The Music Blog of the Infonistacrat!

This is another one of those posts I’ve been meaning to make for a long time now. And this post actually has an interesting story behind it. So the title has more to do with when these songs were released, and the fact that the albums these songs come from is perhaps the most legendary album in the history of the whole Seattle/alternative/grunge scene, and I doubt many people have a clue it even exists!

The year was 1988. It would still be 3 or 4 years before grunge broke huge into the mainstream. Yet, in Washington, the pot was beginning to boil, and the music that would start a revolution was starting to take shape. This could be the first compilation of that revolutionary music. The label, Sub Pop, perhaps the greatest label in the history of underground music, surpassed perhaps only by 4AD. The album, Sub Pop 200, and on it perhaps every important band in the Seattle scene, save for The Melvins. This album has all the big boys…Mudhoney, Green River, Nirvana, Tad, Screaming Tress, and many others. The fact that the great songs on the album come from the other bands makes it even better. This is the stuff of legends.

Now for the little story. In 1988-89, I was in the Navy, stationed on board the USS Coral Sea in Norfolk, Virginia. That year we also spent a lot of time at sea, getting ready to go to Europe. One of the fighter squadrons assigned to our ship was from Washington, and when they showed up to head to the Med, someone had brought this album with them. This was my introduction to grunge, back in 1989, and I was instantly electrified. This album has been in my collection every since. And since I have great affection for you all, I’m including the track by the Seattle beat poet David Bernstein, Americas answer to John Cooper Clarke. Enjoy some of the greatest early grunge you will ever hope to hear!

1. Beat Happening - Pajama Party in a Haunted Hive
2. Blood Circus - The Outback
3. Cat Butt - Big Cigar
4. Chemistry Set - Underground
5. Fastbacks - Swallow My Pride
6. Green River - Hangin’ Tree
7. Mudhoney - The Rose
8. Nirvana - Spank Thru
9. Screaming Trees - Love or Confusion
10. Steve Fisk - untitled
11. Swallow - Zoo
12. Tad - Sex God Missy
13. The Thrown Ups - You Lost It
14. The Walkabouts - Got No Chains
15. David Bernstein - Come Out Tonight