You're No Big Deal - Grunge, The U.S. Underground And Beyond 1984-1994 (Clamshell Box)

The grunge explosion that took over the world in the early 90s exists in iceberg form, with ubiquitously popular bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Pearl Jam as the most visible examples of the sound. As with any iceberg, these bands are just whats most apparent sitting atop a mass of other active and influential but less immediately traceable players. Youre No Big Deal explores the grunge iceberg extensively, collecting over 80 tracks of heavy, ragged, and righteous noise recorded between 1984 and 1994 by some of the most- and least-known acts in and around the grunge movement. The tracks here were curated with help from Mark Arm, whose late-‘80s band Green River starts things off with the crude and metallic “Come On Down.” Songs from Green River, the Melvins, feedtime, Cop Shoot Cop, and other sludgy, high-volume bands serve as a reminder of how so much of grunge mutated from the then-dominant metal scene. You’re No Big Deal is wide-ranging in its exploration, representing the punk element that informed grunge’s rebellious spirit with songs from Poison Idea, Husker Du, and Scream, as well as including examples of the Pacific Northwest’s specific take on garage rock with tunes from Dead Moon, Girl Trouble, and Calamity Jane. The artists here aren’t limited to Seattle and the surrounding areas, but the strange chain reactions that made grunge possible are easiest to hear on songs from Seattle groups like Mother Love Bone or in the noisy, pre-fame Soundgarden tracks included here, “Hunted Down” and “Flower.” Grunge happened alongside waves of other underground developments happening concurrently, and the psychedelic country-rock of the Meat Puppets, moody Replacements song “The Ledge,” hypercharged pop from Superchunk, and guitar-pummeling blasts from Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies all nod to how grunge’s angsty shadow was looming over college rock and giving way to alternative groups like Stone Temple Pilots, Toadies, and Luscious Jackson. It’s a comprehensive and multi-tiered exploration of not just the grunge iceberg but also the less aggressive subdivisions of uncompromising guitar rock that cropped up as a result of grunge shifting the culture. ~ Fred Thomas