What's (Re)New?: TAD's God’s Balls, Salt Lick, & 8-Way Santa

In the early 90s, following Nirvana's rise to fame, the Sub Pop label had enjoyed some notoriety as Seattle's premium Alt-farm for the record industry majors, many of whom were clamoring for the next flannel adorned malcontent with a shitty guitar and an impassioned yell.  Having essentially birthed Seattle's rock scene via Green River, (whose members would later form other seminal acts such as Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and Pearl Jam), Sub Pop was also the label that offered Nirvana and Soundgarden their earliest opportunities as recording artists, a move that eventually led both bands to worldwide acclaim.  As regional devotees, Sub Pop curated and, consequently, informed what would be called the "Seattle Sound."


With that said, TAD, whose muddy distorto-rumblings were certainly demonstrative of the scene's penchant for aural grit, I feel gets overlooked.  Started by guitarist/vocalist Tad Doyle in the late 80s, TAD was among the earliest of Sub Pop's then-budding roster.  As all things "grunge" and Seattle garnered more and more attention, TAD responded with having a video banned from MTV ("Wood Goblins," which is featured in the band's 1990 EP, Salt Lick) and acquiring a lawsuit due to the original cover art for their 1991 release, 8-Way Santa, (which you can find here.)  

Sub Pop has seen fit to reissue the three albums TAD recorded for the label, 1989's God's Balls, Salt Lick, and 8-Way Santa, as deluxe editions built out with a heavy amount of extras.  The reissues will be out November 4th and all the below info has been provided by Sub Pop along with a link for pre-order.  There's also a bonus compilation of tracks available for free if you purchase the albums on vinyl directly from Sub Pop.  A tracklist for the bonus material can be found below. 

Read about the albums and check out some videos:





Deluxe editions of God’s Balls, Salt Lick, and 8-Way Santa,
TAD’s classic early discography, will be released worldwide on Sub Pop November 4th


All painstakingly remastered from the original tapes by Jack Endino

With new images from Charles Peterson, full liner notes, and gatefold jackets

Bonus material includes rare, unreleased, and alternate recordings


Watch:
“Stumbling Man” (from
Salt Lick) [link here]
“Wood Goblins” (from
8-Way Santa) [link here]

The long-unavailable, classic discography of beloved and iconic Seattle band, TAD -- God’s Balls (1989), Salt Lick (1990), 8-Way Santa (1991), and assorted singles from the band’s 1988-1992 run -- finally receive the deluxe reissue treatment. Producer & engineer Jack Endino (who produced God's Balls, TAD's first full-length) has remastered all of the recordings from the original tapes. God's Balls, Salt Lick and 8-Way Santa will be available on November 4th worldwide on Sub Pop.

These deluxe editions of God's Balls, Salt Lick, and 8-Way Santa feature new images from celebrated photographer Charles Peterson, bonus tracks, and expansive liner notes from the band and Jack Endino. The bonus material associated with each release will be included on the CD and digital formats. And each of the gatefold vinyl LPs will include that album’s bonus material as part of its free, associated download. All of the bonus material, from all three of these monumental heavy rock/punk albums will be collected on an additional bonus LP available for free with purchase of all three (3) albums on vinyl from the Sub Pop Mega Mart [preorder here] and also from select independent retailers.

More on TAD from Tad Doyle [read here].

God’s Balls (1989)
God’s Balls, TAD’s punishing, noise-drenched debut album, was recorded with Jack Endino at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle in 1988 and released early the following year. In addition to their usual arsenal of guitars, bass, and drums, the band employed a variety of unusual instruments – an empty gas tank from a car, a hacksaw, a large brass tube from a microwave transmitter, CB radio mics, a cello bow used on cymbals to emulate guitar feedback – to thunderous effect, adding a Neubauten-esque clang to the band’s rock riffs. After releasing God’s Balls, TAD flew to Europe with Nirvana for both bands’ first European tour. The now-legendary, month-long tour took the bands to the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.

This reissue of God’s Balls features bonus tracks from TAD’s 1988 debut 7”, plus the previously unreleased “Tuna Car” from the 7” session. God’s Balls has been out of print on LP/CD for many years, and this is its first digital release.

Tracklist:
1. Behemoth
2. Pork Chop
3. Helot
4. Tuna Car
5. Sex God Missy (Lumberjack Mix)
6. Cyanide Bath
7. Boiler Room
8. Satan’s Chainsaw
9. Hollow Man
10. Nipple Belt
11. Ritual Device - (from “Daisy” 7” single) **
12. Daisy - (from “Daisy” 7” single) **
13. Tuna Car (Unreleased) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

Salt Lick (1990)
After their 1989 debut album, God’s Balls, TAD continued to write and record, releasing a string of singles and the Salt Lick EP between 1989 and 1990. Salt Lick features the single “Wood Goblins,” the video for which MTV banned because it was, to the delicate eyes of MTV programmers, “too ugly.” The sounds of Salt Lick are, indeed, wonderfully ugly, thanks in part to the involvement of noise-rock technician Steve Albini (Big Black, Shellac, Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard), who recorded the EP. The band continued to release singles and gain momentum in the press. As TAD himself puts it: “Lyrically we had a lot of subject matter that was meant to be tongue-in-cheek from the beginning but that was presented by both Sub Pop and us as true-to-life. The press took it all seriously and began to feed on and ravenously devour the mythology we created.”

This reissue of Salt Lick includes tracks from the “Wood Goblins” single, a split 7” with Pussy Galore, and the “Loser” 7”. This material has been out of print on vinyl/CD for many years, and this is its first digital release.

Tracklist:
1. Axe to Grind
2. High on the Hog
3. Wood Goblins
4. Hibernation
5. Glue Machine
6. Potlatch
7. Loser (from “Loser” 7” single) **
8. Cooking With Gas (from “Wood Goblins” 12” & “Loser” 7” single) **
9. Habit Necessity (from “Dope Guns N Fucking in the Streets” 7” single on Amphetamine Reptile) **
10. Damaged (from Pussy Galore split 7” single) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

8-Way Santa (1991)
In 1991, after tens of thousands of miles on the road in support of God’s Balls and Salt Lick, and a run of powerful EPs/singles, TAD released their second full-length album, 8-Way Santa. Recorded at Smart Studios in Madison, WI with Butch Vig, whose work with Killdozer the band admired, 8-Way Santa finds TAD pushing their sound in new directions. Not a band to rest on its laurels, TAD began to add melodic touches to their sound, as evidenced by the lead single, “Jinx.” 8-Way Santa was the last record with the original TAD lineup, and their last album for Sub Pop before jumping to a major label.

This reissue of 8-Way Santa includes tracks from the “Jinx” single, a 1990 EP, and a handful of unreleased album demos recorded by Jack Endino. This material has been out of print on vinyl/CD for many years, and this is the first digital release for the bonus content.

Tracklist:
1. Jinx
2. Giant Killer
3. Wired God
4. Delinquent
5. Hedge Hog
6. Flame Tavern
7. Trash Truck
8. Stumblin’ Man
9. Jack
10. Candi
11. 3-D Witch Hunt
12. Cranes Café
13. Plague Years
14. Pig Iron (from Jinx 7” single) **
15. Nuts ‘N’ Bolts (Unreleased) **
16. Delinquent (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
17. Giant Killer (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
18. Wired God (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
19. 3D Witch Hunt (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos) **
20. Eddie Hook (from U.S. “Jack” CD & all German “Jack” releases -- 7”, 12” & CD -- and from 8-Way Santa Butch Vig sessions) **

** w/ CD / Digital / LP Download Card only

Bonus LP Compilation Tracklist:
(Available free with purchase of all three albums on vinyl from the Sub Pop Mega Mart [preorder here] and from select independent retailers)
A1. Ritual Device (from “Daisy” 7” single)
A2. Daisy (from “Daisy” 7” single)
A3. Tuna Car (Unreleased)
A4. Loser (from “Loser” 7” single)
A5. Cooking With Gas (from “Loser” 7” single)
A6. Habit Necessity - (from “Dope Guns N Fucking in the Streets” 7” single on Amphetamine Reptile)
A7. Damaged (from Pussy Galore split 7” single)
B1. Pig Iron (from “Jinx” 7” single)
B2. Nuts 'N' Bolts (Unreleased)
B3. Delinquent (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B4. Giant Killer (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B5. Wired God (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B6. 3-D Witch Hunt (8-Way Santa Jack Endino demos)
B7. Eddie Hook (from U.S. “Jack” CD & all German “Jack” releases -- 7”, 12” & CD -- and from 8-Way Santa Butch Vig sessions)

Sincerely,
Letters From A Tapehead

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