Ocean Of Confusion: Songs Of Screaming Trees 1990-1996 CD

Screaming Trees are often incorrectly lumped in with Seattle's countless 1990s grunge bands. While they shared a club scene and a love of classic rock with those groups, the Trees were always an island unto themselves. Heavily indebted to '60s psychedelia, they were virtually alone among their peers in veering closer to the Electric Prunes than to Black Sabbath. In the first half of their career, the band recorded for SST Records, churning out a NUGGETS-friendly sound full of swirling fuzztone guitars and serpentine vocal melodies.

OCEAN OF CONFUSION documents the latter days of the Trees, after stepping up to the majors. By this time, they were less slavishly devoted to the sounds of the '60s, and had upped the rock crunch of their sound considerably. The band's only real "hit," 1992's "Nearly Lost You," is an endearing mix of heavy-rock riffs and Motown melodicism, but much of the material here finds the group aiming for a modernized version of Led Zeppelin's progressive blues-rock, led by Gary Lee Conner's fiery guitar and Mark Lanegan's rough-edged baritone. OCEAN OF CONFUSION stands to prove that there was life beyond Nirvana in early-'90s Seattle.

1990-1996 Gh + 2 New Songs.

Audio Mixer: Jonas G.

Liner Note Author: Michael Azerrad.

Recording information: 1994.

Photographers: Ross Halfin; Charles Peterson ; Danny Clinch.

Screaming Trees: Van Conner (bass guitar); Gary Lee Conner, Mark Lanegan, Mark Pickerel, Barrett Martin.

Personnel: Mark Lanegan (vocals); Gary Lee Conner, Mike McCready (guitar); Milori (cello); Jeff McGraph (trumpet); Benmont Tench (piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron); Mark Pickerel, Barrett Martin (drums); George Drakoulias (percussion); Chris Cornell, Chris Goss, 21st Street Singers, Brian Jenkins (background vocals).

Additional personnel: Milori (violin); Chris Cornell, Chris Goss, George Drakoulias, Mike McCready, Benmont Tench, Jeff McGraph, 21st Street Singers, Brian Jenkins.

Uncut (p.128) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Lanegan's voice is like the rumble of far-off thunder, while their blend of blues, metal and psychedelia was imitated widely..."