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Originally Posted by golden child
i heard them on the radio, playing with a band called yuma nora. now THAT was a favorite smegma moment. i recorded it with my tape deck, the tape has long succummed to the depths of perpetual tape degradation but i ripped it to mp3. its a SHITTY rip, buzzy like hell and not very loud but if you can get passed that... well, it rocks my socks.
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That live radio performance was released by a label called Olwyn Plant on a limited CDR called "Follow Us Into the Forest," officially under the name Yuma Nora. Rick and Jackie for Smegma were guesting, and their influence on the performance is definitely felt. (For other Yuma Nora stuff, I highly recommend their "Jewels in the Snakepit" CD from 2005 on Not Not Fun.)
Smegma has been a favorite of mine ever since I heard their "Mutant Baby"/"Outro" contribution to the landmark compilation LP "Portland Punk - Live at Earth, 10-29-79" of Greg Sage's (The Wipers) Trap label, which is historic for being the first punk comp LP to feature all bands from one geographic area, all recorded on the same night (it didn't happen again until a bunch of Austin bands recorded "Bands on the Block" in 1985). Smegma was the token "weird band" on the comp, but it fit in nicely because "Mutant Baby" sorta had the same rhythm as the Ramones' "Loudmouth."
I went to the 25th anniversary party for that record. It happened at Sabala's in Portland, so the place was packed with old punks who I'd figure to not like Smegma too much. But they did play last, and most in the audience seemed totally floored. It was clear that they were the best band of the night.
A documentary of the original 10-29-79 performance was screened between bands, and I got to see an old friend of mine singing and playing in the band on that historic night. A fellow named "Donkey Flybye" left the band about 16 years ago and moved nearby in Sacramento and eventually got involved at KDVS, where he was even the acting program director for a time. He scheduled a 18-hour noise block on Fridays which was very controversial and led WFMU to take us off the list of freeform stations for a while. He was hated by many for that. But he was a cool guy, full of amazing stories of Smegma's early days, LAFMS, and Portland.
A lot of people have come to know Smegma as synonymous with Portland experimental music, and really the only link to Portland's past for the literally dozens and dozens of experimental bands and artists who regularly play in the city. So, a lot of people are surprised to learn that Smegma started in Los Angeles, where they were affiliated with the L.A. Free Music Society. Hence, the first Smegma album is included in its entirety in the LAFMS 10-CD boxed-set that RRRecords put out some years ago. I heard recently that some other label recently reissued it. (Can anyone share details about that?)
"Nattering Naybobs of Negativity" is my fave Smegma album, probably. The "Disco Diarrhea" single is especially priceless, too.
"Rumblings" is okay, but I'm not terribly excited by much of the Meltzer mumblings. The best thing that's currently available by Smegma is a CD on Resipiscent Records called "Live 1991-1993." This was the era of Smegma that I first personally saw live, and I had expected that they would kinda suck because they had just begun to release their first actually
boring records (a couple 7" EPs on Sympathy for the Record Industry were ill-advised). But they were great, and their greatness was captured well on this disc which has excellent live sound.
Another really cool thing is the "Dr. Octopuss" LP which includes Rick and Jackie of Smegma with Sixes, Loachfillet, and some other Bay Area noisefreaks.