RSD Black Friday 2023: In early 1991 Screaming Trees were in a shambles. Mark Pickerel had left the band a year earlier and Van was off playing bass for Dinosaur Jr. Mark Lanegan and Gary Lee Conner were set to continue with Donna Dresch on bass and a friend of hers on drums. Uncle Anesthesia, the band’s first major label album, on Epic, had just been released. While it seemed that working with the new band members might work, Gary Lee was despondent at the prospect of again playing in the band without his brother as Van had already quit and come back once in 1988. He came up with a plan to ask his brother to return to the Trees if he could get Van’s good friend Dan Peters, who was on a partial hiatus from Mudhoney, to play drums with the band. It worked, Van flew home and the band started rehearsals and soon was touring for the new Epic album.
During this time Screaming Trees went into Conrad Uno’s Egg Studio in Seattle to record a couple of demo tracks. After finishing, Mark Lanegan uncharacteristically suggested they record a live set while all the gear and microphones were set up. All alone in Uno’s Seattle basement, the Trees kicked some rock and roll ass. No audience, no cheering crowd but raw Trees power nonetheless. Here is that session which sat unheard for over 30 years. It’s a great testament to why Screaming Trees are remembered as one the Northwest’s most exciting and intriguing live bands. Pressed on white and yellow “fried egg” colored vinyl.
SIDE A
Orange Airplane
Uncle Anesthesia
Alice Said
Ivy
Caught Between
Bed Of Roses
SIDE B
Don’t Look Down
Beyond This Horizon
Change Has Come
Ocean Of Confusion
End Of The Universe