| Tres Cabrones | ||
|---|---|---|
 The CD "front cover" depicting the band as "Los Melvins". They are listed as "Melvins 1983" on the back cover. | ||
| Studio album by Melvins | ||
| Released | November 5 2013 | |
| Recorded | 2011 - 2012 at Sounds of Sirens Studios in , San Francisco, California, USA | |
| Genre | Sludge Metal, Punk Rock, Experimental Rock, Novelty Music, Comedy | |
| Length | 44:53 | |
| Producer | Toshi Kasai; Melvins | |
| Melvins chronology | ||
| Melvins Live At Third Man Records (2013) |
Tres Cabrones (2013) |
Hold It In (2014) |
Tres Cabrones (Which translates to "Three Dumbasses" or "Three Fuckers") is the 22nd studio album by Melvins (Billed as "Los Melvins" and "Melvins 1983" on this release). It is notably the first official studio album to feature original drummer Mike Dillard on drums since his departure from the band in 1984 and his first recordings with the band in 29 years. Dillard's only other recording efforts with the band were in 1983 and ultimately released in 2005 as Mangled Demos From 1983. Dale Crover rounds out the lineup as bassist since it's "as close as we're willing to get with the Melvins 1983 lineup" according to Buzz Osborne.[1]
Tres Cabrones is also the last Melvins album to date to feature the "mirrored" album art.
Background[]
In 2008, 2009 and 2011 The Melvins had performed shows with the lineup of Buzz, Dale and original drummer Mike Dillard, performing songs from Mangled Demos From 1983. Eventually, Buzz pitched the idea of doing a studio album with this lineup, writing material specifically for this lineup in mind. Recording was done quickly since Dillard still lived in Washington and thus time was limited. Buzz details as such in two different interviews:
| “ | “Well, last year we did a four-song EP with Mike that came out on Amphetamine Reptile [titled 1983]. It was just a vinyl release, so four of those songs are included on this. Then we just fleshed it out into an album. But he lives in Washington, so we don't get a whole lot of time to play with him.
But we do this thing where the Melvins 1983 opened for the Melvins. So when we were practicing for that on this run of shows - seven shows or something like that in the US - right after that we said, "We should do a record like this." So it grew out of that." |
” |
— Buzz Osborne, Songfacts[2]
|
| “ | “It’s actually not a new lineup, it’s more of an extension of the Melvins. Pretty much at this point, anything we do Melvins-wise is a Melvins record. But this was the Melvins in 1983—as close as we’ll get to that line up, which is our original drummer, Mike Dillard playing drums and Dale Crover playing bass. That’s what it is. So I wrote songs with just those guys playing those instruments in mind. My wife says it’s her favorite record of ours because it’s simpler. That’s what she thinks. I dont know if she’s a good judge.”
"I’ve always loved stuff like that[The traditional songs and covering them]. The song “Black Bock” off our Stag record is a good example of that. We think all that kind of stuff is hilarious but we always thought our album covers were hilarious. Ozma, Houdini, no one thinks that stuff’s funnier than us. Especially this album, Tres Cabrones, which means “Three Dumbasses.” It’s a takeoff of Tres Hombres. Three Dumbshits." |
” |
— Buzz Osborne, Noisey[3]
|
"Walter's Lips" is a cover of The Lewd, which had been previously recorded as an instrumental by the original lineup and released as "Walter" on Mangled Demos from 1983. "Stick Em' Up Bitch" features an original song throughout the first half of the song before going into "Fascists Eat Donuts" by The Pop-O-Pies.
The Melvins have played "City Dump" on their 2013 Australian Tour and worked "Fascists Eat Donuts" into their sets with Jeff Pinkus on bass from 2013 - 2015.
Vinyl[]
Like some Melvins records, Tres Cabrones was not released on a single LP but rather the songs spread out over multiple releases via Amphetamine Reptile Records. Notably, nine of the songs were previously released on vinyl before the album itself was released.
First came the 1983 EP with "Psycho-Delic Haze", "Stump Farmer", "Stick Em' Up Bitch" and "Walter's Lips"; 10" vinyl and letterpress CD in 2012. The vinyl and letterpress CDs were sold on the 51/51 Tour initially. Notably the mixes on these songs are slightly different than the mixes on the album.
"Dr. Mule" was available for free download on the 10 Years of Scion compilation and later released on a split 7" with Helmet.
In the summer of 2013 Melvins 1983 would released the Gaylord 7" with "City Dump", "You're in the Army Now" and "99 Bottles of Beer".
"American Cow" was released on 10" and CD as part of the BASH 13 compilation with Mudhoney, Negative Approach, Die Kreuzen, Hepa-Titus and Gay Witch Abortion.
"I Told You I Was Crazy" and "Tie My Pecker To A Tree" were later released together as a 7" release on December 31, 2013.
"Dogs and Cattle Prods" was released as part 11 of the Sugar Daddy Live split series in 2014.
Tres Cabrones would be re-issued on vinyl via Ipecac in May 2023.
Tracklist[]
All songs written by Buzz Osborne except where noted.
- 1. - Doctor Mule (4:15)
- 2. - City Dump (3:28)
- 3. - American Cow (3:41)
- 4. - Tie My Pecker To A Tree (1:04) (Traditional)
- 5. - Dogs and Cattle Prods (8:59)
- 6. - Psycho-Delic Haze (4:06)
- 7. - 99 Bottles of Beer (1:16) (Traditional)
- 8. - I Told You I Was Crazy (6:54)
- 9. - Stump Farmer (2:19)
- 10. - You're In The Army Now (1:08) (Traditional)
- 11. - Walter's Lips (3:13) (The Lewd)
- 12. - Stick em' Up Bitch (4:13) (Osborne/Pop-O-Pies)
Personnel[]
- Buzz Osborne - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Stylophone
- Dale Crover - Vocals, Bass, Drums, Percussion
- Mike Dillard - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
- Toshi Kasai - Recording, Omnichord, Toy Piano
- John Golden - Mastering
- Mackie Osborne - Design