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Rating: Published in November 1990 by Sub Pop, "Screaming Life/Fopp" collects the first two works of Soundgarden, the EPs "Screaming Life" and "Fopp", produced respectively in 1987 and 1988.
The album presents all the characteristics of a debut work: short and simple songs (the quartet is famous for generally complex and monolithic compositions), style not yet fully defined, recording and production not outstanding. Anyway, it is a fundamental album in the grunge field: these are in fact songs dating back to '87 and '88, a period when Seattle's specialty was still in the gestation phase. This album, like many other grunge albums of the time, outlines a raw style, very focused on restoring the more intense aspects of '70s rock (especially hard, psychedelia, and punk), not the superficial ones as the contemporary Californian street-metal did.
In this album, the debts to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are evident; not surprisingly, critics of the time renamed them, perhaps a bit mercilessly, Led Sabbath: in fact, their music also contains echoes of garage, punk, and metal, nevertheless proposed with commendable personality. The first track, "Hunted Down", immediately demonstrates the descent from Black Sabbath: sinister riff and crescendo of tension, even Chris Cornell's voice bears a resemblance to Ozzy's. "Entering", one of the best tracks on the album, masterfully alternates punk fury and psychedelia, while the third track, the short and intense "Tears To Forget", is even more furious. "Nothing to Say", however, rhythmic and martial almost to the point of doom, once again bears witness to the Sabs' influence. "Little Joe" is pure psychedelia, which is not even shunned in "Hand Of God", although it prefers heavier tones than the previous (the ironically blasphemous lyrics anticipate the group's future irreverence towards religion). Here ends "Screaming Life" and we have confirmation that we are in the presence of a tough band, destined to make history.
If the initial track of "Screaming Life" (and of the entire album) demonstrates the debt to Black Sabbath, the opening song of "Fopp", "Kingdome Of Come", demonstrates instead the debt to Led Zeppelin: a short and brisk hard rock piece that recalls the simpler compositions of the English quartet. "Swallow My Pride" is a cover of fellow Seattleites and friends Green River, also considered among the pioneers of grunge, while "Fopp" is an excellent hard-style cover of Ohio Players, a '70s disco-funky group. It all closes with another version of Fopp, "Fopp (Dub)", a sort of somewhat disjointed remix of the previous version, accompanied by strings and samples. Although the compositions are not among the most memorable of the Seattle combo, "Screaming Life/Fopp" is a highly enjoyable album, a must-have for Soundgarden and grunge fans and recommended to all rock lovers. A record that is indeed raw and not fully mature, but very genuine, fresh, and impetuous.
To those who don't know Soundgarden: what are you waiting for to do so? Don't waste time with Audioslave, listen to Chris Cornell's old (and true) band! Maybe start right here.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Entering (04:36)
I'm entering without a sound
I'm entering on wings I've flown
A million miles of covered ground
I'm entering
I'm entering without a sound
I'm entering on wings I've flown
A million miles of covered ground
I'm entering
03 Tears to Forget (02:00)
These tears to remember
These tears to forget
I tried and I cried
These tears to forget
I suckle life
Its love and its beauty
I scream from life
These tears to remember
These tears to forget
I tried to cry away
These tears
04 Nothing to Say (04:00)
Nothing, nothing, nothing but the one thing
Someone said my words are out of balance
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Dying words I bury everyday
Nothing to say, I've got nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing
You've got nothing, nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing
Big bad word spell it with four letters
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Oh my God, your words are out of balance
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing
Nothing, nothing
You've got nothing, nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing
Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing
05 Little Joe (04:31)
Little Joe, run for the border
Leave your home
Go where the reptiles roam
On the side of the border that is your home
Little Joe, eyes of your lover look back on you
As you run for cover
Though stick and fire and may break your bones
There’s a light in the tunnel that leads you home
Little Joe, just like your father
Your eyes will water, your guts will splatter
Though sticks and fire, sticks and fire
Won’t break your bones, it is a lie
Little Joe, run for the border
Leave your mother and father
Go to where the reptiles roam
They’re waiting for you, Little Joe
07 Kingdom of Come (02:35)
So you think I got something on you
I bet I know what you’re gonna do
I'm asking me and talking blue
Fill your head
With crazy sound
It ain't as pretty coming out
Yeah!
So glad to see you’re at it again
So glad I ain’t your only friend
When are you going to understand
It’s okay
Maybe now
It ain't as pretty coming out
Yeah, yeah!
Fill your head
With crazy sound
It ain't as pretty coming out
Yeah!
08 Swallow My Pride (02:17)
She looked at me with dignity
She said there's something you gotta see
Even though this country's headed for war
This nation is prouder than ever before
Yeah that was spirit in the air
We're more American than anywhere
And I just smile cause I could tell
This little girl was going to
Hell
Now I wouldn't mind
If you swallowed my pride
Make me feel alright
Yeah now deep inside
Feel alright
Hey, all the warmth in her heart
Couldn't keep my blood from running cold
Cause I fell for her looks
Now I wanna go for her throne
I tried to tell her a thousand times
But little girl didn't understand at all
Now I wouldn't mind
If you swallow my pride
Make me feel alright
Yeah now deep inside
Feel alright
Alright
You can swallow my pride
Now I wouldn't mind
If you swallowed my pride
Make me feel alright, deep inside
Feel alright
Pride... pride... pride
You can swallow my pride
10 Fopp (dub) (06:25)
Fopped last night and the night before
I had to fopp outside and then I went indoors
Fopped so hard I made the people warm
They stood back and gave me all the floor
I did the fopp, the fopp
they wouldn’t let me stop
Yeah I was foppin’ and rockin’
Had the house hoppin’
Foppin’, the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin’, everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin’, wiggle to the floor, everybody was Foppin’
Fopp with me and I’ll fopp with you
Foppin’ is the brand new thing to do
Fopped so hard that I lost my shoe
I fopped so tough they had to make some room
Break your leg, don’t you fopp your back
Do your thing, don’t you give no slack
Shake your hips and then you turn around
Well first you fopp it up
And then you fopp it down
Fopp me right, don’t you fopp me wrong
We’ll be here foppin’ all night long
I’m too short, baby, and you’re too tall
But when we’re foppin’ that don’t mean a thing at all
Foppin’, the way it makes you go, everybody was
Foppin’, everywhere you go, do all your
Shoppin’, wiggle to the floor,, everybody was Foppin’
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