Customer Reviews

Houdini

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

this is the Melvins' major label debut. back in the early 90's, the big grunge boom of the northwest was going on, and major record labels were busy signing bands left & right that sounded even remotely similiar to Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. when Atlantic signed the Melvins, they didn't know what they were getting into. I don't think they were meant to be a big multi-million dollar phenomenon. nevertheless, Houdini was a kick-ass, weird, demented, rock album and is probably the best of their career (next to their self-titled album). in my opinion, this is probably one of the best rock albums that came out that year. when I think of my favorite albums of '93 I think of: Tool - Undertow, Tad - Inhaler, and Melvins - Houdini.

Announced by the thunderous, crashing, opening notes of "Hooch," "Houdini," is the document of an overtly uncommercial band channeling their artistic prescence into a mildly more produced, dynamic sound. This is in part due to their brief signing to Atlantic Records and in part due to the bands compadre Kurt Cobain chipping in at the mixing board for a couple numbers, along with his contribution to the guitar on two songs.

In terms of sound, "Houdini," takes the booming 70's echo of "Gluey Porch Treatments," and throws into the production gloss that's standard with a major label release. After the first lyrical verse consisting of nothing more than skit-skat vocal from hell, it is clear that "Houdini," IS the same band that painfully tweaked out the slow mollasses of "Ozma," and "Gluey Porch Treatments," just again remember when listening your stereo IS on the correct speed.

--- Jon Blanton, 2004(C) cddude24@yahoo.com

This is the Melvins first release on a major label and by listening to it you wouldn't realize it. This album has kept with the Melvins traditional uncommercial sound, which is the best compliment I can possibly give. This album is great from start to finish. An absolute must have for anyone who isn't a brain dead half-wit who listens to corporate scholck rock.

i'm not going to get very in depth here, because others have. this is not their best album, and certainly not their heaviest. it does however have some great moments, such as 'hag me,' 'teet' and of course the weird opening track 'hooch.' i'm not sure if its a good intro to the band, but it was mine. the production is my major quam, as it is not loud enough in a lot of ways, and certainly could be heavier. also the last track is rather unbearable, even while i love experimentaion and i love early swans. i'd say go for their heavier stuff, but this is good none the less.

When I first bought Houdini, I couldn't even make it through the first couple of songs.......I HATED it. It was the first music I had ever heard by the Melvins. A few months later I forced myself to listen to it again, and I was transformed. I couldn't believe that I actually disliked it the first time I heard it. It kept growing and growing on me. There's not one song on the whole album that I don't love, and the fact that nearly all the lyrics are unintelligible actually adds to the overall appeal.
Be warned: alot of reviews of this album as well as other albums by the Melvins tend to categorize the music as grunge or alternative. As far as I can tell, the Melvins are in their OWN musical category.......so don't expect to hear Nirvana/Pearl Jam types of songs here. The music on Houdini ranges from speed metal to sludge to god knows what. Give it a whirl.......I'm glad I did.

The Melvins found themselves in the right place and the right time in '93, as record companies were desperately looking for the next big grunge band. Atlantic swept up the band, a somewhat odd move as really, none of their previous records were particularly "grunge", nor were they accessible for mainstream listeners. Questionable move or not, the result was the Cobain-produced "Houdini", a monolithic sweep of huge riffs, grooves, vocal harmonies and eccentric experimentation.

With the exception of the quirky "Sky Pup", every song on "Houdini" has something to give. The album is packed with Melvins classics, such as the brooding "Night Goat", which showcases Buzzo in fine form, switching vocal styles with ease and laying down monumental riffs. "Goin Blind" is a superb adaptation of the Kiss original, shifting it into a glorious heavy onslaught juxtaposed with excellent vocal harmonies. "Hag Me" is Melvins at their sludgy, sloth-like best, reverting back to their roots (a la "Lysol") and swaggering through wonderfully thick walls of tone and gritty vocals. Another major positive is the album's sense of flow, with many songs seeping into one another. This is particularly evident in the later stages of the album, with the short combinations of "Joan of Arc", "Teet" and "Copache", all of which combine the thundering guitar heroics of Buzzo with delicious vocal melodies.

The Melvins always experiment and create moments of true dementia. And while "Houdini" has a very quirky feel to it, it balances the levels of experimentation perfectly, resulting in arguably the band's best release. Fans of heavy rock looking for something a little different should pick this up.

The five stars says it all... This is a very good album. I don't think it's up to the standard of Bullhead (a personal favorite of mine) but every track on this album is worth listening to. "Honey Bucket" deserves a place among the ten most intense songs of all time. I just love the way the guitar tells the speed the rest of the song should move after the intro. The intro itself should be 101 for all the hardcore bands in the world.

My favorite track on this sorta grab-bag of Melvins stuff is "Going Blind". The Melvins are probably the greatest cover-band in history (though perhaps this distinction isn't one they would cherish). Buzz and Dale's ability to recreate, reinvent, and in some cases completely change the meaning of other peoples music is truly genious. On "Going Blind" they take a classic Kiss track which is about the letcherous attentions of older rock stars on young groupie girls, and they make it sound like a religious mantra filled with depth and meaning far from the original source. Its rumoured that they used to cry when they played this at local shows in the early 80s.

Ignore the previous reviewer because it is full of clarical errors.

First off, Houdini was released in 1993, NOT 1995. I don't understand this rambling about the Melvins going downhill in 1995 starting with Houdini. Kurt Cobain was the one who helped the Melvins get on a major label (Atlantic) and it lasted for three albums before they were decided as being too nontradtional and not mainstream accessible. Houdini, Stoner Witch and Stag comprise this era, and all are fine albums worth owning with perhaps Stag being the most unconventional of the three.

I don't get how anyone could be critical of the Melvins, because as a whole, they have an impressive body of work that is always expanding and doesn't get pigeon holed in any preconceived notions of genre or labels. Also to dismiss "what ever they have done in the last ten years" without even bothering to listen to it is just plain ignorant.
To recap: all Melvins albums are worth owning if you give them a chance

The post 1995 work includes

Honky (1997)
The Magggot (1999)
The Bootlicker (1999)
The Crybaby (2000)
Electroretard (2001)
The Collusus of Destiny (2001)
Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)
The Pigs of the Roman Empire (2004)

And yes even the most recent album with Jello Biafra is worth picking up. Enjoy.

Not quite as good as Bullhead nor does it have the shining standout songs in Stoner Witch ( Queen, Sweet Willy Rollbar, Revolve, Roadbull, and Junebug ) or Stag ( Bar-x-the recking M, Buck Owens, Skin Horse{the beginning}, Captain Pungent, and Berthas ). It is still proablably one of the top five or six Melvin albums. If you want a core collection of Melvin albums this is one to get. If you read all the reviews of a Melvins album cautiously but intently you will know which ones to buy and which not to buy. If you like the albums mentioned above you should like Houdini.