''Clairvoyance'' is the 1986 debut studio album by the

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band

Screaming Trees Screaming Trees were an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington, in 1984 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bassist Van Conner, and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel was replaced by Barrett Martin in 1991. Screami ...

, produced by

Steve Fisk Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been a ...

. Released on Velvetone Records, the album helped the band earn a contract with

SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold elec ...

. While it is very much a combination of

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

and

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

, it bears many similarities to early

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

. It was original limited to a pressing of 2,500 copies, which included full size, double sided inserts. In January 2005, it was re-issued on CD by Hall of Records.

stated that after completing the record he attempted to book a tour for the band and sent their album to local radio stations with little to no traction, stating that "no one wanted to hear about a band from Eastern Washington".

Reception

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

guitarist

Kim Thayil Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960)Kim Thayil Biography
Unofficial SG Homepage.

listed ''Clairvoyance'' as one of his favourite grunge albums, stating: "I like ''Clairvoyance'' for the song “Clairvoyance,” but my favorite song on there is probably “I See Stars” followed by “Orange Airplane.” After this album, they kind of fattened up their sound."

Track listing

Personnel

; Screaming Trees *

Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer and songwriter. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the Stone Age ...

– lead vocals, violin on "Strange Out Here" * Gary Lee Conner – guitar, backing vocals, organ * Van Conner – bass, backing vocals *

Mark Pickerel Mark Pickerel (born March 12, 1968) is an American musician best known as the original drummer for the alternative rock band Screaming Trees. He is also an active session musician and has released several solo albums as a singer/guitarist. Biog ...

– percussion, drums ; Additional musicians * Joey Conner – backing vocals on "Orange Airplane" * Joanne Conner – backing vocals on "Clairvoyance" *

– producer, piano on "Lonely Girl" and "Clairvoyance," organ on "The Turning" * Michael Peterson – backing vocals on "Lonely Girl" ; Additional personnel * Sam Albright – cover design * John Golden – mastering

References

Screaming Trees albums 1986 debut albums Albums produced by Steve Fisk {{1980s-alt-rock-album-stub