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Rating: Grunge:
- Dirt;
- Horrible and bad person, repellent.
These are the definitions cited from I don't know which American slang dictionary, and this is what I want to talk about today. But this time, no Nirvana or Pearl Jam, no Alice In Chains or Screaming Trees. Today we're talking about the before, the origins if one can say so for a genre like grunge (within which very diverse bands coexist), which obviously, like all movements, arises from a continuous evolution. Now don't come at me with, "But before there were..." "and then you forgot them..." "and what about those proto-pre and who knows what grunge where did you put them?" For today, let's consider grunge as that strongly localized scene (practically only Seattle) with one prominent label that gave rise to all the best bands: Sub Pop.
But let's get to the point! Today we're talking about Green River... I'd like to say they need no introduction, but I don't think that's the case. Green River consists of Mark Arm, Steve Turner (respectively vocals and guitar, who will soon start the Mudhoney project), Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament (guitar and bass, who will form Mother Love Bone first and subsequently Pearl Jam), and Alex Vincent on drums.
The group is considered by many to be the mother of all grunge formations for two reasons:
- As you can see (and honestly, I don't even know why I'm reiterating this), 4/5 of the lineup are the founders of two of Seattle's most important bands;
- They were the first band to sign with Sub Pop.
The album reviewed here is actually the combination on CD of the second EP and the first and only album by Green River (by then disbanded) dated respectively 1987 and 1988.
But, as someone said somewhere at some time, enough with the chit-chat. "What do Green River sound like?" someone impatient might be wondering. Their sound literally reflects the definition of grunge: theirs is dirty, distorted, sick, devastated music! Arm's voice is drawled, off-key, shouted, but never, and I mean NEVER, pleasant! The drumming is raw and impactful while guitars and bass are overall metal (there are several solos present on the album). Certainly, one of the peculiarities that has led to defining this band as a precursor to many other grunge bands is their blend of a punk attitude with a certain dirty and raw metal.
References? Certainly the Stooges, Mc5, and then the numerous hardcore punk bands such as Skin Yard and Hüsker Dü! And the songs? Listen to them yourselves—my mind is already in a small club packed with kids in ripped jeans, long hair, and flannel shirts, and I definitely don't have the time to keep up with you and your track-by-track review requests!
Green River is about to start, and I'm already yelling with Arm... What are you waiting for?
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Unwind (04:42)
Come on over to my place
I'll show ya some time
Come on over to my place, baby
I wanna watch you unwind
Come on over to my place
So I can fuck your mind
Open mind, barely alive
An open mind is an empty mind
Sew my seed, feed your thoughts
I'll get ya thinkin anything I want
Open mind, empty inside
You've got nothing, nothing to hide
Got your whole world in the palm of my hand
This is all that you understand
This is all - all you can stand, baby
(Poor feeble little mind)
Your blown mind aint a pretty sight
Your poor mind makes me feel alive
An empty shell to play inside
That's right baby, open wide!
Unwind
Sow my seed, feed your thoughts
I'll get ya thinking anything I want
Anything...
11 Swallow My Pride (02:59)
She looked at me with dignity, said
"Baby, there's one thing you've gotta see
Even though we're headed for war
this nation's prouder than ever before
Yes, there's a sprit in the air
We're more American than anywhere!"
Well, I just smiled 'cuz I could tell
This little girl's going to hell
All the warmth in her heart can't keep
My blood from running cold
First I fell for her looks
Now I just wanna go for the throat
I tried to tell her a hundred times
Poor little girl didn't understand at all
Pride comes before a fall
This ain't the summer of love...
I don't know what you're thinkin'
This ain't the summer of love
This ain't the garden of Eden
There ain't no angels above
Things ain't what they used to be
This ain't the summer of love
It's the summer of fuck
"ohhhh"
14 Porkfist (03:13)
Porkfist has the biggest hands
Porkfist is the biggest man
Porkfist big grip on all I see
see saw see saw him swingin' at me
ham hock hack hack keep 'em in line
Grab grab grab all this is mine
The bigger the hand the bigger the man
The fatter the wrists the stronger the grip
The tighter the fist the harder he hits
Porkfist swings at the little pigs
I am....
The biggest beast in this pen!
porkfist has the biggest hands
porkfist is the biggest man
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