Johnson Unit - Live, January 1985 (Unreleased)

John O'Neil - Guitar/Vocals
Steve Nordby - Bass/Vocals
Robert Christie (RIP) - Drums/Vocals

I think Steve gave me this a long time ago but I can't remember. This set is from January 1985, I believe this was shortly before the release of the Poor Get Poorer tape. For more Johnson Unit, go here. The songs in this set came to me in alphabetical order, no idea how the set was actually put together.

Johnson Unit - Live, January 1985

1. 100 Years Too Late
2. Another Journey By Bus
3. Chemistry
4. End of the Story
5. EWOT
6. Instant
7. Old Wounds
8. Pneumatic Nightmare
9. Reproduction
10. Self Destruction

DOWNLOAD HERE

Oswald Five-O (1989-1996)

Robert Christie (RIP) - Guitar & Vocals

Diane Beck (now Rios) - Bass & Vocals

Gary Schartz - Guitar

Joe Brooks (RIP) - Drums

The original lineup of Oswald Five-O only released one 7" ("A Love Supreme") but they recorded much, much more than that. A few tracks surfaced in 2006 on the excellent Jealous Butcher Records release "Nothing to Prove" which you should all immediately order if you don't already own. Diane and Robert gave me tapes of these recordings 22 years ago and, being familiar with Robert's inability to ever hold onto a Snakepit tape, I figured I'd better hold onto everything just in case nobody else did. Big thanks to Diane for permitting me to post these long lost recordings.

Rest in peace Joe and Robert, you are both deeply missed.

A Love Supreme 7", Unreleased Demos & Live (Imp Records, 1990)

1. A Love Supreme (A Love Supreme 7")

2. Crushproof (A Love Supreme 7")

3. Our Secret

4. Signed D.C.

5. My Head Hurts

6. Iron Mike

7. Seattle

8. Christmas

9. Waiting

10. Carnival of Frustration

11. Dog

12. Gimmie Gimmie

13. Poison

14. Heartpunch
15. Poison
16. Heartpunch
17. Live at the WOW Hall 1989 Pt. 1
18. Live at the WOW Hall 1989 Pt. 2

DOWNLOAD HERE

Oswald Five-O Live at the WOW Hall, 1989

Footage shot by Adam Glogauer, downloads are quicktimes

DOWNLOAD HERE

PART 1 ON YOU TUBE

PART 2 ON YOU TUBE

Robert Christie (RIP) - Drums/Vocals
Diane Beck (now Rios) - Bass/Vocals
Nick Tucker - Guitar/Vocals

The later lineup that people are probably more familiar with. Gary & Joe decided to leave the band, Diane and Robert decided to forge ahead. Not sure how they met Nick but I'm glad they did!

Singles, Comp. Tracks & Unreleased Demos

1. Eraser (Eraser 7")
2. Felony Flats (Eraser 7")
3. Heavy Shoes (Heavy Shoes 7")
4. Lovers Understand (Heavy Shoes 7")
5. Blue T.V. (Blue T.V. 7")
6. 10 Days Off (Blue T.V. 7")
7. Bred In the Bone (Bred In the Bone 7")
8. Punishment Farm/Our Secret/World I Never Made (Bred In the Bone 7")
9. Aloha Steve and Dan-O (From the "I-5 Killers V3" comp)
10. No Name (From "Fieldburn" comp.)
11. My Way (From "Fieldburn" comp.)
12. Preyed Upon (From "Pollen Count" comp)
13. I'm an Asshole (Unreleased)
14. Alfie (Unreleased)
15. When I Was Hot (Unreleased)

Download includes scans of all artwork and inserts from the singles

DOWNLOAD HERE

Oswald Five-O Live at the McKenzie Theater No on 9 Benefit, 1992

VIEW ON YOU TUBE HERE

The first cd, released by Grinning Idiot in 1993, download includes all artwork.

For Losers Only (1993, Grinning Idiot)

1. On the Table
2. Marie Celeste
3. Conviction
4. The Reach
5. My Head Hurts
6. They
7. Unfair
8. Alfie
9. Premium
10. Preyed Upon
11. Poison
12. Idiot
13. Perfect World

DOWNLOAD HERE

The second cd, released by Grinning Idiot in 1996 after Oswald Five-O had disbanded. All artwork included in the download.

Serenade (1996, Grinning Idiot)

1. Lost and Found
2. Switchblade
3. My Novel
4. All Night Takeout
5. Punk as an Ulterior Motive
6. Waiting For Vengeance
7. Tallboy
8. Eraser
9. No. 6
10. Fruit Salad Says
11. Night and Day

DOWNLOAD HERE

Released WAY after the band had split up by the good people at Jealous Butcher Records, this compilation came out in 2006. There are several tracks that are exclusive to this release and the tracks that aren't will sound better here than on the downloads I've posted. Bottom line is you should be cool and go to the Jealous Butcher site and order this thing proper! Link to purchase below the track list.

Nothing to Prove (2006, Jealous Butcher)

1. A Love Supreme
2. Crush Proof
3. Waiting
4. Christmas
5. Heart Punch
6. Eraser
7. Felony Flats
8. Song For Bob Forrest
9. Understanding
10. Heavy Shoes
11. Lovers Understand
12. Tony Gets Wasted In San Pedro
13. No Name
14. My Way
15. Bred In the Bone
16. Punishment Farm/Our Secret/World I Never Made
17. Aloha Steve & Dan-O
18. Blue T.V.
19. 10 Days Off
20. Eraser '95

BUY THIS HERE

Oswald Five-O's Last Show, John Henry's '96

Download is a quicktime

DOWNLOAD HERE

SEE IT ON YOU TUBE HERE

DOWNLOAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF OSWALD FIVE-O PICTURES HERE

DOWNLOAD A BUNCH OF OSWALD FIVE-O FLYERS HERE

Snakepit (1984-1990)

Al Larson - Guitar/Vocals

Mike Johnson - Guitar/Vocals

Robert Christie (RIP) - Drums/Vocals

Joe Argast - Bass/Vocals

Laura McDougall - Bass on "Tonight's the Night"

Barely know where to start with this one. Snakepit were one of Eugene's finest bands. John O'Neil talked me into forking over $3.00 to purchase this back in '85 never having heard the band. This tape, along with the first two Johnson Unit tapes and the lone Moose Lodge cassette began my obsession with obtaining every Eugene demo possible. To this day, I don't understand how Snakepit failed to become absolutely huge. The music speaks for itself and I'm eternally grateful to Mike Johnson for allowing me to share this with you.

Snakepit - Soul Like a Goat (1985)

1. Wedding Train

2. Rachel

3. You Tell Me

4. A Short Narrative

5. Me & Mine

6. Sunrise

7. All Nerves

8. Still Haunts Me

9. Wishing Well

10. Waiting For You

11. Tonight's the Night (Live)

12. Art Song (bonus track)

DOWNLOAD HERE


 

Mike Johnson - Guitar/Vocals

Laura McDougall - Bass

Robert Christie - Drums/Vocals

This second cassette only release came out in '87 and was engineered by Ron Synovitz who was also kind enough to re-master it! This is the first time the recording has been available here and it's long overdue. Billy Karren was on the verge of joining the band and actually played on some of the live material that filled out the side but the studio tracks are just Mike, Robert & Laura. Hopefully I can get Ron to share some stories about this recording, will update accordingly.

Snakepit - From Vegas to Memphis (1987)

1. Party
2. Turn Around
3. From the Start
4. Sagetown
5. Important
6. A Smile
7. TV Eye (Live)

DOWNLOAD HERE

 
 
 
 

Mike Johnson - Guitar/Vocals

Billy Karren - Guitar/Vocals

Laura McDougall - Bass

Robert Christie - Drums/Vocals

At long last, here is the first Snakepit single! The band had previously released two cassettes (Soul Like a Goat, already posted on this blog and From Vegas to Memphis, coming soon) but his was the first time the band had committed anything to vinyl. The tracks were recorded in '88 at Smegma in Portland with Mike Lastra. I heard many years ago that they recorded 7 tracks at the session but the 4 posted here are all I have. If anyone can confirm that additional tracks were recorded please email me, especially if you have the songs! Don't feel like I need to type much about this record, it speaks for itself and you should have already clicked the download link before you even read this far.

Snakepit - Wait ('88)

1. Wait

2. Disease

3. Susanville

4. Decay (bonus track originally appeared on Positively 13th St. compilation cassette)

DOWNLOAD HERE

 
 
 
 
 

Mike Johnson - Guitar/Bass/Vocals
Laura McDougall - Bass
Robert Christie - Drums/Vocals

This was the final release by Snakepit although it was not the last material they recorded. Released in 1990 by Dunghill I can't even remember if the band was still playing live at the time with Joe Preston on bass. The front cover is an ominous photo of Robert walking in his burned down apartment at 951 Patterson. The night the place burned Snakepit was supposed to be playing a show at the EMU Dining Hall, it would have been the first time they'd played Eugene in months. The tracks on this post were all recorded at Gung Ho and it's strange to hear the band in the kind of clarity that Gung Ho provides. I wish they'd recorded many many albums but after this there was only the unreleased Eeyore.

 Snakepit - Waste 7" + Bonus Tracks (1990)


1. Waste
2. Million
3. Say It's So (Originally appeared on 13th St. Revisited cassette comp)
4. Rot (Unreleased)
5. Searching For a Five (Unreleased)
6. Finger In Judgement (Unreleased)
7. Lovers Understand (Unreleased, Robert Sings!)

DOWNLOAD HERE




Mike Johnson - Vocals, Guitar, Bass (?)
Robert Christie - Drums, Vocals

This unreleased album was the last studio stuff Snakepit recorded. I believe this was all done at Gung-Ho Studios in 1989 and I'm not sure if Laura was still around to play bass on these tracks, I think it was just Mike and Robert by this point. Not much to say, this should have come out over 20 years ago but for a variety of reasons, that never happened. When I asked Mike's permission to post this, he said sure although he couldn't "imagine that anyone would want to hear it." Please let him know he was wrong about that in the comments. Many of these songs later appeared in different form on Mike's solo albums, I guess that makes this sort of like Snakepit's V.U. or Another View?

Snakepit - Eeyore (Unreleased '89)

1. Home Ground
2. Impatient & Unwilling
3. You're Alive
4. Separation
5. Giving Up on Time
6. Passed By
7. F.M.D.
8. Another Time
9. Slipping Away
10. A Reason
11. Obvious
12. Victim

DOWNLOAD HERE

Johnson Unit (1984-1987)

John O'Neil - Guitar/Vocals
Steve Nordby - Bass/Vocals
Dean Guernsey - Drums
Dan Padgett - Drums on "Self Destruction"

This first Johnson Unit tape was the first local music I bought. I like the lo-fi sound but guitarist/singer John told me that I was one of only two or three people to ever think this tape was any good. I think it was $3 well spent! This was the first release from what would later become Dunghill Recordings which I think John & Steve co-founded.

1. Old Wounds

2. Production Surfing

3. EWOT

4. Another Journey By Bus

5. Image Promotion

6. Thinking For Themselves

7. Live For Today

8. Production Dub

9. Self Destruction

10. Image Promotion (Live)

11. So You Want To Be a Rock 'n Roll Star? (Live)

12. Their Kind of Rebel (Live)

THE TRIANGULAR EFFECT DOWNLOAD HERE




John O'Neil - Guitar/Vocals
Steve Nordby - Bass/Vocals
Robert Christie (R.I.P.) - Drums/Vocals

The second Johnson Unit cassette was recorded by Steve Nordby on his 4-track. I think this is a Eugene classic. This was the first tape I actually bought directly from a member of the band. John probably sold me most of the local tapes I've been carrying around for the last 25 years while he worked at House of Records. Please check the Panic on 13th Facebook page for many many Johnson Unit photos.

Johnson Unit - The Poor Get Poorer

1. Shop For Style

2. Imperialist

3. Their Kind of Rebel

4. Endless Story

5. Pneumatic Nightmare

6. Rally

7. Blitzkreig Lounge Bop

8. Chemistry

9. Reproduction

10. Instant

11. 100 Years Too Late

12. Story Through Your Eyes

The Poor Get Poorer - Download Here

John O'Neil - Guitar/Vocals

Steve Nordby - Bass/Vocals

Robert Christie (R.I.P.) - Drums/Vocals

The 3rd and final cassette by Johnson Unit released in '86. John and Steve would go on to form Uncle Charlie while Robert continued to play in Snakepit and would eventually also join Some Velvet Sidewalk and Oswald Five-O. The title of the tape was in reference to the construction of the parking lot on 13th and Patterson that I believe forced the demolition of Lenny's Nosh Bar as well as a number of other local businesses. Easily one of the best Eugene releases in my collection. Side one was the band doing originals, side two were covers. Enjoy!

Johnson Unit - Quick To Condemn (Dunghill, 1986, Cassette Only)

1. Before

2. Two Extremes

3. Lines

4. Not So Far Away

5. Watching Him Die

6. Singled Out

7. Quick To Condemn

8. Shutoff

9. A Victim

10. Facing Up (Bonus Track not on original release)

11. Niteline

12. Hazy Shade of Winter

13. Bad Moon Rising

14. Sonic Reducer

15. I Think We're Alone Now

16. New Wave Girlfriend

17. Time Won't Let Me

18. Abdul & Cleopatra

19. Casiotune

20. Jam Up and Jelly Tight

21. Space Truckin'

Johnson Unit - Quick To Condemn - DOWNLOAD HERE