...).

LaYne, LaYne!!! The review is still the best you've written. The album... well, it's the most sick, decadent, claustrophobic, disturbing, obsessive thing you could hear. I listen to it rarely because it makes me feel unwell; it amplifies my sadness and depression in a dangerously intense way. "Down In A Hole" gives me chills.

"They sold themselves to the god of money," I'm tired of this nonsense...

@paloz, at least one of the first 3 albums (Ten-Vs-Vitalogy) should be listened to. I don’t know who says they revolutionized rock; I’ve never felt that way.

Well, it could also be interesting... of course the cover is not enticing...

"Let’s be honest, the German language sounds really awful, almost annoying (and then you always think of that Ratzinger)." But please...

@nevskji, we find ourselves in the ""grunge"" or similar-""grunge"" reviews, huh? :D Great comment of yours, I would maybe add the Screaming Trees. Sub Pop 200 is indeed a nice document, with some gems ("Spank Thru" by Nirvana, "Sex God Missy" by Tad...), but for anyone wanting to know Seattle before the boom, I would recommend "Dry As A Bone" by Green River, "Superfuzz Bigmuff (plus early Singles)" by Mudhoney, "Facelift" by Alice in Chains, "Bleach" by Nirvana, and maybe one of the early works by Soundgarden, like "Ultramega OK" (which I don't know, though :D). It's all there.