On December 6th, Sub Pop will release seven titles – five on LP and digital, and two digital-only – by Denver punk legends The Fluid. These releases include the band’s entire Sub Pop output from 1988-1991, choice outtakes and rarities, and their debut album, Punch N Judy, which originally came out on RayOn Records in 1986. None of this material has been available on digital music services before, and the vinyl versions have been out of print for decades. It all sounds better than ever thanks to extensive mixing and remastering work by the band and Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High on Fire, Mudhoney).
The Fluid are arguably the great unsung band from the fertile underground rock scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The Denver five-piece – John Robinson (vocals), James Clower (guitar), Matt Bischoff (bass), Garrett Shavlik (drums), and the dear departed Rick Kulwicki (guitar) – fused the fire of ‘80s hardcore with crunching Detroit protopunk, ‘60s garage rock, and ‘70s rock swagger. Think MC5, Faces, ‘70s Stones, all cranked up and really high on Sex Pistols and Black Flag singles.
Rising from the ashes of early-’80s Denver bands Frantix (whose “My Dad’s a Fuckin’ Alcoholic” is a true gem of American punk) and White Trash, The Fluid were the first non-Seattle band to sign to Sub Pop, and Clear Black Paper was the second full-length album the label ever released. The label honchos were fans of Frantix, and happily got involved with The Fluid when the opportunity arose via the label’s European licensing partner, Glitterhouse, who handled The Fluid across the pond. Witnessing The Fluid’s dominant live presence helped – a particularly fiery early show at Seattle’s Central Tavern featured The Fluid, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and Soundgarden all trying to outdo one another on stage.
The band fit right in on Sub Pop’s nascent roster of acts who, wherever they stood on the spectrum of punk/rock/metal, shared a commitment to thunderous riffs and explosive live shows. Legendary for their ferocious stage presence, famously captured in vivid glory by grunge house photographer, Charles Peterson, The Fluid toured all over the US and Europe, holding their own and then some on bills with Mudhoney, Nirvana (when Nirvana were still the opening act), Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr., and other powerhouses of the era. From 1986 to 1993, The Fluid put out four albums and a number of EPs and singles, including a split 7” with Nirvana in 1991, before disbanding after their sole major-label album, 1993’s Purplemetalflakemusic.
Yet, while their partners-in-crime bulldozed into the mainstream, The Fluid remained something of a cult band, their audience confined to those who got hip during the band’s existence, and crate diggers who nabbed original vinyl or CDs, which had quickly become rarities after selling through their original runs.
Why? Record industry machinations? The fickle finger of pop culture? Being from Denver, not Seattle? Who the hell knows… and who cares! The point is the band ripped, and the world deserves to hear them again. The Fluid took influences they shared with their contemporaries and ran in their own direction, focused on ass-shaking grooves more than misanthropic sludge. Rock anthems like “Cold Outside” sit alongside Stooge-oid rhythmic poundings (“Black Glove”), bluesy romps (“Leave It”), the occasional grungy dirge (“Wasted Time”), and raw punk bangers (“Is It Day I’m Seeing?” from the seminal 1988 Sub Pop 200 compilation). The band wasn’t shy about their inspiration, either: scattered through their catalog are covers of The Troggs, The Rolling Stones, MC5, Iggy Pop and James Williamson, and Rare Earth. Whether barrelling through others’ songs or their own, The Fluid stand out as champions of a feral, urgent, exuberant approach to rock ‘n roll. As it turns out, that wasn’t a recipe for stardom in the era of hyper-slick pop, boomer dinosaurs crying tears in heaven, and hair-metal power-ballads. But someone had to do it.
Maybe The Fluid were simply ahead of their time? The grungy riffs and raw, hooky rock that permeate their catalog were defining features of the Nevermind-induced cultural earthquake that hit five years after The Fluid’s debut, and of the early 2000s rock resurgence that spawned The White Stripes, The Hives, et al. Regardless, it’s criminal that The Fluid’s music has been so hard to find all these years.
To set things right, Sub Pop, The Fluid, and producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High on Fire, Mudhoney) teamed up to refresh and reissue The Fluid’s entire indie-label catalog: their 1986 debut, Punch N Judy; 1988’s Clear Black Paper; 1989’s Roadmouth; the 1990 Glue EP (produced by Butch Vig, shortly before he teamed up with Nirvana to make Nevermind); and a treasure trove of rarities and previously unreleased material. All the music has been remastered from original tapes by Endino and JJ Golden, and the bulk of it has been meticulously remixed by Endino and the band, righting some sonic quirks that diminished the impact of the original records. Now, with their definitive material sounding better than ever, it’s high time The Fluid get their due.
The Fluid’s catalog is now available to preorder from Sub Pop. Limited colored-vinyl preorders are available at the Sub Pop Mega Mart (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide.