Soundgarden

Soundgarden released their first EP, Screaming Life, waaaaaay back in 1987, years before “grunge” was even a thing. To give it a little perspective, this was the same year bands like Poison and White Lion were roaming the charts. The six songs that ended up on Screaming Life had been road-tested by the band in clubs since its formation in 1984 (ya know, the year Tina Turner released Private Dancer). You can hear that live energy on songs like “Hunted Down” and “Entering,” both of which hint at what was to come. The following year, Soundgarden released Fopp, a quickie EP that featured the titular cover of an Ohio Players deep cut. It’s a great version, although overall Fopp lacks the intensity of Screaming Life. Both EPs, of course, were released together in 1990 on compact disc, leaving behind the packaging and the sound quality. Sub Pop has remastered and reissued them here on vinyl (double-disc) for the first time since that initial run, restoring all the goodies. They’re louder. And in the case of Screaming Life, the remaster does justice to Jack Endino’s airy production. Musically, Soundgarden have done much better, but as time capsules, these EPs are essential.