Born in the Basement
Encyclopedia
Born in the Basement is the second album by the Sacramento, California
punk rock
band the Groovie Ghoulies, released in 1994 by Lookout! Records
. It was recorded at Egg Studios in Seattle with producer Conrad Uno
and engineer Mark Guenther. The album's artwork is credited to The Poison Pen, with a band photo taken by Curt Doughty.
The opening track, "Blood Intro", is an instrumental
version of "Blood Beach" from the band's preceding album Appetite for Adrenochrome
. Like Appetite for Adrenochrome, Born in the Basement includes five cover version
s of songs from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. "Hello Hello" was written by Wes Farrell and Tony Romeo and originally performed by The Partridge Family
on Shopping Bag
(1971). "Levitation" was written by Tommy Hall and Stacy Sutherland of the 13th Floor Elevators
and originally appeared on their album Easter Everywhere
(1967). "A Message to Pretty" was written by Arthur Lee
for his band Love
and originally appeared on their eponymous 1966 album
. "Walk Out in the Rain" was written by Bob Dylan
and Helena Springs, arranged by Dan Janisch, and originally performed by Eric Clapton
on Backless
(1978). "Hell Time" was written and originally performed by Dylan as "Band of the Hand
", sometimes known as "Band of the Hand (It's Hell Time Man)", for the 1986 film Band of the Hand
.
Born in the Basement was remaster
ed and reissued by Lookout! in September 1996. This version was re-released by Springman Records
in 2004. In 2003 the Groovie Ghoulies, with new drummer Scampi, recorded a new version of "The Beast with Five Hands" for a "best of" album entitled Monster Club.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Groovie Ghoulies, released in 1994 by Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
. It was recorded at Egg Studios in Seattle with producer Conrad Uno
Conrad Uno
Conrad Uno is an American record producer and founder of the independent record label PopLlama Records. Uno began his career making his own music as a teenager in his makeshift basement studio. At the request of his friends, the Young Fresh Fellows, Uno produced their debut album The Fabulous...
and engineer Mark Guenther. The album's artwork is credited to The Poison Pen, with a band photo taken by Curt Doughty.
The opening track, "Blood Intro", is an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version of "Blood Beach" from the band's preceding album Appetite for Adrenochrome
Appetite for Adrenochrome
Appetite for Adrenochrome is the debut album by the Sacramento, California punk rock band the Groovie Ghoulies, released in 1989 on their own independent label Crimson Corpse Records. It was recorded at Enharmonic Studios in Sacramento with the band's original lineup of Kepi Ghoulie , Rudge , Vetty...
. Like Appetite for Adrenochrome, Born in the Basement includes five cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of songs from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. "Hello Hello" was written by Wes Farrell and Tony Romeo and originally performed by The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
on Shopping Bag
Shopping Bag
Shopping Bag was released in 1972 by The Partridge Family. The vinyl release of the album contained a novelty plastic shopping bag. The album went gold and is now available on CD and iTunes....
(1971). "Levitation" was written by Tommy Hall and Stacy Sutherland of the 13th Floor Elevators
13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969...
and originally appeared on their album Easter Everywhere
Easter Everywhere
Easter Everywhere is the second album from the Texas psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators. The album was originally released as an LP by International Artists. For a long time, the album was a hard-to-find collectors' item, until re-released as a CD from Collectables Records in 1993.The...
(1967). "A Message to Pretty" was written by Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee (musician)
Arthur Lee was the frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles rock band Love, best known for the critically acclaimed 1967 album, Forever Changes.-Early years:...
for his band Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
and originally appeared on their eponymous 1966 album
Love (Love album)
Love is the eponymous debut by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love. Twelve of the album's fourteen tracks were recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood on January 24–27, 1966...
. "Walk Out in the Rain" was written by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Helena Springs, arranged by Dan Janisch, and originally performed by Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
on Backless
Backless
Backless is an album by blues rocker Eric Clapton, released in 1978. The album reached #8 on the pop charts. While the single "Promises" only reached #37 in the UK, it was a much bigger success in the US, reaching #9 on the Billboard charts....
(1978). "Hell Time" was written and originally performed by Dylan as "Band of the Hand
Band of the Hand (song)
"Band of the Hand" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan as the theme for the 1986 movie of the same name, which was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and produced by Michael Mann. Dylan recorded the song while on tour in Sydney, Australia on February 9 and 10, 1986...
", sometimes known as "Band of the Hand (It's Hell Time Man)", for the 1986 film Band of the Hand
Band of the Hand
Band of the Hand is an American 1986 crime film directed by Paul Michael Glaser.The film turned into a theatrical release after it failed as a television pilot....
.
Born in the Basement was remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed and reissued by Lookout! in September 1996. This version was re-released by Springman Records
Springman Records
Springman Records is an independent record label founded in 1998 by Avi Ehrlich that was run out of his parent's garage in Cupertino, California until late 2005, when Ehrlich moved the label to Sacramento...
in 2004. In 2003 the Groovie Ghoulies, with new drummer Scampi, recorded a new version of "The Beast with Five Hands" for a "best of" album entitled Monster Club.
Reception
Sarah Tomlinson of Allmusic reviewed the album positively, commenting that "The songs are stripped down and raspy compared to later Ghoulies efforts, but the effect is used well and throws into greater relief the many small moments that startle like a fun house skeleton. [...] While the spirit of the music is the fun to be had when you embrace your misfit status and get down to the joys of music, romance, and even rainswept nights — and the songs themselves are fun — these details add subtle pleasure."Track listing
Personnel
- Kepi Ghoulie – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Roach – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals on "The Beast with Five Hands" - Wendy – drum kitDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals on "The Beast with Five Hands" - Conrad UnoConrad UnoConrad Uno is an American record producer and founder of the independent record label PopLlama Records. Uno began his career making his own music as a teenager in his makeshift basement studio. At the request of his friends, the Young Fresh Fellows, Uno produced their debut album The Fabulous...
, Cory Vick – handclaps on "The Beast with Five Hands"