It's a real sin that Tad's early material has been deleted and is now (outside of the blogosphere) quite unavailable.Suffering somewhat from the fallout of one time label mates Nirvana's massive success - for once they were equals, appearing alongside each other on those wonderful Sub Pop tours across Europe at the end of the nineteen-eighties - they soon dropped out of the zeitgeist (as did Mudhoney, another of those early Sub Pop bands who were destined to be the next big thing) and grunge became territory that belonged strictly to Cobain and his cohorts.
It was apparent from those early tours that Tad were definitely the heaviest of the three acts, both literally (Tad Doyle was quite a large chap; appearing long before the BIG guy became an important accessory in many a metal band) and materially.
Their version of the so-called Seattle sound was rooted far more in metal than it was in blues or punk, the inspirational genres that fueled Mudhoney and Nirvana.
And on the occasions I saw them, they well managed to capture the hearts and imagination of the London audience, and were certainly able to hold their own alongside the other acts.
This first album, produced by Jack Endino, represented their sound and dynamism pretty well. There isn't really a poor track on it; and several outstanding numbers, 'Helot' (one of the best 'grunge' tracks ever), 'Sex God Missy' and 'Satan's Chainsaw' make you want to go back for more.For some reason - a lack of direction in the way they were marketed may account for some lost opportunities - Tad were never able to sell many records; and as soon as Nirvana showed a hint of success Sub Pop seemed to concentrate their efforts solely on them.
Shame, coz Nirvana soon flew the nest and subordinated themselves to the whims of David Geffen and the whiff of corporate dollars.
You know the rest...
Tad - God's Balls (1989)
Behemoth
Pork Chop
Helot
Tuna Car
Sex God Missy (Lumberjack Mix)
Cyanide Bath
Boiler Room
Satan's Chainsaw
Hollow Man
Nipple Belt
Excellent cassette rip @320kbs
Get down and dirty with God's Balls here
6 comments:
this is a great little record, i've often thought about posting it... i saw them play at the Pyramid club in NY where my wife bar tended (i spent a lot of time there drinking for free), it had a fairly narrow door into the back room where bands played... when they arrived for sound check Tad took one look at it, turned side on to it, then asked if there was a back door to get in...
I once saw them play in Fulham, West London, at some Irish club; they were supporting Mudhoney.
I got really pissed and mouthy, upset Tad (I probably called him a fat bastard or something), so he threatened to stage dive on top of me.
I gave up drinking soon after.
That was 1990.
Must rip and post their 'Salt Lick' e.p.; that one's even better...
roy
whoops!
thanks for the memories,lovely keep em coming
sorry to say this but this is not an "Excellent rip". and ripping it @320kbs does not make it sound any better.
Most cassettes probably do rip better at a lower rate; digitized hiss is a problem.
But I can assure you this was captured from virgin vinyl; maybe there's something in the production your ear doesn't like.
Make a comparison: go and buy yourself a copy!
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