Uncle Anesthesia is the fifth studio album by Screaming Trees and first full length album on Epic Records. The album was released on January 29, 1991. It was recorded at London Bridge Studio, in Seattle, Washington. It includes two of the four tracks from the band’s previous Epic release, Something About Today EP (1990).
The album was recorded throught June 1990, was the last to feature drumming by original member Mark Pickerel, who left on amicable terms in 1991 to work in a variety of projects. He was replaced by Barrett Martin. Uncle Anesthesia was produced by heavy metal specialist Terry Date and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. Unlike in the past, the band rehearsed for a couple of weeks before recording. The album took six and a half weeks to record. Despite the major label backing, the album failed to expand the Screaming Trees‘ audience.
Screaming Trees released the single Bed of Roses in support of their album, Uncle Anesthesia. The song peaked at number thirty-two on John Sellers‘ list of The 100 Most Underrated Indie Rock Songs, and No. 23 on the Modern Rock charts. Screaming Trees supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Nirvana and Das Damen; Dan Peters played drums on much of the tour.
Tracklist:
- Beyond This Horizon
- Bed of Roses
- Uncle Anesthesia
- Story of Her Fate
- Caught Between
- Lay Your Head Down
- Before We Arise
- Something About Today
- Alice Said
- Time for Light
- Disappearing
- Ocean of Confusion
- Closer
Screaming Trees
Mark Lanegan: vocals
Gary Lee Conner: guitar, backing vocals
Van Conner: bass, backing vocals
Mark Pickerel: percussion, drums
Additional musicians
Chris Cornell: producer, recorder (“Lay Your Head Down”), backing Vocals (“Alice Said,” “Uncle Anesthesia,” “Before We Arise”)
Terry Date: backing vocals, producer, engineer
Scott Miller: backing vocals
Terry Pickerel: percussion
Jeff McGraph: trumpet
Additional personnel
David Coleman: art direction
Karen Mason: photography
Mark Ryden: artwork
Screaming Trees: producer
Mark Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022)
Van Conner (March 17, 1967 – January 18, 2023).
