Gary Lee Conners opinion on "Ocean Of Confusion"

[njet]

Hearing a lot of Trees lately and bought their first 4 albums along with Purple Outside (Gary Lee Conners solo album with Sreaming Trees songs that didn't make the double album they recorded (and didn't release in 1988) and Solomon Grundy (Van Conner's solo album from the same year). The first 4 albums with Trees are are quite refined and well arranged - the recordings are low budget but I was surprised how good they were! Gary Lee really had the songs in his sleeve great playing from all parts actually - Pickerel & Van are really good rhythm section I have read that many people find the SST period superior to the Majorlabel years - I wouldn't go that far - but just maybe I'll get there down the line when living more with these fine albums.

Several questions came to mind and I started to google there was especially one thing I wanted to read but Gary Lee Conner's "purpleoutside.com" page is down I found a little segment of it:

"Gary Lee Conner's site plays some of his mind-bending guitar on the splash page.
He writes of the latest Screaming Trees collection as "missing some of the best songs" and the two unreleased songs as being "pretty lame"
(from the blog about their third album Invinsible Lantern (vinyljourney.blogspot.dk/2005 11 01 archive)

Has anybody in this forum read the rest of it? or has it? Anybody remember what he said - it must be about the major label compilation "Ocean of Confusion" the compilation Lanegan picked the songs for he is talking about?

Also did anybody copy the track list for the lost double album? (wasn't it up on their old sound guy's page when he was supposed to sell a box set and it was stopped.

Tracklist for the unreleased 1994 album?. I've read they didn't think it was up to par. Yet those two songs on "Ocean of Confusion" aren't that bad… Lanegans vocals are really strong - wonder if he overdubbed those in 2004? I read somewhere he didn't like his vocals on the 1994 sessions. 

And last did anybody go to Bandcamp and listen to Gary Lee Conners live playing of songs in 1997 (Last Words period)? 4 of the songs he plays ends up on Last Words. Quite interesting listen.

[13977]

Paperback Bible which is one of the previously unreleased tracks on Ocean Of Confusion is actually one of my favorite Tree's track!
I've got the Solomon Grundy album, but not the Purple Outside one, I'll have to check that out.

[njet]

Gary Lee Conners Purple Outside album has a lot of the early Screaming Trees feel to it - but with different vocals naturally - It's a very interesting album - very musical, interesting arrangements.

I must say Gary Lees vocal and melodic feel on the 1997 rehearsal stuff on Bandcamp is good. A song like to "Door into Summer" & "Ash Grey Sunday" are delivered strong - Door Into Summer could have been very interesting with shared lead vocal harmonies I think Gary Lee has a great feel in his voice which would have suited Lanegan sort of like Greg Dulli/Lanegan in The Gutter Twins.

I also like the Solomon Grundy record for it's swirling "Nearly Lost You" qualities - it's hard to describe but when you hear the first song you kind of get that Van wrote the catchy original riff for "Nearly Lost You".

Upon further digging it seems the 1994 session included (amongst others unknown titles) the following songs: Paperback Bible, Watchpocket Blues (both from Ocean Of Confusion), Dying Days (different Arrangement), Silver Tongue (perhaps a different version than the b-side?) and the cover "Darkness Darkness" (not sure it was a contender for the album since it's a cover) maybe "Wasted Time" (the other B-side from Dust sessions)?

Damn they should find the unreleased double album from the late 90's AND release the whole 1994 session - maybe at the time it wasn't up to snuff back in the day when they recorded it - but I BET you it is a whole lot better than most of what's being released today!!