This is a two-part profile and continues from Freak Scene: A Retrospective on the Evolution of Grunge, Part 1, 1985-89. The Spotify and YouTube playlists are single playlists. If you are starting here on part two, click below on the playlist of your choice and proceed to the first song of this profile, “Retarded” by Afghan Whigs.

By the end of the 1980s, the Seattle scene was still prominently underground and local, but media and major labels were starting to take notice, helped by the buzz and the success of the Soundgarden LP. The music landscape was shifting too, with no dominant trends in the US and UK. The stars of prior generations such as Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones were dominating the charts and tours, and a mix of the usual R&B, pop, dance, and glam metal headed up the year-end charts. In the underground scenes, dance and acid house were growing in the clubs in New York and the UK, leading to Madchester, while in the US, a strain of punk and hard rock was growing out of the Pacific Northwest, but that hadn’t yet made its mark in the broader consciousness.

“Retarded” \ Up in It \ Afghan Whigs (Apr 1990)

Afghan Whigs, holding Sub Pop name tags with the names of other, legendary grunge rockers (L to R): Rick McCollum (tag-Steve Turner), Greg Dulli (tag-Mark Arm), Steve Earle (tag-Tad Doyle), & John Curley (tag-Mark Lanegan)

Further evidence the grunge sound was fulminating in areas outside of the northwest was the band, Afghan Whigs, hailing from Cincinnati. Formed in 1986, the band was a quartet of Greg Dulli (vocals/guitar), John Curley (bass), Rick McCollum (guitar), and Steve Earle (drums). Inspired by a shared appreciation for old R&B, psychedelic rock, and a touch of roots Americana, the band developed a thick blend of sludgy rock with psychedelic guitar riding over it. They were The Cult with a grungy feel.

The band self-released an album in 1988, Big Top Halloween, on their own label, Ultrasuede. The limited release was soon joined by another self-issued, non-label, cassette demo titled, Jugula, in 1989. One of these found its way into the hands of Sub Pop’s Jonathan Poneman. Thus, the band’s second LP, Up in It, was issued by Sup Pop in April 1990, bringing the Whigs into the grunge scene. The album was a couple songs from Jugula along with new songs, though the CD release added tracks from Big Top to give them broader exposure.

The Playlist - Part 2

Retarded \ Afghan Whigs (1990)
Our Love Will Still Be There \ Fluid (1990) - not on Spotify
Retard Girl \ Hole (1990)
Swamp Pussy \ Babes in Toyland (1990)
Down in the Dark \ Mark Lanegan (1990)
Kool Thing \ Sonic Youth (1990)
Stardog Champion \ Mother Love Bone (1990)
Man in the Box \ Alice in Chains (1990)
Deathwish \ L7 (1990)
Sliver \ Nirvana (1990)
Birdbrain \ Buffalo Tom (1990)
Tristessa \ Smashing Pumpkins (1990)
Mouth Breather \ The Jesus Lizard (1990)
Yellow Pants \ Gumball (1990)
Move in Silence \ Gruntruck (1990)
Eleventy \ Holy Rollers (1990)
Saddle Tramp \ Dickless (1990) - not on Spotify
The Wagon \ Dinosaur Jr. (1991)
Hunger Strike \ Temple of the Dog (1991)
Siva \ Smashing Pumpkins (1991)
Reclamation \ Fugazi (1991)
Alive \ Pearl Jam (1991)
Good Enough \ Mudhoney (1991)
Teenage Whore \ Hole (1991)
Lithium \ Nirvana (1991)
Jesus Christ Pose \ Soundgarden (1991)
Carfish \ Jacob’s Mouse (1991)
Eddie Hook \ Tad (1991)
Waiting for A Ride \ Dandelion (1991)
What You Said \ Holy Rollers (1991)
When 3 Is 2 \ Hammerbox (1991)
Sad and Damned \ The Nymphs (1991)
Stain \ Willard (1991)
Pretend We're Dead \ L7 (1992)
Would? \ Alice in Chains (1992)
Nearly Lost You \ Screaming Trees (1992)
Sex Type Thing \ Stone Temple Pilots (1992)
Foot \ Love Battery (1992)
Agatha \ Pond (1992)

“Retarded” was the lead track on Up in It and also released as a single. It was a wonderful, punk-edged track that rode a thick rhythm. Dulli’s vocals always sounded flat and strained, which, rather than taking away from Afghan Whigs’ sound, instead gave their songs an interesting character and an offset to the darker tones of the music. In “Retarded” his vocal worked perfectly to this effect, giving the band their most catchy and polished track to date. It moved between unabashed, screaming rock and subtler, alt-rock passages. It was a signal to the many other engaging moments throughout the album as it alternated between hard rock and pop.

Afghan Whigs were one of the several artists that helped raise the profile of Sub Pop, indicating the label was more than just a few good singles and Nirvana. Like most grunge acts, the Whigs would never achieve much commercial and chart success, but they would rise in some prominence over their next two LPs, Congregation (on Sub Pop) in 1992 and Gentlemen (making the jump to a major, Elektra) in 1993. As one of the few acts to sustain past the grunge heyday, they would see some better attention with two more albums in the later ‘90s (one on Elektra before moving to Columbia) as well as in the 2010s. The band broke up in 2001 and reformed in 2011.

“Our Love Will Still Be There” \ Glue EP \ The Fluid Apr (1990) – not on Spotify

One of the more southern originating bands on this playlist, Fluid was formed in Denver in 1985 when singer John Robinson joined the band, Madhouse, which itself had come together out of the ashes of two prior acts, White Trash and Frantix. Renaming themselves Fluid – later, The Fluid – the band released its debut LP in 1986, Punch N Judy on Rayon Records. They were also signed to German label, Glitterhouse, who in 1988 went into a reciprocal agreement with Sub Pop, which led to Fluid joining the grunge label and making them the first band outside the Seattle area to be signed. They released two albums and two EPs via Sub Pop and Glitterhouse between 1988 and 1990. I picked up their 1990 EP, Glue, and they were a staple on my mixed tapes through the period, especially with the fantastic song, “Our Love Will Still Be There,” which revealed the band’s pop sensibility mixed into a heavier rock sound. After a final LP in 1992 through Hollywood Records, Disney’s pseudo-indie label, the band folded in 1993.

“Retard Girl” \ non-album single \ Hole (Apr 1990)

In 1989, Courtney Love was in Los Angeles after stints in San Francisco (her birthplace) and Portland (where she grew up). After having moved through different bands and being a hanger-on to various music scenes, she decided to form her own band, connecting with guitarist Eric Erlandson. After cycling through a bassist and second guitarist, the line-up settled into a quartet with Caroline Rue on drums and Jill Emery on bass. As a big fan of Sonic Youth and Kim Gordon, Love modelled Hole’s sound as a cross between Sonic Youth’s no wave sound and a rough, L.A. punk vibe.

Hole’s “Retard Girl” single, featuring Kat Bjelland

“Retard Girl” was the band’s first single, released in April 1990 on the label, Sympathy for the Record Industry, and was produced by Love’s husband, James Moreland, who had been a singer and guitarist in the LA ‘80s punk scene. The song’s plodding, slightly unhinged feel with a catchy chorus separated it from punk and no wave but gave it the noisy, raw feel of a grunge tune. Love wrote it on reflection of the ignominies of getting picked on in school. The song garnered some attention from esteemed LA radio DJ, Rodney Binghemheimer (whom Love won over with her lobbying of him), as well as some local media attention. The world was starting to take notice of the outsized personality that was Courtney Love.

“Swamp Pussy” \ Spanking Machine \ Babes in Toyland (Apr 1990)

The cover of Hole’s single, “Retard Girl,” featured a picture of a woman, Kat Bjelland, hanging upside down in a tree. Kat was a friend of Courtney Love’s and the singer and guitarist in the band, Babes in Toyland. Originally from Woodburn, Oregon, a community halfway between Salem and Portland, Kat and Courtney connected when both were living in Portland. Relocating to San Francisco in 1985, they formed the band, Pagan Babies (originally Sugar Babydoll) with Jennifer Finch and Suzanne Ramsey to form a rare, all-female hard rock-punk act. Finch was soon after replaced by Janis Tanaka when she returned to her native Los Angeles and joined the band, L7. Pagan Babies only ever recorded a demo, from which some songs would later appear refashioned on Hole and Babes in Toyland releases.

After moving from San Francisco to Minneapolis in 1986, Bjelland connected with Lori Barbero and convinced her to take up the drums and join her in a band. They briefly expanded to a quartet with the additions of Kris Holetz on bass and Cindy Russell on vocals, but they didn’t stay long. Disputed accounts indicate Courtney joined them for some rehearsals and writing in those early days. They became a trio with Michelle Leon taking up the bass, also untrained, and named themselves Babes in Toyland. Their first shows together were in 1987.

Babes in Toyland (L to R): Lori Barbero, Kat Bjelland, & Michelle Leon

Babes in Toyland’s first release was the 1989 single, “Dust Cake Boy,” issued via the Sub Pop singles club. It was followed by their debut LP, Spanking Machine, produced by Jack Endino and recorded in Seattle, though issued by Minneapolis label, Twin/Tone Records. The album included the prior single and was led by the song, “Swamp Pussy,” which originally was going to be the title track. It showed the band’s raw, guitar heavy sound characterized by Kat’s growling, screaming vocals.

Though neither Hole nor Babes in Toyland would be part of the coming Riot grrrl movement, their injection of a greater female presence into the burgeoning grunge scene was welcome and influential. The profile of Babes in Toyland was helped when Sonic Youth took them on tour as their opening act in 1990. Kim Gordon was also helping bring more women to fans of the rock world.

“Down in the Dark” \ The Winding Sheet \ Mark Lanegan (May 1990)

Mark Lanegan continued his work with Screaming Trees, but in 1990 also started releasing solo music. His first release through Sub Pop was the 1990 album, The Winding Sheet. The single from the album was “Down in the Dark.” Separating his solo work from his band’s, the music was noticeably stripped down in both instrumentation and tempo. Along with Lanegan, it was co-produced by Jack Endino, who also contributed guitar and bass to several songs, and Mike Johnson, who co-wrote the album and also provided guitar to many tracks. Other notable contributors to the LP were Mark Pickerel, the drummer from Screaming Trees, Steve Fisk, a regular contributor to Sub Pop releases, and a couple guys building a name for themselves, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic.

Other than his band and label affiliation, the sonic link of Lanegan’s music to grunge was tenuous. However, the dark tones, driven by Mark’s deep vocals and the song’s often, melancholy feel, gave it a grungy take on folk-rock. “Mockingbirds” felt like a typical down tempo Nirvana tune, “Ugly Sunday” was a fantastic song, bringing a country feel into the mix, while “Down in the Dark” and a cover of the traditional, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” held truer to the grunge feel with some raw guitar licks in the mix. The vocal treatment on “Down in the Dark” was a la Screaming Trees and also a sound that Alice In Chains would champion to great effect in the coming years.

While Screaming Trees would have a limited lifespan, breaking up in 2000, Lanegan’s solo career has sustained. He has issued eleven albums with the most recent in 2020. He has also issued two albums in a duo with English guitarist, Duke Garwood, and three with Scottish cellist, Isobel Campbell (ex of Belle and Sebastian).

“The Wagon” \ Green Mind \ Dinosaur Jr. (Jun 1990)

Dinosaur Jr. followed the UK success of their 1988 LP, Bug, with a cover of The Cure’s, “Just Like Heaven,” which in 1989 reached #2 in the UK Indie singles chart and also reached the UK singles chart. There was also growing friction in the trio as J. Mascis assumed a greater role. He had written most of Bug and sang all the songs but one. At the end of the album’s tour in 1989, bassist Lou Barlow was shown the door. Barlow would shift focus to his side project, the band Sebadoh. Mascis and drummer Murph then toured with a replacement bassist before bringing on guitarist Don Fleming and drummer Jay Spiegel.

The new quartet recorded a single, “The Wagon,” which was released in June 1990 on Sub Pop, bringing the east coast rockers into the expanding circle of the west coast, Sub Pop world. The B-side was, “Better than Gone,” a song written by Fleming. “The Wagon” was a fantastic track, with Dino Jr.’s typical, Neil Young-like searing guitar, a distorted sound and Mascis’ voice riding high over a thundering foundation of pounding drums. The single gained the band its first US attention with a #22 peak on the US Modern Rock chart, while almost cracking the top forty of the UK singles chart.

Click on the image to link to a story about the photo on this classic album cover

Fleming and Spiegel wouldn’t last more than a few months with Dinosaur Jr. as Mascis proceeded to record a new album. Other than the prior contributions of Fleming and Spiegel and with only a few songs with Murph on drums, ended up as mostly a J. Mascis solo endeavour. The result, released in 1991, was the outstanding album, Green Mind, of which “The Wagon” would be the lead track. It was also a jump to a major for Dinosaur Jr., being released by Sire Records. Though many tracks veered to a less grungy vibe, the album was a triumph with still plenty of sludgy rock in the established Dino Jr. mold.

Green Mind reached the top forty in the UK album chart and reached the top 200 in the US. J. Mascis followed that with the albums Where You Been in 1993 and Without A Sound in 1994, both of which evolved Dinosaur Jr. into more nuanced and varied styles, though always grounded in the indie rock sound. The grunge elements were smoothed over and mostly relegated to the accents as Mascis delved into greater pop vibes. Though not able to crack the top forty in the US, the albums came close while continuing to do well in the UK, with both reaching the top forty and Where You Been reaching the top ten.

Dinosaur Jr. continues today, having mostly been a vehicle for J. Mascis. Murph stopped participating after Where You Been, but in 2005 the original trio of Mascis, Murph, and Barlow reunited and now comprise the band’s current line-up.

“Kool Thing” \ Goo \ Sonic Youth (Jun 1990)

It is evident in this playlist that Sonic Youth had a tremendous influence on the evolving grunge scene, both by their own success and through their influence on grunge artists. At the dawn of the 1990s, Sonic Youth’s profile had grown to be one of the most acclaimed and appreciated of the modern rock acts, especially in establishing a larger appreciation for the less polished, noisier variations.

After having moved from SST to Enigma Records to improve their commercial prospects, they had still run into distribution and marketing limitations that the band felt had hindered the success of Daydream Nation, which had been heaped with praise but failed to find the charts. After a side project album, The Whitey Album, issued by Enigma and under the artist name, Ciccone Youth, the band made the move to a major, signing with Geffen Records. It was a watershed moment for the struggling multitudes of modern rockers, seemingly forever relegated to the limited exposure of regional indie labels, that an act of such fierce and unique creativity like Sonic Youth could be taken on by a major was a signal that better days were ahead for their lot. If Soundgarden had received grief from their fans for making the same move, Sonic Youth’s advanced pedigree saved them from the same accusations of ‘selling out,’ especially when it was made known the band had secured a clause in the contract retaining full creative control.

Another classic LP cover, Sonic Youth’s, Goo — Another classic LP cover, Sonic Youth’s, *Goo*

So, it was with some disappointment to discover the next Sonic Youth album, Goo, would be released by a new subsidiary for Geffen, DGC (for David Geffen Company) Records. The sub-label was created in 1990 to handle Geffen’s intended growth into modern rock genres. Regardless, Goo’s quality and increased accessibility from Sonic Youth made it an undeniable success, becoming the band’s biggest seller of their career and getting them (just) into the top 100 US album chart for the first time and inside the top forty in the UK.

The album had all the markings of Sonic Youth’s noise-rock but was polished up enough to let their fantastic melodies and driving rhythms come through in exquisite fashion. The album offered up several of the era’s greatest songs such as “Dirty Boots,” “Tunic,” “Mote,” Disappearer,” and “Titanium Expose,” several of which extended into hypnotic, all-encompassing longer jams. But it was, “Kool Thing,” that introduced the band to a much wider audience. It was as close as Sonic Youth had come to pop, distilling their vibe into a persistently driving rock song replete with hooky turns and Kim Gordon’s restrained vocal. Whether purists want to debate whether the song and album were grunge or not – I think there were more than enough grunge markers to make it so – the song and album were the best and most impressive achievements of any band affiliated with the new, as yet unnamed genre.

Later in 1990, Neil Young released the album, Ragged Glory, which was recorded with his ‘70s band, Crazy Horse, and followed his return to commercial and critical success with this 1989 LP, Freedom. The albums marked a return to his distortion-laden rock of the ‘70s and especially his Rust Never Sleeps LP. In 1989, there had been a tribute LP, The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young, which had featured contributions from several grungy artists such as Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth. The connections between grunge and Neil Young were prevalent, leading to Young being nicknamed the godfather of grunge. In the fall of 1990 he brought Social Distortion and Sonic Youth on tour with him as an opening acts and also released Arc, a composition made of feedback that was encouraged into being by Thurston Moore. In 1995, Young would record an album with Pearl Jam, Mirror Ball, and tour with them, further entrenching his connection to grunge.

Sonic Youth went on to release nine more albums before disbanding in 2011 when Kim and Thurston Moore ended their twenty-seven-year marriage. They continued their experimentation and evolution while remaining one of the most accomplished and influential of the modern rock era. They stayed with DGC (and later Geffen after DGC was folded from 1999 to 2007) until their final album in 2009, which was released through Matador Records. The heyday that alternative rock, as it would become known in the early ‘90s, was about to enjoy came about largely through the doors opened by Sonic Youth, especially after their Daydream Nation and Goo LPs.

“Stardog Champion” \ Apple \ Mother Love Bone (Jul 1990)

The band Green River had met its end while recording its only album in 1987 when Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Bruce Fairweather left the band. While Mark Arm reunited with Steve Turner to form Mudhoney and Alex Vincent left music to return to college, Ament and Gossard formed a cover band, Lords of the Wasteland, with two-thirds of the band Malfunkshun, singer Andrew Wood and drummer Regan Hagar. In 1988, Fairweather joined them and Hagar was replaced by Greg Gilmore from Skin Yard as they changed the band name to Mother Love Bone and started concentrating on original material.

Following the performance style he’d employed with Malfunkshun, Wood brought the band attention through his energy and fashions on the stages around Seattle. As attention grew towards the region’s music scene, the band stood out as one of the more promising, landing them a deal with Mercury Records, a sub of major label, PolyGram. Mercury created a new imprint, Stardog Records, for the Mother Love Bone release. Their first release was an EP, Shine, in March 1989, making it one of the first grunge releases related to a major, six months ahead of Soundgarden’s, Loud Love, which was released directly through the major label, A&M.

Mother Love Bone then recorded their first LP, Apple, through late ’89 in Sausalito, CA and Seattle. Days before its release in April 1990, Andrew Wood died of a heroin overdose. Recall that Malfunkshun had a pause in its brief career while Wood did a stint in rehab, so his drug problems had persisted for some time.

Mother Love Bone (L to R): Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather, Andrew Wood, Greg Gilmore, & Stone Gossard

Thus, Apple arrived amid dark and dispiriting circumstances, rendering Mother Love Bone a spent force on arrival despite a warm reception to the album from critics and fans. Grunge acts weren’t yet charting, but Mother Love Bone and its situation still brought greater attention to the Seattle scene. The album issued three singles, of which “Stardog Champion” was the first. Green River had split because its members chafed at the dichotomy of the members’ punk and classic rock influences. Once free of each other, as Mudhoney had embraced the punk spirit of its founders, so did Mother Love Bone revel in its founders’ 1970s rock influences. Alternating between deep valleys and soaring peaks of wailing guitars, harmonized vocals, and the emerging grunge signature of slow-fast tempo changes, the album offered a template for the new rock sound. Personally, I found it a little too close to the glam rock that was dominating US rock radio over the late ‘80s and not grungy enough for my punk preferences, which admittedly were just being awoken in myself thanks to the new wave of these guitar bands.

“Man in the Box” \ Facelift \ Alice in Chains (Aug 1990)

Alice in Chains (L to R): Layne Staley, Sean Kinney, Mike Starr, & Jerry Cantrell

Coincidentally, glam metal was also the origin of the next Seattle sensation, in which singer Layne Staley had been a member of a glam cover band, Sleze, which changed its name to Alice N’ Chains in 1986 (the ‘n’ was a thin disguise to the name’s bondage reference, with ‘Alice’ being inspired by Alice in Wonderland) before disbanding in ’87. The new version, now spelled with the full ‘in’, came together the same year when Staley joined the band of his friend, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, that included Sean Kinney on drums and Mike Starr on bass.

The band recorded demos in 1988 which, with the help of Soundgarden and Screaming Trees manager, Susan Silver, got the band signed to Columbia Records in 1989. No doubt, with the band’s sound hewing closer to the traditional American rock sounds of the late ‘80s, the label saw Alice in Chains as a high prospect for creating a bridge between the immensely successful American rock and metal categories and the new, edgier rock styles of the Pacific Northwest.

Alice in Chains’ first release was the EP, We Die Young, released in July 1990. While it didn’t chart, it created enough buzz – especially among heavy metal radio and fans – for the label to feel it had a hot commodity on its hands. The band returned to the studio to record its debut album with producer Dave Jerden, a veteran engineer and producer who had worked with Talking Heads, Frank Zappa, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Rolling Stones, Jane’s Addiction, and Social Distortion. The result was the LP, Facelift, released a few months later in August.

Facelift was a hit, almost reaching the top forty in the US, a far better achievement than any act to date coming out of the Seattle grunge scene. It was a result achieved by the fact that Alice in Chains, though drawing on many of the grungy elements of guitar heavy rock, frequent tempo changes, and mixing a little punk into its rock feel, was at its core a hard rock-heavy metal act with a far more polished and accessible sound than anything else eligible for the grunge moniker. Layne Staley had the undeniable lead singer charisma and pipes to go with it, but drew on harmonized vocals to give the songs a slicker feel, especially through the choruses – an age old and usually successful technique, just ask Def Leppard. Cantrell’s tight guitar riffs and smart, wailing accents also gave the songs their classic rock appeal.

“Man in the Box” was the album’s lead single and reached #18 in the US ‘Mainstream Rock’ chart, one of Billboard’s charts that captured what was hot in niche radio airplay for genres that weren’t breaking through to the broader sales charts. It was exactly where a band like Alice in Chains was making waves. “Man in the Box” perfectly exemplified the band’s early sound, blending catchy guitar rhythms and riffs around Layne’s layered vocals. For me, as someone who couldn’t stand American glam rock, this was a far more appetizing sound and with a look that felt more focused on the music.

“Deathwish” \ Smell the Magic \ L7 (Sep 1990)

After the release of their debut LP in 1988 on Epitaph Records, L7 had swapped drummers, replacing Anne Anderson with Demetra ‘Dee’ Plakas, finally giving them a stable quartet. They toured the west coast regularly and found themselves at home in Seattle, where their sound fit perfectly among the area’s bands. Thus they found themselves putting out their first single, the fantastically grungy, “Shove,” in 1989 via Sub Pop’s singles club. This led to L7 releasing their second LP, Smell the Magic, with Sub Pop also and finding themselves opening for Nirvana on their England tour in 1990.

Smell the Magic was yet another LP produced by Jack Endino. In his care L7 harnessed the twin-guitar engine of Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner into a more polished, powerful, and pleasing grunge rock sound. While “Shove” led the album off in all its grunge glory, a song like “Deathwish” brought a wall-of-sound, ‘60s pop feel to their heavy metal and punk sound. Though not yet finding a broader audience, L7 was, along with Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Alice in Chains, and Sonic Youth, among the bands showing grunge was elevating its game and producing a sound worthy of mass attention.

“Sliver” \ non-album single \ Nirvana (Sep 1990)

Mass attention, however, was not quite available to the Northwest rock bands and their kin now popping up around the country – still mostly in the northern climes. Despite the buzz (‘Love’ or otherwise) from their debut album in the summer of ‘89, through 1990 Nirvana was still touring reliably in small clubs around North America and Europe. In November 1989, the band had issued the EP, Blew, in the UK on the Tupelo label with production from Steve Fisk. The title track was the lead track on Bleach, with “Love Buzz” added also on side-A, and with two new songs, “Been A Son” and “Stain,” added on side-B. The EP reached #15 on the UK indie chart increasing the band’s exposure and offering the first sign of their popular appeal.

In the spring of 1990, the band started working with producer Butch Vig at his Smart Studios in Madison. A Wisconsin native, Vig had been in garage rock and punk bands in his early career before moving to studio work. He had been producing local acts for the past seven years but hadn’t yet done any significant releases when he started his work with Nirvana. One of those acts, Killdozer, had a fan in Nirvana and the band, introduced to Vig via Sub Pop founder, Bruce Pavitt, sought him out with the desire to achieve a similar, heavy sound.

Over a few days in April, the band recorded several songs with Vig before embarking on a tour of the American Midwest and east coast. Nirvana’s tours of 1989 and 1990 are now the stuff of legend. Often arriving in locales in which they were unknown to most, they were playing to small crowds in cozy, crowded clubs. In my city of Toronto, their show in April 1990 – indeed only ten days after those first recording sessions in Wisconsin – at the club, Lee’s Palace, became one of those ‘were you there?’ events in later years. As I noted in the introduction, it was upstairs from Lee’s Palace, at The Dance Cave, that I was indoctrinated to hard rock a year later and where I heard from a few who had the foresight to catch Nirvana’s show downstairs a year earlier.

At the end of the tour Cobain and Novoselic decided things weren’t working out with drummer, Chad Channing, who wasn’t helping Nirvana achieve the heavier sound they were pursuing. Chad was also frustrated at not being involved in the song writing, and amidst the tension decided to part ways. Thus, the band found themselves on hiatus until a new drummer was found. In the meantime, the April recordings were shopped around as a demo, and the quality of the songs raised eyebrows and interest among competing labels.

With Mudhoney on a break, drummer Dan Peters was available and joined Kurt and Krist for a recording session in Seattle with Jack Endino in July, borrowing studio time from a Tad recording session. Using their fellow Sub Pop labelmates instruments, Nirvana banged out the song, “Sliver.” It was a fast, poppy variant on the band’s raw, grungy sound, though the heavier rhythm section gave notice of where the band was heading, creating a greater sonic variance between the heavy foundation and the lighter feel of the guitar and vocal melodies. It was a fantastic song and was released in September on Sub Pop, with “Dive” as the B-side, a version of which had been recorded with Vig in April but was re-recorded with Endino in the July session. The single reached #19 in the US alternative chart and cracked the top 100 in the UK, giving the band its first charting single.

After the recording in July Nirvana embarked on a west coast swing of shows opening for Sonic Youth, with Dale Crover from Melvins, as he had before, sitting in on the drums. In September, their Melvins connection helped again when Buzz Osborne (maybe wanting his drummer back?) introduced Nirvana to Dave Grohl, a drummer from Virginia (but born in Ohio) and whose band, Scream, a part of the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene, had just called it quits. After Dave passed the audition with flying colours, Nirvana was back to a trio, now of Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl, and ready to resume the recording of the next album.

“Birdbrain” \ Birdbrain \ Buffalo Tom (Oct 1990)

By late 1990, waves of guitar driven rock bands were popping up across the US, leading to what would be broadly termed by print media and radio as, ‘alternative rock.’ Combining traditional rock with punk edginess or a catchy, power pop feel, the guitar was being embraced in modern rock in ways not seen since the arrival of punk. Whether a band was grunge became harder to define. A band could have songs that fit the mold and those that did not or have grunge elements within a composition that was itself largely not grunge. These next few bands were examples of such bands that straddled the line.

Buffalo Tom came out of the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts, same as Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies. The band was a trio of Chris Colbourn (bass), Tom Maginnis (drums), and Bill Janovitz (guitar/vocals). Like Dinosaur Jr., Neil Young was a founding influence, and it was Young’s first band, Buffalo Springfield, that was an inspiration for Buffalo Tom when combined with Maginnis’ given name. The ties to Dinosaur Jr. went deeper when J. Mascis got Buffalo Tom onto SST Records and produced and played (on one song) on their first, self-titled album, released in 1988. The initial reaction to the band was one of unrealized potential and a derivative sound that just followed the tracks laid by their fellow Amherst bands.

Buffalo Tom (L to R): Chris Colbourn, Bill Janovitz, & Tom MaGinnis

It was the second album, 1990’s Birdbrain, that found Buffalo Tom better establishing their own brand of rock that unquestionably had a grunge aspect to it. The LP was released on Situation Two, the UK indie-sub of major label, Beggar’s Banquet. Mascis again produced, this time helped by Sean Slade who was an up-and-coming producer of alternative rock acts. The album was more assertive and polished, yet with an edgier feel to the songs. A barely restrained energy was felt in songs like the title track, which kicked-off the LP and was also its third single. The rest of the album moved through moody tempo changes and sludgy guitar rock, often giving the impression of having just dropped in on a live recording.

I was fortunate to see Buffalo Tom a couple times over the ensuing years and recall a trio of relatively clean-cut guys in jeans and shirts, which didn’t align to the dishevelled, plaid styles of the west coast. But in sound the band delivered an enervating, grungy mix of great rock songs. This continued through their third LP, 1992’s Let Me Come Over, but on their fourth LP, 1993’s Big Red Letter Day, Buffalo Tom mostly left the grunge accent behind and achieved a more accessible, straight-ahead sound that gave them some minor commercial and chart success, particularly via the single, “Soda Jerk.” Other than a hiatus from 1998 to 2007, the band continues to this day, with their most recent release, their ninth LP, Quiet and Peace (a very grunge type reference), in 2018.

“Tristessa” \ non-album single \ Smashing Pumpkins (Dec 1990)

The Pumpkins (L to R): D’Arcy Wretzky, James Iha, Billy Corgan, & Jimmy Chamberlain

Coming out of Chicago, Billy Corgan (vocals/guitar) and James Iha (guitar) started as a dark wave act with psychedelic tones before evolving into a more energetic and harder rocking band after adding D’Arcy Wretzky on bass and the lively drumming of Jimmy Chamberlain. Smashing Pumpkins seemed like a direct offshoot from the likes of The Cult. Releasing their first single in 1989, “I Am One,” through local indie label, Limited Potential, the band developed a strong following and growing reputation.

The second single was “Tristessa” (named after a Jack Kerouac novella) and was released by Sub Pop via their single of the month club in December 1990. While the first single had been produced by Corgan, “Tristessa” was recorded with Butch Vig as co-producer. It was a great mix of metal-tinged rock with a punk edge, delivered with an energy and layered complexity that went beyond the usual fare coming out of the indie rock and grunge scenes. It was debatable whether Smashing Pumpkins fit into the grunge sound, but their heavy guitar sound and mix of retro styles with a modern edge certainly made them kin to the Northwest scene. The Sub Pop connection certainly didn’t hurt making that link more secure.

“Mouth Breather” \ Goat \ The Jesus Lizard (Dec 1990)

David Yow of The Jesus Lizard, with Duane Denison on the left and David Sims on the right. Mac McNeilly would be somewhere back there behind the drums.

We were introduced to Chicago band, The Jesus Lizard, in this playlist via their 1989 debut EP, Pure, and the song, “Blockbuster,” produced by a little-known producer, Steve Albini. After using a drum machine for that recording, the trio of Duane Denison, David Yow, and David Sims were joined by Mac McNeilly on drums in 1989.

They continued their relationship with Albini, who recorded their first four albums, likely being helped as his profile grew though the band would never be a charting success over their first twelve-year stint together (well, not exactly, their 1993 song, “Puss,” from their third LP reached #12 in the UK singles chart, helped by being a split single with Nirvana, whose song “Oh, the Guilt” was on the flipside). The Jesus Lizard also continued to release all their music via Chicago label, Touch and Go Records. The first album was Head in 1990, followed by Goat, issued in March 1991 to make it one of the first grunge releases in what was to be the genre’s breakout year. “Mouth Breather” was the single from the album released the prior December and captured the band in its frenetic, rocking style with a tight, repeating guitar riff, the classic grunge stops and starts and a growling bassline, all topped off by Yow’s shouted lyrics.

“Yellow Pants” \ Gumball EP \ Gumball (1990)

After their brief stint in Dinosaur Jr. during the first half of 1990, Don Fleming (guitar/vocals) and Jay Spiegel (drums) joined with Spiegel’s friend, Eric Vermillion (bass), and formed the band, Gumball, in New York in 1990. The band quickly began recording, releasing a self-titled EP by the end of the year that included contributions from Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth. The EP was released via the short-lived UK label, Paperhouse Records, showing the UK’s continued interest in grungy rock from the US. While “All the Time” was the marquee track on the EP, evincing a more harmonic, pop-styled sound for the band, it was the second track, “Yellow Pants,” that showed Gumball’s raw, punky side that fit well with the grunge scene and captured the noisy energy of Sonic Youth thanks to Moore’s help.

Gumball, performing in ‘93 (l to R): Malcolm Riviera, Jay Spiegal, Don Fleming, & Eric Vermillion

The EP gained the band a contract with Caroline Records, through which they released their debut LP, Special Kiss, in 1991. They then jumped to major, releasing the LP, Super Tasty, in 1993 on Columbia Records. The LP included the excellent single, “Real Gone Deal.” They then added Malcolm Riviera (guitar/keyboards) to become a quartet for their third LP, 1994’s Revolution on Ice, which fulfilled their two LP obligation to Columbia after which the label dropped them. Other than a live album released in 1994, that would be it for Gumball as the band broke up in 1995.

“Move in Silence” \ Inside Yours \ Gruntruck (1990)

Back to Seattle where, over the course of 1990, the music scene had heated up considerably and bands were multiplying, especially now that majors were prowling around looking for acts in the new rock sound. One of the originals, Skin Yard, continued but was on its last legs. Vocalist Ben McMillan and drummer Norman Scott started a side project with guitarist Tommy Niemeyer and bassist Tim Paul, who came out of metal and hardcore punk acts, respectively. Naturally, the new band, Gruntruck, exhibited a grunge sound that leaned to the metal side of the genre’s spectrum.

Gruntruck (L to R): Norman Scott, Tim Paul (note the L7 t-shirt), Tommy Neimeyer, & Ben McMillan

The band released their debut LP in 1990, Inside Yours, with ex-Skin Yard bandmate and now go-to grunge producer, Jack Endino at the helm along with Gary King. The album was true to the grunge vibe, channeling Skin Yard, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and its forebears such Black Sabbath. The LP issued no singles but a video was made for, “Not A Lot to Save,” which gained them some MTV exposure. “Move in Silence” was an album track that displayed the band’s heavy, hard rockin’ grunge sound.

Gruntruck benefitted from the growing attention on Seattle, signing to Warner heavy metal sub, Roadrunner Records. They released an album, Push, in 1992 before Norman and Paul left the band, with Josh Sinder coming on to replace on drums and Alex Sibbaled on bass, both from Tom’s former band, The Accüsed. There then ensued a legal battle between labels, during which the band only got out a three song EP in 1996. In 1997, the original line-up re-united and began recording, again with Endino and King, but the album would not see the light of day until 2017 after delays related to Ben McMillan’s health problems, which resulted in his passing in 2008. The release of the album brought the band back together for the first time since 2002.

“Eleventy” \ As Is \ Holy Rollers (1990)

Washington D.C. continued its fervent hardcore scene into the 1990s, though with an evolving sound in which an affinity to the new indie/grunge rock of the time became more evident. One such band that captured this combination was Holy Rollers, formed in 1989. The trio of Marc Lambiotte (guitar), Joe Aronstamn (bass/guitar), and Maria Jones (drums) were distinctive by having all three handle vocals, often combining on harmonies.

The band’s first album, As Is, was released in 1990, not surprisingly, through local label, Dischord Records. The band’s first show had been opening for Fugazi, the band of Dischord’s founder, Ian MacKaye. Holy Rollers revelled in a stripped down, almost amateurish sound, but with some catchy melodies, high energy, and clever changes, the songs drew you in with its honest presentation. The raw, punk-pop approach made it akin to the grunge and indie rock movements of the northern states. “Eleventy” was the lead track and was the album’s strongest example of their sound.

“Saddle Tramp” \ non-album single \ Dickless (1990) – not on Spotify

If grunge had one consistent aspect it was a penchant for humour, especially with a rude bent which carried on a tradition from the hard rock and heavy metal genres. So, with that we meet, Dickless, who join L7 and Babes in Toyland on this playlist as the third all-female group that made a go of it in the dick-filled grunge world. Dickless seemed intent on being one of the grungiest acts on the scene, featuring thick, fuzzy guitar and shrieking vocals to achieve a sound that would attract only a limited number of fans.

The band was from Seattle and over a nine-year run starting in 1989 went through a myriad of line-up changes, with Kerry Green as the only member to remain throughout the band’s career. Opening for the likes of Nirvana and Tad, they gained local attention and signed with Sub Pop. They only released five songs over their career (one under the name Thee Dickless All-Stars). The first was the 1990 single, “I’m A Man” (more of that sarcasm), a cover of the Bo Diddley classic, for which “Saddle Tramp” was the B-side. In 1991 a live version of “Saddle Tramp” appeared on Sub Pop’s compilation, The Grunge Years, which is how I came to know the band and that song.

As we reach the end of 1990, the establishment of grunge could be considered complete. Thanks to Sub Pop’s consistent use of the term along with sludgy, dirty, raw, and other like descriptors for what it continued to champion as the Seattle Sound, the music press and other labels started to coalesce around the idea of a grunge genre. Therefore, when things broke open in late ’91, it was a ready-made moniker to be applied by mainstream media, who of course used it to describe a much broader array of bands that bore any sonic resemblance to the Seattle sound.

One aspect that helped generate acceptance of grunge as a proper genre and scene was its attendant fashion. As described in part one, grunge was a product of Generation X, or the Slacker generation, as it was dubbed in 1991. This generation, as it came of age, tended to reject of the slicker approach to art and clothing of the early to mid-‘80s; there would be no highly stylized hairdos, no tight jeans and sharp looking footwear, no suits, skinny ties, or colourful, high-cut shirts or blouses and certainly no shoulder pads for the women. Drawing from the looks of the pre-MTV, non-glam bands, this generation took an anti-image stance, refusing to put on heirs or preen for the cameras.

In the Pacific Northwest, in which damp, cool weather was the norm but that avoided the deep freeze and snow piles of northern winters, youth embraced the rustic look of its more agrarian or logging industries – plaid was the order of the day, layered to manage the cold. Drawing on its punk roots, boots were the common footwear, and rips in t-shirts or jeans were not something to fret about. As for hair, long and unkempt weren’t just okay, but preferred. If the impression was given that any time or effort had been spent putting oneself together, then that would have been purely by mistake. And that was the point, it was part of grunge’s honest approach that a performer should appear onstage no different than they did off, whether at home or in the street. Further, the bands building the grunge scene did not come from affluence, they were the kids of working-class families. Clothing came from thrift shops and reflected the modest styles of the communities in which grunge was born.

It was also interesting to note there was little division between male and female styles. If it had once been an insult to say, “your mama wears army boots,” it was now fashionable for women to wear them, and even better with a summer print dress (I look I was quite taken with), which was a more practical option for the girls in the muggy summers. Grunge not only had a down-market sound it had a look to fit.

As the genre grew in prominence, so did attention to its fashion, and soon the grunge look seeped its way into high fashion, similarly seeking to offset the healthy, voluptuous, flashy looks of the ‘80s. Unfortunately, it drew from its least appealing aspect, the rampant drug use and resultant sickly look of its artists and adherents. Runways and magazines increasingly featured gaunt models sporting sullen eyes and androgynous looks, an approach dubbed ‘heroin chic’ and which appeared in the likes of model Kate Moss in the prominent Calvin Klein campaigns if the early ‘90s.

“Hunger Strike” \ Temple of the Dog \ Temple of the Dog (Apr 1991)

Heroin’s toll on the grunge world was nowhere more evident than the death of Andrew Wood in March 1990, which affected the insular, Seattle music community. His loss not only stopped the promising start of his band, Mother Love Bone, but was a stark reminder of the risks and costs of drugs in the music world. Chris Cornell of Soundgarden was a close friend, and as his band embarked on a European tour a few days after his ex-roommates’ death, he started writing a couple songs in tribute. They were slower, more emotional, and generally not in Soundgarden’s style. Also, wanting to help his friends in Mother Love Bone, Cornell suggested to Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard that they record the songs together as a single, to which they agreed.

Temple of the Dog: Matt Cameron (top left), Stone Gossard (top right), Mike McCready (bottom right), Chris Cornell (bottom centre), Jeff Ament (bottom left), & Eddie Vedder (centre)

Gossard and Ament were already in the process of forming a new band in the months after Wood’s passing. They had recruited guitarist Mike McCready, a childhood friend of Gossard’s and who had recently been in a band, Love Chile. With Cornell on vocals, Gossard and McCready on guitar, and Ament on bass, the only piece missing was a drummer, so Matt Cameron from Soundgarden stepped in. Dubbing themselves, Temple of the Dog, from a Mother Love Bone lyric, the band recorded the two tribute songs Cornell had written on tour, “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Reach Down.” Inspired by their work they also worked through some demos Ament and Gossard had written, leading to the decision to make an album.

The recording coincided with the fabled arrival of Eddie Vedder. Looking for a singer and a drummer for their new band, cheekily named after basketball player, Mookie Blaylock, Gossard, Ament and McCready had made a five-song demo tape that they were passing around to elicit interest and set-up auditions. Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons was approached but he declined the invitation. He did, however, pass on the demo tape to Vedder, with whom he played basketball in San Diego. Eddie wrote lyrics to some of the songs, recorded them over the demos, and sent the tape back to the trio in Seattle. Impressed with his take on the songs, the band invited Vedder to Seattle to audition in person, thus leading to his arrival while the Temple of the Dog recordings were happening.

Temple of the Dog was working out the kinks to the song, “Hunger Strike,” and Cornell was unsatisfactorily trying to find the right vocal treatment. Vedder pitched in, offering a take on a passage in a lower tone than Cornell could manage, and which fit it perfectly. The decision was made to do a duet, and Vedder recorded his first ever vocal for a song. “Hunger Strike” would be the self-titled album’s single, released in April 1991 by Soundgarden’s label, A&M. The song was indicative of Temple of the Dog’s stretched out, power ballad approach, mixing a classic rock feel behind Vedder’s dark tones and Cornell’s soaring wails. It’s slow build and emotive crescendo were the formula to which the component bands would deftly use to great effect many a time over the coming years.

The single and album didn’t do much at first as Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden were of limited popularity at the time, so a combined effort from its members didn’t garner much fuss. Of course, as the members returned to their respective acts and Soundgarden and Mookie Blaylock, soon after renamed Pearl Jam, became grunge sensations, Temple of the Dog was re-framed as a ‘supergroup’ and the duet between Cornell and Vedder, each of which would establish themselves as leading vocalists for the new decade, became an enviable component of the Temple of the Dog album, taking it to a top ten spot in the US album chart.

“Siva” \ Gish \ Smashing Pumpkins (May 1991)

After the interest generated by their first two singles, “I Am One” and “Tristessa,” Smashing Pumpkins entered into the enviable position of being courted by labels. They signed with Caroline Records, which originally had been a UK sub-label of Virgin Records in the ‘70s with a focus on prog rock, before being resurrected in the US by Virgin in 1986 as an alternative rock label. With major label funding, the band went into Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Wisconsin to record the LP over the winter of 1991. It was Vig’s first opportunity to do a first class production and, working with Billy Corgan as co-producer, they generated one of the most exciting albums to come out of the new generation of rockers.

The Pumpkins debut album, Gish, was released at the end of May 1991 and the single, “Siva,” was issued in August to promote it. The prior singles were also included on the LP but re-recorded. The band’s seductive melodies, the album’s mix of power rock and extended, moving, slow tracks and its excellent production offered rock fans something a cut above the rest of the grunge and indie rock in circulation. Still too raw and powerful for many, the album didn’t chart highly in the US, not at all in the UK, and the singles also didn’t register. But among the modern rock fans listening to college radio and in the alternative clubs the band was a sensation.

Corgan and the band were never happy being affiliated with the grunge movement, and many grunge fans denigrated the Pumpkins’ slick sound and psychedelic-goth look as not being genuine to the grunge aesthetic musically or in fashion. Regardless, the band’s sound was akin to the grunge movement with its mix of punk energy, classic rock power chords, and epic structures. “Siva” was a great example, crashing around tight, repeated riffs and propelled by Chamberlain’s spirited beats. The song had a pop-punk feel but was powered by a large, heavy metal sound. Gish was an excellent introduction to a broader fanbase for Smashing Pumpkins and set them up to become one of rock’s biggest acts through the 1990s.

“Reclamation” \ Steady Diet of Nothing \ Fugazi (Jul 1991)

Fugazi was also in the studio over the winter of ’91, releasing their second LP, Steady Diet of Nothing, in the summer. Alternating between songs written by the band’s guitarists and singers, Guy Picciotto and Ian MacKaye, the album was their first to chart in the UK with a #63 peak in the album chart. Fugazi didn’t issue singles.

“Reclamation” was a MacKaye song and the album’s second track. It was a consummate Fugazi track, built on a hypnotic rhythm and repeating guitar riff and with alternating sections of power and quiet. MacKaye’s vocals also moved between subdued, spoken parts and shouted call outs over the chorus.

“Alive” \ Ten \ Pearl Jam (Jul 1991)

As noted above for Temple of the Dog, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard had formed a new band in 1990 after Andrew Wood’s death and the resulting demise of their band, Mother Love Bone. The new act was named after basketball player, Mookie Blaylock, and over the course of 1990 while embarking on the Temple of the Dog project they added guitarist Mike McCready and vocalist Eddie Vedder. Drummer Matt Cameron had done triple-duty for Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and as a temporary stand-in for Mookie Blaylock’s demos. That position was solved when Dave Krusen was brought in via auditions in the latter half of 1990. They played their first show in October.

Pearl Jam circa ‘91 (L to R): Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, and Dave Krusen

Given the band’s pedigree via Ament and Gossard and the strength of the demos, to which Vedder had won his place in the band by adding his powerful vocals to the likes of songs, “Alive” and “Once,” the band signed with major label, Epic Records. The label advised them the legal obstacles of using a real person’s name, so they became Pearl Jam, taken in reference to Vedder’s great-grandma’s peyote based recipe.

Pearl Jam recorded its first LP in the spring of ’91 at their producer, Rick Parashar’s London Bridge Studio in Seattle. The band co-produced, with most of the songs written by Gossard and Ament and all lyrics provided by Vedder. The first release was in July 1991 and was an early version of the song, “Alive,” issued via a Coca-Cola Pop Music Sampler and also as a promo (the album version appears on this playlist). Picking up on the classic rock feel of Mother Love Bone and Temple of the Dog, the song was enhanced by Vedder’s unique and talented vocals, whose resonant tone moved between the song’s subtler turns and soaring chorus. The song signalled what would be the band’s early, signature sound, which was consummate grunge given it’s tempo changes and mix of raw guitar with classic rock structures. It reached the top twenty in the UK and the top twenty in US specialty radio airplay charts.

The album, Ten (Blaylock’s jersey number), was released in August and the next single, “Even Flow,” was issued in April of ’92. The album has become one of the most revered of modern rock and recognized as one of the top debut LPs in rock history. Featuring one memorable track after another, the album featured four singles: “Alive,” “Even Flow,” “Jeremy,” and “Oceans,” of which the first three all reached the UK top forty, with “Jeremy” reaching the US top 100. Aside from the arena friendly compositions of the album’s many tracks there was one of the most beautiful, rich ballads of the grunge genre, “Black.”

Ten didn’t sell well in the early months, reflective of the still fringe position of the Seattle scene, but as grunge exploded over the course of 1992 the album and Pearl Jam asserted themselves as one of the biggest sensations of the scene. Ten would eventually reach #2 in the US album chart and the top twenty in the UK, along with the top ten in many other countries, and go on to be a multi-platinum seller internationally. It set the band up to become one of the most successful and respected rock acts of the next twenty years and one of the ‘big four’ of grunge.

Ten had different covers for the CD (left) and the vinyl album (right) — *Ten* had different covers for the CD (left) and the vinyl album (right)

I didn’t care for Pearl Jam in the beginning. Unaware of their history, I thought they were an overly ambitious attempt to emulate Nirvana and Soundgarden and with a sound that was a too grandiose. It was their second LP that won me over and I came to recognize Ten for its indisputable quality. Still, that was too late to stop me from having retreated to the beer tent at the 1992 Lollapalooza festival, at which Pearl Jam was one of the day’s earlier acts. As my friends and I imbibed, listening to the echoey sounds of the band from the faraway stage, we missed Vedder’s remarkable sojourn around the stage’s scaffolding, which became one of the day’s highlights.

Aside from their leader status within grunge, Pearl Jam has been one of the few to last from the era. They have released eleven albums with the most recent being Gigaton in 2020, their first after an unusually long absence of seven years. While the core of Vedder, Ament, McCready, and Gossard have remained together they have seen several drummers make their way through the band. Dave Krusen left after the recording of Ten to tend to mental health and addiction issues and was replaced on drums by Matt Chamberlain, who also only stayed a short while before being replaced by Dave Abbruzzese. In 1994, Jack Irons (who had introduced the band to Vedder when he passed on the original invite to audition) took over before Matt Cameron came on board in 1998 after the demise of Soundgarden. Cameron remains the band’s drummer to this day.

“Good Enough” \ Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge \ Mudhoney (Jul 1991)

One of the other lasting acts of the era has been Mudhoney. To quickly recap the intertwined histories of these formative Seattle grunge acts, Green River broke up in 1987 and spawned Mudhoney (Mark Arm and Green River alumni Steve Turner) and Mother Love Bone (Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Bruce Fairweather). Mother Love Bone’s conclusion then led to the brief tenure of Temple of the Dog (with Soundgarden) as well as the formation of Pearl Jam (Gossard and Ament).

Mudhoney in ‘91 (L to R): Steve Turner, Mark Arm, Dan Peters, & Matt Lukin

So, on the heels of Pearl Jam’s first release there was also the issuance of Mudhoney’s second album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, still with Sub Pop. Mudhoney would never rise to higher prominence among the grunge wave, but they were always highly respected and enjoyed a strong following among indie fans. The album reached the top forty in the UK but didn’t chart in the US, while the single, “Let It Slide,” similarly charted in the UK but not in their native land. The LP did provide one of my favourite songs and one of the best grunge tracks, “Good Enough.” I have always loved driving, even-paced songs and this was a great example. Its persistent rhythm was given a distinctive sound with its brushed beats and Arm’s slacker vocal delivery. The song only broke its pace for a brief interlude in the middle and even took it up a notch with some edgy guitar over the final third and its fantastic, drumming finale. It was a great track for the dance floor at The Dance Cave.

Mudhoney did a little better commercially with its next LP, Piece of Cake, in 1992 at the height of the grunge frenzy, but settled back into relative obscurity thereafter. The band is still soldiering on, having released ten albums in all now, with the most recent being 2018’s Digital Garbage. The only major line-up change was the departure of bassist Matt Lukin in 1999, replaced by Guy Maddison.

The US economy had been slowing down since the third quarter of 1989, with US GDP growth getting smaller each quarter through 1990. It dipped into negative growth for the first quarter of 1991 and then dropped further in the second quarter, meaning that as of July 1991 the US was in its first recession since the end of 1982, marking the end of the longest peacetime economic expansion in the country’s history. From 1990 through 1992 the unemployment rate would grow from 5.6% to 7.5% with the loss of 1.6 million jobs mostly in construction and manufacturing and focused in the northeast and west coast. In this environment the mood of the nation understandably soured, and as often happens on such occasions, there was a shift in popular culture towards darker themes, harder sounds, and expressions of rage and despair. Would there be a more perfect music genre than grunge to provide a soundtrack to such times? It was about to become apparent it was just what many people needed.

“Teenage Whore” \ Pretty on the Inside \ Hole (Sep 1991)

After the attention Courtney Love and Hole received in Los Angeles from the debut single, “Retard Girl,” in 1990, the band brought itself more into the grunge fold when their second single, “Dicknail,” was released through Sub Pop in February 1991. Signing with Caroline Records, Love petitioned her musical inspiration, Kim Gordon, to produce Hole’s first LP. Gordon recruited Don Fleming from Gumball to co-produce.

The result was the LP, Pretty on the Inside¸ released in September 1991. The single, “Teenage Whore,” reached #1 on the UK Indie chart while the LP charted inside the top 100 in both the US and UK. It was an unlikely success given the band’s loose, raw sound and Love’s penchant for shrieked vocals. Though there were the occasional hooks to the band’s songs, the aggressiveness of the album seemed more likely to hold listeners at bay as much as invite them in. The Sonic Youth feel was apparent throughout the LP, especially on the album’s second track, “Baby Doll.”

Hole toured extensively over the summer of ’91 including several legs around the US and then a fall tour as opener for Mudhoney in Europe. The L.A. show at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go was the opening slot for Smashing Pumpkins. Whether that was when Courtney and Billy Corgan came together is uncertain, but it was during the ’91 tours that she briefly dated him. Corgan would later assist Hole in achieving some of the band’s greatest success with the 1998 album, Celebrity Skin, in which he co-wrote five songs.

Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love at their Hawaiian wedding

In the fall of ‘91, Love started going out with Kurt Cobain, whom she’d met before but was reintroduced by her friend and L7 band member, Jennifer Finch. In February 1992 they were married in Hawaii and in August 1993 had a daughter. The Love-Cobain relationship was one of the most notorious and tragic storylines of the grunge period. Though any suggestion that Cobain participated in writing Hole’s music was disputed (he was never credited), it’s hard not to think that Nirvana’s influence didn’t play a part in Hole shifting its music to a more accessible pop-punk form for their breakthrough album, 1994’s Live Through This.

Hole would continue to be a partnership of Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson with many others cycling through the bass and drum positions in the band. After the great success of Live Through This and Celebrity Skin, the band broke up in 2002. Love released a solo LP in 2004, America’s Sweetheart, and then resurrected Hole in 2010 without Erlandson, releasing the LP, Nobody’s Daughter. Though rumours of Hole being reformed in various incarnations have surfaced over the years, nothing has happened to date. Through her relationship to Cobain, her public addictions and notorious behaviour, and a modestly successful film career (which had started in the ‘80s including a role in Sid and Nancy, a film about another ill-fated couple brought down by their addictions, Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen), Courtney Love was one of the most recognized faces of the grunge period and its aftermath.

“Lithium” \ Nevermind \ Nirvana (Sep 1991)

We left off with Nirvana in this playlist after the release of the single, “Sliver,” in September 1990 followed by the arrival of drummer Dave Grohl, which restored the band to a trio alongside bassist Krist Novoselic and guitarist/singer, Kurt Cobain. Thanks to the band’s growing reputation and the excitement built by the demos recorded with producer Butch Vig in the summer of ’90, the band was courted by major labels. They also wanted to switch to a major label so they could be bought out of the contract with Sub Pop in addition to gaining the exposure and distribution that Sub Pop, perennially cash strapped, wasn’t equipped to provide (be careful what you wish for). With guidance from Susan Silver and on the advice of Kim Gordon, Nirvana signed to the same label as Sonic Youth, DGC Records, on April 29, 1991.

Despite the offer of other, more established producers, the band chose to continue working with Vig. The band and Vig started recording in Los Angeles in the spring at the Sound City studio. Nirvana’s next release, their first with a major and with Grohl on drums, was the single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” released on September 10 and two weeks ahead of the release of the album, Nevermind. Cobain’s shift towards a more melodic pop-punk sound, signalled in “Sliver,” was eminently more apparent in the new music. His gift for indelible hooks were what set Nirvana apart from their peers. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” opened the album and its soon to be legendary guitar and drums intro immediately offered a cleaner, more accessible take to Nirvana’s sound. Grohl, with his powering, dynamic beats, made his mark on Nirvana in the album’s opening seconds and things for the trio, and the grunge world, would never be the same.

Nevermind, with its iconic cover conceived by Cobain and featuring 4-month-old Spencer Elden, the son of a friend of the photographer, Kirk Weddle. — *Nevermind*, with its iconic cover conceived by Cobain and featuring 4-month-old Spencer Elden, the son of a friend of the photographer, Kirk Weddle.

As the album progressed through “In Bloom,” “Come As You Are,” “Breed,” and “Lithium,” it was clear something extraordinary was at play with this album. Gone was the fuzzy incoherence of so much grunge without giving up any of the power, raw energy, and mixed senses of anger, ennui, and ambivalence that marked the scene. But first and foremost, even for listeners that weren’t as taken with the metal-tinged edge to grunge, the songs’ pop hooks and addictive shifts in tempo and mood were enough to win over fans of all stripes. Personally, as someone raised on new wave synths and light guitar and then a period of investment with the classics of ‘60s and ‘70s rock, the album’s multi-faceted appeal was instrumental in opening me up to punk and some forms of metal that married what I’d always liked with a muscular, heavier guitar sound. Nevermind permanently changed my music tastes.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” quickly moved from the alternative music stations and the fringe hours of MTV into prime time. The song had been anticipated as a warm-up, something that would appeal to those already attuned to the grunge sound, and it would be “Come As You Are,” as the second single, that would potentially grow the album’s success. On November 23, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” hit #1 on the US alternative singles chart while also starting its climb on the US singles chart. My alternative radio station in Toronto, CFNY, placed the song at #1 in its year-end countdown, and on January 11, 1992, it peaked in the US singles chart at #6. The best any grunge song or album had done in the US was to barely reach the top 100. Reaching the top ten was far beyond any other achievement or expectation from any such act. In the UK, it similarly peaked at #7 and the song cracked the top ten in many other countries around the world. It reached #1 in several European countries as well as New Zealand, where alternative acts often saw better chart results than in the northern hemisphere.

One secret to the success of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was its encapsulation of the cynical, slacker disposition. The video captured the anti-glam, democratic spirit of Gen X, with the band performing in a gloomy high school gym, its attention to the blue-collar janitor, the atypical, tattooed cheerleaders, and Cobain shifting from a dispirited demeanour to rallying the listless grandstand of teens into a nihilistic slam dance, culminating in no separation between the band and its audience. And then there were the lyrics, which some consider an anthem for its generation with its depressed, sarcastic call of, “I feel stupid, and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us,” its frustrated ambivalence with, “I found it hard, was hard to find / Oh well, whatever, never mind,” and finally its repeated declaration, “a denial,” making clear the separation from its inheritance of generations past.

Nevermind grew in the popular consciousness as its triumphant single led the way. In March ‘92, “Come as You Are” was released and reached the top forty in the US and top ten in the UK, but after the shock of the lead single’s success, it’s relatively lower performance was less of a concern. The third and fourth singles, “Lithium” and “In Bloom,” also did well with their mix of rock and pop. Despite the unadorned punk aggression of songs like “Breed,” “Territorial Pissings,” “Stay Away,” and the CD’s hidden track, “Endless, Nameless,” that might have put off pop fans, they could be assuaged by the appeal of others such as “Drain You,” “Lounge Act,” and “On A Plain,” as well as the moodier ballads, “Polly” and “Something in the Way.” The album had something for everyone from the pop to metal spectrum, and suddenly it seemed everyone caught on to the appeal of grunge. When Nevermind reached the top ten in the UK in early October and then #1 in the US album chart in January, it was clear Nirvana had changed the game for the Seattle Sound.

“Jesus Christ Pose” \ Badmotorfinger \ Soundgarden (September 1991)

Released the same day as Nevermind was Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, their third LP and the next in the growing list of top tier grunge releases, especially from the big four, which at point was just Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the yet to fully emerge Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, both of which would be boosted thanks to Nirvana’s success and the resulting world focus on Seattle. Soundgarden similarly benefitted, though their cause was also helped that they put out such a stellar album.

There had been a line-up change since their previous album, Loud Love, with Jason Everman being replaced on bass by Ben Shepherd. The band credited the new blood as injecting improved song writing into their mix and the refinement of their grungy, classic rock vibe into an exciting mix of heavy metal, punk, and rock. Continuing to explore their moody, lengthy compositions, the album offered many excellent takes on that form such as “Slaves and Bulldozers,” “Searching with My Good Eye Closed,” and “Holy Water.” Those looking for a little more energy could be satisfied with the likes of “Rusty Cage,” “Face Pollution,” and “Drawing Flies.”

The standout tracks that mixed their power ballad style with punchy, metal-punk strength and energy were the album’s second and fourth tracks, “Outshined” and “Jesus Christ Pose.” “Outshined” had a smooth, undeniably appealing groove that opened up audiences to the band’s outsized sound. “Jesus Christ Pose” was simply a breathtaking, frenetic romp of pounding rhythms, frenetic and menacing power riffs, and as always Chris Cornell’s astonishing vocal prowess. It provided the grunge genre its next installment of classic tunes.

Soundgarden in ‘91 (L to R): Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, Chris Cornell, & Kim Thayil

Badmotorfinger rode its excellence and the rise of grunge to a top forty placing in the US and UK album charts. “Jesus Christ Pose,” as the LP’s first single, also reached the top forty in the UK singles chart while “Outshined” and “Rusty Cage” both fell just short of the same threshold. The album elevated Soundgarden from being one of the many neglected Seattle bands to something to reckon with, and as grunge took over the world in 1992 and 1993, the band was able to achieve greater success with their next two LPs, Superunknown in ’94 and Down on the Upside in ’96. Their singles never reached the mainstream charts in the US but they regularly hit the upper reaches of the alternative charts, while in the UK they had three top twenty hits and an additional three reach the top forty. The albums also reached the top ten in the US and UK, establishing Soundgarden as one of the biggest acts coming out of the grunge scene.

The band broke up in 1997 after Down on the Upside, with Cornell first releasing a solo LP in 1999 before forming the supergroup, Audioslave, with members of Rage Against the Machine. Soundgarden was reformed in 2010 which led to their final LP, King Animal, in 2012. Rumours of the recording of a new LP began circulating in 2015 and 2016 and the band continued touring. After a show in 2017, Cornell was found dead in his hotel room of an apparent suicide. It was another of the many unfortunate and untimely deaths related to the grunge world and put an end to one of its brightest lights.

“Carfish” \ No Fish Shop Parking \ Jacob's Mouse (1991)

So far on this playlist there has only been three artists not from the US: Black Sabbath, Neil Young, and The Cult. Naturally, there were rock scenes happening in the likes of the UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe, but the mix of classic rock, punk, or heavy metal hadn’t quite taken hold to the same degree as in America. Over the course of 1989 to 1991 that was changing as the likes of Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Babes in Toyland, and other grunge acts toured those locales and inspired an international wave of bands that would adopt the grunge sound.

Jacob’s Mouse (L to R): Hugo Boothby, Sam Marsh, & Jebb Boothby

By the end of 1991, however, there weren’t too many of those international acts making a mark yet, or the acts with a similar sound were still more closely aligned with grunge’s component genres. In Bury St. Edmunds, a town about a two hour drive northeast of London, England, the trio known as Jacob’s Mouse (named after a cousin’s pet) was one that was ahead of the pack. Formed as pre-teens when identical twins Hugo and Jebb Boothby joined with drummer/vocalist Sam Marsh, the band groomed themselves on heavy metal and post-punk, the perfect ingredients to develop a grunge sound when they evolved from covers to original material.

They released their first EP, The Dot, in 1990 and gained attention when Sounds magazine featured it. The band also affirmed their grunge affiliation by supporting Nirvana when they played in the UK. Jacob’s Mouse issued their first LP in 1991 on their own label, Blithering Idiot. A brief twenty-four minutes across eight songs, No Fish Shop Parking leaned a little more into the punk and alt-rock categories than grunge and won them acclaim and the attention and support of DJ John Peel. “Carfish” was the album’s fifth track and its alternating tempos, tumbling drums, raw guitar and Marsh’s shouted vocals funneled a Fugazi vibe and was the album’s best example of their grunge potential.

Thanks to Peel’s promotion, the band signed with London indie label, Wiiija, and release the EP, Ton Up¸ in 1992. They again made the grunge connection by touring with Babes in Toyland. Their second LP, I’m Scared, came in 1993 and this was the album in which I discovered them. The song, “It’s A Thin Sound,” was a staple at The Dance Cave. The album was grungier and an excellent step-up for the band. After a compilation LP in 1994 the band released their final LP, Rubber Room, in 1995 before breaking up.

“Eddie Hook” \ B-side to "Jack Pepsi" \ Tad (1991)

The artwork for Tad’s “Jack Pepsi” single (a combination, of course, of Jack Daniels and Pepsi), had a play on the Pepsi logo, which gained them some legal disagreements with the soft drink company.

One of the earliest acts on Sub Pop, we checked in on Tad in this playlist for their debut LP in 1989, God’s Balls, produced by Jack Endino. The band then completed the grunge producer triad by having Steve Albini produce their 1990 EP, Salt Lick¸ and Butch Vig handle their second LP in 1991, 8-Way Santa. The band continued to dwell in the heavier, darker end of the grunge sound, for as much a heavy metal feel as rock. The album’s single was “Jack Pepsi” (for which the soft drink company sued them), but it was the B-side, “Eddie Hook,” that had a more appealing groove with its bass lead. In 1992, I picked up a Sub Pop compilation, The Grunge Years¸ and it had the song, “Stumblin’ Man,” from the LP on it, along with many other great tracks from artists on this playlist. It was my introduction to Tad and their abrasive, heavy sound.

The rise of grunge helped many of the bands that had been toiling in relative obscurity win greater exposure and support. Tad signed with a major sub-label, Giant Records (Warner), to release the LP, Inhaler, in 1993. Despite the improved support the band wasn’t able to find a larger audience, which quite frankly wasn’t too surprising given the band’s less accessible sound compared to the grunge acts that were breaking big over that time. Tad released one more LP in 1995 and called it quits in 1999.

The producers of grunge (Lto R): Jack Endino, Butch Vig, & Steve Albini

“Waiting for A Ride” \ I Think I’m Gonna Be Sick \ Dandelion (1991)

Dandelion was a trio from Philadelphia formed in 1989 by the brother combo of vocalist/guitarist Kevin Morpurgo and bassist, Mike Morpurgo, and filled out by guitarist Carl Hinds and drummer Dante Cimino. After circulating a demo EP, Silver, in 1991, the band issued a single the same year, “Waiting for A Ride” (with covers of “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Who Do You Love” on the B-side, revealing their classic rock influences). Leaning towards the punk side of things, Dandelion’s sound was raw and grungy. Everything about their sound fit comfortably within the Seattle sound, with the low-fi feel, mix of pop hooks and a thick bottom-end.

They then signed with local label, Ruffhouse Records, known more for hip hop than rock. They issued a self-titled EP in 1992 before releasing their debut LP in 1993, I Think I’m Gonna Be Sick, which included all their prior released tracks except for the covers. By that time Bayan Butler had joined on guitar, but would be gone in 1994. Despite some soundtrack and MTV exposure the band never broke through, like the legions of grunge acts by the mid’-90s toiling away around the country. Dandelion did hang on long enough to issue another album via Ruffhouse in 1995, Dyslexicon, before breaking up in 1997.

“What You Said” \ Fabuley \ Holy Rollers (1991)

During my years hanging out at The Dance Cave, one of the more obscure songs to be played regularly, and one of my favourites, was “What You Said” by the trio, Holy Rollers. It was from their second album, Fabuley, released in 1991 once again by Dischord Records. Later that same year a combined album was released under the same name that included the debut LP, As Is, which was the CD I picked up and played repeatedly over the ensuing years. “What You Said” had an exhilarating mix of killer, power riffs and huge, crashing drops layered under the band’s usual, strained vocal mix, all delivered with a punk edge in a tidy two-and-a-half minutes.

Broadening their sound a little, Fabuley still had the multi-vocal, unadorned approach to the band’s mix of hardcore, catchy turns, and grungy, indie rock. On this LP Ian MacKaye made an appearance, helping his fellow DC band and labelmate make a go of it. Alas, it was not to be as Holy Rollers suffered the fate of so many such indie bands of the time, despite the growth in interest in guitar driven rock. The band went through two line-up changes with Maria Jones being replaced by Ed Trask and bassist Maynard Bopst being added with Joe Aronstamn moving to join Marc Lambiotte on guitar. The quartet released a self-titled album on Dischord in ’93 which would be the last we’d hear from Holy Rollers.

“When 3 Is 2” \ Hammerbox \ Hammerbox (1991)

Hammerbox (L to R): Dave Bosch, Harris Thurmond, Carrie Akre, & James Atkins

Hammerbox was a Seattle band that started with label, C/Z, for their debut, self-titled LP in 1991 and then signed to A&M for the second LP in 1993. They were a quartet fronted by Carrie Akre. Her straight-ahead rock vocal provided a more commercial sheen on the band’s guitar-grunge sound, but the material, while solid, wasn’t strong enough to put them over the top to chart success. “When 3 is 2” appeared on the band’s debut album and then was re-recorded for their major label release (which is the version on this playlist). Akre’s departure to form the band, Goodness, led to the end of Hammerbox in 1994.

“Sad and Damned” \ Nymphs \ The Nymphs (1991)

The Nymphs had been toiling for several years by the time they achieved their first signing with Geffen Records, showing the growing willingness of the majors to take a flyer on grunge acts. Formed by Inger Lorre (Lori Ann Wening) in New Jersey, she moved the band to Los Angeles only to promptly lose members back to the east coast. The band was reconstituted with a new line-up of Geoff ‘Jet’ Siegel and Sam Merrick on guitars, Alex Kirst on drums, and Cliff Jones on bass. The Nymphs’ notorious, unbridled shows grew their local fame leading to their major label signing.

The Nymphs, keeping the glam metal vibe going

Their self-titled debut arrived in 1991, mixing LA glam metal with punk edginess for the grunge result. “Sad and Damned” was the first single, providing a pop-rock sound with a grungy underpinning from the guitars. Their punk status was aided by a guest appearance by Iggy Pop on the LP. After the release of an EP in 1992 the band disbanded among acrimony between Lorre and the band. She re-formed The Nymphs with a new line-up in 2017.

“Stain” \ Willard EP \ Willard (1991)

Willard was a Seattle band formed sometime between 1989 and 1991, but who issued their first, self-titled EP in 1991 before releasing their debut LP, Steel Mill, through Roadracer Records (the US imprint of Dutch label, Roadrunner Records) in 1992. The quintet employed a dark, heavy metal sound as heard in “Stain” from the debut EP. The band didn’t stay together much longer and never released anything more, a trajectory for many of the grunge bands in the hot scene of early ‘90s Seattle.

By the end of 1991, with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Nevermind making their way to the upper echelons of the charts, grunge was stepping into the light of popular consciousness. As radio, media, buyers, and labels realized the level of interest in this heavier, unadorned rock sound, it quickly seemed as if the world descended on Seattle to check out every obscure band rocking the bars and clubs of the city and surrounding region. After six years of bands developing this brand of rock, it was having its coming of age. Not surprisingly, bands cropped up around the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, inspired by the sound and success of Nirvana, and started grinding out their own forms of sludgy rock and catchy, raw, pop-punk with a blend of classic rock.

With the table set and many other places available to explore the greatest hits of the grunge era, we’ll wind down this playlist by sampling but a few of the deluge of grunge releases in 1992 – the highlights and my favourites.

“Pretend We're Dead” \ Bricks Are Heavy \ L7 (Apr 1992)

The women of L7 were back on the scene early in 1992 with the release of their third album, Bricks Are Heavy. In 1991 the band had championed, Rock for Choice, a women’s rights group that sought to help women fight the forces of anti-abortion. It was in the same spirit of a wave of bands that would emerge around the grunge era, collectively referred to as Riot grrrl, that would bring both female participation and empowerment into the grunge and punk scenes.

‘L7’ was an old-school taunt that inferred someone was square, as in the shape when an L and 7 are combined, which would be conveyed with hand gestures as shown in the tattoo on the “Pretend We’re Dead” single.

Bricks Are Heavy was produced by Butch Vig and was released via Slash Records in LA, the first of three albums they would issue via that label. It was a fantastic album, reaching the top forty in the UK and including one of the greatest songs of the era, “Pretend We’re Dead,” which reached the UK top forty and the top ten in the US Modern Rock chart. The song had the perfect blend of grungy guitars, power, indelible hooks, and slacker insouciance. Though the song originated out of the pain of a failed relationship, Donita Sparks converted it into a rallying cry for the alternative world and for all those shunted aside after a decade of conservative rule in the US – reminding that if they pretend their dead, the oppressors win.

The album included several more highlights of the grunge era. The album’s opener, “Wargasm,” featured a Yoko Ono sample and kicked the album off into high gear as a consummate example of the coming together of punk and metal. “Everglade” was the album’s second single and leveraged a little hip hop and chanting energy, while “Slide” provided another relentless romp. “One More Thing” was a marvelous, down tempo take on the band’s sludgy sound. More fun, fast takes in “Mr. Integrity,” “Shitlist,” and “This Ain’t Pleasure,” combined with a power pop track and the third single, “Monster,” ran through the album’s final stretch. Bricks Are Heavy was a breathless, joyous, exhilarating thirty-seven minutes of powering rock and pop and was L7 at their peak.

L7 released three more LPs over the rest of the ‘90s, getting reasonable success and attention milling the same sound they’d perfected on Bricks Are Heavy. Line-up changes came with Jennifer Finch leaving in ’96, replaced with Gail Greenwood on bass, who had played in the band, Belly. The final LP had no bass player credited and was recorded as a trio, before Janis Tanaka joined for the band’s next few years (Tanaka had also replaced Finch in the band, Pagan Babies, the precursor to the bands, Hole and Babes in Toyland). L7 went on hiatus in 2001 after completing a tour, but reformed in 2014 with the core quartet of Gardner, Sparks, Finch, and Plakas. In 2017 they released an anti-Trump song, “Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago,” and in 2019 they released their seventh album.

L7 (L to R): Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner, Dee Plakas, & Jennifer Finch

Through every song and in all their shows, videos, and media appearances, L7 embodied all the rebelliousness and attitude of the classic rock and punk genres. They hurled a used tampon back at the crowd at the Reading festival in response to the mud throwing, they auctioned off a one-night stand with drummer Dee Plakas at a show, and Donita Sparks pulled her pants down for the last section of their performance of “Pretend We’re Dead” on the UK television show, The Word. Though they never reached the ranks of grunge’s big four, L7 was one of the best bands of the grunge heyday.

“Would?” \ Dirt \ Alice in Chains (Jun 1992)

One signal of the attention Seattle and grunge were receiving in 1992 was the Hollywood treatment in the form of, Singles, a Cameron Crowe film released in September. The film focused on plaid clad slackers in Seattle and featured cameos from members of Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, all of whom appeared on the album’s excellent soundtrack, released at the end of June. The album also included tracks from Mother Love Bone, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, and Smashing Pumpkins. Homage to Seattle’s rock history was also paid with the inclusion of songs from native son, Jimi Hendrix, and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” by The Lovemongers, which was the act of the time for sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, from Seattle-based, classic rock band, Heart.

The grunge era produced a lot of memorable album covers

“Would?” was the song on the soundtrack from Alice in Chains, which would also be the concluding track from their second album, Dirt, released at the end of September. Dirt elevated Alice in Chains to its status in the big four as it achieved a top ten placing in the US album chart and had three singles reach the top forty in the UK. The LP found the band finding a groove with their classic rock via ‘80s glam rock grunge sound and featured standout tracks, “Them Bones,” “Rain When I Die,” “Sickman,” the moody “Rooster,” and of course, “Would?” Blending harmonic pop over the standard grunge tempo changes and classic rock guitar solos and vocals, the band established a distinct sound and a leading place in the rock world.

Alice in Chains released the excellent EP of down tempo ballads, Jar of Flies, in 1994. It was followed by their self-titled, third LP in 1995 which went to #1 in the US and included new bassist, Mike Inez, replacing Mike Starr (who would pass away in 2011 due to an apparent overdose). At the peak of their success, Alice in Chains went into hiatus as Layne Staley retreated into his Seattle home in a stupor of drugs and depression following the death of his fiancée from an overdose in 1996. The rest of the band started to move on to solo work and guesting with others, and though they recorded a couple songs with Staley in 1998, things were not looking encouraging for Alice in Chains returning. In 2002, Layne was found dead in his condo from an overdose, putting an end to his many years of addiction and seemingly putting a final period at the end of Alice in Chains tenure. Drugs continued to play a starring role in the story of both Alice in Chains and the grunge world.

However, the band made several appearances between 2005 and 2008 with guest vocalists before bringing on William DuVall as their new singer. They then released their fourth LP in 2009, followed by others in 2013 and 2018. They remain one of the few grunge acts still going.

“Nearly Lost You” \ Sweet Oblivion \ Screaming Trees (Sep 1992)

Bridget Fonda and Matt Dillon (seated) and Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott (kissing) on the cover of the Singles soundtrack, which included Screaming Trees’, “Nearly Lost You.” Dillon fronted a band in the film called Citizen Dick, which was portra… — Bridget Fonda and Matt Dillon (seated) and Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott (kissing) on the cover of the *Singles* soundtrack, which included Screaming Trees’, “Nearly Lost You.” Dillon fronted a band in the film called Citizen Dick, which was portrayed by members of Pearl Jam. Their single was, “Touch Me I’m Dick,” a play on the Mudhoney tune.

“Nearly Lost You” was Screaming Trees contribution to the Singles soundtrack, was another of the leading tracks of the grunge genre, and an example of the heights to which the acts were raising their game. As one of the earliest forebears of grunge, the attention poured onto their scene must have been especially rewarding for this group. Sweet Oblivion, released in September 1992, was their sixth album and the first to get any chart attention, even if it only got into the top 200. “Nearly Lost You” reached the top ten of the US modern rock chart and #50 in the UK singles chart. It was a fantastic mix of sludgy, classic rock carried on a power-pop wave. The album’s second single was, “Dollar Bill,” a lovely mid-tempo track that channeled a vibe from Traffic’s 1968 classic, “Feelin’ Alright.”

As grunge waned over the next few years, Screaming Trees released one more LP in 1996, Dust, before breaking for Lanegan to focus on his solo career. When they reconvened, facing of a lack of interest from labels the band decided to call it quits in 2000.

“Sex Type Thing” \ Core \ Stone Temple Pilots (Sep 1992)

September 1992 also saw the arrival of one of the last major acts of the grunge scene, Stone Temple Pilots, with the release of their debut LP, Core. Many can legitimately argue they should be the fifth in a ‘big five’ of grunge, which certainly fits in terms of sales, but are often kept outside the grouping due to their non-Seattle origins and later arrival to the scene.

STP (L to R): Robert DeLeo, Scott Weiland, Dean DeLeo, & Eric Kretz

The band came together over the late ‘80s in San Diego around singer Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo. Their first band together, Swing, included guitarist Corey Hicock and drummer David Allin, but by 1989 both were gone, replaced by Eric Kretz on drums and then DeLeo’s older brother, Dean, on guitar. Changing their name to Mighty Joe Young, they recorded demos and played the SoCal music scene around San Diego and Los Angeles. They changed their name again when it was discovered a blues artist was already using the same name, settling on Stone Temple Pilots after brainstorming variations to match the ‘STP’ initials from the famous motor oil, whose logo they admired.

STP signed with Atlantic Records in 1992 and released their debut LP, Core, which fit perfectly with the popularity of rock surging across the US. The album reached #3 in the US and #27 in the UK to make it one of the most successful rock albums of the period. Its heavy, raw guitar sound linked the band to the grunge genre that was now being popularly used to describe the Seattle scene and its related acts from around the country. Soon after the alt-rock label would become the more common usage to capture the greater variety of guitar rock that proliferated over the next several years.

“Sex Type Thing” was the album’s first single and remains STP’s rawest, most rocking tune and the one that links them most strongly to grunge. Its mix of rock, metal, and thickly layered, raw guitar underpinned Weiland’s variations of deep and wailing vocals. A few strong hooks were thrown in to deliver a fantastic result, achieving the next in the line of growing, classic grunge tracks. The next single was the power ballad, “Plush,” and that was what pushed STP into commercial success, reaching the top ten in the US specialty charts and the top forty in the UK singles chart. The third single, “Creep,” also charted highly in the US specialty charts.

The next LP, 1994’s Purple, pushed STP to the fore of the American rock scene as it reached #1 in the US and the top ten in the UK. Its three singles, “Big Empty,” “Vasoline,” and “Interstate Love Song,” all reached the top ten in the US specialty charts though did less well in the UK. In 1996, the LP Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, also charted and sold well, and they continued that string with additional albums in 1999 and 2001. Over each album they moved away from their heavier, grungier sound towards a bigger, broader, and more classic rock sound.

STP announced their break-up in 2003 as rumours of strife between Weiland and the band grew. Weiland’s continued, public difficulties with addiction and associated legal problems were a constant distraction for the band and a shadow on their legacy. It didn’t help that Weiland was the clear front man for the band, whose looks and voice were synonymous with the band’s image. After the break-up the singer joined with members of Guns N’ Roses to form the group, Velvet Revolver, while the DeLeo brothers formed Army of Anyone with Richard Patrick of the band, Filter.

There was a reunion in 2008 leading to an LP in 2010 and continued touring, before Weiland’s troubles and strife with the band rose again, leading to the band firing him in 2013. Chester Bennington from the band, Linkin Park, came on board for the next two years as the band’s singer. In 2015, Weiland died from an overdose, putting an end to any consideration of STP returning to its classic line-up. Jeff Gutt was hired as the new singer in 2016 and STP continues on to this day, having released two LPs in 2018 and 2020. Their profile and success have not returned to their ‘90s peak.

“Foot” \ Dayglo \ Love Battery (1992)

Now that the highlights from the big acts and releases of ’92 have been covered, let’s finish things up with a couple of my all-time favourite grunge releases that allow us to check in on the Sub Pop legacy.

As they did on their first LP, the second was bathed in pink - very fitting for an LP titled, Dayglo — As they did on their first LP, the second was bathed in pink - very fitting for an LP titled, *Dayglo*

After the release of their first single, “Between the Eyes,” on Sub Pop in 1989, Love Battery released an EP around the same song in 1990, which was expanded to LP length in 1991. Endino produced the original EP, with some co-production from Steve Fisk, while the later tracks on the LP were handled by Conrad Uno (who would work on Mudhoney’s albums) and Jon Auer, from fellow Seattle area power-pop outfit, The Posies. There was a change in the bass player in 1990 as Tommy Simpson left and was replaced by Jim Tillmen, ex of U-Men. 1991 also saw the arrival of two fantastic new singles, “Out of Focus” and “Foot,” both of which were included on their first proper LP, 1992’s Dayglo, released on Sub Pop.

I can’t say enough what a sensational album Dayglo was as the band continued to mix their grungy sound with psychedelic elements and pop hooks buried under the surface, arriving in sudden exhilarating moments throughout the songs. The epic “Out of Focus” kicked off the album, a song that always seemed to me a distant sibling to Ride’s, “Leave Them All Behind,” released in February of ’92. Like the rest of the album, produced by Uno and Auer, the album sounded like it was recorded underwater, which perhaps a detractor for some, to me just added to the songs’ density and power, as if the music was being restrained for your safety. “Foot” was the second track and was a thrilling, even-paced sprint propelled by hypnotic intertwining guitar riffs from Ron Nine and Kevin Witworth. These tracks set-up for the rest of the LP, which barely put a step out of place as it ran through the slacker psych-pop of “Damaged,” the relentless hooks of “See Your Mind,” the pounding beats from Jason Finn through “Cool School (Trane of Thought),” the ‘60s acid-rock of “Sometimes,” the grunge-punk of the title track, and the lovely, distorted, slow finale of “23 Modern Stories.”

Love Battery (L to R): Kevin Whitworth, Ron Nine, Jason Finn, & Bruce Fairweather (though it was Jim Tilman that played on Dayglo — Love Battery (L to R): Kevin Whitworth, Ron Nine, Jason Finn, & Bruce Fairweather (though it was Jim Tilman that played on *Dayglo*

After Dayglo there were more changes to the line-up as Simpson returned briefly on bass to replace Tillman before Bruce Fairweather from Mother Love Bone joined. In 1993 the chance to join a major through PolyGram fell through and the band released their third LP via Sub Pop, Far Gone. Following releases in 1995 and 1999 failed to build any momentum for the band amidst continued changes on bass and drums, making Love Battery for the most part a duo of Nine and Whitworth through its career. The band has appeared in various forms over the years, leaving them an open-ended project though there have been no indications there is new music on the horizon.

Pond (L to R): Chris Brady, Charlie Campbell, & Dave Triebwasser

“Agatha” \ Pond \ Pond (1993)

Pond was a trio from Portland, Oregon that released their debut LP on Sub Pop in 1993. Formed by high school friends transplanted from Juneau, Alaska, Charlie Campbell and Chris Brady, they added drummer Dave Triebwasser to complete the line-up. Similar to The Posies, the band explored a sound somewhere between power pop and the thick morass of true grunge. Their look was less grungy which set them apart, and despite a strong local following couldn’t gain a foothold to broader success through two LPs, with the second released in ’95.

Their self-titled debut LP, though, was fantastic, and included another of my favourite songs, “Agatha.” The mix of psychedelia, punk, hard rock, slacker-stuttering vocals, and a wonderful, driving tempo riding hypnotic guitar and bass that led to a frenzied climax made it a stellar song to crank up and lose oneself in its spellbinding mix. Though that song stood out, there were many other catchy, grungy, fun moments throughout the rest of the album. It was a deep shame the band didn’t find greater success. But thanks to its great finale, “Agatha” is a great tune to cap off this playlist.

Sub Pop was indisputably essential to the establishment of the Seattle sound and the resulting grunge sensation. Their signing of bands gave those artists the means to be heard and the label’s promotion helped create the broader awareness of grunge’s distinct place in the music firmament. Though Nirvana’s breakout success came via DGC Records, their success led to healthy sales of their first album via Sub Pop, Bleach. This gave the label enough financial stability to have a solid run through grunge’s prime years in the limelight. In 1995, Pavitt and Poneman sold 49% of the business to Warner Music, which led to disagreements between the partners on the label’s direction, with Poneman wanting to use the Warner relationship to make the label bigger. Pavitt left, leaving Poneman to make an unsuccessful attempt to grow the label internationally. Settling back into its Seattle roots, Sub Pop continues to this day.

After Nirvana broke big over the winter of 1992, the ensuing year saw more albums from established grunge acts: Sonic Youth released the LP, Dirty, Babes in Toyland issued, Fontanelle, and Mudhoney put out, Piece of Cake. Indicative of the broadening influence of grunge and the expanding boundaries of alt-rock, many new artists arrived such as Supersuckers, Sugar (ex-Husker Du lead man, Bob Mould), 7 Year Bitch (one of the progenitors of the Riot grrrl movement), Rocket from the Crypt, The Gits, Paw, The God Machine, and Wool, who continued to rep the Seattle scene. Grunge-like artists also started emerging with fantastic releases internationally: Sloan, Mystery Machine, and The Watchmen from Canada, Captain America (soon after renamed Eugenius) from Scotland, and Daisy Chainsaw and Mint 400 from England.

In 1993, grunge continued to ride high though a backlash started to develop as its consistent sound started to wear out its welcome, not to mention that, as always, so few bands were keen to have the moniker attached to them. Regardless, many new acts arrived plying that sound while the bigger acts like Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam continued to build their sizeable fanbases with the release of their second albums, Siamese Dream and Vs., respectively.

In September 1993, Nirvana released its third album, In Utero. After Nevermind had blown the doors open on both their career and the Seattle sound, Nirvana entered the realm of superstars. Like many grunge artists, it was a level of success never imagined, or even desired. As much as Kurt Cobain had striven to write great, pop-infused punk songs, the idea of being a popstar was not a comfortable fit. For their sensational and highly successful appearance on the popular MTV show, Unplugged, in November, they bypassed their hits to play a series of covers and their lesser-known tracks. In Utero, produced by Steve Albini, was a more caustic, less melodious, and generally more difficult album to approach than Nevermind. It was great, but the more casual fans of their music were probably going to struggle with it.

A memorial to Kurt Cobain in his hometown of Aberdeen, WA

Like so many others in the grunge world, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love descended into a world of drug problems, which for Cobain exacerbated his depression and difficulties handling his popstar status. During the band’s European tour in 1994, for which they’d added guitarist Pat Smear to the line-up, Cobain was found unconscious in a hotel room in Rome and needed to be rushed to hospital, after which he was entered into rehab and the tour was cancelled. One week later he left rehab he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Seattle home. A note left behind quoted the “it’s better to burn out than fade away” lyric from Neil Young’s, “My My, Hey Hey.” Once the shock and fascination of the suicide of genre’s greatest icon was absorbed, the event accelerated the shift of the popular gaze away from grunge.

By 1994, the use of the term, grunge, was out of favour and acts were only referred by it if they came out of the Seattle scene. The many new bands still exploring contemporary updates on classic rock were termed, post-grunge, an unflattering adjective to describe the typically safer, formulaic, and over-produced sounds that resulted as labels took over the direction of the music to cash in on the enduring mainstream interest in rock music. Naturally, there was a variety from genuinely good bands pumping out solid music and those that offered a generic, derivative sound.

In the UK, the Britpop scene arose on the heels of grunge but derived more from the shoegaze scene, and while still carried forward by the emphasis on guitar-driven rock and pop, it was in a decidedly less grungy direction. In the US, the post-grunge and nu metal sounds carried the guitar through further success in the ‘90s before it was relegated back to being a true alternative in the 2000s, with hip hop, country, R&B, and as always, pop, carrying the mantle on the charts.

I have had the opportunity to see many grunge acts, most during their prime (though that term has some irony since some of these artists now tour in larger halls today than they did back then, such as L7).
Alice in Chains: Jul ‘93 (Lollapalooza)
Babes in Toyland (2x): Mar ’92 & Jul ‘93 (Lollapalooza)
Buffalo Tom (2x): May & Jun ’92
Dinosaur Jr. (2x): Apr ’93 & Jul ‘93 (Lollapalooza)
L7 (2x): Aug ’92 & Jul ‘18
Love Battery: Sep ‘93
Mudhoney: Nov ’92
Pearl Jam (2x): Aug ’92 (Lollapalooza) & May ‘06
Soundgarden (3x): Aug ’92 (Lollapalooza), Aug ’94, & Sep ’96

Grunge was always a loose, retroactive term to capture the emergence of the heavy, alt-rock sound of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and to label the breakout success of the Seattle scene in late 1991. However, it was a worthwhile and aptly descriptive term since there needed to be a way to define these acts that had brought variants of hard rock, metal, and punk from the fringes into the top of the charts. The early ‘90s was the only time in rock history in which music that typically lived underground saw the light of day and enjoyed mass consumption. For those of us not used to such attention on our artists, it was disorienting. I would have loved to have seen Nirvana live, but after missing their show at Lee’s Palace in Toronto in 1990, the next opportunity was an arena show at Maple Leaf Gardens in November 1993, and I suspect my disinterest in seeing them in such a venue was mirrored by Kurt Cobain’s disinterest in playing it.

Grunge changed the music landscape significantly both in its time and for the generations following. It certainly changed my taste in music, influenced by my weekends at the Dance Cave it forever added the punk sound to my listening spectrum. While I, like everyone else, moved on from baggy jeans and plaid shirts, I still appreciate much of what the era gave us, with as noted through this playlist many of my favourite songs owing to its legacy. The impact of grunge has been both celebrated as the biggest occasion of modern rock’s success as well as the downfall of rock’s place atop the music mountain. It’s true that after the ‘90s obsession with guitar rock, the guitar – whether in a classic rock style or in grungy, less commercial variants – has never been able to reassert itself as a leading form of popular music. I’m certainly okay with that, but for those now trying to make a living with an electric guitar, I’m sure they look back at grunge and the 1992 music charts with some envy.

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