In the early days of their career their dark, heavy, oppressively slow sound made them innovators of genres like sludge, grunge, and doom metal. The Melvins' music is influenced by Flipper, Black Flag's My War-era hardcore punk and Black Sabbath-style heavy metal, but their idiosyncratic approach, bizarre sense of humor, and experimentation make neat categorization difficult. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne (aka "King Buzzo") and drummer Dale Crover are constant members while several bass guitarists have cycled through the group. The Melvins usually performed as a trio until 2006 when two members of Big Business became permanent members of the band.
The band was named after a grocery clerk at the Thriftway in Montesano, Washington where Osborne was employed. Melvin was the most-hated fellow employee and the band felt it to be an appropriate name. Like SF noisenik predecessors Flipper, their love of slow tempos and sludgy sound were a strong influence on grunge music, especially Nirvana and many other bands from Seattle. Their protegés, however, tended to use more conventional musical structures with this sound.
Though the group has received mostly positive critical notice, Crover's drumming has been especially praised; Patrick Kennedy describes his work as "astonishing, powerful, and daring."
While never finding and most likely never even seeking great mainstream success, the Melvins maintain an impressive schedule of new albums and tours, including a collaboration with Fantômas in The Fantômas Melvins Big Band, two releases with former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, and in 2004 the Melvins collaborated with ambient artist Lustmord for Pigs of the Roman Empire. In appreciation of their devoted fans, the Melvins have released various collectables through the years that have included two-headed dolls, an eight-track tape, and a plastic fetus in a jar.
Fellow Aberdeen resident Kurt Cobain (a good friend of Crover) was a huge Melvins fan and helped them transport their equipment to a few shows. Cobain also auditioned to join the band on bass, but he didn't make it, reportedly because he was so nervous that he forgot all the songs. Cobain maintained his relation with the band. Later he produced and played on some songs (guitar on "Sky Pup", percussion on "Spread Eagle Beagle") on the band's major label debut, Houdini. Dale Crover is also attributed as playing on the Nirvana debut album, Bleach, and on "Incesticide". In addition, Dave Grohl (ex-drummer for Nirvana) co-wrote and played drums for Isabella on Buzzo's Melvins solo album, King Buzzo.
Steve Instant Neuman
Melvins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To my short glass ear
Infected in
Too much intensive
Dis-invite
Dis, dis-invite
Dis-invite
When eating alone
They think you're talking alone
Dis-invite
Dis, you dis-invite
Dis-invite
The Melvins' song "Steve Instant Neuman" is a classic example of their unique and experimental approach to rock music. The lyrics of this song are quite intriguing and offer a range of interpretations. The opening lines, "Open the pain to my short glass ear, infected in too much intensive," could be interpreted in many ways, but they seem to suggest someone who is overwhelmed and in pain, perhaps from too much exposure or stimulation.
The next lines, "When eating alone, they think you're talking alone," hint at a sense of isolation or loneliness, with the implication that someone might be judged for talking to themselves when they are actually just speaking out loud to no one in particular. The repetition of the phrase "dis-invite" throughout the song adds to the sense of exclusion or being pushed away, perhaps from a social group or community.
Overall, "Steve Instant Neuman" is a highly subjective and elusive song, with lyrics that resist easy categorization or interpretation. However, it is this sense of mystery and complexity that makes the Melvins such a fascinating and enduring band.
Line by Line Meaning
Open the pain
Exposing the agony and turmoil inside oneself
To my short glass ear
To my sensitive and vulnerable being
Infected in
Consumed by
Too much intensive
Excessive intensity and pressure
Dis-invite
Rejecting and distancing oneself from someone or something
Dis, dis-invite
Strong emphasis on disinviting
When eating alone
Being in solitude
They think you're talking alone
Others might misunderstand and judge you as crazy for being alone
Dis-invite
Rejecting and distancing oneself from someone or something
Dis, you dis-invite
Encouragement by the artist for the listener to disinvite
Dis-invite
Rejecting and distancing oneself from someone or something
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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