When first presented with Sebadohs Bake Sale to review. My mind had shut down and all recognition was lost, in awe of shock that Sebadoh were releasing things again. I had even gone a blank as to who Sebadoh were for the focus being gravely shifted back to Dinosaur Jr and his 2009 solo release (Goodnight Unknown) terms of Lou Barlows output. Now, For the first time since 1999 Sebadoh have remastered and are reissuing 1994's Bake Sale and have announced a tour in support of aforementioned reissues.

As with a number of bands I am a fan of. There is always a release or two that I have never wound up buying (I only recently heard Sonic Youth's Dirty for the first time last year) and Bakesale is one of those albums for me. So this reissue is almost like a new release for me.

At the time of release in 1994 the indie rock world was seeing some of its finest releases by some of its finest bands. Pavement had 'Crooked Rain Crooked Rain', Guided By Voices had 'Bee Thousand' and Lou Barlow's 'other' band Dinosaur Jr. (minus Barlow) had there most commercially successful album 'Without a Sound'.

With remastering/reissuing/updating/expanding etc. Being a thing for ageing filmmakers that don't know when they had a good thing and insist on defecating all over there own legacy. I approach Bakesale with a form of caution having never been a fan of reissues (except for the pavement reissue series… Good ol' Matador).

But even upon the first listen it becomes clear that this isn't some grab for cash set out by the band. It sounds genuine and keeps that lo-fi aesthetic, muffled vocals, typical 90's alternative rock bass and the gentle amp humm in the background.

The classics (which it turns out even without owning the album, I have heard many a time before) that made this album what it is, all ring true as do with the non singles and work together well which what makes this a classic release.

The Barlow penned 'License to Confuse' sets the pace and tone for the rest of the album, next up single and Loewenstein penned 'Careful' continues that pace and fits in well with the albums opener. 'Magnets Coil' sounds like Lou Barlow could have released it yesterday in any of the many musical forms he takes. 'Not a Friend' marks the first slower based song and to listeners of earlier Sebadoh is the first sign that this is the same band as present in there earlier work.

My favourite track off the album and last single off Bake Sale, 'Not too Amused' is also one of three songs on the album that Lou Barlow did not play on and Jason had the reins of. This is a song that in my opinion outshone a lot of Barlow's work on this record and is a song that sounds like it's time/genre. It is a true example of 90's alt rock and can be used as a reference point for a number of bands today.

'Dreams' fits is a good comparison to piece to follow on 'Skull', with 'Dreams' being a bit bleak but still rocking and having a guitar making a string sound to take it out with. Then 'Skull continuing on in a sing along more up lifting fashion. The Jason penned 'Got It' sounds like his best impression of what Dinosaur Jr was doing at the time.

'Shit Soup' has it's lyrics speak for its quality with lines like 'I don't need to speak or eat, I smoke a thousand cigarettes' and its chorus 'Crazy people are right on, Crazy people are right'. A true highlight.

'Give Up' starts as a metal track and then goes into a almost country style of rock and Lou Barlow singing in a very Dinosaur Jr fashion. First single off Bake sale, 'Rebound' was clearly an influence for a number of 'punk' bands today and if it came out today, it would not have been first single and a number of it's influences would ironically be suing for plagiarism.

'Mystery Man' continues the Sebadoh ballad format and 'Temptation Tide' features a female vocal dynamic from artist Anne Slinn doing a call and response deivery with drummer Bob Fay. 'Drama Mine' is the last Jason penned and orchestrated track on the album with the absence of Barlow and it regarded as some as there best track. With a cool little palm muted section launching into a typical punk rock format and then Jason screaming instead of his softer vocal delivery closing the song. Taking out the album 'Together or Alone' starts off with a Stephen Malkmus style guitar part coupled with the bass. It is a perfect closer for the album with a self loathing break up lyrics being it's driving force.

When released this album marked a huge departure from Sebadohs earlier work. With short little lo-fi acoustic ditties being replaced with a longer format and a sound that slotted in well with the contemporaries at the time. However it was never an album that warranted mainstream acceptance and fanfare, it just flirted with the idea while still ringing to the underground roots that the band had established. Although this was never considered to be a typical lo-fi release in comparison to there earlier work, it is far more alternative and lo-fi then a number of todays so called 'alternative' and 'lo-fi' releases (to name names Wavves King of the Beach and Eat Skull in the live arena)

What really makes this release worth your dime, Is the spectacular extras disc included. Hand picked by Barlow and Loewenstien, its a selection of songs from the bake sale era. It contains some 4-track demos of 'Not a Friend' and 'Mystery Man' off Bake Sale and 'Perfect Way' off the following release 'Harmacy'. Some acoustic versions of 'Magnets Coil' and 'Rebound' off Bake Sale and 'On Fire' also off Harmacy. A number of demo's recorded by Jason on a four track and are present on here as 'bonus' versions of 'Shit Soup', 'Drama Mine', 'Not Too Amused' and 'Careful'.

It's not these little off shoots that make this disc though. Opening noise jam 'MOR Backlash' demands attention straight away and lasting only 49sec delivers a sign that this disc is a different entity. Jazz piano led 'Foreground' with its noise backdrop provides a good segue to the Mogwai sounding instrumental '40203'. 'Drumstick Jumble' sounds like an extension of opener 'MOR Backlash' with a random collection of noise and spanish guitar dropping in and out at random intervals. 'Lime Kilin' has a monumental guitar come in half way through and then has a build up/sound like 'Fight This Generation' by Pavement but doesn't peak in the same way and instead wanders into a fade out into a 80's synth tv advert with a woman stating 'A lot of people think I'm from Chicago, I'm not, I'm from North Dakota'.

The first half of 'Fancy Ass/Destitute' could have just as easy slotted into Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's 'Orange' and then goes into a all familiar Sebadoh sound. 'Give the Drummer Some' is a drum jam with delay effects turning it into a serious noise groove while following directly on, 'Cementville' starts as if it has been lifted from a 50's zombie movie with guitars acting as theremins (with the odd theremin present underneath it all) over a grudging bass line.

A B-Side to Skull, 'Punching Myself in the Face Repeatedly, Publicly' sounds like it could also double up as an experimental Dinosaur Jr or Nirvana B-Side with a story narrative to the vocals and lo-fi music that works together and peaks in a lo-fi fashion. Also off the Skull single, 'sing something/place of hatred' starts off as a ballad then has a chorus of drums crashing then for the later half evolves into more of a Nirvana'ery pop song.

'III Screams' with a 'wet synth mix' subtitle has disjointed piano and sounds like its title with a synth audible in the dying moments of the piece. Continuing on is 'Monsoon' and 'Rainbow Farm' which both prove to be more on the jam side then the traditional song dynamics.

B-Side to 'Not too Amused', 'Hank Williams' (named after the famous country singer)is a stoner rock jam lifted from the carnival. With people smoking (I'll say tobacco through a traditional and legal hooka pipe) being a noise in constant background to the track, even whistling through the pipe is worked into the mix with a bongo solo. This is the longest song contained on both discs with a runtime of 4min 36sec. It later evolves into country samples being played over a noise jam and random bellowing from whoever was in front of the mic at the time.

The bonus Jason recorded 4 track version of 'Careful' is completely different to the original, with a clean guitar and a much more slower and softer vocal delivery and depending on what kind of mood you are in you may find it better then the original. The slower pace gives the listener to take the lyrics in and appreciate it as poetry rather then what it is on the original as a cool rock song. Also the bonus minute and a half version of 'Not to Amused' is well worth a listen.

One of the other interesting features about this reissue is the rare and unseen photos. It is really interesting to see the photo of the naked one year old Lou Barlow venturing into a toilet (which graces the albums cover), To the back cover of the booklet which sees the three with Lou a bit older then the others, to early press photos and early Sebadoh performance photos where Lou is a rather young rocking guy. Coupled this with the time I saw him play last year solo acoustically at Missing Link records in Melbourne where he played some of the songs on this cd, in comparison to those photos he has aged quite a bit! and with this reissue it is almost a photo memoir of a man to this day still loves making music.

In the liner notes Lou opens with 'I had a good time making this record and touring for it, it was possibly the best time of my life. For that reason I never listen to it'. Then three pages along Jason is quoted at the end of his story about the time, as saying 'So I have said nothing about the music,which is pretty much always for the best. Good times to all!!!'
which I feel sums up this album for a lot of people who have been fans since it's release 17yrs ago.

Bakesale - 9.25/10

Extras - 9.40/10

Bradley Armstrong