As
Soundgarden began to create a buzz by the summer of 1990 (due largely in part to the group's excellent 1989 major-label debut,
Louder Than Love), Sub Pop issued this compilation of two of the band's first EPs.
Screaming Life/Fopp shows the band in its formative stages -- while most of the tracks aren't on par with the band's future classics, plenty of highlights are included. If you're a fan of
Soundgarden's more straight-ahead material, the set is recommended. "Hunted Down" contains one of the band's heaviest riffs of all time, while "Little Joe" shows that the band's pop sensibilities were already taking shape. Other highlights include
Soundgarden's first single, "Nothing to Say," as well as "Entering," "Tears to Forget," "Hand of God," and an early cover of
Ohio Players' "Fopp." ~ Rovi Staff