Melvins: Interstellar Gods of Thunder

From: The Flagpole

I admit it; when I first heard I was going to have to talk to the Melvins, I was scared. Originally from Aberdeen, Wash., lead singer/guitarist King Buzzo and drummer Dale Crover are often referred to as originators of the type of rock that was eventually termed "grunge," and they did indeed introduce Kurt Cobain not only to punk rock, but to his bandmates in Nirvana (Crover even sat in on drums briefly with the band). But it wasn't this reputation that worried me, and it wasn't even the crazy look I always see on King Buzzo's face in pictures: it was that heavy Melvins sound that really intimidated me. But I recently spoke with bassist Mark D, who was actually quite genial and articulate. He had plenty to say on subjects ranging from the problems of rock journalism, to Elvis, to the Melvins' most recent album, Stag (on Mammoth/Atlantic), and their upcoming show at the 40 Watt.

Last year, the Melvins opened for KISS during the reunion tour, perhaps a karmic payback for their tributes to Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons long before it was lucrative. Now, they've recently released Interstellar Overdrive, a 10-inch record (on really pretty plum colored vinyl), and, yes, the title track is a cover of the classic jam from Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Judging from the Melvins' tendency to be a few years ahead of national trends, I asked if Syd Barrett is the Next Big Thing: "Well, I'd say Pink Floyd's always been a big thing for America... but if music is at such a desperate state that it has to dig up a schizophrenic from 25 years ago, we're all in trouble. We do love Pink Floyd, though." When I wondered whether they'd do a tour with David Gilmore and Co. now, Mark D replied, "Well, what do you think? Yeah, probably. We're kind of past being judgmental of other bands."

Stag is notable for its abrupt shifts in style: on one track, "Skin Horse," it sounds like the record shifts to 45 rpm; for about a minute and a half, Buzzo becomes a Chipmunk, and yet it somehow works: "We really have that big division going on where when we're in the studio anything goes, and when we're playing live it's much more visceral and immediate, but at the same time we're still open to changes... a good song holds up to changes, I mean, the version that Elvis did of a "Bridge over Troubled Water" is just as good as the Simon and Garfunkel song, if not better. A good song carries... now all we have to do is write good songs."

Finally, I asked how the Melvins fought being pigeon-holed by annoying terms like "grunge" and "the Seattle sound": "That's just journalists with no imagination. Basically, they want to invent a genre, and then when something appears as a result of an accident of geography, they tend to lump it all in. To a new listener, I would say it's 'a smorgasbord of oral delight.' I don't know. It's for the broad-minded only. If you have concepts about exactly what rock music should be, then your illusions will be shattered."

Keith O'Neill

The Melvins play the 40 Watt Sunday, Feb. 23, along with Jucifer, Harvey Milk and The Molly Maguires. The show starts at 7 p.m.

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