Pinkus Abortion Technician

[glen]

let's just say the pure unadulterated evil has been replaced with a healthy dose of hippy dippy and southern sass as of late. 

is it a good thing or a bad thing?    beauty is as always in the ear of the beholder.

[))))((((]

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2018/04/19/two-bass-hit-an-interview-with-jeff-pinkus-and-steven-mcdonald/

I wish Buzz had got his way and insisted on the faster Graveyard. After hearing that badass live version, the studio one feels WAY too slow. It diminishes all the awesomeness from it!

[Oscar]

let's just say the pure unadulterated evil has been replaced with a healthy dose of hippy dippy and southern sass as of late. 

In addition to that, I think there is a bit of a dad rock element setting in. All of them keep emphasizing how weird and out there this stuff is when it's possibly the most vanilla sounding era of the band yet.

[))))((((]

All of them keep emphasizing how weird and out there this stuff is

True. Nothing much is really very weird now. It's more just WTF were they thinking.

I think something quite telling was in that recent Steve interview. He said Buzz is a huge contrarian. Part of me thinks all the recent Melvins output is Buzz' way of doing a complete 180. In going off and doing what no one really wants and standing by it.

[Fureon Nectarmoon]

let's just say the pure unadulterated evil has been replaced with a healthy dose of hippy dippy and southern sass as of late. 

Yep, exactly.

It actually reminds me of the episode of Metalocalypse where Dethklok fired their bassist for his nasty toxic attitude (that, and he didn't really play well - they ended up cutting out most of his parts out of the mix)... and after a while pleaded him to come back because without him their recordings ended up sounding too happy. Turned out even though he played poorly, his negativity was one of the key elements in the band's sound and recording process and they just couldn't cut it without him.

That "bite" is just something Melvins do well and it sorta seems to me like a waste of talent to do the vanilla stuff.

In addition to that, I think there is a bit of a dad rock element setting in. All of them keep emphasizing how weird and out there this stuff is when it's possibly the most vanilla sounding era of the band yet.

Right. I think Buzz either says so out of habit, or there's a disrepancy he doesn't notice between how it sounds in his head when he's planning it and how it turns out on record when the guys actually do it. I mean, the trailer for A Walk With Love And Death freaked me the fuck out, it was promising something really shocking. But a lot of the songs the actual album, at least the Death part, were inconsistent with that image. I'm wondering if Buzz doesn't quite realize how vanilla their stuff with Steven sounds and thinks they're still doing something extra weird.

He did admit in a recent interview he doesn't know what's shocking today anymore.
Maybe he just gave up on trying to go in the "twisted" direction of and just sticks with what feels good to him.

What's interesting is that Buzz can still write a mean song.
A lot, or even most, of the stuff with Dillard is just the right amount of wickedness.
Some songs on Hold It In were a great example.
Even with Steven, there are songs like Hideous Woman as well.
And the solo album.

I think they need someone who will influence them to go in a weirder and slightly darker direction.
Not in visuals - I'll pass on the dead bodies on the packaging, leave that to Unsane - what I'm interested in is getting that hard bite or heavy crush in the music.

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2018/04/19/two-bass-hit-an-interview-with-jeff-pinkus-and-steven-mcdonald/

I wish Buzz had got his way and insisted on the faster Graveyard. After hearing that badass live version, the studio one feels WAY too slow. It diminishes all the awesomeness from it!

They should have done two versions like on the original Locust! What a missed opportunity.

[))))((((]

I'm wondering if Buzz doesn't quite realize how vanilla their stuff with Steven sounds and thinks they're still doing something extra weird.

I think that is quite possibly part of it too. The band are too much in their own bubble. You only have to see an interview with Buzz when someone asks him about current bands or music he likes and he struggles to pick anyone. He just says Big Business and Le Butcherettes all the time and often says he doesn't follow music or go to shows. I get the impression he's just wrapped up in his own thing. Dale seems to be much more aware of what bands are doing and what is out there.

[glen]

reality check.   they're (thereabouts) 50 years old. they're probably not interested in listening to new music.   Heck... I'm "thereabouts" the same age and probably a bit of an anomaly for pursuing new music. they're interested in paying their mortgage and raising their children.    and again.. I'm not trying to pick on them. I'm living the same shit except I don't get to make music to pay the bills.  God bless them for making MELVINS a career thing and not tucking tail and taking a job at the local megamart like 95% of their contemporaries.   but the fact of the matter in my relatable opinion is you change.  you mature.   you don't stay "GG Allin" forever unless you're GG Allin.      do we really want 30 years of Ozma and HAT (oo... dangerous question.  of course we do.) but you know what I mean.  its natural evolution.     I'll still here as a fan and customer.    at this point maybe the MELVINS and myself are more symbiotic than ever in our 25+ year relationship. 

[black stallion]

Just listened all the way through for the first time.  Fucking love it.

haven't checked the new album yet, waiting for my copy to arrive.. though it's funny how every fan has a different opinion about it, makes me very curious

you will love it...
it is just a bit more beautiful than the navigli quarter.
it is also better than pizza.

hey, i never asked how went your italian holiday?

[buddy holiday]

Just listened all the way through for the first time.  Fucking love it.

haven't checked the new album yet, waiting for my copy to arrive.. though it's funny how every fan has a different opinion about it, makes me very curious

you will love it...
it is just a bit more beautiful than the navigli quarter.
it is also better than pizza.

hey, i never asked how went your italian holiday?

all good, milano was nice. we recently were in mantua which was also cool (my girlfriends mother family has its roots there). love italy!

[black stallion]

reality check.   they're (thereabouts) 50 years old. they're probably not interested in listening to new music.   Heck... I'm "thereabouts" the same age and probably a bit of an anomaly for pursuing new music. they're interested in paying their mortgage and raising their children.    and again.. I'm not trying to pick on them. I'm living the same shit except I don't get to make music to pay the bills.  God bless them for making MELVINS a career thing and not tucking tail and taking a job at the local megamart like 95% of their contemporaries.   but the fact of the matter in my relatable opinion is you change.  you mature.   you don't stay "GG Allin" forever unless you're GG Allin.      do we really want 30 years of Ozma and HAT (oo... dangerous question.  of course we do.) but you know what I mean.  its natural evolution.     I'll still here as a fan and customer.    at this point maybe the MELVINS and myself are more symbiotic than ever in our 25+ year relationship.

very good point... also do not forget buzz and dale (especially) are huge fans of that vanilla sound you guys are talking about. they are mad for stuff like Beatles, The Monkees etc.. so they are doing what they like, that's it!

Just listened all the way through for the first time.  Fucking love it.

haven't checked the new album yet, waiting for my copy to arrive.. though it's funny how every fan has a different opinion about it, makes me very curious

you will love it...
it is just a bit more beautiful than the navigli quarter.
it is also better than pizza.

hey, i never asked how went your italian holiday?

all good, milano was nice. we recently were in mantua which was also cool (my girlfriends mother family has its roots there). love italy!

nice to hear man! Mantova is a cool city!

[))))((((]

they're interested in paying their mortgage and raising their children.

Buzz doesn't have any children!! He has dogs!

Both Glen and Stallion make good points there. I just wonder how much longer does this go on before it seems like their earlier releases were some kind of magical fluke?

[blacksanta]

One thing I have noticed and bought into is the idea of the Melvins being more prolific at this period in time and hence lowering the quality of output. So discography check:

1983
1984
1985
1986: 6/8/10/26 Songs
1987: Gluey Porch Treatments
1988
1989: Ozma
1990
1991: Bullhead, Eggnog
1992: King Buzzo, Dale Crover, Joe Preston, Lysol
1993: Houdini
1994: Your Choice Live Series 012, Prick, Stoner Witch
1995
1996: Stag
1997: Honky, Singles 1-12
1998: Alive at the Fucker Club
1999: The Maggot, The Bootlicker
2000: The Crybaby
2001: Electroretard, Colossus of Destiny
2002: Millennium Monsterwork, Hostile Ambient Takeover
2003: Melvinmania: The Best of the Atlantic Years
2004: Neither Here Nor There, Pigs of the Roman Empire, Never Breathe What You Can't See
2005: Mangles Demos from 1983, Sieg Howdy!
2006: Houdini Live 2005, A Senile Animal
2007
2008: Nude With Boots
2009: Chicken Switch
2010: The Bride Screamed Murder
2011: Sugar Daddy Live
2012: The Bulls and the Bees, Freak Puke
2013: Everybody Loves Sausages, Tres Cabrones
2014: Hold It In
2015
2016: Three Men and a Baby, Basses Loaded
2017: A Walk With Love and Death
2018: Pinkus Abortion Technician, ?????


I tried to limit this to non-limited edition releases, stuff I could go to the record store and buy when released, either an indy or a good chain store (RIP Tower records). Some stuff could be considered limited because of the size of the pressing but was not intentionally a special limited release (ex: Six Songs). Compilations/EPs/Live Albums count, straight re-releases do not (hence Melvinmania, but not Bulls & Bees + Electro). In those parameters I disincluded Tora, Slim's 8 Track, The End, Making Love demos, vs. Minneapolis, Pick Your Battles, Endless Residency, Smash the State, Third Man, Steven EP, 12'" or 7" single or split,  and any AmRep limited edition ep whether new material or stuff that later got a wide release.

Based on those parameters and qualifiers, Pinkus Abortion Technician is the 45th Wide-Release Melvins title. There has only been 5 years since 1986 when the first EP was released that there has not been a unique Wide-Release Melvins title released to market. 1992 was the most prolific year with 4 unique releases, followed by 1994 and 2004 with 3 each. So, maybe it's not so much quantity but a change in style and perceived drop in quality - which is of course purely subjective.

[blacksanta]

# of releases

[Oscar]

reality check.   they're (thereabouts) 50 years old. they're probably not interested in listening to new music.   Heck... I'm "thereabouts" the same age and probably a bit of an anomaly for pursuing new music. they're interested in paying their mortgage and raising their children.    and again.. I'm not trying to pick on them. I'm living the same shit except I don't get to make music to pay the bills.  God bless them for making MELVINS a career thing and not tucking tail and taking a job at the local megamart like 95% of their contemporaries.   but the fact of the matter in my relatable opinion is you change.  you mature.   you don't stay "GG Allin" forever unless you're GG Allin.      do we really want 30 years of Ozma and HAT (oo... dangerous question.  of course we do.) but you know what I mean.  its natural evolution.     I'll still here as a fan and customer.    at this point maybe the MELVINS and myself are more symbiotic than ever in our 25+ year relationship.

very good point... also do not forget buzz and dale (especially) are huge fans of that vanilla sound you guys are talking about. they are mad for stuff like Beatles, The Monkees etc.. so they are doing what they like, that's it!

I hear you on all that, but (and I've said this before) it doesn't need to be traditionally heavy or edgy for me to enjoy it.
Shit, stuff like Black Bock or the Skin Horse outro are among some of the heaviest Melvins moments to me.

Oddly enough, their tenacity and fearlessness that I love so much seems to be turning on them. I always admired the fact that their same handful of influences has carried them over three decades of great music. But by the same token, they seem to be oblivious to a changing musical landscape. Now I'm by no means expecting them to throw a laptop and a sampler on stage to mix it up, but like ))))(((( mentioned, when it comes to new bands they seem to be completely blown away by shit like Tweak Bird and Les Butcherettes which always leaves me a bit puzzled. Sure, they make fine music but.....really?

[Oscar]

# of releases

I appreciate the rundown, I also think that they aren't obligated to churn out an album a year. I can't imagine that they'll go broke if they decide to work on a project for a year or two. There's always special releases and we buy anything they put out and go see them live regardless.