Inspired a bit by Idolator’s Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda feature, in which they rummage into albums of yore, I’m going back to (gasp!) 1994 for today’s post. (Kudos to Idolator for the Rival Schools post yesterday.)
Satchel existed in a strange, and ultimately thankless, place: a couple degrees of separation from Pearl Jam, whose guitarist, Stone Gossard, formed the side band Brad with drummer Regan Hagar. With Gossard off on his Pearl Jam duties, Hagar and singer Shawn Smith formed Satchel.
The band’s debut, EDC, carries a loose concept around Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs; there are songs named after characters (Mr. Brown, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blue) and clips of the film are interspersed between tracks. “Take the satchel of diamonds and scram. I’m right about that, right? That’s correct? That’s your story?” (Ahhh, we have a band name!)
I remember wearing out the track Mr. Pink when the album originally came out. But it’s odd that maybe I don’t have a full appreciation of the album until 13 years later. Big guitars and piano-heavy ballads helped carry me out of the grunge years and into a sound more spacious and compelling, though my 16-year-old head – more into A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets at the time – struggled to wrap itself around it. Gotta say now that EDC never sounded better.
Satchel | Mr. PinkSatchel | Suffering
I used to have this album and I loved it. Thanks for reminding me.
I remember getting this record on a trip to visit my sister at college in Annapolis. Those two songs hold up considerably better than the rest of the record. The follow-up, The Family, was alright, but got rid of almost all of the heaviness from EDC.
shit man, i loved this album. i saw brad play here in indy a few years ago and bought the album they were hawking. i trashed it on amazon or something and shawn smith actually emailed to discuss it with me. we shot a few emails back and forth, the guy is a true class act. i’ve been a fan of his since i first heard him singing backup for the afghan whigs of so long ago.
Incredible album.
Check out a podcast review of the EDC by Satchel, along with an interview with frontman Shawn Smith, on Dig Me Out at digmeoutpodcast.com, a weekly podcast dedicated to lost and forgotten rock of the ’90s.