Despite quite a few so-called "
grunge" albums rocketing to the top of the charts in the early '90s, there were several releases that somehow managed to slip through the cracks. Case in point,
the Melvins' 1993 classic
Houdini. Despite the album being one of their most succinct from a songwriting/playing point of view -- and not to mention parts being produced by old pal
Kurt Cobain -- the fine
Houdini never managed to receive the attention it deserved at the time of its release. But subsequently, an "appreciation cult" has appeared to form around the release, resulting in
Buzz and
Dale deciding to re-air the album in its entirety in 2005. The end result,
Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust (which sees
Trevor Dunn momentarily occupy the ever-rotating
Melvins bass spot) is every bit as deliciously heavy as its original -- maybe even more so in this live setting. As far as heavy, dense riffing goes, few albums scaled the same heights as
Houdini, and the live version doesn't disappoint, as evidenced by a cover of
Kiss'
"Going Blind," as well as
"Hooch" and
"Set Me Straight," the latter of which is combined together with a fierce
punk rocker,
"DCH." Despite it not being a "career spanner,"
the Melvins just may have issued their definitive live album with
Houdini Live 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust. ~ Greg Prato
