Steel Pole Bathtub - We Own Drrrills

Label: Self-released

Year: 1987

The first "proper" Steel Pole Bathtub record, this ep sets the groundwork for what would be the band's signature sound. A looping bass line that repeats ad infinitum, random movie/t.v. samples, guitar scraping and chugging in and out of the song, and noisy, messy drums banging out either in tribal cadence, or rolling all over the song. While mostly slicing a cacophonous gorge through the land, a closer listen reveals the pop music undertones, and the ubiquitous funk leanings of the late 80's. Minutemen + Big Black + Saccharine Trust = Steel Pole Bathtub.

In my opinion the band got better and peaked towards the middle of their career, but this first ep is still a nice little time capsule of what music sounded like in this era. It's oddly catchy, but scratchy enough to keep you satisfied.

DL