Prick is the sixth studio album by the Melvins which was released in August 5, 1994 through Amphetamine Reptile Records under the name ƧИIV⅃ƎM. It has been said that because the Melvins already had a contract with Atlantic Records, Prick was released with the band name in mirror writing. The album displays a distinctly experimental quality, with an eclectic selection including field recordings, electronic effects and loops, band jam sessions, a stereotypical drum solo that segues into an archetypal heavy metal guitar solo, and a track that’s introduced as “pure digital silence”, followed by silence for a minute. Singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne has stated that Prick is:
“A total noise crap record we did strictly for the weirdness factor. Complete and utter nonsense, a total joke.”
The band claimed that they wanted to call the album Kurt Kobain but changed it after Cobain‘s death to eliminate the possibility of people mistaking it for a tribute record. They implied that Cobain, a friend and collaborator since their teenage years in rural Washington, was actually the titular “prick”, because he died and therefore forced them to change the album’s name.
Tracklist:
- How About
- Rickets
- Pick It n’ Flick It
- Montreal
- Chief Ten Beers
- Underground
- Chalk People
- Punch the Lion
- Pure Digital Silence
- Larry
- Roll Another One
Credits:
The Melvins
Mark D: producer
Dale C: producer
King B: producer
Additional personnel
Artwork: Mackie Osborne
Engineer: Konstantin Johannes
Photography (Band Photo): Don Lewis
Producer: The Melvins
