Uncle Anesthesia

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Uncle Anesthesia
Screaming Trees Uncle Anesthesia.jpg
Original album artwork by Mark Ryden
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 29, 1991 [1]
RecordedJune 1990
Studio London Bridge, Seattle, Washington
Genre Psychedelic rock
Length47:05
Label Epic
Producer Terry Date, Chris Cornell
Screaming Trees chronology
Something About Today
(1990)
Uncle Anesthesia
(1991)
Anthology: SST Years 1985-1989
(1991)

Uncle Anesthesia is the fifth studio album by the American band Screaming Trees. [2] [3] It was released in 1991 via Epic Records. [1] It includes three of the four tracks from the band's previous Epic release, Something About Today . [4]

Contents

"Bed of Roses" was released as a single and peaked at No. 23 on the Modern Rock charts. [5] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Nirvana and Das Damen; Dan Peters played drums on much of the tour. [6] [7] [8]

Production

Recorded at London Bridge Studio, Uncle Anesthesia was produced primarily by Terry Date and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. [9] [10] Unlike in the past, the band rehearsed for a couple of weeks before recording. [11] The album took six and a half weeks to record. [12]

Uncle Anesthesia was the last to feature drumming by original member Mark Pickerel, who left on amicable terms in 1991. [10] He was replaced by Barrett Martin. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Calgary Herald B− [15]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [17]

The Calgary Herald noted the "strong rockin' guitars with psychedelic undercurrents and the occasional pause for the pensive cause." [15] The St. Petersburg Times wrote that "vocalist Mark Lanegan croons fairy tale lyrics that melt through a sonic wall of guitars and percussion." [18] The Dayton Daily News concluded that "if Jim Morrison had joined a garage band instead of the jazz-trained Doors, it might have sounding something like Screaming Trees." [19]

The Province opined that "Gary Lee Conner resurrects the guitar sound of Syd Barrett and takes the band toward Interstellar Overdrive." [20] The Washington Post determined that "Gary Lee Conner can tear off a screeching lead or stomp a wah-wah pedal like any halfway-initiated Black Sabbath disciple, but he's not merely a piledriver; his atmospheric playing on tracks like 'Bed of Roses' give them unexpected delicacy." [21] The San Diego Union-Tribune stated that "Lanegan's spooky, back-from-the-crypt vocals and Gary Lee Conner's luminous guitars give this album an otherworldly glow." [22]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mark Lanegan and Gary Lee Conner, except where noted.

Uncle Anesthesia track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Beyond This Horizon" 4:13
2."Bed of Roses"Lanegan, G. Conner, Van Conner 3:02
3."Uncle Anesthesia"Lanegan, G. Conner, V. Conner3:52
4."Story of Her Fate" 1:41
5."Caught Between"Lanegan, G. Conner, V. Conner5:03
6."Lay Your Head Down" 3:32
7."Before We Arise" 2:26
8."Something About Today" 3:02
9."Alice Said" 4:11
10."Time for Light" 3:50
11."Disappearing" 3:12
12."Ocean of Confusion" 3:05
13."Closer" 5:48
Total length:47:05

Personnel

Screaming Trees
Additional musicians
Additional personnel

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

YearSingleChartPosition
1991"Bed of Roses"Modern Rock Tracks23

References

  1. 1 2 Abbott, Jim (February 1, 1991). "In the Bin". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 25.
  2. Righi, Len (May 3, 1991). "A Taste of Mudhoney for Screaming Trees". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  3. Myers, Caren (June 20, 1992). "Forest and Last and Always -- Uncle Anesthesia by Screaming Trees". Melody Maker. 68 (25): 31.
  4. MacDonald, Patrick (October 12, 1990). "Screaming Trees". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 8.
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Record Research Inc. p. 222.
  6. Mackie, John (March 7, 1991). "Screaming Trees Growing Tall". Vancouver Sun. p. F21.
  7. Eichenberger, Bill (April 25, 1991). "Psychedelia lives". Weekender. The Columbus Dispatch. p. 8.
  8. Robins, Wayne (May 10, 1991). "Spin on the '70s". Part II. Newsday. p. 103.
  9. Phalen, Tom (January 25, 1991). "Seattle's Screaming Trees...". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 8.
  10. 1 2 Penner, John (March 13, 1991). "Screaming Trees' Perennial Woes Settle to a Low Hum". Los Angeles Times. p. F2.
  11. Mitchell, Justin (April 12, 1991). "LP Propels Screaming Trees to New Heights". Weekend. Rocky Mountain News. p. 114.
  12. Menconi, David (June 18, 1993). "A Seattle Alternative". The News & Observer. p. W8.
  13. Azerrad, Michael (February 18, 1993). "The Lost Boys". Rolling Stone (650): 15, 25.
  14. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "allmusic ((( Uncle Anesthesia > Review )))". AllMusic . Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  15. 1 2 Muretich, James (February 17, 1991). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. F2.
  16. Brackett, Nathan. "Screaming Trees". (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 721, cited March 17, 2010
  17. Azzerad, Michael (1995). "Screaming Trees". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 343–344. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  18. Hall, Dave (February 22, 1991). "The Screaming Trees Uncle Anesthesia". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 18.
  19. Larsen, Dave (April 19, 1991). "Screaming Trees Uncle Anesthesia". Go!. Dayton Daily News. p. 14.
  20. Harrison, Tom (March 31, 1991). "Screaming Trees: Uncle Anesthesia". The Province. Entertainment. p. 85.
  21. Jenkins, Mark (May 17, 1991). "Trees' Metal Roots". The Washington Post. p. N21.
  22. Peterson, Karla (April 23, 1992). "Seattle slew of sounds has sprung forth". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 8.