And now, some background for the uninitiated. Shawn Smith is well known for his inimitable vocal stylings with Brad (a band that includes Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard) and as the soulful singer/instrumentalist of Satchel. Satchel's second album The Family was released by Epic in mid-'96, while Brad's not-yet-titled follow-up to Shame is due out on Epic in early 1997. It is with Pigeonhed, however, that Smith is most free to pursue the more innovative side of his songwriting talents.

Steve Fisk is something of a Pacific Northwest legend, and a cult favorite around the globe. In 1982 he joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell who released some records on SST and twelve years later, in 1994, Pell Mell released the critically acclaimed Interstate on Geffen Records.

Though Fisk has worked with the likes of Nirvana and Soundgarden, he is perhaps most revered for his production work with Beat Happening and on the first four Screaming Trees records. His real creative juices, however, were unleashed via his own pioneering work with samples and tape manipulation-- even if he insists it was only a sideline. While these recordings (mostly between 1980 and 1987) were originally cassette-only releases on Olympia's K Records, they were compiled on CD in the fall of 1993 and released by K as Over And Through The Night.

Although Fisk's personal and production discography numbers many pages (and is available on request), perhaps one of his most eclectic works is the 1991 Sub Pop release Prison, by the late poet/performer Steven Jesse Bernstein, on which he utilizes his instinctive musical genius and groove acumen to provide a soundtrack to Bernstein's Bukowski-esque spoken poetry. However, Fisk's real masterpiece in the "copyright infringement" genre is the SST release 448 Deathless Days. He is currently producing his second LP with LA's critical darlings the Geraldine Fibbers.

Fisk's long history with the sampling and tape manipulation art--long before it was a preeminent mode--combined with the smooth vocal and musical talents of Smith (and, let us not forget, the various instrumental contributions from members of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and a bevy of Northwest notables) make Pigeonhed a trip into the archival spirit of music. Each song on The Full Sentence is a totally unique excursion (check out the brilliant and sexy Prince homage "Battle Flag" where Kim Thayil's guitar goes face-to-face with Smith's delivery of the infamous purple one's "Sexuality" rap from Controversy). There's just enough funky, trippy, ambient, souled-out vibes in Pigeonhed to suit any dance-aligned tastes. Perhaps that's why Melody Maker proclaimed the duo's debut one of the top 10 albums of 1993. Ooooh baby. Give me hed.