Friday, August 28, 2009

Steel Pole Bath Tub - Tragedy Ecstasy Doom And So On


Label: Genius
Year: 1995

Here's a very late period double 7" from Steel Pole Bath Tub released as the band was winding down. If you listen to this record back to back with "We Own Drrrills", you'd be hard pressed to say it was the same band. Gone are the blaring samples, the screaming feedback, or the dense grind that characterized the song structure. In it's place, you get a pretty straightforward, well produced, rocking set of five jams. Certainly, when I say "straightforward" I mean that as a relative term. Straightforward for Steel Pole Bath Tub is not the same as straightforward for Third Eye Blind you know? 
Well, by 1995 I wasn't pay much attention to Steel Pole Bath Tub, so I never heard this particular record until well after the fact, and honestly, I think that allows me to like it so much. If you're not craving a noise soaked fuck-fest, but you still want something that gets your dander up, this 'lil ole record will do the trick. 

* I just re-read this post after submitting it, and you know, I may have over-sold the idea that this record is toned down, because it's not boring or without its' own skronking feedback, industrial drumming, or weirdness. It has some of that too, it's just been tempered with a more traditional rock and roll approach. Anyway, just thought I should clear that up. Enjoy. Oh, and today is my birthday, please send checks, cash, and rare dubloons courtesy of this website. Thanks. 

5 comments:

James Joyce said...

Happy Birthday - my calendar says it's the 29th. Who is right?

clint said...

i LOVE this lil' double 7" release. always have. especially Home Is A Rope, and I Want It Now. And there are some samples being used still, like that spoiled little bitch from Willy Wonka saying "i want it now"... but ya, it's a very different record from say Butterfly Love or Lurch. Happy Birthday by the way. Look for some 'Pieces of Eight' coming in the mail.

clint said...

p.s. interesting factoid: the voice reading off the list of drugs in the background on "Alice Pt.2" belongs to Mike Watt.

kris138 said...

love this band, thanks for this!

Anonymous said...

Sorry it took so long to say thanks. Truly an awesome site.

 
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