Stoner Witch

Stoner Witch
Studio album by
Melvins
ReleasedOctober 18, 1994 (1994-10-18)
Recorded1994
StudioA&M (Hollywood)
Genre
Length49:47
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Melvins chronology
Prick
(1994) 		Stoner Witch
(1994) 		Tora Tora Tora
(1995)

Stoner Witch is the seventh studio album by American rock band Melvins, released on October 18, 1994, by Atlantic Records. It is their second release for the label.

Recording

The album was recorded with Garth "GGGarth" Richardson and Joe Barresi in 19 days at the A&M Studios in Hollywood. Most of the tracks were captured in a single take, and all of the tracking and mastering was completed in a single, continuous session.[1]

The title comes from a term that drummer Dale Crover and his friends used to describe "the stoner chicks" at their high school.[1]

Music and composition

Described as a grunge,[2][3] stoner rock[4] and sludge metal album,[5] Stoner Witch melds hallmarks of the band's earlier work, such as "molten tempos and guitarist Buzz Osborne's nonsensical lyrics" with a relatively radio-friendly ear towards arrangements.[1] According to AllMusic's Patrick Kennedy, the album picks up on the "basic framework of Houdini, resolving into an ear-catching workup of classic rock themes, tempered, of course, with a fairly judicious sampling of acid-trip detours."[6] Grant Alden of Rolling Stone noted that "many of the songs are built around conventional metal structures."[7] Treblezine's Paul Pearson described the record as "the Aberdeen band's happiest album, which is meant to say they took it upon themselves to reconstruct classic rock and metal themes and run them through their typically hazy filter."[3] Peter Buckley, the author of The Rough Guide to Rock, wrote that the record showcases the band's "dual allegiances to industrial noise and Southern rock."[8]

Release and critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal7/10[9]
Kerrang![10]
Rolling Stone[7]
Select[11]
Spin[12]
The Village VoiceC[13]

Upon its initial release, Stoner Witch sold approximately 50,000 units, with particularly strong sales in New York City and Seattle.[14]

The songs "Revolve" and "Queen" were both released as promotional singles with accompanying music videos.[15][16]

AllMusic critic Patrick Kennedy wrote: "Where Houdini resided more in an expansive—though lugubriously heavy—metal vein, refining the techniques built up through the band's early struggles, Stoner Witch truly showcases the band at the apex of their wide-ranging creative abilities."[6] Rolling Stone's Grant Alden stated: "Oddly enough, the Melvins don't really have to contend. They seem quite content simply being, doing what they do."[7] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice, who gave the album a C rating, wrote: "They're always slow, always ugly, always protodeath, always protoindustrial. And always slow. Faster here, actually, up to Sabbath speed at times, with nine minutes of din at the end to shore up their cred."[13]

Legacy

Decibel magazine inducted Stoner Witch on its Hall of Fame.[1] Spin listed the album as number 9 on its list of "The 20 Greatest Grunge Albums of All Time".[2] The album was also featured on Treblezine's lists of "The 30 Best Grunge Albums" and "10 Essential Stoner Rock Albums".[4]

Largely out of print since the 1990s, the album was reissued in 2016 through Third Man Records.[17]

Track listing

All words written by Buzz Osborne and music written by the Melvins (Dale Crover, Mark Deutrom, and Osborne), except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Skweetis" 1:12
2."Queen"Words: Crover, Osborne - Music: Osborne3:06
3."Sweet Willy Rollbar"Words/Music: Osborne1:28
4."Revolve"Words: Osborne - Music: Deutrom, Osborne4:44
5."Goose Freight Train" 4:38
6."Roadbull" 3:25
7."At the Stake" 7:56
8."Magic Pig Detective"Words/Music: Osborne5:33
9."Shevil"Words/Music: Osborne6:29
10."June Bug"Music: Deutrom, Osborne2:01
11."Lividity" 9:15
Total length:49:47

Personnel

Melvins

  • King Buzzo – lead vocals, guitar and bass
  • Mark D – bass, guitar and backing vocals
  • Dale C – drums, guitar and backing vocals

Additional personnel

  • GGGarth – producer
  • Joe Barresi – engineer
  • Geetus Guido South Aguto – assistant engineer
  • Mike "Elvis" Smith – assistant engineer
  • The Magic Eight Ball – spiritual guidance
  • Scott Humphrey – door squeaking & pencil sharpening
  • Paul Dicarli – digital editing, back cracking & Moog
  • David Lefkowitz – management
  • Mackie Osborne – art direction
  • Annalisa – photography

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Hall of Fame: Melvins - Stoner Witch". Decibel. July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "The 20 Greatest Grunge Albums of All Time". Spin. 20 (4): 62. April 2004. ISSN 0886-3032.
  3. ^ a b Pearson, Paul (October 6, 2016). "The 30 Best Grunge Albums". Treblezine.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Terich, Jeff; Blyweiss, Adam (April 20, 2017). "10 Essential Stoner Rock Albums". Treblezine.com. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  5. ^ Mallon, Tom (May 2002). "Melvins - Hostile Ambient Takeover". CMJ (101). ISSN 1074-6978.
  6. ^ a b c "Stoner Witch - Melvins". Allmusic.
  7. ^ a b c Alden, Grant (January 26, 1994). "Stoner Witch". Rolling Stone. No. 700. New York. Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2015.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 664. ISBN 1858284570.
  9. ^ Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 270–271. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
  10. ^ Brannigan, Paul (November 19, 1994). "Albumz". Kerrang!. No. 521. EMAP. p. 44.
  11. ^ Wilkinson, Roy (January 1995). "Melvins: Stoner Witch". Select. p. 80.
  12. ^ Gold, Jonathan (January 1995). Marks, Craig (ed.). "Melvins: Stoner Witch". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 75.
  13. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (November 29, 1994). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  14. ^ Sprague, David (June 8, 1996). "Melvins Poised for Sweeping Success". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 23. p. 13. ISSN 0006-2510.
  15. ^ "Melvins - Revolve". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Melvins - Queen". Discogs.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Adams, Gregory (June 14, 2016). "The Melvins '90s-Era Major Label Albums Get Reissue Treatment via Third Man". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 5, 2017.