Melvins With Steven McDonald On Bass

[black stallion]

How many songs is he on on Basses Loaded just the one? Not sure that's worth mentioning.

yeah, not so many i guess

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How many songs is he on on Basses Loaded just the one? Not sure that's worth mentioning.

He's on 4 songs.

The Decay Of Lying
I Want To Tell You
Hideous Woman
War Pussy

You are right that it's not really a Steven (or anyone!) record but i think it still sort of counts or should be considered. I mean 4 songs is still 1/3 of the record!

[amazonAMAZON]

Yeah Basses counts. It was basically his introduction as the permanent bassist. He even sings one!

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He even sings one!

He only does backing vocals. Mostly on The Beatles 'I Want To Tell You' i think.

[Bigval]

You are right that it's not really a Steven (or anyone!) record but i think it still sort of counts or should be considered. I mean 4 songs is still 1/3 of the record!

Okay that's different then four songs is certainly enough, for some reason I thought he and Dunn were only on one song each.

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Steven interview.

https://kiyimuzik.com/a-chat-with-melvins-steven-mcdonald/

[the bloat]

Steven interview.

https://kiyimuzik.com/a-chat-with-melvins-steven-mcdonald/

Good read! Plus some things I didn't know about the band's working process. You can hear that Steven was a bit more involved in BMR and this confirms it. Sounds like Buzz can be tough for bass players to work with. Could this be a factor in the mythical bass player morgue?

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A chat with Steven. If you can tolerate an hour of Lydia Lynch that is!

https://lydianspin.libsyn.com/episode-177-bassist-steven-mcdonald

[CoryCory]

I like Steve, and I enjoy his string bends and effects. I thought he was great w/ OFF!, got to see them twice including the tour w/ Dale. Not a fan of Redd Kross either though. I think he got some of his pedals from Bootsy Collins or Les Claypool .
I just realized Steven will soon become the longest tenured Melvins bassist. 2016 to today is 6 yrs. Kevin did about 6 from '98-'04, 5 for Jared('06 to '11). If it wasn't for the pandemic, he'd probably have the most gigs logged in.

Did a bit of nerdy digging. If Steven is still in the band by 2024 he has the longest consecutive tenure at 9 years, Kevin (98 - 05) and Jared (06 - 13) just behind him at 8 each.

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If Steven is still in the band by 2024 he has the longest consecutive tenure at 9 years

I would prefer if it never happens but it will.

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It's shit like at the beginning of this that makes me hate Steven in the band! The calls to the audience are so cringeworthy and unnecessary. Honestly i don't think i will ever consider him to be a proper Melvin. Play bass and shut the fuck up. I wish there was never any mic on stage for him - no songs for him to sing either. At this point i think i would say he's my least favourite of ALL their bassists. Far too much goofy antics, dance moves and posturing. His irritating overplaying and poppy influences. PLEASE fire this guy Melvins! Just get rid of him and bring Trevor Dunn in full time. Or better yet get Kevin back!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub-FAnqnD04

[John Schuller]

It's shit like at the beginning of this that makes me hate Steven in the band! The calls to the audience are so cringeworthy and unnecessary. Honestly i don't think i will ever consider him to be a proper Melvin. Play bass and shut the fuck up. I wish there was never any mic on stage for him - no songs for him to sing either. At this point i think i would say he's my least favourite of ALL their bassists. Far too much goofy antics, dance moves and posturing. His irritating overplaying and poppy influences. PLEASE fire this guy Melvins! Just get rid of him and bring Trevor Dunn in full time. Or better yet get Kevin back!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub-FAnqnD04

Do you also hate:

Buzzo wearing a MuMu
Buzz and his giant hair
Dale just wearing undies
Dale wearing negligée
Dale wearing a weird outfit
Jared wearing weird stuff
Coady wearing a worksuit
Kevin looking like a weirdo
Kevin licking the stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party during a bass solo
Mark D dressing like a cowboy
Buzz, Dale and Matt dressing in Star Trek uniforms
Jellos singing
The Beatles
KISS
Redd Kross
Fucked up looking kids on album covers
The KISS cover "Love Thing" from Ozma
The fruit basket on the cover of Bullhead

????

The Melvins and Redd Kross are the two greatest bands in the world. They are both pretty silly while being the best at what they do. They have so much in common that it only makes sense for Steven to be in Melvins and for Dale to be in Redd Kross. I cannot wait for the two bands to join forces as MELVINS+KROSS and record "Teen Babes from Montesano".

1) Buzz got hooked on Redd Kross via Teen Babes from Monsanto which featured covers by bands that Buzz was into such as KISS, David Bowie and The Stooges. There was even a weird and obscure, fun cover from the TV show, Bewitched.
2) Melvins love KISS, Redd Kross love KISS
3) Melvins love to play and record tons of cover songs, Redd Kross love to play and record tons of cover songs
4) Melvins covered the Beach Boys, Redd Kross are from Hawthorne just like the Beach Boys
5) Melvins covered the Beach Boys who hung out with Charles Manson, Redd Kross has a song called "Charlie" about Manson, Melvins cover "Charlie" and Redd Kross covered a Charlie Manson song that the Beach Boys also covered.
6) They both have weird names with weird origin stories (Thriftway Boss / Cross used in the Exorcist)
7) The Melvins and Redd Kross have both covered songs by The Beatles
The Melvins and Redd Kross were both on Atlantic Records
9) The Melvins were at the Redd Kross show at the Crescent Ballroom in Tacoma Washington in 1987 - where future grunge superstars Soundgarden, Malfunksun and Green River opened.
10) The Melvins "Gluey Porch Treatments" and Redd Kross "Neurotica" are both the two greatest albums of 1987.
11) The Melvins wanted to be on SST Records but never were. Redd Kross never wanted to be on SST Records, but some of their songs were.
12) The Melvins "Stoner Witch" and Redd Kross' "Phaseshifter" are the two greatest albums of the 1990s.
13) Melvins and Redd Kross were both part of the 1980s hardcore scene while neither band fit the hardcore mold.
14) Melvins played with Yoko Ono, Redd Kross side project Tater Tots covered Yoko Ono
15) Melvins and Redd Kross worked with Bill Bartell (Pat Fear) of White Flag and Gasatanka records.
16) Gasatanka records released a 7" box set called "13 Years of Losing Money" with a 7" by Melvins and a 7" by Redd Kross.
17) The Ballroom Blitz Melvins / Redd Kross split!
18) Kurt Cobain loved Redd Kross and Melvins. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love met at a Redd Kross show, Steven and Jeff McDonald used to prank call Courtney Love, Courtney Love prevented Redd Kross from touring with Nirvana
19) Shirley Temple's daughter was in Melvins, Steven McDonald danced on Shirley Temples handprints at the Mann Chinese theater in a music video he did.
20) Both bands have been going since the members were kids
21) When I saw Dale play in a band called "Really Soon" in 1987, he introduced a song as a Redd Kross cover, but they played "Rain" by the Beatles.
22) Neither band really takes themselves that seriously, they both have great senses of humor

and most importantly -


20) Buzz and Dale are total Redd Kross fans - they "get" the weirdness and the amazingness of Redd Kross. Steven gets all of his campy moves and stage banter comes directly from KISS and other 70s rockers and is a part of the Redd Kross world - Buzz and Dale love KISS and 70s rockers. Steven is adding an element to the Melvins live show that to me is just as out there as a fruit basket on Bullhead. Steven's bass playing is a great combination of Paul McCartney and Gene Simmons - his level of playing and musical knowledge is on par with Mark Deutrom and Trevor Dunn (well, Dunn is kind of a master of bass and music on a godlike level). Steven plays with a pick which I think is super important with Melvins music.

Jeeez......I think the edible kicked in. Went down a Steven McDonald rabbit hole!

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I respect your fandom and you do have a good point there. I agree with you that Melvins have pretty much ALWAYS shown their off-beat nature and weirdness whether it was in their dress, music or general attitude. With Steven though the goofiness comes off (at least to me) as a lot more cheesy than anything prior. Yes they often dressed up silly live yet the music still had some menace to it. Think of Kevin doing his little wiggle dance yet still looking mean and like someone you wouldn't want to mess with! Plus his musical contributions were weird and sometimes abrasive. You never get that with Steve. It's just goofy and poppy! I rate Steven as a bass player. I suppose in some ways that is all that one needs to judge these things on. But i can't stand his stage persona. I think it's sometimes a bit telling in interviews too in how Buzz and Dale have far different reference points for what they like than what Steven has. His musical upbringing has been very different and his influences show that. I don't hate Steven as a person. Far from it!! He seems like a super nice, friendly, cool guy. I just don't like him in Melvins. Obviously Buzz and Dale love him. They appreciate everything he brings to the band both in the studio and in a live setting. Yet for myself i just can't enjoy it as much. I don't really like Redd Kross - it's just not to my tastes so obviously i don't like that filtering into Melvins either. The fact that Buzz said Steven had a lot of influence on the writing of Bad Mood Rising is worrying to me.

[black stallion]

Steven is doing some weird parts on old songs like Your Blessened, check those high notes he plays at the end of the song, i think i like it


https://youtu.be/XIxG_MLP2r8

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Steven is doing some weird parts on old songs like Your Blessened, check those high notes he plays at the end of the song, i think i like it

I didn't mind those bits. I hadn't really noticed them actually until you mentioned it.