The best expression of Soundgarden's early, Stooges/MC5-meets-Zeppelin/Sabbath sound, Ultramega OK is a dark, murky, buzzing record that simultaneously subverts and pays tribute to heavy metal.
At times, the band and its recasting of over-the-top '70s hard rock seem smirky (Hiro Yamamoto's ridiculous vocal on "Circle of Power"; a "cover" of John Lennon's "One Minute of Silence"); a few, like the cover of "Smokestack Lightning," really do sink into turgid metal silliness.
But the best moments are startling fusions of classic metal, punk rock, and psychedelia of the fuzz guitar variety, plus the local flavor of Green River and the Melvins.
The difference is, Soundgarden are better songwriters, and their feel for memorable riffs and hooks lend greater power to both the rockers and the creepy, dirge-like slow numbers.
It's a shame the album as a whole isn't more fully realized, because when separated out from the filler, the numerous highlights show why Soundgarden had such an enormous impact on the development of grunge.
It may not be quite as complex or consistent as some of Soundgarden's later albums, but Ultramega OK is easily the best document of grunge's early, pre-Nirvana days.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FlowerChris Cornell, Kim Thayil | Soundgarden | Play | 03:29 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 2 | All Your LiesChris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto | Soundgarden | Play | 03:51 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | 665Chris Cornell, Hiro Yamamoto | Soundgarden | Play | 01:37 | 3 MB | 9 MB |
| 4 | Beyond the WheelChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 04:21 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 5 | 667Chris Cornell, Hiro Yamamoto | Soundgarden | Play | 01:04 | 2 MB | 5 MB |
| 6 | Mood for TroubleChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 7 | Circle of PowerKim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto | Soundgarden | Play | 02:06 | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| 8 | He Didn'tMatt Cameron, Chris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 9 | Smokestack LightningChester Burnett | Soundgarden | Play | 05:07 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 10 | Nazi DriverChris Cornell, Hiro Yamamoto | Soundgarden | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 11 | Head InjuryChris Cornell | Soundgarden | Play | 02:26 | 5 MB | 17 MB |
| 12 | Incessant MaceChris Cornell, Kim Thayil | Soundgarden | Play | 06:27 | 14 MB | 46 MB |
| 13 | One Minute of SilenceJohn Lennon | Soundgarden | Play | 01:01 | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| 42 mins | 98 MB | |||||
| 42 mins | 289 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chester Burnett | Composer |
| 2 | Matt Cameron | Composer, Drums, Group Member |
| 3 | Drew Canulette | Producer |
| 4 | Chris Cornell | Composer, Group Member, Vocals |
| 5 | Jack Endino | Engineer, Mixing, Remixing |
| 6 | Josh Graham | Art Direction, Design |
| 7 | Chris Hanzsek | Engineer |
| 8 | Ted Jensen | Mastering |
| 9 | John Lennon | Composer |
| 10 | Lance Mercer | Sleeve Photo |
| 11 | Charles Peterson | Photography |
| 12 | Soundgarden | Primary Artist, Producer |
| 13 | Sydney Taylor | Sleeve Photo |
| 14 | Kim Thayil | Composer, Group Member, Guitar, Supervisor |
| 15 | Hiro Yamamoto | Bass, Composer, Group Member |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |