themelvins.net bbs

Here's a little something I've been working on over the last couple of weeks.  I found myself listening to a lot of cover songs after the recent Black Sabbath Back To The Beginning concert and it occurred to me how many covers the Melvins have only ever performed live and never released.

So I trawled through my archives of ~500 Melvins shows to find all such examples, determine the best versions (a combination of sound and performance quality) and compile them for my listening pleasure. 

Then I thought, why not give something back to this community as I'm sure others would appreciate such a compilation, so here you go!

A few notes:

• All tracks have been sourced from lossless recordings where possible.  Exceptions to this include some of the early stuff from Olympia which was ripped from Mike Ziegler's youtube channel and Deuce, Saviour Machine and Sway from various youtube/live streams
• Some minor repair work was done on some of the older recordings such as channel normalisation and some bass reduction on the Winnipeg '85 tracks
• There's about 10 seconds of tape damage in Living After Midnight but it's the only version I could find and a good one at that
• There was a 2 minute equipment failure sliced out of the middle of Into The Void and although there's been a studio version of this song, these live versions from 1993 were absolutely crushing
• Yes, I am aware Youth of America has been released but it's such a great version that segues from Whipping Post and I couldn't imagine a covers comp without it!
• Same goes for Halo Of Flies (Buzz vox > Jello vox) and the electric version of Sway
• Tracks are presented in chronological order with fades added to smooth the transition from one track to the next (unless the tracks were continuous in the recording)
• If anyone can identify the unknown cover from the Winnipeg '85 show that would be great.  It's often listed as Running Wild by Judas Priest but it's definitely not - it just has lyrics that include "your emotions running wild"
• Please feel free to point me in the direction of any songs I may have missed
• Artwork taken from a random reddit post by user /riahllab
  
• If anyone wants any of these shows in full and lossless quality, please let me know as I'd be happy to share

Firehouse (Kiss) [instrumental] - Olympia, 1984-09-28
Jumpin' Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones) - Olympia, 1984-09-28
Hawaii Five-O (The Ventures) - Olympia, 1984-09-28
Woman From Sodom (The Mentors) - Olympia, 1985-01-26
Unknown - Winnipeg, 1985-10-10
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Cher) - Winnipeg, 1985-10-10
Loose (The Stooges) - Winnipeg, 1985-10-10
Sin City (AC/DC) - Winnipeg, 1985-10-10
Iron Man (Black Sabbath) - Seattle, 1986-03-21
Six Pack (Black Flag) - Seattle, 1986-03-21
Tomorrow's Dream (Black Sabbath) - Seattle, 1986-03-21
Rip It Out (Ace Frehley) - Seattle, 1986-03-21
Reagan's War Puppets (The Accused) - Seattle, 1986-03-21
Living After Midnight (Judas Priest) - Olympia, 1986-10-18
Cold Gin (Kiss) - Seattle, 1986-11-20
Rockin' In The Free World (Neil Young) - Seattle, 1990-04-23
Down On The Street (The Stooges) - Ann Arbor, 1990-05-08
I Got The Fire (Montrose) - Ann Arbor, 1990-12-01
I've Got To Run (Black Flag) - Los Angeles, 1992-04-15
She (Kiss) + Parchment Farm (Blue Cheer) [instrumentals] - San Francisco, 1992-08-01
The Nile Song (Pink Floyd) - San Francisco, 1993-02-26
Into The Void (Black Sabbath) - Los Angeles, 1993-05-23
Rock and Roll Queen (Mott The Hoople) - Charlotte, 1993-11-03
Rising (Yoko Ono) [with Yoko Ono] - Los Angeles, 1997-07-22
Sacrifice (Flipper) [lounge version] - Freiburg, 1997-10-31
Five Knuckle Shuffle (Throbbing Gristle) - Signal Hill, 1998-12-03
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) [with David Yow] - Chicago, 2000-04-15
Tequila (The Champs) - Milwaukee, 2000-04-16
Halo Of Flies (Alice Cooper) - Vienna, 2001-03-13
Cherub (Butthole Surfers) - Cambridge, 2001-04-24
Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band) [a cappella] - Cambridge, 2001-04-24
Youth Of America (The Wipers) - Cambridge, 2001-04-24
Oh Well (Fleetwood Mac) - Los Angeles, 2002-11-29
Drug Me + Life Sentence (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - San Francisco, 2002-12-31
Moon Over Marin (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Chicago, 2004-09-09
I Want You (She's So Heavy) (The Beatles) - London, 2005-10-04
When Ya Get Drafted (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
I Am The Owl (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Forkboy (Lard) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Chemical Warfare (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Bleed For Me (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Rock N Roll McDonald's (Wesley Willis) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys) [with Jello Biafra] - Washington, 2005-10-25
Chrome (The Jesus Lizard) [with David Yow] - Athens, 2006-10-28
Cannibal (Scratch Acid) [with David Yow] - Roswell, 2006-10-29
Sunshine of Your Love (Cream) ⁄ Soup Kitchen (March Of Crimes) - Seattle, 2009-05-23
Mr. DNA (Devo) - Knoxville, 2009-09-06
Pipeline (The Chantays) - Des Moines, 2010-06-27
Bacon Industry (Karp) - Denver, 2010-06-29
Pinhead (Ramones) - Olympia, 2010-09-29
Great Balls Of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis) - Los Angeles, 2015-01-04
Frosted Flake (Redd Kross) - Seattle, 2016-05-01
Janus, Jeanie and George Harrison (Redd Kross) - Athens, 2016-09-05
Deuce (Kiss) - Los Angeles, 2017-01-31
Saviour Machine (David Bowie) - Athens, 2017-09-20
What They Say (Redd Kross) - Vancouver, 2018-07-21
Standing In Front Of Poseur (Redd Kross) [with Redd Kross] - Athens, 2019-10-18
Sway (The Rolling Stones) - Los Angeles, 2021-12-xx


https://mega.nz/folder/b9ZihQYK#sg2VRXzAJkOHhjUg2OqFUA

EDIT: Replaced Jumpin' Jack Flash with an edited version without the extra songs after it
EDIT 2: Replaced Saviour Machine with better version from Athens, 2017-09-20
EDIT 3: Added Rising with Yoko Ono from Los Angeles, 1997-07-22
EDIT 4: Removed 7 vs 8 (it was actually Chrome) and Charlie (forgot this was released and wasn't a great recording), replaced Saviour Machine with a soundboard version from the Adult Swim Bloodfeast stream and added an electric version of Sway from the Earth Quaker Sessions video
EDIT 5: Added Halo of Flies as this is far superior to the Jelvins album version
EDIT 6: Added Pipeline from Des Moines, 2010-06-27

Very cool! Thanks for posting this.

Awesome, thank you!

And thanks for including the mp3 option too  :D

Great idea, thanks for sharing the result with us!

Just listening to "Saviour Machine" - I have always wanted to find a great recording of that track. As you seem to be a knowledgeable collector of Melvins live shows I take it there aren't any better sounding versions out there? No SBD recordings?

Quote from: surfling on August 20, 2025, 03:52:17 AMGreat idea, thanks for sharing the result with us!

Just listening to "Saviour Machine" - I have always wanted to find a great recording of that track. As you seem to be a knowledgeable collector of Melvins live shows I take it there aren't any better sounding versions out there? No SBD recordings?

Correct. A few audience recordings and this was the best of them.

I like the version from the 40 Watts club (2017-09-20) a little better I think, also not a SBD unfortunately.

Did you consider adding "Rising" with Yoko Ono?

Quote from: surfling on August 20, 2025, 07:13:32 AMI like the version from the 40 Watts club (2017-09-20) a little better I think, also not a SBD unfortunately.

Did you consider adding "Rising" with Yoko Ono?

You know what, I think you're right on the Athens version sounding better so I've updated the collection.  I guess I'll try and keep this as a living collection in that respect.

Thanks also for pointing out the Rising miss - I must have only looked at the original version of that show which didn't include the encore, so I've added that now.

Thanks, man. Much appreciated.

Best "Saviour Machine" in my collection is from some podcast or adult swim adjacent YouTube series or something.

Holy shit this is a treasure trove. So amazing. Such a boon to the community. Can I buy you a beer somehow?

Thanks Rim! This is amazing

WOW!!!

Quote from: amazonAMAZON on August 20, 2025, 07:53:45 PMBest "Saviour Machine" in my collection is from some podcast or adult swim adjacent YouTube series or something.

Holy shit this is a treasure trove. So amazing. Such a boon to the community. Can I buy you a beer somehow?

You're very welcome.

Wouldn't mind hearing that version of Saviour Machine if you can share it somehow please or confimr where it came from?

Actually I found it on the Bloodfeast live stream video from 2017 I have so will pull that out.

Also dug deeper into my videos and found better versions of Charlie and a good electric version of Sway so will get them prepped soon.

"Charlie" did get a studio recording but hey I'm not complaining here.

Updates:

• Removed 7 vs 8 (it was actually Chrome) and Charlie (forgot this was released and wasn't a great recording)
• Replaced Saviour Machine with a soundboard version from the Adult Swim Bloodfeast stream
• Added an electric version of Sway from the Earth Quaker Sessions video

incredible. thank you.

One last update (for this week anyway!):

- Added Halo of Flies from the Vienna 2001 show as this is far superior to the Jelvins album version

You could add Theme(clown Alley) from the 1989-07-22_24 Seattle recording

thanks for uploading

Quote from: paul51 on August 21, 2025, 09:47:48 PMYou could add Theme(clown Alley) from the 1989-07-22_24 Seattle recording

thanks for uploading

Yeah but there's a studio version of it that doesn't really differ from the live one (apart from a few more lyrics sung live).  The aim of this collection is to highlight songs that haven't had a studio recording or been released on an album.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Anyone managed to identify that unknown cover from the Winnipeg show yet?

Quote from: rimb on August 21, 2025, 10:15:35 PMthe Winnipeg show

What would be the highest quality known version of this to exist?  I have to re-listen to that now, haven't heard that one in a long long time!!

It's incredible to think there's such an extensive archive of bootleg shows here that you're somehow keeping track of, amazing!!!  I can't keep up.

Quote from: Dumpster D on August 22, 2025, 07:14:21 PM

Quote from: rimb on August 21, 2025, 10:15:35 PMthe Winnipeg show

It's incredible to think there's such an extensive archive of bootleg shows here that you're somehow keeping track of, amazing!!!  I can't keep up.

Agreed. I had no idea this bootleg nether world existed. And I thought I was a fan... Sheesh. Bless your hearts

My favourite part of that show is 17 year old (!) Dale trying to get to get the crowd revved up during Sin City 🤣

Quote from: rimb on August 23, 2025, 08:13:55 AMMy favourite part of that show is 17 year old (!) Dale trying to get to get the crowd revved up during Sin City 🤣

Yes. Agree.

Wow!!!! Thank you putting this together!!!

8)

Listening to live recordings on shuffle and came across Pipeline(Dick Dale) at Des Moines,IA 2010-06-27.

You mean the Chantays? Or did the Melvins specifically do the SRV/Dick Dale version?

Yeah the Chantays.. Sorry I always think of Dick Dale when I hear that tune

Quote from: paul51 on September 15, 2025, 09:23:20 PMListening to live recordings on shuffle and came across Pipeline(Dick Dale) at Des Moines,IA 2010-06-27.

Nice find and I've added it to the collection.

Nothing like an equipment failure to inspire a cover/jam !

I'd say this version is closer to the Johnny Thunders version than the original or Dick Dale's.