Bands I Love: Clutch - Part 1

So I love the band Clutch, and rather then write a long story about my love for them (which I will get to eventually) I am just going to post a list of my favorite songs of theirs. Now by favorite I mean about 40, they have so many amazing songs.

(The bolded songs are my choices)

Translational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, and Undeniable Truths

Translational Speedway League was the first full album of Clutch's that I had. What appealed me to this album, and would eventually repel me as well, was their stoner-metal feel. At the time I was busy discovering new music (Spring 2006) and I liked what I heard. After I got their other albums and started enjoying their funk/blues feel, Translational Speedway League fell to the wayside. So while I used to listen to this album alot more frequently, I now am bored by it

1. "A Shogun Named Marcus" – 2:52
2. "El Jefe Speaks" – 3:49
3. "Binge and Purge" – 6:29
4. "12 Ounce Epilogue" – 2:49
5. "Bacchanal" – 4:11
6. "Milk of Human Kindness" – 4:17
7. "Rats" – 2:45
8. "Earthworm" – 4:31
9. "Heirloom 13" – 5:34
10. "Walking in the Great Shining Path of Monster Trucks" – 3:43
11. "Effigy" – 5:09

Clutch
Their next, self-titled, release was alot more laid back, falling into the stoner rock/metal category. It has an over-exposed, heavy feed-back feel. And although I do like this one more then Translational Speedway League, it doesn't compare to what Clutch would become. I like "Big News I" and "Big News II", especially back to back, where their similarities and differences can be easily discernible. "Texan Book of the Dead" is a great song, and the chorus makes me laugh every time; it uses the tag lines from children's' songs, like "BINGO" and "Nick-Nack-Paddy-Wack."

1. "Big News I" – 5:13
2. "Big News II" – 2:23
3. "Rock n' Roll Outlaw" – 2:59
4. "Texan Book of the Dead" – 2:57
5. "Escape from the Prison Planet" – 4:53
6. "Spacegrass" – 6:33
7. "I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth" – 4:27
8. "Tight Like That" – 4:49
9. "Animal Farm" – 2:01
10. "Droid" – 4:43
11. "The House That Peterbilt" – 3:32
12. "7 Jam" – 6:18
13. "Tim Sult vs. The Greys" – 4:11

The Elephant Riders
The Elephant Riders continues on the stoner feel from their self-titled album, but also Incorporated the more whimsical sound and lyrics that would become prevalent in later releases. It still has the lead singer shouting more than singing, but also starts integrating heavy bass lines and groove rhythms. "The Elephant Riders," "Eight Times Miss October," and "The Dragonfly" all have the same feel and sound to them, making it easy to tell they are off the same album. "Ship of Gold" I like alot because of the off-beat of the drums, with the hi-hat(the cymbal sound) constantly in the background. "Green Buckets" is a song that seems quite different from the rest of the album; it's a song in three parts. Part 1: A song about a man who is tired of being alone in his house, and his hunt for a wife for the winter. Part 2: The man's disbelief at the concept of recycling (hence the name (green recycling buckets)). Part 3: The man finds a woman and tries to convince her to move in, by showing that he has alot of food and beer and how he can make anything she needs, they won't have to leave the house for a full year. Very odd to say the least.

1. "The Elephant Riders" – 3:50
2. "Ship Of Gold" – 4:22
3. "Eight Times Over Miss October" – 4:21
4. "The Soapmakers" – 2:57
5. "The Yeti" – 4:59
6. "Muchas Veces" – 5:44
7. "Green Buckets" – 3:52
8. "Wishbone" – 3:43
9. "Crackerjack" – 5:10
10. "The Dragonfly" – 10:16 *Contains a Hidden Track*

Jam Room
Jam Room was a limited-release album, produced off the band's own label. This was between major label releases, and it shows it. The album has a grittier sound then Clutch or The Elephant Riders. While recording-wise it sounds closer to Translational Speedway League, the songs themselves, in music and vocal sense, were closer to The Elephant Riders. I was fairly disapointed with this album. The only stand-outs are "Release The Kracken" (which sounds close to "Open Up The Border" off of the next album, Pure Rock Fury), and "Sink 'Em Low" (which was later re-recorded with different lyrics as "Sinkemlow" on the Pure Rock Fury Album as well). "One Eyed Dollar" was also re-recorded for From Beale Street to Oblivion.

1. "Who Wants to Rock?" – 1:24
2. "Big Fat Pig" – 4:53
3. "Going to Market" – 2:00
4. "One Eye Dollar" – 1:13
5. "Raised By Horses" – 3:20
6. "Bertha's Big Back Yard" – 0:26
7. "Gnome Enthusiast" – 3:14
8. "Swamp Boat Upside Down" – 3:24
9. "Basket of Eggs" – 4:58
10. "Release the Kraken" – 3:35
11. "The Drifter" – 4:29
12. "I Send Pictures" – 3:35
13. "Sink 'Em Low" – 3:56
14. "Super Duper" – 2:58
15. "Release the Dub" – 3:44