produced by SMUG

1. Passin You Buy..
2. They Never Read The Book
3. Shoulda Wrote a Ballad..
4. Change
5. 3 States 6 Days 1200 Miles..
6. Those That Gave Them Their Name
7. Doubtful..
8. It's Me
9. Most Of All

1 3 States, 6 Days, 1,200 Miles..
2 Shoulda' Wrote A Ballad
3 Those That Gave Them Their Name..
4 Such History
5 Doubtful (live)..

produced by SMUG
total running time 20:40

After playing together as a unit twice, Rick Musalam (guitar/vocals), Bret Helm (bass/vocals) and drummer Sean Daniel decided to go into a recording studio to capture the immediacy of their time together. Here is where SMUG was created. The plan, simple..three days at a 16 track 2 inch analog recording studio for $1,000.00 to walk with four finished songs. Well, they almost achieved their goal, falling short by the fourth song which is only partially represented here in an instrumental version. Add a live version of 'Doubtful' from the first SMUG show and you end up with the bands very first recorded material. Four of these songs would end up on their debut album, "Freshly Stained" with various adjustments, changes, different tempos, etc. made to the initial versions found here. For collectors and fans who like to say, "I was there when.." 'Appetizer' is a great place to start.

Produced by Bret Helm
Total running time 45:41

"this nails to the chalkboard unit flexes those muscles that haven't been moved in a long time"
- Village Voice

"former P.i.L. bassist Bret Helm is definitely the man here and he's made a terrific, well produced album complete with monstrous bass grooves, snarling guitars and a heavy mad scientist vibe"
- Bass Player

Critically acclaimed both here and abroad, "Einstein Was A Bullfighter" is Doc Tahris' most impressive work to date. Helms' lyrical lunacy and quirky vocals are once again offset by his monstrously wide bass groves. Add the virtuoso guitar work of Jennifer Batten (Jeff Beck, Michael Jackson) with Monte McConnell on drums and the result hits you like a sledgehammer to the face that will keep you guessing and asking both 'How & Why'? At times one is reminded of Zappa, Primus, Talking Heads and P-Funk. Pretty lofty company with which to be associated yet this trio leaves its' own mark. Helms' vocal onslaught is prevalent out the gate on 'Arrest This' where he slams politicians and the system in general. He continues to offend on such gems as 'Brain Dead Endorsee' in which he attacks the intelligence level of overpaid/undereducated athletes. This is truly a hard record to listen to in its entirety yet it rewards those who are courageous enough to do so. It's no wonder that over 100 critics around the globe felt compelled to talk about this disturbed offering.

Produced by Bret Helm
Total running time 55:36

Helm is at it again 'Talkin' Smack' just like Doc Tahri fans have come to expect"
- Los Angeles Times

"A Mr. Toads wild ride through funk-rock-punk and avant madness"
- BAM

"talented people creating a manic blend of silliness, sarcasm, social commentary and blatant insanity"
- Music Connection

"The Sharp Side Of The Spoon" is the last known release by Los Angeles based Doc Tahri. Numerous events coupled with bad luck led to the shelving of this awkward bands farewell until recently. Several years later, "Sharp Side" has been rediscovered, remastered and made available now for the first time. On this, their fourth and final studio release, Helm has pretty much abandoned "a band" in favor of a one man approach utilizing samples, snippets, sound bytes and a multitude of other oddities to create a sonically rich, albeit disjointed affair. Though aggressive at times, this record is considerably more funky than the bands critically acclaimed predecessor, "Einstein Was A Bullfighter". True to form is Helms' unique bass work and cynical lyricism. The arrangements on "Sharp Side" are all over the place. From the funk based opening track 'Feel Like Talkin' Smack' complete with P-Funk style horns, Bootsyesque bass riffs and cool guitar work by Linda Taylor, to the low end drone 'Pain In The Ass' with its pounding bass, distorted vocals, kalimba and harmonica.... Helm makes it clear that this will be an unsettling ride. The album could have benefited greatly by omitting a few instrumental ramblings like 'Piano Circus' & 'Are You Insured'? Even so, die hard Doc Tahri fans will find this a welcome addition while providing closure to the bands small but rich discography.

Tastes Great (A Side) Beauty Is My Bidnuss (radio) Beauty Is My Bidnuss (beautiful dance mix)
Less Filling (B Side) Minimum Wage / The Search For Corn / Minimum Words

Produced by Bret Helm & Ivan Dragotin Grguric for Barabus productions
Total running time 19:37

"...Helm is impossibly funky for a white guy.."
- Music Connection

White boy rap over live funky tracks? No Way! It will never happen!! Well, that's what industry reps kept telling Helm and his traveling asylum known as Doc Tahri. The local club darlings of Los Angeles (circa 1988-1992) were an enigma to most major labels whose A&R reps frequented the bands live performances. "Corn" is the bands sophomore release and was originally issued as a 5 song 12" EP. Huge bass meets thin sounding electronic drums courtesy of Ivan Dragotin Grguric with guitar pyrotechnics provided by Jennifer Batten. This awkward pairing is augmented by Helm & Grguric trading vocals on song titles 'Beauty Is My Bidnuss' & 'Minimum Wage'. The title track is a short jazzyesque throwaway diddy with fluttering trumpet courtesy of George Ove Lyons, the bands manager at the time. The problem on this record is that the band in the studio had yet to capture the band live. Future recordings would bridge the gap better which leaves this sounding like a sophomore effort. Good news is that the vynil medium allows for a ton of low end which helps to showcase Helms' base prowess. That in itself makes "The Search" worth it.

Side A Trendite / Sex Attack
Side B Trendite (extended slag mix)

Produced by Bret Helm & Ivan Dragotin Grguric

"your typical avant-punk-funk-white-noise-trash-thrash-rap."
- L.A. Weekly

First offering from this Los Angeles based outfit available only on vynil. Helm, Gruguric and good friend Jennifer Batten (guitarist) had played together in other projects prior to forming Doc Tahri. This debut record was well received by college radio while the band quickly became local favorites with their over the top live shows. Technically, Helm was still a touring member of P.i.L. at the time of this release which helped both the band and this disk gain momentum. This punkish sort of 'I don't care' attitude is obvious both lyrically and performance wise on 'Trendite'. In retrospect, this acts as a barometer of what to expect in the future from Helm while providing a first look into the eyes of Doc Tahri.

produced by Bret Helm
total running time 64:31

"impressive debut"
- Album Network

"Sean Wiggins sounds soulfully at home"
- Daily News

Singer/songwriter Sean Wiggins teamed up with Monte McConnell, Bret Helm (Doc Tahri drums/bass) and London based guitarist Chris Roe to form Vynil. Sadly, they all went their separate ways shortly after the release of "Casual Wear" which makes this offering somewhat bittersweet. There are some very cool moments on this record and the songwriting suggests a certain level of maturity not normally found on a bands maiden voyage. At times however the record seems lengthy and could have benefited from better editing or flat out removal of a track or two like the useless cover of 'Wild World' to the self indulgent meandering known as 'Highway', neither of which belong with the other tracks. Good news is that the remaining tracks standout and continue to holdup after repeated listenings. Check out how soulful Wiggins sounds on the outro of 'Colors Of Goodbye' and 'Time'. We'll never know how the combination of talents here might have grown in a more formal setting, but at least we're left with a "Casual" taste.

1 Big City Blues
2 Stop'n Smell The Roses
3 Sunshine
4 Then It Happened
5 Love You Tomorrow
6 Drownin' On Dry Land
7 Joey
8 Imagination
9 Free Ride
10 Believe It Can Be Real
11 Together With You

produced by Bret Helm
total running time 45:51

What do you get when you introduce a very cleanly produced pop record to the musical climate of the day, namely GRUNGE? Well, you gt a record that is sorely out of place and will most likely fall through the cracks. Such was the fate of XLM. Sean Wiggins fronts an 11 piece band whose songwriting and arrangements are nice and safe but lack any sort of guttural integrity. Standouts are the horn arrangements which are reminiscent of early Tower of Power and Blood Sweat & Tears. 'Believe It Can be Real' is a very catchy feel good empowerment song near end of the record that leaves you smiling. Even with the aforementioned shortcomings, overall this is a good disk and provides a rare/early glimpse of Sean Wiggins as a singer/songwriter.

1 Hang On
2 Then It Happened
3 Love You Tomorrow
4 Piece Of Heaven

produced by Bret Helm
total running time 17:59

This 4 song EP quickly followed the bands debut release just a few months prior and was meant to be more of an 'unplugged' outing. While most of the instruments here are acoustic, there are samples and inorganic elements added to create a piece that seems somewhat conflicted. The diamond in the rough is the totally stirpped down version of 'Then It Happened' which stands as a testament to good songwriting for this song would hold up in a variety of styles and performances. Wiggins sounds very believable and comfortable with her performance of this gem. Good news for fans is that two of the four songs featured here ('Hang On', 'Piece Of Heaven') are new. Though quite possibly intended as a demo, it has now been made available to the public to supplement the bands one and only full length album.

produced by Bret Helm
total running time 17:59

Straight out of Fresno comes the band Thumpasauras. Their bio self proclaims them as 'Rage Against The Machine meets The Chili Peppers'...Hmm, not sure about that, but you can be the judge. Logan delivers angry vocals and raps over aggressive sounding tracks and the band maintains its' identity/style throughout until the tired and uneventful cover of the Marley classic, 'Redemption Song'. Though tribute and full respect are well understood, it would have made a stronger statement to stick to original material. From the opening track 'Graneslave' complete with Seattle-esque grunge backing vocals to the jagged yet powerful 'Light Of The Blind' with heavy guitar work by Solon, these kids (did I mention that they are young?) have something to say. Besides, how can you not like a band whose bassist calls himself Ty Stik. Not much left to ones' imagination to figure out their inspiration. Oh the joys of misguided youth!