U-Men is a compilation album by Seattle-based punk rock band The U-Men, released on November 3, 2017, by Sub Pop. The compilation consists of the complete catalogue from the band, recorded between 1982 and 1989.
The compilation includes the five previously unreleased songs: "Trouble Under Water", "Mystery Pain", "Last Lunch", "U-Men Stomp", and "Selfish", as well as a 32-page booklet including previously unseen photographs, liner notes, and interviews from the band.
Background
The U-Men were a Seattle-based punk rock band active between 1980 and 1989, with their musically rough sound being considered a precursor to grunge, coming out of Seattle.[2] The compilation, containing the band's whole catalogue, encompasses post-punk, roots, goth, surf, and psychobilly influences.[2] They were considered a credible precursor to grunge, with Robert Ham of Pitchfork commenting: "For as large as their shadow looms among a generation of musicians in Seattle, there’s not much in the U-Men’s sound that feels too connected to the grunge aesthetic."[3] Contrasting with Mark Deming of AllMusic: "The U-Men were a lot closer to punk than grunge, but their music was a lot smarter and more exploratory than the vast majority of what was coming out of the hardcore underground at the same time."[1]
Critical reception
U-Men was released to favorable reviews from music critics. Robert Ham of Pitchfork gave the album 8.2/10 and commented: "Within U-Men’s chosen framework, the band found plenty of variation and ways to rip at their own seams."[3] Mark Deming of AllMusic gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and commented: "Nearly 30 years after the group called it a day, the material on U-Men barely seems to have aged at all; like the best rock & roll outliers, the U-Men created something that was less a product of a specific time and place than music that existed in a world of its own, and that planet is still a wild, fractured, and thoroughly compelling place to visit in the 21st century."[1]Louder would give the album a 4 out of 5 stars as well.[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by The U-Men, excluding "Bad Little Woman."
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