 
Ocean of Confusion is an outstanding retrospective of one of rock’s unheralded bands. While other Pacific Northwest groups were exploding onto the music scene, the Screaming Trees slipped under the radar screen. The new CD, which culls key tracks from several albums recorded for Epic, reveals how great and influential the band was in the early 1990s. Screaming Trees was founded in Ellensburg, Wash., by brothers Gary Lee and Van Conner, drummer Mark Pickerel and singer Mark Lanegan. The band, which counted Kurt Cobain among its fans, certainly had strong elements of grunge, but it also incorporated psychedelia and classic rock into its music. The 19 well-chosen songs on the compilation come from the “Uncle Anesthesia,” “Sweet Oblivion” and “Dust” CDs and the early EP “Something About Today.” Two previously unreleased tracks from 1994, “Watchpocket Blues” and “Paperback Bible,” round out the collection. The set includes the band’s most famous tune, “Nearly Lost
You,” which was featured on the soundtrack to the film “Singles.”
The song combined a good melody with the band’s raw intensity.
Lanegan’s foghorn baritone blows through this and every other
song performed by the group, setting the bar for many singers of the
time. Other highlights include the soaring “Alice Said”
and the more reflective “Dollar Bill.” With this fine collection,
maybe the Screaming Trees will get the attention it has deserved. -
D. Kimura |
Screaming
Trees