Scream - Banging the Drum

[JGJR]

I played this today after recently procuring a copy for a friend. It's way better than I remember it being. In fact, I might say it's the equal of This Side Up or close to it. I thought it would be more cock-rock-ish like some of their other late '80s stuff or some of Wool's stuff and thus much less enjoyable, but it is their equivalent of New Wind or Praise, at least in spots. There's a very heavy Revolution Summer vibe to it as well. I wonder why this record has always had such an iffy reputation. I knew Greg and akissfan (if he's reading this) are fans, but anyone else?

[version sound]

BTD is pretty great, but nowhere near as good as TSU, which is their best record. That's a fact, jack.

[gregpolard]

I told you! But one place where you're wrong is dissing WOOL, who were awesome. If you like Complete Control Sessions there's no reason you wouldn't enjoy the Wool stuff.

[Gary]

I love all the Scream records,and the two Wool records I have a great too(I really just see them as a continuation of Scream). There was a Wool record that came out a few years ago I never heard. It's probably great too.

[version sound]

I've still never heard Wool.

[Michele]

love scream, just liek nowadays I love goatsnake, so I guess I should check wool right?

[gregpolard]

love scream, just liek nowadays I love goatsnake, so I guess I should check wool right?

Definitely, Michele. You won't regret it. They're out of print, so I don't have a problem uploading links if you'd care. I have: Box Set LP, Budspawn EP and Mayday 7". Let me know.

To me the only thing the Stahl bros. have done together that I just can't really get into is "No More Censorship". I've tried a couple times. I think "Fumble" that came after it is way better.

[yourenotevil]

love scream, just liek nowadays I love goatsnake, so I guess I should check wool right?

Definitely, Michele. You won't regret it. They're out of print, so I don't have a problem uploading links if you'd care. I have: Box Set LP, Budspawn EP and Mayday 7". Let me know.

To me the only thing the Stahl bros. have done together that I just can't really get into is "No More Censorship". I've tried a couple times. I think "Fumble" that came after it is way better.

no more censorship was a steaming hot pile of shit which for some reason i own on vinyl. BTD is just ok. if scream had stopped after the second album it would be a flawless legacy. fumble has some good songs and i liked the last record too.

[Gary]

Turns out there were two recentish Wool lps. Lunar Momento Lost Rancho Session vol 1 and 2.

The song "Bald Singers" from the second one(I'm listening on Spotify) was redone on the Scream 10".

[earthdog70]

A solid release-hope to see Scream live in 2014

[gregpolard]

YNE- I will take that record off your hands...

[Knutsen]

Saw them live again in 2012 , I think. Still as powerful as ever. Great Band!

[drew]

I always liked BTD, it was my first exposure to Scream. Side 2 is pretty exceptional. Great rock record.

[gregpolard]

I always liked BTD, it was my first exposure to Scream. Side 2 is pretty exceptional. Great rock record.

Side 2 > Side 1 for sure! Sing It Up Kidz is a favorite.

[yourenotevil]

Saw them live again in 2012 , I think. Still as powerful as ever. Great Band!

agreed, they are still really good.

[danny]

my favorite is still the first lp.

unknown fact: the album was originally going to be called "Bang the Maid" - but skeeter made them change the name.

(just kidding)

[yourenotevil]

YNE- I will take that record off your hands...

if i had it on me i would sell it. if you are patient you can find one for under 10 bucks on ebay.

[gregpolard]

I like "Still Screaming" best as well, but think "This Side Up" is a worthy follow up.

[yourenotevil]

I like "Still Screaming" best as well, but think "This Side Up" is a worthy follow up.

just listened to this again, apart from a few songs i still think is pretty mediocre.

[version sound]

I like "Still Screaming" best as well, but think "This Side Up" is a worthy follow up.

just listened to this again, apart from a few songs i still think is pretty mediocre.

This Side Up???? You're out of your mind. For starters, "This Side Up", "I Look When You Walk" and "Bet You Never Thought" are the three best songs they ever recorded.

[yourenotevil]

I like "Still Screaming" best as well, but think "This Side Up" is a worthy follow up.

just listened to this again, apart from a few songs i still think is pretty mediocre.

This Side Up???? You're out of your mind. For starters, "This Side Up", "I Look When You Walk" and "Bet You Never Thought" are the three best songs they ever recorded.

i meant BTD. no, this side up is really good, i like the first lp the best though. fumble is way better after a quick revisit than BTD is.

[version sound]

Thank God. I thought everyone was going crazy. Still Screaming might be my favorite if it was shorter. It's not that long, but it starts to drag around halfway through for some reason.

[yourenotevil]

i think the 1st album was one of the earlier dc records i heard, so it always had a special meaning to me. i think TSI was a strong follow up. it's not like BTD the the later albums were so awful, but they kind of got too rock n roll for my tastes. the live lps offer better version of the songs, but that ain't saying much.

[JGJR]

Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I like Still Screaming the best, but it is definitely close with This Side Up (which is great, too). I can't get into No More Censorship at all. I did give the Wool stuff a cursory listen at some point in the last few years, but need to go back to it.

[Michele]

love scream, just liek nowadays I love goatsnake, so I guess I should check wool right?

Definitely, Michele. You won't regret it. They're out of print, so I don't have a problem uploading links if you'd care. I have: Box Set LP, Budspawn EP and Mayday 7". Let me know.
.

yes please

[gregpolard]

Okie doke. I'm on it!

[gregpolard]

Since these are long out of print, I hope no one minds that I just post them in here. If it's a problem please let me know and I'll remove them. Just figured it's easier to post here that way anyone who's interested can check 'em out. Since these are sendspace links, they'll die after a couple weeks anyway once no one uses them.

Wool "Box Set" LP : http://www.sendspace.com/file/wxdax7

Wool "Budspawn" EP : http://www.sendspace.com/file/klgirc

Wool "Mayday" 7" vinyl rip (c/o our own JGJR!) : http://www.sendspace.com/file/e7k26b

[version sound]

Thanks Greg. Listening to Box Set right now. I probably would have liked this a lot in 1990, but it strikes me as a little too FM alterna-rock at this point.

I'll say this, though, Franz's tone is exquisite.

[gregpolard]

Thanks Greg. Listening to Box Set right now. I probably would have liked this a lot in 1990, but it strikes me as a little too FM alterna-rock at this point.

I'll say this, though, Franz's tone is exquisite.

I love that they had Chris Bratton from Chain of Strength / Inside Out on drums too. It's a solid record but I still like Scream more.

[Michele]

Okie doke. I'm on it!

thanks a million

[gregpolard]

Been on a big SCREAM kick of late so I wanted to bring this back to life.

A couple things I'll add that have changed over the years:

1) I like No More Censorship now BUT that's because of the new mix on Southern Lord. It's one of the few cases where I feel like a revisit like this was worth it. Hearing the songs in this way made me appreciate the original more than I did 6-7 years ago (I'm listening to it right now - it's still my least favorite of theirs)

2) On most days I take "This Side Up" just evvvvvvvvvver so slightly over the first LP. Both are pure gold, though.

3) "Banging The Drum" needs a reissue / remaster or at the very least, tracks on spotify.

4) I am way behind on podcasts but I just listened to both parts of End On End discussing the first LP - really interesting stuff!

[Marc M]

Thanks Greg. Listening to Box Set right now. I probably would have liked this a lot in 1990, but it strikes me as a little too FM alterna-rock at this point.

I'll say this, though, Franz's tone is exquisite.

I love that they had Chris Bratton from Chain of Strength / Inside Out on drums too. It's a solid record but I still like Scream more.

Wool live w/Bratton were amazing. Those were his peak years.

[gregpolard]

Thanks Greg. Listening to Box Set right now. I probably would have liked this a lot in 1990, but it strikes me as a little too FM alterna-rock at this point.

I'll say this, though, Franz's tone is exquisite.

I love that they had Chris Bratton from Chain of Strength / Inside Out on drums too. It's a solid record but I still like Scream more.

Wool live w/Bratton were amazing. Those were his peak years.

He's so awesome.


Also, does anyone have any/all of the live albums on mp3? I used to but can't seem to find them.

[lewdd]

If you are talking Scream, I have the following in mp3 but unsure of the quality of them.

1987 Club Pizazz
1988 Van Hall
1990 Oberhaus
Complete Control Session
Black Cat
West Germany

[gregpolard]

If you are talking Scream, I have the following in mp3 but unsure of the quality of them.

1987 Club Pizazz
1988 Van Hall
1990 Oberhaus
Complete Control Session
Black Cat
West Germany

I have Complete Control but nothing else!

[SamDBL]

BTM was the first Scream I owned after hearing the second album, because it's the only one I could find at the time. I remember buying it and forcing myself to pretend to like it even though it absolutely sucked.

[jaybird]

no more censorship was a steaming hot pile of shit which for some reason i own on vinyl.

x2. I bought it in probably 1989, or whenever it originally came out, and had it for probably a decade and listened to it maybe twice, thought it was meh, and filed it away. Then one day it dawned on me that Grohl was on it... I went and pulled it out and listened to it again, and promptly re-affirmed my original opinion, and have not listened to it again since. Seems like it goes for around $25-$30 on discogs these days, maybe I'll take it up to my local re-sale vinyl place and see if they'll take it off my hands.

[gregpolard]

no more censorship was a steaming hot pile of shit which for some reason i own on vinyl.

x2. I bought it in probably 1989, or whenever it originally came out, and had it for probably a decade and listened to it maybe twice, thought it was meh, and filed it away. Then one day it dawned on me that Grohl was on it... I went and pulled it out and listened to it again, and promptly re-affirmed my original opinion, and have not listened to it again since. Seems like it goes for around $25-$30 on discogs these days, maybe I'll take it up to my local re-sale vinyl place and see if they'll take it off my hands.

Try the NMC17 version on Southern Lord. You might be surprised. The mix is way different and tracklisting rearranged

[version sound]

I heard NMC in a record store when it was new, which was enough to discourage me from actually buying it. I bought the Southern Lord remix, which I do like. I have not revisited the original, so I don’t know if I would like it now too, or if it was the remix that did it. Probably the latter?

[version sound]

PS: GREG! Where do you stand on King Face? If you love Scream and Soul Side, you really need some King Face in your life.

[jaybird]

My problems with NMC are not about the how the record was mixed or how the track listing was arranged. It's that the songs on it are pretty bad.

[gregpolard]

PS: GREG! Where do you stand on King Face? If you love Scream and Soul Side, you really need some King Face in your life.

Never really heard except maybe in passing? What's one to check out?

[lewdd]

I like the following on NMC

Fucked without a Kiss
Take It from the Top
Something in My Head

[jaybird]

Anyway, seems like we had a more in-depth discussion about NMC here:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3674

[creature]

WOOL were an absolute beast live! First saw them with Peter Moffett on drums and then Bratton.
The records are killer as well.
One of our all-time faves, for sure.

[version sound]

PS: GREG! Where do you stand on King Face? If you love Scream and Soul Side, you really need some King Face in your life.

Never really heard except maybe in passing? What's one to check out?

The singer, Mark Sullivan, fronted the Slinkees (Jeff and Ian’s first band), and is Bobby’s older brother. There was a discography CD, but it’s OOP and pricey used. Their self-titled, self-released 12” is pretty cheap on the used market (so cheap that I’ve often considered buying a second copy). In the ‘80s we thought of them as DC punk under the influence of Van Halen, but a cross between Soul Side and Scream’s more rockin’ moments might be more accurate. Here’s a little taste:

[xxxMidgexxx]

PS: GREG! Where do you stand on King Face? If you love Scream and Soul Side, you really need some King Face in your life.

Never really heard except maybe in passing? What's one to check out?

The singer, Mark Sullivan, fronted the Slinkees (Jeff and Ian’s first band), and is Bobby’s older brother. There was a discography CD, but it’s OOP and pricey used. Their self-titled, self-released 12” is pretty cheap on the used market (so cheap that I’ve often considered buying a second copy). In the ‘80s we thought of them as DC punk under the influence of Van Halen, but a cross between Soul Side and Scream’s more rockin’ moments might be more accurate. Here’s a little taste:

Kingface were/(are?) fucking GREAT. I had an original copy of their 6 song 12" and not only did I wear it out, but I wore out my TAPED copy. Ridiculously wonderful record. 'Crawl Into Tomorrow' was (almost) everything I ever wanted my band's music to sound like. The CD collection with the dye cut cover was a work of art as well.

[Gary]

3) "Banging The Drum" needs a reissue / remaster or at the very least, tracks on spotify.

It is on bandcamp if you just want to stream it

[Gary]

PS: GREG! Where do you stand on King Face? If you love Scream and Soul Side, you really need some King Face in your life.

Never really heard except maybe in passing? What's one to check out?

The singer, Mark Sullivan, fronted the Slinkees (Jeff and Ian’s first band), and is Bobby’s older brother. There was a discography CD, but it’s OOP and pricey used. Their self-titled, self-released 12” is pretty cheap on the used market (so cheap that I’ve often considered buying a second copy). In the ‘80s we thought of them as DC punk under the influence of Van Halen, but a cross between Soul Side and Scream’s more rockin’ moments might be more accurate. Here’s a little taste:

I love the first King Face 12",the second wasn't nearly as good

[version sound]

I agree with both Midge and Gary, though there is no such thing as bad King Face, IMO. One of the great joys of my life was seeing them play songs from the early practice tape/demo at one of the Salad Days shows.