Absolute by Scientists
Absolute album by Scientists was released Sep 27, 1991 originally on the Sub Pop label. This collection is a band-compiled best-of, with cuts from Australia's the Scientists dating from 1981 to 1987. While the group officially formed in 1979, they released a string of astonishing albums in the '80s displaying a style that pre-dates the Sub Pop [grunge] sound of the next decade.
Drawing on the Stooges, the Rolling Stones, and the Seeds, their garage-influenced post-punk sound veered toward psychedelic pop, much like fellow countrymen the Saints.
This collection of recordings represents the best of the Scientists at each stage of their career from 1981 to 1987. It doesn't run in order of release date, but in order of conception by the group. Hopefully this will give the clearest picture of the group's intentions and progress through those years.
Absolute collects their highlights, "Swampland," "Set It on Fire" and "Blood Red River," making for an intense pummeling within the first half of the record. What separated the Scientists from any number of post-punk bands of the time was the diversity of influences, where Cramps-style garage twang rubs up against Big Star pop hooks, often within the same song, and leader and main mouth Kim Salmon has a keen sensibility for arrangements built around a drone -- such as the sublime "We Had Love" -- so it is no doubt they had admirers in Spacemen 3 and Mudhoney.
This collection ... is a great introduction to the Scientists. ~ Skip Jansen
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Tracklist
| 1. | Swampland | 4:14 |
| 2. | Fire Escape | 3:56 |
| 3. | We Had Love | 4:52 |
| 4. | Set It On Fire | 2:53 |
| 5. | Blood Red River | 2:37 |
| 6. | Solid Gold Hell | 3:37 |
| 7. | Nitro | 3:32 |
| 9. | Backwards Man | 6:24 |
| 10. | Murderess In A Purple Dress | 2:43 |
| 11. | Psycho Cook Supreme | 3:01 |
| 12. | Travis | 3:59 |
| 13. | It Came Out Of The Sky | 3:05 |
| 14. | You Only Live Twice | 2:41 |
| 15. | A Place Called Bad | 4:44 |
| 16. | Shine | 5:23 |
| 17. | Human Jukebox | 4:50 |
Credits
Illustrator: Kim Salmon.
Personnel: Kim Salmon (vocals, guitar); Tony Thewlis (guitar, drums, drum machine); Phil Hertz, Nick Combe, Brett Rixon (drums).
Recording information: Belgium (1982-1986); Belguim, England (1982-1986); London, England (1982-1986); Melbourne, Australia (1982-1986); Sydney, Australia (1982-1986).
License
All rights reserved.
Kim Salmon is an Australian musician and songwriter.
Kim Salmon's most enduring legacy, and not one that he particularly tried for, will no doubt be that many blame him, or at least his band The Scientists, for 'grunge'.