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The first time I heard this album was also the first time I encountered Lanegan's voice. It might sound strange, but my initial impression was to compare it to Kip Trevor, the voice of the forgotten Black Widow. Boh?! Perhaps that sulfurous attitude full of "lyrical anger" (to quote the good Blackdog) led me to such a comparison. However, there wasn’t much more in common beyond that.
If I had to give an ancestor to these Screaming Trees, I would probably mention the myriad of garage bands that populated those fertile, unrepeatable sixties. So, voilà with the names: 13th Floor Elevators first and foremost, the Electric Prunes, and then the Count Five with their bouncing keyboards. Even something from Blue Cheer, if we want to sound intellectual. But really, as long as one is willing to listen to any of the hidden gems in one of the four Nuggets, all doubts will be dispelled. If you then go to Wikipedia and look up this album, you will find it under the label "neo-psychedelia". Ah yes, labels are always a great nonsense. So where was the psychedelia? Probably in the two chords of Transfiguration, the monumental opening track; or more simply in the spirit of the work, rather than in effects meant to evoke other worlds. So here it is: psychedelic with a white-knuckle grip, finally the punk rockers are taking acid. The influence of the most rebellious punk is indeed clearly felt, especially in the rhythm of drummer Mark Pickerel, and in the buzzing guitar of Gary Lee Conner one can distinguish the forefathers mentioned above. If anything said so far holds any value, in Back Together and Straight Out to Any Place, and in the slashes of In the Forest, one can feel the sonic urgency typical of punk first and grunge later, and indeed this album - and perhaps the Screaming? - could be considered among the ferrymen from one shore to the other. In the intro of Don't Look Down one senses the foreboding of that Grey Diamond Desert that will come, but it is just an illusion, as we are suddenly tossed around like in a washing machine between solos and hammering drums, only to return as if nothing happened.
Still uncertain about the direction to take, the Screaming appear here - much like in the previous "Clairvoyance" - rather unripe. In their first album for SST, converging are the aspirations and visions of a band outside the norms, between in pectore psychedelia and punk remains, with the fortune of having an incredibly singular voice - which was a peculiarity of all grunge bands. An album from another time, in the necessary maturation process every band should undergo and that unfortunately today no one can afford. Within a year, the five would have found their path, never fully forgetting these solid roots.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Transfiguration (03:56)
If you see my birds flying
On your way past people crying
Give them all a wave and tell them
That I'm going to save some time for them
If you pass me in the square
Just pretend that I'm not there
Just reach over into pocket
Take the paper and written on it's what to do
It's up to you, transfiguration
Hey, babe
If you think I'm taking too long
Just imagine that I'm gone
Everybody wants to sleep
But sleep is something
They must keep from getting into
You know and I know
Playing cards, we count to ten
But only you would remember when
Close our eyes and see each other
One last time and you know my mother said it's true
That it's up to you, transfiguration
Ten thousand different things to be
It's impossible, that's all
If you decide which one you want
Then I'll help you if you fall
Transfiguration
If you see me try to swim
Backwards up the stream
Remember I'm the only one
You know who had that dream
If you jump into the water
And try to swim but then you sink
Try not to look behind yourself
Just have yourself a drink
Ah, transfiguration, hey babe
Hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
12 In The Forest (04:06)
Ah come on now won't you tell me how you feel
Black and white explaining that my eyes are all but sealed
Sentimental memories call you back to your life
But a vaguely clouded window pane destroys my views tonight
Come on baby do like me, a cat on the prowl
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
Not a lot of miles to take me
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
Wanna live in the forest baby, yeah
Now I don't wanna hear it if you're telling me your lies
I wanna leave the city and a million staring eyes
All the leaves surrounded brought up in a sea of green
I've got a pain inside my heart now can't you see babe
Do like a cat, say meow
All right now
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
Not a lot of miles to take me
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
I wanna live in the forest baby
Not a lot of miles to take me
Out here to the forest baby, yeah
Well come on out into my forest
Out here they're gonna all ignore us
In the middle of a brand new day
I wanna love you mama, yeah
As many times as a I can
I wanna see this town explode without a sound
Cause no one else would come around, yeah
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
Not a lot of miles to take me
Gotta go where my thoughts would take me
Wanna live in the forest baby
Not a lot of miles to take me
Out here to the forest baby
Oh out in the forest
And she's white and black
They can't call me or turn me back
This animal's wild and he roams where he wants
Don't care about the people cause I can't hear 'em talk
Out here in the forest
Out in the forest
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