Ocean of Confusion: Songs of Screaming Trees 1990-1996 | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | May 24, 2005 | |||
Genre | Grunge, neo-psychedelia | |||
Length | 77:47 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Screaming Trees chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Pitchfork Media | (3.5/10) [2] |
Rolling Stone | [3] |
Sputnikmusic | [4] |
Ocean of Confusion is the third 'best of' album by the Screaming Trees. The album chronicles their career from the time they signed to Epic Records until their final album, Dust . The band's years on SST Records are represented on a separate, earlier-released compilation, Anthology: SST Years 1985-1989 . The tracks on Ocean of Confusion were personally chosen by the band's lead vocalist, Mark Lanegan, and all other aspects of the compilation were overseen by Lanegan, as well.
"Who Lies in Darkness" is taken from the Something About Today EP, along with three tracks from Uncle Anesthesia , seven from Sweet Oblivion , and five from Dust . "E.S.K.", a b-side to the "Nearly Lost You" single , is also collected, as well as two previously unheard songs from the aborted Don Fleming-produced follow up to Sweet Oblivion.
Notably, the album does not include "Bed of Roses" (Uncle Anesthesia) and "All I Know" (Dust), which were two of the band's four charting radio-play singles.
Screaming Trees were an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1984 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bassist Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel was replaced by Barrett Martin in 1991. Screaming Trees became known as one of the pioneers of grunge along with Melvins, Mudhoney, U-Men, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, Green River, and Malfunkshun, among others. Although widely associated with grunge, the band's sound incorporated hard rock and psychedelic elements.
Mark William Lanegan was an American singer, songwriter and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age and The Gutter Twins. He released 12 solo studio albums as well as three collaboration albums with Isobel Campbell and two with Duke Garwood. He was known for his baritone voice, which was described as being "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather" and has been compared to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.
Clairvoyance is the 1986 debut studio album by the alternative rock band Screaming Trees, produced by Steve Fisk. Released on Velvetone Records, the album helped the band earn a contract with SST Records. While it is very much a combination of psychedelic and garage rock, it bears many similarities to early grunge. It was original limited to a pressing of 2,500 copies, which included full size, double sided inserts. In January 2005, it was re-issued on CD by Hall of Records.
Sweet Oblivion is the sixth studio album by Screaming Trees, released on September 8, 1992. It quickly became the band's best-selling record, and was the closest they ever came to achieving mainstream success. Sweet Oblivion sold in excess of 300,000 copies on the strength of the band's biggest hit, "Nearly Lost You". The song benefited from an appearance on Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a Top Ten, platinum-selling hit album which featured many other popular Seattle-based music acts from the period.
Uncle Anesthesia is the fifth studio album by the American band Screaming Trees. It was released in 1991 via Epic Records. It includes three of the four tracks from the band's previous Epic release, Something About Today.
Ball-Hog or Tugboat? is the 1995 debut solo album by American musician Mike Watt, previously known for his work as the bass guitarist and songwriter for the punk rock groups Minutemen and fIREHOSE.
Even If and Especially When is the second studio album by the Seattle band Screaming Trees, released in 1987. It was their first album released on SST.
Dust is the seventh studio album by Screaming Trees, released on June 25, 1996.
Other Worlds is Screaming Trees' 1986 debut EP. It was produced by Steve Fisk and recorded in 1985 at his studio in Ellensburg, WA. It was released on Velvetone Records the following year as a cassette only release, and distributed by K Records. The album was later re-released on CD and 12" black vinyl by SST Records in 1988.
Invisible Lantern is the third studio album by alternative rock band Screaming Trees, released in 1988 on SST Records.
Buzz Factory is the fourth studio album by Seattle-based band Screaming Trees, released in the spring of 1989. It was their final record for SST Records before they moved on to their major label debut. The LP was available on translucent purple vinyl. While touring to support the album, SST had informed that band multiple times that their album would shortly be released. However, this failed to materialize until the last day of the tour, after which they elected to leave SST. Their next recording, the Change Has Come EP, was released in December 1989 on Sub Pop.
Change Has Come is the second EP by the Screaming Trees. It was the only recording the band released through Sub Pop. After its 1990 release, the Screaming Trees moved on to a major label, Epic Records, for their next three albums - Uncle Anesthesia, Sweet Oblivion, and Dust, as well as the Something About Today EP. The album's cover art was photographed by Charles Peterson.
Mark Pickerel is an American musician best known as the original drummer for the alternative rock band Screaming Trees. He is also an active session musician and has released several solo albums as a singer/guitarist.
Something About Today is the major label debut and third overall EP by the Screaming Trees, and also a single, released on Epic Records. It would be followed up by their first full album for the label, Uncle Anesthesia, in 1991. Two of the tracks from the EP were later reused on the Uncle Anesthesia album, while a third, "Who Lies in Darkness," was later compiled on the Ocean of Confusion collection. The "Numb Inversion Version" of "Something About Today" remains exclusive to this EP. The 12" vinyl version contains all the songs on side A, while side B contains etchings made by the band. Notable music photographer Charles Peterson provided photography for the album.
"Nearly Lost You" is a song by the American alternative rock group Screaming Trees. It was the first single released in support of their sixth album, Sweet Oblivion. Perhaps their best-known song, it was a moderate success on modern rock radio, partly because of its appearance on the soundtrack to the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles.
Anthology: SST Years 1985–1989 is the first compilation album by the Screaming Trees, covering their tenure under SST Records. Released in 1991, about six months after their major label debut album Uncle Anesthesia, Anthology consists of three songs from the Other Worlds EP, and six each from the Even If and Especially When, Invisible Lantern, and Buzz Factory albums. Because the Screaming Trees had switched labels from SST to Epic Records, the band had nothing to do with the creation of this compilation album.
I'll Take Care of You is the fourth solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. This album consists of cover songs.
The discography of Screaming Trees, an Ellensburg, Washington-based rock band, consists of eight studio albums, three compilation albums, five extended plays (EP), and six singles, though this does not include any solo material recorded by the individual members of Screaming Trees.
Last Words: The Final Recordings is the eighth and final studio album by the American rock band the Screaming Trees. The album itself was recorded two years after their album Dust. Shortly after Dust was released, Epic Records decided to drop the band. However, in the years of 1998 and 1999, the band recorded the album in Pearl Jam's guitarist Stone Gossard's studio. Due to the band's break-up in 2000, and Mark Lanegan's refusal to perform with the band, the album wasn't released for twelve years until drummer Barrett Martin released it on his own label, Sunyata Records. The album received mixed reviews.
"Bed of Roses" is a song by the American alternative-rock group Screaming Trees. It is the first single released in support of their fifth album, Uncle Anesthesia. The song made number thirty-two on John Sellers' "The 100 Most Underrated Indie Rock Songs" list.