Chuckie Boy Records

Maximum Rock 'n' Roll - July 2000
This was what you did in the '80s if you were in a great, creative band that didn't want to play pit-ritual bore-core or program computers to stimulate bored post-disco vampires: you played songs with atmosphere and guts, you did crazy shit in front of dumbfounded audiences full of expectations of what "punk" was supposed to be, and you broke up right before the recognition and dollars started flowing your way. You did what the U-MEN do on this CD, although hardly anyone else did it like these guys. If you want a rough comparison for sound's sake, try an American channeling of the rockingest BIRTHDAY PARTY moments.
(RW)

The Rocket - Seattle- March 22 thru April 12, 2000
Never mind grunge-the U-Men predated it all by a good five years. Back in the early '80s, there was nothing quite like this band in the Northwest, or anywhere else for that matter. As a seminal Northwest band, the U-Men broke ground, inspired countless others to take up instruments, and burned up several of the stages they played on (honestly). They made quite a mess of their career, along with their stages, and after five years of fighting the good fight, they quit. The
U-Men had the misfortunate to break up about 10 minutes before the Seattle scene took off.
This compilation gathers up 18 tracks that previously required you to own seven different vinyl sources, all of which would have been impossible to track down if you didn't already have them. Solid Action proves that my memories of how outrageous this band was at the time (and how good) are not just alcohol-fueled flashbacks: Particularly live, the U-Men had a spunk and style rarely seen in the Northwest. Lead singer John Bigley not only possessed a tremendous voice, he also had a charisma and photogenic quality that was mesmerizing. The rhythm section, in particular, kept this band solid, fueled by bassist Jim Tillman and drummer Charlie Ryan. Guitar duties fell to Tom Price, who has been in a bunch of more successful bands since (Gas Huffer, Monkeywrench), but ones that rarely matched this youthful pomp.
As the excellent liner notes to this set point out, the U-Men always knew how to provoke and their concerts could turn into chaotic rumbles or knife fights. But by remaining committed to playing live music at a time when there were virtually no venues for a band of this sort, against overwhelming odds, they practically invented the local scene that would several years later spawn Mudhoney, Nirvana and Soundgarden. This CD does what all great reissues should-rather than make me feel nostalgic for a lost time, it simply makes me feel energetic enough to slam right into the person standing next to me, and that is no small accomplishment. -Charles R. Cross

Seattle Times - March 31, 2000
They were once Seattle's hottest band-literally. The U-Men, a pre-grunge rock band, almost lit themselves on fire at Bumbershoot 1995 (note to bands: lighter fluid is not a toy). The U-Men have a new album called "Solid Action", a cool collection of songs by the art-punk band previously available only on vinyl.
What have the U-Men been doing, lately? Singer John Bigley is now part owner of the Capitol Club. Bass player Jim Tillman is a fashion photographer. Guitarist Tom Price plays in several bands, including Bottle of Smoke and Monkeywrench (featuring former Mudhoney-ians Mark Arm and Steve Turner). And drummer Charlie Ryan plays with Price in Bottle of Smoke. -Tom Scanlon

FINALLY! You know, I cain't fuggin' count on my fingers and my toes, and even when in the SHOWER... where I can count to 21... how many times I've chatted with folks 'round this thurd burg, er... Seattle, 'bout how ain't NOBODY never done no reissuin' o' the U-Men's action! Seriously, all the ex-members seemed accessible, and EVERYBODY lerbs the band... so I was always, like, what gives?
     Well now, thank GOD I can finally shut me pie... er, bourbon-hole. As the KFC Colonel says... "Booya." Yes... we gittin' a "best of" les U-Men. Whew, this baid maim-a-jaima's got tracks culled from the super-RARE U-Men 'n' Stop Spinning EPs, the two 45s 'n' scattered compilation appearances, a live track from Texas, plus a few LP tracks... and this includes the U's version o' one o' my most fave songs ever, the Wheel's "Bad Little Woman!"
      Tho' I ain't from Seattle-I'm East Coast, dude-I was certainly a far-flug fan... how could I NOT be!? Seriously, way back when I first heard 'em, tossed in with the usual punked-up suspects, it was like BOOM, BOOM, BOOM... uh, what in the hell is this? PLEASE play it again! C'mon, you know they jumped out atcha, like, there they was beatin', not the "hardcore," but syncopated, chaotic... tho' with a stern commitment to rockin' alotta bottom-end racket. Kinda like the Nicky pricky's Birthday Party... but, with an undeniable "We are AMERICAN teens. Please, do not be alarmed, we mean you no harm... Oh, except we're plannin' REVOLUTION. So like, izat cool?" connection.
      Um... that "it" was the "thing" us kids felt when we got bent on Flipper, No Trend... the dirgy stuff that generally won't FAST! Oh, and in retrospect (or is that "hindsight"?), it's fun to see that the U-Men's "sound," tho' not always their FURY, predated what'd become yer "standard issue" for '80s 'n' '90s mid-Western "indie". You DO know what I mean? Right?

Seattle Weekly - March 30, 2000
* U-MEN- If you want a good response for those people who claim nothing good ever happened in Seattle music during the mid-1980s, I'd suggest you shout "U-Men!" Chuckie Boy Records has once again rescued many cool tracks from singles, EPs, and the band's lone album, making all available on one handy CD, Solid Action. -J.B.

In the early 1980s Seattle didn't exist -- at least not in the eyes of the music world. Granted, Jimi Hendrix was born there, Heart was something of a success, and for the true historians, there were The Sonics. But prior to that phenomenon called 'grunge,' Seattle barely even showed up as a blip on the musical radar. Locally, however, there was something very distinct -- though difficult to categorize -- going on. That something was the U-Men. Their post-punk, alcohol-induced caterwauling was the stuff legends are made of. And if you ask any of the old-school dinosaurs about the days of yore, the U-Men will invariably come up. And they're always spoken of with reverence and an air of nostalgia. Like a fever dream, they would take the stage and create their unruly noise, equal parts voodoo, swamp gas, nitro and punk rawk. Fronted by the mild-mannered John Bigley - who would transform into an absolute wild man on stage - the U-Men played with a manic abandon as if every show was their last. And for a while it seemed as if it might be: for close to a year, every time they tried to play a show, the Seattle police would shut it down. Needless to say, this only added to their celebrity. But sentimental stories aside, The U-Men were, in essence, the band which defined the Seattle scene in the early 1980s, and now for the first time, we have a proper retrospective of one of the most important and largely unnoticed bands from the Northwest. It's time for some Solid Action.

We were lucky, if that's the right word, to share a rehearsal space with The U-Men, in the basement of the Graven Image Gallery in Seattle's Pioneer Square district...early '80's or so. Brown dirt floor, red light bulbs, Black Label cans EVERYWHERE. A perfect spot to learn how to tune your guitar--or not, in our case. And when the U-Men played, it was like being in a church, where it had all gone horribly, beautifully wrong--John, the Preacher, was clearly the biggest sinner in the building, and NO WAY could he offer redemption for anybody, much less himself. The U-Men's seeds have yielded some wicked bad fruit. Give even half a listen and it's obvious. But now...time to go back and check out those deep, dark roots...

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