from the LP Sub Pop 200, Sub Pop Records, 1988Like most people, I purchased this Sub Pop compilation in the early ‘90s due to the inclusion of tracks by Nirvana, Screaming Trees and Mudhoney that couldn’t be found anywhere else---funny thing was, the big-wigs were duly outshined on this collection by significantly lesser-known bands, and like so many other music purchases in my life, I wound up stumbling upon a handful of fantastic groups by accident, such as the Fastbacks, Tad, & this little-known crew called Chemistry Set. I tracked down their self-titled EP and a 7” single that came after this, but none of the songs on those come close to this number, and for me, this track was the clear winner in the whole bunch here, making perfect use of the fast-slow-fast formula; that washed out chorus is so brilliantly stoned and effortless, it feels like you are floating on a cloud, “…and when you’re high in your room, and you feel in tune, grab a guitar and start playing very loud; come and join us, ‘cause it’s lonely underground…”
