On April 3, The Frogs return with a new LP of older, previously unreleased material. Named 1st and releasing on End Of All Music Records, it is dubbed "the original debut album" and features material recorded in January 1986 -- 12 songs and 8 unreleased bonus tracks.
As the pre-release press release explains:
“1st” aka “Pat’s Session” was intended to be the initial release by brothers Dennis and Jimmy Flemion, prior to “The Frogs” 1988 self-titled debut. Minneapolis based Twin/Tone Records (Soul Asylum, The Replacements label at the time) approached The Frogs and expressed fawning interest, extending an invitation to record the band after their 1985, 7th Street Entry live performance (First Avenue’s sister club).
It was at this point, the famous fork in the road, where The Frogs opted to record closer to home, thus the path deviated a few weeks later to Nexus Recording Studio in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 12 rapid fire songs emerged and were captured on reel to reel, one night, recorded live, first take, no overdubs. Upon playback review, the late Dennis Flemion (d.7/7/2012), opted not to release due to the overabundance of reverb. Throughout the years the discussion would persist from other sources on pursuing to fix the reverb on “1st”. Thirty-two years later, in 2018 Jimmy would take the recordings to a Portland, Oregon recording studio to remaster. The studio engineer successfully cleaned-up & removed the excess reverb. As a result, David Swider from End of All Music Records, expressed further interest in a follow up to the 2019, 30th Anniversary reissue of “It’s Only Right And Natural”.
Listen to "Hellsville Baby" below.
The band will play a short tour with Jimmy Flemion, joined by Evan Dando (The Lemonheads).
LIVE SHOWS:
Feb 14 Vancouver, B.C Rickshaw Theatre
Feb 15 Seattle, WA Substation
Feb 16 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Feb 18 San Francisco, CA Chapel
Feb 19 Los Angeles, CA Roxy
Feb 21 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
Feb 22 Las Vegas, NV Bunk Bar
1st - TRACK LISTING:
01. And So You’re the King
02. Businessman (The 8th Day)
03. Good Morning, Christian Son
04. Hellsville Baby
05. The Kennedy’s Killed Monroe
06. Is Anyone Home 2 Love?
07. I Killed ‘Em White Guy
08. There is Darkness
09. Piranha Volcano God
10. Swamp Broad
11. Guru
12. Dungeon
Bonus Tracks:
13. Dragon
14. Layin’ Down My Love 4 U (1984)
15. She Was A Mortal (1984)
16. Guru (1985)
17. Businessman (The 8th Day) (1985)
18. Guru (Home Overdub)
19. Layin’ Down My Love 4 U (Vegas)
20. And So You’re the King (Take 1)
