''Mangled Demos from 1983'' is a collection of various recordings from the earliest incarnation of American rock group
Melvins
Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...
first recorded in 1983, then remastered and released on
Ipecac Records
Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles, ex-lead singer of DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton (Faith No M ...
in 2005.
Until 2005, none of the material had ever been officially released, with the exception of the first version of "Forgotten Principles". A few tracks included in this album have previously appeared on
bootleg
Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to:
* Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially
* Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence:
** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...
releases. It is the only record featuring the original lineup (guitarist/vocalist Buzz Osborne, bassist Matt Lukin, drummer Mike Dillard). Tracks 3-13 were recorded by Michael Diamond at Sound Art Studio by
Mud Bay, a suburb of
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
European ...
, for possible album release. Ultimately the album was not released at the time, as no record label was interested in the Melvins until 1985.
Despite the album's title, Allmusic described the sound quality as "surprisingly good."
Track listing
Some song titles were lost over time, they are listed with symbols. Tracks 22 and 23 are silent.
#"Elks Lodge Christmas Broadcast" – 3:52
#"If You Get Bored (Live Radio)" – 2:22
#"Forgotten Principles" – 1:07
#"Snake Appeal" – 1:59
#"Master Charge" – 1:08
#"If You Get Bored" – 1:33
#"Set Me Straight" – 2:31
#"✪" (
Circled white star U+272A) – 1:02
#"I'm Dry" – 1:35
#"Forgotten Principles" (alternate edit) – 1:19
#"I Don't Know" – 1:35
#"Matt-Alec" – 3:00
#"The Real You" – 1:27
#"Run Around" – 1:44
#"Keep Away From Me" – 1:22
#"☘" (
Shamrock U+2618)– 1:00
#"Bibulous Confabulation During Rehearsal" – 4:58
#"✠" (
Maltese Cross U+2720) – 1:21
#"✏" (
Pencil U+270F) – 1:10
#"Matt-Alec" – 3:14
#"Walter" – 3:21
#"✁" (
Upper blade scissors U+2701) – 0:24
#"✈" (
Airplane U+2708) – 0:22
Vinyl version
The vinyl version of ''Mangled Demos From 1983'' was released on
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...
as a double 10" record. Notably, it features a small booklet hidden amongst the vinyl with liner notes by Buzz Osborne detailing life in Washington around 1983 with almost no details on the actual record or recording itself, done in a similar fashion to the liner notes in ''
26 Songs'' and ''
Gluey Porch Treatments''. The last two tracks (both of which being short silent tracks) are omitted from the vinyl release.
Personnel
*
Buzz Osborne
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biography
Born in Morton, Was ...
-
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*
Matt Lukin
Matthew David Lukin (born August 16, 1964) is an American former musician, best known as a bassist and founding member of the Melvins and Mudhoney.
Career Melvins (1983–1987)
Lukin co-founded the Melvins in 1983 with guitarist/vocalist B ...
-
bass
*
Mike Dillard
Mike Dillard (born 1965) is an American drummer and one of the founding members of rock band Melvins. His only known recordings with the original lineup eventually saw release in 2005 as ''Mangled Demos from 1983''. He left the band in 1984 and ...
-
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
*
Mackie Osborne
Mackie Osborne is an American artist responsible for the design and illustrations of many music albums since the 1980s. She is a member of the band Fleabag and has contributed to many albums on packaging artwork, layout design and art direction.
...
- design
References
External links
Official Press Release/Liner notes
{{Authority control
Ipecac Recordings albums
Demo albums
Melvins compilation albums
1983 compilation albums
Alternative Tentacles compilation albums